Chapter 43 : Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Ji Qing opened his eyes.
The scene before him was a familiar expanse of pure white.
He picked up the mouse with a solemn expression, ready to continue reading from where he had left off last time. Although Ji Qing was very curious about what Xie Chang’an had seen after the finals, he couldn't ignore the continuity of the plot.
"Does this count as unexpected overtime…" Ji Qing muttered softly.
But even if it was overtime, there was no overtime pay for him. Ji Qing sighed inwardly and resignedly opened the manga's table of contents.
The latest chapter's plot began from "before the match between Lu Qingyin and Xie Chang’an."
Yuexia Cao had directly skipped the daily school life and returned the perspective to the competition itself. The two contestants stood on the stage, each with a complex expression.
Compared to the remote live broadcast, the manga depicted their expressions with more subtlety.
【The match is starting right away?】
【Ahhh, I'm so nervous.】
【Who will win? I feel like the old thief is going to defy tropes again.】
【The more I think about it, the more exciting it gets.】
【I've decided to root for Chang’an. If he doesn't win here, the next two opponents will be too difficult.】
【I'll tentatively root for Lu Qingyin.】
The opinions in the bullet comments were divided.
Ji Qing took a closer look and saw that the readers were still arguing. It seemed that the forum discussions had been very frequent during the week they waited for the manga update.
The referee blew the whistle for the match to begin.
Both sides immediately took action. Sound waves transformed into blades and attacked Xie Chang’an directly, while Xie Chang’an ran forward without a moment's pause.
Realizing that her attacks were ineffective, Lu Qingyin immediately changed her tactics. Using herself as the eye of the storm, she guided the sound waves to form a tornado, blocking Xie Chang’an’s approach.
A fleeting look of unease crossed Xie Chang’an’s face. He suppressed the panic that was constantly welling up inside him and steadily dealt with the sound waves attacking him from all sides.
The screen full of bullet comments suddenly went quiet for a few seconds, followed by exclamations of amazement:
【So amazing.】
【So cool, sob, sob, sob, I don't know who to root for anymore.】
【It's really amazing.】
【Old thief, is this your true power? Draw more, we love to see it (heart).】
【AHHHHHHHHHH!】
【Both of their goals are so clear, and their reactions are so calm. This is the kind of wasteland ability manga I should be watching.】
From the comments alone, Ji Qing could understand the success of this plotline. The secret to its success was that the old thief's drawing skills were profound, and both contestants were taking the match seriously.
"I wonder what he's thinking now…"
Ji Qing recalled Xie Chang’an's retreating figure after the final match and suddenly sighed softly. He felt that the protagonists of shonen manga were all prone to getting stuck in their own heads.
The turning point of the semi-final came from a silver blade fragment.
Xie Chang’an gritted his teeth and threw a fragment from his shattered Tang Saber. The fragment pierced through the not-yet-fully-formed tornado and accurately cut the violin string, embedding itself in the body of the instrument.
The manga depicted from Lu Qingyin's perspective her series of psychological activities: disbelief, wavering, and finally, acceptance. This psychological activity greatly enriched Lu Qingyin’s character.
She hadn't seen Xie Chang’an's throwing motion, yet she accepted her defeat.
【I'm going to stan her, I must stan her—】
【Before, I thought all the people from prominent families were such dogs. Now I… sob, sob, sob, I'm the dog.】
【I used to think Xue was being indecisive by not breaking up with her, but it turns out I was the one who was wrong. Lu is actually a good person.】
【So graceful.】
【I now understand the Class A teacher's struggle. The children are all good children, it's just that they carry too many mental imprints from their parents' generation.】
【Are you sure about that?】
Ji Qing found that the bullet comments were easily moved.
But an exciting fight paired with super-strong emotional rendering was bound to make readers go crazy. The root cause was that there were too few high-quality manga to read.
In the manga, Lu Qingyin took a few steps forward and showed her damaged violin.
The referee then announced the winner.
