A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 78



As soon as he spoke, the group snapped to attention. Indeed, as Su Bei pointed out, an intermediate nightmare beast possessed a degree of intelligence. A creature that could be so easily dispatched would surely want to stay as far from the powers that be as possible; why would it willingly seek them out? They had to realize that its hiding place wasn’t particularly deep; if they could find it, others likely could as well.

Silence fell over the room as everyone pondered Su Bei’s words. If they wanted a straightforward answer, they could simply ask Su Bei what to do next. After all, since he knew the beast was still alive, he must also know how to locate it.

Yet, being young and proud, they were reluctant to rely on anyone else. Su Bei hadn’t done much during this mission, but each action had been crucial, and in hindsight, it felt as if they were entirely dependent on him.

Each of them had their own pride, determined to devise a solution on their own.

But this was a misunderstanding; Su Bei truly had no idea where the beast was, at least not with any solid evidence.

Thus, even if they asked, he wouldn’t answer. Not that he would be wrong to remain silent; saying the right thing wouldn’t be particularly useful, and saying the wrong thing could lead to disaster.

Suddenly, Si Zhaohua’s eyes lit up. “To the bedroom!”

Admittedly, he had no clue where the nightmare beast had gone, but it certainly wasn’t in the game room. On the surface, among the possibilities in other rooms, the bedroom seemed the least likely, as previous encounters indicated the beast posed no threat there.

Yet Si Zhaohua wasn’t a fool; having encountered intermediate nightmare beasts before, he had a sense of things. So he speculated that this seemingly improbable room was, in fact, the most likely hiding place.

Hearing Si Zhaohua’s words, Su Bei curled his lips slightly. Like the other, he shared the same thought. If the nightmare beast truly hid in the bedroom, then he could only say that this creature was clever yet foolish.

Yet this was undoubtedly a good thing; if the nightmare beast were too clever, that would be a real problem. This beast not only could speak but also threatened and manipulated humans, even knowing the trick of the cunning rabbit having three burrows. It was enough to shock several students who had never seen the world.

If its schemes were even more intricate, then Su Bei could only say the author had a screw loose; the righteous were not wronged in their defeat.

One must know there was a higher-level nightmare beast above, said to be akin to humans. Such a beast would surely be smarter than the intermediate ones.

As expected, seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Si Zhaohua explained, “I have encountered intermediate nightmare beasts a few times. They indeed possess some intelligence, but not much; they are more suited for executing plans rather than devising them. Deliberately revealing a weakness to humans, such as the bedroom being safe, is likely intended to create a darkness beneath the lamp.”

“If that’s the case, then it truly isn’t very clever.” After hearing this, Wu Mingbai chuckled.

This tactic was too simplistic; they might not think of it at the moment, but they would never refrain from investigating the bedroom just because it seemed safe. So, despite how useful this strategy appeared, it was utterly useless, merely prolonging the time until death.

Stepping out of the game room, Sister Wang and Brother Liu leaned against the corner, their hair disheveled and expressions grim. Brother Liu’s face bore bruises, looking as if he had been beaten.

Zhao Xiaoyu and Wu Jin, however, acted as if nothing had happened. Upon seeing the others emerge, Zhao Xiaoyu directly asked, “Is the matter resolved?”

No one cared about the two sitting on the ground. Si Zhaohua shook his head and recounted what had just transpired.

Zhao Xiaoyu agreed with Si Zhaohua’s speculation. Glancing at Sister Wang and Brother Liu, she chuckled lightly, “I suppose these two have learned their lesson. Wu Jin, can you manage alone? I want to go up and take a look.”

Wu Jin silently nodded. He had little interest in exterminating nightmare beasts and naturally didn’t mind staying downstairs. After witnessing the earlier scuffle, he realized one person could handle it, so he had even less reason to refuse.

