Chapter 229

Chapter 229

He’s got a point. Zuzong immediately thought of how to brag next. It was like he was bathed in sunlight again, springing up quickly.

Returning the favor, he shared something he thought was interesting: “The Spirit Tribe’s got a traitor—the clan leader’s son. The underground folks I got close to said before I left that they’re gonna isolate the Spirit Tribe.”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow, quietly noting this.

Initially, Huangfu Mingzhe listened to everyone’s updates casually, until even the most socially anxious Lan Subing and the quiet Wu Jin each shared something. Everyone had a piece of news except him.

Huangfu Mingzhe looked around, incredulous: “You’re isolating me?”

Si Zhaohua, somehow understanding, rolled his eyes elegantly: “Just share something yourself.”

Fair enough. Huangfu Mingzhe thought: “My family plans to join the underground world’s renovation project. Maybe I’ll invite you back down there soon.”

After chatting, food arrived, and they ate while talking. Si Zhaohua and Huangfu Mingzhe, who followed “no talking while eating,” didn’t stop others, listening patiently and responding with looks.

Lying on the bed, he opened his phone to check the latest manga update.

The plot picked up from last time, with them tied up in the dark, starting their underground life. Though the underground was pitch black, the manga couldn’t show readers a blank screen, so it was just dimmer than usual, with all scenery and colors intact. From the manga, Su Bei truly saw the underground world. The glasses showed patterns and faint colors, but mostly black, white, and gray.

In the manga, the Mud Tribe’s caves weren’t as barren as he’d seen. They were vibrant and ornate, with colored wall patterns more artistic than the colorless ones.

This made Su Bei slightly look forward to Huangfu Mingzhe’s invitation. If they added lights underground, even without renovations, it’d look nice.

The manga’s focus was naturally Jiang Tianming. After a brief overview, they explored the underground’s deeper mysteries.

Su Bei knew he had no standout moments here. His strengths were physical skills, Ability, and foresight. Underground, the locals’ physical prowess outmatched most, except freaks like Huangfu Mingzhe. With his Abilities sealed, Su Bei relied on foresight for an edge.

He didn’t disappoint, uncovering why Black Flash coveted the underground humans and finding the exit method. He’d done his part, maintaining a strong presence despite no major highlights.

Indeed, his manga appearances weren’t scarce, especially the part where he faked a stomachache to search He Bin’s room, fully depicted. The records’ contents were conveyed through narration and inner thoughts, explaining Cyril’s odd behavior.

Then Cyril and Li Xiang arrived at the secret room, finding someone there. Su Bei stepped out to stall, successfully sending them off. It didn’t feel intense at the time, but the manga made it thrilling.

“My gosh, Su Bei actually stepped up!”

“Su Bei, you’re a good boy!”

“So intense. Li Xiang really had killing intent, but Cyril didn’t seem to want to kill Su Bei?”

“I knew Bei-Jin CP was real!”

“Handling it so smoothly in that situation—I’m so curious about Su Bei’s trump card!”

Knowing most of it, Su Bei skimmed quickly, soon reaching his exit from the underground. The author then shifted back to the underground.

Jiang Tianming’s group tracked Cyril and Li Xiang’s traces, finding an item they’d left behind. A Plant Tribe member used the item’s creator’s aura to develop an antidote for their poison.

After thwarting Cyril’s plot, they discussed with He Bin, who agreed to negotiate on the surface. Notably, they’d been to the surface. The venue, empty outside of the Tri-School Competition, was easy to visit unnoticed.

But light sensitivity and ignorance of the surface world, plus knowing their appearance would face ancestral issues, kept them from exploring deeply.

Over the years, some fell from above, and through them, the underground learned more about the surface. Some, led by the Spirit Tribe clan leader’s grandson, Xiao Fan, coveted the surface, unwilling to stay in the dark underground, seeking more resources.

Had he been older, he’d see how naive this was, but young and swayed by Cyril’s manipulation, his ambitions grew. After his grandfather rejected his surface dreams again, he chose to work with Cyril.

The rumor that outsiders killed locals was spread by him, causing obstacles for Jiang Tianming’s group. He was eventually locked up by the Spirit Tribe clan leader, likely never to reappear.

Skimming pages, Su Bei sat up at the last two, eyes widening.

[In a lavish palace, Black Flash’s leader sat at the head, with Cyril and Li Xiang below. Li Xiang raised a hand, and nine underground humans emerged from the ground, standing meekly behind him.

