Chapter 297

After staying in the tree for a good half hour, the sound of the ‘Manga Consciousness’ notification reached Su Bei’s ears. The manga had been updated.

Updating at this time… Su Bei lowered his eyes thoughtfully. It seemed the author intended to release this competition in two chapters, which meant the content of the two chapters had to be different. If the first part was a proper competition, then the next part was obvious—the Nightmare Beasts’ conspiracy would fully erupt.

Su Bei knew full well that the amusement park would likely not be as dangerous as before. The contestants would gradually learn that killing someone here meant killing them for real. Once they knew, they would certainly stop killing for tasks. After all, doing so before knowing was excusable, but continuing to do so after knowing would be intentional murder.

Most of the Nightmare Beasts should be waiting outside to confront the teachers when they sense something is wrong. The grand army of Nightmare Beasts from the Nightmare Beast World would probably also pour out at this time.

As for the illusion, Su Bei wasn’t sure how many real Nightmare Beasts were here, but the beasts must have considered what to do if the contestants discovered the truth.

Sitting in the tree, he put himself in their shoes. If he were a Nightmare Beast, what would he do when the Ability users discovered that death in the illusion might be real?

Without a doubt, he would tamper with the escape methods.

Since the method of killing others to clear the stage was no longer viable, they would have to find another way. With the mindset of the vast majority of these kids, it was impossible for them to just obediently wait for the teachers outside to rescue them.

There were three ways to clear the illusion, as mentioned before. Although they now seemingly had one less method of escape, there were actually still three.

Su Bei didn’t believe the author wouldn’t set up another plot-based escape method here, especially after seeing how sentient the clowns in the illusion were. They clearly had a hidden plotline, but he just couldn’t trigger it.

Forcibly breaking through the illusion was definitely not an option. Of the two remaining methods, the easiest to manipulate was certainly the plot-based escape method. After all, so many interludes could be set up along the way; who knew if there were any hidden diversions?

As for the method Su Bei used—destroying the array core—traps could certainly be set there as well. For example, fake array cores could be placed in other locations that looked like the real one. If a clown stepped on it, a vortex would still be triggered, but that vortex would be a deathtrap.

He was certain the one he went to was real, firstly because his luck value was good at the time, which didn’t feel like he had stumbled upon a fake. Secondly, the haunted house he visited was special; it was the protagonist team’s starting point. From a manga perspective, such a place was the optimal location for an array core.

Since he had already found a correct way to leave, he didn’t need to participate in the upcoming plot. And since the contestants would no longer attack him, Su Bei knew it would be much safer for him from now on.

Unfortunately, this didn’t mean he could wander around freely. It was known that the clowns were likely a problem, so who knew if they would attack indiscriminately? In this illusion, the only things that could pose a threat now were the Advanced Nightmare Beasts and the clowns. For the clowns to be placed on the same level as Advanced Nightmare Beasts, their attack power was definitely not to be underestimated.

Su Bei was just a frail side character; naturally, he didn’t want to confront the clowns head-on.

Jumping down from the tree, Su Bei planned to find another hiding place. The trees in this amusement park weren’t particularly dense; most were just ordinary greenery. They were fine for decoration, but not feasible for hiding.

The haunted houses on either side were no-go zones. After discovering the problem with the illusion, he wouldn’t be the only one to think of escaping by destroying the array core. Therefore, these two places would become disaster zones for contestant exploration.

Although the contestants would no longer want to eliminate him by this point, danger was sure to follow wherever they were.

So, where else was suitable for hiding? After scanning his surroundings, Su Bei’s gaze finally settled on the scenic railway train in the distance. Don’t be fooled by how open it seemed, as if it offered no safety.

But when Su Bei was playing with the clown earlier, he had happened to ask about the scenic railway train. The train didn’t need any staff; it had a total of five stations, stopping at each for two minutes before continuing forward. It ran in a continuous loop without stopping.

This meant that once Su Bei got on, he would be in the air almost the entire time. He wouldn’t encounter clowns along the way, and no one would find it strange that the train kept running. Under normal circumstances, no student would think to check the scenic railway train in a crisis. Given the train’s speed, walking would be faster for getting around.

Without hesitation, Su Bei quickly boarded the scenic railway train. The experience of this aerial sightseeing vehicle was novel, especially with the current external environment making it even more so.

Looking down from the car window, the positions of the contestants and Nightmare Beasts were all in clear view. Some were fighting Nightmare Beasts, some were fighting other contestants, and some were walking briskly forward, their direction pointing right at the haunted house where he had placed the clue.

Reminded by this person’s trajectory, Su Bei immediately looked down at his watch. The number of points he had had already surpassed the 2000 mark; several more people had bought his intelligence.

