A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Watching them bicker and negotiate with cold detachment, Su Bei let out a soft laugh. Were they putting on a show for him? It felt a bit too contrived.

Let’s not even mention anything else—was Teacher Ye Lin really someone who would easily lose her temper? This brief quarrel seemed genuine, but to Su Bei, who had mastered the art of performance, it was riddled with flaws.

What was the point of this act? To make him believe that the teacher would truly disregard them?

With this thought, Su Bei raised an eyebrow and chose to play along with their intentions: “I think Teacher Lei has a good idea. Once we sign the contract, the teachers won’t have to follow us anymore.”

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Hearing him say this, a glimmer of amusement flickered in Meng Huai’s eyes. He didn’t care whether Su Bei saw through their act; as long as he understood the implication, that was enough.

Rezehn nodded in satisfaction. “As long as you understand. I’ll announce this news tomorrow, but don’t let it slip to anyone else.”

He emphasized the last sentence, and Su Bei merely curled his lips, saying nothing.

Soon, the dust outside had settled. Qingqing and Brother Dao were tied up, and Zhou Renjie was also pretentiously bound, while Ai Baozhu was released.

As soon as Ai Baozhu emerged, she went wild: “Ah! Zhou Renjie, are you trying to die? I’m going to kill you!”

It was still Si Zhaohua who acted quickly to stop her; otherwise, Zhou Renjie would truly be in danger. Si Zhaohua tried to soothe her, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Just take a shower when we get back. He also… cough, he has his reasons.”

“I want him dead for reasons too!” Ai Baozhu struggled fiercely, her domain flaring up.

Nearby, Lan Subing and a few other girls hurried to comfort her: “Don’t be angry! If you keep this up, you’ll end up covered in it.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, they struck a nerve with Ai Baozhu. If that slime really dried on her skin, how disgusting would that be? Thinking of this, she immediately stiffened and fell silent.

Jiang Tianming called out, “Teacher Meng, you should be coming out now, right?”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t have a teacher following you?” Upon hearing this, Qingqing looked at Wu Mingbai in shock, then turned to accuse Zhou Renjie.

Zhou Renjie immediately feigned innocence: “I didn’t know the teacher was following us! Earlier, the teacher really did leave, saying we should explore on our own.”

Of course, he couldn’t tell Qingqing that he not only knew but had also set her up several times; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so easily caught. If that happened, his image in the eyes of the one he liked would surely plummet.

Seeing him act oblivious, Qingqing could only curse him silently for being foolish. The teacher’s words were clearly a ruse to deceive the students, yet everyone else had seen through it, while he remained clueless.

—

It was her misfortune; among so many, it was this one who was chosen.

Amidst Mo Xiaotian’s incredulous murmur of “Is the teacher really following us?” Meng Huai and the others suddenly appeared beside the crowd.

Ye Lin stepped over to Zhou Renjie, checking him briefly, confirming he was mostly fine, merely enchanted, before letting out a sigh of relief. She then pulled out a vial of pale purple liquid from her bag. “This is the ‘Awakening Spring’ developed from my abilities. Drink it.”

Everyone turned their gaze to Zhou Renjie. Those like Si Zhaohua, who were not on the ground, naturally had no idea what had transpired to make him act so strangely.

Now, hearing the teacher’s words, it became clear—he seemed to be under control? But why did Zhou Renjie, clearly enchanted, appear as if he were both under control and not?

Hesitantly, Zhou Renjie asked, “If I drink this potion, will I no longer like Qingqing?”

Ye Lin nodded. “That should be the case.”

After all, having never encountered such powers, she was uncertain if her potion would work. Yet, judging by Brother Dao’s behavior, as long as the effect of the arrow wore off, Zhou Renjie would surely return to normal. She merely wished to hasten that process, to spare him further embarrassment.

Who would have thought Zhou Renjie would refuse without hesitation? “I don’t want to! I’ve lived for 15 years, and I’ve finally felt what it’s like to love someone. I don’t want to stop liking Qingqing!”

The crowd fell silent.

At first, they had no idea how he had been enchanted; now they understood—it was indeed a powerful charm. It was astonishing that Zhou Renjie, fully aware of his enchantment, still thought only of Qingqing.

Finally, it dawned on everyone why Zhou Renjie, despite being controlled, could still assist them. His rationality remained intact; he knew that with Teacher Meng Huai and the others watching, they could not come to harm, and thus he could not aid Qingqing in wrongdoing.

“Listen to me,” Ye Lin said gently, knowing he was enchanted and acting involuntarily. “Right now…”

“I’m not listening! I’m not listening!” Zhou Renjie interrupted her before she could finish. He acted like a young bride about to be torn apart by a wicked stepmother. “You can’t do this to us! I truly want to maintain this state. I believe I can move Qingqing, make her genuinely be with me!”

