Chapter 229

Those words were truly apt. Zu Zong immediately thought about how he would boast next. In an instant, it was as if he was bathed in sunlight again, and he quickly stood up.

After thinking for a moment, he returned the favor and shared something he found interesting: “The Spirit-Communicator Tribe had a traitor, and it was the chief’s son. The underground people I know told me before I left that they were going to ostracize the Spirit-Communicator Tribe.”

Upon hearing this, Su Bei raised an eyebrow, secretly filing this piece of information away.

At first, Huangfu Mingzhe listened indifferently as everyone shared their news, until even the most socially anxious Lan Subing and the most taciturn Wu Jin each revealed a piece of information. Eventually, everyone had something to share except for him.

Huangfu Mingzhe looked left and right, asking incredulously, “Are you ostracizing me?”

Si Zhaohua miraculously understood his meaning and elegantly rolled her eyes: “Can’t you just share one yourself?”

That was also true. Huangfu Mingzhe thought for a moment: “Our family plans to participate in the underground world’s renovation project. Perhaps in the near future, I will invite you all to visit the underground world again.”

After discussing these matters, the dishes were all served. Everyone ate and chatted casually. Si Zhaohua and Huangfu Mingzhe, who usually adhered to a ‘no talking while eating’ rule, did not stop others from speaking. Instead, they patiently listened, responding with their eyes.

After dinner, Su Bei returned to his lodging. Originally, he was with Mo Xiaotian, but due to previous events, Mo Xiaotian had already been sent back to school, so now Su Bei had the entire room to himself.

Lying on the bed, he opened his phone and began checking for the latest comic updates.

The plot continued from the last installment: after being tied up in the dark, they began their underground life. Although the entire underground space was dark, the comic couldn’t present a completely black screen to readers, so it was just much darker than usual. However, all the necessary visuals were there, and the colors were still vibrant.

It was only through the comic that Su Bei truly saw what the underground world looked like. Although he saw patterns and could vaguely discern colors when wearing those sunglasses, it was mostly in shades of black, white, and gray.

In the comic, the mud caves were not as barren as he had seen. Instead, they were colorful and flamboyant. The patterns on the walls were dyed with color, looking more artistic than the colorless patterns.

This made Su Bei look forward a little to Huangfu Mingzhe’s invitation. If they could install lights in the underground space, it would probably look quite beautiful even without decoration.

The main perspective of the comic was naturally still Jiang Tianming. After a brief understanding of the situation, everyone began to explore the deeper mysteries of the underground world.

Su Bei knew that he hadn’t had many shining moments in this incident. His advantages were merely three points: physical combat, abilities, and foresight. However, in the underground world, the physical fitness of the underground humans far surpassed ordinary people, and only anomalies like Huangfu Mingzhe could resist them. Furthermore, abilities were prohibited. Su Bei could only rely on some foresight to create an advantage.

He did not disappoint, successfully uncovering the Black Flash Organization’s desire to covet the underground people and recruit them, and also finding a way to leave. In every way, he had done all he could. Even without major highlights, his presence was certainly not low.

Indeed, his appearance in the comic was not too sparse, especially the part where he pretended to have a stomach ache to search Clan Leader He’s room—that entire scene was fully depicted in the comic. The contents of the files were conveyed to readers through both narration and inner thoughts, also revealing why Cyril and his accomplice had acted so strangely before.

Immediately after, Cyril and his partner also arrived at the secret room to search for documents, only to discover someone else was there. Su Bei proactively stepped out to deal with them, ultimately succeeding in sending the two away. Su Bei didn’t feel anything special when he experienced it, but judging from how the comic portrayed it, it was quite thrilling.

“Oh my gosh, Su Bei actually stepped out voluntarily!”

“Su Bei, you’re such a good boy!”

“So dangerous! Li Xiang truly intended to kill him, but Cyril didn’t seem to want to kill Su Bei.”

“I knew the Bei-Jin CP was real!”

“To be so composed in such a situation, I’m really curious what trump card Su Bei has!”

Because he knew most of the events, Su Bei flipped through quickly. Soon, he reached the segment where he left the underground world. After he ascended, the author shifted the camera back to the underground.

Jiang Tianming and the others, by tracking the traces left by Cyril and his partner, successfully found items they had carelessly left behind in a room. A member of the Flora Tribe had an underground human who could, by touching items contaminated with the creator’s aura, research an antidote for the poison the creator had made.

After successfully unraveling Cyril and his partner’s plot, and discussing for a while with Clan Leader He, the Clan Leader finally agreed to go with them to the surface world for negotiations. It’s worth noting that they had indeed been to the surface world. After all, the venue, apart from the annual Tri-School Competition, was mostly empty at other times, making it easy to go up unnoticed.

