A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

39:

In the following time, Su Bei didn’t rest but practiced mastering mental power on his bed. The book he had read before contained much on this subject, and it was feasible to practice it to some extent.

The process of mastering mental power was similar to meditation; although it was practice, it wouldn’t exhaust one too much. Practicing with closed eyes all night, he would feel as if he had slept upon opening his eyes the next day.

However, there was a certain difference from real sleep; at least, after a real sleep, Su Bei wouldn’t feel mentally tired. But now, his mind was filled with the thought that he had to get up without having slept, which was incredibly draining.

He sighed, got up, and went to wash up. Today, he was to battle the opponents from Class A. If nothing unexpected happened, he should demonstrate the new ability he had acquired. It all depended on how well he had practiced last night.

The previous two days’ matches had eliminated many students; today, only about sixty remained on the field.

The rules for the second day had changed significantly, starting with random pairing of teammates, no longer restricted to two classes. Secondly, the matches these two days were closed; the school would only announce the results after the monthly exams.

The reasons for this were twofold: first, to maintain a bit of suspense for the betting on the group battles, and second, the teachers were aware that to achieve victory, everyone would give their all when facing strong opponents. Some things were inconvenient to display publicly, so it was more convenient to keep it closed from the start.

Before this match, each student had signed an agreement affected by their special abilities. The content stated that no one could disclose any content from these two days’ matches to others.

The individual battle betting phase would end today, and before the end of tomorrow’s matches, all participants, whether eliminated or not, could not leave the field to prevent the dissemination of victory or defeat information.

In addition, the matches these two days would be declared by the referee, no longer automatically won by one side if the other fell off the arena. Although this rule still existed, it required referee certification.

There were still ten arenas on the field, but they were much larger than before, each measuring 30×30 in size. And this time, not only could the students inside not see outside, but those outside couldn’t see inside either.

Mu Tie Ren and Wu Jin were among the first batch to be examined. Wu Jin’s face was obscured by hair, so his expressions were unclear. Mu Tie Ren, on the other hand, was rarely a bit nervous.

He took a deep breath and opened up to a few familiar friends: “Actually, as a student from Class F, getting this far is already an accomplishment. Even if I’m eliminated, I haven’t let down the teacher who entrusted me with the position of class president.”

Indeed, that was the case. In fact, the majority of Class F students didn’t make it past the first round. Since they weren’t the main characters, most of them were matched against students from Class D.

Ordinary Class D students could almost be considered average people, yet they were easily defeated. Their morale had dissipated before the competition even began; without the heart to win, victory was naturally elusive.

In contrast, the class president, Mute Ironman, had managed to hold out until now, which was truly impressive and proved Meng Huai’s good judgment.

However, they all knew that Mute Ironman had left something unsaid.

The next second, Mute Ironman lifted his head: “But I don’t want to admit defeat just like that. Is Class F destined to lose against Class A? I don’t know, but I want to try!”

“Go for it, class president.” Jiang Tianming didn’t blindly say something like “You’ll definitely win,” but instead used a calmer approach, more likely to be accepted by Mute Ironman, “None of us will give up.”

Rather than inspiring himself, Mute Ironman hoped to motivate others.

Sure enough, hearing Jiang Tianming’s words, Mute Ironman’s face finally showed a hint of relief.

Mo Xiaotian, standing nearby, subconsciously wanted to join in the mood: “I’ll also try… Eh? Is it inappropriate for me to speak at this moment?”

After all, he was one of the members of Class A they were supposed to defeat.

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

While they were in a relaxed mood, Si Zhaohua and others not far away were not so relaxed.

Zhou Renjie had no expectations for Wu Jin, who was about to compete. He didn’t think the other party was anything special for making it to the second day; he just thought the guy was lucky.

“Just admit defeat when it’s your turn,” he said impatiently, “It’ll save the rest of us some time.”

Unexpectedly, before Wu Jin could respond, Zhao Xiaoyu spoke up: “Today’s competition won’t move to the next round until the current one is over, so coming out early won’t speed up the matches for others.”

Her words made Zhou Renjie lose face, and he snorted coldly: “So what? You’re all going to lose anyway. Does it matter if it’s sooner or later?”

This time, Zhao Xiaoyu didn’t retort, just smiled and remained silent. Her willingness to stand up for Wu Jin earlier wasn’t out of pure kindness. Zhao Xiaoyu herself didn’t want to admit defeat; speaking up for Wu Jin now was akin to speaking up for herself later.

Wu Jin remained as silent as ever. Honestly, if it weren’t for his upcoming turn, Zhou Renjie wouldn’t have noticed him at all.

At that moment, the laughter of Jiang Tianming and others could be heard not far away. Zhou Renjie looked at them with disgust and said, “I really don’t know what they find so funny. Are they laughing because they can rest today?”

