Chapter 66
He was fairly sensitive to gazes himself. In fact, ability users were generally sensitive to events, as their mental energy had been enhanced, making the presence of many gazes much more noticeable.
Moreover, that group of people probably had no ill intentions, so they didn’t bother to hide their scrutiny, openly sizing them up without restraint.
Was it because they were wearing masks? Or was something else off?
Naturally, the others also felt their stares. Mu Tieren cautiously asked Meng Huai, “Teacher, why are they looking at us like that?”
Meng Huai, however, knew exactly why, and so did the other teachers. But he had no intention of warning the students in advance. “I don’t know either. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
From his words, how could Su Bei not see that Meng Huai actually knew the truth but simply didn’t want to say? He raised an eyebrow, ruling out the possibility that it was about the masks.
Since Meng Huai knew the truth, Ye Lin surely did too. Earlier, Ye Lin had personally said they could wear masks. At most, she might not remind them to train their awareness, but she wouldn’t deliberately set them up.
It seemed the issue was something outside?
After thinking it over, he quietly slipped to the back of the group, intending to be the last one out.
Coincidentally, Jiang Tianming noticed his movement again. Recalling the last time he saw this move, when people from Skydome Academy came to provoke them and those at the front got scolded, Jiang Tianming’s mind raced, and he followed Su Bei to the back.
If he hadn’t moved, it would’ve been fine, but his action immediately drew more attention. Several people turned their heads with a “swish,” looking at the two standing at the very end.
Wu Mingbai, who was closest to Jiang Tianming, spoke first. “What are you guys doing, going to the back?”
Jiang Tianming immediately distanced himself. “I only followed because I saw Su Bei go there.”
Su Bei: “…”
What? You’re selling me out just like that?
Resisting the urge to glare at him, Su Bei forced an awkward yet polite smile and looked at Si Zhaohua. “I’m just following the formation.”
Si Zhaohua recalled that he had indeed arranged for Su Bei to take the rear and quickly explained, “That’s right, I told him to stay at the back.”
Hearing this, the others lost interest and turned their gazes away, thinking there was some big discovery.
Among everyone, only Jiang Tianming, who had witnessed Su Bei’s previous maneuvers, and the three teachers who knew the truth—Meng Huai, Ye Lin, and Lei Ze’en—didn’t buy his explanation. Even if others still felt something was off, they couldn’t exactly follow them to the back.
Seeing Jiang Tianming stubbornly stay at the back with him, Su Bei finally got the chance to shoot him a glare.
Knowing he’d been a bit shameless, Jiang Tianming gave a placating wink and mouthed, “I was wrong!”—but I’ll do it again next time.
Su Bei rolled his eyes in exasperation. This guy wasn’t honest at all. Given the chance, he’d definitely get back at him.
Watching their interaction from nearby, Lei Ze’en couldn’t help but laugh and said to the two beside him, “Such youthful energy. Back in our day, we were just as playful.”
Ye Lin, however, had no interest in being dragged down with them.
Pointing at Meng Huai: “Playful.”
Pointing at Lei Ze’en: “Rowdy.”
Then pointing at herself, blinking emphatically: “Spectator.”
She was the one watching the show, not joining their antics.
Seeing her distance herself, Meng Huai wasn’t pleased. “Then who was it that secretly got back at us every time we messed with you all those years?”
“You admit you messed with me first?” Ye Lin asked, amused.
“Alright, alright,” Lei Ze’en interjected, practiced at breaking up their squabbles. “I wonder how that Su Bei figured it out. He hasn’t been to a Different Space before, has he?”
At the mention of a student, Ye Lin immediately reverted to her usual gentle demeanor. “How could he? Non-ability users would be corrupted in a Different Space. He probably got the info from some other channel. It’s not exactly a secret.”
“Or maybe he’s an early awakener,” Meng Huai said with a smug grin, arms crossed. “That kid’s already mastered advanced Mental Energy.”
At this, Ye Lin and Lei Ze’en were visibly shocked. The information of students entering Class S was encrypted, so unless they or Meng Huai spoke, no one else would know.
“Kids these days are something else,” Lei Ze’en muttered, scratching his head. “Advanced Mental Energy? I didn’t reach that until I was twenty-five.”
“Saying that would probably make other ability users furious,” Ye Lin said with a comforting smile.