The clowns’ actions were indeed efficient, attracting so many customers in just one hour. Su Bei hadn’t forbidden the contestants from sharing the information with others after obtaining it. With five teams totaling twenty-five people spreading the information, it probably wouldn’t be long before every student in the amusement park knew about it.

He had done what needed to be done. Feeling a sense of relief, Su Bei half-lay in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest. He wasn’t sure what would happen next. Although it seemed like he was out of it for now, based on past experience, wherever the protagonist team was, everyone had to be on high alert.

He couldn’t bring his phone or laptop into the competition, which left him with nothing to do now. He couldn’t fall asleep for the time being; this place wasn’t as safe as the ‘Holy Spirit Banyan That Reaches the Sky’. Su Bei could only close his eyes and recall his knowledge about illusions.

The collapse of an illusion itself wouldn’t harm the people inside, but the accompanying phantasms during the collapse could cause injury. For example, sudden volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and so on—in the hands of a powerful illusionist, these illusions could inflict real damage.

Su Bei was very worried about a repeat of the Wesi Sanctuary incident. If the entire amusement park ended up in that state, everyone inside would be in trouble. It was important to remember that the amusement park in the illusion was different from Wesi Sanctuary; he couldn’t find the ‘destiny’ of the illusion within the illusion itself.

Fortunately, Su Bei had already prepared an escape method for himself as a precaution. Even if the entire amusement park was to be destroyed in the end, he could leave one step ahead.

“Ding ding!”

Suddenly, his watch rang. It was the ringtone for an incoming call. The sound was very faint, as Su Bei had deliberately adjusted it. Normally, it should be set to silent, but since Su Bei was in a relatively safe location now, a little noise was fine.

He opened it and saw a message from Jiang Tianming.

[Jiang Tianming: Su Bei, transfer us 500 points. We got an intelligence mission.]

Su Bei, upon seeing this message: “…”

Could the intelligence mission they were talking about be the one he had released?

It had to be. Su Bei let out a silent, wry laugh. After a moment’s thought, he transferred the five hundred points. It was just a matter of moving it from his left hand to his right, so giving it to them was no big deal.

About half an hour after the points were transferred, Jiang Tianming posted the intelligence he had bought for 500 points in the group chat.

[Si Zhaohua: Our previous deduction was correct. There’s really something wrong with this illusion!]

[Lan Subing: I wonder how many people have died already…]

[Wu Mingbai: At any rate, there should be quite a few left.]

[Jiang Tianming: Why don’t we regroup now, Su Bei? This is definitely a Nightmare Beast conspiracy. We should be safer if we stick together.]

[Su Bei: Do you genuinely believe it’s safer to be with you guys?]

[Jiang Tianming: …]

[Lan Subing: …]

[Wu Mingbai: …]

[Si Zhaohua: …]

[Si Zhaohua: You already knew about this, didn’t you?]

He actually guessed it. Su Bei raised an eyebrow.

[Su Bei: Uh-huh.]

[Si Zhaohua: I knew it. Then why didn’t you tell us earlier?]

[Jiang Tianming: Was the news released by the clowns your doing?]

[Su Bei: Wow, now I’m truly amazed by your intelligence.]

[Lan Subing: …Never mind not telling us this news from the start, but when we just said we were going to buy info from a clown, you didn’t even tell us the info was yours!]

[Si Zhaohua: That’s too much!]

[Wu Mingbai: Su Bei, guess if the teachers can see what you’re doing?]

If Su Bei had treated the previous questions as a joke, Wu Mingbai’s final, incisive question made him break out in a cold sweat. His mouth twitched as he suddenly realized he had forgotten about that problem.

This competition itself was being live-streamed. Even if Jilam, under the control of the Nightmare Beasts, had helped conceal parts of it, the original recordings could probably be recovered afterward. When that happened, everything Su Bei had done would be made public.

Although what he did wasn’t wrong in itself—whether it was finding a way out for himself first after discovering the problem, or having the clowns announce the information, they were all very reasonable actions. Even the matter of him selling the information, Su Bei could explain it as a way to more easily gain the contestants’ trust. After all, compared to something free, something paid for seems much more reliable.

But the problem was, outsiders might believe this explanation, but would Meng Huai and the others believe it? Su Bei could almost foresee the fists of justice and the joint nagging session he would face in a few days.

A mask of agony appeared on his face. He replied stubbornly in the group chat, “So what if they see? I’m doing good deeds,” before turning off his watch to sulk in solitude.

