A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 87



Another course was the Ability Identification class, taught by Lei Ze’en. This class was primarily aimed at broadening students’ horizons, covering various topics including but not limited to ability artifacts, special Nightmares, and ability organizations.

Especially in the realm of ability artifacts, although the items created by ability users were bizarre and varied, often it was not just difficult to research their functions, but even to recognize them as ability artifacts was no easy feat.

Yet, ability artifacts do have certain distinctions from ordinary items; they are not entirely unrecognizable. Each category possesses its own characteristics, and by observing these traits, one could roughly determine the purpose of the artifact. These were the things they needed to learn.

In truth, ordinary students hardly needed this knowledge; there weren’t many ability artifacts, and they wouldn’t be used for trivial matters. Special categories of Nightmares generally implied considerable strength, which they were unlikely to encounter.

Thus, this class was exclusive to Class S, not available to ordinary students. Fortunately, everyone understood the importance of this course and paid close attention.

It’s worth mentioning that on the first day of the arena challenge, Li Shu had indeed fought against Jiang Tianming as he wished. However, this time Jiang Tianming failed to retrieve anything from the illusion, and the teachers were equally baffled by what had transpired.

On Wednesday, the group gathered as previously discussed and made their way to the Third Teaching Building. The Third Teaching Building was the faculty office, but it was said that the entire five floors, including the rooftop, belonged to the Student Council.

One couldn’t help but feel that, with such a setup, Su Bei often sensed that this school was filled with protagonists.

On the way, Zhao Xiaoyu casually mentioned the results of her investigation from yesterday: “Our school’s Student Council is mainly composed of seniors from the third and first years; very few first-years can join.”

“The first-year senior who presented the PPT that day is the secretary to the president, named Feng Manman. Generally, when the president of our college steps down, the secretary will take over the position.”

At this point, she revealed an expression of admiration: “Senior Feng is the only one in the past fifty years of ‘Endless Ability Academy’ who successfully ran for the position of president’s secretary as a Class B student.”

To become the president’s secretary, essentially the next president of the Student Council, strength is an indispensable factor; it’s almost always held by Class S students, with Class A being rare, let alone Class B.

It’s important to note that this position is also elected by students, and to gain the trust of other prodigies as a Class B student speaks volumes about Feng Manman’s capabilities.

The group immediately displayed looks of respect, and Mo Xiaotian curiously asked, “What’s the secretary senior’s ability?”

“It’s a healing ability called [Purifying Heart], but it can do more than just heal; it can also purify Nightmares. Senior Feng participated in the Battle of Landu Plains during her first year, killing Nightmares while healing her companions, and together with several other students from our college, including the Student Council president, they defended a city—truly a battle that made her famous.”

They had learned about the Battle of Landu Plains in history class, and since the school had also participated in the battle, it was highlighted in their studies.

At that time, three massive portals to other dimensions suddenly appeared on the Landu Plains, unleashing countless Nightmares. Many ability users were forcibly conscripted by the government, mobilizing the strength of the entire nation. Yet even so, it took a full six months of fierce fighting, truly a brutal war.

—

Hearing that Feng Manman had participated in such a large-scale battle in her first year of high school, everyone naturally admired her greatly. However, Mu Tieren felt a bit puzzled: “How could such a powerful ability be assigned to Class B?”

Zhao Xiaoyu hadn’t investigated this matter; she was just an ordinary person, after all, with no connections in the world of abilities. Knowing this much was already thanks to her strong social skills, and delving deeper into the matter would be quite difficult.

“Psychic power,” Wu Jin suddenly spoke up, his voice low and muffled.

Though his voice was not loud, and his tone particularly deep, everyone present—being exceptionally strong ability users—still heard what Wu Jin had said.

His background had long been an open secret in Class S, and no one doubted the meaning behind his words.

Zhao Xiaoyu paused for a moment, quickly reacting: “Are you saying that Senior Feng’s psychic power is lacking? But how could that be? If her psychic power were weak, how could she have played such a significant role on the battlefield?”

Wu Jin spoke again, his voice still low: “Vitality.”

At this, everyone fell silent. As ability users, they understood what he meant. It wasn’t that one couldn’t use abilities without psychic power; there was another way—by using vitality.

Consuming vitality allowed one to use abilities more easily, even enhancing their effects. But vitality was not like psychic power, which could be easily restored; in fact, it was nearly impossible to recover. Using vitality meant sacrificing one’s lifespan.

