Looking at Tang Hui's still-smiling face, Lu Renyi had lost his earlier casualness. Wariness had taken its place.
To possess absolute authority in an academy riddled with so many moles involved complexities that Tang Hui's former military achievements alone could never have resolved.
Moreover, Tang Hui's ability development exceeded anything Lu Renyi had imagined. Her psychic power could undoubtedly rank among the strongest in the world.
"Principal, how did you think of developing abilities in these directions? The wood element alone is this powerful, so your other two must be formidable as well."
Lu Renyi felt Lin Shubei's hand tremble faintly and knew he was about to wake. He simply moved to the edge of Lin Shubei's bed, blocking Tang Hui's line of sight.
He still had questions. It would be better if Lin Shubei did not wake yet.
Tang Hui may or may not have noticed Lu Renyi's movement. She paused before considering the question carefully.
"Perhaps it was... intuition?"
Tang Hui was not sure herself. Abilities had categories, but when divided more finely, the number of abilities essentially equaled the number of ability users. The reason was that everyone developed their ability differently.
Take her elemental abilities. If she wished to develop them, she could achieve plant communication as she had done. If she did not, their greatest use might be no more than making plants flourish.
Or consider precognition-type abilities, publicly acknowledged as the strongest category. If sufficiently developed, an ability user could even reverse the subject and object of the ability and transform it into an entirely new category—Words Become Law.
People had an even more fitting name for such ability users: Wordspeakers. Yet they differed from ordinary speech-based ability users. They could not speak casually, because anything they said would come true, and every change to reality required logical consistency. Otherwise, everything would collapse.
But if someone successfully overcame that difficulty, they would become almost indistinguishable from a creator god.
However, people like that appeared only in fragments of a tiny number of ancient books. Across thousands of years, fewer than five had reached that level.
After all, every ability user paid a cost to use their ability. Creator gods capable of changing destiny naturally paid even more. Most lived less than half an ordinary person's lifespan.
"Ability development depends heavily on talent. That isn't to say effort is useless, but for the overwhelming majority of people, one measure of talent outweighs everything else. Developing an ability demands talent among the talented."
"Even after reaching that point, you still need all kinds of fortunate opportunities and chances to practice, and you may not succeed. Until the final result is known, the probability will always be one in ten thousand. It doesn't increase simply because you do more."
Tang Hui's words carried a trace of reminiscence. Back on the battlefield, many of them had developed their abilities. After all, aberrants evolved. If humans remained stagnant, the only path left was death.
"Our generation developed our abilities because of war: against aberrants, against other countries, and against all kinds of organizations. Life was unstable, so we had plenty of opportunities to practice. It's perfectly normal that your generation, living happily in peace, hasn't developed abilities as deeply."
Tang Hui did not find it strange that Lu Renyi and the others could not develop their abilities. Psychic and illusion types were already powerful enough to stand ahead of many others even without further development.
"We fought so hard back then precisely so your generation would have the right to use your abilities if you wished and leave them unused if you did not."
At that moment, Tang Hui looked more like a kindly elder. Gone was the mischievous pleasure with which she had deliberately revealed the truth about the academy's personnel to Lu Renyi. She was calmer and steadier.
"There's no need to hurry. You're only eighteen and your future is long. Your psychic power is already strong enough to deceive the assessment equipment, so your prospects won't be poor."
Lu Renyi was already satisfied by this point. In summary, it all depended on talent. He wondered whether the System had a tool for that. If he had a chance, perhaps he could try it.
"I don't want an ability-related career. I'll find a company job, earn enough money, then travel around the world. Would 50 million be enough? But I may never earn that much. How about 5 million?"
"If you don't stop pinning down my hand, I'll extort 5 million from you."
Lin Shubei's weak voice sounded. Lu Renyi released his wrist as if nothing had happened, pretending he had only just realized Lin Shubei was awake.
"What a coincidence. You want to travel around the world too?"
Lin Shubei rolled his eyes. He had no desire to entertain Lu Renyi's malicious attempt to change the subject and turned to find Tang Hui.
"Principal, the poison causes hallucinations."
"When that plant cut me, it felt as though someone had grabbed me by the throat. If I hadn't been certain no one was following me, I probably would have stopped breathing beyond my control."