The huge stone that had been hanging in Xie Chang’an's heart finally fell. The audience was still immersed in their shock over "how Xie Chang’an won," but Xie Chang’an looked at the shattered saber that had been with him for many years and finally sighed.
Watching Lu Qingyin's departing back, Xie Chang’an suddenly realized that the people he had met… were actually all good people.
【The saber is broken. The final match doesn't look good.】
【I have a bad feeling about this.】
【It can probably still be repaired, right? It was a gift from his master. It doesn't make sense for it to break here.】
【Lu Qingyin is indeed a good person.】
【I didn't believe Xue's point of view before, now I realize I'm a fool.】
【Sigh… there are no purely good or bad people in the wasteland.】
【Is Shao Huayu bad? To Zhou Que, he's always been a good person. On the contrary, our protagonist is just a lower-class person who lacks self-awareness and can't read the room.】
Ji Qing blinked at this and couldn't help but let out a "pfft."
To be honest, that was probably how Shao Huayu viewed Xie Chang’an. From Shao Huayu's previous attitude, he had never approved of Xie Chang’an.
It was hard on him to have to listen to Zhou Que praise Xie Chang’an every day.
The next chapter began with a scene of Xie Chang’an wiping the fragments of his Tang Saber in the early morning. He sat cross-legged and alone in the training room, and on the floor beside him was the live broadcast of the other semi-final match.
Xie Chang’an had a premonition that he might not be able to repair this saber given to him by his teacher.
On the terminal screen, both Feng Youyou and Zhou Que had entered the stage. Their pre-match conversation made Xie Chang’an pause his wiping motion. He put down the Tang Saber and brought the terminal in front of him.
The manga's perspective then shifted to the arena.
As the referee’s voice fell, the two contestants engaged in a fierce clash. Traces of their abilities were present in every exchange; both of them used their abilities with great skill.
【So scary.】
【They both know close combat, both have abilities, and both can skillfully combine their abilities with close combat.】
【Zhou Que has gotten so strong.】
【If the previous Zhou Que was a long-range mage and a close-combat warrior, now he has changed his class to a magic warrior…】
【He derived a high-temperature domain from Fire Control.】
【He's so amazing.】
【Go for it, Youyou!】
Perhaps because Xie Chang’an's next opponent was Zhou Que, the bullet comments were overwhelmingly focused on Zhou Que's strength. But there were still many comments cheering for Feng Youyou.
Until Feng Youyou's final onslaught.
When faced with the wind flow carried by the long spear, Zhou Que quickly ignited it. The two were instantly engulfed in the same boiling crimson.
Feng Youyou quickly retreated a few steps. A flicker of struggle crossed her face, but she still chose to raise her hands in surrender. After this duel, Feng Youyou knew she couldn't defeat Zhou Que.
【AHHHHHHHH!】
【It went from a fire attack to a high-temperature attack.】
【When Zhou Que ignited the wind flow, I almost suffocated. If Youyou hadn't retreated in time, she would have been half-burned.】
【I hate Zhou Que.】
【He doesn't control his power at all. He relies entirely on his opponent's reaction.】
【Zhou Que is really strong.】
【He's too strong. I feel like he's a completely different person from the beginning of the school year.】
Ji Qing couldn't help but frown at this.
He had naturally also sensed Zhou Que's increase in strength, but he had overlooked Zhou Que's reckless way of doing things. Although the school infirmary's teacher can heal wounds, the pain is real, Ji Qing thought.
Ji Qing muttered to himself, "I need to find a time to give him a reminder."
The manga's perspective returned to Xie Chang’an.
Xie Chang’an’s expression became extremely solemn. He already had a premonition that he couldn't win against Zhou Que. His previous match with Lu Qingyin had been shaking his heart, and now watching their match shook him even more.
Xie Chang’an was suddenly lost in confusion.
He didn't quite understand why he was fighting anymore. How could he, without an ability, stand shoulder to shoulder with the geniuses of Class S?