Upon hearing Zhao Xiaoyu’s words, Sister Wang and Brother Liu looked utterly despondent. They never expected that the initially friendly girl could be so painful when she fought. And that boy, who had hardly spoken, was no pushover either. Had they known, they wouldn’t have run away earlier, enduring a beating for nothing.

The group made their way to the bedroom, but a new problem arose: Lan Subing could not use her [Word Spirit] again in a short time. If she did, her mental energy would be overly depleted.

But there were still several days of training ahead; they naturally couldn’t exhaust their resources. Even if Lan Subing was willing, they wouldn’t agree.

After seeing the little girl, Zhao Xiaoyu’s temper soured. She had hardly spoken since returning. She had a younger sister about the same age, and seeing the little girl’s family in such a haggard state struck a chord with her.

At that moment, she let out a cold laugh, “In the end, it can’t escape this room. Let’s attack each wall; I’m not afraid it won’t come out.”

This was indeed a good idea; though troublesome, it would ultimately succeed. After all, there were only five walls in the room, including the ceiling, and they could afford to expend their energy.

Her words successfully flustered the nightmare beast, which emerged from the wall near the door, its face appearing, mouth opening and closing as it begged in a shrill, grating voice, “Spare me, and I will offer you benefits.”

Su Bei glanced at the fate compass hovering above, its needle unwaveringly pointing to the far right. Surely, there would be no more troubles ahead.

“What benefits?” Wu Mingbai asked, his eyes twinkling with feigned innocence and curiosity.

He had no intention of letting the creature off the hook, yet he was genuinely intrigued by what a Night Beast could offer a human.

“To save lives,” the Night Beast replied, its words clipped and sparse, struggling to convey its meaning in the fewest syllables.

Su Bei chuckled to himself, noting how the creature’s manner of speaking bore a resemblance to Wu Jin’s. Perhaps he should call Wu Jin over to listen.

The others, unfamiliar with Wu Jin, did not share this sentiment. However, upon hearing the Night Beast’s words, they too found themselves amused, much like Su Bei. Wu Mingbai feigned confusion, “Ah, but I thought I heard the teacher say that killing a Night Beast could also resolve others’ predicaments?”

They understood the Night Beast’s implication—that releasing it could save the little girl and others. Yet, Ye Lin had previously mentioned that as long as they killed the Night Beast, most of the lasting damage they had caused would vanish without a trace.

The Night Beast likely believed they were naive youths, hoping to outsmart it with empty promises!

Seeing its cunning, the group lost their playful spirits. A moment’s folly could lead to disaster, and that would truly be a joke at their expense.

They repeated their earlier steps, and with the experience gained, their second mental assault was far more adept, swiftly obliterating the face that had appeared.

Once the visage faded, everyone turned to Su Bei. After a moment’s hesitation, Si Zhaohua tentatively asked, “Is it truly dead this time?”

“You guess?” Su Bei tilted his head, a playful glint in his eye.

Having spent time together, the group had learned to interpret his “you guess” as a confirmation, and they collectively sighed in relief.

Wu Mingbai hurried to share the good news, “I’ll go tell A Jiang and the others!”

However, as soon as he pulled out his phone, his expression froze. Slowly, he raised his head, “They’ve already completed their task.”

By the time they returned to the inn, the sky had darkened considerably, but it paled in comparison to the scowls on Si Zhaohua and the others’ faces. After all, it was hard to accept that what they thought would be a smooth victory had turned into a last-minute blunder.

They had expected to finish their task faster, only to find that the neighboring team had beaten them by a hair’s breadth, which naturally left them feeling disgruntled.

In stark contrast were Jiang Tianming and his group, all wearing smiles. Even the calm and collected Ling You, as serene as the wind, appeared to be in good spirits.

Perhaps the only one completely devoid of competitive spirit was Mo Xiaotian, who was bouncing with excitement like a puppy returning from a romp outside. Su Bei could almost envision the wild wagging of his tail behind him: “Our mission was so thrilling! But it was so much fun! I want to take on this kind of task again next time!”

