Translator: AkazaTL

Proofreader/Editor: TenebrousGaze & JWyck

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Chapter 100

Thinking this, he forced a smile: “A genuine misunderstanding. Your students didn’t identify themselves.”

“Identify?” Meng Huai didn’t buy it, refusing shared blame. “Would they dare? In a place like this, wouldn’t that mean death?”

True enough, Black Top Hat thought. If they’d been identified early, he’d have sent them out safely. But after a day inside, he’d never let them go. He wouldn’t risk them leaking his secrets.

He couldn’t say that though, instead dry-laughing: “You’re joking, right?”

“Who’s joking?” Meng Huai cut him off coldly. “We’re leaving. Any objections?”

“I think we should check the space for damages...”

“Hm?” Meng Huai’s voice carried thick Mental Energy, pressing Black Top Hat until he could barely breathe, feeling death was imminent.

Black Top Hat dropped checking losses, desperate to rid himself of this menace, nodding: “Of course, leave anytime.”

“The Academy will handle follow-ups,” Meng Huai said, leading the group out boldly.

Outside, he was about to discuss follow-up plans when he met the students’ sparkling eyes.

Mo Xiaotian spoke first, jumping excitedly, waving: “Teacher, you’re so cool! I’ll wear tight black shirts too—can I be like that when I grow up?”

Everyone: “...”

Classic Mo Xiaotian. Their excitement over Meng Huai’s coolness turned into exasperation.

Meng Huai, briefly flustered, steadied himself, eyeing Mo Xiaotian with a half-smile: “You lot? Try it if you dare—don’t fear embarrassment.”

The quip, loaded with subtext, turned the boys’ faces green, except Mo Xiaotian.

Mo Xiaotian grinned: “Thanks for the encouragement!”

Everyone shouted: “Shut up, Mo Xiaotian!”

The next second, Manga Consciousness’ voice rang in Su Bei’s ear: “King of Abilities updated. Please review.”

As expected. Su Bei raised an eyebrow slightly, asking mentally: “You’re back?”

“Almost done with timeline cleanup. Some details need your input,” Manga Consciousness replied.

Su Bei nodded: “After I read the manga. Finish the cleanup.”

Back at the hotel, everyone was exhausted. Without much talk, they went to their rooms, assigned by Ye Lin. Notably, foreign mission budgets were generous—each got a single room.

Harsh conditions drained energy. The least affected stayed three days; the longest, nearly two weeks. All were worn out.

Su Bei was tired but mentally alert. On his bed, he opened his phone to read the manga. The latest chapter followed the auction blackout.

The perspective locked onto Jiang Tianming. After the blackout, he decisively ran outside, reasoning that accomplices awaited, and finding them would lead to the stolen items. Wu Mingbai and Lan Subing followed, the trio acting together. With Black Flash’s main force inside, they found the outside accomplices.

The accomplices drove an unremarkable truck among other vehicles, but their tense gazes gave them away. The trio boldly sneaked onto it.

Su Bei shook his head, marveling. Protagonist group guts—unlike him, who’d report to teachers.

Where was Mo Xiaotian?

Su Bei noticed—Mo Xiaotian returned with them, so he should’ve been on the truck. But only the original trio was shown. Where was he?

The manga continued. Jiang Tianming’s group was taken to the Different Space, facing near-discovery but gaining intel.

The drivers chatted, saying that without Apogod’s wealth and advantages, Black Flash wouldn’t work with those brutes.

They also mentioned their research’s importance, which was a breakthrough no one expected. The key line: “Is the Mother Body safe in that Different Space?”

This piqued Jiang Tianming’s curiosity and Su Bei’s thoughts.

He’d heard “Mother Body” recently—from the Scorpion-Braid Woman, referring to the crystal ball in the secret room as the pills’ Mother Body.

The larger crystal ball in the Different Space was likely the Mother Body of all crystal balls.

Su Bei laughed. No wonder Mo Xiaotian deliberately let some black mist escape. That crystal was vital to Black Flash—a massive loss, a failed scheme.

Taken to the Different Space, they seized a chance to disembark and blended with laborers.

Laborers faced strict entry checks, but inside, scrutiny lessened.

The trio infiltrated the Supervisor’s room, adding three names to the latest roster, blending in.

The protagonist group was chaos incarnate—even the quiet Lan Subing had a bold heart. After securing identities, they hunted for the Mother Body.

The plot was predictable. They soon realized it was a Different Space, not a mine, and discovered “fired” laborers were sent elsewhere, not released.