Ai Baozhu also didn’t have much fondness for Jiang Tianming and his group, so she, who had remained silent until now, spoke up in agreement with Zhou Renjie, “Who knows what they’re thinking? Maybe they’re still dreaming that they can beat us.”

Hearing this, Si Zhaohua also reacted. He first turned to glance at the merry group, then immediately turned back and snorted coldly, “Impossible. But that Su Bei, you all should be careful of him.”

Saying this, he glanced at Feng Lan, who was standing apart from the group, “Feng Lan, do you actually know what Su Bei’s special ability is?”

The reason Si Zhaohua paid attention to Su Bei was that he knew Feng Lan had the best relationship with Su Bei since the start of school, often seeing them together. He trusted Feng Lan’s judgment and didn’t think he would befriend an ordinary person.

Out of the pride of being the top student in Class A, Si Zhaohua had not inquired about the special abilities of others. It was only a sudden thought that made him ask.

What he didn’t expect was Feng Lan shaking his head, “I don’t know. But he might also have the ability of prophecy.”

“Prophecy?”

At this, Ai Baozhu and Zhou Renjie couldn’t help but look over, surprised that Class F had such a person. And for Feng Lan to say so, Su Bei’s prophetic ability must not be weak.

“Is this why you chose to go to Class F?” Ai Baozhu couldn’t help but ask.

Like Si Zhaohua, she knew of Feng Lan, the young master of the Feng family, before school started. The fact that he was assigned to Class F was a surprise to her, and she instinctively thought that Feng Lan’s special ability might have given him some hint.

Now, she wondered if Feng Lan had specifically gone to Class F to get in touch with Su Bei, the prophet.

To everyone’s surprise, Feng Lan hesitated for a long time, then shook his head again, “…I don’t know.”

But this time, he didn’t add anything else, clearly not wanting to say more. The others, understanding the situation, didn’t press further, but all pondered the question in their minds.

If Feng Lan didn’t know whether he went to Class F for Su Bei, it was very likely not the case. Otherwise, having been in contact for so long, how could he not have confirmed it?

So why did he go to Class F?

Moreover, Su Bei, who also had the ability of prophecy, should not have been assigned to Class F under any circumstances, yet he chose to conceal his ability and go there. Could his purpose be the same as Feng Lan’s? What secret does Class F hold?

With such doubts, the first round of the competition began.

Unable to see what was happening inside, everyone outside felt a bit idle, only able to size each other up.

It was clear that Jiang Tianming’s team, comprised mostly of Class F, drew the most attention. Aside from a few of them, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Wu Jin, there were no other Class F members in sight.

But in reality, their number wasn’t small. If one were to calculate the ratio, Class F had a higher advancement rate than Class D.

At this stage, the new ability users didn’t have much technique in combat. However, after five minutes, Muteiman emerged covered in wounds. He was the last to come out, and his appearance filled Jiang Tianming and the others with hope.

Indeed, Muteiman’s face was brimming with a smile: “Mission accomplished.”

On the other side, the defeated Class A student watched Muteiman’s retreating figure with a complex expression. He couldn’t believe he had lost. Bound by the contract, he couldn’t disclose what happened in the arena to anyone else. He could only sigh deeply and leave the playground in solitude.

Aibaozhu’s face was filled with disbelief: “No way? How did he win? Wang Lei’s ability is ‘Barrage of Arrows’. Shouldn’t the referee have declared Wang Lei the winner as soon as they stepped on stage? How could it be that someone from Class F won?”

Zhou Renjie glared at the defeated boy, his face darkening: “He’s a disgrace to Class A. If I were the teacher, I’d relegate him to Class B after this month’s exam.”

“There’s no need for that.” Hearing his words, Aibaozhu frowned slightly. Having spent a month together, she could tell Zhou Renjie was serious. If not stopped, he would surely lead the bullying after the monthly exam, even if he couldn’t expel the student from Class A.

Truth be told, Aibaozhu didn’t really like Zhou Renjie. But their families were currently cooperating, and Zhou Renjie was especially nice to her and Sizhaohua, which made her tolerate him.

Another reason was that Aibaozhu was unsure of Sizhaohua’s thoughts. The students of Class A, due to their powerful abilities, were somewhat arrogant. Unlike their time at the noble academy, where their status alone would attract a host of followers.

Aibaozhu feared that driving Zhou Renjie away would leave Sizhaohua with only her by his side, making them appear too shabby.

But if Zhou Renjie insisted on bullying others, she would definitely distance herself from him. Aibaozhu considered herself a good person; although she wouldn’t actively stop bullying at her previous noble academy, she wouldn’t participate, nor did she want those around her to do so.

And just this principle alone was enough for those around her to praise her kindness.

