Chapter 299

Of course, the others hadn’t come out with him; otherwise, Su Bei wouldn’t be the only one here right now. Even if they had sent one person to report the situation to a teacher, they would never have sent him.

Su Bei succinctly summarized what had happened in the illusion, including the discovery that killing in the illusion meant real death, the clown initiating a purge mode, and Jiang Tianming’s group solving the clown problem only for a new one to arise.

At the very end, he shrugged. “By now, they should have been teleported to the Nightmare Beasts’ territory.”

After so many crises, he had become quite skilled at post-incident debriefings. With just a few words, he explained the situation clearly, while also remembering to use some creative omission to hide things that were unfavorable to him.

The unfavorable matter, of course, was that Su Bei had left through the array’s core but hadn’t told the others the method. Although he knew in his heart that this method could most likely only be used by him, and if others tried to use it with him, he wouldn’t be able to use it either.

But this reason, while valid in the real world, certainly wouldn’t hold up in the manga world. If he said it, it would easily be dismissed as an excuse, so it was better not to say anything.

After hearing the whole story, Teacher Li’s expression couldn’t have been uglier. It wasn’t just her; Qi Huang also had a face full of shock and anger. Leaving aside the matter with the clown, the fact that killing in the illusion meant real death was shocking enough.

One had to remember that the rule for passing the competition was to eliminate everyone from the other teams, and the method of elimination was killing!

Those who could participate in the World Competition and survive to the second round were all prodigies. The loss of even one would be heartbreaking for their schools. If they all died, it would be a loss for the entire Ability World, a major one at that.

Teacher Li’s voice trembled slightly. “When you came out, how many students were left in the illusion?”

Of course, Su Bei hadn’t personally counted, but he had taken a tour of the amusement park on the circular train, so he had a rough idea. “Over 100, I think. Because the problem erupted relatively quickly, not too many people died.”

Still, half had died, but it was much better than imagined. Just now, Teacher Li had been picturing a sea of blood and corpses in the illusion and the subsequent turmoil the entire Ability World would face. Although half was still a lot, it was far better than a total wipeout.

Taking a deep, pained breath, Teacher Li quickly calmed down. “I’m going to report this to the higher-ups now. You call your Teacher Meng and explain the situation. He’ll know what to do.”

With that, she walked out of the hotel with decisive steps. Su Bei and Qi Huang exchanged a glance, and Su Bei obediently called Meng Huai.

The moment the call connected, Meng Huai had a bad feeling. When would a guy like Su Bei ever proactively call him during his free time? Never mind him, even other students didn’t have the leisure for that. Receiving this call now could only mean one thing: another problem had occurred with the competition.

“What happened?” In no mood for pleasantries, Meng Huai got straight to the point as soon as the call connected.

Understanding his meaning, Su Bei didn’t waste words either. He recounted everything that had happened during the second stage of the competition, both inside and outside the illusion, with Qi Huang filling in some details.

Just as Teacher Li had said, Meng Huai immediately knew what to do. “I understand. The principal should be sending someone to pick you up soon. Don’t worry about Jiang Tianming and the others; we’ll handle it. Your job is to bring Mu Yunfan and the others back safely.”

Speaking of Mu Yunfan’s group, Su Bei remembered something else. “Oh right, Teacher, did you catch the people from the school that poisoned them?”

“We’ve caught them. Our preliminary interrogation indicates they were secretly instructed by Saint Dante Ability Academy. However, we still need more concrete evidence to officially accuse them.” This answer was within Su Bei’s expectations; he had suspected that school was behind it from the beginning.

After hanging up, Su Bei looked at Qi Huang. “I’m going back to my room to rest then. If there’s nothing, don’t look for me…”

“And if there is something, don’t look for you either, right?” Qi Huang said irritably. She had already heard about this “famous quote” of Su Bei’s from others.

Su Bei, far from being ashamed, seemed proud, nodding gravely. “Exactly. I hope I won’t be receiving a sudden summons from you.”