She wasn’t lying. For ability users to become advanced Mental Energy users required both talent and effort. Many never succeeded in their lifetime.
Those like them, who achieved it before thirty, were rare as phoenix feathers. If he still felt inadequate, others might want to smash their heads into tofu.
But Su Bei, a mere first-year high schooler, already an advanced Mental Energy user? That was truly remarkable…
“They’re heading out,” Meng Huai said, snapping them back. The other two immediately looked over, ready to enjoy the show.
It wasn’t just them; the other ability users in the rest station were also primed for a spectacle. Every year, the new ability users led by teachers were their source of amusement.
Sure enough, as the group reached the halfway point, two dark shadows burst from the ground on either side, attacking Si Zhaohua and the others who had stepped out of the greenhouse Barrier at lightning speed.
“Watch out!” Si Zhaohua shouted, reacting swiftly. He activated his ability, transforming into an Angel. His wings spread to shield one side from the attack. But his wings weren’t long enough, so Mo Xiaotian used an air wall to cover the rest.
As they protected one side and braced for the other, a wall of earth suddenly rose from the right, blocking the enemy’s assault.
—This was Wu Mingbai’s ability.
Having blocked the first wave, the group grew more composed. They could now see their attackers: several sand rat-like Nightmare Beasts.
Lan Subing removed her mask and activated her ability, softly uttering a single word: “「Freeze」”
The next moment, the menacing Nightmare Rats froze in place. The others didn’t waste the opportunity. Mu Tieren rushed forward, punching one away.
Mo Xiaotian’s explosive cube followed, detonating successfully. Through recent training, he could compress air more intensely, increasing the explosion’s power. Given the small size of the Nightmare Rats, one was blown to death instantly.
Li Shu, somehow, touched a Nightmare Rat’s head, and within seconds, it collapsed silently.
The last one was handled by Qi Huang. Her phoenix flames were so powerful that even defensive Nightmare Beasts wouldn’t fare well, let alone fragile ones like these rats.
In just a minute, the four Nightmare Beasts were dealt with. The air stilled for a few seconds before erupting into scattered applause. “Clap clap clap clap clap!”
This was followed by a chorus of discussions.
“This year’s students are way too strong, aren’t they?”
“That’s it? I haven’t even taken a sip of my drink!”
“Damn! Have I been living for nothing? They took out the Nightmare Rats so fast. Did they really not know the danger beforehand?”
“Looks like they’re elite academy students. Wonder which academy they’re from.”
Hearing these comments, the initially bewildered group suddenly understood. It seemed this was a common occurrence, and the earlier stares were just for the spectacle.
They turned to see Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, Feng Lan, and Zhao Xiaoyu still inside the Barrier, untouched and uninvolved.
Wait? Why were Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu there too?
This time, it was Zhao Xiaoyu who sold out. “I saw Feng Lan step back earlier, so I followed.”
She had watched Feng Lan’s solo battle matches and recognized his and Su Bei’s distinct prophetic abilities.
When she saw Feng Lan frown and retreat, and recalling Su Bei’s earlier move, she decisively followed them back.
Sure enough, she avoided a fight.
“You guys didn’t even give a hint!” Wu Mingbai was genuinely amused and exasperated, looking at Jiang Tianming and the others.
Lan Subing, sharing his indignation, glared at them too.
Jiang Tianming shrugged, unfazed. “I already said I followed Su Bei. You didn’t come along, so you can’t expect me to…”
He glanced at Su Bei, giving the group a knowing look. He couldn’t afford to offend Su Bei again, could he?
Following his gaze, everyone looked at Su Bei. Si Zhaohua, who was close to him, spoke up. “Your turn to present your case. Explain.”
If he admitted he’d used them as bait, it’d spark outrage. Fortunately, having witnessed several betrayals, he’d already chosen his scapegoat.
Shrugging like Jiang Tianming, he said, “Teacher Meng didn’t say anything, so it’s not my place to speak, right?”
Zhao Xiaoyu, under Ai Baozhu’s glare, quickly chimed in, “Same here, same here. If Teacher Meng didn’t say, it’s probably to train everyone. Since you didn’t notice, we couldn’t just reveal the truth.”
“Nice job redirecting the blame,” Lei Ze’en said, clapping as he walked over, nudging Meng Huai playfully. “What’s the scapegoat’s take?”
Scapegoat Meng Huai sneered. “Extra training when we get back!”