Though the thought of competition had never crossed his mind, Mo Xiaotian found himself instinctively standing before Su Bei, who appeared the most serene among them.

Indeed, Su Bei was calm; he had no intention of vying for first place against Jiang Tianming’s group. As the true protagonist, Jiang Tianming’s chances of victory were already greater.

Before he could utter a word, Meng Huai and the others descended. Ye Lin wore a gentle smile on her face: “You all did well this time; there were no mistakes in the mission. Tomorrow is a day of rest, and the day after, we venture into a new alternate space. Now, hurry back to your rooms and rest; staying up late will stunt your growth.”

With that, she herded everyone back to their quarters like a shepherd with lambs, then returned to her own room, sitting down and glancing at her two colleagues and friends, her expression hesitant: “We’ve already scouted the area, but that alternate space is indeed perilous. Should we really send them?”

“Of course,” Meng Huai replied without hesitation. “Such danger is just right for them, and besides, with us watching, nothing will go awry. We just need to be wary of the ‘Black Flash’ people getting involved.”

“The academy’s investigation revealed they are researching something. The last group battle was also to capture more ability users for study,” Lei Ze’en shared, relaying the school’s findings about the ‘Black Flash’ organization. “But what exactly they are studying remains a mystery.”

At this, the others’ expressions turned grave. Ye Lin asked with concern, “Has the school not uncovered their research objectives yet? We can’t prepare appropriate defenses if we don’t know.”

“We can’t let them abduct students, at any rate,” Meng Huai declared firmly. “Be cautious at home the day after tomorrow; I have a feeling they’ll stir up trouble again.”

After such serious talk, it was time for something lighter. Lei Ze’en chuckled, “By the way, did you hear? The ‘Sky Vault Ability Academy’ wants to train alongside our group of students. They’re asking for our thoughts.”

“Ha!” Meng Huai scoffed, “I can assure you my students will be fine in that alternate space, but theirs might not be. They’re overreaching, courting disaster.”

Lei Ze’en shared the same sentiment, his eyes narrowing in amusement: “So what’s your decision?”

Though phrased as a question, he had already guessed the answer.

“Of course, I agree.” As expected, Meng Huai showed no opposition. After all, they weren’t his students; if they wished to court danger, he would generously allow it.

The only one among the three with a sense of justice, Ye Lin frowned slightly: “That’s not right; it’s unfair for the teachers’ misdeeds to fall on the students.”

Lei Ze’en rubbed his chubby cheeks, smiling knowingly: “Do you really think those students are unaware of the decisions being made? Some of them come from well-off families; their teachers would surely inform them of such choices in advance.”

If they didn’t say anything, the school would bear full responsibility if something went wrong. But if they did speak up, they could share some of the burden. Surely, those students were eager to challenge our ‘Endless Ability Academy,’ which is why they agreed to train together with the school.

Recognizing the validity of his words, Ye Lin fell silent for a moment before speaking again: “They’re just kids; they don’t understand.”

“Then they must bear the consequences.” Meng Huai lounged casually on the sofa, toying with Ye Lin’s hair, speaking nonchalantly, “If you truly disapprove, I’ll refuse.”

Though he relished the spectacle, he wouldn’t disregard his companions’ advice.

Yelin, unwilling to dampen her companion’s spirits, pondered for a moment before replying, “The teachers at the ‘Sky Vault Academy of Abilities’ should be just as diligent in watching over their students as we are. Though that alternate space is perilous, it’s not certain they’ll encounter trouble. Still, let’s wait until tomorrow to discuss it with our classmates; after all, it’s their matter, and they should have the final say.”

Meanwhile, in Su Bei’s room, both he and Feng Lan had finished their evening routines and were preparing for sleep.

Lying in bed, Su Bei turned his curious gaze toward Feng Lan’s direction. “Did you feel involved enough today?”

In missions like capturing mid-level Nightmares, Feng Lan, whose ability was [Prophecy], found it challenging to contribute meaningfully. Yet, when they returned earlier, Feng Lan’s expression had been rather positive, leading Su Bei to suspect he had played a significant role.

