A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

“Bang bang bang bang bang!”

Followed by a chorus of voices discussing among themselves.

“Are these students too strong?”

“Is that it? I haven’t even had a sip of my drink!”

“Damn! Have I wasted my life? They took down the Nightmare Rat so quickly—didn’t they know there would be danger beforehand?”

“Looks like they’re the academy’s elite. I wonder which academy they belong to.”

Upon hearing these words, the crowd, initially at a loss, suddenly understood. It seemed that what had just transpired was a common occurrence; their earlier gazes had merely been drawn to the spectacle.

They turned to see Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, Feng Lan, and Zhao Xiaoyu still standing within the barrier, untouched and unengaged.

Wait? Why are Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu still here?

It was Zhao Xiaoyu who spoke up: “I saw Feng Lan retreating, so I just followed along.”

She had specifically watched Feng Lan’s solo combat matches and had naturally noticed his different foresight abilities compared to Su Bei.

The moment she saw Feng Lan frown and step back, recalling Su Bei’s earlier actions, she decisively followed suit.

Sure enough, they had avoided a battle.

“You all didn’t bother to give us a hint at all!” Wu Ming was genuinely amused, looking leisurely at Jiang Tianming and the others.

Lan Subing shared his indignation, glaring at them in unison.

Jiang Tianming shrugged, quite unapologetic: “I already said I was following Su Bei. You all didn’t come along, so you can’t expect me to…”

He cast a sidelong glance at Su Bei, offering the crowd a look that was more felt than spoken. He certainly couldn’t afford to offend Su Bei again, could he?

Following his gaze, the crowd turned to Su Bei. Si Zhaohua, who had a good relationship with him, directly pressed: “Now it’s your turn to provide testimony; care to explain?”

At this moment, if he were to speak the truth—that he was merely testing the waters with them—it would undoubtedly incite public outrage. Fortunately, having witnessed several acts of betrayal, he had already thought through whom he would sell out.

He shrugged, mimicking Jiang Tianming: “If Teacher Meng didn’t say anything, how can I be the one to speak?”

Stared at by Ai Baozhu, Zhao Xiaoyu immediately chimed in: “Me too, me too! Since Teacher Meng and the others didn’t say anything, they must want to test us. And since you all haven’t noticed, it wouldn’t be right for us to reveal the truth.”

“Nice job leading the trouble eastward,” Lei Ze’en clapped as he approached, teasingly nudging Meng Huai beside him. “What do you think, Trouble?”

Trouble—Meng Huai scoffed coldly: “Back to extra training!”

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Jiang Tianming and the others instantly wore bitter expressions; their usual training was already pushing their limits, and now they had to add more. If they had known, they might as well have gone out instead—losing both the lady and the soldiers.

Watching Wu Mingbai and the others laughing heartily outside, Meng Huai sneered again: “What are you laughing at? You’re the same!”

This time, everyone cried out in unison: “No, please!”

With someone playing the “stern father,” naturally, there had to be someone to take on the role of the “gentle mother.”

The most reliable, Teacher Ye Lin, softly explained: “The reason we didn’t mention it before was indeed to train your reflexes and observation skills. Since the human outpost is over here, there are often many Night Beasts lurking nearby. Once someone steps out, they will attack. This applies in any alternate space with an outpost.”

This was practical experience that wouldn’t be found in textbooks; only through personal experience could one gain the deepest impressions. With this experience, Jiang Tianming believed he would never forget to check this matter before leaving the rest area again.

Following her words, Lei Ze’en, ever the diplomat, praised: “Those who didn’t go out showed good observation skills, and those who did had adequate reflexes. Everyone did well this time!”

After this brief interlude, they were about to truly begin their exploration of the alternate space.

Unlike the forest, this was a vast desert that stretched endlessly. Logically, the advantage of a desert terrain is that enemies have nowhere to hide. But after experiencing the earlier attack, the group had already realized that any Night Beasts capable of surviving here likely possessed the ability to conceal themselves.

They moved forward cautiously, yet encountered no danger. The rest area soon vanished from sight, and all around them was a boundless desert, the sand dunes rolling like waves—indeed a grand spectacle. Aside from them, it seemed as if no other life existed in the entire world.

Su Bei suddenly halted, turning back: “The teachers are gone.”

