A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 80
He immediately abandoned the idea of teaching Ling You a lesson with physical prowess and activated his own abilities. In an instant, gray fur sprouted across his face and neck, half-inch-long fangs emerged from his mouth, his ears morphed into wolf-like shapes atop his head, and his eyes glowed a ghostly green, radiating menace.
His werewolf abilities significantly enhanced his speed and strength, and a cruel smile twisted his lips as he extended his claws, lunging at Ling You once more.
This time, Ling You found herself truly outmatched; in the cramped space, even dodging became a challenge, and she quickly found herself on the defensive. The boy’s claws were sharp, and in just a few moments, he had managed to inflict wounds on the unsuspecting Ling You.
“Hiss!” Ling You stepped back, clutching her bleeding arm, her brow furrowed tight.
If she waited any longer, if the affliction sank deeper into her bones, the hoodie-clad man would surely be defeated. But the problem was, she wouldn’t last that long before being vanquished herself.
Seeing this, Su Bei reluctantly abandoned his plan to mock the fisherman’s hat later. With a swift chop of his hand, he knocked the man unconscious, then rose to join the fray.
He wasted no time, launching a kick at the hoodie man, interrupting his assault on Ling You.
The hoodie man dodged with a quick sidestep, anger flashing across his face as he sneered, “If she can’t do it, you think you can? You’re all just fodder!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a prickling sensation surged in his throat, and his limbs began to feel weak and feeble. The hoodie man knew all too well that this was the green-haired girl’s ability at work. A chill settled in his heart; he resolved to end this quickly.
But he had clearly underestimated Su Bei’s strength.
Due to the effects of the ability, Su Bei’s speed and power were no match for the hoodie man. Yet when it came to skill, ten hoodie men couldn’t hold a candle to him. His martial arts were recognized even by Meng Huai, who had personally trained him—far beyond what a mere lackey like the hoodie man could compare to.
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In combat, unless the disparity in physical prowess was so great that sheer strength could overwhelm technique, skill would always hold the upper hand.
And the gap between them was evidently not that vast. After a brief exchange, the hoodie man realized he was utterly outmatched by Su Bei; if he continued, he would likely face defeat.
At the same time, his mental energy was dwindling, for the ability he wielded consumed it. The decrease in mental strength weakened his ability to suppress the toxins within him. Coupled with the physical setbacks, the hoodie man finally lost control, erupting into a violent fit of coughs.
“Cough cough cough cough cough!”
Su Bei seized the moment to pull back, too lazy to continue the fight. He could sense what the hoodie man felt; if the man couldn’t defeat him even with his ability, he certainly wouldn’t stand a chance with Ling You’s support.
Thinking of Ling You, he glanced back, “Your hand is alright?”
“I brought bandages.” Ling You maintained her usual cold demeanor, but she nodded slightly at Su Bei, a hint of gratitude in her eyes. If she had faced those two alone, she would have surely fallen by now.
At that moment, the hoodie man’s coughing finally subsided. He was about to lift his head to hurl insults, but was horrified to find his clenched fist soaked in blood.
This was what he had just coughed up!
“What have you done, cough cough cough cough! Why am I coughing up blood?” Fear widened his eyes, and his blood-stained lips trembled involuntarily.
Seeing Ling You remain silent, Su Bei spoke in her stead, “Just eliminate your teammate, and you’ll be fine. Otherwise…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but the hoodie man no longer dared to hesitate. Even in this age of advanced medicine, coughing up blood was a matter of grave concern.
Before leaving, he had to issue a warning: “If I leave and you still haven’t—()—you will definitely be held accountable by our school! ()”
Su Bei calmly watched him press against his and his teammates’ chests, and then the two of them departed together. Just as he was about to say something, a tremendous sound suddenly erupted from afar, a booming “轰隆隆▄()▄[()]『来[]*看最新章节*完整章节』()” echoing through the air.
He looked up.
—A giant stone pillar, resembling a magnificent steed, was galloping toward him.
“Horse?!” Even Su Bei couldn’t help but widen his eyes, “What the hell, there are creatures like this here?”