“Of course, of course, I was just speaking hypothetically,” Zhou Renjie quickly replied with a forced smile upon hearing her warning. But what he truly thought, no one knew.

Sizhaohua, who hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation, suddenly spoke up: “The victory of that Class F student must be because he’s a close-combat ability user. Once Wang Lei was approached, he had no means to resist, perfectly countered.”

Aibaozhu’s attention was immediately captured, and she nodded in agreement: “I knew his victory was just luck. Any other student from Class A wouldn’t have let him win.”

“Anyway, there are still two rounds today. I don’t believe he can last until tomorrow!” Zhou Renjie said with conviction, “And I’m sure no one else from Class F will win after him.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the result of Wu Jin’s arena match was out. The first to emerge was Wu Jin’s Class C opponent, clearly indicating Wu Jin’s victory. However, he was clutching one arm and hunching his back, seemingly having sustained serious injuries.

As for his opponent, he too was in pain, also clutching his arm.

Zhou Renjie: “……”

Even he didn’t expect that the words he had just uttered would be so quickly thrown back in his face, and by someone from his own team, no less.

“How did you win again?” he asked, his face a picture of shock.

It was one thing for that wooden iron man to win; after all, he looked tall and strong, full of vigor. His victory was understandable.

But Wu Jin?

To be honest, Zhou Renjie found it incredible that Wu Jin had even passed the previous two days. Not only had he survived those trials, but today he had even defeated a student from Class C. Zhou Renjie didn’t think much of Class C, but they had to be at least better than Class F, right?

How on earth did he win?

However, Wu Jin simply shook his head in silence, choosing not to speak. With a contract in place, his silence was the correct response. And shortly after he emerged, the school doctor took him and his opponent away.

On the other side, Jiang Tianming and others also noticed Wu Jin’s victory. Unlike Zhou Renjie, they were not surprised. From the first day’s competition, it was clear that Wu Jin was a man with a plan. His chances of winning were slim, but not zero.

Su Bei, Mo Xiaotian, Feng Lan, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Zhou Renjie were all in the second round of the competition. Once the first round of contestants was out, the second round began.

With no interest in listening to their mutual encouragement, Su Bei took the lead and walked towards the arena. Once inside, the area outside the arena turned into a white fog. Only the 30×30 square meters inside the arena remained clear.

Not long after he stepped up, his opponent also arrived. She was a rather pretty girl, with fiery red hair and eyes, exuding an extraordinary passion. Unsurprisingly, she was most likely a fire attribute ability user.

After stepping onto the stage, the girl sighed while looking at Su Bei, leaving him utterly confused about her intentions.

“Hello, I’m Qi Huang, your opponent this time,” the girl said, sounding friendly enough, though she didn’t seem interested in a response from Su Bei, continuing on her own, “It’s been quite a feat for Class F to make it this far. If I weren’t your opponent, I would probably be hoping for your victory. Unfortunately…”

Hearing this, Su Bei immediately understood. It seemed she was confident in her victory, hence her premature victory speech.

Most people would be angered by such words, but not Su Bei. On the contrary, he was quite pleased.

Qi Huang’s confidence, bordering on arrogance, was good news for him. His ability was currently useless in combat; without a mistake from his opponent, he had no chance of winning.

A little pride was good; he enjoyed watching the drama of the careless losing their stronghold.

With that thought, he too let out a deliberate sigh, feigning dismay at his bad luck.

Qi Huang’s reaction was entirely within her expectations. She lifted her chin slightly and said, “Out of respect for you, I will reveal my special ability. I hope you can hold on for a while.”

Su Bei immediately looked up at her and said sincerely, “Thank you, you are truly a kind person.”

Not grasping the sarcasm in his words, Qi Huang nodded in agreement, “Even though you say that, I won’t let you win. My ability is the ‘Flame Phoenix.’ Currently, I can summon a small phoenix to fight alongside me. But don’t underestimate this little phoenix; it possesses skills like fire-breathing, high temperature, and fireball techniques. Just this one is enough to deal with you.”

Who would dare underestimate it? Su Bei couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. Is this the ability that gets you into Class A? He had thought that Shi Zhaohua was an exception, but who would have guessed it was the norm?

After speaking, Qi Huang, feeling she had done her duty, waved her right hand, and a fiery red phoenix apparition appeared beside her.

The moment the phoenix appeared, Su Bei could feel the air in the arena heat up instantly, indicating just how high the temperature of the phoenix must be.

If he let this thing get close, he’d probably be declared the loser, right?

With that thought, Su Bei started to run, stretching his long legs.

Qi Huang was in no hurry, even leisurely allowing Su Bei to run a few steps before she said softly, “Go.”

