A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

42:

“Someone’s coming out!” Someone shouted, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the arena.

Zhou Renjie and Wu Ming came out one after the other, with Zhou Renjie walking in front, his face pale and his expression extremely ugly. Su Bei had never seen this usually rosy-cheeked chubby guy look so disheveled and defeated.

The outcome was clear at a glance.

“You lost?!” Ai Baozhu’s eyes widened in shock, “How is that possible?”

Although she didn’t particularly like Zhou Renjie, she was quite confident in his abilities, otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed him to get close to her. She had thought that the top three spots would definitely be swept by them, but who knew that before the last day, one would have already fallen.

At this moment, Zhou Renjie lost his usual pride, never expecting defeat. Faced with Ai Baozhu’s questioning, his chubby face twisted as he said viciously, “That Wu Mingbai’s tactics are despicable, a sneaky little man! It was just a momentary lapse that caused my downfall.”

Hearing this, Ai Baozhu gave him a skeptical look: “You’re a man, he’s a man, how could his tactics be despicable?”

Zhou Renjie choked on her words: “…No, it’s…”

But before he could finish, Si Zhaohua interrupted: “Enough, a loss is a loss. Hmph, so what if they won a round? I will never lose.”

“I won’t either!” Ai Baozhu immediately declared, refusing to believe that those commoners could break through her “Glorious Domain.”

In stark contrast to their somber atmosphere, Wu Mingbai’s side was a scene of jubilation, as if drums and firecrackers were sounding off, with crowds of people and flying red flags. (Not really)

“Mingbai, you’re too amazing!” Mo Xiaotian was always the first to cheer, “I really want to have a match with you. If we don’t get to face each other, how about we sneak in a game after the monthly exam?”

Wu Mingbai smiled happily, but his words were sharp: “Why are you dreaming before nightfall?”

“The competition is over for today, we’ve all triumphed. Let’s have a good meal,” Jiang Tianming smoothly interjected, preventing the one-sided argument that was likely to ensue.

Lan Subing raised her hand and said, “I’ll treat.”

Seeing everyone’s gaze, especially Su Bei’s, and remembering what happened before the last meal, she added softly, “To celebrate that I can finally use ‘Word Spirit’ when facing one person.”

Indeed, this was the reason for her consecutive victories these past two days. She had finally overcome part of her severe social anxiety, able to speak without issue in one-on-one battles without an audience.

Hearing her, Jiang Tianming and the others lit up, eagerly asking, “Have you overcome it? How did you do it? You must share the good news with your uncle and aunt soon!”

Lan Subing’s parents, who were deeply concerned about her social anxiety, would surely be overjoyed to hear of her improvement.

“I plan to tell them tomorrow after the exam ends, along with my exam results, to give them a surprise,” Lan Subing said with a smile that reached her eyes, happy with her progress.

The most surprised was probably Su Bei. He had thought she would only break through this barrier on the last day of her battle with Ai Baozhu. Could it be she had already done so?

But if that was the case, wouldn’t her victory over Ai Baozhu be easily secured? That wouldn’t fit the design of the manga, would it?

Pondering, Su Bei glanced at the blue-haired girl and then looked away. He felt Lan Subing might have some flaws she hadn’t shared with everyone, but that was normal. They might become opponents tomorrow, and it was right to keep some things hidden.

“Speaking of which…” After a long silence, the wooden iron man hesitantly began, “There are nine of us left for tomorrow’s arena competition. How will the school arrange our matches?”

Indeed! As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Just like the wooden iron man said, how can nine people be paired off?

If one person is singled out to be on standby, they would have to wait until the end to be reassigned.

Seeing everyone deep in thought, Su Bei snapped his fingers to bring back their focus: “That’s for the school to consider. What we need to think about now is where to eat.”

His words made sense, and everyone abandoned their worries for the school and went to eat together.

After the meal, Su Bei spent the rest of the time exercising his mental strength. He knew all too well that if he wanted to appear composed tomorrow, he had to truly become a senior mental strength practitioner.

