Chapter 95

The Scorpion-Braid Woman no longer hoped to salvage her losses; she only wanted to kill these three to vent her anger. At the very least, bringing back the corpses of the culprits might barely make up for her failure. As the distance closed, she immediately used her Ability, seizing Su Bei, who was trailing at the back.

Catching a child might not be much use, but it could make the other two hesitate, achieving the greatest gain with the least cost.

Su Bei, targeted, felt an invisible hand grip his throat, dragging him toward the Scorpion-Braid Woman.

He didn’t struggle, merely pretending to be powerless, easily captured. Who would suspect he wasn’t an eight-year-old child and become wary of him?

But the moment he reached the Scorpion-Braid Woman, Su Bei suddenly exerted force, kicking her chest hard. Caught off guard, she was sent flying five meters by the powerful blow.

Her Ability faltered, and Su Bei seized the chance to rejoin the escaping group, selectively ignoring the question marks in Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua’s heads.

Now wasn’t the time for questions. Though shocked by the kid’s superhuman strength, the two didn’t ask, continuing to run.

The Scorpion-Braid Woman was truly furious now, too enraged to wonder how a child had such strength. Clutching her chest, she ordered an Ability user who had just caught up: “Cough cough cough! Quick, use your Ability on the one in white!” Among the three, only Si Zhaohua wore white.

The kid was only eight, unlikely to have awakened an Ability, and Zhao Xiaoyu’s Ability had been verified as genuinely useless. The only one likely to be highly effective was Si Zhaohua’s Ability.

Hearing her command, Si Zhaohua panicked. As he tried to dodge, a yellow light hit him directly.

Su Bei and Zhao Xiaoyu tensed instantly. Zhao Xiaoyu asked urgently: “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

“Seems fine?” Si Zhaohua felt no pain or discomfort.

He checked himself, then his face changed: “My Ability’s been sealed!”

The kidnapper’s Ability could seal others’ Abilities?!

Zhao Xiaoyu was shocked. Their plan’s key was Si Zhaohua using his Ability to carry them away. If he couldn’t, they couldn’t resist the swarm of Ability users—certain death!

“Can you sense how long the seal lasts?” Su Bei, the first to calm down, asked the critical question.

Si Zhaohua checked again, his expression easing: “Five minutes.”

Five minutes? That was acceptable. Their current position needed about four minutes to reach the cliff, meaning they only had to hold out for one minute to escape.

It was still tough, but possible.

Si Zhaohua, sprinting with long legs, instructed Su Bei: “Stay in a corner later; we’ll protect you as best we can.”

Zhao Xiaoyu, panting beside him, quipped: “You... huff... really think... huff huff... he needs protection?”

She now sensed something was off. That strength? That speed? What kind of monster was this guy? She just hoped Su Bei was truly on their side and wouldn’t backstab them at a critical moment.

In those brief four minutes, the trio experienced every kind of long-range Ability attack—arrows, projectiles, sonic waves, barriers...

Su Bei couldn’t help but suspect the kidnappers had anticipated a chase battle, or it was hard to explain why so many had long-range Abilities.

Dodging the kidnappers’ attacks with agility, the three reached the cliff’s edge. Fortunately, they were mostly unharmed, with the worst being a cut on Zhao Xiaoyu’s arm.

Zhao Xiaoyu and Si Zhaohua took the front, fighting fiercely with the kidnappers. Though Si Zhaohua couldn’t use his Ability, his physical skills were strong.

With Zhao Xiaoyu’s [Laughter] assisting, enemies burst into uncontrollable laughter at critical moments—a truly sour experience. The kidnappers suffered greatly from this Ability they initially dismissed.

As the distance closed, close-range Abilities came into play. The two could barely handle physical attacks, but with Abilities added, they were overwhelmed.

Su Bei, not wanting extra trouble, secretly used his Ability to assist.

Whose pointer was misaligned?

Adjust, adjust, all adjusted!

