Inside Supernova Ability Academy, Jiang Yan sat in the principal's office and thoughtfully watched Lin Shubei glare at every camera in turn.
Tang Hui sat beside him, calmly handling information on all the academy's moles and occasionally picking up her phone to send a message. Seeing Jiang Yan like this, she assumed he disapproved of Lu Renyi giving up and lying down just now.
"If you think Lu Renyi is unsuitable, simply remove him from the list. Then you won't need to brood over it here."
"He's quite impressive. When he set up that illusion, I probably wouldn't have noticed either if I hadn't realized that no information was coming back from that floor. He doesn't look like an ordinary illusion-type ability user."
"Mm. That's because he's a dual-ability holder, psychic-type and illusion-type, and neither is simple."
Jiang Yan's hand tipped sideways beneath his chin. He turned toward Tang Hui in confusion.
"Has our academy really fallen this far? Not only can we not detect so many people's true levels, we can't even measure how many fluctuation patterns their psychic power contains?"
"They were sent by senior government officials. Try to be understanding."
Jiang Yan understood. Sent by senior government officials meant moles, which meant useless trash who could only watch furtively and accomplish nothing.
"Honored Principal Tang, when will you finally throw those useless people out of our academy? If this continues, I'm afraid the next incoming class will be cut in half again."
"Soon. Once we catch the culprit who killed Zhou Cheng and throw the blame onto them, the Zhou family will willingly apply pressure too."
Tang Hui had been dealing with this matter all along and had begun making progress. It probably would not be long before the academy underwent a sweeping change.
Although she had joked while teasing Lu Renyi that she deliberately allowed moles to enter, those were only words. Tang Hui would never permit anyone to occupy her territory like this.
With that grave concern resolved, Jiang Yan was finally in the mood to continue watching Lu Renyi and the others perform.
"Aren't you afraid you'll miss talented students from other teams if you watch only this one?"
"I already knew who could get in. There basically won't be any surprises. I'm only passing the time now, and the people on this team really are fascinating."
"Don't casually treat people as your toys. Be careful your father doesn't treat you like a toy and beat you."
Jiang Yan pursed his lips, ignored Tang Hui's warning, and continued watching Lin Shubei's group. Inside the clinic, they vented their resentment by landing several blows on the unfortunate captain of the guard who had tricked them into going to the second underground level.
On the other side, Lu Renyi sat dazed on the huge sofa in the center, looking as though he truly had no intention of participating in the mission. His recent remarks appeared to have angered the others.
"Lu Renyi spoke pretty harshly just now, yet those people somehow restrained the urge to beat him and listened seriously. Isn't he leading them around by the nose completely? They all look impossibly proud, but they'll still have to go back to him later."
Inside the trial ground, Lin Shubei used his status as a psychic-type ability user to control the unfortunate captain of the guard before him at first sight, then abused his authority for private revenge by punching him several times. If Jian Yi had not said that Lin Shubei needed bandaging, he might not have wanted to begin the interrogation yet.
Just as they had guessed, the captain knew none of the details. He had merely been assigned a mission to trick two people down there from time to time and feed them to the aberrants imprisoned on the second underground level.
"Who assigned you this mission?"
"Doctor He Xu."
Unable to extract anything else, Lin Shubei simply knocked the man unconscious with a chop, tied him up, and threw him into the small room behind the clinic, along with a person in slave clothes who had just rushed over from nearby.
They might be inside a trial ground, but Lin Shubei and the others were still students and remained reluctant to kill. Drugging someone unconscious was enough. Lin Shubei had planted a psychological suggestion in them anyway. Once they awoke, they would not remember whom they had just seen.
Now they needed to find this person named He Xu.
"There's a nameplate for He Xu here. He's probably the doctor assigned to this clinic. Should we stay and wait for him to come?"
Jian Yi noticed a small metal plate on the desk bearing He Xu's name and introduction, but when she picked it up, she suddenly felt an electric shock.
"Since this is a clinic, someone could come in at any time. We can't tie up every person who arrives. The four of us together are too conspicuous, and the differences in our identities make us easy to notice. Let's go back first."
Lin Shubei's reasoning was objective, but Xie Qin was far less relaxed. He immediately thought of Lu Renyi, who had ordered them around like workhorses while returning to enjoy himself, and ground his teeth audibly.