Conventional methods simply couldn’t help him quickly master this newfound power, so Su Bei had to resort to some rather uncomfortable extreme measures.

In the dormitory, the blond young man sat on his bed, in front of him a small mountain of exquisitely crafted gears. Each gear was intricately patterned, and their shapes varied greatly.

These were all conjured by Su Bei, each a gear of fate that could predict the future. The patterns on them were carved out bit by bit with his mental strength.

The [Gear of Fate] could only be used once a week, but “use” here refers to making predictions. Just conjuring the gears of fate had no limit, though it consumed more mental strength.

And what he needed now was to expend mental strength.

Su Bei’s strategy was to deplete all the mental strength stored in his mind. Only by exhausting it all at once and letting it grow back could it truly become his own.

He hadn’t done this before because, firstly, he hadn’t thought of this approach, and secondly, because such an act was not easy, or rather, it was quite painful.

Excessive consumption of mental strength could cause dizziness, weakness, and headaches. To continue in this state would gradually lead to exhaustion. This exhaustion wasn’t just about losing strength; it felt as if all the organs were being drained, and the brain was being squeezed dry.

When the pile of gears grew as tall as him, Su Bei’s face was pale as paper. His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was almost unable to sit still, about to collapse to the side. The desire to give up and stop expelling mental strength was constant, which would have brought him relief.

But he didn’t. He persisted.

One gear, two gears, three gears…

Finally, the mental strength in Su Bei’s mind was completely drained. His vision darkened, and he fainted.

“Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring!”

When he woke up again, it was already the next morning, and it was the seven o’clock alarm that Su Bei had set in advance that woke him. Because his mental strength was exhausted yesterday, his head still hurt a bit, as if he had a hangover.

Today’s match is at eight o’clock. Su Bei turned off the alarm, rubbed his head, and switched on his phone to check today’s schedule.

Facing the issue raised by Mutei Ren yesterday, the school indeed provided a solution. Zhou Renjie, defeated by Wu Mingbai, would fight another round, but without ranking. In other words, if he won, he would still be tenth, and his opponent would become ninth. If the opponent won, they would advance.

This solution had an obvious problem: if Zhou Renjie’s opponent won, the second round would have five people, and they would face the odd-even issue again.

But the school had considered this, assigning Mutei Ren as Zhou Renjie’s opponent. Compared to other students with various abilities, Mutei Ren, with his “Physical Enhancement” ability, was undoubtedly the best choice.

Of course, this was also with Mutei Ren’s consent. Win or lose, he would gain a hundred points. Mutei Ren agreed because, firstly, he didn’t want to face someone familiar, and secondly, he assessed that Zhou Renjie, already defeated once, was the most likely opponent he could beat.

Su Bei glanced at his own opponent, Feng Lan.

The others’ opponents were not simple either: Mo Xiaotian against Si Zhaohua, Jiang Tianming against Wu Mingbai, Lan Subing against Ai Baozhu.

Each pair was very interesting. If not for Su Bei being deeply involved, he would have been looking forward to it.

With a long sigh, Su Bei felt somewhat helpless. From the previous public arena matches, he knew Feng Lan could predict others’ actions in advance. He had said before that such an ability was a divine skill in combat.

Even with his full combat skills, he had to be extremely cautious against such an ability.

It was impossible to avoid Feng Lan’s predictions, so the only way was to make it so that even if Feng Lan predicted his next move, he couldn’t respond.

To achieve this, he first needed to know one thing—how far in advance could Feng Lan predict.

When he arrived at the playground, the others were already there. On the last day, although everyone wanted to win, except for Ai Baozhu and Si Zhaohua, the others didn’t feel much pressure.

Five from Class F, one from Class D, it was a case of glorious victory or honorable defeat. As for Mo Xiaotian from Class A, he had never felt pressure from the start.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Tianming looked at Wu Mingbai. Even though they were about to become opponents, a smile appeared on his face: “We’re finally going to have a proper match.”

