NOVGO.NET Chapter 282 : Chapter 282
Chapter 282
With this suspicion, Su Bei closely examined the segments featuring the Nightmare Beasts. Undoubtedly, the author had put effort into depicting them.
Their Abilities were interesting, sharing one common trait: they were all Earth Element Nightmare Beasts.
Nightmare Beasts and Ability Users had many similarities; their Abilities were classified similarly.
Among Nightmare Beasts, Low-Level ones typically had Body Enhancement, boosting strength, speed, or defense. The other two levels had more varied Abilities.
Like human Ability Users, Element Abilities were the majority. Among Elements, the five elements were usually balanced. For so many Earth Element Nightmare Beasts to appear at once, there were only two possibilities.
Either the High-Level Nightmare Beasts deliberately brought these Earth Element Nightmare Beasts for an unknown purpose, or the proportion of Earth Element Nightmare Beasts in the Nightmare Beast world had indeed far exceeded other elements.
Either way, it signaled something unusual, indeed a foreshadowing by the author.
If the former, why would High-Level Nightmare Beasts bring a group of Earth Element Nightmare Beasts to hunt humans? Earth Element was a sensitive Ability type in this plot. The humans risked danger to hold this final exam in the Nightmare Beast world, not for the exam itself but to find ways to clear Meteorites and eliminate Nightmare Beasts completely.
The purpose of the High-Level Nightmare Beasts bringing Earth Element Nightmare Beasts was clear—they likely suspected, or at least had doubts about, Endless Ability Academy’s intentions. They sent this group to probe.
If Endless Ability Academy tampered with the Meteorite fragments in the air during the exam, with so many Earth Element Nightmare Beasts present, the Nightmare Beasts would notice immediately.
Thinking of this, Su Bei felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, Endless Ability Academy was cautious enough. Though they tweaked the exam questions, they didn’t act on it in the Nightmare Beast world. Otherwise, if the Nightmare Beasts discovered their true intentions, they’d attack relentlessly, and it’d be questionable whether they could return safely.
As for the other possibility… if the balance of the five elements was disrupted, what did that mean? Was it related to the Meteorites? Had the Nightmare Beasts or the Ability Government noticed?
Su Bei realized he preferred the first scenario. Though troublesome, it was the better of the two possibilities.
Checking the forum, this event had little to do with him, and the readers, unlike him with his cheat-like insight, barely noticed the Nightmare Beast issue. Su Bei only found one useful post.
[Too Many Earth Element Nightmare Beasts in This Chapter?]
[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.0: I counted—out of the six Nightmare Beasts chasing Jiang Tianming and the others, four were Earth Element. If it’s not the author running out of ideas and padding, there’s definitely something more. This Leuwenhoek has only the eyes to spot things, not the brain to analyze. Sharing my finding, waiting for an analysis expert.]
[No.1: It’s you again, Leuwenhoek sis. Seen you on the forum so many times.]
[No.2: Gotta say, checked the OP’s past posts—definitely has a sharp eye.]
[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.3 (OP) replying to No.2: And a brain untainted by knowledge.]
[No.4: Hahahahahahaha.]
[No.5: I didn’t even notice these details. Truly Leuwenhoek.]
[…]
[No.22: Flipped back and checked, OP’s right. Earth Element Nightmare Beasts do appear too frequently.]
[No.23: Is the author planting foreshadowing? Though I can’t see what it’s for.]
[No.24: Earth Element… could it be related to Mingbai?]
[No.25: Where’s the analysis expert?]
[No.26: Could it be the Nightmare Beasts deliberately sent a bunch of Earth Element ones to chase Jiang Jiang and the others? Earth Element is handy for ground searches.]
[No.27 replying to No.26: There should be plenty of specialized search Nightmare Beasts, right? Based on King of Abilities, where Nightmare Beast Abilities match their appearance, canine Nightmare Beasts likely have such skills. Why send so many Earth Element ones? Specialization matters.]
[No.28 replying to No.26: Unlikely. If it was just for searching, one or two would suffice. Why so many?]
[No.29: I know, I know! It’s because the author’s an earth sign and loves Earth Element!]