At this, everyone was taken aback and turned around. Sure enough, the three who had been following them—Meng Huai and the others—had completely disappeared.

Mo Xiaotian scratched his head: “Where did everyone go?”

“They probably want us to train on our own,” Si Zhaohua replied calmly; he had anticipated this situation long ago.

After all, with teachers around, they would surely become complacent. Now, even knowing that the teachers were still following them, the fact that they couldn’t see them would keep them on their toes.

As he thought of this, he was about to speak the truth. Yet, he suddenly found himself unable to utter the words, “The teacher is still following us,” not even a phrase with the same meaning.

Si Zhaohua widened his eyes, trying for a moment before finally confirming that the teacher was precisely the one who didn’t want them to guess this truth.

But honestly, they weren’t fools; how many would believe that the teacher had simply vanished and wasn’t following them now?

“Then the teachers must be so lucky, are they back at the hotel already?” Mo Xiaotian said enviously, feeling the heat suffocating him in this desert.

Well, here was a fool, wasn’t it? Si Zhaohua was instantly at a loss for words.

“I want to go back to the hotel too; I’m going to be roasted by this damned sun.” Ai Baozhu glanced irritably at the sun above, “So what are we supposed to do now?”

“We need to find the ‘closure point’ of this alternate space,” Feng Lan suddenly replied, “Before she vanished, Teacher Ye told me; she’s set us on this task.”

The “closure point” referred to the intersection between the alternate space and the Nightmare Beast world. In contrast, the “opening point” was the intersection between the alternate space and the real world.

Once the “closure point” was shut, the Nightmare Beasts could no longer enter this alternate space from their world, and likewise, the Nightmare Beasts within the alternate space could not return.

So as long as they closed the “closure point,” the Nightmare Beasts in this alternate space would be like fish in a barrel.

Before arriving here, everyone had already familiarized themselves with the knowledge of alternate spaces, fully aware of these terms.

“The teachers really think highly of us,” Li Shu said with a tone dripping with sarcasm, though he wore a face of feigned delight.

Yet he wasn’t wrong; at least everyone in their hearts agreed. Wasn’t it a bit too much to entrust them with such a task?

One must understand that even many adult ability users entered alternate spaces with the sole purpose of exterminating Nightmare Beasts. As for closing a “closure point,” that was something they wouldn’t even dare to think about. Setting aside the question of whether they could find it, even if they did, getting close would be quite the challenge.

Many Nightmare Beasts would specifically guard the “closure point,” and as long as the “closure point” existed, they could return to the Nightmare Beast world at any time to recuperate.

Though the specifics were unclear, it was well-documented that Nightmare Beasts recovered quickly in their own space, so everyone knew. They had studied Nightmare Beast knowledge for a full month!

Moreover, the difficulty of closing a “closure point” didn’t end there, for once the “closure point” was shut, the alternate space would lose its vitality, becoming a stagnant pool. Thus, the alternate space would naturally protect the “closure point.” Typically, “closure points” were located in perilous terrains.

“Fortunately, our task is merely to find the ‘closure point’; the teachers wouldn’t assign us an impossible task. We definitely have a chance to complete this one.” In the face of adversity, Jiang Tianming was always rational and calm.

He pondered for a moment, then quickly deduced, “At first, it was the teacher who led us down this path. They gradually fell behind and then vanished. So, I believe the road we’re on now is likely the way to the ‘Closed Point.’ We just need to keep walking straight.”

This analysis held a certain weight; the group calmed their thoughts and realized it was indeed so. The direction they were heading matched the path the teacher had guided them on. The teacher wouldn’t intentionally mislead them; this must be the only clue they had left.

“Then let’s keep moving forward,” Si Zhaohua said, pulling out a compass to confirm their bearings. They were heading due north. “Who among you didn’t bring a compass? Speak up, let’s think of a strategy. That way, if we happen to get separated for any reason, we won’t get lost.”

Mo Xiaotian, Wu Jin, and Zhou Renjie raised their hands. Mo Xiaotian had completely forgotten to bring one, while the other two hadn’t considered the possibility of splitting up and had only packed more commonly used items.