As he spoke, he grabbed the still-dazed Ling You and quickly ran backward, then swiftly darted into a nearby passage.
Just seconds after they slipped away, the towering stone pillar, standing three or four meters high, thundered past. Su Bei immediately chased after it to take a look, only to see the pillar race to the top, then turn and vanish from sight.
“What was that thing?” Ling You, following closely behind, wore a complex expression, “A nightmare beast?”
After a moment of silence, Su Bei nodded uncertainly: “Maybe? It’s one thing for a labyrinth to automatically generate in this alternate space, but if it can also conjure stone horses, that’s just bizarre. Or maybe not…”
At this point, a thought struck him, a way to confirm. He quickly pressed the talk button on the intercom: “Wu Jin, are you there?”
“Here.” Wu Jin’s voice came back, somewhat low, clearly indicating they had all been listening to the intercom.
Su Bei immediately said, “I just saw a horse-shaped stone pillar over here. If you saw it too, help me check if this thing is a nightmare beast.”
“Got it.” Wu Jin had no objections.
At that moment, Jiang Tianming’s voice crackled through the intercom: “Horse-shaped stone pillar? Isn’t it supposed to be humanoid? Like a man with a crown.”
Next to him, Li Shu chimed in: “It’s a man, huh? Seems like there are many different styles of stone pillars here.”
“Horse? A man with a crown?” Si Zhaohua’s voice suddenly rang out from the intercom: “Could it be a chess piece?”
Since he hadn’t played chess much before, Su Bei didn’t immediately connect the dots, but as soon as Si Zhaohua mentioned it, he realized the possibility.
The man with a crown was the “king” in chess, while the horse represented the “knight.”
The thoughts that had been temporarily abandoned resurfaced upon encountering the new species: “Is it possible that the clues to the exit are hidden within these chess-like stone pillars?”
At this, Ling You’s eyes brightened: “It’s possible. The stone pillars and the stone wall maze seem to be one and the same.”
The two exchanged a glance and began to frantically pursue the stone pillar they had just seen. Unfortunately, they had no idea which way it had turned, and they could not find it at all.
“Forget it, let’s wait for the next one,” Su Bei sighed, too weary to waste any more energy. He led Ling You to a random spot to sit and rest.
Ling You was not one to indulge in idleness, but he could sit still, and he had no objections to Su Bei’s arrangement. The two leaned against the wall, closing their eyes to gather their strength, listening to the occasional chatter of their companions crackling through the intercom.
“Hey, are you two alright?” Suddenly, a woman’s voice called from not far away.
Su Bei had sensed her approach long before she spoke, but he had chosen to remain unresponsive. Only when he heard her voice did he open his eyes and look over.
The newcomer was a woman in her thirties, dressed sharply, clearly a seasoned ability user. Yet, despite her polished attire, it was evident she had not taken care of herself in quite some time.
Her short hair was a disheveled mess, greasy and unkempt, her clothes wrinkled and marred with several tears. A couple of wounds adorned her body, all hastily bandaged.
Seeing Su Bei open his eyes, the woman realized they were merely resting. She felt a twinge of apology but did not leave; instead, she stood there, inquiring, “I see you two are new arrivals?”
Not wanting to engage in pleasantries, Su Bei cut straight to the chase: “What do you want?”
Ling You had also opened his eyes and stood up, watching the woman warily.
The woman quickly waved her hands: “I’m sorry, I just haven’t found a way out in a long time. I’ve been trapped here for a while. Seeing you two newcomers, I wanted to ask if you have any means of escape.”
This was a maze; the only way to leave was to find the exit, with no path to return. Unless there was a special method to exit directly, being unable to find the exit meant being trapped within.
No wonder this woman looked so disheveled; it turned out she had been stuck here.
“We don’t have any leads either. We’re also looking for the exit,” Su Bei replied.
Not receiving the answer she sought, the woman hesitated but did not leave. After a moment, she spoke again: “Though I know you might not agree, I still want to ask—can I join you?”
Before either could respond, she hurriedly continued, “You’ve just arrived, so you surely don’t know the situation here. I’ve been trapped for a full seven days; I’ve learned quite a bit that could be useful to you.”