Back in his room, he immediately picked up his phone from the bed and started reading the manga. He wasn’t tired in the slightest. An Ability user’s stamina was naturally much better than an ordinary person’s, not to mention he hadn’t really done much. Although he had run around a lot, he had also had plenty of time to rest. Compared to the others, Su Bei’s trip to the illusion was practically a vacation.

The manga had updated with two new chapters. The first chapter covered the normal content of the second round. Apart from a slightly eerie portrayal of the clown and the realistically bloody effects when the two sides fought, the author hadn’t revealed any major flaws at the beginning.

But the readers were sharp. Based on this small detail alone, Su Bei saw several people in the bullet comments who had guessed the truth.

The first plot point related to Su Bei in this chapter was at the beginning, where he tricked the others while genuinely enjoying the rollercoaster ride.

“Good reason, surprisingly in-character!”

“Hahahaha Bei Bei, are you telling me you were really just making an excuse to stay?”

“Su Bei is having so much fun!”

“You can tell Su Bei has a special love for thrilling rides.”

“Who is the happiest person in this exam? Quick answer: Su Bei!”

“The student who saw someone on the rollercoaster: …”

The plot then shifted back to the protagonist group. Because they were deliberately feigning weakness, they were being pursued the entire time. Of course, their pursuers were mainly from Saint Dante Ability Academy, who were intent on wiping them out completely.

But the protagonist group were no slouches. Although they were indeed much weaker in terms of strength, brains were also a form of strength. Jiang Tianming was undoubtedly the type of person who could use his mind to compensate for his lack of power.

First, he had Lan Subing use [Word Spirit] to create the illusion that they were still there. Because this didn’t cause any harm to the enemy, and the enemy didn’t even realize that Lan Subing’s casual remark, “They’ve been watching us here the whole time,” was actually a [Word Spirit] command, it didn’t consume much Mental Energy.

Next, the [Immortal Binding Rope] was quietly released. Wu Mingbai discreetly manipulated stone bricks and soil to loosely cover the ropes, preventing them from being seen. At the same time, Jiang Tianming released a red circle of light on each Immortal Binding Rope.

Without a doubt, this red circle was his new ability. Su Bei knew this, but the readers didn’t. On the page where the circle appeared, the bullet comments skyrocketed.

“What is that? Author, I’m asking you, what is that?!”

“A new… ability?”

“Ah Jiang, you kid, when did you secretly evolve?”

“Ahhhhh, is it a new ability? It has to be!”

“Grandma, in your lifetime, you finally get to see Jiang Jiang master a new ability!”

“Curious what this new ability is.”

Su Bei was also very curious about the function of this red circle. He flipped a few pages forward and quickly understood. It was a very神奇 ability. The user would also have a circle under their own feet, and any ability used within that circle would be synchronized to every other circle. This meant one person’s attack could be replicated multiple times.

It was truly a great skill for group attacks, especially when combined with the [Immortal Binding Rope]. Just as Jiang Tianming used it in the manga, the [Immortal Binding Rope] immobilized several enemies within the red circles, and then all his allies just had to position themselves correctly within Jiang Tianming’s circle and attack.

Any one of the five members from Saint Dante Ability Academy could have defeated the all-first-year lineup sent by Endless Ability Academy this time, provided it was a one-on-one fight.

But when one person had to face the full-force attack of four people, especially when among them were the super-damaging ultimate moves of Jiang Tianming and Si Zhaohua, the outcome was self-evident.

Actually, if they had been prepared, Su Bei believed the members of Saint Dante Ability Academy had ways to counter this strategy. Although it sounded unbeatable, whether it was breaking the [Immortal Binding Rope] with brute force, attacking Jiang Tianming and the others from a distance, or casting a group defense… these were all reactions that could have been made instantly. Just as Su Bei instantly thought of these methods after seeing Jiang Tianming’s move in the manga.

