Chapter 94

"Wait, let me say first—if 0 indeed means the experimenter died, then the numbers before it should represent the experimenter’s state, right?" Zhao Xiaoyu confirmed.

Su Bei and Si Zhaohua nodded, agreeing.

Seeing consensus, Zhao Xiaoyu continued: "So at 0, the experimenter dies. The kidnappers said both ordinary people and Ability users die upon touching the crystal ball. That means the 0 in the first row’s last column represents touching. At the moment of touching, the experimenter’s state is death."

She was still analyzing, but Si Zhaohua suddenly grasped the key from her analysis: "It’s distance! 6-0 represents distance!"

He only thought of this after the guess: "The door to the room with the ’Loyalty Crystal’ is about five or six meters from the crystal."

The three had a revelation. Su Bei hadn’t expected this. Si Zhaohua concluded: "So if your bodily functions steadily decline as you approach the crystal, it means you can touch it. But if your functions fluctuate erratically, touching the crystal will make you explode."

If so, this was a great test method. You could know if you were the chosen one without touching the crystal, avoiding pointless deaths.

Zhao Xiaoyu let out a long breath, about to speak, when Su Bei said with a sly smile: "Not necessarily."

"How so?" she asked quickly.

Su Bei answered sagely: "The kidnappers only needed someone who could touch the crystal. After the tenth experimenter succeeded, the experiment ended, so there’s only one successful case."

The two understood his point—one case didn’t mean the pattern was certain. Drawing conclusions from it was rash and could lead to errors.

And errors meant death.

"...But there’s no other way, is there?" After a pause, Zhao Xiaoyu smiled. "If I meet this condition, I’ll touch it. If I die because of it... I’m unwilling, but I can accept it."

At least it was better than gambling on a one-in-ten-thousand chance without knowing anything. This time, she knew some patterns and could roughly judge if she could touch the crystal. If the pattern misled her, she could only say fate was against her. But at least she did everything for her life, with no regrets.

Su Bei nodded with a slight smile. He knew Zhao Xiaoyu was safe but pointed out the flaw to show readers she wasn’t acting without risk. Even with the table’s pattern, the death risk was still significant.

She saved his life this time, so boosting her popularity wasn’t too much, right? For real manga characters, higher popularity meant more opportunities. Zhao Xiaoyu wanted to stay in S-Class—maybe this could help her achieve that.

With the decision made, the three planned for Friday’s action.

If they decided to destroy the crystal, the condition to lure the kidnappers from the dock was set. When the crystal was destroyed, all the island’s kidnappers would come after them, leaving few to guard the dock. That was the best time for others to escape.

But there was a downside—they’d have no escape route. The dock would be clear, and the politician hostages could escape, but as the kidnappers’ main targets, they couldn’t leave that way, or no one would escape.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoyu had stumbled on a method: "We can fly from the cliff."

While gathering info on the crystal-toucher, she learned about the kidnappers’ Abilities. Flight Abilities were rare, and on this sea island, most Abilities were sea-related, with only one flight-related.

"There’s only one flyer on the island, with the Ability [Bamboo Dragonfly]. Destroy it, and they can’t fly," Zhao Xiaoyu said, merging prior plans. "After destroying the crystal, we run to the cliff opposite the dock. At the cliff, you carry us and fly. By the way, can you carry both of us?"

"Of course!" Si Zhaohua answered without hesitation. "Not just you two—even with Zhou Renjie added, I could carry you easily."

Early in school, he couldn’t handle much weight, struggling with just Jiang Tianming in the team battles. But after S-Class training, he was no longer the same. Two people? No problem!

Zhao Xiaoyu gave him an amused look, then said: "I’ll go in first; you come later. If I die touching the crystal, pretend you found out I was faking surrender and came to catch me, got it?"

Si Zhaohua’s brows furrowed tightly. This was selling out a teammate—how could he agree? But before he could speak, Su Bei gave a thumbs-up: "Got it!"

Seeing him so enthusiastic, Zhao Xiaoyu was both annoyed and amused, ruffling his hair: "You little heartless punk."

Si Zhaohua seemed to sigh softly, bypassing her low ponytail to remove a silver necklace from his neck. The pendant was a silver feather with a blue gem embedded.

He handed it to Zhao Xiaoyu, saying solemnly: "You won’t die."

Both looked shocked at the necklace. Si Zhaohua explained: "I meant to give it to you that day. The gem is a ’Resurrection Stone.’ If you die on the spot, it can revive you."

He wasn’t lying—he had planned to give it to her that day. He hadn’t mentioned it earlier to see if there were other options.

But since Zhao Xiaoyu was determined, giving it to her now was fine.

"What? ’Resurrection Stone’? There’s such a cheat item?" Zhao Xiaoyu was stunned. Even in an Ability world, a "Resurrection Stone" was too overpowered.

Su Bei was also shocked. He knew Si Zhaohua, as the Si family heir, had many life-saving items, but something of this level? Resurrection? That was insane!