Once again, the crowd fell into silence…

Help! This enchantment was terrifying! Would Zhou Renjie go mad once he woke up? What a pitiful man!

For the first time, Ai Baozhu felt grateful for Zhou Renjie swallowing her; at least once swallowed, she would surely be free from enchantment.

Being swallowed was merely a matter of physical filth, but to be enchanted—that was a matter of mental corruption! If she were to voice such thoughts, once she regained her senses, she would surely kill Qingqing first, then take her own life.

“Tsk.” Meng Huai grew impatient, snatching the potion from Ye Lin’s hand, ready to force it down his throat.

—

At this moment, Qingqing finally knew fear, and she immediately cried out to the only person who could help her: “Brother, save me! You know I controlled you because I like you. If I can successfully leave this place, can we be together?”

“Okay, okay, okay!” Zhou Renjie was overjoyed; he knew Qingqing truly liked him.

However, Meng Huai had no intention of granting this temporary couple the time to pour out their hearts. He was nearly sickened by the sight and, without hesitation, pinched Zhou Renjie’s jaw, forcing the potion down his throat.

As soon as the potion entered his mouth, it was absorbed instantly; Zhou Renjie couldn’t even retch. His vision darkened, and he fainted.

“What now?” Lei Ze’en asked, clutching his stomach, still recovering from the laughter that had nearly doubled him over.

“What else can we do?” Ye Lin shot him a glare. “You and Xiao En take those two at the door and send them to the Ability Government. I’ll take them back to the hotel.”

The Ability Government, as the name suggested, was the authority that managed those with powers. They were responsible for things like interdimensional development, task assignments, and resource distribution.

As soon as they returned to the hotel, Zhou Renjie woke up.

Good news: he was indeed awake.

Bad news: he now wanted to kill someone.

“Ahhh! Let me go! I want to kill that woman!” Zhou Renjie’s breakdown was even more intense than Ai Baozhu’s had been earlier. “I’ll make her pay for toying with me!”

Ai Baozhu, who hadn’t yet showered, looked at him with pity. She was no longer angry; after all, this guy was in a much worse situation than she was. “You… you should take it easy.”

With that, she hurried upstairs to take a shower.

Wu Mingbai, unusually calm, patted Zhou Renjie on the shoulder. “Maybe you should live on another planet.”

Then he left as well.

Afterward, everyone offered a few words of comfort before carefully exiting, fearful of further provoking Zhou Renjie.

Back in the room, Su Bei rubbed his temples and looked at Feng Lan, joking, “You’ve been tied up twice now; it’s like you have some special constitution.”

Once was just now, and the other during the group battle. Though both instances had their reasons, it didn’t change the fact that Feng Lan was particularly prone to being captured, and he had no real way to counter it.

However, Su Bei knew he must have some protective items on him, so he wasn’t worried about his safety. Otherwise, he would have had to give Feng Lan an invisibility talisman just now.

—

Feng Lan also found it a bit absurd that it was always him who ended up bound. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Did you disappear using an invisibility charm?”

“Mm.” Su Bei nodded, “You could exchange for a few too; they’re quite fun.”

“Knock, knock, knock!”

A sound of knocking echoed. When the door opened, it was unexpectedly Wu Jin. His head hung low, purple hair obscuring most of his face. “Su Bei, I need to talk.”

At this, Su Bei turned to Feng Lan and said a quick word before stepping out with him. The two made their way to the end of the corridor, where a small lake lay beyond the window, its surface shimmering beautifully.

“What’s up?” he turned to Wu Jin.

Since revealing himself before Su Bei, Wu Jin had become far less silent than before. Just as he had said, he wasn’t of dual personality; it was merely a habit to lower his presence when his hair covered his face, making others overlook him.

But now that Su Bei had seen his full face, this act of diminishing his presence was of no use, and he naturally became more lively.

“When the teachers were arguing just now, there was no sense of anger,” Wu Jin stated bluntly. “Do you know what they were trying to achieve by putting on a show in front of us?”

Being able to sense emotions, he found the teachers’ calm quarrel quite strange. Yet, he didn’t grasp their intentions, so he had to ask Su Bei, who had also listened to the argument.

“They want us to leak the content of their argument to the other Class S students, making them believe that the teachers really won’t follow us anymore.” Su Bei, too lazy to hide the truth, figured it was unnecessary to deceive Wu Jin when he could fool the others.

He guessed the teachers didn’t intend to keep it from him either; otherwise, why would they say such things in front of them?

I see! Wu Jin suddenly understood. “Then everyone should feel a bit tense.”

Having lingered in the background for a while, he also recognized the drawbacks of this training; aside from gaining some knowledge, it was hardly of any real use.

