Chapter 351

Flipping to the final page, Su Bei was silent for a moment. Then he asked uncertainly, “Is Mo Xiaotian really dead?”

As a former classmate, although he had long known this outcome was the best for Mo Xiaotian, he still felt sad about his death.

But the main reason for asking was that the manner of death was too suspicious. Theoretically, the probability of death upon entering a spatial rift is 99.99%. But anyone who frequently reads comics knows that for a protagonist, even a 100% chance of death can be overcome to defy fate, let alone a situation that leaves a sliver of hope.

Besides, in some comics, characters who were clearly killed off early on can be revived later. An ambiguous death like being sucked into a spatial rift makes a reappearance even more likely.

The Manga Consciousness didn’t give a clear answer: “Who knows? It depends on what the readers want.”

Mo Xiaotian’s character was essentially exclusive to Season Two. Once the Black Flash Organization, the main villains of the season, were completely eliminated, he could be written off. But if he was popular enough, bringing him back wasn’t out of the question.

Most comic tropes were like this nowadays. Su Bei understood and didn’t press further, instead asking another question: “I thought this chapter would be the finale?”

But based on the current outcome, it didn’t feel like a season finale.

And that was indeed the case. The Manga Consciousness replied: “There’s still one more chapter to wrap things up and plant some foreshadowing for Season Three.”

Hearing this, Su Bei immediately relaxed and started browsing the forums. Although the bullet comments had already given a general sense of the readers’ thoughts, the forums offered the most direct insight.

He clicked in and saw that he and Mo Xiaotian were splitting the spotlight almost evenly. Half the discussions were about him, and the other half were about Mo Xiaotian.

Su Bei casually clicked on a trending thread about himself.

《Could Su Bei really be the leader of the ‘Destiny’ organization?!》

【One Name Change Card: I expected Su Bei to be alive; the old scoundrel’s foreshadowing hinted at it long ago. But what’s the meaning of the details revealed this time? At the beginning of the comic, Principal Wu Di sent a message to the leader of ‘Destiny’, hoping he would personally join the battle. Later, Su Bei said he had fulfilled the principal’s request.

The more you think about it, the scarier it gets, friends. Did he fulfill the request for the ‘Destiny’ organization to participate in the final battle, or the request for the leader of the ‘Destiny’ organization to participate in the final battle?】

【No.1: I was stunned when I read that part too. I started to wonder if my own wild theories were getting out of hand.】

【No.2: I also think the author is implying that.】

【No.3: How long has ‘Destiny’ been around? If Su Bei is the leader, that’s just insane, right?】

【No.4: Even though the author’s hints seem to point that way, I still can’t believe it…】

【No.5: I thought Su Bei’s revival and Mo Xiaotian’s death were the two biggest plot points of this chapter. Who knew there’d be such a pleasant surprise?】

【No.6: Is it fake? Is the old scoundrel trying to pull a fast one?】

【…】

【No.37: No matter how I think about it, it seems impossible. Su Bei is sixteen at most right now. Who knows how many years ‘Destiny’ has been around, but it’s definitely been more than ten. Previous chapters mentioned that ‘Destiny’ wasn’t established too recently. If Su Bei is the leader, it’s not like he was born with divine power and established the organization right after birth, is it?】

【No.38 replying to No.37:

True, it would be too illogical if ‘Destiny’ was founded by Su Bei. But who said the organization had to be founded by him? The leader doesn’t necessarily have to be the founder.】

【No.39 replying to No.38:

It suddenly occurs to me, Su Bei’s parents have always been a mystery. The comic only said they had passed away. If the organization was actually founded by his parents, but they died due to some accident, it would be perfectly reasonable for the organization to end up in Su Bei’s hands.】

【No.40: Could it be one of those scenarios where he just randomly picked up the organization’s token and became the leader by a twist of fate?】

【No.41: Then I’ll guess a scenario where his parents specially created an organization for him because he awakened his ability at a young age.】

【…】

【No.73: Why is everyone going wild with theories? It’s not set in stone that Su Bei is the leader of ‘Destiny’. The old scoundrel often uses misdirection. Aren’t you afraid he’s just playing you for fools?】

【No.74 replying to No.73:

But honestly, while the idea of Su Bei being the leader of ‘Destiny’ sounds surprising, it doesn’t feel out of place, nor is it completely implausible. So the possibility is actually quite high.】

【No.75 replying to No.73:

But it’s so cool, isn’t it? Who cares if it’s true or not, it’s true in fan fiction!】

【…】

The direction of the discussion on the forums was fine. But that was to be expected; this time, the author had personally handled it, so how could there be any problems? Even if there were, the author, existing in the real world, could more easily steer public opinion.

As far as Su Bei was concerned, the matters of the comic were over. From now on, it would all be ordinary daily life. Of course, things couldn’t be ordinary just yet. They still had Nightmare Beasts to fight.

Because his situation was special, despite his powerful combat abilities, the danger would be even greater if he were discovered by the Nightmare Beasts. Therefore, the government didn’t assign him any tasks. Su Bei just needed to stay within a safe city and constantly observe the destinies of the people inside.

