"Don’t be so tense. Our goal is the same as yours—to make Nightmare Beasts disappear completely. With the campaign breaking out, as fellow humans, we naturally want to contribute," Cyril said, his playful expression making his words sound utterly unconvincing, as if he were spouting nonsense. Would Black Flash be that kind-hearted? They’d barely been known to eliminate Nightmare Beasts, but their persecution of Ability Users was "legendary." Yet Su Bei believed him. Playing a similar role himself, he could distinguish jest from truth hidden beneath it. Cyril’s joking tone masked serious intent. Plus, Black Flash’s goal was indeed to eradicate Nightmare Beasts, so Su Bei chose to trust him. But he was in the minority. Like most, the commander didn’t believe Cyril. She didn’t dare confront them outright, though—given their displayed strength, they could probably wipe out her group with a flick of their wrists. Check latest chapters at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⟡𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵 She moved her lips, softening her tone, "Thank you so much. But since the Nightmare Beasts here are mostly dealt with, perhaps you could move to another city…" She didn’t finish, but her meaning was clear. "Ah, you’re right, we should leave," Cyril nodded as if agreeing, but before she could relax, he added, "But I don’t want to. We plan to stay in the city until the campaign ends." His abrupt shift nearly choked the commander. Her expression soured, but she restrained herself, "The living conditions here aren’t great, and this toxic mist might not clear for a while." In the brief delay, the bluish mist was nearly in their faces! Cyril and Li Xiang had noticed the mist earlier but assumed it was a natural phenomenon of Moyun City, given no one seemed concerned. Now, seeing their reactions, they realized it was likely a Nightmare Beast’s doing. "What kind of Nightmare Beast is this?" Cyril asked curiously. Li Xiang, more knowledgeable, listed possibilities, "Mist Nightmare Beast, Sleep Nightmare Beast, or Poison Miasma Nightmare Beast could all have similar abilities. This one, though…" He looked at the group, "You already know what this Nightmare Beast is, don’t you?" Their earlier panic, mixed with preparedness, suggested they were ready. Li Xiang made his judgment. As expected, Jiang Tianming answered, "It’s the Sleep Nightmare Beast." Li Xiang noticed many instinctively glanced at Su Bei, clearly indicating he’d identified it first. Intrigued, he coughed weakly, "How did you distinguish this specific Nightmare Beast? As far as I know, the three I mentioned don’t have distinct differences in ability or appearance, right?" The Mist Nightmare Beast, a unique Mid-Level Nightmare Beast, lacked attack power but could create thick fog, causing mild neurological confusion in those within, though its effect was weak. The Poison Miasma Nightmare Beast, as its name suggested, released toxic miasma. Its ability was most similar to the Sleep Nightmare Beast’s, with humans reacting similarly—falling into apparent sleep. Unlike the Sleep Nightmare Beast, which traded attack for defense, the Poison Miasma Nightmare Beast had a smaller range and was easier to counter. Destiny’s records even detailed its weaknesses. But its attack power was overwhelming. It could kill those exposed within three hours, and moving them out of the miasma was useless—only killing the beast or finding an antidote could save them. Mistaking the two could turn Moyun City into a ghost town in no time. This was why Li Xiang asked further. He didn’t want to come all this way to save people only for them to die because of a misidentification. His quick deduction of the Nightmare Beast’s identity from the mist showed his vast knowledge, and he was naturally curious about what he didn’t know. "The Sleep Nightmare Beast only acts at night," Su Bei said, sitting on a rock, appearing relaxed but struggling to steady his voice to sound stronger. He didn’t hesitate to share, "The Poison Miasma Nightmare Beast prefers using its ability at dusk." This was one of the only two differences before their abilities fully took effect. The Poison Miasma Beast wasn’t limited to dusk, but its power peaked then, weakening significantly otherwise. Without Destiny’s vast intelligence network, Su Bei wouldn’t have known such obscure details. The other difference was that the Sleep Nightmare Beast’s mist required inhalation to induce sleep, while the Poison Miasma Beast’s miasma poisoned on physical contact. This wasn’t relevant here, so he didn’t bother mentioning it to save energy. After his concise explanation, he felt faint. Though he’d recovered some Mental Energy, its near-total depletion wasn’t easily restored. He needed serious rest to fully recover. "I see," Li Xiang showed rare intrigue, "I didn’t know that." Due to their opposing sides, he didn’t ask how Su Bei knew, knowing it was futile, especially with a crisis at hand. As Cyril had