A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 81



With this in mind, he relayed his thoughts to Ling You and then set off nearby to see if any other pieces were lurking about.

His luck had always been dismal; whenever he needed something, it was nowhere to be found. After searching for a long while with nothing to show for it, he realized it might be his bad fortune at play. So, Su Bei chose to remain still, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before Ling You found a “Horse” on her own, using it to collide with the “King,” successfully resolving the immediate dilemma.

When she returned, Ling You was utterly exhausted, gasping for breath, her face flushed, a stark contrast to her usual cool demeanor.

She brushed aside the deep green hair clinging to her face, slumping to the ground, and after catching her breath, she uttered her first words: “The ‘King’ has a skill; that was a laser. I wonder what the next one will be.”

Su Bei was taken aback by this revelation: “A laser?”

In his preoccupation with finding a solution, he hadn’t noticed what the “King” had done while pursuing Ling You.

Ling You nodded seriously, “Yes, a laser, quite powerful. That ‘Horse’ has a skill too; when it approached me, its front hooves suddenly lifted, looking like a trampling move.”

Due to the peril involved, she rarely spoke so much.

“Then, aside from marking people, the ‘Rook’ has its own skill—its petrification ability,” Su Bei realized. “It seems every piece has its own capabilities.”

But this wasn’t the main issue; the real problem was how to deal with the “Rook’s” mark. If they couldn’t manage that, they wouldn’t be able to leave this place. Otherwise, they would be trapped by the mark, unable to find their way back.

“…Why don’t you leave first?” After a long silence, Ling You finally spoke, “I can maintain the situation.”

She could indeed hold it together; half an hour was enough to regain her strength. But this was only temporary. If this continued, Ling You would eventually reach her limit.

Should I activate my powers?

Su Bei thought this, and suddenly his eyes lit up: “I’ve thought of a way!”

Hearing this, Ling You’s eyes also brightened: “What method?”

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“As long as we shatter the ‘Back,’ its abilities should all be undone, including the marking and petrification.” Su Bei replied, “You’ll turn to stone first, and when the ‘King’ arrives, I’ll push you directly behind the ‘Back.’ There’s enough space beside it for you to slip through, but the ‘King’ won’t be able to follow. This way, the ‘King’ will definitely collide with the ‘Back.’”

This method wasn’t complicated; it just required precise timing. They had to push her out just before the ‘King’ was about to strike Ling You, and at least a meter away to ensure the ‘King’ would crash into the ‘Back’ without a chance to evade.

The probability of success was high, but the risks were equally great. The ‘King’ had laser abilities, and if it chose to eliminate Ling You with a laser instead of colliding, there would be no way to salvage the situation. After all, once turned to stone, Ling You wouldn’t even be able to activate her watch’s protective shield.

So after laying out the plan, Su Bei closed his mouth, waiting for Ling You to come to her own conclusion.

Despite knowing through the guidance of the fate compass that this method would surely succeed, and considering she was part of the protagonist group, there was no way he would let her come to harm.

But when it came to matters of life and death, he could only offer suggestions; asking him to make decisions for others? That was out of the question.

After a moment of silence, as the time for the next arrival of the ‘King’ drew near, Ling You finally stopped hesitating: “Alright, but I hope you can push me directly behind the ‘Back’ when the time comes.”

The last laser attack they encountered had come straight at them, so she suspected the ‘King’s’ laser couldn’t turn corners. If she could hide behind the ‘Back,’ it would help shield her from the laser.

This was a test of skill; the academy hadn’t taught students how to practice this, and everything would rely on instinct. But Su Bei still agreed: “Okay.”

Once they had agreed, Ling You lay down and shifted two steps closer, bringing her head within a meter of the ‘Back.’ This would give Su Bei a larger area to work with.

Sure enough, just as Sister Zhao had said, the moment she came within a meter of the ‘Back,’ her entire body was suddenly petrified from head to toe.

Su Bei crouched beside her against the wall, carefully studying what angle he would need to use to swing her directly around to the back of the ‘Back.’

“Rumble, rumble, rumble!”