“Leader, these are all the Nightmare People I brought back. One still has life.” Glancing back, a timid underground human entered.

Compared to the summoned ones, this one was far more vibrant.

Cyril presented the book and records Su Bei gave him: “These are the records I found there, perhaps useful for your research.”

A servant respectfully took them to the leader, who skimmed them, smiling satisfiedly and nodding: “You did well. Though the mission failed, we gained more than we could've hoped for.”

He beckoned the lone living underground human, who, urged by Cyril’s look, approached trembling. The leader lifted his chin, inspecting, then declared: “I’ll retreat for a while. Send them to my lab.”]

Su Bei hadn’t expected that, despite their efforts, Black Flash still took underground humans. He recognized two of them—the Mud Tribe couple.

Their identities were clear: the nine were those killed by Li Xiang. Just as they’d planned to take Su Bei’s group’s bodies back, they now took the underground humans’ corpses. The lone living one was among the ten “dead,” but Cyril and Li Xiang used some trick to fake his death, sneaking him out.

The trick wasn’t hard. Each tribe lost two, all dying identically. With such a pattern, the last pair wasn’t closely checked—nothing would’ve shown anyway.

“This is trouble,” Su Bei muttered, flopping back on the bed.

Black Flash got several underground humans, or “Nightmare People,” including controlled corpses and one living. Their leader’s research would likely go smoothly without obstacles.

If they succeeded, Black Flash’s nature ensured it wouldn’t be for the good of the world. Their past research, though impressive, was never used right.

If they failed, it was worse. Would they realize Nightmare Beasts couldn’t become human or be destroyed?

Su Bei didn’t think they’d stop if they learned this. When lunatics’ dreams shatter, they don’t normalize—they get crazier.

This could be reported to the academy. The identities of those taken were traceable, easy to verify.

Sharing wasn’t just about intel. Su Bei hoped the government could halt their research. If not, delaying it would do, giving him time to devise a way to wipe out Nightmare Beasts.

Reviewing the final manga scenes, he saw some good news. While the leader was in retreat, Black Flash likely wouldn’t stir trouble.

Though it didn’t mean the protagonists were safe, it was one less threat, right?

Done with the manga, Su Bei opened the forum. His findings and the final scenes would spark discussion.

[“No matter how we guarded, Black Flash got Nightmare People. Terrifying, folks—what are they researching?”]

[CallMeOPNo.0: Cyril ditched capturing Jiang Jiang’s group to get Nightmare People into the organization. Must be important. But what could they research? Turning into aliens?]

[No.1: Probably their Abilities. Cyril seemed keen on the Spirit Tribe.]

[No.2 replying to No.1:

But none of those were Spirit Tribe, right?]

[No.3: Am I the only one noting they brought back not just dead but a living one? Very thorough.]

[No.4: Odd focus, upstairs.]

[No.5: Thorough how?]

[No.6: Both dead and alive. So convenient for research. If my school’s students were this diligent…]

[…]

[No.43: Every thread’s ritual—derailing.]

[No.44: Let’s straighten it. Cyril got excited after learning the Nightmare People’s identity, meaning Black Flash long wanted to study them but couldn’t find them.

Their interest must be in traits before coming underground, since there’s no later data.

Their trait, per Su Bei’s records, was near-death revival and mutation.

So, I think they’re studying revival.]

[No.45: Big brain upstairs, confirmed.]

[No.46: Villains researching revival—makes sense. Maybe to revive the leader’s dead wife? Cyril won’t leave Black Flash to revive a friend.]

[No.47 replying to No.46:

If they succeed, I kinda support their research…]

[No.48 replying to No.47:

Revival research never succeeds in manga, novels, or shows. Either it fails, or it creates puppets, not true revival.]

[No.49: If they succeeded, this wouldn’t be King of Abilities—it’d be Black Flash’s Glorious History.]

[No.50 replying to No.49:

I’d have to call Jiang Jiang’s group the villains.]

[No.51 replying to No.50:

Bold villains! Daring to thwart my Black Flash’s grand plan! Guards, drag them off and beat them!]

[No.52: Hahahahaha, you’re killing me—wanna inherit my credit debt?]

[No.53: Hahahahahahahaha]

[…]

[WhiteCabbageNo.100: Wait, something’s off. If I recall, Nightmare People didn’t fully die—they were near death.

The leader’s wife became a Nightmare Beast. Can she really be revived?]

[No.101: Kinda makes sense?]

[No.102: If not revival, then what?]

[No.103: I only accept revival outshining the protagonists.]

