AgWorld Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
Chapter 106
【hot】【featured】【The Valedictorian’s identity feels like it has quite a few suspicious points, but I cannot quite figure out why. Let me organize them for everyone so we can use them later on. I am sure plenty of fellow fans are too lazy to go back and reread.】
【Xie Chang’an is way too funny. I just raised my hand and gave everyone new reaction images.】
【Congratulations to Xuexue for resolving her family conflict! Yuexia’s ensemble scenes are still my favorite!】
【hot】【Volume 6 really did call back to the protagonist’s Volume 1 setup. Who was the first person to bring up love at first sight? My brain is completely tangled now. Th-this… is this still the shounen manga I know?】
【Grand Triangle. I have to stand with the triangle this time. I have never seen any manga make a Grand Triangle stand this firmly. Great, from now on the top three on the popularity rankings are all my CPs. Everyone, let us just toss them all into one big stew.】
【featured】【Let me try to predict Yuexia’s future plot developments, though there is a very high chance I will get proven completely wrong.】
……
When Ji Qing opened the forum homepage, he very quickly noticed the Xie Chang’an reaction images he had predicted before.
Poor Xie Chang’an still had not escaped the fate of being turned into reaction images by the broader manga fandom.
Ji Qing let out a long sigh of exaggerated regret.
If not for the dimensional wall separating the real world from the manga world, he really would have forwarded the thread to Xie Chang’an to let him take a look. Unfortunately, Ji Qing could not do that.
Just as Ji Qing had predicted, his Popularity Value had surged dramatically.
With a blank expression, he complained, “Is a Grand Triangle really that shippable? More importantly, what exactly have you all shipped me into?”
Ji Qing did not even dare think too deeply about it.
He hurriedly clicked into one of the forum threads, trying to distract himself:
【Topic: The Valedictorian’s identity feels like it has quite a few suspicious points, but I cannot quite figure out why. Let me organize them for everyone so we can use them later on. I am sure plenty of fellow fans are too lazy to go back and reread.】
【1L Original Poster: First of all, let me thank Yuexia for letting us see such an astonishing character setup. If Yuexia is reading the forum, I am sure he is laughing smugly at how popular Ji Qing has become now.】
【2L: Yuexia is Qingsexual.】
【3L: Borrowing the title of another thread, Yuexia really did pay off the setup he planted in Volume 1 when he got to Volume 6.】
【4L: Going back to Volume 1 now, I am starting to develop a filter for Ji Qing too.】
【5L: Is this the power of the Valedictorian’s charm?】
【6L: The funniest thing is—they were love at first sight, while we fell in love slowly over time. (bitter smile)】
【7L Original Poster: Hahaha, that is true. Most of the plot that really shapes Ji Qing’s characterization comes later. In the early stage, Ji Qing was basically just part of the background.】
【8L Original Poster:
All right, back to the main point—
The suspicious points around Ji Qing’s identity were actually foreshadowed from the very beginning.
He came from a commoner background, yet his talent is absurdly high. He can even suppress noble-house disciples of the same generation. But that point has already been discussed to death, so I will not go into it further.
Ji Qing helped Xie Chang’an for some reason, but we still do not know what that reason was. Originally this should not have been a problem, but because of Ji Qing’s subtle connection with Li Yuan, I am making a note of it first.
During the Team Competition, after Ji Qing saw Xie Chang’an’s team in trouble, he notified the other Class S classmates but did not immediately rush over. According to the Investigator’s account, Ji Qing’s own explanation was that he had been delayed by other Aberrants. Combined with Ji Qing’s overwhelming combat strength, that feels a little strange.
During Winter Break Practicum, Ji Qing revealed that he had deep knowledge of the Infected, but he refused to explain why.
He bears a resemblance to Raven, the cadre of the Dawn Society.
There was that unknown sequence that flashed by during the battle with the flock of mutated birds. Although Ji Qing had already returned to normal by the time Xie Chang’an found him, I still think that part is pretty strange.】
【9L: Impressive.】
【10L: This is so detailed.】
【11L: I also found that last point strange. The protagonist was so busy worrying about Ji Qing passing out that it feels like he directly forgot about the disturbance among the flock. But I think it should still be possible to reconstruct the full picture from the little details.
