Chapter 8 (Part 2)
"I just want to start off slower and conserve my energy. Remember, this is only the first lap," Su Bei explained, making it sound like his real goal wasn't just slacking off.
The explanation made some sense, but Feng Lan still looked puzzled. "But even if you're saving energy, isn't this a bit too slow?"
The students in the first group weren't going all out either; this was a steady pace for the early part of a ten-lap run.
He slowed down to match Su Bei's pace, observing the strength in Su Bei's exposed arm. After a moment, he hesitantly asked, "Did you get those muscles from protein powder or something?"
It was clear to Feng Lan that Su Bei had one of the best physiques in the class. If it wasn't from supplements, why was he going so slow?
Su Bei scoffed, "You can insult me, but don't disrespect the muscles I worked hard to build!"
Realizing he might have broken character, he cleared his throat. "You go on ahead. Don't worry about me; I'll finish eventually."
Feng Lan hesitated, but instead of speeding up to catch the lead group, he continued jogging alongside Su Bei.
This choice surprised Su Bei, but he didn't mention it. Even ten laps was tough for him, so he preferred to conserve his breath.
Halfway through the first lap, their homeroom teacher Meng Huai appeared. Standing there with his imposing presence, he prompted a few hesitant students to get back on the track.
But after watching them finish one lap, Meng Huai left, and the group quickly fell back into a scattered, loose formation.
Several students started walking, and the fifty-four F-class students naturally split into five groups, spreading out across the track.
By the ninth lap, they had consolidated into three groups. The first group, which included the main characters, still had four people and was about half a lap ahead of the rest. Su Bei and Feng Lan were in the second group with eleven students, blending in without drawing attention. The third group had twenty-one students, exhausted but continuing to walk.
As for the remaining eighteen students, they had already left the track. Some had no intention of finishing and went straight to lunch. Others stood on the sidelines, planning to rejoin on the last lap to make it look like they had been running the whole time.
Breathing heavily, Su Bei felt sweat drip down his face and onto the ground. The weather wasn't particularly hot, but the sheer exertion was intense.
However, anyone observant would notice that his breathing, though heavy, remained even. His pace had stayed consistent from the start, showing he still had energy left.
Meanwhile, Feng Lan looked completely at ease, not even breathing hard. Su Bei couldn't help but side-eye him, thinking this delicate-looking guy was surprisingly capable.
He glanced up at the lead group, focusing on Jiang Tianming, who was struggling the most.
From this distance, he could faintly hear Jiang Tianming gasping for air. Drenched in sweat and barely holding himself upright, he looked as if he would collapse any second.
Yet somehow, he was still at the back of the lead group.
"Is this because of his ability?" Su Bei wondered. Otherwise, sheer willpower wouldn't be enough to sustain him this long.
But from the first part of the comic, Jiang Tianming had clearly shown a summoning ability.
Then again, it seemed the comic had hinted at something deeper with the protagonist's powers. Maybe there was indeed some form of physical enhancement.
Meanwhile, the A-Class homeroom teacher, who had just dismissed his students, was strolling by F-Class when he noticed Meng Huai at the window. Smirking, he tapped Meng Huai on the shoulder. "What are you watching?"
With a hint of amusement, he added, "You hiding out in F-Class this year hasn't exactly pleased the principal."
Unbothered, Meng Huai replied, "After teaching S-Class for so long, I deserve a break. But this F-Class seems to have a few interesting characters."
"Oh?" The A-Class teacher raised an eyebrow, joining him at the window. After a few seconds, he finally caught on. "You mean that Feng family kid? Surprising to see him trailing behind."
"There's more." Meng Huai shook his head. "The blue-haired girl up front, her ability is powerful enough for A-Class—[Words of Power]. If it weren't for her extreme social anxiety preventing her from speaking, she wouldn't be here in F-Class."
The A-Class teacher, already familiar with her case, chuckled. "Quite a lucky find for you, then. Anyone else?"
Meng Huai pointed to another student. "That black-haired kid behind her—he looks like he's about to collapse, but he's maintained this exhausted look for four laps now, and he's still in the lead group. Quite curious, don't you think?"
That was interesting. If Meng Huai hadn't pointed it out, the A-Class teacher might have thought Jiang Tianming was simply about to drop out.
