NOVEL NEXT Ch. 262
Chapter 262
The escalation didn’t touch Su Bei. Smartly, after guessing Black Flash’s plan, he avoided teaming with Wu Mingbai on tasks.
The mole issue already tied him in—unless he wanted to join Black Flash, getting deeper was pointless.
By avoiding Wu Mingbai, Su Bei dodged harm. That day, Wu Jin, Qi Huang, and Li Shu, tasked with Wu Mingbai, were gravely injured in a Black Flash attack.
Despite a strong Ability User guard, Black Flash was prepared. They sent a decoy team to lure the guard away, then attacked the students.
If not for their teamwork and the guard’s quick return, they’d have faced lethal danger, not just injuries.
Black Flash didn’t let Wu Mingbai stand out alone—that’d make the government suspect he was a decoy. So, he appeared heavily injured, but a close check showed only superficial wounds, unlike the others’ real ones.
Endless Ability Academy checked thoroughly.
Four went on the task; Black Flash struck precisely. Three were comatose, Wu Mingbai lightly injured, faked as heavy.
Not a smoking gun, but strong evidence he was the mole. Soon, he was isolated, cut off from contact.
Unable to reach out or be reached, Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing were frantic. The other three, still unconscious, couldn’t clarify the situation.
Most of Class S lost trust in Wu Mingbai, seeing him as the confirmed mole.
In the classroom, seeing Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing’s dejection, Zhou Renjie snapped, “Grieving for a mole?”
“Mingbai’s not the mole!” they retorted in unison.
“You believe that?” Zhou Renjie scoffed. “If he’s not, why’s he fine? You’re not saying Black Flash framed him on purpose, right? Think about it—he’s never been hurt by Black Flash. He’s even gained from them!”
His words jogged memories. Wu Mingbai had gained a big boost—thicker Earth Element—from Black Flash’s underground lab.
He’d been taken there alone, claiming dangers, but the benefits were real.
This cemented their belief he was the mole.
Su Bei sighed. If he didn’t know the truth, he’d buy Zhou Renjie’s logic. Black Flash chose Wu Mingbai as the fall guy smartly—his background fit, and it avenged his lab sabotage.
“Don’t be too sad,” Zhao Xiaoyu consoled hesitantly. “Even if Wu Mingbai’s the mole, I believe you two are clean.”
She wouldn’t distance Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing over this. Their actions proved they weren’t with Black Flash.
Their misjudgment was understandable—Wu Mingbai’s disguise was good.
Others felt similarly. With one confirmed mole, even with their close ties, no one suspected Jiang Tianming or Lan Subing.
Sadly, they didn’t want her kindness. Seeing no help from classmates, Jiang Tianming stood abruptly, “I’m going to Teacher Meng.”
“I’m with you,” Lan Subing followed, and they left.
Zhou Renjie, bitter about the mole, muttered, “Why keep fighting? Once Wu Mingbai’s in prison, they’ll accept it.”
No one stopped him. His words seemed harsh, but as a victim, his complaints were fair.
Feng Lan glanced at Su Bei, silent but clear—didn’t you say Wu Mingbai wasn’t the mole? Why’s he looking confirmed now?
Su Bei shrugged casually, sure his judgment was right but not planning to clear Wu Mingbai.
Class ended, and Su Bei headed to the cafeteria but was stopped by Si Zhaohua, “Let’s eat lunch together.”
Surprised, Su Bei turned, “Why me all of a sudden?”
Si Zhaohua usually ate with Ai Baozhu and Zhou Renjie, before and after his return.
He glanced at them, but they’d clearly coordinated, leaving without a look.
“Got something to ask,” Si Zhaohua said, lips pursed, expression complex.
Why did everyone want to ask him stuff? Su Bei waved him along, resigned. Refusing now wouldn’t stop him later. Better get it over with.
At the cafeteria, after picking meals and sitting, Si Zhaohua asked, “Do you think Wu Mingbai’s the real mole?”
“You think he’s not?” Su Bei countered.
Si Zhaohua nodded, then shook his head, “Logically, he is, but their arguments make sense. Jiang Tianming’s not impulsive—without absolute trust, he wouldn’t defend him so hard.”