As expected, Feng Lan turned to face him and nodded slightly. “I found its weakness using the shards of prophecy.”

“Prophecy shards?” Su Bei echoed, intrigued. This was a new ability Feng Lan had developed, allowing him to glimpse fragments of the future based on posed questions.

However, upon hearing this, Su Bei was taken aback. “This ability can also reveal the enemy’s weaknesses?”

If that were the case, then Feng Lan’s newfound power was far more useful than Su Bei had initially thought. Yet, he couldn’t fathom how glimpses of the future could unveil an enemy’s vulnerabilities.

A heavy silence enveloped the air before Feng Lan finally replied, “Because in that prophecy shard, I saw that we defeated the Nightmare precisely by discovering its weakness.”

At this revelation, Su Bei fell silent as well, the room becoming so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would have echoed.

This was indeed a matter worthy of deep contemplation. After a long pause, Su Bei asked, “What was the catalyst for discovering the Nightmare’s weakness in that prophecy shard?”

As if anticipating the question, Feng Lan answered almost immediately, “I don’t know. That shard was a fragment of us using the weakness to slay the Nightmare.”

The air thickened with silence once more.

Su Bei mulled over the implications of what Feng Lan had revealed. This was a question entwined with fate and the cycle of causality. If their future selves could find the weakness, it was precisely because Feng Lan had seen the prophecy shard—creating a logical loop.

Feng Lan saw the Nightmare’s weakness in the prophecy shard, which led them to discover the weakness and slay the Nightmare, which in turn allowed the past Feng Lan to glimpse the Nightmare’s weakness in the prophecy shard.

Such a closed loop was both terrifying and captivating, as if one were ensnared by the grip of fate, yet had caught a glimpse of its edge.

Were it someone with a more obsessive nature, they might have succumbed to this, becoming a devotee of destiny.

But neither Su Bei nor Feng Lan were such individuals; unless one was truly willing to dedicate their life to unraveling it, pondering such matters was futile. Clearly, neither of them was inclined to waste time on such musings.

Thus, after a brief silence, Su Bei smiled and said, “You’d best talk to your past self often; who knows, you might just find a way to converse with your future self through the shards of fate.”

Feng Lan: “……”

Even though he didn’t expect Su Bei to react much to his earlier mention of fate being a closed loop, he still felt a bit speechless at his own response.

However, seeing that Su Bei was not overly concerned, he let out a sigh of relief. After all, his ability was merely [Prophecy], and the notion of a closed-loop fate didn’t weigh heavily on him.

But Su Bei’s power was [Fate’s Gear], directly tied to destiny itself. Feng Lan spoke of such matters out of fear that Su Bei might develop strange thoughts, like realizing that fate held no meaning.

Better to discover this truth early than to stumble upon it later. At least they were still in school; even if Su Bei got lost in his thoughts, the teachers would help steer him back.

Yet, it was clear he was overthinking, for Su Bei possessed the ability to alter fate. Both his power and the comics provided him with ample confidence. Even if fate was a closed loop, he believed he could tear open a seam!

The next day was a day of rest. Su Bei had planned to be a recluse, spending the entire day in the inn, passing time with comics.

But just as the clock struck ten, Mo Xiao Tian knocked on his door: “Su Bei, Feng Lan! Come out and play! We haven’t properly explored this place yet.”

Su Bei sighed, setting down his comic, and glanced at Feng Lan: “Shall we go?”

It was important to know that Mo Xiao Tian was not one to easily give up. If he refused, the guy would likely pester him for half the day. Better to just go along with it than to endure that.

Feng Lan didn’t mind where they went today; he nodded and opened the door.

To his surprise, standing at the door alongside Mo Xiao Tian were Si Zhao Hua and Jiang Tian Ming. They had come to discuss the follow-up on their mission.

