Chapter 176

Chapter 176 Chapter 176 The first floor’s spaciousness made it ideal for both martial arts and Ability use, so most people were fighting there, leaving the upper floors empty. Of course, the upper floors weren’t deserted. There were unlucky passersby and students from the 1.9-meter-tall boy’s faction, now cowed by earlier events. They naturally didn’t dare provoke Su Bei, scattering at his sight, fearing he’d eliminate them in a bad mood. Su Bei had no intention of lingering on the top floor. As he’d noted, people avoided it because it wasn’t suited for fighting—a fact that applied to everyone, including him. Many had seen him come up. If someone tipped off the main group to chase him, this cramped space gave Su Bei no confidence he could take on a hundred foes. So, he tested the window, finding the top floor’s windows unsealed by Abilities. He slipped out, flipped onto the clock tower’s spire, and sat on its edge. Leaning back contentedly, he stopped moving. This spot was perfect—great view, overlooking the entire city. Though, being midnight, the dark, unlit city offered little scenery. Bat Nightmare Beasts kept swooping from the shadows to ambush him... Okay, maybe this spot wasn’t that great. But most importantly, he could return to the tower’s interior anytime. If the gate didn’t open, he wouldn’t need to climb back up—he could re-enter easily. The chaotic fighting below had nothing to do with Su Bei. As he “enjoyed” the view, he pondered when Black Flash would make their move. The surveillance sticker was gone, meaning they hadn’t abandoned their plan. From their earlier task—“bring both teams to the clock tower”—their scheme was clearly centered there. Based on past experience, Su Bei suspected they’d tamper with the exit. In the maze Different Space, Black Flash had turned the gate into a teleportation portal, luring them into a trap. But Alpha Ability Academy shouldn’t have such a glaring flaw, right? Unlike the wild maze Different Space, this was a school-controlled resource Different Space, highly valuable. If Black Flash could seize its exit, the academy might as well shut down. So, Su Bei tentatively ruled out the gate. They’d removed the tower’s surveillance, suggesting the issue lay with the tower itself. He’d avoid going back for now. If something was wrong with the tower, staying outside might spare him. Though this might involve main plot points, he could catch the details in the manga. Not joining now didn’t mean never joining. Knowing the tower was compromised, Su Bei could time his return for a dramatic rescue, avoiding the protagonist team’s initial suffering. But one thing was odd: with the tower’s surveillance down, how hadn’t the teachers outside noticed? Even if they trusted the Different Space’s safety, a broken surveillance system should prompt a check. It seemed issues existed both inside and out, causing this lapse. But it was Alpha Ability Academy’s problem, none of Su Bei’s concern. He wasn’t worried, just curious how they pulled it off. And if he alerted the outside about the tower now, would the teachers see it? Of course, this was hypothetical. He wouldn’t do it. If they couldn’t see, it’d mean Black Flash controlled the entire surveillance system. Revealing he knew their plot and trying to snitch could make him a target, risking his safe passage through this event for no gain. If he could alert them, the author would likely ensure Black Flash’s plan collapsed early, regardless of how it was arranged. But why would he? This event was clearly the author’s design, tied to the main plot, with no mortal danger and potential rewards. Disrupting it would only reduce updates, and to realign with the main plot, new dangers might arise. Most critically, if he altered a major plot, the author might notice. A carefully crafted storyline suddenly derailed or erased—could Manga Consciousness fully conceal that? So, Su Bei would only watch, hoping the drama didn’t involve him and ended quickly. The spire was cool, but the chilly wind wasn’t pleasant for long. Resting his eyes, Su Bei suddenly opened them. A second ago, he’d heard Manga Consciousness' update notification. Simultaneously, the fighting below stopped. It had begun? Using Mental Energy to probe the tower, he found, as expected, everyone gone. The tower was empty. Without Ability traces, he might’ve thought it all an illusion. A student arrived at the tower’s entrance, not noticing Su Bei atop. Su Bei didn’t alert him, quietly observing as he entered and probing with Mental Energy. It was past midnight; the exit was ready. His Mental Energy sensed a three-meter-high, two-meter-wide gate. The boy, puzzled by the empty tower, wandered