said, they were here to help. Black Flash’s goal was to eradicate Nightmare Beasts, and all their actions, good or bad, served that purpose. Everyone in the organization, aware their actions weren’t always good, firmly believed they were just. Someone had to do the dirty work for humanity’s long-term safety. They played that role. But during campaigns threatening civilian lives, they’d join the fight to protect them. If everyone died, what was the point of eliminating Nightmare Beasts? Though not their sole reason for coming, eliminating Nightmare Beasts was indeed part of their goal. "Can we deal with the Sleep Nightmare Beast first?" the commander interjected, seeing the bluish mist draw closer. She feared they’d all fall asleep, rendering their earlier efforts useless. Jiang Tianming looked at the Destiny Gear in his hand, familiar with its use from Su Bei, and asked, "Do I just throw it at the mist?" "Yep, then judge how to handle the Sleep Nightmare Beast based on its reaction," Su Bei said succinctly, standing and walking into the mist. His back was straight, and aside from slightly unsteady steps, he seemed normal. Seeing his direction, Wu Mingbai called out, "Hey, why are you walking into the mist?" Su Bei pointed to his mask, "Pay more attention to the Campus Store. The ‘Isolation Mask,’ 100% gas-proof, only 299 points. Worth having." Class S missions were frequent, so points accumulated quickly. Su Bei wasn’t one to save; he spent points immediately, as they earned no interest sitting idle. Spending maximized benefits. Besides exchanging for many Invisibility Charms, he’d bought nearly everything in the store, useful or not. Points were for spending, and preparing in advance could pay off. He chuckled, turning back toward the mist, "Good night." Protected by the mask, Su Bei navigated the mist unimpeded back to his lodging. He’d been pushing himself, relying on willpower to reach the hotel. Sitting on the bed, he hesitated, then prepared to remove the mask to inhale the mist. The Sleep Nightmare Beast’s danger aside, it had a real benefit: inducing deep sleep. In non-dangerous conditions, this was great for Ability Users, speeding up Mental Energy recovery. Su Bei slept fast but lightly, easily woken by slight disturbances, which hindered recovery. To return to peak condition, he planned to use the Sleep Nightmare Beast for a deep sleep. Before he could remove the mask, Manga Consciousness spoke, "I suggest you check Destiny’s notebook." Feeling guilty toward Su Bei, Manga Consciousness occasionally offered minor, plot-safe reminders, acting as his assistant. These were crucial, as Su Bei wasn’t truly omniscient and might miss details. Early awareness could be a game-changer. Frowning, Su Bei fought exhaustion to open the notebook and saw Wu Di’s message: "Is that method to completely eliminate Nightmare Beasts real?" The question snapped him awake. Why was Wu Di suddenly searching this? Such top-secret intelligence required significant points to access. Destiny’s system let members spend points to search questions. If an answer existed, more points were needed to unlock it based on the question’s level. If no intelligence existed, members could post tasks with points. But search points were non-refunded, and not cheap. Most wouldn’t search randomly; Wu Di must’ve learned something to check Destiny. After a moment, Su Bei gave an affirmative reply. As expected, the next manga chapter was about to update, solidifying his planted plot, making the method real. No reason to hide it. After replying, he casually asked, "Why the sudden question?" Wu Di responded quickly, knowing his identity wasn’t secret to the leader, "A student stumbled upon a method to eliminate Nightmare Beasts I hadn’t heard of, so I checked." Was it Jiang Tianming? Su Bei wondered, wiping sweat from his forehead. If so, that guy was cautious, secretly telling the principal. Looking at the sweat-soaked tissue, Su Bei gave a bitter smile, feeling lingering fear. If he hadn’t preemptively logged the intelligence in Destiny’s database, Wu Di’s failure to find it might’ve led to other verification methods. If proven false, Su Bei would be in big trouble. Even if Wu Di didn’t trace it back to him, with the author already planning his exit, failing to resolve external threats would complicate handling internal issues like the author’s schemes. Luckily, he’d shown no flaws, and soon everything would settle. Wu Di’s further checks would find no issues. Waking up, Su Bei felt a rare comfort. Normally, sleeping too long left one sluggish, but the Sleep Nightmare Beast’s ability prevented that. From this angle, the Sleep Nightmare Beast was quite a treasure. Stepping out, the outside was lively again. To Su Bei, it made no difference—he slept at night when it was quiet and woke in the day when it was lively. Though he knew a full day had passed, it wasn’t in his perception. To him, it was just sleeping and waking, a comfortable two nights. After this