But Jiang Tianming’s brilliance lay in having Lan Subing create an illusion first, and then launching a surprise attack after everything was prepared, giving them no time to react.

It was worth mentioning that, although both were illusions, the one created by Lan Subing was completely different from the one made by Li Shu. The former merely caused the enemy to have a hallucination, while the latter was a true illusory realm.

In other words, Lan Subing’s illusion could be easily broken with a bit of concentrated Mental Energy. Unfortunately, because they knew there were no mental interference type Ability users among their opponents, they never thought to be on guard, and were completely deceived.

Seeing the members of Saint Dante Ability Academy eliminated, Su Bei showed a slightly odd expression. When he was on the phone just now, Meng Huai had said that after they got the evidence, they would seek proper revenge against Saint Dante Ability Academy. Now, it seemed there was no need to be so urgent. Jiang Tianming and the others had already gotten their revenge.

Compared to the treatable comas of Mu Yunfan and the others, the complete annihilation of the opponent’s main team members was obviously far more serious.

However, just because their opponents suffered heavy losses didn’t mean Endless Ability Academy would stop seeking revenge. Su Bei only said they didn’t need to be so urgent. Jiang Tianming’s group eliminating their opponents was part of the competition, but Saint Dante Ability Academy attacking their main team members was an off-field matter. It was a matter between Endless Ability Academy and Saint Dante Ability Academy.

Su Bei believed that no matter how惨 their opponents were, Endless Ability Academy would not give up on punishing them.

As expected, the first person to notice a problem with the killings was Jiang Tianming. However, he didn’t discover the problem through his senses, but from the corpses. Since they were killing spiritual bodies, there should be no corpses by any logic. Corpses not only affected the aesthetics and caused discomfort, but they also took up space. Wouldn’t it be better if they just disappeared?

But not only did these corpses not disappear, they were also made to be extremely realistic, with the smell of blood being clearly discernible. Most importantly, the human corpses were even more realistic than the Nightmare Beast corpses, which made Jiang Tianming suspect that something was wrong.

It couldn’t be that the purpose of this competition was to get them used to killing, right? The Ability World didn’t operate like that. If they really dared to do this, they would be drowned by the public’s spit when they got out.

After Jiang Tianming shared this doubt with the others, they didn’t dismiss it and started discussing possible theories. For example, human corpses were more complex than Nightmare Beast corpses, so they appeared more realistic. Or because these corpses were attached to the real person’s mental energy, they looked more realistic…

And among all the theories, the most plausible one was undoubtedly, “Could it be that we’re actually killing real people?”

This theory was proposed by Lan Subing. The moment she said it, the entire manga panel shifted from a shonen manga scene to a crime investigation scene, and the color palette changed from vibrant warm tones to cold tones.

The author intentionally left a cliffhanger here. The manga scene shifted to the world outside the illusion. While the audience was excitedly watching the competition through the water mirrors, the Nightmare Beasts had already directed a controlled human to find Sessbia’s machine that restricted Nightmare Beasts.

Using the excuse of going to the restroom, this person used their ability to destroy the anti-Nightmare Beast machine installed in the venue. Not only did they successfully allow Nightmare Beasts to descend from the Nightmare Beast World, but they also unsealed the Gourd Nightmare Beast hidden in the hotel, allowing it and the group of Nightmare Beasts it led to use their abilities.

Not long after watching the match, Teacher Li sensed something was wrong. She saw through the water mirror that the eliminated students in the manga died so realistically. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but the more she watched, the more she felt something was off. Just like Su Bei, a deep question arose in her mind: was it necessary for this illusion to be so detailed with the corpses of the eliminated participants?

It wasn’t just her; teachers from other schools also felt it was inappropriate. They wanted to find Jilam to ask about the situation, but they unexpectedly discovered that Jilam, who had gone to the lounge, was not there!