Si Zhaohua explained helplessly: "It’s not like that. The ’Resurrection Stone’ is just a marketing gimmick. Its real effect is blocking one lethal attack. You must wear it during the attack—it won’t work afterward."

So it was a defensive item. Though still incredible, it was more acceptable than actual resurrection.

"But..." Si Zhaohua pursed his lips. "Using this item makes an Ability user lose their Ability."

This was why he hadn’t offered it immediately. The drawback was too severe for Ability users—nobody would choose it if they had options.

Zhao Xiaoyu hesitated, but only for a moment. The next second, she took the necklace decisively: "Thanks. I hope I can return it intact."

Abilities were precious, but life was more valuable. Though she wanted to make a name as an Ability user, if it came to it, she wouldn’t cling.

It was Tuesday. Over the next two days, Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua refined the plan. They couldn’t act immediately—specific timing, escape routes, and contingency measures needed planning.

They also found ways to pass the Friday escape message to the hostages. Their actions would cause a big stir—they hoped the politicians would seize the chance to leave, not wasting their efforts.

As for Su Bei?

He was slacking off.

An eight-year-old who had already done a great deed—what more did he need? He hadn’t suffered to cause trouble before, and the carefully chosen travelogue was genuinely good. He took the time to finish it.

On Friday, everything was ready, just awaiting the spark. The three jammed the surveillance and reached the silver door. The door was clearly unbreakable, only openable with a password.

This should have been a hurdle, but it didn’t stump the trio—they all knew the password.

Su Bei had it easiest, using Mental Energy to "see" the Scorpion-Braid Woman’s input, though he claimed he sneaked a peek.

Si Zhaohua used his Ability, placing a feather on her elbow to replicate her movements. Only he could do that—Su Bei couldn’t.

Zhao Xiaoyu borrowed clear tape, sticking it on the keypad. Faint fingerprints appeared, and having observed the Scorpion-Braid Woman’s actions, she deduced the code from the repeated key positions. They opened the door and walked in. Zhao Xiaoyu took a deep breath, stepping toward the Loyalty Crystal. Su Bei and Si Zhaohua watched closely, trying to gauge if she was weakening.

But surprisingly, Zhao Xiaoyu showed no signs of weakening. Instead, her expression grew stranger, as if she noticed something odd.

Reaching the crystal, she turned, looking puzzled: "I... I didn’t get weaker. I feel stronger the closer I got?"

The feeling of surging Mental Energy and physical strength was honestly pretty good. But it was completely different from the experiment records. The tenth experimenter’s vitality steadily declined, while hers changed steadily too—but it steadily increased.

Su Bei and Si Zhaohua: "?"

Su Bei hadn’t expected his words to come true. The successful data in the table was indeed inaccurate. It wasn’t a steady decline indicating the ability to touch but rather any steady change.

He had been wrong before—the manga author hadn’t planned to downplay Zhao Xiaoyu’s role. Even without his earlier comment, this plot point would have established her character.

Zhao Xiaoyu hesitated. Though she had Si Zhaohua’s Resurrection Stone, if it activated, the cost would shift from death to losing her Ability, which was also hard to accept.

Neither Si Zhaohua nor Su Bei spoke. Such a life-or-Ability decision had to be made by her, and they supported her whether she continued or gave up.

Time was pressing, and Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t indecisive. After a minute, she decided: "I’m doing it."

Though not identical to the successful data, her similarity to the success far outweighed the chaotic failures. Her stable sensation alone was enough to take the gamble.

Stating her decision, she looked at them firmly: "But I’m not doing this to save anyone."

She wasn’t that selfless. In her view, "selfless" was an absolute insult when applied to her.

She’d rather be called a selfish villain than a selfless hero someday. Even knowing not saying this would benefit her, she said it anyway.

Si Zhaohua was confused, not understanding why she’d say this now. Regardless of her reason, didn’t she save everyone? As someone who would selflessly choose to save more in a life-or-death moment, he couldn’t grasp her meaning.

But Su Bei understood her perfectly, nodding slightly: "You’re doing it to save yourself."

Zhao Xiaoyu froze, meeting Su Bei’s faintly affirmative, smiling eyes. A thought slipped out without thinking: "Su Bei?"

In her mind, among everyone she knew, only Su Bei would instantly understand what she meant.

Her other classmates had the hot-blooded justice typical of their age, sometimes making her feel too pragmatic and out of place.

But Su Bei was different. Though completely different from her, they shared one thing—neither had that innate sense of justice.

Of course, S-Class had two others who might think similarly in this situation—Zhou Renjie and Li Shu. But they differed from Zhao Xiaoyu.

Zhao Xiaoyu was openly selfish, unafraid of others knowing her shrewdness. Those two liked to hide their "badness." Though their differences were vast, their outward behavior was always about masking it.

To her earlier words, Zhou Renjie and Li Shu probably wouldn’t react instantly. Even if they only thought of self-preservation, they’d say it was for everyone.

Only Su Bei wouldn’t hide his "badness" either.

So when the kid Yan Nan responded, Zhao Xiaoyu immediately thought of him.