Thanks to his trick, the enemy’s Abilities barely hit them.

Even so, Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu were pushed back steadily. Two fists couldn’t match four hands, especially against mature Ability users. Winning was impossible.

Fortunately, they didn’t need to win—just hold out for one minute.

“Five seconds left!” Seeing his Ability about to unseal, Si Zhaohua shouted to boost morale and let the others know to grab him when he used it.

Seeing a group of kidnappers unable to handle two students, the Scorpion-Braid Woman, though unaware of Si Zhaohua’s Ability, sensed it was crucial, or they wouldn’t be so expectant.

No, they couldn’t escape unscathed! She was desperate. Failing to capture even one would only prove her uselessness.

Noticing the malice in her eyes, Zhao Xiaoyu’s alarm bells rang. Seeing her move toward Si Zhaohua and Su Bei, Zhao Xiaoyu lunged, pushing Si Zhaohua out of the way.

Si Zhaohua couldn’t fall—if he did, they were doomed. Saving him was a must.

Her calculation was perfect: this push would let Si Zhaohua dodge, and she’d fall with gravity, avoiding most of the attack. Even if hit, it’d be a minor injury.

As predicted, everything went according to plan. The Scorpion-Braid Woman unleashed a shockwave-like attack, aiming to push Si Zhaohua off the cliff.

But Zhao Xiaoyu’s intervention ensured the attack missed Si Zhaohua entirely. The minor impact on her wasn’t enough to push her off—she could withstand it.

However, human plans couldn’t match fate. She was about to stop herself when her vision darkened, and an inexplicable weakness hit. Her gathered strength vanished, leaving her unable to resist, and she was sent plummeting off the cliff!

“Ah!” The sensation of weightlessness hit, and Zhao Xiaoyu’s eyes widened in terror, screaming.

Su Bei hadn’t expected this twist. Ignoring his cover, he swiftly grabbed her hand just before she fell.

But the massive force of inertia told him he couldn’t pull her up alone in this situation—he’d be dragged down too.

If both fell, with the kidnappers’ interference, Si Zhaohua might not activate his Ability in time to save them.

So Su Bei unhesitatingly grabbed Si Zhaohua’s ankle, pulling him down too.

Si Zhaohua, suddenly yanked down, was startled. But he reacted fast, realizing Su Bei’s goal wasn’t mutual death but waiting for his Ability. Two seconds were enough.

The three plummeted rapidly. At the cliff’s midpoint, Si Zhaohua’s Ability unsealed!

A pair of one-meter-long white wings unfurled, flapping, and Si Zhaohua soared, like an angel descending, easily carrying the two upward.

Hovering in midair, he looked down at the kidnappers on the cliff, now out of reach, their furious expressions clear. The crisis was finally over.

He let out a long breath, then lowered his silver head, looking at the kid gripping his ankle, both angry and amused: “Su Bei, you’re in for it back at school.”

Could he not know the weight of a girl and a non-fat kid? The weight below him was far from normal!

Recalling the kid’s abnormal speed, strength, and occasional familiar vibe, what didn’t he understand?

Damn it! Su Bei had acted in front of him and Zhao Xiaoyu for nearly two weeks!

If not for his upbringing, Si Zhaohua would’ve cursed. He was furious at Su Bei’s flawless act and at himself for not seeing through it!

Seeing the usually elegant Si Zhaohua silently cursing with his face, Su Bei bowed his head, unable to suppress a muffled laugh.

Hearing the familiar laugh without the altered voice, Zhao Xiaoyu, tightly gripping his wrist, glared up fiercely, weak but gritted: “You pretended, you...”

Manners, manners. She restrained her urge to curse, echoing Si Zhaohua’s threat: “You’re in for it back at school.”

Su Bei couldn’t hold back, laughing wildly: “Hahahahahaha!”

With his clear laughter, the Transformation Mask (Fake) deactivated, his form growing. His unremarkable brown hair turned back to dazzling blonde, and his eyes shifted from brown to mysterious deep purple.