【It's over.】
【One slap to his own face, then another to Chang’an's face.】
【Looks like he can't win.】
【I feel like it's quite normal… Chang’an hadn't had much contact with disciples of prominent families before, but Qingyin is a good person. A good person's thoughts must have some truth to them.】
【Is Chang’an really that naive?】
【I feel it's also because the next two are too strong.】
【Both are a combination of long-range and close-range, and both can use their abilities skillfully. In the wasteland world, ordinary people are discriminated against by ability users, and Chang’an's self-perception has always been that of an ordinary person…】
【Chang’an, a capital T for tragic.】
【But Chang’an has already done very well. His swordsmanship is amazing. He has already beaten so many opponents to get to the finals. So what if he's not the strongest?】
【But the problem is… hunters have to face Aberrants.】
Ji Qing said thoughtfully, "I see."
The reason for Xie Chang’an's bad mood was that he had subconsciously been treating the disciples of prominent families as the enemy camp, but the match with Lu Qingyin broke the cognitive barrier he had set for himself.
The rumors he had heard before resurfaced in his mind.
In addition, the strength of the next two contestants further made Xie Chang’an doubt himself. The former broke his cognitive barrier, while the latter forced him to recognize the gap between himself and the members of Class S.
Ji Qing muttered to himself, "But it seems fine, right?"
Mainly because the requirements for a wasteland hunter weren't really that high. And as for geniuses—wasn't Xie Chang’an himself a genius in swordsmanship?
His current overthinking might be related to the "wasteland's overemphasis on abilities."
"Alright, it seems it's time for Li Yuan to make an appearance," Ji Qing said, covering his face with a helpless expression. "Instead of waiting for the protagonist to figure it out himself, it's better to let Li Yuan enlighten him."
He couldn't let him drive away his readers again.
In the next chapter, Xie Chang’an stood in the final arena. The manga's narration explained his experience of repeatedly failing to get his saber repaired over the past two days. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and buy a new, barely suitable saber.
Yuexia Cao chose not to draw the complete duel between the two, but through Zhou Que's increasingly strange gazes and furrowed brows, he highlighted his dissatisfaction with Xie Chang’an.
The bullet comments exclaimed that it was all over:
【It's over, it's over.】
【I feel like Zhou Que is going to cause trouble again.】
【It's not Zhou Que's fault, right… It's mainly that Chang’an in the last chapter was annoying me too…】
【But Chang’an's standard has been consistently high, ahhh!】
【Chang’an didn't slack off, nor did he surrender on the spot. He's just having a bit of a mental breakdown. Is it necessary to curse at him?】
【It seems no one is cursing at him right now.】
【The growth of a shonen manga protagonist, sigh… give him some time to think…】
Ji Qing sighed in deep agreement. "He's still just a kid, after all."
He suddenly felt a subtle feeling in his heart.
In the world Ji Qing was born in, minors were now safely locked away in schools; but in the wasteland world, minors had already faced Aberrants multiple times.
In the manga, the referee announced the winner. Zhou Que, as the victor, looked at Xie Chang’an, who collapsed on the ground, with disappointment and said, "You're much weaker than before."
Xie Chang’an: "You've gotten stronger."
Zhou Que: "Really? I don't feel it. I regret praising you."
【AHHHHHHHHHH!】
【If Zhou Que hadn't said that first sentence, I would have been on his side. But he actually said he didn't feel it.】
【Zhou Que's words are so infuriating.】
【Huh? What happened?】
【Chang’an's level is at this level. It's Zhou Que who has gotten significantly stronger. But he himself doesn't feel it and instead PUA'd Chang’an.】
【What's the difference between this and a top student being passive-aggressive and saying "I just casually took the test and got a perfect score"?】
Ji Qing frowned and muttered, "Zhou Que's mouth is really something else."
He hadn't even noticed this little interlude at the finals. But with the manga's bullet comments, Ji Qing understood how much Zhou Que's words had hit Xie Chang’an.
In the manga, Gu Lingxue approached with concern.