He repeated, “So, what do you think? Is Wu Mingbai Black Flash’s mole?”
“Why rush? My answer changes nothing,” Su Bei savored his lunch slowly. “Results will come soon. Be patient, young man.”
“So you know, don’t you?” Si Zhaohua cut to the chase.
Su Bei: “…”
These guys were getting too good at reading him, leaving him speechless.
No way he’d answer. He ignored it, eating.
Watching, Si Zhaohua propped his chin, silver hair falling, and asked, “You’ve known who the mole is for a while, haven’t you?”
Su Bei paused briefly, then kept eating, ignoring him.
Si Zhaohua laughed, exasperated, “If you know, why not say?”
Last semester, when Class S formed, they suspected a mole. With little evidence and no incidents, they forgot. But now, they were right.
Knowing Su Bei, he either didn’t know or knew long ago, not just now.
Why not warn them if he knew? Even for drama, wasn’t the wait too long?
“Destiny’s not easily disrupted,” Su Bei finally stopped playing dumb.
He couldn’t reveal Mo Xiaotian’s identity—it was the author’s plot. Before or after the author noticed him, spilling it would have consequences he couldn’t handle.
Si Zhaohua stared, judging truth or excuse. He sighed, “Still can’t say?”
“You’ll know in a few days,” Su Bei repeated.
Despite his words, Si Zhaohua had an inkling. If Wu Mingbai were the mole, Su Bei wouldn’t say so much.
If not him, who? Not Mo Xiaotian, surely!
Seeing him ponder, Su Bei asked playfully, “Why not suspect me?”
“No need,” Si Zhaohua differed from others. “No group would send someone with such a strong Ability as a mole.”
As a leader, it was a bad trade. If caught, Black Flash would lose a future Destiny powerhouse—a huge loss for little gain.
His answer gave Su Bei a new angle. He hadn’t considered clearing himself this way.
That afternoon, Meng Huai dropped a bombshell: Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing took leave to find Wu Mingbai’s family.
Everyone was shocked. They understood the intent, but wasn’t it too late?
Wu Mingbai was nearly confirmed as the mole. If he was, finding family was pointless. If not, by the time they found anyone, it’d be too late.
Meng Huai thought so too but didn’t refuse their effort, “Ignore them. Focus on class.”
Focusing was impossible. Mu Tieren raised his hand, worried, “Teacher, if Wu Mingbai’s the mole, what’s the punishment?”
Everyone turned. They were curious but held back due to their bond. Mu Tieren broke the silence.
Not because he believed Wu Mingbai was the mole, but having a jailed relative, he knew the torment and asked out of concern.
“Under 16, labor reform,” Meng Huai answered crisply. “If Wu Mingbai’s really the mole.”
His words carried weight, showing doubt about Wu Mingbai’s guilt.
A good teacher’s influence shone here, shaping the class’s stance. No one discussed it openly, and the atmosphere lightened.
But Meng Huai’s sway didn’t reach the whole academy. Others, hearing the news, gossiped.
Normally, the government would keep it quiet until confirmed to avoid harming Wu Mingbai’s life or their credibility if he was innocent.
But Ability world news was hard to contain with big families prying. Some loud parents refused to let their kids study with a mole, spreading the word.
Hearing the rumors, Zhao Xiaoyu sighed, “Good thing Tianming’s gone, or they’d be furious.”
True—Su Bei couldn’t imagine them defending Wu Mingbai publicly without being mocked. When most believed one thing, dissenters were outliers.
Truth was held by few, and only the framer knew Wu Mingbai’s innocence. Others were convinced he was the mole.
Su Bei figured if Qi Huang and the others woke, they might ease his suspicion. But they stayed comatose, assumed to be Black Flash’s doing to protect Wu Mingbai’s cover.
Close, but backward—Black Flash kept them out to frame him further.
Su Bei didn’t ask Mo Xiaotian how he framed Wu Mingbai. Knowing less was better—knowing more risked involvement.
Life went on. With the mole “caught,” tension eased. Though sad, no one was as cautious.