A great noise echoed from afar, and Su Bei looked up to see, as expected, the “King” approaching. The “King” moved swiftly, charging directly toward Su Bei’s crouched position.

In that moment, Su Bei suddenly realized a pressing issue: he needed to push Ling You away at the last second, forcing the “King” to collide without time to evade. The plan was sound, but how would he escape afterward?

The “King” might shatter the “Back,” but before that, it would surely send him, the one standing in front, flying. Su Bei didn’t believe he could withstand even a single blow. For heaven’s sake, he was a fragile mage!

There was no time for further thought; the “King” was barreling toward him too quickly. He had to decide, and fast!

Gritting his teeth, Su Bei embraced Ling You, and in the split second before the “King” reached him, he leaped, diving straight toward the back of the “Back.”

As he flew within a meter, Su Bei felt a peculiar sensation wash over him—he was turning to stone. It was a strange feeling, his body stiffening, his mind rapidly slowing to a halt.

Fortunately, in that final moment of thought, Su Bei clearly saw that he and Ling You would land directly behind the “Back.”

He succeeded.

“Bang!”

Su Bei timed it perfectly; the “King” couldn’t possibly brake in time at that speed, only able to unleash a laser in a desperate attempt to fight back. Unfortunately, the laser was blocked by the towering form of the “Back,” and it too was forced to crash into it.

The collision produced a thunderous sound, followed by the “King” and “Back” shattering into pieces, stones flying in all directions. Yet, miraculously, once they hit the ground, they vanished without a trace.

The two who had been petrified on the ground regained their senses, and Su Bei’s mind returned to clarity. He first wiggled his fingers, then quickly regained control of his body and stood up.

Ling You followed suit, rising to her feet, her memory of the petrification absent, puzzled. “How did you end up here?”

Su Bei couldn’t be bothered to explain in detail. “Guess.”

He then walked to the site of the explosion, picking up a square stone that hadn’t vanished, along with a green card inscribed with words. “Looks like this is the so-called token, and this card corresponds to the exit location.”

“I have one too.” Ling You pulled a card from her pocket, one she had obtained after destroying the first “King.”

Then she produced a white card. “This is from the ‘Soldier’ that shattered upon colliding with the ‘King.’”

In her single-minded focus on how to deal with the “Back,” coupled with sheer exhaustion, Ling You had momentarily forgotten to retrieve these two items. If Su Bei hadn’t picked up the token, she might not have remembered at all.

Su Bei first examined the white card; it was a functional card, with “Soldier” written on the front and “Tear this card to eliminate the nearest ‘Soldier’ piece” on the back.

So it is, no wonder Sister Zhao said this is a unique tool of this otherworldly space; indeed, this card cannot be used elsewhere.

“Keep it.” He returned the card to Ling You, then glanced at the other two green cards. Though they both corresponded to the same “King” of the same “Back,” the contents of these two cards were not the same.

Both were images; one depicted a Nightmarish Bird, pitch black, its body bristling with spikes like a hedgehog, and six eyes on its head, looking exceedingly bizarre.

The other was a pattern of a “Horse” chess piece.

After a moment of silence, Su Bei finally asked, “What does this mean?”

Ling You pondered for a moment before expressionlessly guessing, “Places with ‘Horses’ or ‘Birds’ have exits?”

“Perhaps…” Su Bei suddenly stood up, “Then let’s return to where we first encountered the ‘Horse.’ It should come back here sooner or later, and when it does, we can just follow it.”

Both of them had decent memories, and since they hadn’t strayed too far, they easily retraced their steps. With action temporarily unnecessary, Su Bei opened the intercom to inquire about the others’ progress.

The quickest response came from the trio of Si Zhao Hua, Zhou Ren Jie, and Mu Tie Ren; they were currently alone, wandering the maze. Hearing Si Zhao Hua’s voice, Su Bei immediately recalled a previous question: “When you fly up, can you see the entire layout of the maze?”