Wu Mingbai smiled back, just as sunny: “I won’t go easy on you. I’ve improved a lot recently, I’m afraid you can’t catch up.”

Unimpressed by his provocation, Jiang Tianming retorted: “Don’t cry if you lose.”

With that, he stepped onto the arena.

At this moment, the most excited was undoubtedly Mo Xiaotian, who was bouncing around Si Zhaohua like an energetic red-haired puppy: “I’ve wanted to fight you for so long! The school really gets me!”

Si Zhaohua bore no ill will towards him, and upon hearing his words, she revealed a polite smile: “I too look forward to our match, please proceed.”

After both had entered the arena, Ai Baozhu retracted her gaze, arrogantly addressing Lan Subing: “The words your companion spoke earlier, I now return to you—don’t cry if you lose.”

Lan Subing was still unaccustomed to speaking in front of strangers, but undaunted by the provocation, she offered Ai Baozhu a courteous smile, then ignored her and stepped directly onto the stage.

This action

infuriated Ai Baozhu to no end. Stomping her foot fiercely on the spot, she then hurriedly followed suit.

Mu Tie Ren and Zhou Renjie looked at each other with mutual disdain, not uttering a single word, and entered the arena on their own accord.

The last ones remaining on the field were Su Bei and Feng Lan. Su Bei glanced at Feng Lan, with no desire to spout any pre-match trash talk. He knew well that only victory in the match granted the right to speak; for now, it was best to stay humble.

“Shall we go?”

“Alright.”

Until the second before stepping onto the stage, Su Bei was still mentally rehearsing his next moves. Just as he had previously contemplated, he needed to know how many seconds in advance Feng Lan could predict.

One thing was certain: the time couldn’t be too long. Battle is inherently unpredictable, and overly premature predictions could cause a butterfly effect, altering everything that follows.

Moreover, since becoming an advanced psychic, Su Bei’s training had led to a deeper understanding of psychic power. He was equally certain that Feng Lan’s psychic abilities were not strong enough to see too far into the future in a short time; otherwise, his mind would become chaotic.

With these thoughts, Su Bei stepped onto the stage without delay, charging directly towards Feng Lan. He aimed to grasp this issue as quickly as possible, ensuring Feng Lan couldn’t guess his intentions beforehand.

Unlike him, a seasoned fighter, Feng Lan, although consistent with his running exercises, had never systematically learned to fight. As a result, although he could parry each of Su Bei’s moves, he appeared quite flustered.

However, Su Bei did not underestimate him for this fluster. For someone who had never fought before, being able to parry every move was already quite telling. Besides, flustered as he was, he hadn’t lost.

As things stood, unless one of them exhausted their strength first, they could only continue in this deadlock.

In terms of sheer physical strength, Su Bei was confident he could outlast Feng Lan. If they continued this stalemate, Feng Lan would surely tire first, leading to Su Bei’s victory.

But what was the point of such a victory in a mere arena match?

To win by depleting one’s strength, only to concede in the next round, allowing Jiang Tianming and Si Zhaohua to advance to the finals—this might align with the author’s expectations, but it was not his wish.

The battle raged on, and after several sets of complete fighting sequences of varying lengths, Su Bei had his answer: Feng Lan could foresee events up to five seconds in advance.

So, he had to design a trap that, even if Feng Lan could foresee his attack five seconds in advance, it would be inescapable. Moreover, the preparation and the attack had to be spaced out by more than five seconds to prevent Feng Lan from directly disrupting the setup.

The only one capable of this was surely Su Bei’s mental power. He needed to use his mental power to set the trap.

Yesterday’s strategy was a success, and this morning Su Bei could feel that he had mastered the control of the mental power in his mind. Perhaps controlling other things would still be somewhat strenuous due to lack of practice, but controlling the gears he generated himself was as natural as a fish in water.

For example, with his current mental power, he could barely lift a dictionary. But if it were gears of the same weight as the dictionary, Su Bei could easily propel them into attack.