But the usual calculated smile on his face was, for once, strikingly different.

Seeing that familiar face, made slightly unfamiliar by the unreserved, bold smile, Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu’s anger inexplicably faded.

The excitement of their successful escape, suppressed by irritation, surged back. Si Zhaohua felt a lightness and joy rise within.

But he tried to maintain his anger, deliberately “hmphing.” Yet, in Su Bei’s laughter, he couldn’t hold it, breaking into a chuckle.

Zhao Xiaoyu couldn’t resist either, laughing softly.

Both thought: Fine, isn’t this just Su Bei’s personality? Since he helped a lot this time, they’d let him off for now.

Flying from the island to the mainland, even Si Zhaohua, with his stamina, was exhausted. But he wasn’t the real issue—the problem was Zhao Xiaoyu, who fainted mid-flight.

Before fainting, she had explained the situation. She could’ve resisted the Scorpion-Braid Woman’s attack but fell due to sudden weakness.

After that, Zhao Xiaoyu felt physically weak and mentally drained. If not for Su Bei holding her hand, she couldn’t have held on.

Clearly, something was wrong, and the only anomaly was the black mist entering her body. So, likely, her weakness was due to the black mist.

After reaching this conclusion, Zhao Xiaoyu passed out. Su Bei and Si Zhaohua had no other options, so they flew toward the shore with her.

But Su Bei deliberately checked Zhao Xiaoyu’s state with his Ability. Surprisingly, her pointer was almost fully left, indicating a major good event was about to or was happening to her.

This discovery raised Su Bei’s brow, and he wasn’t worried at all. Whatever happened, it was good for Zhao Xiaoyu.

When the mainland was faintly visible, Si Zhaohua began lowering altitude, eventually landing in the sea with the others. Though many ordinary people knew of Ability users, they were far from daily life. Flying onto the mainland would draw too much attention.

They’d escaped the base but hadn’t returned to the Academy, and this was likely a foreign country. Better to keep a low profile. Sure enough, swimming to a populated area, they saw only foreigners. Seeing two boys with a fainted girl, the locals’ eyes turned wary.

Two women in swimsuits swam over, one holding a phone in a plastic bag, looking ready to call the police. The other asked in a foreign language: “What’s your relationship with her? Why’s she unconscious?”

Si Zhaohua coughed, brushing back his wet silver hair, revealing refined features, and answered fluently: “We’re friends, and...”

Then he froze. The situation looked odd—how could he explain Zhao Xiaoyu’s unconsciousness? Not good at lying, Si Zhaohua looked to Su Bei for help.

Noticing the women’s dazed stares at Si Zhaohua’s face, Su Bei smiled, brushing back his wet hair and smoothly taking over: “Our friend saw something shiny in the sea and wanted to check it out, but she got low blood sugar and fainted soon after.”

The explanation wasn’t brilliant—fainting from low blood sugar was flimsy. But Su Bei knew they’d believe it, or at least not call the police.

Sure enough, after his explanation, the woman with the phone lowered it. Though countries differed, aesthetics often aligned. Even foreigners could see Su Bei and Si Zhaohua’s attractiveness.

Two guys handsome enough to be celebrities—hard to believe they’d kidnap a woman for love or money. Their looks made the idea seem absurd. But the women were still wary. Ignoring looks, two boys with an unconscious girl was suspicious.

Seeing their concern, Su Bei’s eyes flickered, and he smiled: “If you’re worried, we haven’t rented a place yet. We can stay at your place until she wakes. What do you think?”

He was wondering where to stay. No ID, no passport, phones ruined by seawater, and with an unconscious girl, returning home was tough, at least not immediately. They needed a place to stay first.

The kidnappers might not let them go and could keep searching. Without IDs, they’d have to stay in shady motels, making it hard to hide.

Staying with locals was different. Unless the kidnappers searched openly, they’d be hard to find.