Xie Chang’an instantly concealed his sorrow and apologized to Gu Lingxue for "not being able to watch the match with her in the afternoon." Gu Lingxue quickly waved her hands and said it was fine.
Xie Chang’an let out a bitter smile upon hearing this. He said goodbye to Gu Lingxue and quickly left the scene.
Under the scorching sun, his back looked very lonely.
This chapter ended here, but the reaction from the bullet comments was intense:
【It's over, it's over, it's over.】
【I feel like Chang’an's personality makes him prone to overthinking.】
【I'm starting to miss the cheerful 'little sun' protagonist personality of shonen manga, sob, sob, sob…】
【Chang’an's beginning doesn't allow him to be a 'little sun'.】
【The kid just hasn't seen enough of the world. The characters the old thief portrays are quite realistic.】
【It's mainly stubbornness. To put it nicely, it's perseverance. To put it bluntly, it's a love for getting stuck in one's head.】
Ji Qing leaned heavily against the back of his chair at this.
He sighed with mixed feelings, but from the perspective of his upbringing, Xie Chang’an's behavior before and after was consistent.
The adults in the orphanage were prone to neglecting the psychological needs of children. It was a very reasonable development for Xie Chang’an's personality to become so twisted.
The next chapter began with Xie Chang’an being notified by a teacher to choose an ability item.
Although Xie Chang’an's performance in the finals was not good, he still won second place in the individual competition with his own ability. Recently, Xie Chang’an had been frequently hearing his name mentioned by his classmates.
The head teacher of Class F also valued him much more.
After Xie Chang’an defeated Lu Qingyin, he no longer heard any derogatory remarks about himself. His roommates used to avoid him because they despised him and didn't want to get into trouble. Now, it was because of fear.
Unknowingly, he had become someone he could only look up to in the past.
Xie Chang’an silently followed behind the teacher.
The two were heading deep underground through a secret passage. The teacher leading him chattered on about many precautions, but Xie Chang’an was somewhat absent-mindedly thinking about his recent experiences.
The school did not have a grand ceremony for "receiving ability items" because the ability items themselves were very dangerous. They had to prevent some unruly students from causing trouble.
The top three students received their items individually.
Although what troubled Xie Chang’an was: since they had already been given a list of items, why did they have to make the students come and get them themselves? Couldn't they be delivered separately?
The leading teacher couldn't help but laugh. "Would you mistake a picture on a menu for the entire dish?"
【LMAO hahaha.】
【You should indeed worry if the real thing matches the description.】
【Seeing Chang’an take so many detours, the security level for storing ability items is quite high.】
【It seems quite dangerous.】
【It's not this batch of selectable ability items that's dangerous, it should be the other ability items not on the list.】
【Speaking of which, I'm very curious… How are ability items created?】
Seeing this, a thoughtful glint flashed in Ji Qing's eyes.
He hadn't thought about this question before, but since it was related to abilities, it should also be related to ability users. However, the Federation's control over ability items was so strict that the probability of encountering them later on was not high.
In the manga, Xie Chang’an's expression clearly froze.
The leading teacher casually pointed to a red flag fluttering without any wind to the side. "The effects of most ability items are unknown. The school cannot guarantee that the ability item will be as you imagine, just like that flag."
"Its owner was a navigator, and after his death, the flag also has the ability to navigate in the dark."
Xie Chang’an: "Isn't that a good thing?"
The leading teacher: "No, because the flag can also navigate for Aberrants."
Xie Chang’an: "!"
The leading teacher suddenly smiled. "Don't worry, only a few marine Aberrants can be navigated. It won't be a problem for now. But if it's allowed to develop, the problem will be huge."
【That sounds like a terrifying setting.】
【By the way, was the navigator an ability user?】
【Should be.】
【It makes me imagine a scene where 'the protagonist picks up a friend's relic as a weapon'.】
【Nooo—】
【So scary.】
【If it's so dangerous, why would the school proactively give ability items to students?】
Ji Qing's expression was solemn. "…"
This was indeed something worth paying attention to. Ji Qing decided to talk to the system about it later. For now, he had to finish reading the manga. At the very least, he had to know how ability items came to be.