After this, the scene shifted to Si Zhaohua.

Si Zhaohua’s arc began with his awakening in the truck’s back. Knowing he couldn’t hide his Ability user status, he fought the kidnappers hard without using his Ability.

Holding back, he was quickly subdued. The kidnappers, annoyed by his defiance, relaxed, thinking: if he was a strong Ability user, why not use his Ability?

Si Zhaohua was tied and tossed back. As an Ability user, even a weak one, he was useful to Black Flash. Despite his defiance, they didn’t kill him to set an example, just tied and mocked him.

The plot reached the reception room. Zhao Xiaoyu’s appearance sparked a small barrage of comments. Readers thought it was Si Zhaohua’s solo arc, not expecting teammates.

To protect Si Zhaohua, Zhao Xiaoyu played up a Stockholm Syndrome act, her embarrassed face contrasting with her chibi-version avatar’s disgust, amusing readers.

Su Bei appeared next. During the kidnapping, he hadn’t seen a mirror, so his first look at his transformed self was through the manga—oddly magical.

His actions and Zhao Xiaoyu’s thoughts showed his character’s uniqueness, sparking identity speculation.

Some thought he was a teacher’s kid, others a high-ranking politician’s, or even Black Flash’s—wild guesses.

But their interactions eased suspicions. Su Bei didn’t seem bad—how else could he gel with the protagonist group?

His first identity suspicion came here, when Uncle Liu said, “You three seem really close.” Not just Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu pondered—barrages erupted.

“Why’s this kid feel off?”

“Uncle’s words woke me up!”

“Is Si Zhaohua someone who bonds easily?”

“Close... does he have a charm Ability?”

“Could he be someone they know?”

Su Bei’s narcissistic act and the food issue diverted attention, keeping his identity unguessed for now.

Being uncovered wasn’t bad, but being figured out instantly would make his cover seem fake.

With the kidnappers’ blatant intent, no one dared eat. Zhao Xiaoyu’s solution drew a barrage of praise. Su Bei volunteering to try first drew attention—did he trust her judgment, or know the food was safe?

The politicians’ escape plans, like Su Bei thought, seemed unreliable to Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua.

Their escape attempts ended, and the trio surrendered. Using Storage Rings to fake eating pills fooled the Scorpion-Braid Woman, saving Su Bei.

The manga revealed the arc’s main thread—the Loyalty Crystal. Its potent effects terrified readers.

Su Bei still found it chilling. If Black Flash controlled those politicians with it, and they spread the effects to others, half a year could topple a nation’s political sphere.

They stopped the plot, but had Black Flash used it elsewhere? How many politicians were theirs now?

Spine-chilling... Taking a deep breath, he continued.

Learning only Zhao Xiaoyu might touch the Loyalty Crystal, with high death risk, she and Si Zhaohua fell silent, then sought alternatives.

Amid heavy plot, Su Bei and Si Zhaohua’s night talk added humor, fueling “Yan Nan” identity guesses.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Si Zhaohua eating dirt is my joy (whisper)”

“His identity’s fishy—why not reveal it?”

“Yan Nan feels familiar...”

“This kid hits my xp (whisper)”

“What’s his identity? Stop teasing, author!”

The plot split three ways: Zhao Xiaoyu chatting with kidnappers, Si Zhaohua scouting, and Su Bei’s brown-haired boy leisurely reading in the hall.

Readers found it odd, pondering his goal, but none thought he was purely slacking.

He wasn’t—he just had his own plan. Though he did enjoy slacking off.

The plot peaked when Zhao Xiaoyu realized no risk-free way existed—she had to gamble her life to touch the Loyalty Crystal.

The manga showed her struggle and pain. The author’s fine art didn’t make her seem whiny but vividly depicted her anguish.

Some barrages nitpicked, calling her selfish, saying hesitation was pointless—she’d die either way, but acting offered a chance.

Logically, true, but humans aren’t purely rational. Facing life-or-death, few stay calm, especially a fifteen-year-old girl like Zhao Xiaoyu.

Most barrages pitied her, cursing the author for her plight. Some liked her more for her relatable struggle, unlike always-noble protagonists, distant but moving. A grounded character hit some readers’ xp.

After her struggle, the scene jumped to Su Bei revealing his data, with Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu’s shock leading to a flashback.

The flashback briefly showed Su Bei’s actions, cleanly depicted.