However, firstly, there were issues with light, and secondly, they truly didn’t understand the surface world. They knew that with their appearance, even if they went out now, they would likely face the same problems as their ancestors, so they never ventured deeper.

But over the years, occasionally people would fall from above. From their accounts, the people of the underground world gradually learned more about the surface world. Some of those who knew this information began to covet the surface world.

Indeed, this refers to the young people led by Xiao Fan, the grandson of the Spirit-Communicator Tribe’s chief. They didn’t believe they should be cooped up in this dark underground world and wanted to occupy the surface world to gain more resources.

If he were a little older, he would have known how naive his ideas were, but unfortunately, he was still young and just happened to encounter a master manipulator like Cyril.

The other party had already made contact with Xiao Fan, and through Cyril’s persuasion, Xiao Fan’s ambition gradually inflated. After his grandfather once again rejected his request to go to the surface world, he finally decided to cooperate with Cyril.

The rumor that outsiders killed underground people was spread by him. In the plot, he even caused Jiang Tianming and his companions many obstacles by leveraging his identity. Ultimately, he was imprisoned by the Spirit-Communicator Tribe chief himself, and probably won’t have a chance to come out again.

Su Bei skimmed through page after page. When he reached the last two pages, he suddenly sat upright, his eyes widening slightly.

【In a luxurious palace, the leader of the Black Flash Organization sat at the head, with Cyril and Li Xiang standing below him. Li Xiang raised a hand, and nine underground people emerged from the ground, standing silently behind him.

“Leader, these are all the Nightmare People I brought back. One of them is still alive.” As he spoke, Li Xiang glanced back, and an underground person timidly walked in from outside the door.

Compared to the other summoned underground people, this one was clearly much more vibrant.

Cyril then took out the book Su Bei had given him and several documents: “These are the materials I found there, which might aid your research.”

The attendant beside him took the items from Cyril’s hands and respectfully presented them to the leader. He casually flipped through them for a few moments, a satisfied smile appearing on his face, and nodded slightly: “You’ve done very well. Although this mission wasn’t successful, we gained an even greater harvest.”

After speaking, the leader beckoned to the only living underground person. Under Cyril’s urging gaze, the person tremblingly stepped forward. The leader lifted his chin and examined him carefully for a moment before announcing: “I will be going into secluded cultivation for some time. Send all these people to my research lab.”]

Su Bei hadn’t expected that, despite their best efforts to prevent the Black Flash Organization from taking the underground people, they still succeeded. He recognized two of those people: the deceased couple from the Mud Tribe.

The moment he saw them, the identities of the remaining people became clear: they were all underground people killed by Li Xiang. Just as they had previously wanted to bring back the corpses of Su Bei and the others to report, they could now naturally bring back the corpses of the underground people to do so.

And that one living person should also be one of the ten “dead” people they had killed, but Cyril and his partner probably used some illusionary trick, successfully deceiving the underground people into thinking this person was dead, thus smoothly bringing him out.

Such an illusion wouldn’t be hard to create. Previously, two people had died in each tribe, all with exactly the same cause of death. With such a pattern, when the last group of dead people appeared, they naturally wouldn’t be thoroughly examined, as there would be nothing to find anyway.

“This is troublesome now,” Su Bei murmured, lying back on the bed.

The Black Flash Organization had acquired several underground people, or “Nightmare People” as they called them. Among them were not only dead people controlled by Li Xiang but also a living person. This meant that the leader’s subsequent research on them would be relatively smooth, as there would be no obstacles.

If they truly could research something, given the Black Flash Organization’s nature, they certainly wouldn’t use it for good. They had many good research findings before, but none were ever used for righteous purposes.

And if they couldn’t research anything, that would be even more terrifying. Would they then realize that Nightmare Beasts could never transform back into humans, and that there was currently no way to eliminate them?

Su Bei didn’t believe that once they discovered this, they would simply give up and retreat. When a madman’s long-held dream shatters, they don’t become normal; they only become crazier.

The fact that they took the underground people could be reported to the academy, as the identities of the people they took were traceable, making it easy to verify this point.

Reporting this matter to the government wasn’t just about conveying information. More importantly, Su Bei hoped the government could stop their research, otherwise, they would face severe consequences. If they couldn’t stop it, delaying it for some time would also work, allowing him to first devise a method to completely wipe out the Nightmare Beasts.

Revisiting the final part of the comic’s plot, he felt that it wasn’t entirely bad news. At least, during the leader’s secluded cultivation, they probably wouldn’t cause trouble again.