Jiang Tianming and the others immediately wore bitter expressions. Their usual training was already grueling, and now extra? They should’ve gone out—losing both face and comfort.
Seeing Wu Mingbai and the others laugh smugly, Meng Huai sneered again. “What’s so funny? You’re all in too!”
This time, everyone wailed in unison, “No way!”
With someone playing the “strict father,” another had to be the “kind mother.”
The ever-reliable Teacher Ye Lin explained gently, “We didn’t tell you earlier to train your reaction and observation skills. Since human outposts are here, many Nightmare Beasts lurk nearby, attacking as soon as someone steps out. This applies to any Different Space with an outpost.”
This was practical experience not found in books, only deeply ingrained through personal encounters. After this, Jiang Tianming was sure he’d never forget to check before leaving a rest station.
Lei Ze’en followed her lead, praising evenly, “Those who stayed back passed observation; those who went out passed reaction. You all did well!”
After the brief interlude, it was time to truly explore the Different Space.
Unlike a forest, this was a vast desert stretching endlessly. Logically, a desert’s open terrain meant enemies had nowhere to hide. But after the earlier attack, they realized Nightmare Beasts here likely had cloaking abilities.
They moved forward cautiously but encountered no danger. The rest station soon vanished from view, surrounded by endless desert, with undulating sand dunes—a grand, desolate scene. It felt like they were the only living beings in this world.
Su Bei suddenly stopped and looked back. “The teachers are gone.”
At this, everyone turned in surprise. Sure enough, Meng Huai, Ye Lin, and Lei Ze’en, who had been following, were nowhere to be seen.
Mo Xiaotian scratched his head. “Where’d they go?”
“Probably want us to train on our own,” Si Zhaohua said calmly, having anticipated this.
With teachers around, they’d naturally slack off. Even knowing the teachers were likely still nearby, not seeing them heightened their vigilance.
He was about to reveal this truth when he realized he couldn’t say, “The teachers are still following us,” or anything similar.
Si Zhaohua’s eyes widened. After a few attempts, he confirmed the teachers didn’t want anyone guessing and spilling the truth.
But honestly, they weren’t idiots. Who would believe the teachers just vanished and weren’t following?
“The teachers are so lucky. Are they back at the hotel now?” Mo Xiaotian said enviously, suffering in the desert’s heat.
Well, there was one idiot. Si Zhaohua was speechless.
“I want to go back to the hotel too. This damn sun’s going to tan me,” Ai Baozhu grumbled, glaring at the sky. “So what do we do now?”
“We need to find this Different Space’s ‘Closed Point,’” Feng Lan answered suddenly. “Teacher Ye told me before she disappeared. She assigned us this task.”
The “Closed Point” was the intersection between a Different Space and the Nightmare Beast world, as opposed to the “Open Point,” the link to the real world.
Closing the “Closed Point” would prevent Nightmare Beasts from entering this Different Space from their world, and those already here couldn’t return. Thus, closing it would trap the Nightmare Beasts like fish in a barrel.
Before coming, they’d studied Different Space knowledge and were familiar with these terms.
“The teachers sure think highly of us,” Li Shu said, sounding honored but clearly sarcastic.
He wasn’t wrong, and everyone agreed. Assigning them this task—weren’t the teachers overestimating them?
Even many adult ability users entered Different Spaces just to hunt Nightmare Beasts. Closing a “Closed Point”? Unthinkable. Finding it was one thing; approaching it was another.
Many Nightmare Beasts guarded “Closed Points,” using them to retreat to their world for rapid recovery.
Though unclear why, it was textbook knowledge that Nightmare Beasts recovered quickly in their world, so everyone knew. They’d studied Nightmare Beasts for a full month!
Closing a “Closed Point” was even harder because it drained the Different Space’s vitality, turning it stagnant. Thus, Different Spaces naturally protected “Closed Points,” often placing them in perilous locations.
“Luckily, our task is just to find the ‘Closed Point.’ The teachers wouldn’t give us an impossible mission, so we must have a chance,” Jiang Tianming said, always rational in the face of challenges.
He thought for a moment and analyzed, “The teachers led us this way at first, then gradually fell back and disappeared. So, I think this path we’re on likely leads to the ‘Closed Point.’ We just need to keep going straight.”