"We can't let Lu Renyi have it so easy. We handled the opening work, so the rest of the investigation naturally falls to him. Otherwise, how is this a team mission? Anyone who evades their share of a group project deserves to explode."
Qi Yue and Jian Yi raised both hands in support. Their shared opinion inadvertently drew the four of them closer, leaving the System, which had been peering at the developments on this side, dumbfounded.
The protagonist's group had not distanced themselves from Host. Instead, they even wanted him to participate in the mission. In the System's understanding, that was impossible.
If you disliked someone, you left; if you liked them, you drew closer. That was how the System had always understood things.
"That's because you don't understand what strange creatures humans are. Otherwise, why would you systems require a bound Host to complete missions instead of doing them yourselves?"
Hearing the System's question, Lu Renyi knew Lin Shubei's side had finished and would come looking for him next. It seemed he would have to work a little harder from here.
After all, he had made his grand claims. If he did nothing at all, he would genuinely become detestable. But if he were strong enough, it would merely be arrogance—at least in some people's eyes.
People like Lin Shubei.
"All right. I need to think about how to deal with the Grand Elder. Stealing something is such a nuisance. It would be easier to kill him and take it."
System: !
"Host! You can't! This is the mission assigned to another part of the protagonist's group. You've already stolen enough of the spotlight. Plot stability has fallen by 2%. You can't cause any more trouble."
"Oh. Which group is it?"
"The protagonist figures it out in the plot."
Then it could not say. Since it could not say, they were probably members of the protagonist's group.
Ke Qi did not seem capable of remaining calm. He had even left the Grand Elder's lounge, which suggested they were close. If Ke Qi still did not act, then it was not his team.
It was probably Chu Zichuan and Chu Ziji's group. Then again, the System had never told him how many members the protagonist's group contained. They might be other members who had yet to appear.
Lu Renyi made a mental note of it. When someone knocked on the door, he sensed Lin Shubei and Qi Yue outside and went to open it himself.
The moment the door opened, the cold expressions on the two people's faces startled him.
"Were you two caught robbing a bank? What's with those expressions?"
Lu Renyi showed no awareness that he was the culprit behind their icy faces. Instead, he struck up a cheerful conversation.
"Looks like you've identified the next person you need to question. Can you afford to provoke them? If not, have Xie Qin sell that pretty face of his. It would be a waste not to use it."
"Sir, please have some awareness that you drew the slave identity card. We hold the privileged status of guards, and Xie Qin is even a high-ranking Church member. Show some respect and stop throwing every task at us."
As Lu Renyi looked at him as though he were a fool, Qi Yue continued where Lin Shubei had left off.
"So you need to find the next person yourself. His name is He Xu, and he's the doctor at the clinic on this floor. We've delivered the message. As guards of privileged status, we need to go on patrol. We hope you'll find the answer by noon tomorrow."
After saying that, the two left coldly, abandoning Lu Renyi in the doorway with a baffled expression.
"System, has your protagonist gone insane?"
The System did not want to respond to Lu Renyi. Lin Shubei and Qi Yue were clearly angry because of what Lu Renyi had said just now, yet he had no self-awareness. He would not listen when told to apologize either, claiming it would lower his standing.
Between lowering one's standing and losing one's life, the latter was clearly more troublesome.
Night gradually fell. Although Lu Renyi held the title of leader and truly could act as he pleased here, their group had previously been ordered not to eat. They had no choice but to remain in the thatched hut beside the building.
But the guards could go. The only people who could confirm their status were Lu Renyi and his group, and deception came easily to Lu Renyi. They had long since believed that they had truly been demoted.
Outer guards and slaves were both entered into official records. But after relations between the government and the Church deteriorated, the Church descended into disorder. Certain senior figures frequently threw such people onto the second underground level as punishment. People vanished from the Church every day, and over time, no one cared anymore.
The people at the bottom did not understand this and still believed themselves restricted. Lu Renyi had correctly gambled on this information gap and secured several more workers for himself.
Before leaving, the group had even said they would bring food back for Lu Renyi and the others. Lu Renyi said nothing. If they returned with something, all the better. If not, he would have an excuse to find He Xu.
