Chapter 63

Chapter 63 After some thought, Su Bei nodded. Now that he truly possessed a prophecy-type ability, he knew that prophecies weren’t easy to come by and usually had a long cooldown. So, logically, he shouldn’t waste a prophecy opportunity on something like this. But he still chose to nod. Su Bei was curious whether Feng Lan, with his vast knowledge, could come up with a suitable explanation for him. If Feng Lan could, then Su Bei could use it to deceive the readers once more and add a new ability to his repertoire. Of course, if it didn’t work out, it didn’t matter. He had already prepared a backup plan since he dared to nod in the first place. Fortunately, Feng Lan actually came up with an explanation: “Do you often see fragments of prophecies flash before your eyes? This suggests that your compatibility with prophecy abilities is very high.” This explanation didn’t really enhance his abilities, but it was still good to know that he could see more prophecy fragments. Su Bei accepted it: “Do you experience this too?” Feng Lan nodded. It was because he had experienced it himself that he understood it so well. Early the next morning, Jiang Tianming’s group arrived at the auditorium ahead of time. The award ceremony was set to start at 8:00 AM, and they arrived half an hour early. Waiting was always boring, and Mo Xiaotian suddenly said mysteriously, “I bet none of you improved as much as I did during the team competition.” “How so?” Mu Tieren asked curiously. Mo Xiaotian puffed up with pride: “My explosive cubes are way more powerful now! I might not be able to kill a person, but I can definitely take out half a person.” Wu Mingbai couldn’t stand his smugness and smirked sarcastically, “I think your biggest improvement is your ability to brag, huh?” “Half a person? What kind of measurement is that?” Jiang Tianming chuckled, ignoring Wu Mingbai’s usual snark. Seeing Mo Xiaotian’s eager expression, he decided to humor him, “Why don’t you show us?” “Sure!” Mo Xiaotian, who had been waiting for this, immediately agreed. He looked around enthusiastically but then frowned slightly, “But what should I use as a test subject?” He couldn’t exactly blow up a person. “Use this,” Lan Subing said softly, holding up an empty metal box. “It looks pretty sturdy.” Mo Xiaotian had no objections. He placed an explosive cube next to the box, and the cube began to compress and build up energy... At the front of the stage. The host was enthusiastically delivering his lines: “...We gather here today... having overcome numerous challenges... Now, let’s invite Mr. Meng, the homeroom teacher of Class F, to give a speech.” Meng Huai walked onto the stage and began reading from his script with a serious expression: “Hello everyone, I’m Meng Huai, the homeroom teacher of Class F. This time—” Boom! A loud explosion sounded from backstage. Everyone froze for a moment, and then chaos erupted. Meng Huai stopped mid-sentence, wondering if “Black Lightning” had infiltrated the school. Thinking this, he followed the other teachers and a few administrators backstage, only to find scattered pieces of metal and Jiang Tianming’s group standing there in stunned silence. Meng Huai’s forehead twitched, and the Class A homeroom teacher shared his frustration. Both of them immediately identified the culprit and shouted in unison, “Mo Xiaotian!” The scolding session ended at 10:00 AM. The two-hour-long lecture left everyone dizzy and wishing their ears would just disappear. Su Bei was genuinely aggrieved. The topic was brought up by Mu Tieren, the mocking came from Wu Mingbai, the demonstration was requested by Jiang Tianming, the box was found by Lan Subing, and the explosion was caused by Mo Xiaotian. So what did any of this have to do with him?! He was completely innocent! Meng Huai paid no attention to Su Bei’s internal meltdown. In fact, if Su Bei had voiced his complaints out loud, he would have earned himself another round of scolding. With a stern face, Meng Huai led the disheveled and dejected group, along with the others, to the sports field: “Alright, let’s start class now.” “We still have to attend class?!” Mo Xiaotian wailed. He had thought that after the scolding, they’d be sent back to reflect on their actions. Seeing the despair on everyone else’s faces, Meng Huai’s eyes flickered with amusement: “You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to, but every day you miss will put you further behind.” While they had been scolded, Si Zhaohua and the others hadn’t. Not only had they avoided the lecture, but they had probably also enjoyed the spectacle. Even now, Zhou Renjie was grinning with schadenfreude. If Meng Huai hadn’t been present, he would have likely started taunting them already. This remark clearly hit a nerve with Jiang Tianming and the others, and they quickly quieted down. Successfully making them settle down, Meng Huai nodded in satisfaction and snapped his fingers. The individual competition arenas rose once again. Each person had their own arena, and inside, a Nightmare Beast was already placed. Seeing everyone standing still, he sneered, “What are you waiting for? Do I need to personally escort you up there?” Realizing what was happening, everyone quickly moved to their respective arena. During the team competition, Su Bei had already fought nightmare beasts, so he