In that flashed sequence, Ji Qing was standing in the center of the flock, and afterward the birds’ pupils constricted. Quite a few of them showed fear. Thanks to Yuexia’s incredible art, that much is very clear.
Then later, by the time Xie Chang’an found Ji Qing, the flock was already fighting among itself.
Normally, constricted pupils indicate shock or being caught off guard. So something must have happened there that completely caught the battling flock off guard. Combined with the fact that the flock later ignored Ji Qing and chose to fight among itself instead—
I think the Aberrant Ji Qing killed at the time was probably the flock’s leader. What shocked them was that their leader had been killed by a human.】
【12L: Wow. (sparkling eyes)】
【13L: I agree with you too, though not because of that reasoning. What I noticed was that Yuexia never drew the leader of the flock during the infighting. Usually, the only thing that can make a group descend into internal conflict is the sudden death of the leader, followed by the urgent need for a second leader to emerge.】
【14L: That also makes a lot of sense.】
【15L: So the Valedictorian killed the leader all by himself?】
【16L: The Valedictorian was really that strong? No wonder he fainted right afterward. He must have overdrawn his Ability to the limit.】
【17L: That makes so much sense.】
【18L Original Poster: But there is one thing that still confuses me. Why did the flock not immediately scatter after the leader died? Or just kill the already exhausted Valedictorian? The enemy had not even been dealt with yet, but they started fighting among themselves first. That aftermath feels really strange.】
【19L: Maybe the Valedictorian ran away after it ended?
From the way he appeared afterward, he was deliberately avoiding the flock’s line of sight.】
【20L: And after that the flock just ignored him and started fighting on the spot?】
【21L: Uh…】
【22L: Aberrants probably are not that intelligent. I think that is still believable.】
……
After remaining silent for a long while, Ji Qing remarked expressionlessly, “The readers of Ability Hunter really are… really quite impressive.”
They were practically on the verge of digging out the entire truth.
The only reason they were still some distance away from it was because no reader had yet linked Ji Qing to the Aberrants. Without the premise of his Aberrant identity, no one could infer the full and correct truth.
【Topic: Volume 6 really did call back to the protagonist’s Volume 1 setup. Who was the first person to bring up love at first sight? My brain is completely tangled now. Th-this… is this still the shounen manga I know?】
【1L Original Poster: The more I think about it, the more interesting the relationship between the Valedictorian and Chang’an becomes.
The Valedictorian’s characterization made my eyes light up, and now the changes in their relationship are doing the same. I truly never expected Volume 6 to call back to the protagonist’s setup from Volume 1. I admit it, I have surrendered. (excited) (swaying side to side)】
【2L: Popcorn.】
【3L: Original Poster, you do not really look like someone who has surrendered.】
【4L: It feels more like you finally found your people and are now out here spreading the word. (popcorn)】
【5L Original Poster: Ji Qing is so captivating. Yuexia actually managed to serve up two characters who leave me utterly spellbound in one go, and on top of that the relationship between them is so maddeningly ambiguous. Holy shit… did their whole family grow up feeding on succubi?】
【6L: Feeding on succubi is too exaggerated. They probably just intermarried with succubi.】
【7L: True.】
【8L: I have been curious about this for two or three months already. What exactly is the relationship between those two? Are they really uncle and nephew, with the same traits passed down the line?】
【9L: Why uncle and nephew? They are definitely brothers.】
【10L: No, I support the Experiment Subject Theory. Even though a lot of people have already rejected it, I still think laboratory test subjects are the most reasonable explanation. Why can Ji Qing not have amnesia? If he lost his memory after coming out of the laboratory, would that not be perfectly normal?
He does not know Li Yuan, and Li Yuan is also deliberately avoiding contact with him. That would explain why their relationship is stuck in this indescribably subtle state.】
【11L: The way you put it, uncle and nephew also makes sense.