He was merely kindhearted yet powerless and wanted the people under him to survive. Going to the seemingly approachable doctor here was hardly a transgression.
Lu Renyi carefully tracked the time. The guards did not return with food, while several people on his side had already reached their limit.
Their lodgings were not as warm as the building. Wind leaked through from every side, and they could only lie on the floor beneath thin blankets. Even huddling together could not keep them from shivering with cold.
Lu Renyi approached the thinnest person. He did not even need to touch the man's forehead. One look at the flushed face and trembling body told him the man's condition was poor.
"I'll take him to the clinic."
Lu Renyi lifted the man into his arms and strode out boldly under everyone else's moved gazes. In their eyes, he looked like a warrior marching to the battlefield.
"Host, stop pretending. If they knew you were in such a hurry solely to find He Xu, their love would definitely turn to hatred."
"What are you talking about? I'm clearly willing to sacrifice myself for others. I merely gave my own concerns a tiny bit of consideration while making that sacrifice."
Lu Renyi had made many similar statements. The System had grown immune, yet it still could not stop itself from raising a data-formed palm and slapping itself.
That was for failing to keep its mouth shut.
Lu Renyi went straight to the seventh floor and walked purposefully toward the clinic. He encountered many people observing his group along the way. Lu Renyi hunched his back, adopted an embarrassed demeanor, and avoided their scrutiny.
Only after entering the clinic and putting the man down did Lu Renyi straighten. He Xu had been bandaging someone nearby. Seeing Lu Renyi enter, he paused, then handed the work to Chu Zichuan.
"Why are you here again? I've seen you twice in one day, and both times you brought someone else. You're far too kindhearted."
Lu Renyi was very satisfied with He Xu's discernment and once again ignored the unidentified retching noise the System made.
"But your group really has terrible luck. People keep collapsing one after another. You're adding an awful lot to my workload for no reason."
He Xu's words sounded like an idle complaint. He perfunctorily examined the person on the bed without even intending to use his ability. Lu Renyi blinked and spoke as though trying to excuse himself.
"On my way here, I saw someone else with a bloody wound from an aberrant bite going to the clinic downstairs. We're only sick. We won't take too much of your time. Sorry to trouble you."
"A wound from an aberrant bite? There are actually aberrants inside the building. How unusual. If I weren't busy here, I'd want to go see what happened."
After settling the man in, He Xu took a document from the drawer and left. Before going, he made a show of saying he was heading over to help while pretending not to see the room full of patients.
Only Chu Zichuan and Lu Renyi remained in the same space, facing each other in silence. Chu Zichuan could sense psychic power fluctuations around Lu Renyi and therefore knew he was an ability user.
He was merely still considering whether Lu Renyi was an NPC from the trial ground or one of their competitors.
Perhaps he should attack directly. Then he would not need to struggle over it. Unfortunately, before Chu Zichuan could reach a conclusion, a patient nearby cried out in pain, and he could only grimly clean up He Xu's mess.
By the time he returned, Lu Renyi had already left.
After leaving the clinic, Lu Renyi headed in the direction Lin Shubei and Qi Yue had come from. He had just asked the System to locate He Xu, only for the System to say this was part of the plot. If it reminded Lu Renyi, the plot point would become incomplete.
"Host, your limited freedom to alter the plot depends on safely passing every necessary plot point. Going over now would interrupt a meeting among members of the protagonist's group."
He Xu truly had gone to find the injured Lin Shubei and Qi Yue.
Lu Renyi could not help imagining their expressions right now.
They had wanted to dump the remaining work on him, only for the "work" itself to find them by chance. Their original plan could only be abandoned.
"How pitiful."
Lu Renyi almost felt sorry for the two of them. Hopefully, they would not blame him when the time came.
But since the System had said so, Lu Renyi simply headed for the unguarded stairwell and leisurely descended.
He Xu was with Lin Shubei and Qi Yue. If Lu Renyi truly wanted to go over, he merely needed to follow the positions displayed on his watch. But that would be no fun.
Since Lin Shubei's group had been forced to take over the investigation, Lu Renyi could not fall behind. Otherwise, in the plot of this trial ground, he would be remembered as someone who only ran his mouth and accomplished nothing.
"Better let the aberrants identify the culprit who captured them for themselves."