“What are you doing?” Feng Lan suddenly frowned, intercepting Su Bei’s downward chop with his hand, then asked with a furrowed brow.

He hadn’t predicted anything; it was just an inexplicable feeling that Su Bei’s current state of attack seemed slightly different from before. Unlike his previous focus on a fatal move, Su Bei now seemed not intent on defeating him immediately but kept attacking various spots on his body.

Hearing this, Su Bei raised an eyebrow, his hands continuing to attack: “I’ve always said you’re suited for combat training, don’t waste your talent, okay?”

Retreating a step to dodge another attack, Feng Lan, unable to focus on both ends, got hit on the head and pursed his lips: “I’ll practice later.”

Su Bei smiled but said no more. Talking during intense exercise could cause one to gasp for air, and it would be quite the joke if he gasped now.

Finally, the preparations were complete. Su Bei’s brow relaxed, and he fed Feng Lan a few moves, easing the force.

Watching the seconds pass, he slightly curved the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, Feng Lan’s expression changed drastically, he stopped dodging, and looked up sharply at Su Bei: “You’ve been placing something on me!”

Su Bei promptly stopped his attack, nodding with a smile: “Yes, would you like to experience it?”

As he spoke, he activated his mental power. The gears he had hidden in Feng Lan’s collar, hat, and pockets during the fight began to float up one by one. Each gear was pointed, with sharp tips aimed menacingly at Feng Lan’s vital spots.

Feng Lan had seen this scene five seconds earlier, which is why he didn’t struggle anymore, though his expression was puzzled: “When did you plan this?”

“The moment I saw my opponent was you.”

But Feng Lan was still confused: “You do realize, you don’t need to do much to win, right?”

After all, he wasn’t adept at attacking or defending with superpowers; as soon as his mental power was exhausted, Su Bei could easily win.

Moreover, he had been using his “Prophecy” ability, but even though Su Bei had used gear attacks, Feng Lan didn’t believe that was his real method of attack. Just like Si Zhaohua, who normally only used feathers for attack, his real damage came from his ultimate move.

“I know,” Su Bei nodded casually.

Feng Lan was even more puzzled: “Then why…”

“To win by exhausting someone else’s mental strength? Possible, but unnecessary,” Su Bei narrowed his eyes, a pleased smile on his face, “Don’t you think it’s more interesting this way?”

The two walked side by side out of the arena, Su Bei looking in good spirits, while Feng Lan, though expressionless, was quite disheveled.

He could indeed anticipate in advance, but under Su Bei’s fierce onslaught, dodging those deadly attacks was difficult, and he had no chance to counter the less critical strikes, forced to withstand them.

But despite the bruises marring his face, they did not detract from Feng Lan’s looks; instead, they transformed him from the previous good student to a school tyrant, adding a sense of contrast.

Mo Xiaotian and Si Zhaohua had already come out, both pale-faced. Clearly, unlike the hand-to-hand combat of Su Bei and Feng Lan, theirs was a contest of special abilities.

“Wow, are you guys okay?” Mo Xiaotian exclaimed, eyes wide at the sight of Su Bei and Feng Lan. Not just him, even the usually aloof Si Zhaohua showed a rare expression of surprise.

Both Su Bei and Feng Lan were usually so composed; it was rare to see them so disheveled.

Feng Lan’s expression was indifferent, not at all embarrassed by their surprised looks, only feeling the pain on his body: “I’ll ask later if I can go to the infirmary.”

Today, before the final results were out, no one could leave the playground.

Seeing him wanting to leave at this time, the other two understood the outcome of the match.

Si Zhaohua looked at Su Bei with surprise, but quickly composed himself: “Congratulations, it seems we’ll soon be classmates.”

The students who made it to the last day were undoubtedly eligible for Class A, even if some of their abilities were average. Often, sufficient combat skills and intelligence could compensate for this shortcoming, after all, even the most ordinary abilities had the potential to become formidable.