“You mean that stone pillar of chess?” Su Bei asked, his tone indifferent, implying, “If that’s what you’re talking about, then there’s no need to elaborate.”
Yet the woman clearly did not grasp that this was no secret; she shook her head. “What I mean is about the exit, and the forces related to this otherworldly space.”
At her words, a flicker ignited in Su Bei’s eyes, and he sat up slightly. He had just realized this point himself. Logically, while exits were hard to find, if someone had discovered one, there would surely be others outside selling maps for profit. A labyrinthine otherworld, after all—selling maps could yield a fortune.
It was one thing that he hadn’t noticed this before, but this woman appeared to be a seasoned ability user, battle-hardened and experienced, yet she hadn’t procured a map in advance. In fact, she hadn’t even found the exit, having been trapped inside for seven days. This indicated that the location of the exit was not as simple as he had imagined.
Moreover, regarding the matter of “forces,” if the woman had been trapped for seven days, there must be others like her, or even those who had been ensnared longer.
Wherever there are people, there exists a world of intrigue. Being trapped for so long, the issue of supplies would undoubtedly be significant, making the formation of various factions quite reasonable.
With this in mind, an elder who had spent some time inside could provide introductions, helping them avoid many pitfalls.
Thinking this, Su Bei scrutinized the woman once more. In this appraisal, he quickly noticed something amiss.
Though the woman appeared quite disheveled, her body covered in dust, her face and hands were surprisingly clean.
If, as she claimed, she had been trapped here for seven days, her food and drinking water should have been exhausted. The only sustenance would be the flesh of nightmare beasts and their blood.
Yet her face and hands were so pristine—it was clearly abnormal.
It was certain that this person had some issues, but Su Bei didn’t mind. As long as they could overpower her, any problems would be inconsequential.
With this thought, he smiled and said, “Could I discuss this with my companions first?”
“Of course,” the woman nodded immediately, stepping back a bit.
Once he was sure she couldn’t hear them, Su Bei spoke plainly, “This person might be problematic. Can you use a poison on her that would incapacitate her the moment it takes effect?”
At his words, Ling You’s gaze sharpened, and she answered, “There is such a virus, but it requires at least a full day to incubate within her.”
Then, with a hint of disapproval, she asked, “You know she’s a problem, yet you still want to team up with her?”
She understood Su Bei’s implication; wanting to incapacitate the other party clearly indicated a desire to form a team while being cautious.
Su Bei nodded. “We’re newcomers, and having an elder to guide us would be beneficial. Besides, as long as we don’t let her pose a threat to us, it should be fine.”
Silence lingered for a moment before Ling You finally acquiesced. In the end, she prepared to unleash a virus, stepping forward with a forced smile that was less cold, extending her hand: “Shall we enjoy this cooperation?”
Seeing their agreement, the woman immediately grasped her hand with delight: “A pleasure to cooperate!”
From a distance, Su Bei understood clearly; this virus had likely already infected the woman. One had to admit, Ling You’s abilities were truly insidious. To stand against her, one had to be cautious of breath, touch, and presence.
Once the partnership was established, the woman promptly displayed her sincerity: “In this labyrinth, there are three factions. One of them is us, the rogue ability users. As long as we can sustain ourselves and are unafraid of danger, there’s no need to join a faction.”
Her words implied that the other two factions wouldn’t force anyone to join. Su Bei pressed the button on the walkie-talkie, curiosity piqued: “And what about the other two factions?”
“The two are generally referred to as the Conservatives and the Radicals. The Conservatives plan to live here in this alternate space, waiting for someone from the outside to rescue them. The Radicals, on the other hand, wish to escape, frantically seizing the clues from the ability users.”
“Clues?” At the mention of the keyword, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. “Sister, are you talking about clues related to the exit? Logically, if one person finds the exit, everyone else should be able to leave, right?”
Hearing the handsome, blonde boy call her sister, the woman couldn’t help but smile: “Just call me Sister Zhao. It’s not that simple. There are many exits in this alternate space, but only by finding the corresponding token can one leave through these exits.”
Knowing the more critical information, Sister Zhao did not hold back: “The token is on the ‘Back,’ while the clues corresponding to the exit are with the ‘King.’”