“Then she now…” Lan Subing asked softly, her expression somewhat sorrowful, as she was someone who easily empathized with others.

Fortunately, Wu Jin provided a reassuring answer: “The academy has given her many items to restore vitality; she’s almost recovered now.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Such a hero should not perish early in her quest to save others; that would only chill the hearts of those left behind. Yet, from this, they also sensed the academy’s depth, capable of replenishing even the vitality that had been consumed.

But honestly, whether it was consuming vitality or warfare, it all felt too distant from them. Zhao Xiaoyu changed the subject: “Which department do you all want to apply for?”

Of course, she had her own little thoughts behind this question.

As first-year students, they could at most choose a department. Although their status in Class S would allow them to easily join the student council, no single department could recruit too many from the first year.

Thus, it was more likely that one person would be assigned to one department. If everyone chose different departments, that would be fine, but if they all aimed for the same one, competition would be inevitable.

The others, unaware of her inner musings—or perhaps knowing but not minding—each shared their desired departments.

With ten people wanting to join the student council, including Jiang Tianming, Wu Mingbai, Mu Tieren, Mo Xiaotian, Li Shu, Si Zhaohua, Zhou Renjie, Ai Baozhu, Qi Huang, and Zhao Xiaoyu, overlaps were bound to occur.

Zhao Xiaoyu’s choice of the External Relations Department had only Qi Huang as a competitor, so both of them should be able to join. What truly surprised everyone was the number of people wanting to join the Discipline Inspection Department. Qi Huang, Zhou Renjie, Mu Tieren, and Mo Xiaotian all planned to apply for that department.

Wait? Did a strange fellow just slip in?

“No, Mo Xiaotian, what are you making a fuss about?” Wu Mingbai asked with a peculiar expression. The others could be ignored, but even Zhou Renjie he couldn’t be bothered to mock. Yet, Mo Xiaotian was simply hard to overlook.

He and the discipline committee—

It couldn’t be said they were a match made in heaven; it was more like they were worlds apart. They had no connection whatsoever!

The others looked at Mo Xiaotian with similar bewilderment. It wasn’t that they looked down on him; it was just that Mo Xiaotian was absolutely not someone who valued rules. He couldn’t even memorize the school regulations! Asking him to manage discipline? That sounded utterly absurd!

“Just as absurd as Su Bei managing discipline,” Lan Subing muttered under her breath.

With ears sharp enough to catch her words, Su Bei twitched the corner of his mouth, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at Lan Subing. “Isn’t someone like me the true embodiment of the students’ expectations for a discipline committee member?”

At this boastful declaration, the crowd was about to retort when they suddenly froze collectively. What Su Bei said… actually seemed to hold some truth? Someone like him becoming a discipline committee member would surely mean total neglect of duties, perhaps even leading the chaos.

Such a discipline committee member was indeed the students’ favorite.

A glimmer of amusement flashed in Jiang Tianming’s eyes as he gestured invitingly. “So, our most popular discipline committee member, are you here to apply?”

That would be entirely unnecessary; he didn’t want to burden himself with a heap of work, especially not in a place like the discipline department, which was thankless and laborious. Su Bei forced a smile. “Let’s leave some opportunities for others.”

After saying this, he cast a contemplative glance at Mo Xiaotian. The earlier interruption had allowed Mo Xiaotian to slip past this matter, and now bringing it up again felt somewhat inappropriate.

Yet he pondered, was Mo Xiaotian’s joining the student council’s discipline department truly out of interest? In a place like the student council, laden with rules, it was surprising that Mo Xiaotian, who was merely curious, would actually want to join, especially the discipline department.

The discipline department was responsible not only for supervising students’ daily regulations but also for maintaining order during various events.

Handing such a department over to a villain, Su Bei could already foresee a future where the school would be as chaotic as a sieve.

Should he intervene?

With this thought, he directly asked his “comic consciousness” in his mind: “Is Mo Xiaotian joining the discipline department a necessary plot point?”

Having partnered for so long, the “comic consciousness” had come to understand Su Bei. Upon hearing his question, it immediately guessed his intentions. It quickly interjected, “No… not really. This is a relatively necessary plot point.”

Hearing this response, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. What did “not really” mean? And what did “relatively necessary” imply?