was somewhat familiar with them. He easily defeated his first opponent. However, as soon as this nightmare beast was defeated, a second one quickly appeared on the arena. Unlike the previous one, which was merely fast, this gorilla-like nightmare beast was clearly much stronger. After defeating it, another one appeared. This time, the nightmare beast had a completely new ability—it could turn into a liquid and move rapidly. “So this is how the training works?” Su Bei muttered to himself. Every time you defeat one, a new one appears, and each one is stronger than the last. This not only trains their adaptability but also their endurance in battle. Once he understood, he began to take it easy. If defeating one meant the next would be stronger, then he could just take his time defeating them. Sometimes, standing out too much only made you a target without any real benefit. However, Su Bei wasn’t a fool. He knew that if he dragged out the fights for an entire day, he’d definitely get scolded afterward. So, he simply slowed his pace, taking twice as long as usual to defeat each nightmare beast. By the time he leisurely reached the sixth nightmare beast, it was finally time for the lunch break. When Su Bei stepped off the arena, he was almost startled by the crowd of students gathered around, watching as if they were observing monkeys. The news of the S-Class’s formation had spread, and naturally, everyone was curious about what kind of geniuses had been selected. Especially since several of them were originally from Class F! Su Bei calmly ignored the gazes and looked down at his classmates sitting on the ground. They all looked pale, clearly a result of overexerting their mental power. In contrast, Su Bei looked no different than he had before entering the arena. The only noticeable change was that he was physically tired. After his gear attacks were officially recognized in the manga as part of his innate ability rather than something controlled by mental power, the mental power consumption had significantly decreased. Coupled with Su Bei’s already formidable mental power reserves, the entire morning’s exertion was nothing to him. But for the others, it was a different story. Continuously releasing mental power for a whole morning had taken a heavy toll on them. This was precisely what Meng Huai wanted to train them for. The moment Su Bei saw their pale faces, he realized he had made a mistake. He had been so focused on taking it easy by slowing down that he forgot to adjust his own appearance. Now, he was certain that Meng Huai would come up with a new training plan for him. Sure enough, Meng Huai walked over, waving the others off to go eat. But just as Su Bei was about to leave, Meng Huai stopped him and asked with a half-smile, “Your mental power is strong, isn’t it?” As he spoke, he led Su Bei to a more secluded spot. Some things were better discussed in private, and with just the two of them, Su Bei would be more likely to speak honestly. Su Bei sighed inwardly but nodded openly, “It’s decent.” “How strong?” Meng Huai didn’t beat around the bush, knowing full well that this student of his was full of ideas. Since the question had been asked, there was no point in hiding it. Su Bei raised his hand and used his mental power to float a water bottle from nearby, catching it and shaking it at Meng Huai, “Advanced-level mental power.” Hearing this, even Meng Huai couldn’t hide his surprise. Advanced-level mental power was incredibly difficult to achieve. Even many seasoned ability users couldn’t master it. It required not only constant training but also innate talent—both were indispensable. How long had it been since Su Bei awakened his ability? How could he already have advanced-level mental power? But Meng Huai didn’t press further. Everyone had their secrets, especially among outstanding ability users. Who didn’t have a few hidden cards up their sleeve? “Alright, starting tomorrow, you’ll be sparring with me alongside Mu Tieren and the others,” Meng Huai said after some thought, offering a new plan. The previous training regimen was essentially designed to build mental power. Prolonged mental power output could effectively enhance mental strength while also helping trainees become more proficient in using it. But since Su Bei already possessed advanced-level mental power, such training was unnecessary. So Meng Huai decided to focus on physical combat instead. Although Su Bei’s physical combat skills were also quite good, they still fell short compared to Meng Huai’s. Moreover, the physical combat techniques of ability users were vastly different from those of ordinary people. Their greatly enhanced physical abilities allowed them to perform more complex movements. Without proper guidance, they relied on instinct. But with instruction, they could achieve twice the results with half the effort. This hadn’t been a problem before. After all, how could he not be familiar with a body he had used for over a decade? But since becoming an ability user, his speed, strength, and physical fitness had been improving at a rate completely different from before. This left him feeling somewhat disoriented. For new ability users like them, it wasn’t uncommon to accidentally crush a cup due to unfamiliarity with their newfound strength. Lately, Su Bei had often felt out of sync during