In truth, Su Bei hadn’t brought a compass either; his belongings were pitifully few. He was clear in his mind—after all, they were traveling as a group, so there was no need to carry so much. Besides, with the fate compass above his head, as long as the protagonist group was nearby, he would always have a “protagonist pointer” at his disposal.

As long as he looked in the direction of the protagonists, the little needle would surely waver. In this world, perhaps no one could influence fate more than the protagonist group.

For this very reason, he had even prepared a mirror in his storage ring!

Once the direction was confirmed, the group continued onward. After crossing a series of undulating sand dunes, they finally caught sight of human presence.

There were four individuals, clad in matching brown attire, engaged in battle with a massive python, thick as two men. The serpent stood half upright, towering over them.

The group watched in horror as the python’s belly pressed against the ground, its thick tail whipping out to ensnare the nearest person, lifting him into the air.

“Help… help!” the man cried, his face rapidly turning a shade of blue. He flailed desperately, wielding a flaming knife, slicing at the serpent’s tail with all his might.

Whether it was his frantic movements that angered the beast, the serpent raised its head and hissed twice, then, in the next moment, swung the man down to the ground with a brutal crash.

“Thud!” The man immediately spat a mouthful of blood, collapsing in a heap.

“Mingcheng!” A woman with blue hair gasped, her striking blue bow glowing with a pink light, transforming into a diminutive pink bow and arrow.

She raised the bow, aiming not at the python, but at her bound comrade. The pink arrow shot forth, striking the man in the abdomen. In the next instant, it transformed into a surge of warmth that flooded his body, reviving him somewhat.

The other two seized the moment to attack the python; one wielded a coiling staff for close combat, while the other held a shield in front of the blue-haired woman. Clearly, they hoped to draw the serpent’s attention away, freeing their ensnared companion.

This was indeed a team of weapon-wielding superhumans!

With their keen eyes, Su Bei and the others could see that the small team was struggling against the python. Wu Ming understood the urgency and was the first to act, manipulating the sand to rise and completely obscure the serpent’s line of sight.

Jiang Tianming and he were in perfect sync, simultaneously launching hidden weapons from their pockets. The star-shaped projectiles flew straight for the python’s eyes.

“Hiss!” The vital eyes were struck, and the Night Serpent let out a pained scream, its tail whipping violently, flinging the man it had ensnared far away.

If it were an ordinary person, this blow would surely have ruptured their organs. But the abilities of the awakened set them apart; the man rolled on the ground and sprang back to his feet with remarkable speed, rejoining his comrades.

Following closely, Qi Huang’s flames and Mo Xiaotian’s explosive blocks launched their assault, accompanied by several elegant yet razor-sharp white feathers.

Though the Night Serpent was formidable, how could it withstand such a barrage? Soon, it emitted a reluctant hiss, crashing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, and Wu Mingbai attacked the fallen serpent once more, then exchanged knowing smiles. Clearly, their instincts for the finishing blow were well-honed.

The four onlookers were dumbfounded. The massive Night Serpent, which had them reeling, was so easily defeated by a handful of students? This batch of students was truly impressive!

The first to recover was the archer in their midst. Her bow vanished, and she approached empty-handed. The buzz-cut man, saved from peril, closely followed her, looking as if he couldn’t bear to be apart.

“Thank you so much for your help just now. Which academy are you from? We’ll send you a banner when we return,” the girl with blue hair said gratefully.

Before anyone else could respond, Lan Subing shook her head vigorously, a look of panic on her face.

A banner? What a new way to socially die!

None of them had any desire for a banner, especially with one so resistant to the idea. Thus, Jiang Tianming decisively refused, “No need, it was just a small effort. So, can we take the carcass of this serpent?”

The flesh of the Night Beast could fetch a good price, and for a creature as large as this serpent, its hide would surely be valuable. Jiang Tianming had casually glanced at the prices at the stalls he passed that morning.

Just selling this one serpent would be enough to cover his and Wu Mingbai’s living expenses for a year.

Awakened ones really do make money, Jiang Tianming thought.

“Wait.” Before the others could speak, Su Bei interjected.

He looked at the massive serpent with suspicion, then turned to Jiang Tianming, “You’re not planning to use my space to stash this serpent, are you?”

“This is ‘our’ serpent,” Jiang Tianming emphasized. “It can be worth quite a bit.”

