Chapter 152

Chapter 152 Having successfully intimidated the class with his Ability, Su Bei had a relatively comfortable first period. To ensure he understood Mus Country’s language, each exchange student was given a real-time translation earpiece, so even unfamiliar terms were clear. After class, though, things got less peaceful. Several people approached him, challenging him to duels. A green buzz-cut boy called out Su Bei’s name with a thick accent: “Su, Bei, your Ability sounds strong. Let’s have an arena match to compare.” “No, me first!” a twin-ponytail girl retorted. “My Ability makes for exciting matches. Yours has no flair.” “What’s so great about being flashy?” The green buzz-cut boy huffed, looking at Su Bei: “Who do you want to fight?” Meng Huai had warned them that Alpha Ability Academy was full of martial virtue. But Su Bei hadn’t expected challenges so soon, especially after they knew his Ability’s name. Even Ian’s eyes sparkled, clearly eager to fight him. Agreeing was out of the question; once he started, it’d never end. Facing the group eager to challenge him and Ian watching intently, Su Bei replied bluntly: “I’ll fight the strongest one.” No matter what, if this class had a “strongest” figure, he’d inevitably face them. Using them as a shield now wasn’t a bad move. If the strongest stepped up now, Su Bei had no objections. Winning would let him refuse others’ challenges outright. As for losing, Su Bei figured early or late made no difference. Losing meant mockery either way, though later might be slightly better for some peace. But the higher you’re hyped, the harder you fall. If he was destined to lose, he’d rather do it early. His response froze the crowd. The green buzz-cut boy quickly recovered: “That’s me, obviously! I’m the strongest in this class!” His claim drew boos. The twin-ponytail girl put her hands on her hips: “You, the strongest? I say I’m the strongest! Let’s fight and see who’s better!” “Bring it!” In a martial virtue-filled school, no one backed down. The green buzz-cut boy was ready to show off. Ian finally stepped in, reliably holding them back, saying seriously: “What are you doing? Fighting over strongest?” Then, playfully, he clutched his chest: “Can you stop stealing my title?” Everyone: “...” After a silence, louder boos erupted. The twin-ponytail girl laughed in exasperation: “Get lost! Try posing in front of the exchange student again!” The class burst into laughter, the atmosphere lively. Su Bei’s lips curved faintly, but his gaze landed on a corner of the room. When he’d mentioned fighting the strongest, he’d keenly noticed everyone’s eyes briefly flick backward before joking began. Clearly, besides the exchange students who left, this class had someone considered the “strongest”—a boy with black-and-white yin-yang hair in the last row’s center. Honestly, Su Bei had noticed him upon entering. Dual-colored hair was rare, especially black and white, screaming protagonist aura. Why was he in his class, not Jiang Tianming’s? Thinking, before class resumed, he asked Ian: “What’s the name of the yin-yang-haired guy in the back?” “Him?” Surprised Su Bei asked, Ian replied, “He’s Elvis, not in our class.” Elvis? Su Bei recalled the name—likely the red-marked one in the table, with the [Time Hourglass] Ability. He raised a brow: “Not in your class?” Seeing his curiosity, Ian nodded, explaining: “He’s the principal’s personal disciple, free to attend any class. Think of him as a ‘class-hopper.’” No wonder he was here; he’d likely visit Jiang Tianming’s class soon. The principal’s disciple? Elvis was indeed special, living up to his striking hair and looks. Though he knew his Ability, to avoid revealing they’d scouted opponents, Su Bei asked: “What’s his Ability?” Ian’s expression held awe: “It’s [Time Hourglass], an Ability that can reverse time.” “That’s impressive,” Su Bei nodded, his finger tapping the desk silently, pondering if this Ability could reset Destiny pointers he’d altered. If so, it might counter him. Hearing this, Ian smiled: “Your Ability’s impressive too, [Destiny Gear]. Can I ask what it does?” Since Ian had shared useful info, Su Bei didn’t refuse: “It can change others’ destinies.” Ian’s eyes widened. He’d suspected as much, but hearing Su Bei confirm it was shocking. Changing destinies—what a powerful Ability! Worthy of an exchange student. Not wanting to linger on himself, Su Bei followed up: “Why didn’t Elvis become an exchange student?” With that Ability, he couldn’t have failed to qualify. Their school’s exchange students were likely the