[No.104 replying to WhiteCabbageNo.100:

You missed something. The records say they were near death, not dead. How can revived people know they died? They might’ve died and not known, recorded as near-death.

As for the wife, it’s simple. She became a Nightmare Beast, formed from resentment, not her. If the leader has her body, revival’s possible.]

[No.105: I back upstairs.]

[No.106: You guys think so much.]

[No.107: Floor 100, don’t just debunk—give another theory for comparison.]

[WhiteCabbageNo.108 replying to No.104: Neither of us died, so how do you know death’s imperceptible? If Black Flash just wanted to revive the wife’s body, why focus on Nightmare Beasts in past plots? Clearly, they want to revive her as a Nightmare Beast.]

[WhiteCabbageNo.109 replying to No.108: My theory: they’re researching how to turn Nightmare Beasts into humans—their goal all along.]

[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.111: Cabbage sis is right. I don’t think Black Flash’s goal is what you said.

You missed a key point—why are they called ‘Nightmare People’? ‘Nightmare’ in King of Abilities means Nightmare Beasts, so they’re linked to them.

Per Su Bei’s history records, after an energy wave, Nightmare Beasts and Ability users emerged. My analysis: the dead became resentful beasts, those with potential became Ability users, and the near-dead became Nightmare People.

So, they’re studying how Nightmare Beasts become Nightmare People. Except for appearance, Nightmare People are like humans. For the leader, turning his wife into this should suffice.]

[No.112 replying to LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.111: !!!!!]

[No.113 replying to LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.111: Never thought of that angle.]

[No.114 replying to LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.111: Insane analysis!]

[No.115: Experts among us. If I had this brain, I’d ace calculus.]

[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.116 replying to No.115: Nah, I flunked too T^T]

[…]

Reading the post, Su Bei nodded. Though many early guesses were wrong, later ones corrected them. If everyone stubbornly thought Black Flash only wanted revival, it’d be trouble for him.

He needed readers to see Black Flash’s goal was always Nightmare Beast-related, so mentioning it later wouldn’t seem abrupt.

Other posts were similar, mostly discussing Black Flash’s schemes, with some on the group’s performance, including a post about him.

[Manga Chapter N: Bei-ge Shines as Always]

[SuBeiMyGodNo.0: Stunning pic to start SuBeiWetHair.jpg]

[SuBeiMyGodNo.1: Sometimes I suspect Su Bei knows how things will unfold. He’s never panicked in the manga, not even facing Cyril and Li Xiang alone twice. It’s like he has our omniscient view, every move precise.]

[No.2: OP’s a pro at praise.]

[No.3: Great starter pic!]

[No.4: I screenshotted that pic too, hehe. An artist already finished a full version—go check it out!]

[No.5 replying to No.4: I know which one you mean, hehe.]

[No.6 replying to No.4: Link please!]

[…]

[No.37: I know OP’s exaggerating, but I agree with Floor 1. Su Bei clearly knew something to decisively search He Bin’s room while everyone was distracted by the deaths. With his usual personality, he’d slack off, not hunt clues.]

[No.38 replying to No.37: Hahahahaha, burst out laughing at the last line.]

[No.39 replying to No.37: Totally in-character analysis.]

[No.40: Not just Floor 37’s points. Cyril and Li Xiang’s arrival was unexpected, but Su Bei instantly knew they wouldn’t act, so he stepped up. How’s he so savvy? Where’s his intel from?]

[No.41: Destiny types know all (confident).]

[No.42: I’d call Su Bei an intel master.]

[…]

[No.131: Speaking of Bei’s intel network, anyone read that fic? ‘Destiny Master of the Destiny Organization’—so good and surprisingly plausible.]

[No.132 replying to No.131: AHHHH I read it! Super good!]

[No.133 replying to No.131: Truly reasonable (not a typo, a meme). If Su Bei weren’t so young, I’d bet he’s in Destiny. His Ability’s too perfect—not joining is a crime.]

[No.134: Actually, maybe Su Bei is in Destiny. How else does he know so much? Not all can be explained by [Destiny Gear].]

[No.135: Destiny appears so little. I’m intrigued by this mysterious intel group.]

[No.136: If you’re dreaming Su Bei’s in Destiny, I’ll dream he’s Destiny’s Young Master—too much?]

[No.137 replying to No.136: Not too much! My Bei-ge’s meant to lead Destiny to greatness!]

[No.138: Anyone remember Bei’s dream is to open a hardware store? (whispers)]