Si Zhao Hua sighed, his tone tinged with regret: “I’ve tried, but unfortunately, there’s a type of Nightmarish Bird in the sky with high attack power. The moment it shows itself, they all swarm to attack, making it impossible to fly.”

Nightmarish Bird? Su Bei’s eyes lit up: “Is it the kind covered in spikes?”

“You’ve seen it too?” Si Zhao Hua sounded somewhat surprised.

Of course, Su Bei hadn’t seen it, but he desperately needed to know where these birds were: “When you flew up earlier, did you notice where these Nightmarish Birds were gathering?”

“It seems to be in the southwest corner of the maze.” After a moment of recollection, Si Zhao Hua spoke, then suddenly seemed to realize something, “Is there an exit there?”

Aside from this reason, he found it hard to think of any other motive for Su Bei to want to know the location.

There was no need to hide this, so Su Bei directly admitted, “Yes, we found a token and its corresponding clue, and the location is right here.”

“Token?” There had been outsiders earlier, and for a time, Si Zhao Hua hadn’t opened the intercom, so he didn’t know what Su Bei was talking about.

Seeing this, Su Bei briefly explained the information he had previously obtained. Only then did Si Zhao Hua understand, his mood lifting considerably. He had been wandering this damned maze for quite a while, without any useful information or sight of an exit. Now that he finally had a clue, he was naturally pleased.

However, through Su Bei’s words, he also realized a problem: “You two found a token?”

In a mere sentence, Su Bei and the other understood his meaning. Indeed, if a token could only allow one person to leave, then which of the two would use it?

At that moment, the Iron Man, standing beside Si Zhao Hua, suddenly spoke up: “A token need not permit only one to depart; otherwise, leaving would be far too difficult.”

This made sense, for finding an exit required not only the destruction of a “Hòu” and its corresponding “Wáng,” but also following the clues provided by the “Wáng” to locate the way out.

The challenges encountered throughout this process were numerous; if a token could only allow one person to leave, then they might as well give up on life altogether and join the conservatives.

Su Bei nodded in agreement: “You make a valid point. We shall see. If a token can allow many to leave, then you may join us here.”

In the next moment, Zhou Renjie immediately declared, “Let us go now!”

Perhaps feeling his tone too hasty, too eager for quick results, he added, “If only one can leave, then the remaining person would be left alone. It’s better to leave together.”

After a brief discussion, they each began to act. Since they were in the southwest corner, it was relatively easy to find, at least there was a describable location.

Otherwise, finding a place in the maze would be exceedingly difficult. However, there was a way—let Si Zhao Hua change locations a few times to see if they could catch sight of the Nightbird’s flight direction, thus deducing the location of its nest.

As he pondered these thoughts, the previously quiet Ling You suddenly spoke, her voice cold yet resolute: “If only one can leave, you should go.”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow, deliberately adopting a grandiose tone: “Oh, what a kind, lovely, beautiful, generous, selfless, and magnanimous lady you are!”

In the next moment, he received a rare eye-roll from Ling You.

To be honest, Su Bei truly wished to leave; they could already go, so why linger here? Yet this time was different from the last. When he encountered Qing Qing and the others, it was clear there was no significant plot behind it—merely a small interlude.

But this time was different; he sensed that much more would unfold within this maze. If he left now and missed the subsequent events, who knew what opportunities he might squander?

Moreover, even if those concerns were nonexistent, he would not agree. So, after a brief moment of levity, he said seriously: “You are marked by the ‘Hòu,’ so the token naturally belongs to you.”

“But the method to destroy the ‘Hòu’ was proposed by you and executed by you,” Ling You replied, her expression impassive, forcing a slight smile at the corners of her mouth.

Perhaps because she rarely smiled, when she did, it was unexpectedly beautiful.

Su Bei remained unfazed, exuding a playful defiance: “Sometimes luck is more important than skill. If you don’t wish to leave, just give the token to Si Zhao Hua and the others; I won’t be going.”

At this, he suddenly winked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face: “I want to stay and watch the show.”

—

At this moment, Ling You truly felt a flicker of amusement; she lowered her head and coughed softly, “Let’s talk later.”