While this didn’t mean the protagonist group wouldn’t encounter danger again, at least one source of danger was removed, wasn’t it?

After finishing the comic, Su Bei opened the forum. The information he had discovered earlier, combined with this final plot segment from the comic, would surely generate a lot of discussion on the forum.

“Despite all precautions, the Black Flash Organization still managed to get Nightmare People. It’s chilling, everyone, what kind of research are they planning?”

【Call me楼主No.0: Cyril didn’t even bother capturing Jiang Jiang and the others; he just wanted to recruit Nightmare People into the organization, so they must have some important use. But what could they research with these people? How to become aliens?】

【No.1: They’re probably researching their abilities. I saw Cyril was quite interested in the Spirit-Communicator Tribe.】

【No.2 Reply No.1: But weren’t there no Spirit-Communicator Tribe members among those people?】

【No.3: Am I the only one focused on the fact that they brought back not only dead people but also living people? Very particular!】

【No.4: Your focus is unique, upstairs.】

【No.5: The ‘particular’ point is…】

【No.6: Having both living and dead people. So convenient for research! I wish the students at my school were as cooperative.】

【…】

【No.43: The inevitable process for every thread—derailment.】

【No.44: Let me get the thread back on track. Cyril became very enthusiastic about the Nightmare People after learning their identities, which means the Black Flash had long intended to research Nightmare People, but simply hadn’t found them before. So what they placed their hopes on must be the characteristics of the Nightmare People before they came underground, because there’s no data from after they went underground. And the Nightmare People’s previous characteristics are what Su Bei found: that they were originally on the verge of death, then mysteriously came back to life, and their bodies mutated. Therefore, based on my deduction, what they want to research should be the ability to revive from death.】

【No.45: You’re a genius, upstairs, confirmed!】

【No.46: Villains researching resurrection, such a reasonable guess. They must want to resurrect his deceased wife! Cyril’s refusal to leave the Black Flash Organization also stems from wanting to revive a dear friend.】

【No.47 Reply No.46: If they could really succeed, then selfishly, I’d somewhat support their research…】

【No.48 Reply No.47: Historically, research into this has never succeeded, whether in comics, novels, or TV shows. Either the research fails directly, or it succeeds, but the resulting thing cannot truly revive from death; it can only create puppets or similar.】

【No.49: If they really succeeded, then this comic wouldn’t be called “Ability is King”; it should be called “The Glorious History of the Black Flash Organization.”】

【No.50 Reply No.49: Then I’d have to call Jiang Jiang and the others villains!】

【No.51 Reply No.50: Audacious villains! How dare you obstruct the grand endeavor of my Black Flash Organization! Guards, seize them and beat them to death with sticks!】

【No.52: Hahahahahahaha you guys are going to make me die laughing and then inherit my Ant Credit Pay?】

【No.53: Hahahahahahahahahahaha】

【…】

【White Cabbage No.100: No, wait, there seems to be something wrong with your guesses. If I remember correctly, Nightmare People didn’t revive from death; they were just about to die, but not actually dead. And the leader’s wife died and became a Nightmare Beast. Can she really revive from death after becoming a Nightmare Beast?】

【No.101: That sounds somewhat reasonable.】

【No.102: But if it’s not researching resurrection, what else could it be?】

【No.103: I only believe resurrection can be more impressive than the protagonist group’s achievements.】

【No.104 Reply White Cabbage No.100: You overlooked a problem. Although records say they were only close to death, not truly dead, how can such a thing be verified? How could someone who ‘revived’ know if they were actually dead moments ago? So they might have died once, but didn’t know it themselves, which is why it was recorded as a near-death state. As for the wife’s problem, it’s also easy to explain. Although she became a Nightmare Beast, a Nightmare Beast is formed from human grievances after death. It’s not the person themselves. As long as the leader has her corpse, it might be possible to achieve resurrection.】

【No.105: I support the upstairs comment!】

【No.106: You guys think too much.】

【No.107: Floor 100, you can’t just refute; you need to propose another hypothesis so we can compare.】

【White Cabbage No.108 Reply No.104: You and I haven’t died, so how do you know that death cannot be felt? If the Black Flash Organization’s focus was purely on reviving his wife’s corpse, then why did they spend several previous plotlines researching Nightmare Beasts? It’s clear they want to revive his wife who became a Nightmare Beast.】

【White Cabbage No.109 Reply No.108: As for a hypothesis, I think they are researching how to turn Nightmare Beasts back into humans. That has always been their goal.】

【No.110: It feels like everyone has a point.】

【I am Leeuwenhoek too No.111: Sister Cabbage is right, I also think the Black Flash Organization’s goal isn’t quite what was said earlier.