year’s strongest, future academy competition participants. If others surpassed Elvis' time-based [Time Hourglass], Alpha Ability Academy’s current students could dominate. Understanding his confusion, Ian shrugged: “Elvis didn’t want to go.” Su Bei nodded thoughtfully. Class began, and the students sat up to listen attentively. Alpha Ability Academy’s teaching differed greatly from Endless Ability Academy’s. They had no cultural classes, only Ability-related courses. They emphasized Nightmare Beast elimination, but per the schedule, personal strength was the core focus. This suited Su Bei’s group, who came to advance their skills. Learning knowledge not taught at home would aid their progress. The Special Track, with its complex Abilities, had both universal and tailored lessons. Universal techniques applied to most Abilities, while tailored plans were customized for each student. Su Bei learned this during Monday morning’s last period, an Ability-specific training class, when everyone pulled out training plans, leaving him confused. Fortunately, their class teacher, also the course instructor, didn’t overlook him, handing him a plan: “Since we don’t know your Ability’s specifics, we tailored this based on past Destiny-type Ability training. Take a look. Any issues?” Su Bei was surprised but quickly thanked her and read it. The plan was thoughtful, with useful content like experiencing other Destiny-type Abilities on himself and providing test subjects for his Ability research. At Endless Ability Academy, group teaching lacked such personalized training. He hadn’t expected this at Alpha. If Endless had this, he wouldn’t have struggled to find Ability-training tools. A few days ago, Dream Bubble’s usage refreshed. Su Bei didn’t explore new uses, instead practicing prior findings. New research was good, but mastering recent knowledge was crucial to avoid wasted effort. Back to training, Su Bei removed a few unsuitable items and told the teacher: “Thank you, the rest suits me well.” “I’ll arrange it starting next class. I held off in case the plan needed tweaks. For this class...” She scanned the room, hesitating, then said, “Join Elvis, the black-and-white-haired boy in the back.” To clarify, she added: “Elvis can hop classes, and his training isn’t with us. He usually plays games or such. You can chat with him or borrow a book.” Others had training tasks, so disturbing them wasn’t ideal. Elvis, idle, was a good choice. Her hesitation stemmed from Elvis' unfriendly demeanor. He was usually cold and aloof. What if he embarrassed the exchange student? Su Bei had no objections, eager to meet Elvis. Approaching the back row, before he spoke, Elvis, wearing earphones and focused on gaming, looked up as if sensing him. His black-and-white heterochromatic eyes held impatience. Glancing at Su Bei, he lowered his head: “Don’t bother me.” His voice was soft, unnoticed by training classmates, but the teacher, watching them, heard clearly. Her expression soured, and she moved to intervene. Unfazed, Su Bei sat in the empty chair beside him, ignoring him, playing on his phone, and glancing at Elvis' screen. It was a popular competitive mobile game, played domestically and abroad. Su Bei played it when bored and instantly saw Elvis was terrible—bad yet persistent. He said nothing, opening another game. Playing openly in class felt thrilling, even for Su Bei. “What’re you playing?” Elvis' voice suddenly sounded. Su Bei knew a polite response could break the ice, potentially gaining a strong ally. But who cared? He wasn’t good-tempered, raising a brow: “Didn’t you say ‘don’t bother me’?” Choked by his words, Elvis pursed his lips, looked away, and stopped talking. Soon, Su Bei noticed him close the game and search for shooting games—the genre Su Bei was playing. They coexisted peacefully until class ended. The teacher sighed in relief, unsure if she imagined Elvis frowning unhappily the whole time, while Su Bei, initially rebuffed, seemed in good spirits. At lunch, perhaps fearing Su Bei’d get lost, Ian followed him out, clearly wanting to eat together. Su Bei didn’t mind; he didn’t even need a lunch buddy, but there was no need to refuse Ian’s kindness. Just outside the teaching building, they saw commotion near the Control Academy. Recalling who was there, Su Bei’s interest piqued: “What’s happening?” “Dunno, I’ll ask.” With his charm and sociability, Ian quickly learned the situation, his expression complex: “Seems an exchange student’s about to fight someone in the arena.” Thinking, he kindly asked: “Know them? Wanna