fights. His strength and speed had increased, but without proper control, it only backfired. Every move felt excessive, and overdoing it was counterproductive. Sparring with Meng Huai only reinforced this feeling. Meng Huai’s ease and fluidity made Su Bei feel like a clumsy bear. However, this was Su Bei’s own perspective. Meng Huai and the three spectators had a different take. Meng Huai thought to himself that Su Bei was indeed the best in physical combat among the newcomers. His fighting techniques were masterful, and while he was at a disadvantage against Meng Huai, he wasn’t completely overwhelmed like the other three had been yesterday. Although his control over his strength wasn’t perfect, it was still much better than his peers. At the very least, Meng Huai hadn’t heard of Su Bei accidentally breaking things, unlike even the cautious Jiang Tianming and class monitor Mu Tieren, who had occasionally slipped up. As expected of Su Bei. Mu Tieren, watching from the sidelines, thought to himself. He had also held out for a while under Meng Huai’s attacks yesterday, but he knew his limits. He had simply been enduring. Having trained for many years, he could tell that Su Bei wasn’t just passively taking hits. He was consciously counterattacking and even managed to land a few successful moves. Zhao Xiaoyu couldn’t see as much, but based on the time alone, she knew Su Bei was doing well. Yesterday, when Meng Huai had sparred with them, he had also held back to match their level, as the three of them had confirmed. Originally, Mu Tieren had lasted the longest, but now it was Su Bei. And from the looks of it, Su Bei was actually able to exchange a few moves with Teacher Meng, which was no small feat. Feng Lan, however, wasn’t thinking much. His only thought was that he could ask Su Bei to spar with him during breaks. His physical combat skills weren’t strong, and he had previously relied entirely on his ability. Since he was going to be crushed no matter who he fought, he might as well choose someone he was willing to lose to. Once Meng Huai had a rough understanding of Su Bei’s fighting style, he shifted his strategy. He first wore Su Bei down in a relatively friendly manner before suddenly intensifying his attacks like a storm. Exhausted, Su Bei could only barely defend himself and was eventually knocked down after a few moves. However, Su Bei wasn’t embarrassed or angry. Back when he was learning combat techniques, he had been knocked down by his father countless times. He wasn’t the type to care about pride in moments like this. So even though he had been knocked down, Su Bei’s spirits were still high. He adjusted to a comfortable position on the ground, propping his head up with one hand: “Do we get healing after this, Teacher? I’d like some of that Fountain of Life from last time.” He was referring to the Fountain of Life Teacher Ye Lin had created with her ability on the final day of the individual competition. It had tasted great—not because of its flavor, but because drinking it gave you a sense of vitality. “You’ve got quite the imagination,” Meng Huai said with a laugh. “If you’re not tired, get up right now.” “I’m tired, I’m tired!” Su Bei quickly replied. His back and legs were indeed sore, and he couldn’t get up. “Teacher, even if you don’t believe me, you should at least believe in yourself.” Meng Huai ignored his cheekiness and began explaining some combat techniques and strategies based on their earlier fight. Once Su Bei had rested and stood up, Meng Huai had them pair up for sparring. Feng Lan approached Su Bei, while Zhao Xiaoyu naturally paired up with Mu Tieren. With only four people, this arrangement of pairing a stronger student with a weaker one made sense. But soon, Meng Huai realized the flaw in this setup. Their skill levels didn’t match. Su Bei was too strong. Sparring with Feng Lan was essentially carrying him. On the other hand, while Mu Tieren was also paired with a weaker partner, Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t exactly weak. Shortly after awakening her ability, Zhao Xiaoyu had begged her family to enroll her in a combat class. Although a summer break wasn’t enough to learn a lot, she was far from being a complete beginner. "Forget it, let’s do this instead," Meng Huai interrupted the "harmonious" pairs. "Su Bei, you’ll continue sparring with me. Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu, you two will team up against Mu Tieren." This arrangement worked better. Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu together could pose enough of a challenge for Mu Tieren. Meanwhile, Meng Huai sparring with Su Bei would help Su Bei improve the most. Although this was a bit more troublesome for Meng Huai, what could he do? He was a good teacher, after all. By lunchtime, when the morning session ended, everyone’s condition was finally consistent. They were all pale and exhausted, too tired to rush to the cafeteria. Instead, they sat down on the grass in the sports field to rest. Seeing them like this, the students from other classes who had gathered to watch couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie. While the S-Class was prestigious, it was clearly no walk in the park. With such an intense training regimen, they doubted they could endure it themselves. Some of the onlookers had self-awareness, but