Si Zhao Hua looked at Su Bei, shaking his phone: “The task liaison told me that the little girl has fully recovered. After a bit more rest, she can go back to school. Sister Wang and Brother Liu have been detained by the ability government for aiding the Night Beasts in their misdeeds; their punishment is still undecided.”

Jiang Tian Ming then brought up another matter: “By the way, the team from the day before yesterday, the one with Qing Qing and the others, has also been detained by the ability government.”

The follow-up seemed satisfactory, but Su Bei was curious about one thing: “What punishment did Qing Qing end up with?”

After all, Qing Qing had severely offended Zhou Ren Jie, losing face in a significant way; he wouldn’t let her off easily. Su Bei was surprised she was still alive.

“They’re still deliberating.” Si Zhao Hua, who knew more about the situation, replied. The Zhou family was dissatisfied with the punishment proposed by the ability government, and both sides were still negotiating.

“Ding!”

Just as he finished speaking, a message notification chimed from his phone. Si Zhao Hua looked down, his expression turning to one of shock: “Qing Qing has escaped!”

Qingqing has escaped?

Upon hearing this news, the crowd displayed expressions of surprise. She was under the custody of the Ability Government; her escape surely indicated the government’s incompetence, did it not?

With this thought, Si Zhaohua voiced, “How could they let her go? Qingqing has no real ability to escape, does she? The Ability Government is truly derelict in their duties!”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow, a knowing look crossing his face. “Indeed, she lacks any real means of fleeing, doesn’t she? Just because her ability is a bit peculiar, how could she possibly break free?”

This statement was laden with implications. The others failed to grasp its meaning, but Meng Huai, who happened to be ascending the stairs, understood. He scrutinized Su Bei, “Are you suggesting she was rescued by ‘Black Flash’?”

Qingqing had no capacity for escape, so it was impossible for her to leave on her own. It was plausible to think someone had controlled her departure, but surely the Ability Government wouldn’t be so negligent as to send only one or two guards to watch over her, knowing full well what her ability was? That would be a gross failure.

Eliminating the impossible, the most likely scenario was that someone had actively rescued her.

And Su Bei’s emphasis on “a bit peculiar” directly pointed to the motives of those who had taken Qingqing away.

Meng Huai was aware of part of ‘Black Flash’s’ intentions and knew the organization had been keeping a close watch on them. Naturally, he could surmise that it was ‘Black Flash’ pulling the strings.

“I’m just guessing,” Su Bei replied nonchalantly.

Typically, he wasn’t lying; it was indeed a guess. He had known from reading comics that ‘Black Flash’ had no intention of letting them go, always lurking in the shadows. Seeing Qingqing’s extraordinary ability, wasn’t it only natural for them to be tempted?

Moreover, she had made a powerful enemy in Zhou Renjie; once rescued, she would have no choice but to serve ‘Black Flash,’ free from any lingering concerns.

What he could deduce, Meng Huai could certainly piece together after that hint. His gaze darkened momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure. “What are you all doing gathered here?”

“We’re going out to have some fun!” Mo Xiaotian exclaimed cheerfully. He was genuinely carefree; Qingqing’s escape did nothing to dampen his spirits.

Watching his demeanor, Su Bei found it amusing. It was worth noting that Mo Xiaotian was himself a member of ‘Black Flash.’ Hearing them mention the organization, he showed no sign of unease. This was in stark contrast to his usual obliviousness—how was he managing this?

The others, of course, couldn’t ponder such depths. Meng Huai chuckled softly, then, with the swiftness of a thief in the night, adopted a stern expression. “You’re not allowed to go.”

“Ah? Why?!” Upon hearing this, Mo Xiaotian immediately wore a mournful expression. He had planned to wander from the east to the west!

However, Meng Huai couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to this foolish boy. He turned to the others: “You all stay in the inn and rest well today. If anyone wants to go out, report to my room.”