before uneasily entering the gate, vanishing. It seemed a normal exit. Su Bei relaxed—this gate was fine. Entering it would return them to reality. He knew this because, if the others vanished via this gate, Jiang Tianming’s group wouldn’t leave him behind. Sudden mass disappearance... why did that Ability sound familiar? Su Bei raised an eyebrow, leaping from the tower. With a few deft moves, he landed, thanks to his enhanced Ability user physique, sometimes feeling like he was in a wuxia world. Heading to the manor, he saw no black book at the entrance and went to the library. As before, it was full of books, but the Knowledge Nightmare Beast was absent. Thinking, Su Bei said: "You should have more skill books, right? I want to bring someone to trade knowledge for one." If he recalled, the beast’s yearly skill book quota was used up. They’d first taken three, then Su Bei’s five each traded one, and Elvis and Tiffany traded, but Ian didn’t. Ian lacked tradeable knowledge. He could’ve borrowed from Elvis' group, but what to repay? His book world gains were enough, so he wasn’t dissatisfied. That made ten books total—no more for others. Su Bei knew this but asked anyway. Denials were easier to elicit than confirmations. He wanted to confirm the beast’s presence. This was the simplest way—if it was here, it’d likely respond. After waiting, no reply came. Su Bei scanned the library thoughtfully. Not here? Where then? His gaze drifted to the clock tower. That mass disappearance Ability was so like the Knowledge Nightmare Beast’s book world... High-Level Nightmare Beasts shared vision. What if Black Flash, via another High-Level beast, struck a deal with this space’s Knowledge Nightmare Beast to abduct Jiang Tianming’s group? It wasn’t impossible. After pondering, Su Bei knew his next step. After pulling people into its book world, the beast’s body remained outside. He couldn’t harm it—killing it would collapse the book world, dooming those inside. But seizing its body ensured Jiang Tianming’s safety. If they died, the beast’s life was forfeit. To survive, it had to protect them. If Black Flash made a deal for the ambush, it was likely for freedom or escape from this space. Either way, grabbing its body was right. With it in hand, the beast couldn’t cause trouble. Where was its body? Undoubtedly, the clock tower. Realizing this, Su Bei headed back, lamenting his fate. Back and forth, he’d been ping-ponging between the tower and manor. But it wasn’t all bad—familiarity saved time. Before reaching the tower, his Destiny notebook pinged. With the exit gate open, most students were heading there. Far from the tower, with no one around, Su Bei sat and checked the message. It was Black Flash, not yet confirming task completion, asking where he was. "Inside..." Su Bei murmured. This message revealed two hidden details. First, they could see the book world, knowing he wasn’t there. Second, they didn’t know the tower’s prior situation. Their task to Destiny was to bring both teams to the tower, not into the book world. By that, Su Bei had completed the task. If they saw the tower’s interior, they wouldn’t question him. The first detail was key—Black Flash was in the book world, meaning Jiang Tianming’s group might not exit safely, even if the beast wanted to release them. He recalled the returned Space Lock, which could seal spaces, including the book world. This complicated things. He’d thought seizing the beast gave them control, but Black Flash wasn’t to be underestimated. The academy couldn’t rescue Jiang Tianming’s group before they resolved it themselves, ensuring plot integrity. The manga author was cunning. Su Bei was glad he’d left the tower, avoiding the book world. Otherwise, he’d be trapped, suffering with the protagonist team. Despite the twist, his goal remained: find the Knowledge Nightmare Beast first. Replying that both teams entered the tower together, Su Bei pocketed the notebook and continued to the tower. Back at the tower, many students were inside, preparing to leave normally, some with minor schemes, but none like the 1.9-meter boy’s robbery crew. Su Bei’s arrival startled them. A foreign exchange student, he stood out, drawing all eyes. Why was he alone? Ignoring their puzzled looks, Su Bei scanned the room, spotting a semi-familiar student, likely safe: "Kayla, could you give this to our team leader, Meng Huai, when you leave?" In his hand was a paper star. He’d folded it on the way back from the manor. Unfolded, it revealed Jiang Tianming’s group’s disappearance in the tower. He couldn’t report before it happened, but afterward was fine. The time gap ensured the academy couldn’t rescue them early. He chose Kayla