Su Bei didn’t need the money; his father had left him a substantial savings before passing. But seeing the pleading look in the others’ eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse, “Guess I’m just unlucky.”

“Wait, we can help you cut and process it.” The man with the dragon staff patted his chest, “We’re seasoned at this; we can save you a lot of space.”

They truly had no intention of competing with Jiang Tianming and the others for this bounty. On one hand, it was the serpent; though they had discovered it first, it was Jiang Tianming and his group who had vanquished it. Without these students, they would likely have met their end here.

Moreover, the fact that they could not defeat these students was a significant reason as well. When faced with opponents who were simply insurmountable, one must, of course, acquiesce to their demands.

In terms of both sentiment and reason, they had no grounds to refuse. Since they did not plan to decline, they might as well assist them to the end.

To be honest, the fact that the ones helping them were students brought a great sense of relief to the four. What did students represent? They were, of course, easily deceived. If it had been seasoned ability users who frequently undertook tasks in the otherworld, they would have long since begun extorting and blackmailing; how could they be as bashful as these few students?

Upon hearing the offer to assist with the dissection, Jiang Tianming nodded in agreement. A serpent of such size required careful cutting. They had certainly learned methods for handling nightmare beasts in school, but their skills were quite rusty. Practicing on smaller nightmare beasts was one thing, but it was best not to waste materials on such a large one.

Seeing their agreement, Brother Stick patted the buzz-cut man on the shoulder: “Your moment has come.”

However, the buzz-cut man ignored him, stubbornly gazing at the blue-haired girl. The few members of the squad appeared accustomed to this, and the blue-haired girl directly commanded, “Go handle the corpse of the nightmare serpent.”

At her words, the buzz-cut man finally moved, as if activated, stepping forward to skillfully carve the beast with his ability knife.

The others took this opportunity to chat.

Zhao Xiaoyu curiously asked the blue-haired girl, “Sister, why did your bow change color just now?”

“Are you talking about this?” The blue-haired girl summoned her striking blue bow, and with a flash of pink light, it transformed into a cute, miniature pink bow.

Zhao Xiaoyu nodded, and the other girls gathered around. Ling You cast a few glances, ultimately unable to resist her curiosity, approaching with her usual aloof demeanor.

“This blue bow and pink bow are the two forms of my ability, ‘Cupid’s Arrow.’” The blue-haired girl didn’t mind explaining her ability, as they were not in a hostile relationship, “The blue is the standard mode, used for attacking enemies. The pink is the love mode, used for healing.”

“What an interesting ability!” Mo Xiaotian, seamlessly blending into the group of girls, widened his eyes in wonder, then asked with confusion, “What does that have to do with Cupid?”

At this, the blue-haired girl felt a bit embarrassed. What she hadn’t mentioned was that being struck by her love mode arrow not only provided healing but also temporarily increased the target’s affection for her. This was the unique capability of ‘Cupid’s Arrow.’

But such a power was better kept as a trump card, and she certainly wouldn’t reveal it. Who would have thought that this seemingly naive fool would directly hit upon the crux of the matter?

Seeing her awkwardness, Zhao Xiaoyu’s eyes flickered, and she took the initiative to help her out: “Isn’t pink enough to be Cupid?”

After saying this, she shifted the topic: “By the way, are all four of you weapon-type abilities? Did you team up on purpose?”

“Yeah.” The blue-haired girl cast a grateful glance at her. “We four are classmates, and we get along well. Our abilities are all weapon-based, covering melee, ranged, healing, and defense, so it was only natural to team up. It’s been four or five years since we graduated, hasn’t it?”

Between those with extraordinary abilities, it is indeed common for classmates to form teams, for they are familiar with one another, knowing each other’s roots and depths. Many classmates can even become lifelong allies.

After hearing her words, Ai Baozhu felt a pang of sentiment: “How wonderful! I too wish to always team up with my classmates, never to part ways.”

The others nodded in agreement; if one could team up with acquaintances, who would choose to be with strangers? As for being a lone wolf, it was not impossible. Yet, if an extraordinary being chose the path of solitude, they might very well perish in the shadows, their fate unknown to anyone.

Not far off, Wu Jin stood alone, silently. He always wore that sullen expression, and coupled with the knowledge that many believed he had entered through backdoor means, few dared to approach him.