Just moments ago, they were discussing the “Black Flash” organization, and now they were being told they couldn’t go out. The connection was clear to everyone except Mo Xiaotian. Si Zhaohua nodded immediately: “Don’t worry, teacher, we won’t go out.”

Seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation, Mo Xiaotian sighed deeply, but in the next moment, he perked up again: “Then let’s play games in the room! I brought cards, want to join? Want to join?”

Su Bei and Jiang Tianming both knew how to play, so they readily agreed. However, Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan had never played card games before and could only watch from the sidelines.

In the first round, sometimes a fool has good fortune, and this saying held true. Mo Xiaotian’s hand was simply excellent; Su Bei and Jiang Tianming barely played a single card before he won.

Naturally, Mo Xiaotian was thrilled with such a crushing victory: “Wow, I just realized I’m so good at cards! Bei Ge, Jiang Ge, don’t you usually play much? No worries, let’s play a few more rounds, and you’ll get the hang of it!”

Though they knew he meant no harm, his words were still quite irritating. Su Bei and Jiang Tianming exchanged glances and silently agreed to ignore him. Get the hang of it? Well, let’s see about that.

After a few rounds, Mo Xiaotian finally had enough: “No more, no more! My luck seems to have run out; I’ve lost several rounds in a row! By the way, why aren’t you guys calling the landlord? It seems like I’ve been the landlord every round.”

This foolish child, of course, couldn’t see that Su Bei and Jiang Tianming were teaming up against him; he only thought he was having bad luck. Feeling a twinge of guilt for picking on a fool, Su Bei decided to back off: “Then let’s switch to someone else.”

Dou Di Zhu is a very simple game; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so universally known and loved by all ages. Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan were both clever; having watched four or five rounds, they had already grasped the basic rules.

Hearing that Mo Xiaotian was done playing, Si Zhaohua, who was a bit interested, took his place: “Then I’ll join.”

Now the three were evenly matched, exchanging blows back and forth. But playing Dou Di Zhu for too long can become dull, and Su Bei’s eyes twinkled: “How about we use our abilities to play?”

“How so?” Si Zhaohua asked, intrigued.

Su Bei flashed an innocent smile: “It means we don’t mind using our abilities while playing cards.”

“That’s just cheating!” Jiang Tianming pointed out the obvious, then added, “Besides your ability, how can ours even relate to playing cards?”

If not for that, he wouldn’t have suggested it, Su Bei thought with a grin. But since he had been called out, he let it go: “Let’s play something else then. How about Truth or Dare?”

This was also a timeless game, and Mo Xiaotian, who had been sulking on the side, perked up again, immediately standing: “I’ll go call the others!”

While he went to fetch them, Jiang Tianming and Feng Lan explained the rules of Truth or Dare.

Soon, everyone had gathered. Such team-building activities rarely saw anyone absent, especially when it was Mo Xiaotian who had extended the invitation. Just as Su Bei was too lazy to refuse Mo Xiaotian, so too were the others disinclined to engage in any quarrels with him; they simply showed up.

In the meantime, Su Bei had already prepared an online game of Truth or Dare (the heartless love edition). Those chosen could draw a card from the deck of truths and dares, then complete the task.

This version was deliberately crafted to avoid any scenarios that might embarrass the young men and women present. Naturally, Su Bei wouldn’t have to contend with cards that involved kissing or nibbling on chocolate sticks. Such things had no place in a boy’s comic.

They decided to use that deck, where the two who drew the big and small kings would need to undertake a truth or dare task. The two could not choose the same option, nor could one person consecutively select the same option.

If it was a truth, Lan Subing would use her [Word Spirit] to ensure the other spoke the truth. Choosing not to answer required one to drink bitter melon juice. The bitter melon juice was generously provided by the wooden iron man. Heaven knows why he brought a whole bag of bitter melon powder for his training journey!

Without a doubt, among all present, Su Bei had the worst luck.

Unless someone else had a misfortune persona, these “protagonists” were bound to have better luck than him, the “cannon fodder.”