“Then won’t destroying the other pieces yield any benefits?” Su Bei asked, drawing a parallel.
“Of course, there are benefits.” Sister Zhao didn’t conceal this part. “It will provide some special items for this alternate space.”
At this point, she suddenly recalled something, scrutinizing Su Bei and the others: “What piece did you encounter earlier?”
“It was a ‘Knight,’” Su Bei replied.
He had made the right choice not to lie, as Sister Zhao clearly understood the rules of the pieces: “Encountering a ‘Knight’ is somewhat fortunate; they are merely fast. If you had met a ‘Pawn,’ it would have been troublesome, as ‘Pawns’ will relentlessly pursue you unless another person comes closer to them.”
Disappointed that the rules were not the same as chess, Su Bei pondered; after all, this was a labyrinth, not a chessboard—how could it be identical?
“What about the rules for the other pieces?”
This time, Sister Zhao did not respond immediately, instead wearing a knowing expression: “Speaking of which, I’m feeling thirsty. Did you bring anything to drink?”
It was clear she intended to trade supplies for information, and Su Bei understood: “We don’t have much; we didn’t anticipate being trapped inside.”
Su Bei wasn’t lying; he truly hadn’t brought much. Among the fifteen of them, the one with the most supplies was likely Mu Tie Ren, followed perhaps by Zhao Xiao Yu, but it certainly wouldn’t be him.
His backpack held only two bottles of water and a few pieces of dry rations. There were some supplies left in the storage space, but as far as water went, it would last only three or four days. Once the supplies ran out, one would either have to drink the blood of the Nightmares or join a faction. For now, he intended to do neither, so he had to conserve what little he had.
So, the meaning behind his words was a refusal. After all, once you understood the rules of the game, there was no need to waste time.
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhao’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of insight, but she said nothing, only remarking, “If you lack supplies, you must carefully consider the matters of these two factions.”
Ling You, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, “If you were to advise us, which faction do you think we should join?”
She aimed to probe which faction Sister Zhao belonged to; after all, Ling You didn’t believe the other was merely a lone wanderer. Even if Su Bei didn’t say it, she didn’t think the other was harmless.
However, Sister Zhao didn’t take the bait; she didn’t provide a direct answer: “It depends on your goals and abilities. Do you wish to wait for rescue, or do you want to find a way to leave on your own? If your abilities can aid in survival, joining the conservatives would be easier. If your abilities are of little use, the conservatives might not accept you.”
This didn’t sound very favorable for the conservatives. Su Bei didn’t press further, only chuckling, “Well then, it seems we have no choice but to join the radicals.”
At his words, Sister Zhao’s brow twitched, but she didn’t inquire about their abilities. Instead, she asked, “By the way, do you have any companions in this maze? Given your ages, you must have come with a teacher and classmates, right?”
“There are a few, but we don’t know where they are.” Su Bei naturally wouldn’t reveal the locations of the others. After saying this, he swiftly changed the subject, “Let’s go find the pieces; it’s not wise to linger here.”
As he spoke, he stood up and glanced at the fate compass hovering above the heads of the two beside him. Sister Zhao’s compass showed no issues, but the small needle on Ling You’s was tilted to the right, clearly indicating she would soon encounter some setbacks.
The group began to wander aimlessly. When the giant stone pieces moved, they made a thunderous noise, but due to the towering, soundproof walls, it was difficult to determine the pieces’ locations unless one was very close.
Knowing his luck was not great, Su Bei let Ling You take the lead. She didn’t disappoint, quickly locating their target.
From a distance, they heard a massive, heavy “rumbling” sound.
It came from around the corner, and the three walked over to investigate. There stood a statue of a crowned woman.
The moment Zhao Jie laid eyes on the statue, her face turned pale, and she quickly stepped back, glancing at the back of her hand. Seeing it was still smooth and unmarked, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Only then did she have the leisure to look at Su Bei and Ling You, who wore puzzled expressions, and warned, “You two should check if there are any marks on the backs of your hands!”
Su Bei’s hand bore nothing, but Ling You slowly spoke, “Is this it?”