Next out were Zhou Renjie and Mu Tie Ren. Mu Tie Ren appeared unharmed but looked pale. Zhou Renjie, though ashen and clutching his stomach as if injured, wore a clearly triumphant expression.

“I won!” Zhou Renjie announced loudly, confirming the result everyone had anticipated.

Mo Xiaotian moved closer, worriedly trying to support Mu Tie Ren, who dodged before being touched.

“I’m not avoiding you,” Mu Tie Ren said, his face grim, but he explained, “Anyway, it’s better for you not to touch me now, staying away is for your own good.”

Zhou Renjie, resting on a bench at the edge of the playground, sneered at his words: “What’s with the drama? No one else is as dramatic as you!”

“That’s because they don’t know!” For once, Mu Tie Ren also raised his voice in argument.

Their reactions were quite interesting. Su Bei seemed lost in thought as he glanced at Zhou Renjie, when suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind, and his expression turned peculiar.

Mo Xiaotian, though persuaded by Mutie Ren to stop, obediently refrained from touching him again, but his expression was clearly puzzled. Out of kindness, someone explained, “The squad leader is looking out for you.”

At these words, everyone’s gaze swiftly turned towards him. Mo Xiaotian, sensing that he might know the truth, immediately asked with curiosity, “So what’s really going on? Bei Ge, tell me!”

Since Su Bei wasn’t directly confronting Zhou Renjie, he could share his guess. But instead of saying it outright, he looked at Mutie Ren and asked, “May I speak?”

Before Mutie Ren could react, Zhou Renjie complained discontentedly, “Shouldn’t you be asking me? Isn’t this my special ability?”

Su Bei turned to look at him, shrugged, and said, “Who made it so easy for me to guess your ability?”

He asked Mutie Ren because they had a decent relationship. If Mutie Ren didn’t want the truth revealed, Su Bei wouldn’t mind. To him, it wasn’t a big deal, just a bit disgusting.

But asking Zhou Renjie was a different matter entirely. Why should he conceal the ability he had figured out on his own?

Mutie Ren, unconcerned, nodded his head. He didn’t think much of it, just felt a bit gross: “Go ahead, I’ll just need a shower when I get back, and I’ll be fine.”

Seeing that he didn’t mind, Su Bei satisfied Mo Xiaotian’s curiosity: “Zhou Renjie’s ability must be to absorb people into his stomach.”

What his other opponents referred to as the “black space” was actually Zhou Renjie’s stomach. To think of it, getting covered in someone else’s saliva and stomach fluids was quite revolting.

“So that’s it!” Mo Xiaotian exclaimed, suddenly understanding. Then, half-jokingly, he said to Mutie Ren, “You really should take a shower when you get back. Struggling inside his stomach, you must have sweated a lot.”

Everyone: “……”

Si Zhaohua, with an ungraceful twitch of his mouth, said to Su Bei, “Now I see why I was asked to join your group.”

Hearing this, Su Bei disagreed, “You can’t insult our group like that.”

After he finished speaking, everyone present couldn’t help but laugh.

Except for the utterly confused Mo Xiaotian.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming cheerful, Lan Subing and Ai Baozhu appeared. Ai Baozhu’s eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

Seeing her like this, Si Zhaohua immediately frowned, “What happened?”

“We lost,” Ai Baozhu said with a hint of grievance, not forgetting to glare at Lan Subing.

Hearing that she had merely lost, Si Zhaohua’s frown smoothed over: “It’s alright. Lan Subing is the young miss of the Lan family. It’s quite normal that your special ability can’t contend with her for now.”

Lan Subing was also well-acquainted with some of the unspoken rules of high society and wouldn’t be easily trapped by Ai Baozhu. It was Ai Baozhu’s bad luck that in the last round, aside from her, among the eight people, only Si Zhaohua, Lan Subing, and Feng Lan were not targeted by her special ability, and she happened to run into them.

While everyone was talking, Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai walked out side by side. Seeing everyone looking over, Wu Mingbai, feeling playful, tilted his head and said with a smile, “Guess who won?”