[No.30 replying to No.29: ?]
[No.31 replying to No.29: I can confirm, the author is indeed an earth sign.]
[No.32 replying to No.29: ? When I type this question mark.]
[…]
[No.77: I think it’s related to the Meteorite. Maybe the Nightmare Beasts brought so many Earth Element ones to prevent Endless Ability Academy from clearing Meteorites. With them around, they’d sense any Meteorite changes instantly, and the academy would be caught if they acted.]
[No.78: That makes sense, the most reasonable theory in this thread. The abstract nonsense from earlier floors is beyond me.]
[No.79 replying to No.77: I recall it was mentioned before that the method to eliminate Nightmare Beasts completely is a secret the Nightmare Beasts don’t know. If they don’t know, why send Earth Element Nightmare Beasts?]
[No.80 replying to No.79: Better safe than sorry. It’s a matter of their race’s survival, so they have to guard against it, even if the other side doesn’t know.]
[…]
[No.115 replying to No.77: Hold on, if they’re really there to monitor whether Endless Ability Academy is tampering, why were these Earth Element Nightmare Beasts sent to chase Jiang Jiang and the others? They should’ve stayed outside the Barrier!]
[No.116 replying to No.115: ! Didn’t think of that!]
[No.117: Floor 115’s concern is valid. If this can’t be explained, Floor 77’s guess is likely wrong. When the Nightmare Beasts sent them to chase Jiang Tianming, Endless Ability Academy’s people hadn’t left yet.]
[No.118: So all the earlier guesses are wrong? What’s the truth then?]
[…]
Like the forum readers, Su Bei was jolted awake by Floor 115’s words. They were right. If the reason for so many Earth Element Nightmare Beasts was the first possibility, they should’ve stayed outside the Barrier, not chased after them.
Whether killing or chasing, other Nightmare Beasts could’ve been sent. Why use these valuable ones? The only explanation was that Earth Element Nightmare Beasts had the same role as others outside the Barrier, so they could be casually assigned.
If randomly assigned Nightmare Beasts were mostly Earth Element, the answer pointed to the second possibility—the five-element balance among Element Nightmare Beasts was disrupted.
Sighing, Su Bei rubbed his temples in despair. This cursed luck—whatever he didn’t want always happened. Sometimes he wondered if the author did it on purpose.
What did an imbalance in the five elements mean?
Nightmare Beasts were born from human resentment after death. Most of their Abilities were randomly generated, with a small portion based on the deceased’s resentment.
Element Abilities were usually random, as few people’s death resentment would relate to metal, wood, water, fire, or earth… maybe metal, but earth was unlikely.
So, the increase in Earth Element Nightmare Beasts was a choice by the Nightmare Beast world, or even the manga world, and it had to signify something.
Su Bei couldn’t help but connect it to the Meteorite. This event was tied to the main storyline, and his other discoveries stemmed from this. Unsurprisingly, the rise in Earth Element Nightmare Beasts was bad news for humans, a bad news linked to the Meteorite.
This was as far as Su Bei could think with the limited clues.
But Su Bei wasn’t one to dwell on dead ends. If this path was blocked, he’d try another. Since the increase in Earth Element Nightmare Beasts was bad, finding a way to change it couldn’t be wrong.
Su Bei planned to visit the library after the final exams to research Element Nightmare Beasts, looking for ways to alter the situation. Whatever foreshadowing or schemes the author was setting up, he’d pull the rug out from under them.
Having read both the manga and forum, Su Bei finally relaxed and fell asleep. The next day was a holiday, and Wu Mingbai and the others safely returned. Hearing the news, everyone privately messaged them to ask about the details.
Having already read the manga, Su Bei knew everything and saw that Jiang Tianming and the others clearly hadn’t noticed the increase in Earth Element Nightmare Beasts, so he lost interest in their discussions.
After another day of rest, on the third day, they finally learned the content of the final exam retake.
This time, they didn’t need to go to the Nightmare Beast world; the exam was held at school. The exam had three options: defeat one hundred Low-Level Nightmare Beasts within a time limit, participate in a mission involving Mid-Level Nightmare Beasts, or defeat one High-Level Nightmare Beast. The difficulty showed the scoring differed. Barring surprises, the first option capped at 70 points, the second at 90, and the third could reach a perfect 100.