In just a few words, a wealth of information was revealed. The “comic consciousness”’s answer made Su Bei feel that this matter was significant, yet not irreplaceable.

At this moment, one must reanalyze the situation: what is Mo Xiaotian’s purpose in joining the Discipline Inspection Department? According to his analysis, it should be to tear open a crack in the “Endless Abilities Academy’s” tight defenses, facilitating the invasion of the “Black Flash” organization.

Without a doubt, if he does not intervene, Mo Xiaotian will surely succeed in joining the Discipline Inspection Department. Once he joins, he will begin his mission, which naturally has only two outcomes: success or failure.

What happens if he succeeds? Inevitably, it would mean the invasion of “Black Flash.” In such a well-guarded environment, Su Bei does not believe they would overlook the possibility of having moles within the school. If they think to investigate layer by layer, they will certainly uncover Mo Xiaotian.

In other words, if he succeeds, there is a high probability that Mo Xiaotian’s identity will be exposed.

And what if the mission fails? There are also two possibilities for failure. The first is that he gets caught while causing trouble, which would naturally lead to his identity being revealed. The second is that he makes a mistake in his mission; this might not necessarily expose him, but it could easily lead to a slip-up.

As he untangled these layers, Su Bei’s thoughts cleared like a fog lifting. It was evident that the author designed Mo Xiaotian’s entry into the Discipline Inspection Department as a setup for his eventual identity exposure!

Su Bei understood: “Is it that as long as I can push for Mo Xiaotian’s exposure, he doesn’t have to join the Discipline Inspection Department?”

The “Comic Consciousness,” accustomed to Su Bei’s uncanny ability to guess, readily admitted, “Yes, so what do you plan to do? I need to analyze whether your approach can succeed.”

If he could design another incident to expose Mo Xiaotian while preventing him from joining the Discipline Inspection Department, that would not be impossible.

However, Su Bei shrugged: “Who says I want to stop him?”

He was merely asking; even without Mo Xiaotian’s assistance from within, many things would still unfold as they were meant to. If that were the case, why bother with all this effort?

The reason he had asked a couple of extra questions was simply out of curiosity about whether he could actively alter the established plot. Receiving a positive answer, Su Bei felt quite satisfied.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, many office doors were tightly shut, thick panels blocking the view from outside. Room 521 was no different, though faint voices could be heard from within.

Before Jiang Tianming could knock, the door swung open from the inside. A black-haired boy stood there, and upon seeing them, he let out a playful whistle: “Hello, little juniors!”

“Hello, senior. We are from Class S of the first year, here for the student council interview.” Jiang Tianming, already accustomed to the quirks of characters like Li Shu and Mo Xiaotian, did not even furrow his brow, responding politely.

Seeing this, the black-haired boy displayed an interested expression, leaning casually against the doorframe: “Class S? Are you all planning to join our student council?”

“Not everyone; some are just here to accompany and observe,” Jiang Tianming replied.

“Then—”

Before he could say more, a slightly hoarse female voice came from inside the office: “Zhang Sheng, open the door and let them in.”

Zhang Sheng? The seemingly carefree guy in front of them actually had such an elegant name, leaving everyone a bit surprised.

After that woman’s voice broke the silence, Zhang Sheng quickly reined in his previously flippant expression, obediently stepping aside. Only then did the others realize that it was Feng Manman who had spoken.

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In the room, besides Feng Manman, there was another girl they didn’t recognize. She had long, brown curls, mature and beautiful.

Pushing up her glasses, Feng Manman revealed a standard smile, gesturing toward the long row of sofas across from her: “Please, have a seat. The president was just called away by a teacher, but L will be back shortly. I heard you all came to submit applications? You can hand them in now.”

Even without having heard of her reputation before, there were few among them who dared to be rebellious, especially after hearing it. The group submitted their applications obediently, leaving Zhang Sheng, who had initially wanted to intimidate the newcomers, feeling quite disappointed.

The curly-haired girl poured each of them a cup of water from a paper cup, her face beaming with a smile, yet her expression held a deeper meaning: “You’ve come at just the right time; our student council warmly welcomes newcomers.”

Her words carried an undertone that felt slightly sinister, especially as Zhang Sheng beside her chuckled in delight.

Zhao Xiaoyu felt a twinge of unease, glancing at Feng Manman for help: “Senior, what’s it like to join the student council?”