The situation changed two hours later. By then, the points on Su Bei’s hands had reached 7750, and they had stopped increasing in increments of five hundred for some time. The news that the illusion was problematic had spread among the students, so naturally, no more suckers would buy this information from him.

This led the Nightmare Beasts to start implementing their second plan. Su Bei heard a clamor from below and looked down. He saw a group of clowns brandishing chainsaws, chasing people around.

The originally comical clowns now appeared extraordinarily terrifying, and the joyful amusement park became eerie. However, Su Bei didn’t pay much attention to this. He was curious about one question: why weren’t these people fighting back?

The power of Ability users, especially those sent to participate in the World Competition, was beyond doubt. Even if the clowns’ attacks were a bit stronger, it couldn’t be that all of them would just flee for their lives without a single thought of resistance, right?

Soon, Su Bei understood why everyone was reacting this way. As the scenic railway train traveled along a certain section of track, he personally witnessed a clown that was attacked explode. The explosion was incredibly powerful. Even though he was sitting in a carriage more than ten meters in the air, he could feel a faint wave of heat, let alone the student who faced the blast head-on.

The student who dared to face this explosion naturally had some confidence; he was a fire-element Ability user. However, he had clearly miscalculated. Although the clown’s attack manifested as an explosion, it wasn’t a fire-type explosion but an explosion of energy. Therefore, even though he could withstand high temperatures, he couldn’t block the real damage.

Looking at the boy, charred black and lying on the ground, his condition unknown, Su Bei sighed silently. He could only hope that the damage in the illusion wasn’t completely real, otherwise, this person would likely not survive.

The second chapter of the manga was indeed much more dangerous than the first. Fortunately, he had already found a way out in advance.

However, Su Bei didn’t plan to leave immediately. He was well aware that the crisis outside was far from over. Leaving now would be like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Only when the crisis here was about to end would the outside possibly become safe again.

He continued to look down to check the situation outside. Below, a crowd of people was running around in disarray, trying every means to evade the clowns’ pursuit. Fortunately, the clowns didn’t have any movement skills. Although they were faster than Ability users, many Ability users had ways to break line of sight.

Relatively speaking, flying-type Ability users were the safest. For a moment, many figures appeared in the sky.

Among those who could fly was, of course, Si Zhaohua. The moment those large, pure white wings appeared in mid-air, Su Bei immediately noticed him. Perhaps because his ability was ‘Angel’, a faint white light even radiated from his body.

Teacher Li’s reminder was not without reason. If this were a normal competition, flying in the sky like a living target, he would have been shot down by others within a minute.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Si Zhaohua actually turned his head, and their eyes met.

Su Bei: “…”

Si Zhaohua: “…”

This scene was not far from meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Si Zhaohua flew over in pleasant surprise, his face full of disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking refuge, can’t you tell?” Su Bei opened the carriage door for him, and Si Zhaohua squeezed in the moment he retracted his wings.

He looked at Su Bei as if he were on vacation, Si Zhaohua thought to himself. But the happy feeling of meeting a teammate lasted only a second. His gaze passed through the window to the charred body on the ground, its life status unknown, and his expression immediately filled with solemnity.

“When did you find out something was wrong with the illusion?” Retracting his gaze, Si Zhaohua asked with a sigh.

He believed Su Bei couldn’t have known from the beginning. Otherwise, given his personality, it was unthinkable that he would have voluntarily requested to enter the illusion. Even if there was danger outside, with the teachers present, it couldn’t possibly be more dangerous than inside the illusion.

“Not long after I came in,” Su Bei didn’t lie.

Then, not wanting to give him a chance to question him, he decisively changed the subject. “Weren’t you guys together? Why did you split up?”

At the mention of this, Si Zhaohua looked helpless. “The clowns were chasing us. A group of five is too big a target, making it hard to hide and run, so we split up for now.”

Su Bei still had many questions about the clowns’ pursuit. Now that someone in the know had arrived, he immediately asked, “Why are the clowns hunting you?”

“You’ve asked the right person. We were right there at the scene.” Si Zhaohua briefly explained what had happened. “Someone lied to a clown, and then the clown said he was the tenth person to lie. There were too many bad kids in the amusement park, so it was activating purge mode. You should know what happened next.”

So that’s how it was. Lying to the clowns was a huge problem. Su Bei showed a look of understanding. He had a feeling that the clown constantly trying to bait him into lying was a problem, but he hadn’t expected it to be a problem for everyone, not just an individual.

After answering his question, Si Zhaohua asked anxiously, “Do you know how to get out?”

The longer they stayed here, the more people would die. After confirming that there was a problem with the illusion, they had started looking for a way to escape. Everyone knew that the teachers outside hadn’t let them out yet, which could only mean that there was a problem outside as well. They probably wouldn’t be able to leave for a while and could only rely on themselves.

