Chapter 200
With fourteen in the class, minus Mu Tieren and with three opted out, leaving ten for the rescue mission. Though decided, they couldn’t act immediately—they needed academy approval.
Unexpectedly but understandably, the academy rejected their request, banning Jiang Tianming’s group from entering the Nightmare Beast world for the Heart Nightmare Beast, and scolded Ye Lin for suggesting it.
How dangerous was the Nightmare Beast world? Without teachers, first-years like Jiang Tianming were sitting ducks. They couldn’t risk a whole class for one student, could they?
It wasn’t personal—just the academy’s duty. Whatever their intent, without teacher escorts, the academy had to refuse. If they got hurt, their families would tear the school apart.
If Si Zhaohua, Ai Baozhu, or others told their families, they’d be forbidden too. Why stand under a crumbling wall for an unrelated classmate?
The rejection came Saturday night. Seeing the academy’s notice, they briefly fell silent.
Wu Mingbai broke it, @-ing Wu Jin in the group chat.
[MingbaiOrNot: @EndlessSilence cough]
At first, no one got the cryptic message, but knowing Wu Jin’s identity, they caught on, spamming copies.[DeathComes: @EndlessSilence cough]
[StreetlampPlan: @EndlessSilence cough]
[EastSouthWest: @EndlessSilence cough]
[Si: @EndlessSilence cough]
[MissFancy: @EndlessSilence cough]
[AlwaysSmilingYoung: @EndlessSilence cough]
[FlamingWutong: @EndlessSilence cough]
[UnbreakableDream: @EndlessSilence cough]
[.: @EndlessSilence cough]
[silent: @EndlessSilence cough]
[XiaoTianKing: Huh? What’s everyone doing?]
[XiaoTianKing: PuppyPounce.jpg]
[XiaoTianKing: Hehe, I’ll join the formation]
[XiaoTianKing: @EndlessSilence cough]
The flood finally summoned the target.
[EndlessSilence: …]
Wu Jin knew what they wanted. As the principal’s son, if he could convince Principal Wu Di to approve their plan, problem solved.
But… he glanced at his dad, happily watching TV, and looked away. Typing, he replied, “I’m grounded…”
Clearly, Principal Wu Di knew even with the academy’s rejection, these restless students would act. So he grounded Wu Jin, ensuring he couldn’t go.
Fresh from a shower, his purple hair tied into a small topknot, revealing a refined, pale face.
[MissFancy: How about acting cute for me? The kind where you show your face.]
After midterms, the class knew Wu Jin’s secret. No one commented or showed curiosity, treating him as before, easing his post-reveal nerves.
Ai Baozhu wanted him to use [Succubus] to charm his dad, but… not only was it impossible, Wu Jin couldn’t even manage the “acting cute” part.
Before he refused, Su Bei’s message popped up.
[EastSouthWest: Check your dad’s room or office?]
Knowing Principal Wu Di, the protagonist team’s academy head, Su Bei doubted he was a coward pushing students to be spineless.
In shonen manga, risking yourself for a teammate was always supported. Wu Di’s rejection likely stemmed from the academy board’s collective dissent—too risky for one student when other options existed.
But Wu Di might not disagree.
So Su Bei suggested Wu Jin check his dad’s room or office for useful clues.
Seeing Su Bei’s message, Wu Jin frowned. He didn’t get why, but since Su Bei said so, he’d look.
With Wu Di engrossed in a variety show, Wu Jin lowered his presence, slipping toward his room. Unseen, the purple-haired man behind him smirked slightly as he moved.
In his dad’s room, Wu Jin was shocked—the computer was on, displaying Heart Nightmare Beast info!
Not just details, but also coordinates in the Nightmare Beast world. With coordinates, finding a beast in that vast world was much easier!
He hadn’t expected this in his dad’s computer. Eyes wide, Wu Jin snapped photos. Before sending them to the group, a breeze hit him.
Looking up, the bedroom window was wide open, wind blowing through.
Why was their window open? A question mark rose in Wu Jin’s head.
He glanced back at the door, then the window, and messaged Su Bei privately: “Did you do this?”
He meant the open window and computer data—unusual for their home. Wu Di didn’t like open windows and wouldn’t leave his computer on with files out.