But if he'd been in that state for four laps, he clearly wasn't about to drop anytime soon.
It was hard not to think his ability might be involved if he could stay in the lead group with that kind of endurance.
The A-Class teacher couldn't help but ask, "What's his ability?"
If it were a physical enhancement, he wouldn't have been placed in F-Class.
Meng Huai, as if anticipating the question, replied, "Unknown."
"Unknown?"
"When he was tested, no ability was triggered. But the detectors confirmed he has one." Clearly, Meng Huai had looked into this unusual case.
The A-Class teacher's mouth twitched. "Poor kid. Any idea why?"
"Haven't asked yet. We'll get to it tomorrow. He won't be able to hide it."
Meng Huai continued, "Not sure why the Feng family kid came to F-Class. Knowing their background, it's hard not to suspect…"
"A prophecy ability, right?" The A-Class teacher seemed familiar with the Feng family and their unique abilities, as most teachers at the academy were.
Scanning the students below, he muttered, "Sending their next head here. Wonder who it's for."
"I suspect it's the one next to him." Meng Huai watched the students on the track.
The A-Class teacher's eyes landed on Su Bei. "The blond kid?"
With his sharp eye, he immediately noticed Su Bei's relaxed pace. "Is he slacking right in front of you?"
Sensing the mockery, Meng Huai scoffed. "Not only that, but he's dragging the Feng kid into slacking too."
Before his colleague could laugh, Meng Huai added, "Su Bei, orphaned, no close family, no friends—yet he managed to befriend the Feng family heir on the first day."
The Feng family were known for their aloofness. Even young ability holders exuded an intimidating aura that kept others at a distance.
To become friends with Feng Lan right away, either Su Bei had some special quality, or Feng Lan had his own reasons.
"But isn't that a bit of a stretch? Maybe they just hit it off," the A-Class teacher noted, knowing Meng Huai to be observant and methodical.
Meng Huai agreed, pulling up a video on his phone. "While they were running, I checked the classroom footage. Take a look—I found something interesting."
The video showed Su Bei's earlier conversation with Jiang Tianming.
"A destined disaster this year? A prophecy?" the A-Class teacher mused, analyzing the footage. "No wonder the Feng family showed up."
Considering the Feng family's expertise in prophecy, sending a family member to assess a potential new prophecy wielder was quite plausible.
Although prophecy-based abilities were rare, the Feng family had gathered a small number of such individuals, and reaching out to a new one wasn't unusual.
"No, his registered ability is [Gears]," Meng Huai said, watching his colleague's reaction with a smirk.
Sure enough, the A-Class teacher's eyes widened. "You're kidding. And he's saying things like that?"
Meng Huai's eyes glinted. "Interesting, isn't it?"
Knowing Meng Huai wouldn't joke about this, the A-Class teacher guessed, "Is he bluffing? No, that wouldn't make sense. So you think… his registered ability is fake?"
Meng Huai's thoughts aligned with his colleague's. "Quite possibly."
"If that's the case, he could've picked something better than [Gears]. It sounds like the kind of throwaway ability you'd give a minor background character."
Meng Huai pointed to Su Bei slacking off on the track. "And he's not exactly subtle about it. The way he spoke on the first day—it's as if he doesn't plan on hiding it."
"You're right." The A-Class teacher nodded. "So what are you going to do?"
Meng Huai crossed his arms. "Let things unfold naturally."
The ten laps finally ended, and as they crossed the finish line, Jiang Tianming collapsed. Lan Subing wanted to help him but was too exhausted. Despite her strong ability, she hadn't trained much, so finishing at this pace had been her limit.
Fortunately, an energetic, orange-haired boy walked over and, after a quick inquiry, hoisted Jiang Tianming over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him off.
Su Bei chuckled at the sight, recognizing the final member of the main group—Wu Mingbai.
Despite his sunny demeanor, Wu Mingbai was a tough character. The first major plotline in the comic's initial arc was actually instigated by him.
Yet he was incredibly loyal to Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing once he recognized them as his friends, which was why he became part of the main group.
His character was quite interesting—despite his deep bond with the other two, he maintained a bright and friendly facade that sometimes masked his true intentions. A "sesame-filled rice ball," as Su Bei thought to himself.