clearly, others did not. Seeing that Meng Huai had left, they began loudly "whispering" among themselves. "If A-Class students got promoted to the S-Class, I’d understand. But how did F-Class and D-Class students make it in?" "Don’t say that. Maybe they have something special?" "Hmph, haven’t you heard? Some of them have really weak abilities!" "Is that so? That’s really strange..." They were being blatant. Normally, people wouldn’t care about a bit of gossip, but these students had been going on for far too long. They had been talking for a full five minutes since the S-Class students came out, clearly intending for them to hear. Before Jiang Tianming and the others could react, Si Zhaohua was the first to lose his temper. He had been defeated by Jiang Tianming, and now they were calling Jiang Tianming trash. What did that make him, the one who had lost to the "trash"? Angry, he forced a cold smile and strode over: "If you’re so dissatisfied, why don’t you go talk to the teachers, the dean, or even the principal? Whispering behind our backs like this must be suffocating for you, huh?" The two students were from Class B, and being confronted by the top student from Class A left them terrified. They had assumed that the F-Class students would also resent those from F-Class. Their earlier comments were partly out of jealousy and partly to curry favor with the others. (I think this paragraph feels a bit odd, but it's not a translation mistake—it’s purely how the original text is written.) Little did they know, their attempt to flatter had backfired, earning them ridicule instead. Ai Baozhu, who had somehow produced a small pink fan, walked over to Si Zhaohua’s side. She gently fanned herself and smiled behind the fan: "I suppose they’re afraid the teachers won’t listen to them. Don’t worry, I’ve already sent someone to fetch a teacher." She wasn’t lying—she had sent Zhou Renjie to do it. However, Zhou Renjie wasn’t foolish enough to actually bother Meng Huai over something like this. It was just for show. "You... I... I didn’t say anything just now!" one of the students panicked, stammering. "I was just chatting with a friend!" "Ah, just chatting," Su Bei nodded casually and tapped his phone screen. The next second, the voices of the two students came from his phone, replaying exactly what they had said. One of them turned pale: "When did you record that? Delete it now!" His friend, slightly smarter, realized that the evidence was already in their hands and quickly apologized: "We’re sorry! We were just jealous of how outstanding you all are. Please forgive us! We won’t speak ill of you again, we promise!" Wu Mingbai smiled brightly: "With that promise, I’m sure we won’t hear such comments again!" Hearing this, Su Bei almost laughed out loud. The implication was clear: if they ever heard such gossip again, it would be blamed on these two. As expected of Wu Mingbai—always cunning. After the two left, Qi Huang asked curiously, "Hey, Su Bei, when did you record that?" "After they kept going for a full minute without stopping," Su Bei replied honestly. If they had just made a few jealous remarks, he wouldn’t have bothered. But they had been too annoying, which prompted him to take action. After saying this, he sent the recording to the small group chat created by Mu Tieren for the S-Class, then deleted the recording from his phone. His phone’s storage was limited, and he didn’t want to waste it on trash. After that day, somehow, the two students managed to significantly reduce the rumors in the academy. Even the daily crowd of onlookers outside the training area almost disappeared. From this perspective, those two could actually be considered talented. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. During this time, they had indeed learned a lot. Although the period wasn’t very long, the intense training had led to noticeable improvements in their abilities. Additionally, their meals had been upgraded from ordinary food to carefully prepared, high-quality nightmare beast meat, which had greatly enhanced their physical fitness. Compared to their pre-S-Class selves, they weren’t exactly reborn, but they were certainly transformed. For Su Bei personally, if he were to spar with Meng Huai again, he wouldn’t be as helpless as he had been that day. Of course, defeating Meng Huai was still impossible, but he could at least last twice as long. Since the month was up, they had received a notice from the school the previous morning. The entire class would be heading to an alternate space for training the next day, with no fixed return date. The gathering point was, naturally, the school sports field. Everyone arrived half an hour early. It was rare to see everyone out of their school uniforms, which felt refreshing. With their previous experience, everyone had independently prepared backpacks this time. Seeing that everyone had brought a bag, they couldn’t help but laugh. "What did you all bring?" Mo Xiaotian asked curiously, opening his own backpack. "I packed jelly, chips, chocolate... Ouch!" Before he could finish, Meng Huai, who had somehow appeared behind him, knocked him on the head. Meng Huai was both annoyed and amused: "You brought this stuff? Do you think this is a field trip?" Note : Thank you to everyone who has supported me, I love you all ???? Buy me a coffee