At that point, Lin Shubei cast Lu Renyi a veiled glance. His earlier warning to avoid injury must have been for this reason. But if he knew from the start, why had he not explained it directly instead of being so evasive?
"So that's how it was. Student Lin, you're truly amazing! You only needed to fall unconscious once to discover the poison's true effect. Let's give you a round of applause."
Lu Renyi led the cheering, and even Tang Hui clapped several times to humor him.
"Still, I'll need to be examined before we know why I lost consciousness."
"My old comrade just sent me a message. I'll go outside to meet him. The two of you stay here and behave. Once the danger has been ruled out, you may move only when your teachers tell you to. No more reckless nonsense. Understood?"
I didn't do anything reckless.
Lu Renyi felt somewhat dissatisfied. Tang Hui could use that tone to coax a child like Lin Shubei, but using it on him was far too childish.
As he thought that, Lin Shubei suddenly sneezed and looked at him suspiciously.
"Were you insulting me in your head?"
Lu Renyi: ...
As expected of the protagonist. He could predict even this.
"Of course not. There's nothing I hate more than people who casually spread rumors and stir up trouble behind someone's back."
Lu Renyi generally discussed people and stirred up trouble to their faces.
"Perhaps. If your character were truly that good, you wouldn't have invented a lie to get us out earlier."
As Lin Shubei spoke, he suddenly noticed Zhou Cheng lying on the neighboring bed. Zhou Cheng's gray face and terror-stricken eyes both proclaimed his death.
"Where are Zhou Cheng's parents? Did they go look at the examination results?"
"Someone from the family called them, and they never came back. They probably can't involve themselves in this. The people who attacked you aren't simple. Even the Zhou family can't afford to provoke them."
Lin Shubei had not expected that. At the moment, it only felt absurd.
"They lost their child, rushed here in a fury, and threatened to make us die with him. But when they discovered they couldn't afford to provoke the real culprit, they simply stopped caring?"
"If I were Zhou Cheng, I'd go into their dreams every night and perform a hanging."
Lu Renyi leisurely took an apple from nearby and bit into it. He had consumed too much energy earlier and was hungry. Now he had Lin Shubei's varied performance to watch and food to eat. It could hardly be more relaxing.
"By the way, how are you? It doesn't look as though you were hurt, so you truly do run quickly."
Lu Renyi realized something was wrong. How did Lin Shubei know several people had been on his side?
"When we were behind the flower bed, I used my psychic power to investigate. Four people were on the route you took, and you still chose that direction. Weren't you trying to make sure I brought the sample back for testing?"
Lu Renyi silently closed his eyes. Since when was he so self-sacrificing? He had only chosen a direction at random. How could he have known that his side was the main target of the attack?
"Yes. You succeeded. The principal said we'll have results once the person she invited arrives."
Lu Renyi could only swallow his broken teeth. He and Lin Shubei exchanged a look, then silently turned away.
Lin Shubei: Why does Lu Renyi seem devastated? Am I imagining it?
Lu Renyi: Heh heh heh heh heh heh.
After a moment of silence, Lu Renyi suddenly noticed that the wound on Lin Shubei's hand was slowly healing. Not only that, even his complexion had improved. At least it was no longer gray.
Lin Shubei noticed too, but he did not understand what was happening. He could only allow the wound to continue healing.
By the time Tang Hui returned with someone, Lin Shubei's hand was clean, without the slightest mark. They could not even detect any hidden toxins.
The person Tang Hui brought was Jiang Hong, the director of the capital military hospital. Tang Hui introduced him as an old comrade and Jiang Yan's father. He was around Tang Hui's age but spoke and acted far more casually.
"There are two possibilities. Either that ability user died and the ability vanished with him, or you've completely absorbed the toxin and incorporated it into your body."
"But the first possibility is almost nonexistent. An ability and its user aren't symbiotic. Under ordinary circumstances, an ability's effect isn't influenced by the user's vital signs."
Jiang Hong raised two fingers and waved them before Lin Shubei.
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened, is it? When I examined you, you looked guilty. That must be because you've encountered something similar before."
Lin Shubei instinctively denied it, but Jiang Hong had no intention of listening to him evade the issue. He spoke directly with Tang Hui about what came next.