As he finished his slow-paced lap, Su Bei felt he had done enough, but no one else had called it yet. He glanced at Feng Lan and prepared to start the next lap.
Just as he expected, Feng Lan stopped him, "…Shall we go grab something to eat?"
Su Bei nodded without hesitation, staying put and waiting for Feng Lan to take the lead.
However, the handsome white-haired boy remained standing still, looking a bit dazed before he finally asked, "Could you go first? I actually don't know where the cafeteria is."
That "don't know" could mean he hadn't paid attention to the school map at the entrance, or it could imply he knew the location but didn't know how to get there—basically, a classic case of poor sense of direction.
Already guessing the answer, Su Bei didn't press further and took the lead.
Even though it was their first day, the academy had already sent out the "Endless Abilities Academy Student Handbook" a week prior to the start of school.
One key aspect highlighted was the academy's point system. Besides earning one point daily for attending all classes, students could also earn extra points by excelling in tests or completing academy tasks.
Points served various purposes, like securing tutoring sessions with specialized instructors, reserving prime spots in the library or at public lectures, exchanging points for ability-related items, or even getting a good meal in the cafeteria…
The academy's cafeteria had two sections. One was accessible to all students for free, though the food was simple, served in standard meal sets. The other, which cost points, offered a range of gourmet dishes.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, Su Bei was ready to take Feng Lan to the free meal section since it was only the first day, and they likely hadn't earned any points yet.
But as they reached the fork where the two sections split, Feng Lan unexpectedly stopped him, "Let's eat in the points section."
Surprised, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. Instead of asking if Feng Lan had points, he simply asked, "You're treating?"
Having someone else pay was always a good thing. Su Bei wasn't overly sentimental; he cheerfully accepted, saying in a playful, overly fawning tone, "Thanks, young master!"
Feng Lan: "…"
Feng Lan gave a small nod, relieved that Su Bei didn't take his offer as an insult. That would've complicated things.
The points cafeteria had white-tiled floors, looking clean and appealing. Several food stations offered dishes, each costing different amounts of points.
No other students were eating there, likely because most hadn't considered using points for food on the first day.
After some discussion, they both decided on the 5-point "Basic Ability Boosting Set."
This set included fragrant rice, a special Yanzhi chicken mushroom stew, and specially cultivated vegetables, each ingredient carefully chosen to slightly enhance the eater's physical and ability attributes. Combined, the meal provided balanced nutritional benefits.
The fragrant rice and cultivated vegetables were produced by plant-type ability users, while Yanzhi chicken was a mild, domesticated type of Yan Beast that humans often raised.
Yan Beasts, native to their world, coexisted alongside ability users. While some Yan Beasts were native to their world, others emerged from wormholes connected to extradimensional spaces.
These creatures, like ability users, possessed unique powers and often held a natural hostility toward ability users. To normal humans, they were also extremely dangerous. The difference between how Yan Beasts treated ability users and regular humans was akin to a person's preference for fine dining over ordinary food.
Regular weapons barely harmed Yan Beasts, especially the powerful ones from wormholes. Only ability powers caused significant damage, which was why hunting Yan Beasts in these wormholes had become a primary responsibility for most ability users.
However, there were relatively few trained ability users compared to the vast number of Yan Beasts, and the equilibrium was only maintained due to a few top-tier powerhouses holding the line. If something happened to these elites, it would be catastrophic for the world. This likely explained the imbalance of power between heroes and villains that "comic consciousness" had mentioned.
Shaking off his thoughts, Su Bei refocused as he watched Feng Lan place their orders.
Five points would take about five days to earn, so Su Bei didn't mind treating himself a little as long as he could afford to repay the points. Five points was just the right amount, and seeing how unfazed Feng Lan was about spending ten points, Su Bei guessed it was a trivial amount for him.
As expected, when Feng Lan swiped his student card, the balance showed a total of 1,000 points.
Su Bei was astounded—this was the benefit of associating with someone of high status.
After deducting ten points, Feng Lan turned to Su Bei, appearing hesitant as if he were unsure whether to offer an explanation.
But Su Bei, uninterested in an explanation, slung an arm around Feng Lan's shoulder, winked flirtatiously, and jokingly asked, "Hey, my sponsor, do you need a pretty face to keep around?"