After a moment’s thought, Su Bei beckoned him with a finger. “This news must come from you. If I reveal it, they might not believe me. Listen to me, you have to do it like this…”

—

Dinner at the school was not arranged; after all, there was a snack street nearby. Meng Huai waved his hand grandly, allowing the students to wander freely. Of course, the school would not reimburse the expenses for street food; those who wanted to save money could eat at the small restaurant next to the inn, where the school would cover the costs.

Yet even the poorest among them, Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai, had no intention of pinching pennies tonight. They needed to unwind, and with the newfound knowledge of the prices of Nightmare Beasts, both were optimistic about their future earnings, no longer living as frugally as before.

Stepping out of the inn, they each shared their plans for the evening. Jiang Tianming, Wu Mingbai, and Zhao Xiaoyu intended to exchange their gains from the day for cash. Ai Baozhu and Lan Subing, not feeling hungry for the moment, decided to go shopping together. The remaining few were content to head straight for a meal.

Oh, but this group did not include Zhou Renjie, who remained cooped up in his room, withdrawn. As for his lunch, Si Zhaohua had said he would bring something back for him.

Arriving at the nearby snack street, the mingling scents of spices and grilled meat wafted through the air, making one’s appetite stir. It was well-known that skewers were a delight! In any night market, as long as it was a night market, skewers were the best choice for a hearty meal!

But our young master Si Zhaohua clearly disagreed: “Is there not a single restaurant here? I refuse to eat this roadside fare. Su Bei! Get that skewer away from me!”

Su Bei, holding a skewer in one hand, looked at them with a teasing grin: “Have you never had skewers in your life? Even if you eat them in a restaurant, they’re still grilled outside!”

“Then I won’t eat skewers!” Si Zhaohua rolled his eyes, a rare display of ungracefulness. “Street food is unsanitary.”

“Actually, street food isn’t as dirty as you think.” When Jiang Tianming wasn’t around, Li Shu usually maintained his gentle, charming demeanor. “The uncle wouldn’t scam us, would he?”

The uncle selling the skewers smiled warmly at the group of invincible youth, not bothering to respond.

Mo Xiaotian was undoubtedly the least graceful of them all, tearing off a large chunk of meat, his cheeks stuffed, mumbling indistinctly, “Zeguo is really super delicious, Zhaohua, come try this!”

Si Zhaohua was already thinking of leaving; he feared his white shirt would get stained with grease.

Noticing his intent, Su Bei shouted, “Stop him!”

At this, Mu Tieren and Mo Xiaotian flanked him, blocking his path.

“What are you doing?” Si Zhaohua glared back at him.

Su Bei shrugged nonchalantly. “Look, Feng Lan and Qi Huang aren’t complaining; why are you so fussy? Do you have a cleanliness obsession?”

Those two were indeed each holding a skewer, enjoying their feast. Hearing his words, Qi Huang critiqued Si Zhaohua’s behavior: “Don’t like skewers? No taste!”

Mo Xiaotian, standing opposite Si Zhaohua, gave her a thumbs up, joining in with a rallying cry: “No taste!”

Even the usually aloof Ling You and Wu Jin nodded in silent agreement.

Si Zhaohua: “…”

At last, there were still those with a sense of decency. Feng Lan swallowed the meat in his mouth and said calmly, “There shouldn’t be any restaurants nearby; this stall is probably the cleanest you’ll find.”

This wasn’t entirely meant to comfort Si Zhaohua. Compared to those stalls set up right by the road, this one, tucked a bit further in, was indeed much cleaner.

Si Zhaohua still furrowed his brows, but he knew he couldn’t skip dinner. How about ordering takeout? With that thought, he pulled out his phone to check, only to reveal a look of despair. There was no takeout in this place!

Seeing his phone screen, Su Bei couldn’t help but laugh, “This is the territory of the ability users; ordinary folks aren’t allowed in. Where would the takeout come from?”

Clearly, there was no other option. Si Zhaohua gritted his teeth and finally accepted the meat skewer that Su Bei handed him, steeling himself as if facing death, and took a bite.

Hmm? The taste didn’t seem too bad?

Watching him silently take a second and then a third bite, the others exchanged amused glances, and no one bothered to mock him further.

“Hey? Ling You, did you hear what Qi Huang just said?” Suddenly, Mo Xiaotian asked, as if he had discovered a new continent.

Since Ling You wore headphones, they generally assumed she couldn’t hear what everyone was saying, and they would usually speak louder when addressing her.

Ling You replied in her cool, clear voice, “The night market is too noisy; I didn’t have the music on.”

Before, she wore headphones to avoid being approached by others and to listen to music to relax. But with so many people in the night market, she turned off the music to ensure she could hear what others were saying.

Unlike Lan Subing’s social anxiety or Wu Jin’s low presence, she was simply aloof and spoke little. However, when someone talked to her, she would still respond.