But looking again, the brown-haired kid’s blatant confusion made her doubt. Was this kid really Su Bei? It felt like him, but also unlikely.

Unbeknownst to her, Su Bei planned to reveal his identity only after escaping. After all, Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu could escape without him. Since his presence made no difference, why not enjoy being a kid and slacking? If he reverted, he’d have to contribute, and adding his strength might raise the kidnappers’ threat level. It was all downsides for him.

So he absolutely wouldn’t reveal himself now. Su Bei, the acting emperor, looked at Zhao Xiaoyu with pure confusion: "Huh? What?"

"...Nothing," Zhao Xiaoyu didn’t press further. With no evidence, even if she thought Su Bei and this kid were similar, she wouldn’t guess blindly.

Besides, there was urgent business. She shook her head, cleared her thoughts, and turned back to the black crystal ball.

Deciding her fate, Zhao Xiaoyu took a deep breath and placed her hand on the crystal.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next second, she exhaled deeply, feeling her legs go weak. But then a surge of joy from surviving disaster rose from her heart: "I did it!"

"Great!" Si Zhaohua was hugely relieved, happy for her. "Hurry and destroy the ’Loyalty Crystal’!"

"I’ll return the necklace first," Zhao Xiaoyu said, starting to remove it. Having a necklace that could cost her Ability if broken made her nervous.

Si Zhaohua stopped her: "Wait, destroy the crystal first. No one’s done this before—what if something happens during destruction?" That made sense, so Zhao Xiaoyu kept the necklace for now.

Watching them pass it off, Su Bei found it amusing. The "Resurrection Stone," so precious to outsiders, seemed like a hot potato they both wanted to avoid.

Having destroyed mid-level Nightmare Beasts before, Zhao Xiaoyu was skilled at using Mental Energy attacks. She channeled her Ability, guiding Mental Energy toward the crystal.

Effortlessly, the crystal ball shattered.

But surprisingly, the black wisp inside didn’t vanish. Instead, it surged straight into Zhao Xiaoyu’s body.

"What’s happening?" The two onlookers saw it clearly, and Zhao Xiaoyu panicked. But the Resurrection Stone showed no reaction, so it likely wasn’t a big deal.

No time to ponder—as the crystal shattered, a piercing alarm blared through the base.

"Beep beep beep beep beep—"

The three tacitly opened the door, sprinting outside. They had planned the route. It was the cargo ship’s handover time, so most Ability users should be outside. Running from the back door would avoid most enemies.

As expected, they encountered only three or four Ability users blocking the way. As kidnappers, Si Zhaohua showed no mercy. His knife-sharp feathers cut through like a god slaying gods, a Buddha slaying Buddhas—worthy of the manga’s foil protagonist.

Outside the base, Su Bei ran up the mountain with them, still finding time to think he had already blown his cover. How could an ordinary kid keep up with Ability users? Forget reaching here—they’d fall behind in the base.

But he couldn’t ask Zhao Xiaoyu to carry him to avoid suspicion. The Transformation Mask (Fake) only changed appearance, not weight.

If someone carried him, he’d be exposed faster. Better to keep running.

Normally, he should have been noticed by now, but he hadn’t, not because Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua weren’t observant but because the situation didn’t allow for close scrutiny.

During intense movement, even thinking drained energy. In such moments, they focused on immediate matters, overlooking minor details.

If Su Bei were a real kid and fell behind, they’d notice and grab him. But since he kept up, Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua didn’t think twice.

After running a long distance, the three finally had time to discuss the earlier situation.

"Laugher, you really don’t feel anything?" Si Zhaohua asked, frowning. "You saw something enter your body, right?"

"I saw it," Zhao Xiaoyu nodded. "It was from the ’Loyalty Crystal.’ I don’t know what it is, but I really don’t feel anything now."

She was worried too—who knew what that thing was? Especially being black, dark colors like black or purple easily sparked bad associations.

But dwelling on it was pointless and wouldn’t yield answers. Plus, she needed to conserve energy and talk less, so Zhao Xiaoyu said concisely: "We’ll ask a teacher when we get back. Teacher Ye Lin might have a way."

That was the only option now. The two stopped talking, focusing on escaping. Su Bei just ran silently, saying nothing. Keeping up with them was already suspicious enough—adding more presence might jog their memory.

If they guessed his identity, fine—it’d just mean less intrigue for his plot. But if they didn’t and started thinking conspiracy, that’d be trouble.

They ran fast, but the pursuers were fast too. After reacting, the kidnappers chased closely. Ordinary Ability users were easily outdistanced, but the strong ones, like the Scorpion-Braid Woman, couldn’t be shaken—they ran even faster than the trio.

The Scorpion-Braid Woman was rarely this furious. She hadn’t expected to misjudge them, thinking she’d tamed three dogs, only to unleash three wolves.

Because of her mistake, the Loyalty Crystal was destroyed, and the mission was a massive failure. She was sure to bear the main blame. She had hoped to get promoted and rich from this—now, even surviving was uncertain. How could she not be enraged?

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