In the manga, Xie Chang’an looked in the direction the teacher was pointing.
But what first caught his attention was not the red flag fluttering without wind, but the antique vase behind it. The antique vase was smooth in texture and exquisitely patterned, a luxury item that only the upper class could afford.
But there was one thing Xie Chang’an wouldn't overlook.
He glimpsed a familiar pattern on the surface of the antique vase. It had once appeared on the wall of the orphanage. Xie Chang’an had always thought it was just a simple decoration.
"What is that?" Xie Chang’an muttered.
"Oops, I forgot to move this down." The leading teacher hurriedly covered the antique vase with a long cloth. He turned his head and explained embarrassedly, "This is a vase confiscated from a certain cult. Don't ask about the rest."
"You may not be able to come into contact with them."
As if to cover up his work mistake, the leading teacher hurriedly added, "Don't tell anyone. Although the vase's effect is weak, the people in that organization are quite crazy."
"...Okay," Xie Chang’an replied absent-mindedly.
【Damn— a big step forward in the plot!】
【I knew that orphanage sounded unreliable. Is it related to a cult?】
【I knew the protagonist's background wasn't that simple. This orphanage produced the S-rank Song Xiaoran and the only one unaffected by the infection, Xie Chang’an.】
【The second wasteland organization has appeared.】
【I'm so scared.】
【Is the old thief already impatient to write the post-school story?】
Xie Chang’an chose not to ask any more questions.
The huge mental shock had made him quite unsettled. He took the ability item he had originally chosen and prepared to leave.
The leading teacher noticed his absent-mindedness and nagged him about many precautions.
Xie Chang’an suppressed his inner frustration and listened silently. This ability item is ultimately for Li Yuan. It's useless to nag me about it… Xie Chang’an thought.
Do I have to nag Li Yuan like this too? Xie Chang’an's face instantly turned ashen.
【Hahaha.】
【Still have to thank the teacher. After all, Chang’an almost walked into a wall just now.】
【Sigh…】
【I didn't expect it to turn into a cult… I feel like Chang’an's background must be quite rough…】
【The matron of the orphanage was clearly very kind.】
Ji Qing couldn't help but sigh, resting his chin on his hand.
It was truly one wave after another. Because of this incident, Xie Chang’an had temporarily escaped the confusion after the individual competition. He now had more pressing matters to ponder.
And that night, Xie Chang’an sent a terminal message to Li Yuan.
Li Yuan keenly sensed Xie Chang’an's low spirits. After a brief conversation, Xie Chang’an couldn't help but ask: 【Also… Li Yuan, do you know about the emblems of other organizations in the wasteland?】
Xie Chang’an was desperate to know about the cult. At this point, he would ask anyone he could.
Li Yuan's reply paused, then he asked him to bring the emblem to him first. Xie Chang’an was instantly torn: Does he mean I should draw it? I should be able to draw a rough sketch…
After all, he couldn't possibly go back and copy it.
This chapter of the manga ended with "Xie Chang’an looking up at the moon in a daze."
The manga's plot had advanced a huge step unexpectedly. No one could have predicted that the manga artist would push the wasteland storyline forward so much at the end of the individual competition.
The second wasteland organization had appeared out of the blue.
【So exciting.】
【I was so disappointed in Chang’an before, but I was shocked when I saw the emblem.】
【There's no room for Chang’an to be depressed.】
【So exciting.】
【But if the orphanage really has a dark secret, Chang’an will have no home in the future.】
【He still has his brothers and sisters who are also orphans. Although they will definitely be sent to other orphanages later, so it doesn't really count…】
【I now understand why the manga's name is Ability Hunter Academy. Because the school is Chang’an's last home.】
【Ahhh—】
【Don't suddenly stab me like that.】