because he trusted her. Manga updates showed her as a positive character. Openly friendly spies like Mo Xiaotian were rare. Kayla was far more likely to be good than bad. Compared to unknowns who could be turned into spies by the author, a low-risk character was safer for passing intel. He didn’t fully trust Kayla, folding the note into a star. If she opened and refolded it, extra creases would show. Meng Huai, a diligent teacher, would notice, detaining her if compromised. Kayla hesitated, not taking it immediately, asking warily: "Can I ask what’s inside?" Her caution reassured Su Bei. He thought, then answered: "A flaw in this Different Space." "Why not give it to the teacher yourself after leaving?" Kayla pressed, not buying his words rashly. "Jiang Tianming’s group is in danger because of that flaw, so I have to stay," Su Bei said, half-truthfully. Her expression shifted. No wonder Jiang Tianming wasn’t with Su Bei—they were in danger! It made sense he’d alert his own academy’s teacher, trusting them more for his teammates’ safety. Convinced, she agreed: "Okay, I’ll help." Taking the star, Kayla rejoined her team, brushing off their curious questions, and left the Different Space. After they left, Su Bei searched for the Knowledge Nightmare Beast. A black book stood out on a shelf but was like a needle in a haystack in the tower. From its past two activations, it needed proximity to pull people in, likely on the first or second floor. With students coming and going, it couldn’t move easily, so it was probably still there. Narrowing it to half the tower wasn’t enough. Thinking, Su Bei went to the second floor. Though both floors worked for the beast’s Ability, the first floor’s chaotic Ability use made it risky. The second floor was likelier. The tower’s square interior was small, visible at a glance—perfect for his Ability. Activating [Destiny Gear], a Destiny Compass appeared on the ceiling. Bingo, found it. This spot was well-hidden; without knowing, he’d have searched long. But he knew. Su Bei smirked, looking up: "Come out, I found you." No response from the ceiling—likely suspecting a bluff. Understandable. Being found was one thing, but being tricked out was a loss. But Su Bei wasn’t bluffing—he was just too lazy to climb. Seeing no movement, he guessed its intent and called out coordinates: "34, 56. You know what that means, right?" Having studied human knowledge, the beast understood coordinates. Realizing it was exposed, it dropped with a “plop.” No choice—it had no attack or defense. With its location revealed, escape was impossible. Black Flash’s reusable absorption item was spent, leaving it no way to fight Su Bei but surrender. Su Bei walked over, picked up the black book, dusted it off, and said with a half-smile: "I’ve told the teachers. They’ll be here soon." The beast trembled: "What do you want?" It knew Su Bei, having found it, must know Jiang Tianming’s group’s fate. Though he said he’d alerted the teachers, he showed no threat, even a hint of ambiguity, giving it hope he might conceal its actions for profit. "You’re the one who wants something," Su Bei said, expression unchanged. "Scheming with tigers—you’re not afraid of crashing?" Scheming with tigers?! How did this blond boy know about its Black Flash deal? The beast’s mind reeled, feeling like its pages were laid bare. Its thoughts scrambled, unable to process Su Bei’s words. Seeing its silence, Su Bei guessed it was either doubting or confused. He sneered: "Ever thought Black Flash already screwed you?" "No way!" the beast retorted instinctively, as Su Bei predicted—denials came easier. As expected, it was working with Black Flash. Su Bei’s confidence grew: "Guess what I saw in your destiny?" "...What?" The beast knew his Ability from other High-Level Nightmare Beasts’ perspectives. Su Bei wanted to dramatically say, “You’re on the path to death,” but it was too cringeworthy. Even after manga conditioning, he couldn’t say it without digging a mental villa. Dropping the flair, he said plainly: "Your life is nearing death." "You’re lying," the beast said firmly, but inwardly it worried. It had obeyed Alpha Ability Academy for so long to survive. Now a destiny-seer said it would die—how could it not fear? Even if it thought Su Bei was bluffing, it couldn’t fully dismiss him. Su Bei pressed: "I’ve caught you. Normally, once those inside come out, it’s just a matter of time and conditions. As long as they’re unharmed, Alpha Ability Academy won’t kill you. You bring them long-term profit and caused no real harm. With enough compensation, Endless Ability Academy won’t press either." Pausing to let it sink in, he struck: "If not us, who wants you dead?"