After the foreshadowing was set, the plot returned to the illusion. Lan Subing proposed the most absurd yet most terrifying hypothesis. Everyone looked at each other, and for a moment, no one spoke.

After a long silence, Jiang Tianming took the lead in analyzing what they should do if this was true.

They definitely couldn’t just tell others. Without conclusive evidence, who would believe such a wild story? Even they found it hard to believe at first, thinking it was an excuse made up by a weak team to protect themselves. And in the eyes of others, they were the epitome of a weak team. For them to say this would make it the most unbelievable of unbelievable claims.

But they couldn’t just say nothing either. Jiang Tianming’s group wasn’t like Su Bei; they still cared a lot about other people’s lives. To do nothing when they could clearly save them was not their way of doing things.

However, the top priority was to find evidence to confirm their suspicion. Only after confirming it could they discuss the next plan. Otherwise, what if their guess was wrong? Wouldn’t that be a joke?

Although they said this, everyone secretly hoped they were making a joke, and that the reality wasn’t so grim.

Su Bei knew the subsequent plot. The clown helped him by selling information to Jiang Tianming. Believing that information from an illusionary creature would be more reliable, Jiang Tianming bought it despite the high price.

The group made their way to the haunted house and soon found the information Su Bei had left, confirming their suspicion was correct: killing someone in the illusion meant they would really die.

The manga ended here, and as expected, the bullet comments exploded.

“My god, this is too sinister!”

“I don’t even dare to think, how many people must be dead by now?”

“The organizers are so unreliable! How could they miss such a huge loophole?”

“It must be that illusion master’s fault!”

“If there’s a problem with the illusion, why can the illusionary creatures still tip them off?”

After finishing this chapter, Su Bei didn’t immediately check the forums but moved on to the next chapter of the manga.

The next chapter began directly outside the illusion, detailing what Qi Huang had encountered. The plot was roughly the same as what Qi Huang had described. Before everyone could find Jilam, the Nightmare Beasts suddenly caused chaos, swarming the entire venue.

Because they had long anticipated that the Nightmare Beasts would cause trouble, the Sessbia government reacted in a timely manner, immediately organizing the audience in the stands to evacuate through the emergency exits. The staff sent by the government and the teachers from various academies stayed behind to fight the Nightmare Beasts together.

However, there were simply too many Nightmare Beasts. If they were allowed to fight outside, it wouldn’t be long before some beasts slipped away. That would lead to significant losses.

Sessbia’s spatial-type ability master, after seeking everyone’s consent, decisively activated his ability, sending all the Nightmare Beasts into a separate space. After a brief discussion, the others left behind the less combat-effective Ability users, while the rest went in as well.

Objectively speaking, Qi Huang was definitely not in the category of less combat-effective. But compared to these ability masters, there was still a gap. Most importantly, she was still a minor, so the teachers would certainly not let her take such a risk.

However, they hadn’t expected that staying outside, where combat power was scarce, was in some ways even more dangerous than going into the other space.

The author first showed scenes of the adults fighting the Nightmare Beasts, spending two consecutive pages to render this plot. This was clearly to show that the adults were not useless; they were the main force confronting the Nightmare Beasts.

After two pages, the camera returned to the outside. The moment they saw the Nightmare Beasts pouring out of the hotel, even Su Bei and the audience, who knew the problem would eventually be resolved, couldn’t help but gasp.

The fear of getting their home base stolen was perhaps etched into every human’s DNA. This scene looked truly terrifying. It felt like the conspiracy was only just beginning to unfold after a major disaster had passed and everything had seemed to calm down, catching everyone completely off guard.

The leader was indeed the Gourd Nightmare Beast. It looked at the sunlight outside and sighed that it was finally out.

Faced with so many suddenly appearing Nightmare Beasts, Qi Huang, although one of the few powerful attackers present, remained calm due to her extensive experience.

Her [Flame Phoenix] had a large area-of-effect skill, allowing her to handle numerous Nightmare Beasts with ease. A single phoenix flame would turn a swath of beasts to ash.