Everything felt odd, making Wu Jin suspect Su Bei used [Destiny Gear] to cause this.
“Not me, the principal,” Su Bei replied, grinning.
Wu Jin froze, processing. His dad did this? He supported their rescue?
Realizing this, his eyes lit up, eager to thank his dad’s subtle effort. But then he thought—if his dad chose this method, he likely didn’t want to openly back the rescue.
To dodge the board, he couldn’t overtly support it, only “carelessly” leaving clues.
Hesitating, Wu Jin stayed put. Not asking gave Wu Di plausible deniability—data leaked by mistake. Confronting him now left no excuse.
Copying the data, Wu Jin leapt out the window, messaging the group while running to the academy.
On the field, the rescue team formed a circle, phones out, studying Wu Jin’s Heart Nightmare Beast data. The beast was small, human-heart-sized, but love-heart-shaped, not anatomically accurate.
This black, love-shaped beast had potent abilities, resonating with a creature’s heart to control it, even stopping it dead.
Undoubtedly, among high-level Nightmare Beasts, it was a major human threat.
The data listed ways to counter it: remote killing—resonance required close range, ineffective if far enough. Records showed its max resonance range was 100 meters. Killling from beyond that would remove the danger.
Or interrupt its resonance link. You’d feel it—heart racing or slowing, noticeable even to normal people, let alone enhanced ability users.
Links took over two seconds to stabilize, so breaking it after sensing gave a buffer to kill the beast.
How to break it? Up to the ability user—no clear answer in the data.
“Over 100-meter ranged attacks…” Qi Huang frowned. “My range isn’t enough.”
“I might manage, but accuracy’s iffy,” Si Zhaohua shook his head.
Against a human at 100 meters, they might hit. But a heart-sized black love? Too tough for aim and control.
Su Bei’s eyes gleamed, saying casually, “Isn’t that simple?”
Coincidentally, they were discussing the ability he wanted to enhance. His [Destiny Gear]’s only damage was gears.
Even by maxing luck, gears weren’t always accurate. Accuracy aside, enemy defenses could block them.
Without hitting, he had no direct attack. So Su Bei wanted the Manga forum to make his gears 100% accurate, hitting regardless of evasion or defense.
His ability was destiny—pairing it with anything was logical. This was a perfect hook opportunity.
“Your aim’s that good?” Qi Huang asked, skeptical. “At 100 meters, even 0.5 vision might miss that black heart.”
Su Bei smiled, turning cryptic. “It's not about vision. My gears carry destiny’s inevitability—they will hit!”
“Then it’s on—”
“—Pass!”
Before Jiang Tianming finished, Su Bei cut in. “I didn’t say I’d definitely help. Better have a Plan B.”
He didn’t have that ability yet. Acting depended on the situation and if his gears could hit. Saying this now prevented doubts if he couldn’t act later.
Though, if possible, Su Bei wanted to kill a Heart Nightmare Beast his way.
His hook was just that line—slim chance the author would use it. Only if he actually killed a beast from afar with a gear would it be a hook.
Even if the author included it without him killing, a single line wouldn’t impress readers much. Post-chapter, hyping as “Prophet” would draw little attention.
Few readers meant no ability change, even if they believed him. Forum upgrades needed enough believers—headcount, not trust level.
Unlike last time, where talk could convince readers, this martial upgrade needed action. Readers trusted deeds over words.
But how to kill a Heart Nightmare Beast from 100 meters? As Qi Huang said, he could barely see it, let alone hit it.
While Su Bei pondered, the others moved on, unsurprised. They brainstormed other plans. Su Bei helping would be a bonus; if not, they wouldn’t lose focus.
“Ranged attacks aren’t our strength. Better consider the second option,” Jiang Tianming ditched long-range killing for other plans.
After a moment, he looked at Wu Jin. “Can you charm Nightmare Beasts?”
Wu Jin, in a corner, shook his head. “Mental energy.”
Like Li Shu, high mental energy foes resisted his ability. Instead of capturing, he’d only hard-control for a second, like with Su Bei.
A second’s control was strong, but in a high-stakes match or against high-level beasts, it fell short.