Finding the Loyalty Crystal’s experimental data triggered a barrage explosion.

“That kid is the GOAT!”

“If I was this smart at eight, my ancestors’ graves would smoke.”

“I don’t get this table...”

“Eight? This is eight?!”

“I’m a fan—can we recruit him?”

“The more I see, the less he seems like a kid.”

From Su Bei’s table, they found patterns. Si Zhaohua handing his priceless life-saving item to Zhao Xiaoyu drew praise.

They planned next. Su Bei flipped pages to their action day.

All three revealed knowing the password, smiling. The door opened, and Zhao Xiaoyu tested the pattern, finding that she only half-matched the safe pattern—stable, but not decreasing.

Her charm shone through in boldly stating she wasn’t saving others—only herself.

Su Bei’s “self-rescue” reply prompted her to blurt, “Su Bei?” Though the manga’s duo was fooled, readers weren’t.

“Holy—Su Bei!”

“It’s Su Bei—no wonder he’s so badass!”

“Su Bei, you sly...”

“Don’t fall for it—beat him!”

“Classic fun-lover, acting all the way.”

“Yan Nan (vivid south), Su Bei (plain north)? Antonyms?”

Seeing readers confirm his identity, Su Bei wasn’t surprised. He’d guessed when Zhao Xiaoyu said his name, readers would catch on. Revealing it now was perfect, as he’d expose more later.

After destroying the crystal, they fled. Su Bei’s kid-speed drew crazy laughs.

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Look back, guys!”

“Not even pretending?”

“Su Bei, you...”

“The genius kid was beside me?”

“Can’t wait to see Si Zhaohua’s face when he realizes.”

Su Bei shook his head, amused. He was slacking during the Scorpion-Braid Woman’s attack, but did they have to draw it like that?

Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu were drawn large, fighting desperately, while he was a Q-version squatting, spectating. Cute, but punchable.

He became normal-sized when Zhao Xiaoyu fell, drawn agilely saving her despite his kid body, with his true form’s shadow, strikingly cool.

Likely due to fitting shonen themes, though not the protagonist group, the author drew this scene.

Su Bei laughed, transforming back, the three youths laughing in midair, free of worries.

The usually image-conscious Si Zhaohua, guarded Zhao Xiaoyu, and enigmatic Su Bei laughed boldly.

“Armor Hero transform!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

“This is youth!”

“They’re my protagonist group now!”

“Su Bei’s laugh is gorgeous—his first time so... youthful?”

“Such vibes!”

“Love shonen’s post-crisis group laughs.”

“Spirited young heroes!”

After the flight, the perspective shifted to Uncle Liu’s politicians. They seized the chaos Su Bei’s group created, sneaking out.

With prior experience, they knew the base’s exterior. Reaching the dock, they found a cargo ship with one or two guards.

Thirty-plus against two ordinary Ability users was easy. A yacht-driving politician stepped up, sailing them away.

Su Bei’s group meeting Meng Huai was glossed over. Their arc ended with Zhao Xiaoyu sent back, and Su Bei and Si Zhaohua heading to the Different Space to save Jiang Tianming.

The scene returned to Jiang Tianming.

This chapter was long—Su Bei was tired. Sipping water, he recalled a question, asking: “You still here?”

Manga Consciousness knew the question was for it: “Yes, what’s up?”

Su Bei asked curiously: “In the original plot, were only Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu kidnapped?”

Excluding his unexpected role, the split arcs had Jiang Tianming’s protagonist group plus Mo Xiaotian, and Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu. The latter felt thin.

“...No original plot,” Manga Consciousness answered seriously after a pause. “The author had an outline at most, specifying Jiang Tianming and Mo Xiaotian, not others. So it’s you three.”

Su Bei was stunned. No original plot?

Guessing his thoughts, Manga Consciousness added: “You’re already a plot character.”

Su Bei was dazed. A plot character...

He’d tried staying detached, using the manga to boost himself. This time, he was pulled in passively, and the update offered no Ability boost.

He’d become a character the author actively included, integrated into the main protagonist group.

This was both good and bad. Good—he wouldn’t need to chase plots; the author would include him.

Bad—detaching himself would be harder. Opportunities like the desert Different Space, watching from behind, would dwindle.

Feeling complex, Su Bei pursed his lips, continuing the manga.

Jiang Tianming’s group, after uncovering the Different Space’s secrets, sought punishment, unlike Su Bei and Si Zhaohua’s urgency, using the standard three-day quota failure to get confined.

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