However, while low and intermediate-tier Nightmare Beasts were no problem for her, the Advanced Nightmare Beast, the Gourd Nightmare Beast, was not so easy to deal with. The Gourd Nightmare Beast’s abilities included not only invisibility but also absorption. It could absorb attacks released by others and convert them for its own use.

Among the group of Ability users who remained outside, there was a doctor who specialized in Nightmare Beast research. He quickly recognized the Gourd Nightmare Beast and swiftly told Qi Huang, the current highest combat power, how to deal with it.

There were only three ways to defeat it. The simplest was close-quarters combat, a form of attack it couldn’t possibly absorb. But the Gourd Nightmare Beast was clearly aware of this weakness, so it had specifically chosen minions that could protect it, ensuring no one could get close.

After two failed attempts, Qi Huang decisively gave up and started considering the other two methods.

The first of the other two methods was, naturally, to release enough energy. Even if the Gourd Nightmare Beast could absorb energy and attacks, there was a limit. As long as the quantity was sufficient, it would burst itself to death.

The second was to release an attack it couldn’t absorb. For example, Mu Yunfan’s [Hope’s Light] was something the Gourd Nightmare Beast couldn’t absorb. As a product of resentment, how could it possibly absorb an attack generated by hope energy? The moment it tried, it would die. Similarly, it couldn’t absorb Zhao Xiaoyu’s [Happiness]. To Nightmare Beasts, those were poison.

Seeing this, Su Bei immediately understood that Qi Huang’s opportunity for growth was coming. She couldn’t fight the Gourd Nightmare Beast with her current ability. Being completely countered, even with her powerful ability, she couldn’t bring it into play.

If she didn’t find a way to deal with the Gourd Nightmare Beast through evolution, then in Su Bei’s judgment, everyone there would die before the adults returned. Deducing the process from the result, since they were currently safe and sound, Qi Huang must have made some sort of breakthrough.

[Regardless of which method the doctor mentioned, it was clear that the current Qi Huang could achieve neither. She could only try her best to attack the other Nightmare Beasts without hitting the Gourd Nightmare Beast. As long as it didn’t absorb others’ attacks, the Gourd Nightmare Beast itself had no offensive power.

This was also why it could evade the inspection of Sessbia’s machines. With no offensive power of its own, and with its ability sealed by an item, nothing could be detected.

However, while Qi Huang tried to avoid it, the Gourd Nightmare Beast actively sought to take her attacks. To deal with a large number of Nightmare Beasts, one had to use AoE attacks, releasing wide-range flames. But as long as an AoE skill was used, the Gourd Nightmare Beast would inevitably get grazed by it.

Once it was grazed even a little, it would turn the attack back on the ordinary Ability users. It was only because Qi Huang couldn’t be harmed by her own ability that she wasn’t suffering too.

But in reality, her situation wasn’t much better. Dealing with so many Nightmare Beasts consumed a lot of Mental Energy, especially with the Gourd Nightmare Beast stealing energy on the side.

Although others were helping, she was the only one there with AoE attacks. As everyone knew, the stronger and larger the attack, the more Mental Energy it consumed.

Seeing her face grow paler and paler, the doctor, who was also very knowledgeable about Ability users, hurriedly said, “Student Qi Huang, you should rest quickly. We can hold them off for a while.”]

Reading this, Su Bei couldn’t help but nod. The doctor’s choice was correct. It was indeed time for Qi Huang to take a break.

Although there were other substitute team members on the field who could serve as combat power, generally, schools that could participate in the second round were seeded schools. The substitute members of these schools were mostly like those from Endless Ability Academy—students who were likely to participate in the next competition, meaning first and second-year students.

After all, generally speaking, with so many healing-type Ability users around, it was rare for the main team members to have problems. So the remaining substitutes were really there to gain experience. Under these circumstances, the combat power left outside was truly scarce.