His analysis made sense. After calming down, the group realized he was right. Their current direction was the one the teachers had guided them toward. The teachers wouldn’t mislead them; this was likely their only hint.
“Then let’s keep moving,” Si Zhaohua said, checking a compass. They were heading due north.
“Who didn’t bring a compass? Speak up so we can plan. If we get separated for any reason, we won’t get lost.”
Mo Xiaotian, Wu Jin, and Zhou Renjie raised their hands. Mo Xiaotian hadn’t thought to bring one, while the other two hadn’t anticipated splitting up, only bringing essentials.
Su Bei hadn’t brought a compass either; he packed light. He figured, since he was with the group, he didn’t need much.
Besides, with the Destiny Compass overhead, as long as the protagonist group was nearby, he had a built-in “protagonist pointer.”
Looking toward the protagonists, the small needle would always flicker. In this world, nothing influenced fate more than the protagonist group.
For this, he’d even prepared a mirror in his storage ring!
After confirming the direction, the group pressed on. Crossing a sand dune, they finally spotted other humans.
There were four, dressed in matching brown uniforms, battling a massive python as thick as two people. Its half-raised body alone was two people tall.
They watched as the python braced its belly on the ground, its thick tail whipping out to coil around the nearest person, lifting them into the air.
“Help… help!” the trapped man shouted, his face turning purple rapidly. He flailed, slashing at the Nightmare Snake’s tail with a flaming knife.
Perhaps his struggle pained the snake, as it raised its head, hissing twice, then slammed the man to the ground with a heavy thud.
“Pfft!” The man spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing limply.
“Mingcheng!” a green-haired woman in the team cried out. Her stylish green bow glowed pink, shrinking to a palm-sized pink bow.
She aimed not at the snake but at her bound teammate. A pink arrow shot out, hitting the man’s stomach. It dissolved into a warm current, and he instantly looked revitalized.
The other two attacked the snake—one with a dragon-coiled staff in close combat, the other shielding the green-haired woman with a shield. They clearly hoped to distract the snake and free their companion.
This was a team entirely of weapon-based abilities!
With Su Bei and the others’ keen eyes, they could tell the team was outmatched. Wu Mingbai acted first, manipulating sand to rise and obscure the snake’s vision.
Jiang Tianming, in perfect sync, flung a star-shaped hidden weapon from his pocket, aiming for the snake’s eyes.
“Hiss!” Struck in a vital spot, the snake screeched in pain, its tail whipping harder, flinging the trapped man away.
For an ordinary person, this would’ve shattered their organs, but ability users were tougher. The man rolled on the ground, quickly scrambling back to his team.
Qi Huang’s flames and Mo Xiaotian’s explosive cube struck next, followed by several elegant, razor-sharp white feathers.
The snake was formidable but couldn’t withstand such an onslaught. It let out an unwilling hiss and collapsed heavily, kicking up dust.
Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, and Wu Mingbai attacked the fallen snake again, then exchanged smiles. Clearly, they all had a knack for finishing blows.
The four strangers were stunned. The giant Nightmare Snake that had overwhelmed them was defeated so easily by a few students? This year’s students were unreal!
The green-haired woman with the bow reacted first. Her bow vanished, and she approached empty-handed. The rescued buzz-cut man followed closely, sticking to her like glue. “Thank you so much for your help. Which academy are you from? We’ll send you a banner when we get back,” she said gratefully.
Before anyone could respond, Lan Subing shook her head frantically, looking horrified.
A banner? What kind of new social death was this!
No one cared for banners, especially with such a vehement refusal. Jiang Tianming declined firmly, “No need, just a small favor. We’ll take the Nightmare Beast’s corpse, then?”
Nightmare Beast meat fetched a good price, and a snake this big—its skin wouldn’t be cheap either. Jiang Tianming had glanced at market prices that morning.
Selling this snake would cover his and Wu Mingbai’s living expenses for a year.
Ability users sure made money, he thought.
“Wait,” Su Bei interjected before the others could reply.
He looked suspiciously at the giant snake, then at Jiang Tianming. “You’re not planning to use my storage space for this snake, are you?”
“This is ‘our’ snake,” Jiang Tianming emphasized. “It’ll fetch a nice sum.”
Su Bei wasn’t short on cash—his father had left him a hefty inheritance. But seeing Jiang Tianming’s pleading look, he couldn’t refuse. “Fine, my bad luck.”