Chapter 38 : Chapter 38
Chapter 38
The top four contestants had been decided.
Zhou Que, Feng Youyou, Xie Chang’an, and Lu Qingyin had successfully made it to the end. Although there was still some time before the semifinals, their names had already appeared repeatedly in discussions among both faculty and students.
Xie Chang’an had become an undisputed dark horse.
Since the founding of the school, he was the only contestant to reach this stage of the individual competition as an “F Class student.” Ji Qing did not even need to think to know how much attention Xie Chang’an was receiving now.
Through the individual matches, everyone had acknowledged his strength.
In contrast, Zhou Que had also proven his power through his results. His defeat was simply because his opponent had been Xie Chang’an—not because he himself was weak.
Some students who enjoyed stirring things up were already looking forward to a rematch between the two.
After this round, Xie Chang’an’s promotion was essentially confirmed. The only uncertainty was which class he would be promoted to, as the requirements for Class S were indeed high.
Ji Qing sat calmly at his desk in the dormitory and opened the hidden communication software on his terminal:
Raven: “What do you think? Pretty easy, right? (smile)”
Xie Chang’an: “…Not easy.”
Xie Chang’an: “I am actually a bit worried that the school might advise me to withdraw. (sad.jpg)”
Raven: “Hm? Darling, who is shaking your confidence this time?”
Seeing this, Xie Chang’an explained his recent concerns. Ji Qing focused on the message and realized it was exactly the issue he had discussed with You Xingluo earlier.
It seemed someone kind-hearted had reminded him after all.
Ji Qing smiled helplessly.
Liu Mu’s concern was something many people familiar with the Ability world could think of. However, You Xingluo’s perspective was much harder to arrive at. The reason, ultimately, was that You Xingluo viewed matters from the standpoint of someone above.
As for Ji Qing… he had simply overlooked it.
The main issue was that the manga had directly given him the result, so he had not bothered to analyze the reason… Ji Qing scratched his cheek awkwardly. But that could not happen again.
Calming himself, Ji Qing relayed You Xingluo’s words to Xie Chang’an.
Raven: “Do not worry. Just focus on getting into the top three. The school will not casually advise you to withdraw.”
Xie Chang’an: “…Wow. (moved.jpg)”
Xie Chang’an: “By the way… why do you want the World Book?”
Looking at the message, Ji Qing immediately imagined Xie Chang’an’s concern on the other side of the screen. This time, instead of asking about Ability items, he had shifted to asking about the World Book.
Perhaps he had been struggling with this question repeatedly during this period.
Still such a pure and kind child… Ji Qing sighed inwardly. He typed his reply:
Raven: “Why would I tell you that, little one? Just obediently bring me the prize. (knife.jpg)”
Xie Chang’an: “…”
After a long while, Xie Chang’an sent another message:
“You really have a cruel heart.”
Ji Qing could not help but smile triumphantly. The truth was, however, that he himself did not fully understand Li Yuan’s position.
He did not intend to get too close to the protagonist of the manga.
Although teasing him occasionally was quite amusing, Ji Qing still had his own mysteries to explore. Moreover, he did not plan to maintain contact with Xie Chang’an forever.
He had not even figured out the situation of the Dawn Society yet.
Speaking of the manga… Ji Qing’s eyes shifted slightly. He thought: it is time to check it again. The individual competition had reached its later stages, and many iconic scenes had already appeared.
It was time to pay attention to the manga’s developments.
He quickly made up his mind.
Ji Qing picked up his terminal and checked the school schedule: Xie Chang’an versus Lu Qingyin would take place the afternoon after tomorrow, and Zhou Que versus Feng Youyou would be the morning of the day after that.
To be honest, it was difficult to determine the winners at this point.
Ji Qing tapped the table lightly with his fingers, deep in thought: after all, all four had already demonstrated their strength. At this stage, Lu Qingyin would also begin to take Xie Chang’an seriously.