rest, his Mental Energy was nearly restored. Normally, such a long time would fully recover it, but near-total depletion wasn’t simple. If 50% Mental Energy took an hour to recover, 90-99% could take far more than two. Stretching, Su Bei heard Manga Consciousness’s report. As expected, the next manga chapter had updated while he was out. But that wasn’t the focus. The key was, "Has the method to eliminate Nightmare Beasts been finalized?" "It has!" Manga Consciousness’s voice was visibly joyful, "The author will actively design related plots next. You don’t need to worry much about this. Just protect yourself." At this, Su Bei’s expression darkened inevitably. He still had to avoid dying—a bit ironic. But he’d thought about countermeasures: either react to each move or find a permanent solution, "If I drop out now and stay out of the main storyline until it ends, isn’t that another kind of ‘exit’? Would the author let me off?" This wasn’t a compromise but a better choice. Su Bei had enrolled in Endless Ability Academy just for an Ability License. Now, getting a license was as simple as asking. His Ability had grown immensely, so he could attend a regular school. At under 16, starting a year late wouldn’t matter. As he grew excited, eager to drop out, Manga Consciousness shattered his fantasy, "Have you forgotten your cannon fodder role?" The words resurfaced distant memories. When he first learned he was a cannon fodder in King of Abilities, he’d suggested leaving the academy to avoid the plot and death. Back then, Manga Consciousness explained that as a cannon fodder, he carried a death debuff until the manga ended. This was why he’d stayed involved in the plot. He couldn’t escape, so he stayed. Still clinging to the best solution, he argued, "But I have decent popularity now. You said the author needs logic. He wouldn’t kill me off easily, right?" "Does suddenly exiting make sense?" Manga Consciousness gave an irrefutable response, "If you leave the main storyline, the author controls the plot." In short, staying let Su Bei counter the author’s moves. Leaving meant the author decided everything. Su Bei dropped the idea, sighing, "Fine, I’ll stay. I just need to look out for myself now." As he’d thought before passing out, if both internal and external issues persisted, they’d be tough. But with one resolved, handling the other was manageable. He had a trump card: the forum. If the plot was logical and readers didn’t want him dead, the author wouldn’t force it. With his high popularity, this wasn’t hard. Aside from extreme fans who loved early-dying tragic figures, most wanted their favorites to have perfect endings. The author could make him a villain to die deservedly or a tragic early-death figure. Su Bei needed to maintain popularity and avoid giving the author chances to frame him as either. He couldn’t stay purely on the good side; he had to dabble with the villains. If seen as a major antagonist, the author wouldn’t kill him off immediately, leaving an unfinished arc. But he couldn’t truly become a villain, or the author could justify his death. "Su Bei, you’re awake!" Barely two steps out, he ran into Lan Subing, returning to replenish Mental Energy. Seeing her approach, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. He’d planned to return to his room to read the manga, but since she was here, he could get info on what happened while he was out, "What happened after I fell asleep?" Lan Subing walked with him to the room, smiling cheerfully, "We used the Gear you gave us and found a way to deal with the Sleep Nightmare Beast." Since no outsiders were around, she grew chatty, "After Jiang launched the Gear, it didn’t return for a while. Just as we were about to give up, it fell from high up, and we could clearly see the bluish mist in its path vanish. Jiang picked it up and found some bluish liquid on it, and it was freezing—don’t know where it went. Then I recalled junior high science: gas liquefies at low temperatures. That’s how we figured out how to eliminate the mist!" She beamed with pride at outsmarting her friends. Hearing this, Su Bei understood. The Sleep Nightmare Beast feared low temperatures, which liquefied its mist and likely harmed its body. Satisfying his curiosity, he asked a more critical question, "What about Cyril and Li Xiang? Are they staying?" Lan Subing pouted, nodding, "They seem set on staying. They’ve been here a day. Since the Nightmare Beasts were mostly wiped out, yesterday was easy. We started handling their situation. I contacted the outside, and Black Flash does seem to be helping. Not just them—other affected cities have Black Flash members assisting. The higher-ups’ policy is to unite all forces, treat them well, and be cautious near the campaign’s end." Wartime alliance, post-war opposition. Su Bei understood, but cared about something else, "If they’re really here to help, and Moyun City’s crisis is resolved, Cyril and Li Xiang wouldn’t stay just to be petty, right?"