Chapter 128

Chapter 128 Using the Invisibility Charms, they swaggered out of the library toward the dining hall. Though the dining hall incident was long over, Su Bei thought traces might remain, revealing if anything major happened. Being far from the rest, they could check for classmates en route. Luck struck—they soon met Qi Huang, who’d caused the earlier noise, fighting three Ability Users alone. Her Ability was strong. Unlike Wu Mingbai’s [Earth Element], her [Flame Phoenix], though fire-based, had high potential. Phoenix flames, among the strongest, reached extreme temperatures through her training, incinerating most physical objects. This let her hold out against three people alone. Physical attacks, she countered; offense was her strength. Ten meters from their battlefield, Su Bei felt the scorching heat. Compared to the monthly exam, Qi Huang had improved vastly. At this temperature, Su Bei would’ve conceded instantly. How her opponents endured was a mystery. Despite her strong Ability, facing three, Qi Huang was stretched thin. One more enemy, and she’d be in trouble. They had to help, but how was the question. “Your turn,” Su Bei said to Wu Jin. “Draw one away.” With his eye for situations, he saw the delicate balance. One more enemy, Qi Huang loses. One less, even distracted, she wins. He could act, but his Gear would melt in the heat. Though infused with Destiny, it was metal, countered by fire. Wu Jin was needed. Su Bei also wanted to see how far his Ability could charm. Understanding, Wu Jin nodded, lifting his hair, revealing his stunning face. He chose a spot unseen by Qi Huang, visible to one enemy, safe from heat. Su Bei couldn’t see, as Wu Jin was invisible. He saw a breathtaking face appear midair, otherworldly, like a siren. Even knowing Wu Jin, Su Bei felt it. The enemy, seeing it suddenly, froze, entranced, walking toward Wu Jin, mouth agape. “Where’re you going?” His allies were stunned, busy countering Qi Huang, unable to snap him out. They shouted to wake him. Useless—Wu Jin’s Ability wasn’t easily broken, or he wouldn’t be in Class S, even as Wu Di’s son. Unclear why, Qi Huang seized the chance. With one less foe, she dominated, defeating the two. As she finished, another enemy arrived. Qi Huang felt lucky—one less earlier, or she’d face four and lose. The lone enemy was no match, easily defeated. She then looked where the dazed enemy went. He lay unconscious, with Su Bei and Wu Jin standing before him! Qi Huang, overjoyed, approached: “It’s you! Thanks for the help.” “Hey, he helped, not me,” Su Bei said, pointing to Wu Jin, correcting her assumption he led. Qi Huang paused, surprised, looking at Wu Jin: “Thanks, Wu Jin. You’re really reliable!” “No,” Wu Jin shook his head, wanting to say something but stopping. He wasn’t talkative, and Su Bei had set the tone. If he didn’t want to elaborate, so be it. Su Bei wasn’t upset by her words, handing her an Invisibility Charm: “Tell us what happened.” “I thought you knew everything,” Qi Huang teased, then organized her thoughts. “At lunch, everyone was in the banquet hall—except you two. A host gave a long speech...” She grew impatient: “Fine, short version. Many were poisoned in the hall. The Feng Family isolated them for care, saying we can’t leave until they’re healed for their reputation. Just now, around five, they started handling conscious people. Non-resisters were locked up; resisters—you saw.” Her account was concise but skipped details. Su Bei asked: “How’d you split from Jiang Tianming’s group? Why were you alone?” Logically, even in groups, Qi Huang should’ve had teammates—why face three alone? She sighed helplessly: “We were together, but more enemies came. They drew away non-physical attackers; I stayed for those three.” Su Bei nodded, then asked unrelatedly: “What’s the poisoned people’s state?” The topic jump confused Qi Huang, but she answered: “They were convulsing, then I don’t know.” The patients were taken elsewhere by the Feng Family, out of outsiders’ sight. Trying to steer back, she asked: “Enough of that—what’d you find? Any way to fix this?” “Find the