Her Ability excelled at suppressing opponents, and Xie Chang’an had not previously faced an opponent whose mental strength could sustain prolonged suppression.
As for his battle with Zhou Que, that was another matter.
Zhou Que had been careless at the beginning and failed to seize the opportunity to turn things around later. His combat style, which combined close and long-range fighting, was also difficult to use as a reference.
As for Feng Youyou… her wind-type Ability was also adept at suppression. Coming from a civilian background, her combat experience was unexpectedly rich, and she was not the type to underestimate her opponent.
“So… it is still quite difficult,” Ji Qing murmured.
He then turned off the terminal and lay back on his bed calmly. If he read the manga now, he could wake up just in time for dinner.
That way, it would not interfere with his rest tonight, nor with tomorrow’s classes.
With that, Ji Qing closed his eyes peacefully.
His vision gradually dimmed, then flickered between light and shadow, before finally turning into a pure white. When Ji Qing opened his eyes, he saw the same computer desktop as when he had last left.
He did not choose to speak with the system—after all, it was merely an auxiliary.
He directly opened the manga directory, preparing to continue from where he had left off. The last time, the story had reached the point where Li Yuan told Xie Chang’an to secure a top-three position in the individual competition.
In the latest chapter, Xie Chang’an sat in the classroom, feeling conflicted.
He did not know Li Yuan’s purpose, but he understood that if the Dawn Society had malicious intentions, he would undoubtedly become their accomplice.
After hesitating for a long time, Xie Chang’an decided to ask:
“Honestly, what do you want the Ability item for? (testing.jpg)”
Li Yuan first praised Xie Chang’an for using stickers, then replied:
“Darling, if you keep asking, I might not be able to resist embedding you into a stone wall. The mutation has worsened recently, and my mind has been unstable. I might really end up killing someone.”
The comment section instantly flooded:
[So gay.]
[Even my mom has never praised me for using stickers, sob.]
[It feels like Li Yuan is avoiding the question? Does he also not know what the Dawn Society wants the World Book for?]
[Being an Infected seems so hard.]
[Our poor Chang’an is being completely led by the nose.]
Xie Chang’an really was quite simple. Ji Qing made this assessment.
He had encountered too few people and situations, and no one had ever taught him what to do. However, Ji Qing felt that Xie Chang’an and Zhou Que might unexpectedly get along well.
If not for the constraints of family status and class, the two might even have become close friends.
In the manga, Xie Chang’an looked troubled.
Even though he tried to stop himself from thinking about it, he could not help wondering about the purpose of the Ability item. Li Yuan was clearly planning to use it to locate the World Book—but how would he use it?
Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from nearby.
Hearing his classmates’ discussion, Xie Chang’an learned that the individual competition schedule had been released. He immediately opened the school’s website, trying to cast aside his worries.
The bracket was displayed before the readers. The artist had thoughtfully censored all unimportant names, making it easier to focus on key matchups.
The comments exploded:
[Hiss…]
[Lingxue, do you have a grudge against the author?]
[Wait, who did I just see? Is Chang’an going to face those two from Class A?]
[Which two?]
[Looks like it.]
[Stop missing the point—Chang’an’s side is fine early on, but Lingxue’s bracket is hell.]
[This… this…]
[Does the author not want Lingxue to reach Class S?]
Ji Qing chuckled softly.
It was natural for readers to suspect this—he himself had not figured out Gu Lingxue’s promotion path yet. Feng Youyou relied purely on her own strength, while Liu Mu depended on team compatibility.
But what about Gu Lingxue?
Like Liu Mu, she had been eliminated in the top sixteen, yet she had too many shortcomings. If she did not perform well in the team competition, she might not be promoted at all.
In the manga, Xie Chang’an also noticed the bracket.
His mood grew heavier, to the point that he did not even listen to the teacher. But because of this, he received a message from Li Yuan:
“Do your best. I believe in you!”
Xie Chang’an froze, his expression turning complicated. This was the first time someone had believed in him so early—not even the teacher who taught him swordsmanship had done so.