Ji Qing simply does not know he has an uncle, and afterward the uncle deliberately avoids contact with him, so things end up like this.】
【12L: Stop arguing, stop arguing. My Brother Theory is the most normal one!
Because Li Yuan faked his death and deliberately avoided seeing Ji Qing afterward, things ended up like this.】
【13L: Why does it have to be Ji Qing who has amnesia?
I refuse to allow that. Maybe Ji Qing is the one lying to Chang’an! Someone as impulsive as Chang’an does not deserve for Ji Qing to reveal his other half!】
【14L: Why can it not be that the Valedictorian only looks gentle, but is actually the type who loves men in a deep and extreme way?】
【15L: The person above you, that is a bit…】
……
【33L Original Poster: ???】
【34L Original Poster: Please stop arguing in here. I am just a fluff-hunting bot. (trembling)】
【35L: Oh, okay. (obedient)】
【36L: Damn it, we got a little too carried away. I have been eating so well lately that I have practically turned into the shape of a grain silo.】
【37L: This is the most delicious Grand Triangle I have ever eaten. (shy)
Every pairing among the three has chemistry and something worth shipping, and all of them are amazingly good.】
【38L: Are all of you rubbing it in right in Original Poster’s face right now? What if Original Poster does not like Grand Triangles?】
【39L: Uh…】
【40L: Original Poster: I do not really mind that part, just do not start fighting. I am omnivorous. I eat everything. (honest)】
【41L: Hooray.】
【42L: Then come on, let us discuss CPs together!】
【43L Original Poster: I still think the person who first brought up “love at first sight” is incredible. When I first read the manga, I truly never imagined it might be love at first sight. I only felt Ji Qing was getting weirdly preferential treatment, and I was a little bothered by it. But now that I look at it—
the more I think about it, the more real it feels.
I cannot even find an excuse to let Xie Chang’an off the hook anymore. At first I could still explain it away as Yuexia simply loving Ji Qing deeply, but now that I look again…
“His relationship with Ji Qing had only just improved a tiny little bit. He still had not become the Valedictorian’s friend in the truest sense. He still had not expressed how he felt about the help the Valedictorian had given him back then. He, he…he still had so many, so many regrets left unresolved.”
“This was the Valedictorian he knew, the one who kept throwing cold looks at him at every turn. Xie Chang’an felt as though he had come back to life!”】
【44L: Seriously, brother—around here, we do not call that friendship. (solemn expression)】
【45L: Hahaha.】
【46L Original Poster: Actually, it is not just those few parts. It is just that those parts are too real. Even I, someone merely passing by, could not help starting to feast on the spot.】
【47L: I honestly think you could spin an IF-Line where the Valedictorian dies from this scene alone.
The sobbing because he failed to make it in time, the dampness haunting the rest of his life, and the guilt of having no face to show his classmates… this BE would be absolutely delicious. Precisely because he personally went to ask the Valedictorian, he would be even more haunted after the Valedictorian died.】
【48L: Boss, write it. (hands over the pen)】
【49L: Author—】
【50L Original Poster: Ehh—is the manga so perfect right now that all of you just want pain, pain, pain? Ji Qing and Li Yuan’s connection has not even been exposed yet. Ji Qing cannot possibly die here, and Ji Qing still has plenty of mysteries on him.】
【51L: Yes, that is why I was only talking nonsense for fun. (retreats regretfully)】
【52L: I never imagined they could be this delicious.
It feels like this CP got together behind my back. Damn it—the last time I used that phrase was for Li Yuan and Ji Qing. How exactly does Yuexia keep serving up so many incredible CPs one after another? This newest CP also has the makings of a top-tier OTP. (Amen)】
【53L: I actually think every CP worth shipping got together behind our backs. We are the only fools left behind.】
【54L: Do not talk about yourself like that. (tearful)】
【55L Original Poster: The reigning OTP should still be Li Yuan and Chang’an. It is just that Li Yuan has been gone for so long that the hype may start to drop. Li Yuan really was explosively popular, but even that cannot withstand him not appearing for so long. Maybe in another half a year, the Valedictorian and Chang’an will surpass him.