Wu Jin seemed unbothered, likely not caring much about combat. With Principal Wu Di behind him, he probably had an upgrade plan ready. “If I strip the air around a Heart Nightmare Beast, making a vacuum, could it stop its actions? Even kill it?” Mo Xiaotian asked eagerly.
A strong ability—isolating air into a cube, then vacuuming it. Breathing foes would be trapped.
It had limits: small vacuum range, immobile. Quick foes could escape before suffocating.
But for interrupting a Heart Nightmare Beast’s cast, it should suffice.
Jiang Tianming nodded. “Worth a try. It probably needs air. Without it, it can’t link smoothly.”
Pausing, he organized his thoughts. “But the data says Heart Nightmare Beasts are social. We need to lure one out, or even if Xiaotian’s method works, it won’t control a group.”
“I can do that,” Si Zhaohua said confidently. “My ability attracts Nightmare Beasts. If I time it right, I can draw just a few.”
Picture the beasts’ gathering as a circle, his ability’s range another. At one intersection, only one or two would come.
He gave a wry look. “But other beasts will come too. We’ll need to clear them.”
Who knew how many beasts were near? Few was fine; many spelled trouble. Si Zhaohua’s ability drew low- and high-level beasts alike.
“By the way, something you should know,” Qi Huang cut in, having recently visited the Nightmare Beast world at Delicious Nightmare Beast Farm. “First time there feels weird—countless resentments flood your mind. Prep mentally. Some get affected.”
Like hearing endless gossip about others or the world. Some shrug it off; others take it to heart, turning cynical.
“Sounds like Xiaoyu would’ve been great,” Lan Subing mused. With [Happiness], she could clear negative emotions, preventing Qi Huang’s “darkening.”
Ai Baozhu nodded. “True, and she could easily handle the beasts Zhaohua attracts.”
“But that risks wiping the Heart Nightmare Beast too,” Lan Subing recalled Zhao Xiaoyu’s concern. She couldn’t control her new ability precisely. If attacked, she’d reflexively use it, potentially purifying the Heart Nightmare Beast—a disaster.
After a quick plan, Jiang Tianming waved. “We three will find Teacher Lei to see if we can get to the Nightmare Beast world. You prep two days’ food for us. If we succeed, we’ll call in the group.”
Fair split, no objections. They dispersed. Su Bei returned to his dorm, needing no prep—his storage space was stocked. He was just checking props.
“Invisibility Charms hide me from Nightmare Beasts, right?” Su Bei asked the air, querying [Manga Consciousness]. It’d been a while since using one in front of beasts; he needed confirmation.
[Manga Consciousness] affirmed, “They can’t see you, but don’t use abilities, or they’ll sense you.”
“What about mental energy?” Su Bei asked, critical since he often used it while invisible to scout. If it was off-limits, he needed to know.
As expected, [Manga Consciousness] replied, “High-level Nightmare Beasts might sense it.”
Like humans—those with high mental energy could detect others’; those without couldn’t.
So his plan to lock onto a Heart Nightmare Beast with mental energy for a remote gear kill was bust. Their mental energy was high; he’d be sensed.
Pondering, Su Bei opened Destiny’s laptop, checking the organization’s prop warehouse. As leader, he had access, even usage rights, as long as he returned items intact to avoid issues with point-based exchanges.
“Tracker, tracker… got it!” A prop’s description caused his eyes to light up. The “Auxiliary Aiming Device” auto-targeted enemies.
It needed an item with the target’s scent for precise strikes, assuming sufficient range and no defenses.
Good enough—it was the best prop Su Bei could find. He pulled it from the warehouse, examining it.
A black leather glove. Per instructions, wearing it and holding a scented item ensured perfect aim.
Getting a scented item was easy—when Si Zhaohua lured the Heart Nightmare Beast, Su Bei could grab a stone it touched. Done.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Tianming messaged the group: “Teacher Lei’s gone, but I found a one-use prop in his office for Nightmare Beast world travel, round-trip once. Field, now!”
Familiar move? Wu Jin, seeing it, paused. The adults were blatantly helping—barely different from sending them to save Mu Tieren.
On the field, all ten were present. Jiang Tianming entered Wu Jin’s coordinates. A magic array glowed, and with a flash of gold, the ten vanished, leaving the field silent, as if never touched.