“I see. So, what kind of music do you usually listen to?” Mo Xiaotian, oblivious to her cold demeanor, continued to ask enthusiastically.

Ling You wasn’t intentionally cold; it was just her natural disposition. She answered, “Sad music. It helps me cultivate viruses that are easier to kill with.”

Her ability was [Plague], a very powerful ability with significant lethality. However, there were many types of plagues, and not all were fatal.

As it stood, the viruses Ling You had mastered couldn’t even be called plagues; they were at most epidemic viruses. Based on her previous research, she found that the worse her mood, the more potent the viruses she could develop.

Compared to other methods, listening to sad music was relatively the easiest.

The group hadn’t expected her frequent use of headphones to be related to her ability development, and they were all taken aback. After receiving a concrete explanation, Su Bei curiously asked, “So, if you listen to happy music, is there a chance you could comprehend toxins like ‘Half-Crazed with a Smile’?”

Mo Xiaotian’s imagination was sparked by this question, and he immediately chimed in, “Then, if you listen to soothing music, could you develop a poison like euthanasia?”

“Listening to rock music can unleash the rabies virus!” This was Qi Huang, her imagination running wild.

Seeing that others seemed to be inspired as well, Ling You quickly interjected, “I’ve tried before; other emotions don’t work. And what you’re suggesting isn’t something I can develop. The most crucial aspect of a plague is its infectiousness.”

Her ability wasn’t poison; it was plague. In battles against individuals or small groups, her power might not seem particularly strong. But once the numbers swelled, Ling You could unleash her greatest advantage.

This ability indeed had its merits.

The young lad was draining his father’s wallet; during a meal, everyone laughed and chatted, consuming quite a bit. The skewers piled up could circle the globe, truly generating revenue for the boss.

It’s worth mentioning that while Si Zhaohua complained, he didn’t hold back on eating. Among them, the biggest eater was Mo Xiaotian, followed by Mu Tieren, and then Si Zhaohua.

However, this was also because Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai weren’t in the group; otherwise, Si Zhaohua would likely have to take a back seat.

Su Bei didn’t pay attention to him; he was simply astonished, staring at Mo Xiaotian, unable to comprehend how such a small frame could accommodate such a large appetite.

The only one who could rival him was Mu Tieren, but with Mu Tieren’s build, it seemed reasonable no matter how much he ate. Mo Xiaotian appeared significantly smaller than Su Bei, yet he was eating even more than Mu Tieren, which was somewhat absurd.

He glanced down at Mo Xiaotian’s stomach, which, despite the massive intake, hadn’t really bulged, and couldn’t help but tease, “You don’t have another dimension in your stomach, do you?”

Mo Xiaotian rubbed his belly and chuckled, “I’m still growing, you know? My family says being able to eat is a blessing.”

“That’s true,” Mu Tieren nodded in agreement, “Being able to eat is indeed a blessing.”

Su Bei fell silent, too lazy to ask why Mo Xiaotian could eat so much yet remained so short. After all, the world of comics often lacked logic; being short in youth didn’t guarantee one would remain so in adulthood.

After a hearty meal (without the alcohol), the group strolled back. They deliberately took a detour, returning via the path lined with vendors selling props. On the way, they encountered Jiang Tianming and others, who had already finished their dinner, and they all headed back together.

These props were generally crafted by the ability users themselves, using containers that could hold their powers, then made available for others to use.

Like the invisibility talismans and fireball talismans provided by the school, these were such tools.

However, compared to those from the school, theirs were clearly much more rudimentary, and their utility was far less significant; most were rather useless props.

But where the protagonist was, there was always the process of finding hidden treasures. Jiang Tianming managed to buy a talisman paper sealed with layers of enchantments amidst a dazzling array of goods.

According to the shopkeeper, this talisman paper was something he had picked up during an adventure in another dimension, and it had been appraised by a specialized institution, which concluded that it bore many layers of seals. But since the seals couldn’t be broken, it had remained unusable.

After a round of haggling, Jiang Tianming acquired the talisman paper at an absurdly low price.

Su Bei twitched his lips, silently chiding the “Comic Consciousness” in his mind: “If I remember correctly, this is a comic world, not a novel world, right?”

The “Comic Consciousness” felt no issue with that, even a bit smug: “Novels can borrow from comic tropes, and comics can borrow from novel tropes. This is what we call integration!”

“As long as you’re happy,” Su Bei shook his head in resignation, his gaze settling on the talisman paper.

Since the “Comic Consciousness” said so, it was clear that the talisman paper indeed held considerable value.

What could it be?

Upon returning to the inn, Ye Lin happened to be at the door. Wu Jin casually broached a topic (though his “casualness” felt rather deliberate): “Is the teacher still angry?”

At his words, a glimmer flashed in Ye Lin’s eyes. After a discreet glance at Su Bei, she smiled and shook her head: “It’s all fine now.”