Without a doubt, Feng Manman was the only straightforward person among the three. She answered directly, “Don’t worry, it’s not like midterms are right around the corner. After midterms, there will be activities, right? So if you join now, you’ll be quite busy afterward.”

Hearing this reason, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. Being busy wasn’t such a bad thing; someone like Zhao Xiaoyu even looked forward to it. The more activities the student council had, the more she could contribute, right?

“Xiao Man, your honesty is going to get you into trouble one day,” Zhang Sheng complained, still hoping to put on a show.

The brown-haired girl shot him a glare: “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all. Our Manman is just a good, honest kid.”

With her defending her, Feng Manman chuckled: “Alright, we still have our juniors here. I see you’ve submitted ten applications in total; are the remaining five of you not planning to join the student council?”

Among those who didn’t intend to join, Su Bei was undoubtedly the most outspoken. He stepped forward without hesitation: “That’s right.”

“May I ask why?” Feng Manman scrutinized him closely, “Classmate Su Bei.”

It seemed they had done their homework on this year’s Class S members. Su Bei wasn’t surprised: “It’s a personality thing.”

He wasn’t wrong; some were lazy, some had social anxiety, and others simply disliked rules—ultimately, it all boiled down to personality.

Upon hearing this, Feng Manman glanced back at the list, then identified those who hadn’t submitted applications, her mind calculating.

She didn’t ask them again if they would join or directly recommend suitable departments; instead, she kindly inquired, “If the student council has tasks that require your cooperation, would you be willing to accept?”

Lán Sùbīng did not mind; even if Féng Mànmàn said nothing, she would certainly lend a hand whenever Jiāng Tiānmíng and the others needed it. Yet, facing strangers, she found it hard to speak, so she merely huddled at the back, waiting for Sū Běi to provide a definitive answer.

However, Sū Běi chuckled, “So you want us to be your free labor?”

He emphasized the word “free,” indicating that while he was willing to help, it couldn’t be without some benefit.

Féng Mànmàn understood immediately and replied, “Assisting the student council naturally comes with credit rewards.”

“Then we are more than happy to serve,” Sū Běi answered promptly, showing his willingness.

As they conversed, a figure pushed the door open from outside—it was the president, Mù Yúnfān. Upon seeing the extra faces in the office, he raised an eyebrow, “Here to apply? How many of you?”

“Ten,” Féng Mànmàn answered.

This number was not small by any means, and Mù Yúnfān nodded in satisfaction. “I told you my charming speech would be effective. You all insisted I be more serious. If I weren’t so approachable, how could so many students decide to join the student council?”

The others exchanged glances, their expressions darkening. Zhāng Shēng, not one to indulge his antics, directly asked the applicants, “Did you join the student council because of his speech?”

That was certainly not the case; those who submitted applications had intended to join long before they heard the president’s speech, which had nothing to do with their decision.

Before they could respond, Mù Yúnfān interjected, “If you ask them so directly, they’ll surely shy away and deny it. If you’re jealous of my charm, just say so—no need to beat around the bush.”

Zhāng Shēng and the brown-haired girl were left speechless, while Féng Mànmàn maintained her usual composure, kindly addressing Jiāng Tiānmíng and the others, “You don’t need to mind them. The results of your applications should be sent to your school email by tomorrow evening at the latest. Other details regarding joining the student council will also be sent to your inbox.”

In the face of such a stark contrast, the group found it hard to discern who was the president and who was the secretary. At that moment, Mù Yúnfān recalled something and said with a smile, “Oh, by the way, one of the conditions for staying in the student council is that you must pass all your exams.”

As soon as he said this, the others remained unfazed, but Mò Xiǎotiān’s previously bright smile fell flat. It was important to note that unlike the monthly tests, the midterms were purely academic assessments.

Moreover, they would not only test knowledge related to the supernatural realm but also cover standard academic subjects, ensuring students did not fall too far behind their peers after leaving the academy.

Without a doubt, Mò Xiǎotiān was a poor student, one whom even his “guardians” could not save from academic failure.

Leaving the third teaching building, Mò Xiǎotiān immediately began to seek help, “What should I do? My grades are terrible; I can’t be kicked out right after joining the student council, can I?”

The others exchanged glances, and it was true—aside from Mò Xiǎotiān, there were no particularly poor students in their class.