"That plant you mentioned probably has no research value left. It seems my only task is helping your student recover."
"You can't track them either? I remember you used to..."
"That was then, and this is now. I'm only an ordinary healing-type doctor these days. I can't work as a tracking hound."
Tang Hui and Jiang Hong discussed something Lin Shubei and Lu Renyi did not understand. Neither student dared interrupt, so they sat to one side and stared.
"All right. Everyone has secrets. I'm not one to wag my tongue, and I have no time to gossip about your affairs."
Unlike Lin Shubei, who looked uneasy, neither Jiang Hong nor Tang Hui took this special capacity of his seriously. They did not even avoid speaking before Lu Renyi.
"This ability seems to protect you from most toxins, doesn't it? If you use it well, your future achievements won't be small."
Before leaving, Jiang Hong drew some of Lin Shubei's blood, saying that he would take it back for his own research. Tang Hui did not approve, but Lin Shubei himself did not care, so she could not stop him unilaterally.
"Look at the child. He's so understanding. Tang Hui, you're already this old. You ought to learn from him. Besides, I'm only taking this back for my private research. I won't give it to anyone else, so what are you worried about?"
After speaking, Jiang Hong ran aside to instruct the doctor on which medicine to prepare, then left in a hurry without giving Tang Hui a chance to explain.
Tang Hui sighed helplessly, turned around, and saw Lin Shubei and Lu Renyi staring at her with bright eyes. She knew there was no deceiving them.
"Jiang Hong isn't taking your blood back for research. He intends to archive it."
"Archive it? Is my blood some sort of treasure?"
As far as Lin Shubei knew, abilities capable of neutralizing toxins were not unheard of. If an ability user's power was related to poisons or illness, then most toxins naturally could not harm them.
"Your ability to neutralize toxins comes from your special constitution, doesn't it? It isn't unique, but this capacity does more than passively solve a crisis. With the right opportunity, you may even be able to use toxins you've neutralized before. They never vanished in the first place; they were merely incorporated into your body."
"By then, you won't be very different from an apocalyptic super-virus. People may die wherever you go. What crime couldn't you commit? If anyone wanted to capture you, they'd need that vial of blood."
Tang Hui's tone was calm. Though she described a terrifying future, Lin Shubei felt no fear. It was as though he were listening to a story and glimpsing a world that might one day exist.
"Jiang Hong is a dual-ability holder. Besides the healing-type ability he displays publicly, he possesses a tracking ability that can be considered psychic-type."
"Once he obtains someone's blood, he can extract the DNA, pinpoint that person's exact location, and connect to their psychic consciousness."
"Back when I was still in the military, he did far more than save people behind the lines."
Lin Shubei understood Tang Hui's meaning. Jiang Hong knew that Lin Shubei was effectively a time bomb and could explode at any moment. That was why he said he wanted to archive Lin Shubei's blood. If anything truly happened later, Jiang Hong could immediately find him.
Then, depending on the circumstances, he could decide whether Lin Shubei should be saved or killed. At least the situation would not spread.
But Tang Hui probably did not think that way. She trusted her students completely and did not believe Lin Shubei would do anything bad. Lin Shubei appreciated her faith, but he also understood Jiang Hong's approach.
Tang Hui had even raised the matter herself instead of muddling past it. That trust was rarer still.
"Don't worry, Principal. I understand what you mean, and I understand Dr. Jiang's actions. Preparing for trouble before it happens is safest. I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
"Since I can awaken this capacity on my own, external forces can also trigger it by force. Then it won't be a matter of whether I want to do something, but whether I can resist. It's better to keep a record."
Lin Shubei took the matter calmly. Tang Hui was pleased that he understood. Although she trusted her student, Jiang Hong's approach was not entirely unreasonable. It was naturally best that Lin Shubei understood.
The harmonious scene between teacher and student did not rub off on Lu Renyi. Through the System's projection, he was reading the comic.
"Host, the comic has updated. I obtained permission, so you can read it at any time."
"The updated comic ends with Jiang Hong's departure. According to the statistics, you generated 5,987 discussion during this update. The conversion ratio to points is 1:10."
"First rating for the cannon-fodder self-improvement mission: B."