At this point it all depends on Yuexia’s future planning.
Before, I kept thinking Yuexia would surely bring Li Yuan back within a few volumes, because manga needs popularity. But I did not expect him to gamble directly on popularity instead. Personally I am very happy about it, but Li Yuan may really not return anytime soon.】
【56L: Let us just see the next volume first. I am pretty curious how Yuexia is going to push the plot forward.】
【57L: Exactly, exactly.】
……
“All right, I understand now.” A cool, thin smile curled at Ji Qing’s lips as he summarized to himself, “So the people responsible for my crazily surging Popularity Value are all of you, are you?”
Melodramatic, absurd family entanglements had once again defeated bright, youthful friendship.
Ji Qing felt a bit of a headache coming on.
These readers were shipping things so enthusiastically that even Ji Qing himself, one of the parties being shipped, was starting to lose his bearings. In complete bewilderment, Ji Qing thought, What exactly is there here for all of you to get this excited over?
He hurriedly clicked into the next forum thread:
【Topic: Let me try to predict Yuexia’s future plot developments, though there is a very high chance I will get proven completely wrong.】
【1L Original Poster: I truly did not expect Yuexia to let Xue be the protagonist of an entire volume. Xue’s share of the plot in Volume 6 was so high that it made me rather curious about where the future plot of Ability Hunter will go. But since I am mostly guessing wildly myself, I am not sure.】
【2L Original Poster:
At first, I felt it was not a good thing for Xue to receive this kind of treatment. The protagonist of this manga is Chang’an. Even if the content of this volume was entirely about Xue’s story, she still should not have taken the cover spot from him. But a friend’s words convinced me.
If there is one, there will be a second. Since Yuexia is this satisfied with his characterization, then later on there will definitely be personal arcs for other characters as well, such as Li Yuan, Ji Qing, and Jiang Cuo.
If it really gets drawn that way, I can accept it.
After the manga entered its second semester arc, we did not really have much of a grasp on what kind of plot it would take next. We only knew that it might involve the Infected, the Aberrants, and Central City. But if those things get distributed across each member of Class S, then it suddenly becomes very interesting.】
【3L: Original Poster’s guess is pretty bold.】
【4L: We can probably make a bet on whether another classmate gets a personal arc within the next three volumes. If that happens, then I think this guess is basically ten out of ten.】
【5L: Huh? Would that not just turn it back into an ordinary school manga?】
【6L: Then what happens to the stories of the Infected and the Aberrants? (dejected)】
【7L: Yuexia built such an excellent world that surely he will not leave it as mere background, right? Personally, I think the later commissions or incidents will involve major Federation matters connected to the Infected and the Aberrants, and then the protagonist will respond to them while gradually improving his relationships with his classmates.】
【8L: They have encountered quite a lot of Infected already, but the Aberrant side is still a little thin.
From the Island incident, I feel the Aberrants should not be nothing more than simple enemies. They probably have an internal social structure just like humans. The only problem is that there is currently no channel through which we can learn about their internal world.
If Yuexia is not planning to botch the ending, he will definitely draw the Aberrant side sooner or later.】
【9L: Central City’s issues are pretty serious too, and I am sure that if Central City explodes later, it will definitely involve the three from Central City.】
【10L: Honestly, I think the things most likely to be exposed are Xie Chang’an’s identity as an Infected and his connection with the Dawn Society. Those two things are basically the Sword of Damocles hanging over Xie Chang’an’s head, ready to fall at any moment.】
【11L Original Poster: ? Why are all of you so impressive?】
【12L Original Poster: All at once, you have made my predictions for the later plot much clearer. I feel like everything you said could happen, and mine is the only one still uncertain. QAQ】
……
The contents of this thread were somewhat more normal, Ji Qing judged inwardly.
But no matter what Xie Chang’an would encounter next, Ji Qing himself would no longer appear in the events that followed.
Because he had already arranged a time to meet with Emerald, Ji Qing thought calmly.
It was about time for him to go meet this “acquaintance.”