Apart from Mò Xiǎotiān, the next lowest performer, Wú Jìn, had managed to maintain a middle-of-the-pack standing at his previous school, with failures being almost nonexistent.

Unexpectedly, before I could stop Mo Xiaotian from joining the Discipline Inspection Department, he had already dug himself a deep pit. Su Bei patted Mo Xiaotian on the shoulder, wearing an expression of helplessness: “Good luck.”

Soon, all those who had submitted applications were successfully accepted, and the student council did not make things difficult for them, assigning each person to the department they desired, which brought great joy to everyone.

Mo Xiaotian was equally happy, but with the looming “sword of Damocles” hanging over his head—“if you fail, you will be advised to withdraw”—his joy faded after a few days. As midterm exams approached, he became increasingly anxious.

Relying on himself was impossible; he truly struggled with studying, and his self-learning was equivalent to zero. Within a few days, Mo Xiaotian began to pester everyone for tutoring.

The top students in the class were Si Zhaohua, Lan Subing, Jiang Tianming, Qi Huang, and Su Bei. This was not hard to notice, as there had been quizzes in previous lessons.

Naturally, Mo Xiaotian focused his efforts on these few.

As expected, the first to agree was Lan Subing. Once she agreed, Jiang Tianming naturally followed suit.

—And then the two of them were subjected to endless torment.

“It’s not that I don’t understand,” Jiang Tianming said, his mind filled with question marks. “Didn’t we just cover this problem?”

Mo Xiaotian sat in his chair, staring blankly at the exam paper on the desk: “We didn’t cover it, did we?”

“The problems are different, but the approach is exactly the same! The formulas are the same too. Can’t you recognize something that’s just a different face on the same body?” Jiang Tianming was going crazy.

You must know,

Though he wasn’t known for his good temper, he was definitely a very patient person. Yet even after teaching for just two or three days, he was driven to this state, which showed just how formidable Mo Xiaotian was.

Now, Jiang Tianming regretted agreeing to help Mo Xiaotian, but alas, there was no turning back once the bow was drawn; to back out midway would be too embarrassing.

Not far away was Lan Subing, who had just been replaced. Her once neatly arranged blue hair was now slightly disheveled, her gaze vacant, staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

Moments later, as Jiang Tianming shouted in frustration once again, Lan Subing suddenly spoke up: “It’s not enough with just the two of us.”

At her words, Jiang Tianming paused, a spark igniting in his eyes: “You’re right. This situation with Mo Xiaotian is truly beyond the two of us. We need to recruit others to join us.”

With a plan in place, it was not difficult to bring others on board. Qi Huang and Si Zhaohua were cut from the same cloth, and a little provocation would surely work on them.

Mu Tieren and Wu Mingbai were also roped in. Though Mu Tieren’s grades were average, he was more than capable of teaching Mo Xiaotian. Most importantly, he was very patient, which should help him endure a bit longer. As for Wu Mingbai, he was a subject-specific type of student, so he would also be useful.

With so many tutors, Mo Xiaotian’s grades finally began to rise, but the mental state of the tutoring team began to decline.

They would rather battle the Nightmares for three hundred rounds than spend half an hour after school with Mo Xiaotian!

“There’s one thing I don’t understand. Why don’t you go find Su Bei?” Qi Huang, now aware she had been duped, questioned with dissatisfaction. “Are you just picking the softest persimmons to squeeze?”

Lan Subing slumped over the table, her voice a mere whisper. “We did, but he didn’t agree.”

To be more precise, it should have been, “We tried to trick him, but he wasn’t fooled.”

How could they not have sought out Su Bei? Watching that guy crumble under Mo Xiaotian’s torment would be far more enjoyable than seeing Si Zhaohua and the others break down.

But alas, Su Bei was well-versed in the tricks of the comic world. The moment he saw Mo Xiaotian’s demeanor, he knew that any attempt to teach him would be excruciating. So, he had no intention of stepping into that abyssal pit from the start. After all, agreeing this time would surely mean being dragged into a tutoring squad before every exam thereafter.

This kind of torment was not only immense but also persistent; he would have to be a fool to fall for someone else’s schemes.

After a moment of silence, Qi Huang asked again, “What about Feng Lan? His grades are decent too, right?”

Lan Subing replied in a muffled tone, “He said if Su Bei agrees, then he will.”

“How cunning!” Qi Huang was utterly amazed, then began to resent her own carelessness.