The two continued their conversation, hastening toward their destination. In this labyrinth, even knowing the goal lay in the southwest corner made it no easier to reach. For every step taken in one direction, they might encounter towering walls, forcing them to detour in a wide arc.

If it weren’t for the compass Ling You carried, they might have wandered in circles, never finding the way to that elusive southwest corner.

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, and Jiang Tianming’s voice came through, urgent and strained: “We’re being hunted by the radicals. Be careful! Anyone with clues on them will be found!”

At this, Su Bei and Ling You exchanged a glance, quickly asking, “What do you mean? How will they find us?”

Before he could respond, Li Shu’s voice chimed in: “I asked one of our pursuers. He said there’s an ability user in their organization who can locate anyone with clues to the exit.”

Unsurprisingly, his “asking” was far from peaceful, but no one paid it any mind. Su Bei frowned slightly, “They want the clues to the exit?”

If they sought tokens, that made sense; after all, such things were essential for anyone wishing to escape. But to seek the clues to the exit…

In an instant, a saying flashed through his mind—“Waiting by the stump for a hare!”

As long as they could pinpoint all the exit locations, they could seize the tokens from anyone who approached, thus securing their own escape. It was indeed a clever strategy, but it required a figure of authority to maintain order; otherwise, chaos would surely ensue.

With this thought, he chuckled softly, “It seems, Si Zhaohua, you really must come. We might have to fight.”

If the exit they aimed for was already under their control, they would undoubtedly station guards. He could only hope it wouldn’t come to that; otherwise, they’d be in for more trouble.

“Then we won’t go,” Jiang Tianming said with a wry smile. “We’re still being tailed; showing up would only complicate things for you.”

Just then, Lan Subing appeared, her presence sudden: “Do you need us? I’m with Qi Huang and Feng Lan.”

“Sure, you can come.” Su Bei had no objections, “Everyone can come; perhaps we can regroup once you arrive. Oh, but Jiang Tianming, you really don’t need to come.”

If there were indeed guards at the exit, they would inevitably have to confront them to determine the victor. Bringing Jiang Tianming and the pursuers along would only tighten the noose, plunging them deeper into chaos.

As noon approached, Su Bei and Ling You leisurely enjoyed a meal. Yet, only Su Bei seemed at ease; Ling You clearly bore a heavier heart.

She gazed down at the roasted tiger meat before her, and after a moment, murmured, “I can’t shake the feeling that it’s all too quiet.”

At her words, Su Bei paused, not surprised by what Ling You said, but rather astonished that she would voice such a thought.

—

To know, she would never have uttered a word before, her aloofness colder than the most socially anxious. But now, she was boldly voicing her guesses; the change was quite significant.

Yet, her words rang true. Su Bei also felt that it was indeed too quiet. From the moment they received the clue until now, during their lunch, an hour had passed, and not a single soul had crossed their path.

In this labyrinth, three factions had formed, including solitary ability users, which indicated that there were indeed many people within. Yet, they had encountered no one for such a long time, and it felt distinctly odd.

“I’ll sense a bit,” Su Bei said, releasing his mental energy.

This environment, with its towering walls, was not friendly to his ability to perceive the outside world through mental force. The thick, high walls effectively suppressed the spread of his mental energy; to gain a clearer sense, he would have to navigate around the walls.

But how easy was it to manipulate mental energy to bypass a wall? Moreover, after maneuvering around the left, he would have to circle back to the right. This was a maze, making it all the more challenging. This was why Su Bei had refrained from using his mental energy until now.

He closed his eyes, slowly controlling his mental force, extending and moving it outward from both sides of the corridor, turning as he went.

Of course, he didn’t forget to chew on the roasted meat in his mouth.

After about ten minutes, Su Bei suddenly opened his eyes, his expression grave: “We’re surrounded.”

At this, Ling You’s eyes widened, her demeanor shifting sharply: “Is it the radicals? How many?”

“It should be them. Altogether, there are five people. Three are on the path we need to take, and two are following behind.” It was rare for Su Bei to look a bit overwhelmed. “They must have sensed that we have a clue and followed us here.”