Hearing this, Si Zhaohua paused, then understood. Given their situation, staying with locals was the best option.

The women hesitated. The one who spoke answered: “We’ll discuss it.”

With agreement, they stepped aside to talk. Moments later, they returned, approving but with a condition: “You three can stay at my place, but I’ll call my brother to join us.”

“No problem,” Su Bei nodded immediately. “Just arrange... two rooms for us.”

He preferred one room—Zhao Xiaoyu was unconscious, and leaving her alone was worrying. But their situation was already suspicious, and requesting one room might not be approved.

The women took them to a three-story Villa. They were friends, not family, so after settling the trio, one woman left. The remaining one was called Alyssa.

Through Alyssa, Su Bei gathered some intel. Foreigners often looked similar, and languages were fairly uniform, so he hadn’t known which country they were in.

Now he knew—they were in Apogod, a famously wealthy country. Not due to strength or technology, but pure riches.

This wealth wasn’t the kind with huge gaps, where the elite were lavish and the poor suffered. All native residents were generally rich.

No surprise—Apogod was called “the country built on gold.” The name alone explained its wealth; every native had a gold mine.

And not just gold. After Ability users appeared, vast Mental Crystals were found underground.

These crystals let Ability users quickly replenish Mental Energy in battle, crucial for them. Since Ability users were often rich, these crystals fetched sky-high prices.

Damn it! Apogod?

Su Bei started to get a headache.

The Scorpion-Braid Woman had revealed a key detail—the “Loyalty Crystal” was made with others’ cooperation.

Given the other force at the auction, it was likely the Black Flash organization. Apogod had money and resources; Black Flash had people and tech. Their collaboration produced something like the Loyalty Crystal.

Seeing his bad expression, Alyssa thought he was cold, pointing to a room: “That’s the bathroom; you can shower. I have some washed clothes. They’re big, but you can manage.”

At someone else’s place, they couldn’t demand much, especially with no money or ID, freeloading entirely.

After Su Bei showered, Alyssa’s brother arrived—a burly foreign man with tattoos, looking tough. No wonder Alyssa called him.

But the brother didn’t hassle them. Su Bei and his group looked like underage kids. Even if handsome, his sister likely wouldn’t pick a boyfriend from them.

After Su Bei, Si Zhaohua showered, and they asked Alyssa to help dry and settle Zhao Xiaoyu.

Su Bei chatted with the brother, learning about Apogod. Unlike their country, run by one government, Apogod was controlled by three major consortiums holding the largest mines.

They appeared united, like one government, but the brother said they had internal conflicts and differing political stances, sometimes leading to policy flip-flops.

If Black Flash collaborated with the government, it was likely just one consortium. Otherwise, they wouldn’t hide on an island for experiments.

But with the Loyalty Crystal already developed, other consortiums might be controlled by the kidnappers’ group. He’d report this to Meng Huai—Academy teachers would handle it.

Back in their room, door closed, Su Bei and Si Zhaohua discussed returning home.

“Should I go to the embassy later?” Si Zhaohua said. The embassy was a sure bet.

Hearing such a plan, Su Bei was puzzled: “Huh? Why not call your family to pick you up?”

International calls were expensive, but they could afford it. The Si family was powerful—coming to Apogod was easy. The embassy might involve delays, less convenient than family.

Si Zhaohua coughed: “...I don’t remember their numbers.” With phone contacts, modern people rarely memorized numbers, and Si Zhaohua was no exception.

Su Bei: “...”

Fair point—he couldn’t call anyone either.

But Si Zhaohua going to the embassy wouldn’t work. Su Bei shook his head: “Don’t go; I will. It’s an obvious method—we can think of it, so can they. They’ve seen you, and with your silver hair, you’d be spotted. They haven’t seen me—I’ll be fine.”

At the base, he was always a kid, and he reverted after escaping their sight, so they wouldn’t recognize him.

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