It was a bit like Feng Lan’s job, but unfortunately, because their roles overlapped, they weren’t assigned to the same city.

Other than Ai Baozhu, he hadn’t seen any of his other classmates in the days since he returned. It couldn’t be helped; everyone was very busy right now, and it wasn’t the time to catch up.

However, thanks to the earlier actions of Jiang Tianming and the others, the Nightmare Beasts’ forces had suffered a great blow, losing many Advanced Nightmare Beasts. Although their behavior grew more frantic, their decline was undeniable.

On Saturday, because the number of Nightmare Beasts was gradually decreasing and they were, after all, underage students with relatively lighter tasks, most of the class members were finally free. Everyone finally had time to get together.

The gathering spot was chosen in Sanctuary City No. 1, where Feng Lan was located. He absolutely couldn’t leave, so to accommodate him, they chose to meet there. Ai Baozhu also took special leave, having another defense-type Ability user cover for her for half a day while she took a Teleportation Array to Sanctuary City No. 1.

Naturally, Su Bei was the center of everyone’s attention, as they hadn’t seen him for nearly half a year. Seeing Su Bei again after several days, Ai Baozhu couldn’t help but huff, “What happened to your promise that nothing would go wrong?”

From the way Su Bei acted back then, she knew he was in danger, and it turned out to be true. What angered her was that when she had asked him, Su Bei had brushed her off even though he knew there was a problem.

“If nothing happened to you, how could the show go on?” Su Bei said in a very punchable way, showing no hint of guilt.

Hearing this, Si Zhaohua, who was standing nearby, shot Su Bei a shocked look before quickly glancing at Ai Baozhu. He had no idea how Su Bei dared to be so brazen. Wasn’t he afraid of Baozhu’s retaliation?

“You’re done for.” Ai Baozhu was so angry she laughed, and just as Si Zhaohua had expected, she immediately struck back. “When I get back, I’m going to suggest to the new superior that they assign you some tasks.”

She knew Su Bei had been staying in the city and hadn’t gone out at all. Although safety was certainly a factor, knowing Su Bei, it was definitely more because the guy wanted to slack off.

What a vicious retaliation. Su Bei, ever the flexible one, decisively admitted his mistake. “I was wrong, I was wrong. Next time there’s a chance, I’ll definitely tell you about any danger you’ll encounter in advance, okay?”

Of course, that was provided there was a chance. In situations where he himself didn’t know what danger Ai Baozhu would face, or if telling her wouldn’t change the outcome, he couldn’t be blamed for not saying anything, right?

Seeing him bow his head, Ai Baozhu finally lifted her chin in satisfaction and cleared her throat. “But anyway, thank you.”

Si Zhaohua chuckled softly and led the two of them to their seats. The house belonged to the Si family, so he was naturally the host. When they arrived at the dining room, Jiang Tianming and the others were already there. Seeing Su Bei walk in, although they already knew he was coming, they still felt a sense of pleasant surprise.

“Su Bei, long time no see,” Jiang Tianming spoke first, asking with great concern, “Are you fully recovered now?”

Su Bei nodded as if it were a matter of course. “Of course. I’m very responsible when it comes to my body.”

Hearing this, Wu Mingbai felt a little urge to laugh. Su Bei was indeed extremely careful with himself, always being the first to flee from danger. But then he remembered that Su Bei’s last injury—a serious one at that—was because of him, and he couldn’t laugh anymore. He silently turned the serving plate, moving the main dish in front of Su Bei.

He couldn’t refute it, but Li Shu didn’t hold back. Half-mocking and half-agreeing, he said, “I wish I had your kind of ability so I could be that responsible for my body too.”

Qi Huang gave Su Bei a thumbs-up. “I’m starting to understand the importance of self-preservation more and more. There are several people on the team who are willing to trade their lives for kills.”

“War really changes a person. To think I’d hear words like that from your mouth, Xiao Huang,” Lan Subing said with a sigh. She knew that in the past, Qi Huang was the type to risk her life for a better combat record. Now, she was actually complaining about others doing the same.

Understanding her hidden meaning, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

“By the way, why isn’t Feng Lan here yet?” Mu Tieren asked with concern. “Did something happen?”

“He’s here.” Speak of the devil. Feng Lan walked in with Ling You, led by the butler.

Ling You had played a huge role during this period. Once her [Plague] was unleashed, vast swathes of Nightmare Beasts would die, and they had no effective countermeasures, which earned her a massive amount of their hatred. If she appeared on the battlefield, she would likely be the second most-targeted individual after Su Bei.

Therefore, she was also being protected in Sanctuary City No. 1, only leaving to carry out missions.

Sitting down next to Su Bei, Feng Lan greeted him softly, “Long time no see.”

Then, he casually took an item out of his Storage Ring. “This is for you.”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow, taking the prop apple that was half red and half green. “What’s this? It looks a bit like the apple from Snow White?”

Of course, what he really wanted to ask was why he was suddenly being given an item, but he decided to wait until after he knew what the item did before asking.