The comments flooded again:
[I am about to cry.]
[Our poor baby.]
[Chang’an has had it so hard. He has been suppressed again and again, and now even a simple encouragement moves him.]
[Li Yuan is maxing out Chang’an’s favorability.]
[How could he not rely on him?]
“That is too tragic…” Ji Qing frowned.
He felt that Li Yuan’s popularity would rise because of this—after all, contrast made the difference clear. The problem was, he had only done what any stranger might do.
The manga then detailed Xie Chang’an’s first match, along with narration explaining the rules of the individual competition.
His first opponent was a Class D student.
In one panel, the Class D student boasted arrogantly.
In the next panel, the referee declared: “Winner—Xie Chang’an!”
The Class D student lay sprawled on the arena without dignity, while Xie Chang’an thought in confusion: was that a bit too easy?
The comments were overwhelmingly positive:
[So satisfying!]
[Leave combat to Chang’an!]
[Let us take first place!]
[Finally, no more suppression—Chang’an is just that strong!]
The following matches were quickly skipped, until Gu Lingxue appeared.
The wave of praise came to a halt.
After the Ability test, Gu Lingxue had resumed her previous frequency of interaction with Xie Chang’an. Both of them realized they had not made close friends in their respective classes.
Gu Lingxue wanted to enter Class S. So did Xie Chang’an.
However, because of Lu Qingyin’s presence, Gu Lingxue did not want their meetings to be too obvious. Lu Qingyin was actively preparing for battle, and she did not want to disrupt her.
Xie Chang’an understood—he was already aware of the complex situation in Class A.
[Two little pitiful ones.]
[Is Lu Qingyin more important to Lingxue?]
[It is not about importance—it is about urgency.]
[I am worried about Lingxue’s bracket…]
Ji Qing fell into thought.
If it was only a lack of combat experience, it could still be remedied. For now, everything depended on her performance in the team competition.
The next chapter jumped directly to the pre-match between Gu Lingxue and Ling You’er.
After a brief narration of Xie Chang’an’s recent situation, the focus shifted to the arena.
Since the Ability test, readers saw Ling You’er again.
She still appeared timid—but Gu Lingxue was also nervous. Perhaps due to her desire to enter Class S, she was less composed than before.
The comments immediately cheered:
[Lingxue, do not be afraid!]
[Go Lingxue!]
[Why does Ling You’er look even more nervous?]
Ji Qing’s fingers paused.
Almost all the comments supported Gu Lingxue; very few cheered for Ling You’er. It seemed she had not gained enough popularity due to limited screen time.
However… recalling what he had seen yesterday, Ji Qing could not help but smile.
Once this match ended, things would change.
The match began.
Ling You’er launched a swift assault. Gu Lingxue froze briefly, then formed ice spikes. A wall of ice appeared—but Ling You’er passed straight through it.
A dagger was pressed against Gu Lingxue’s neck.
“You… lack combat experience,” Ling You’er said softly.
The comments exploded:
[What?!]
[That is a support type?! That is an assassin!]
[S-Class really is terrifying.]
After the match, Ling You’er fled in panic, while Gu Lingxue sat frozen.
Worried, Xie Chang’an rushed over. Gu Lingxue suddenly came to her senses and excitedly shared her realization.
Xie Chang’an was confused—he attributed it to a lack of combat experience.
Ji Qing nodded inwardly.
Xie Chang’an truly excelled at direct matters like combat, rather than complicated social interactions.
The school’s judgment was correct.
Even without an Ability, he could become an excellent wasteland hunter.
In the manga, after regaining her composure, Gu Lingxue made a request:
“Although it is unfortunate that I could not go further in the individual competition, I will give my all in the team competition. I will not give up until the very end.”
The chapter ended with the silhouettes of the two under the sunset.
Though the “renewed determination” trope was cliché, readers loved it.
At this moment, everyone held hope for the outcome of the school competition.