What if he was the principal’s relative, the strongest among the extraordinary? Everyone has their pride, after all.

Of course, Zhou Renjie wished to draw closer; if he could forge a good relationship, it would bolster his family’s standing. But Wu Jin was truly a fortress, impervious to approach. Whenever Zhou Renjie drew near, he would instinctively retreat. After a few attempts, Zhou Renjie ceased to press his luck.

Thus, a month into Class S, the only ones who could converse with Wu Jin were Zhao Xiaoyu and Su Bei.

At this moment, seeing him rare in his gaze fixed upon the crowd, Su Bei, with a lollipop from Mo Xiaotian dangling from his mouth, approached and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Wu Jin’s voice was soft, a rare complete sentence escaping his lips: “I smell the scent of love.”

“The scent of love?” Su Bei followed his gaze and spotted the green-haired girl with a pink bow and arrow in hand.

He had naturally heard the girl’s introduction; her ability was called “Cupid’s Arrow.” Now, with Wu Jin uttering such words, and recalling Mo Xiaotian’s earlier question, Su Bei began to piece together what the green-haired girl had concealed.

Those struck by the pink arrow would fall in love with her?

An intriguing ability. Su Bei glanced at the buzz-cut boy. It seemed the boy’s earlier odd behavior was due to being hit by the pink arrow.

He couldn’t help but think of Wu Jin, recalling the scene in the comic where Wu Jin transformed his opponent’s pupils into hearts, a moment that felt intertwined with love.

Yet when he later asked the opponent he had defeated, the response was that they felt nothing at all. The thread of inquiry snapped, leaving him with no leads.

Best not to delve into a teammate’s secrets just yet, Su Bei mused, retracting his gaze: “Is love also an emotion you can sense?”

Previously, Wu Jin had mentioned being particularly sensitive to emotions.

After a moment’s hesitation, Wu Jin nodded: “Mm.”

“Does that buzz-cut boy feel love for that ‘Cupid’s Arrow’?” Though phrased as a question, Su Bei’s tone was declarative.

“Mm.” This time, Wu Jin’s response was swift.

Su Bei smiled, handing him an orange-flavored lollipop as if it were a reward. “If his affection fades, do let me know. And if anyone else develops such feelings, don’t forget to tell me as well.”

At last, the task of preparing the snake meat was complete. Large, dark chunks of snake flesh were piled together, stuffed into several oversized bags carried by the four-person teams. The snake skin was meticulously peeled off and set aside, while the blood was collected in a separate bag.

It was clear that the buzz-cut man was quite skilled; his technique rivaled that of a professional skinner with years of experience.

“This snake blood has medicinal value. It’s better to sell the snake meat and skin separately. Here’s a price list we’ve compiled for the current market of nightmare beasts. Use it as a reference when you sell, so you don’t get cheated.”

The green-haired woman exuded a sense of gratitude, her demeanor almost reverent, providing specific details that saved everyone a great deal of trouble.

“Thank you so much, Qingqing! We really need this.” Zhao Xiaoyu, now in charge of communication, expressed her heartfelt thanks.

Through their earlier interaction, they had learned the green-haired woman’s name—Qingqing. It was clearly a pseudonym, but it was wise to be cautious when out in the world.

Qingqing lowered her head shyly, hesitating before asking, “I feel a bit embarrassed to say this, but could we walk with you for a while?”

Perhaps feeling ashamed to rely on a group of younger students, her cheeks flushed slightly. “The difficulty of this alternate space is greater than we imagined, but we’ve already paid. If we can’t kill one or two nightmare beasts, this mission will be a loss. We really need the money, so we were wondering if we could hire you to help.”

Seeing that Zhao Xiaoyu didn’t respond immediately, she continued, “We’ll handle the nightmare beasts, and you can step in to assist when we’re overwhelmed. Also, I noticed you don’t have much space to carry things; we can take care of transporting these supplies. When the time comes, we’ll split the earnings—three for us, seven for you. How does that sound?”

“Let’s discuss it for a moment.” Zhao Xiaoyu made it clear she wasn’t making decisions for the group.

The fact that they could negotiate was a good sign, and Qingqing nodded eagerly. “Alright, thank you for considering it.”