check it out? I’m not that hungry.” Su Bei nodded. Missing harmless drama was a waste: “I know them. Let’s see. Endless Ability Academy sorts classes by strength. All five of us exchange students are from the same class.” Ian was shocked, unaware of their school’s setup, assuming it was like theirs. “How many in your class?” “Fifteen,” Su Bei answered, following the crowd to the field. Ian followed: “Got a strongest in your class? Since the academy picked you five, you must be the strongest, right?” Su Bei pondered, then shook his head: “No, we each have strengths. We five were chosen for arena suitability.” Like how Ling You outshone against many enemies, or Zhao Xiaoyu excelled against Nightmare Beasts, they weren’t picked for being the strongest, just suited for the exam. Ian nodded thoughtfully, then asked curiously: “But with different Ability types in one class, how do teachers teach?” “Through practical teaching. Practice helps everyone improve their Abilities,” Su Bei said, comparing the schools. “Our teachers teach us how to study our Abilities, not just give methods. Teach a man to fish, don’t just give him fish.” Ian didn’t comment, but Su Bei knew his tactful silence meant disagreement. Normal, as different mindsets viewed this differently. Some preferred exploring Abilities themselves, others wanted strength first, then exploration. “Our school has a big arena on the field. Anyone can pay credits to fight. Winners get their credits back; losers don’t,” Ian explained as they reached the field. Seeing Su Bei listening, he continued eagerly: “After paying, the school ensures fairness. Both sides agree on rules—props, Abilities, number of fighters, even life-or-death matches—set beforehand and unchangeable. A teacher referees.” Truly a martial virtue-filled school, even life-or-death matches were valid. Su Bei marveled, glad protagonist Jiang Tianming wasn’t here, or he’d be fighting daily. The arena was crowded, not just with first-years but upperclassmen. A first-year match wouldn’t draw them, but an exchange student did. Unlike first-years, upperclassmen, familiar with the exchange process, knew Endless Ability Academy’s students often became notable Ability users, some even international competitors. Scouting them was wise. At the arena’s front was Jiang Tianming, facing a tanned girl holding what looked like a contract, talking. “Su Bei,” Si Zhaohua’s voice called. He slipped through the crowd, pausing at Ian, swallowing his words: “Who’s this?” “My current deskmate, Ian,” Su Bei introduced simply. “This is Si Zhaohua, in the Attack Track Academy.” Ian extended a friendly hand: “Hey, nice to meet you. Let’s spar sometime.” Si Zhaohua shook it elegantly, asking curiously: “Why not spar with Su Bei first?” From now until today, Jiang Tianming was likely the first to fight at Alpha. If others had fought, Ai Baozhu would’ve heard from Linda. Ian glanced at Su Bei, shrugging helplessly: “He said he’ll fight the strongest.” Si Zhaohua’s eyes widened, as if saying, “You can do that?” Seeing his reaction, Su Bei grew curious: “How’d you dodge them?” With Si Zhaohua’s young master demeanor, even without clashing, he’d surely been challenged. Confident in his strength, he wouldn’t refuse without a good reason. Si Zhaohua revealed: “Our teacher said since it’s my first day, no one’s allowed to challenge me.” That explained it. Su Bei realized each class' teacher was easing tensions between exchange students and locals, though Jiang Tianming’s teacher had failed. By now, Jiang Tianming and the tanned girl were on the arena, a blue translucent Barrier rising around it to prevent energy leaks harming spectators. “Know that girl?” Su Bei asked Ian. Ian nodded. As Class 1 peers, though in different academies, his social skills gave him insight: “She’s Kayla, Ability [Binding Halo]. She can create one or more circles, trapping people to move only within them. More circles mean larger minimum diameters. The circles also have a burning effect, dealing more damage the longer you’re trapped. In solo arena fights, Kayla’s nearly unbeatable.” Trapping one person meant small circles, fixing opponents in place. Unless they were stationary Ability users, they were at a natural disadvantage. But if the enemy had ranged attacks, her Ability was less effective. Learning this, Su Bei and Si Zhaohua relaxed. Noticing, Ian asked curiously: “You think your classmate’s sure to win?” With both on the arena, admitting confidence wouldn’t change anything. Su Bei nodded: “If it’s as you described, Jiang Tianming’s got this.”