You overlooked an important question: why are those underground people called “Nightmare People”? The character “魇” (Nightmare) in “Ability is King” refers to Nightmare Beasts, meaning the underground people, in their eyes, are related to Nightmare Beasts.

According to the historical records of the Nightmare People that Su Bei found, after they encountered the energy wave and underwent changes, Nightmare Beasts and Ability users were born successively. My analysis is this: people who had already died had their grievances transform into beasts; people who didn’t die and had potential became Ability users; and those who were on the verge of death became Nightmare People.

So what they want to research is how Nightmare Beasts become Nightmare Beasts. Apart from their appearance, Nightmare People are no different from ordinary humans. For the leader, as long as his wife can become like this, that should be enough.】

【No.112 Reply I am Leeuwenhoek too No.111: !!!!!】

【No.113 Reply I am Leeuwenhoek too No.111: An angle I never considered!】

【No.114 Reply I am Leeuwenhoek too No.111: What brilliant analysis!】

【No.115: Experts are among the people! If I had this brain, why would I worry about failing advanced mathematics?】

【I am Leeuwenhoek too No.116 Reply No.115: Not really, I failed too T^T】

【…】

After reading this post, Su Bei couldn’t help but nod. Although many comments earlier in the thread were wrong, it was fine as long as someone later corrected them. If they all stubbornly believed that the Black Flash Organization’s goal was simply resurrection, it would actually be troublesome for Su Bei.

He needed readers to understand that the Black Flash Organization’s goal had always been related to Nightmare Beasts, so that whenever he needed to bring up this topic in the future, it wouldn’t seem abrupt.

Other posts were largely similar, mostly discussing the Black Flash Organization’s schemes, and a smaller portion discussing everyone’s performance in this incident. Among these, there were naturally posts specifically discussing him.

“Comic Chapter N: Brother Bei continues his steady performance.”

【Su Bei is My God No.0: Beautiful image to anchor the post Su Bei wet hair.jpg】

【Su Bei is My God No.1: Sometimes I really suspect Su Bei already knows how events will unfold. He never seemed panicked throughout the comic, not even when facing Cyril and Li Xiang alone twice, remaining perfectly at ease. It’s as if he, like us, has a god’s-eye view; his every move is without excess.】

【No.2:楼主 knows how to praise!】

【No.3: The anchor image is tasteful!】

【No.4: I also screenshotted that image from the main post, hehe. Someone already completed the full version; I recommend everyone go enjoy it!】

【No.5 Reply No.4: I know which one you’re talking about, hehe!】

【No.6 Reply No.4: Link, please!】

【…】

【No.37: Although I know楼主 is just exaggerating, I truly think what the first floor said is correct. Su Bei clearly knows something, which is why when everyone else was distracted by the deceased, he decisively went to Clan Leader He’s house to look for documents. If he didn’t know, given Su Bei’s usual personality, even if he left the team, he’d probably just slack off, so why would he actively look for clues?】

【No.38 Reply No.37: Hahahahahahahaha I burst out laughing at the last sentence!】

【No.39 Reply No.37: An analysis that’s completely in character!】

【No.40: Besides what Floor 37 said, Cyril and Li Xiang’s arrival should have been unexpected for Su Bei, but he immediately knew that these two wouldn’t harm him, which is why he stepped out voluntarily. How does he understand others so well? Su Bei, where does your intelligence network come from?】

【No.41: Destiny-type abilities are omniscient (confirmed).】

【No.42: I call Su Bei the intelligence expert!】

【…】

【No.131: Speaking of Brother Bei’s intelligence network, have you seen that article “The Master of the ‘Destiny’ Organization”? I think it’s so well written, and surprisingly logical!】

【No.132 Reply No.131: Ahhhhhhh I read it, I read it! Super good!】

【No.133 Reply No.131: Indeed, it’s quite logical (not a typo, it’s a pun). If Su Bei weren’t so young, I’d bet he’s definitely a member of the Destiny Organization. His abilities are too perfect; it would be against all reason for him not to join Destiny.】

【No.134: Actually, if you think about it carefully, maybe Su Bei really is a member of the Destiny Organization. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain how he knows so much information, much of which can’t be explained by [Destiny Gear].】

【No.135: The Destiny Organization appears too infrequently. I’m quite interested in this intelligence organization; it feels very mysterious.】

【No.136: Since you’re all dreaming of Brother Bei being a member of Destiny, then I’ll just dream of him being the young master of Destiny, is that too much?】

【No.137 Reply No.136: Not too much! My Brother Bei is going to inherit the organization and achieve great things!】

【No.138: Who still remembers Brother Bei’s dream of opening a hardware store (whispering).】