Five people, all ability users capable of entering such a high-level alternate space; it was nearly impossible for the two of them to handle. Ling You was a prime example; she was a standard combat-type ability user, thriving in larger confrontations.

Su Bei had once overheard Meng Huai say that by the time they reached their senior year, Ling You wouldn’t need to venture out for training anymore; she would serve as a trump card, honing her skills within the school.

And what about Su Bei? His combat skills were indeed formidable, but that was clearly insufficient against five ability users. The gears could be useful, but he had abilities, and so did they; who knew what bizarre powers might emerge?

Adjusting the fate compass above their heads was the most feasible option, but attempting to adjust five people’s pointers was a bit too ambitious, unless all five were just slightly off to the right.

Otherwise, given Su Bei’s current situation, he could at most adjust the pointers of three people simultaneously, after which he would collapse on the spot.

In this scenario, if those five launched an attack, the two of them could only surrender outright.

As for why those five hadn’t attacked yet? Perhaps it was because they had already secured the exit they were heading towards; now, they were merely preparing to trap their prey.

With this thought, Su Bei couldn’t help but sigh. Indeed, his luck was lacking, the worst-case scenario had come to pass. But upon reflection, it might not even be a matter of luck; perhaps it was the event system that came with Ling You, the protagonist!

“I can use my powers.” After grasping the situation, Ling You spoke decisively. The [Plague] contained both airborne viruses and those that required contact to spread.

The former needed to be close; even the farthest had to be within five meters to transmit, and their lethality was not too great. But once infected, they would naturally weaken, making it much easier to deal with them later.

The latter, however, was far more lethal, but less contagious; not everyone would necessarily come into contact with the source of the poison.

Su Bei shook his head. “No need, let’s wait for the others.”

If he truly wanted to kill them, he could simply stick an invisibility talisman on himself and easily take their lives. He had to admit, invisibility talismans were quite the treasure, especially when others were unprepared.

But as he said, there was no need to go that far. Eliminating them might provoke the organization to send another wave of people, making things even harder to resolve.

In any case, those few wouldn’t affect them for now. Once they reached their destination and regrouped with the other classmates, these five would surely be no match for the main characters.

Having decided to ignore them, the two asked about Si Zhao Hua and the others’ progress before extinguishing the fire and continuing on their way. Thanks to Si Zhao Hua being able to fly and scout the path, their pace quickened, and they needn’t worry about arriving first and getting caught.

It had to be said, having these five flanking them was quite beneficial; at least during this time, they hadn’t encountered any further mishaps or ill-intentioned individuals. All dangers were kept at bay by these five.

Halfway through the journey, Su Bei sensed again and found that five had become four. As they neared their destination, the four turned into three.

Su Bei couldn’t help but chuckle; they hadn’t even made a move, yet the enemy was already dwindling. He was certain that the two who had vanished were likely forced to leave due to some pawn or other reason.

Now, only one remained behind them. Su Bei decided he wouldn’t hold back any longer; he approached and, alongside Ling You, swiftly defeated the lone figure, then continued on as if nothing had happened.

Before long, the two stopped, gazing at the few massive black birds circling in the sky. They knew their destination was just ahead.

Before they could say anything, sounds of fighting erupted from ahead. They knew that only two radical members remained in front of them. Su Bei and Ling You exchanged glances and hurried over to investigate.

As expected, they found Si Zhao Hua and the others engaged in battle. Unlike Su Bei and Ling You, Si Zhao Hua, Zhou Renjie, and Mu Tieren were all seasoned fighters. Moreover, three against two made it easy for them to overpower their opponents.

With two enemies pinned beneath their feet, Mu Tieren looked up and greeted Su Bei and Ling You. “We finally regrouped!”

“How did you come from this direction?” Su Bei asked, puzzled. “Shouldn’t there be a whole bunch of people guarding over there?”

Logically, the exit was just ahead. Based on previous deductions, the radicals would surely be guarding the exit, waiting for prey. Could it be that he had miscalculated?