poisoned first,” Su Bei replied firmly. With them, the enemy’s plan could succeed even if they escaped. Saving them enabled a real counterattack. Their poisoning state could reveal the enemy’s goal. If just unconscious, they were likely leverage. If controlled, like the “Loyalty Crystal,” it was trouble. “Alright,” Qi Huang nodded. She’d wanted to regroup, but Su Bei’s plan was valid. With three, they were a team, able to act alone. Since Su Bei was set, she had no reason to object. At the banquet, Qi Huang didn’t know exactly where the poisoned were but had a general direction, leading the way. Su Bei and Wu Jin followed, safe with Manga Consciousness' Invisibility Charms unless facing items like the Black Flash Boss'. Qi Huang, knowledgeable, asked after a bit: “Are our school’s Invisibility Charms this good?” School charms, affordable in the Point System, were basic per Qi Huang’s price judgment—likely only surface invisibility, easily pierced by items or Abilities. That was her prior belief. Today, she reconsidered. The Feng Family’s mountain surely had anti-invisibility defenses—her family did, so why not them? Yet, their blatant actions went undetected, surprising her and making her question the charms’ origin. She was right—school charms were mediocre. These were Su Bei’s unique ones. But he couldn’t admit it, lest Mo Xiaotian connect it to the intruder at his house. If you don’t admit, cautious or principled people won’t spread it. Even 99% sure, without confirmation, they’d avoid blame. This only worked with careful or principled people, not loose-lipped ones or villains. Since Qi Huang was the former, Su Bei grinned: “Maybe they’re just that good.” If she verified the school charms’ inferiority later, she wouldn’t confront him. Sensing his dodge, Qi Huang gave a suspicious look but said no more, pointing to the castle’s left: “I last saw them carried up the left stairs.” Entering the castle, up the left stairs to the second floor, Su Bei stopped. With over five or six floors and countless rooms, searching room-by-room was a waste. Qi Huang, thinking similarly, frowned: “How do we find them without knowing where? Room-by-room? Even split, it’d take too long.” Not one to complain, she suggested: “I’ll cause a scene on the first floor. You check which floor people come from.” “No need,” Su Bei shook his head. Finding people was easy for him. The simplest way was adjusting luck, but he chose another. A heavily guarded floor hiding guests would show clues under Mental Energy. Hearing he had a way, Qi Huang asked curiously: “What way?” Wu Jin looked over too. Not just them—any Class S member here would wonder how Su Bei gathered intelligence, as he seemed too omniscient. “Mental Energy,” Su Bei said openly. His high Mental Energy was known—no harm in sharing. Qi Huang deflated—others’ tricks could be replicated, but high Mental Energy couldn’t be. Su Bei spread Mental Energy up the stairs. Though longer, it used less than penetrating solids. Scanning the third floor, he paused, then went to the tenth—not the top but the eighteen-story castle’s middle. He chose the tenth imagining himself as the enemy, likely hiding people mid-floors. Low floors risked discovery; high ones were obvious. Nine, the exact middle, was too predictable, so he bet on ten. His luck wasn’t great, but his brain was. On the eleventh floor, he found guarded traces. “Eleventh floor,” he said, leading the way. For Ability Users, the distance was trivial, and they arrived quickly. The eleventh floor seemed calm, empty. But Su Bei’s quick Mental Energy scan revealed at least one enemy per room, with the farthest having more. At the farthest room, a note appeared in midair with Qi Huang’s handwriting: “How do we get in?” A pen appeared next. Su Bei took it, writing: “Don’t know.” Immediately, someone snatched the pen, drawing a big question mark. Su Bei nearly laughed. In a trio, at least one’s reliable. Wu Jin took the paper and pen, writing: “Melt the lock, open the door.” Qi Huang took the pen: “I can, but opening it will be noticed.” “I can handle it,” Wu Jin wrote. Su Bei knew how—with [Succubus], he’d stun everyone, buying reaction time if not solving it outright. But using it before Qi Huang exposed his secret. Though she likely wouldn’t spill, with Su Bei and Zhao Xiaoyu knowing, it would hardly be a secret. Wu Jin knew this. Such resolve, Su Bei chuckled silently. Curious about Wu Jin’s Ability, Qi Huang trusted him, precisely manipulating a small flame. The phoenix flame’s heat melted the lock easily. “Click.” A soft sound echoed in the quiet corridor, the door opening a crack. “Who opened the door?” Noisy voices came. Su Bei realized the poisoned weren’t unconscious but awake in the room. Entering, they saw guests, each with a wine glass, sitting in a lavish reception room, warily eyeing the door. Though their postures varied, snacks with bite marks, lingering smiles, and red wine stains suggested a lively toast moments ago. This wasn’t kidnapping—they were still partying! The trio, including Su Bei, froze, feeling they’d saved the wrong people. But Su Bei’s heart sank. He didn’t believe they hadn’t noticed the wine’s issue after so long, yet they kept drinking—everyone. Only one explanation: the wine had addictive drugs. As he’d thought, the cousin’s family captured them to either leverage or control them. This was the latter—not “Loyalty Crystal,” but close. Wu Jin planned to use [Succubus] to control enemies and save them. But now, it was unnecessary—they didn’t want to leave. Forcing them was futile. The group waited, then shouted: “Help! Intruders!” The trio fled, leaving the room, racing downstairs to an open area. Confirming no one was around, Qi Huang exhaled, fuming: “We came to save them, and they call their captors to catch us? Aiding evil!” “They don’t think we’re saving them,” Wu Jin said quietly. Able to sense emotions, he knew they loved the wine, felt at ease in the room, and were wary of the intruders. Understanding, Qi Huang fell silent: “What do we do?” “Someone needs to leave with this for analysis,” Su Bei said, producing a bottle of red wine like magic. He’d taken it at lunch, using Mental Energy to scoop it into a mineral water bottle in his Storage Bag. “When’d you get that?” Qi Huang asked, shocked, realizing the wine’s issue—everyone held a glass, hard to miss. But she hadn’t noticed Su Bei take it, and where’d the bottle come from? Wu Jin, with him all along, realized: “At lunch?” Su Bei nodded. Circling the wine barrel was to secure evidence. Learning he’d suspected the wine at lunch, Qi Huang’s eyes widened: “How’d you know then?” Then she realized: “Wait, you knew and didn’t warn everyone?” “If I did, would we see this show?” Su Bei raised a brow, nonchalant. The real reason was it was a plot point—the author wouldn’t let him skip it. But building his persona was in small details. Su Bei didn’t aim to be fully heroic. A touch of villainy helped him straddle factions. He might not need the other side now, but who knew later? After guessing the Black Flash boss was researching turning Nightmare Beasts human, Su Bei felt he’d eventually con them. Purely just Qi Huang fumed, eyes blazing like vibrant flames: “How could you? Even if you don’t care about others, a warning’s no big deal! I’m not guilt tripping you, but I thought you and Feng Lan were friends. This matters to him, and you wouldn’t tell him?” Wu Jin, ignoring his low presence, knew he had to explain. Su Bei, unfazed, showed no intent to clarify, while Qi Huang was about to explode. Fearing she’d attack, he said: “Many already drank by then—warning was useless. Su Bei took the wine, showing he meant to help.” Qi Huang’s anger subsided. Without emotions clouding her, she saw Wu Jin was right. Regardless of Su Bei’s spectator mindset, he helped. Realizing she’d been provoked, Qi Huang faltered, lips pursed. But her bold nature shone. After struggling, she apologized stiffly: “Sorry, I misunderstood. I shouldn’t have said that.” Su Bei wasn’t mad—his words were deliberate misdirection. Qi Huang’s fiery reaction was expected. He replied lightly: “No big deal, forgiven.” “How do we get out?” Wu Jin, unusually, steered the topic to avoid awkwardness.