Perfect timing for Black Flash to act. Su Bei cut ties with Zhou Renjie and Mo Xiaotian, avoiding tasks with them. He sensed if they teamed up, Mo Xiaotian would move.
But Murphy’s Law struck—the more you avoid, the more it happens. The next day, the government assigned a task to him, Zhou Renjie, Mo Xiaotian, Ai Baozhu, and Mu Tieren.
Su Bei: “…”
He went to Meng Huai, clutching his forehead dramatically, “Teacher, I’m unwell—headache. Need to rest a couple days.”
The task was tomorrow—he’d stall until the day after.
“Headache?” Meng Huai eyed him skeptically. “Need the infirmary?”
No way—he’d be exposed. Su Bei refused, “No, just lack of rest. I’ll sleep it off. If it persists, I’ll go.”
Such a weak lie, Meng Huai didn’t buy it. Normally, he’d let it slide, but not this time, “The client named you. No escaping.”
Su Bei was stunned, “What task?”
Details came tomorrow, so he didn’t know yet.
“A Destiny Nightmare Beast might be involved. An Ability User family’s being harassed. They know your Ability and want you,” Meng Huai said briefly. “You’ll know tomorrow. No slacking.”
No escape—the author wouldn’t let him off easily. Su Bei sighed, accepting fate.
The next day, the five sat in the academy’s van, each with task details. The Sun Family, Ability Users, had been extremely unlucky—tripping, choking on water—since a while ago.
At first, they thought it was bad luck, but both spouses noticed the pattern, suspecting an issue.
As Ability Users, they knew more than ordinary people, suspecting a Nightmare Beast. They requested a detection device, found traces, and the government identified a Mid-Level Bad Luck Nightmare Beast.
Its only ability was making people increasingly unlucky, eventually leading to fatal mishaps—literal death by bad luck.
Killing it was easy once found, but the Sun couple lacked attack Abilities, or they’d have done it themselves.
The issue was its effect lingered post-death. Without a specific Ability to negate it, the couple would stay unlucky until death.
To counter it, either use an Ability like Jiang Tianming’s to nullify effects or halt the luck decline with one good event, breaking the curse.
“Your stage, Su Bei,” Ai Baozhu said lightly after the first page, then puzzled, “But you alone should suffice. Why so many of us?”
Mu Tieren, having read all, explained, “Page two—there’s a leftover campaign Nightmare Beast group. We’re here for that.”
“Sweet, killing Nightmare Beasts!” Mo Xiaotian cheered. “Split up then?”
His “split” meant the other three together, Su Bei alone. Su Bei supported this—he could stall at the Sun’s, wait for things to settle, then join Wu Mingbai’s group.
About to nod, Manga Consciousness spoke, “King of Abilities updated. Check it.”
Manga updated? Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing’s investigation must’ve progressed. Su Bei didn’t check immediately, continuing, “Sounds good. You handle the beasts; I’ll manage.”
“You know,” Ai Baozhu said dryly, “that line fits when you’re tackling something tougher.”
Su Bei’s task was easier—his Ability countered the Bad Luck Nightmare Beast, which had low attack power, just above Low-Level. He’d finish effortlessly.
Zhou Renjie, not having teamed with Su Bei in a while, asked uncertainly, “You’ll join us to kill beasts after, right?”
“You dreaming? He won’t rush over—probably head straight back to avoid a scolding,” Ai Baozhu, knowing Su Bei, shattered his hope.
Su Bei feigned hurt, “That’s slander! I’ll join you right after!”
“But you decide when you’re done,” Ai Baozhu fanned herself elegantly with her pink fan, “MissFancy knows you too well.”
Su Bei had planned that but denied it, “Have some sympathy—changing fate’s exhausting.”
Before Ai Baozhu could glare, Mo Xiaotian patted his chest, “North Bro, I’ll handle your beasts! Rest easy!”
Su Bei gave him an appreciative look, “Good brother, you care!”
Seeing their “father-son” act, Ai Baozhu rolled her eyes, “Xiaotian, I know you mean well, but don’t waste kindness on thick-skinned guys—it’s like throwing buns to dogs.”
“No worries, I love killing Nightmare Beasts,” Mo Xiaotian said brightly, the perfect sold-out-and-counting-money fool.