Actually, saving themselves in the illusion wasn’t supposed to be that dangerous. After all, the main danger before came from the conflicts between contestants; the pressure from the Nightmare Beasts was relatively small. After all, only Advanced Nightmare Beasts could pose a threat to the contestants present, and compared to the limited number of Advanced Nightmare Beasts, the number of contestants was far greater.

But who would have thought that a group of people would try to get the escape method from the clowns, only for the plan to backfire spectacularly, triggering the purge mode and turning the original easy mode into hard mode?

Now they had to search for a way out while being hunted by the clowns, which was countless times more difficult than before. That’s why he asked Su Bei this question upon seeing him, hoping for a positive answer.

Unfortunately, although Su Bei did have a method, he had no intention of telling him. “There are only a few ways to leave an illusion. Haven’t you learned them too?”

Normally, anyone could use the method of destroying the array core to eliminate the Nightmare Beast. But this was the manga world! If he directly told this method to others, Su Bei was sure that the author would find a way to destroy this escape method to keep the plot going. For the author, it would be a simple matter, but for Su Bei, it would be a ‘disaster of epic proportions.’

Seeing his indirect answer, Si Zhaohua guessed that he might really have a way to leave, but he also understood that regardless of whether he did or not, Su Bei’s reaction meant he wouldn’t tell him the method.

Shaking his head helplessly, he got up to leave. Although it was relatively safe here with Su Bei, Si Zhaohua was not one to enjoy a quiet corner; he preferred to solve the trouble as soon as possible.

Just as he jumped out of the carriage and spread his wings, Si Zhaohua seemed to remember something. He flew back to the window, his blue eyes filled with curiosity. “By the way, how many points do we have now?”

That piece of information from Su Bei cost five hundred points to buy. Even if only one or two people bought it, they would have accumulated quite a bit. After learning that Su Bei was the one who released the information, they were all very curious about how many points the team had now.

Su Bei made a ‘seven’ gesture with his hand. “Seven thousand seven hundred.”

Even Si Zhaohua couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. That was almost eight thousand. If he remembered correctly, they had only given Su Bei two thousand at the beginning. And as far as he knew, Elvis’s team, which was in the upper-middle tier among all the teams, only had four thousand points. Su Bei had almost single-handedly brought them to first place.

“What a pity…” Before he could be excited for two seconds, he couldn’t help but sigh. In the current situation, it was uncertain whether the World Competition could even continue. Even if it did, it would definitely be a restart, and all these points would be wasted.

Hearing this, Su Bei knew what he was lamenting. He let out a sneer. “Don’t forget what I relied on to earn so many points.”

If it weren’t for this incident, he wouldn’t have earned so much. Fortune relies on misfortune, and misfortune hides within fortune. But just as Si Zhaohua said, it was a bit of a pity. After a whole day of bustling around, they were back to square one.

Fortunately, Su Bei had long since come to terms with it. He just treated it as unlocking a personal achievement in the competition.

After his teammate left, Su Bei also prepared to pack up and leave the mini-train. This place was good, but it was too far from the haunted house. To avoid not being able to make it in time, he had to move closer in advance.

It had to be said that luck was a good thing. By consuming Mental Energy to maintain his best luck, Su Bei arrived at the haunted house unimpeded.

During this time, he also figured out the clowns’ pattern: a clown currently chasing someone would not switch targets mid-chase. Only when it lost track of the person being chased would the clown start roaming again until it found the next person not being chased by another clown.

Because it was an enclosed space, as soon as Su Bei entered, he heard several different sets of running footsteps inside the haunted house, accompanied by the sound of a revving chainsaw. However, since he knew the clowns wouldn’t switch to chasing him, he wasn’t worried at all and walked leisurely to the center of the haunted house.

Along the way, he encountered other contestants being chased, who looked at him as if they had seen a ghost. Even those who knew the clowns’ killing mechanism couldn’t help but feel indignant. Why on earth was Su Bei not being chased by a clown?

Su Bei ignored the others’ gazes and leisurely found a large treasure chest meant to hold a skeleton to hide in. The moment the illusion showed signs of trouble, he would immediately leave through the array core.

However, plans can’t keep up with changes. Su Bei’s plan was sound, but the plot didn’t develop as he had anticipated.

“Ding ding!”

The notification sound from his watch rang.

Su Bei raised his wrist to look. In the group chat interface, the latest message was from Jiang Tianming, addressed to him.

[Jiang Tianming: We want to change the clowns’ destiny. Su Bei, can you help?]