In Class S, Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, Lan Subing, Wu Mingbai, Si Zhaohua, and Qi Huang chose to defeat a High-Level Nightmare Beast, while the rest opted for the Mid-Level Nightmare Beast mission.
Notably, in the upcoming summer Ability Academy world competition, only those who chose the highest-level exam from their first-year Class S were eligible as alternates.
This was why Su Bei chose this option. He didn’t have to act in the upcoming events, but he couldn’t be absent. Only by being in the game could he react immediately.
Defeating a High-Level Nightmare Beast wasn’t difficult for Su Bei now. As the saying goes, no martial art is unbeatable except speed. If he could alter the Nightmare Beast’s Destiny first, it was doomed to die.
It sounded like Su Bei’s defense was weak, and if his speed wasn’t fast enough, his safety would be at risk. But he wasn’t worried. If he couldn’t change others’ Destinies in time, couldn’t he change his own?
Though the small pointer was ever-changing, the large pointer was stable. By checking his Destiny Compass before acting, retreating or altering Destiny if danger loomed, he wouldn’t face situations where his speed wasn’t enough or he was ambushed and killed. At worst, a sudden shift in luck might leave him severely injured.
The final exam retake came quickly. As one of the top three Ability Academies in the country, Endless Ability Academy had no trouble procuring Nightmare Beasts or missions. Since this was a backup plan, the retake began without much delay.
The exam against High-Level Nightmare Beasts was the first to start. There weren’t many participants—only about thirty, excluding a few first-years. This was because Endless Ability Academy’s teaching quality was up to par; other academies would struggle to gather thirty.
Seeing Su Bei and the others join, the third-year students were surprised but not shocked. When they joined the Nightmare Beast world exam, these third-years had already discreetly checked their identities.
In any grade, Class S was always far above average. This time, the third-year Class S was entirely absent, taking on more dangerous exam content.
Having been crushed by their own Class S for three years, they were used to it. Now that first-year Class S could keep up, they felt some shame but weren’t too surprised.
There were always geniuses every year. The protagonist group just had the protagonist status and richer experiences.
Si Zhaohua was the first to take the exam. Attack Track battles emphasized raw, aesthetic violence, and Si Zhaohua’s were just that. His [Angel] Ability combined beauty and power, and even when fighting strong enemies, this guy, who prided himself on elegance, looked exceptionally graceful.
For fairness, all High-Level Nightmare Beasts prepared by the academy were Attack Track. The clash of power was thrilling to watch.
The next few went in turn. Those willing to take this level usually had strong attack power, and each battle was exhilarating.
Except for Su Bei.
Su Bei’s battle was just plain bizarre.
It felt like he barely did anything—just threw a Gear, and the Nightmare Beast was defeated.
Except for Class S, the other spectating upperclassmen were baffled. The exam was over? What happened? How was a High-Level Nightmare Beast defeated so easily? Was Destiny Ability really that strong?
Whether Destiny Ability was strong, Su Bei didn’t comment, but it was certainly mysterious enough. What seemed like a casual attack to them actually consumed a lot of his Mental Energy.
On the field, he pretended to face off with the Nightmare Beast while secretly adjusting its large pointer to the bottom. Then he set his own small pointer to the far left, used his most effective attack, “Destiny Gear,” and finished with an instant skill.
This combo allowed him to take down a High-Level Nightmare Beast without breaking a sweat.
Though he knew exactly what he’d done, seeing the final result, Su Bei couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. His progress from then to now was undoubtedly the greatest among everyone.
“Junior Su Bei, you’re amazing. Any interest in joining a guild or team? I know some people and can introduce you early.” While Su Bei stood aside waiting for the rest of Class S to finish, a blue-haired senior saw he was alone and approached enthusiastically.
It was clear she misunderstood, thinking he had no friends in class. Otherwise, why would she approach him?
Normally, classmates might team up after graduation. Knowing each other well, it made no sense to waste nearby resources to team with strangers. The Nightmare Beast world was dangerous; an unreliable teammate could lead to death.