Relieved, Feng Lan maintained his usual composure and earnestly responded, "I don't, but would you like me to introduce you to someone who does?"
Though Feng Lan disdained the idea of supporting a "kept companion," he was familiar enough with high society to know a few people who indulged in it.
"…No thanks." Su Bei replied dryly, taken aback by Feng Lan's serious response.
After the lighthearted exchange, the two began eating. These ingredients were like nothing Su Bei had tasted before. For non-ability users, consuming such food would risk explosive, life-threatening reactions.
He had to admit, the food was delicious. The fragrant rice was soft and savory, tasty enough to eat plain. The Yanzhi chicken had a tender, elastic texture, richer than regular chicken. The specially cultivated vegetables didn't impress Su Bei much since he was a carnivore at heart and barely cared about vegetables, no matter how good they tasted.
After a few bites, he felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, especially in his lower abdomen, like he had swallowed a small heater.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the entrance. The two of them turned to see three people entering: two boys and a girl. Leading them was a silver-haired boy with a high ponytail, his beauty so striking it was hard to tell his gender. Clearly, he was the leader of the trio.
Honestly, if not for his build, Su Bei might have mistaken him for a girl. He resembled a cold beauty more than a boy.
Su Bei noticed that Feng Lan momentarily stiffened, signaling he recognized them.
Sure enough, after scanning the cafeteria, the silver-haired boy wrinkled his brow, then walked straight over to Feng Lan. "Which class did you get placed in? S-Class?"
This was a telling question. The silver-haired boy seemed to know something about Feng Lan's ability, or at least part of it. Guessing S-Class indicated he believed Feng Lan's ability was powerful enough for the top class.
So why had Feng Lan ended up in F-Class?
"F-Class," Feng Lan responded calmly, sneaking a glance at Su Bei to gauge his reaction, but seeing nothing on his face, he maintained his cool demeanor and answered the question.
The silver-haired boy was momentarily surprised but didn't press further. Instead, his gaze shifted naturally to Su Bei, raising an eyebrow, "So, this is your new friend from F-Class?"
Feng Lan nodded, "This is Su Bei."
Then he introduced Su Bei, "This is Si Zhaohua."
The name suited his appearance well.
Si Zhaohua, already used to Feng Lan's minimal introductions, nodded at Su Bei, then turned and walked away.
Apparently, he wasn't interested in getting to know Su Bei.
Behind him, a chubby boy went off to get their food, while the heavily made-up girl, complete with nail polish and colored contacts, whispered, "Si Shao, why are you acknowledging these F-Class guys?"
Her voice was soft, but in the nearly empty cafeteria, where even a pin drop would echo, it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
The cafeteria fell into a sudden silence. The girl's face flushed bright red as she stiffened, refusing to turn around and face Su Bei and Feng Lan.
While her comment wasn't necessarily malicious, as it was more out of curiosity, being overheard talking behind someone's back was never ideal, especially when caught red-handed.
She felt extremely foolish.
Si Zhaohua broke the awkward silence, "Apologies, Baozhu isn't the brightest, but she means no harm."
He shot her a glance.
Baozhu forced herself to her feet, then walked over to Su Bei and Feng Lan, apologizing with her head down, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked about you like that."
Their response surprised Su Bei. It wasn't the typical "rich kid insults others and gets a face slap" scenario he expected. Instead, they handled it smoothly and quietly.
Maybe it was because he wasn't the main character?
But ultimately, this peaceful resolution was to his benefit. Su Bei preferred to avoid confrontation with people who had influence; if they dug into his background, they might unravel his whole facade, and that would make it harder for him to manipulate the readers.
Interestingly, he noticed the chubby boy in their group seemed different from the other two. While Si Zhaohua and Baozhu were amicable, the chubby boy showed a distinct hostility toward Su Bei. When Baozhu apologized, he shot a resentful look, as if Su Bei and Feng Lan had somehow wronged her.
Su Bei finished his meal quickly, while Feng Lan was still eating. After a moment's thought, Su Bei waited for Feng Lan to take his last bite before asking bluntly, "So, is your ability really [Prophecy]? What kind of things can you predict?"