As soon as the words fell, the fire phoenix flapped its wings and charged straight at Su Bei. Qi Huang had thought this would be enough to win easily, but she quickly realized the problem.

Su Bei was running too fast, and the phoenix, after all, was still small. Although it had the power of flight, its speed was not fast, and it could only circle behind Su Bei.

Seeing this, Qi Huang frowned, not wanting to drag out the time, and shouted, “Fireball technique!”

The next second, Su Bei felt a heat on his back. As he ran, he turned his head and saw the fire phoenix apparition’s beak grow larger, and a fist-sized fireball gradually formed inside.

Su Bei was startled. Although Qi Huang had already mentioned the phoenix’s fireball technique, he hadn’t expected her to actually use it! And judging by Qi Huang’s still normal complexion, this skill was probably not a one-time thing.

He absolutely couldn’t be hit by this skill! Su Bei gritted his teeth and sped up, running towards Qi Huang. If he could get close to her, he might make the phoenix hesitate.

However, Qi Huang was no fool. Seeing Su Bei coming towards her, she clearly understood his intention.

If the phoenix were more advanced, it wouldn’t harm Qi Huang, its master, but it was still low-level. So, the moment she saw Su Bei trying to draw disaster to her, the red-haired girl turned and ran.

She knew very well that Su Bei couldn’t outrun the launched fireball technique. So all she had to do was hold out until

the phoenix’s energy accumulation was complete. ()

Watching Qi Huang also start to run, Su Bei couldn’t help but lament in his heart. If this were just a running race, he wouldn’t need much time to catch up with her. But the fireball behind him clearly wouldn’t give him that chance.

—

A change of tactics was needed.

He continued to run forward, pretending he hadn’t shifted his thoughts. The psychic power he had barely grasped last night was now fixated on the phoenix’s fireball behind him.

In the perception of his psychic power, the fireball grew larger. In the split second before it was launched, Su Bei made a snap decision, turning and diving forward, landing right behind the fiery phoenix.

The next second, the fireball hit exactly where he would have been if he had continued running forward.

No time to rest, Su Bei got up and ran in the opposite direction. The phoenix, having missed its shot, temporarily unable to use its skills, could only continue to chase after him.

“You can dodge once, but not a second time,” Qi Huang said in a rush, seeing her fireball technique fail. “Next time we’ll be prepared, and you’ll surely die. Surrender now if you don’t want to get hurt!”

Su Bei, of course, ignored such persuasion. But he knew Qi Huang was right. His reverse slide could only work once; they would be prepared for it the second time.

Psychic power, he had to use it now. He couldn’t possibly defeat the fiery phoenix on his own. Su Bei ran with his head down, deep in thought.

What could he do with his psychic power now? Sense the entire field, move objects, create simple tactile sensations.

But sensing the entire field had no offensive power, moving objects could only move very small ones, and creating tactile sensations couldn’t push someone even a little bit.

At first glance, it all seemed useless!

Suddenly, a flash in Su Bei’s eyes, he turned around and sprinted towards Qi Huang again.

Watching his actions, Qi Huang was puzzled. She wouldn’t be hurt by the fireball technique, nor by the phoenix’s temperature. Su Bei heading in her direction couldn’t subdue her in a short time. And once she caught him, the phoenix would descend in an instant.

Though confused, Qi Huang assumed Su Bei was just delirious. Facing the boy’s charging figure, she stood unafraid, ready to grab him and let the phoenix deliver the final punishment.

Even to avoid being charged off the stage by his fierce rush, Qi Huang took a few extra steps forward.

She was right; if Qi Huang remained fully alert, only wanting to entangle Su Bei, he indeed had no way to deal with her. After all, she only needed to hold on for a second, and the phoenix would arrive.

But Su Bei was betting she couldn’t hold on for that second.

Just one meter away from being touched by Qi Huang’s arm, Su Bei suddenly spoke: “You’ve lost, I’ve placed a weapon at your vital spot.”

True to his word, before he even finished speaking, Qi Huang felt something cold pressing against the back of her neck.

Attacked at such a perilous spot, Qi Huang almost instinctively turned her head.

And with that turn, her vulnerable back was fully exposed to Su Bei.

How could Su Bei waste this carefully calculated, hard-won opportunity? He immediately struck Qi Huang’s neck from behind with a hand-chop!

“Ugh…” Qi Huang felt darkness before her eyes, her body went limp, and she fell down.

At the very moment she lost consciousness, the claws that were almost touching Su Bei’s fiery phoenix vanished.

Ignoring the faint pain of burns on his back, Su Bei chuckled lightly, “I won, didn’t I?”

The referee stepped onto the stage, seeing clearly that Qi Huang had truly lost her ability to move, he nodded, “Qi Huang versus Su Bei, Su Bei wins!”

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