Even for her, joining a guild was a decision made with friends, not alone.
But she’d indeed misunderstood. Su Bei standing alone wasn’t because others isolated him but because he was “isolating” others. He wasn’t the first to finish, so why didn’t he join Class s’ group?
Su Bei stood apart because his Mental Energy consumption was slightly high. His classmates knew him well, and without hiding, they’d easily notice his weakness if he got close. That would ruin the persona he’d built, so he stayed outside.
Si Zhaohua and the others, understanding him, saw him standing alone and figured he had a reason, so they tactfully didn’t approach.
Their mutual understanding led to the misunderstanding. Su Bei chuckled, shook his head, and politely declined: “Thanks for the offer, senior, but I’m good.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t catch his refusal, thinking he was just shy, and continued eagerly: “You must’ve heard of our guild, ‘Long River Guild.’ It’s not number one, but definitely top three in the country. The benefits are great. Joining as a first-year gives you more time to build rapport with members, and you can smoothly transition to a job after graduation. Perfect plan!”
Glancing at her, Su Bei realized that without proving himself, it’d be hard to politely make her see he was seriously declining. But she meant no harm, and being harsh to a well-meaning senior wasn’t his style.
So Su Bei waved to Si Zhaohua, Wu Mingbai, and Qi Huang, who’d finished their exams, and called out: “Any plans for the summer?”
Seeing his call, the three walked over. Qi Huang shrugged, looking bored: “What plans? Become alternates, check out the world competition, then train at home? Hmph, by sophomore year, I’ll definitely surpass you all!”
“Sounds familiar?” Si Zhaohua couldn’t help but chuckle. “Didn’t someone say the same thing before last semester’s break?”
At the obvious jab, Qi Huang’s face reddened, and she coughed: “Last time was last time, this time is this time. Today’s me isn’t yesterday’s me!”
Not engaging in her banter, Si Zhaohua turned to Su Bei: “I might take a short trip. If you’re interested, you can…”
Before he finished, Wu Mingbai cut in: “Hey, don’t forget my invitation! I’m going back to Yafei Kingdom this summer and invited you all to travel with me.”
Si Zhaohua looked annoyed. With so much going on, he’d forgotten. Keeping his composure, he smiled and nodded: “Of course I didn’t forget. Let me know, I’m looking forward to it.”
He was genuinely excited. Though he’d traveled abroad often, he’d never been to Yafei Kingdom. Before becoming an Ability User, the Si Family kept him from Ability-related matters.
Yafei Kingdom, Su Bei suddenly thought. Their guardian deity had the miraculous ability to move mountains and fill seas, and the Yafei royal family’s Abilities were mostly Earth Element. So, the guardian deity likely had a strong connection to Earth Element. Maybe he could learn the reason behind the five-element imbalance from them.
With the protagonist group around, meeting them wouldn’t be an issue. Whether he could get answers depended on his own skills.
His eyes lit up, and he gave an “OK” gesture: “Anytime.”
Glancing over, he noticed the senior beside him had quietly left.
“Hey? Weren’t you going to invite that junior? Why’d you come back after a short chat? I thought you were hitting it off, even introducing friends.” A red-haired senior asked, puzzled. She was the other senior joining the Long River Guild with her.
The blue-haired senior shook her head helplessly: “I misjudged. That junior isn’t unpopular—quite the opposite, he’s got great friends! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have called his companions over with one wave.”
What frustrated her most was the vibe between them, the kind only close friends shared. Having good friends herself, how could she not understand?
She’d hoped inviting a young genius to the guild would boost her and her partner’s gains. After all, even for a big guild like Long River, recruiting Class S students from Endless Ability Academy was tough.
But she failed. The moment Su Bei’s classmates came over, she understood his intentions.
“No worries, the two of us are enough!” The blue-haired senior wasn’t discouraged, saying confidently: “Inviting the junior was just icing on the cake. We’re the real deal.”
If they weren’t capable, they wouldn’t have both chosen the toughest final exam or been invited to a major guild before graduating.
The red-haired senior laughed, nodding in agreement: “You’re right.”
Su Bei was strong, but they weren’t bad either.