On her hand, a black crown tattoo had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
The instant Zhao Jie saw the tattoo, her expression changed, her eyes filled with sympathy, yet her feet began to retreat slowly. “You’ve been marked.”
“What danger does that pose?” Though she could tell it was not a good sign, Ling You’s expression remained unchanged as she calmly inquired.
Perhaps it was out of pity for her, but Sister Zhao did not demand any further payment; she simply replied, “This is the mark of the ‘Rear.’ The ‘King’ will hunt down those who bear the mark.”
The “King” piece was undoubtedly formidable; being targeted by such a BOSS was a perilous affair.
Su Bei immediately pressed on, “Is there any way to remove or transfer this mark?”
At this question, Sister Zhao’s gaze flickered for a moment before she answered, “It cannot be transferred. To make it disappear, you must shatter the ‘Rear.’ If you only break the ‘King,’ the maze will send forth a new ‘King’ within half an hour.”
After a moment’s thought, she decided to elaborate, “By the way, getting within a meter of the ‘Rear’ will turn you to stone.”
Having said this, Sister Zhao felt she had done her duty and turned to Su Bei, suggesting, “Those marked are almost certainly doomed. Even if you stay here with her, it won’t help. You might as well come with me.”
If Ling You was a stranger to Su Bei, he would have no qualms about abandoning her at this moment. But since she was his classmate, leaving her behind was not an option.
Su Bei shook his head firmly, “No, I’ll stay here and see if I can deal with the ‘Rear.’”
Seeing he had no intention of leaving, Sister Zhao could only turn away with a hint of regret.
During this exchange, Ling You had remained silent, and only after Sister Zhao departed did she ask, “How do we shatter the statue?”
That was a good question. Others with enhanced strength might have the means, but neither of them did. In fact, in Su Bei’s eyes, no one in Class S seemed capable of breaking the statue through sheer force.
However, Wu Ming, who wielded the Earth Element, might find himself more at home here, as stone was, after all, a form of earth.
With this thought, Su Bei glanced at his watch map. The light points were now clustered together in small groups, none straying alone.
He activated the intercom, asking, “Does anyone know how to break the pieces?”
In truth, there was a very simple way to resolve Ling You’s predicament: Su Bei could directly use his powers to shift the small pointer above her head to the left.
But he wasn’t at that point yet, and he also wanted to see what the “King” looked like, so he held back.
The others were momentarily stumped, but Wu Jin did respond to Su Bei’s earlier question, “I’ve seen the statue; it has the aura of a Night Beast, but it’s not a Night Beast.”
At this, a flicker of suspicion ignited in Su Bei’s mind. These statues were certainly related to the Night Beasts and the maze, and the implications were subtle and profound.
Before long, a rumbling sound echoed once more.
The “King” had arrived.
It was a stone sculpture of imposing grandeur, a man whose face was obscured, crowned and charging straight for Ling You.
Its speed rivaled that of a horse, exuding an unstoppable momentum. Su Bei veered around a corner, allowing this colossal piece to pursue Ling You. Only after it had passed did he emerge to follow, launching a tentative attack from behind.
But there was no doubt, this assault was utterly futile. Even with his enhanced physique, he was still merely flesh and blood; how could he shatter stone with bare hands?
A probe of his mental energy revealed no anomalies.
After a moment’s thought, Su Bei shouted to the frantically running Ling You ahead, “Don’t run too far! Try to circle back with the ‘King’! I’ll think of something.”
At first, he considered that since the “Rook” wouldn’t move, they could run toward it and then suddenly dodge, letting the “King” collide with the “Rook.” That way, they could deal with both pieces at once.
But Sister Zhao’s warning about being petrified within a meter of the “Rook” extinguished that idea.
The corridors of this labyrinth were relatively spacious, but only about two meters wide. The “Rook” stood in the middle, itself a meter wide, making it impossible to maintain a distance of more than a meter from it.
The notion of having them collide was unfeasible, but perhaps he could lure another piece to crash into the “King.” While it wouldn’t solve everything at once, it would at least provide a moment’s respite, giving them time to think and allowing Ling You to recover some stamina.
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