A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 283

Perhaps because it wasn’t part of the main plot, the final exams ended quickly. Everyone in Class S completed them perfectly, earning top scores in their respective tiers.

This was expected. Those who chose the highest tier were absolutely confident, with strength to back it up. Those who chose the mid-tier exam—if they couldn’t even pass that, wouldn’t it tarnish Class s’ reputation?

On the last day of the first year, Meng Huai shared some mixed news in class—the punishment for Vixi Holy Land was settled.

The Radicals and Conservatives were obvious. The Conservatives faced death sentences or life imprisonment. Collaborating with Nightmare Beasts allowed no leniency; sparing some was already generous given the numbers.

The Radicals fared better. Though they’d also face jail time, few got life sentences, and the lightest could be out in a year, able to return to Vixi Holy Land. Their goals weren’t great, but their actions caused little impact or loss, so the punishment was lighter.

The lightest was the Neutral Faction, who only needed to pay fines. But the fines were hefty, nearly all of Vixi Holy Land’s savings over the years. These would be collected by the United Nations for use on Ability Users.

“What about Vixi Holy Land?” Si Zhaohua asked curiously. This matter didn’t involve his family and had wide implications, so even the Si Family didn’t have much inside info. If Endless Ability Academy’s students, especially as key forces, hadn’t been involved, the academy wouldn’t have been the first to get the UN’s news.

Though he didn’t know the details, he knew what was most valuable in Vixi Holy Land. The treasures were numerous, and Ability talents were countless, but the most precious was Vixi Holy Land itself.

Thanks to Su Bei’s timely action, Vixi Island didn’t sink into the sea, so there was no loss. The island’s wonders remained intact, making it an undeniable treasure trove, an inexhaustible resource.

“It still belongs to the Neutral Faction,” Meng Huai answered. “As long as they pay the fines, they can return.”

At this, everyone except Si Zhaohua looked surprised. This was a huge prize—those people wouldn’t even let go of Vixi Holy Land’s treasury, so how could they pass up the biggest benefit?

Seeing Si Zhaohua’s unsurprised look, Ai Baozhu asked curiously: “Did you already guess?”

“Yeah.” Si Zhaohua nodded. He’d mentioned this possibility before, but no one remembered.

Ai Baozhu pressed: “Why? I don’t believe they’re that kind-hearted.”

Taking the “fish” but leaving the “fishing” wasn’t something politicians did. They’d take both fish and fishing, then grab the fisherman to work.

“Probably because they couldn’t agree among themselves,” Si Zhaohua replied with a smile. “Vixi Island isn’t easily divisible.”

The island’s resources weren’t uniform in value, so disagreements on allocation were inevitable. Splitting evenly by profit wasn’t feasible either—there had to be a primary beneficiary, and deciding who’d own the island was tough.

When no agreement could be reached, the best outcome was no one getting it.

He added: “And Vixi Holy Land isn’t entirely powerless.”

Operating for years, Vixi Holy Land had connections with influential figures. Despite their major mistake, those past relationships weren’t entirely useless. They’d split into three factions to prevent this exact scenario.

If their scheme was exposed, one faction could stand as innocent and be bailed out by pre-arranged allies. They’d planned for Radicals or Conservatives to be the ones, but the Neutral Faction, the worst outcome, ended up being it.

Having anticipated this, they’d prepared and wouldn’t be easily ousted.

“I see.” Ai Baozhu nodded thoughtfully, and the others looked pensive.

Meng Huai brought the topic back. It was the last day of the semester, so summer homework was due. Cultural course teachers had already assigned theirs; only he, the homeroom teacher, hadn’t.

Thinking of the winter break homework, Su Bei hoped for creative, simpler assignments but also feared harder ones. Maintaining the status quo might be better—entering a Different Space was no longer difficult for them.

“I won’t assign much summer homework. Just have each of you defeat three High-Level Nightmare Beasts. I don’t care how—team up or go solo—but at the start of the semester, submit 42 videos as proof.”

Hearing the summer homework, everyone’s faces fell. Meng Huai’s request seemed simple, even allowing teamwork, but defeating High-Level Nightmare Beasts outside wasn’t easy. The hardest part was finding them.

The Ability Government wasn’t idle; High-Level Nightmare Beasts rarely roamed outside. Occasional missions were quickly snatched by major guilds, and without constant monitoring, it was hard to get one.

Excluding that, the easiest way to find High-Level Nightmare Beasts was in High-Level Different Spaces.

But High-Level Nightmare Beasts thriving in High-Level Different Spaces weren’t pushovers. Even among High-Level Nightmare Beasts, they were stronger, and with the geographical advantage, defeating them was tough. To fight weaker High-Level Nightmare Beasts, they’d have to go to the Nightmare Beast world, but the Ability Government hadn’t disclosed any entrances, making it troublesome.

Before anyone could complain, Meng Huai said with a sly smile: “If anyone doesn’t complete this homework, kindly leave Class S at the start of the semester. I was already considering who to cut, so if you want to help me out, I’d be grateful.”

At this, even Su Bei, who was half-asleep, snapped awake. He’d almost forgotten Class S was supposed to have only ten students. Director Li had said early on that five would be eliminated.

He’d thought this could be glossed over, but now it seemed unlikely—they still faced elimination.

But Su Bei wasn’t worried about being eliminated. After a brief moment of clarity, he grew sleepy again. Since the final exams, he’d been reading daily, searching for info on Element Nightmare Beasts.

Though he had a new idea—asking Yafei Kingdom’s guardian deity—the deity might not answer or know the answer, so he couldn’t put all his eggs in one basket.

Su Bei wasn’t worried, but others in class were. Their strength far exceeded other classes, but compared to classmates, some felt uneasy.

Hearing about possible elimination, their sense of crisis surged.

After stressing the students and seeing their grim faces, Meng Huai nodded, satisfied, and changed topics: “About the world competition, those who chose to defeat High-Level Nightmare Beasts—Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, Lan Subing, Wu Mingbai, Si Zhaohua, Qi Huang—can join as alternates. Our alternates usually don’t compete, but observing live is a good opportunity.”

Finally, good news. The six smiled. Jiang Tianming raised his hand: “Teacher, what’s the world competition’s process? Are all the participants from our academy?”

Not being from the Ability world, he was clueless about many things. He could search online, but a teacher’s explanation would be clearer. Since the topic came up, he asked.

“A country can send up to two teams, one main and one secondary. Our country always sends the top two from the Tri-School Competition—first as main, second as secondary. The main team starts from the second round, while the secondary team goes through a selection round, eliminating half.” Meng Huai was familiar with the process, explaining fluently. “Then it’s one-on-one matches. The rules, like the Tri-School Competition, are announced on the day and vary yearly.”

“What about rewards for winning?” Zhao Xiaoyu asked curiously. A national competition’s rewards should be good, right?

Meng Huai nodded but didn’t recall details, so he said with a half-smile: “The UN gives one reward, the Ability Government another, and the academy a third. Winners won’t be shortchanged. Even a bronze medal gets great rewards. As for specifics, we’ll talk when you qualify. That’s not your concern now.”

Disappointed at the vague answer, Zhao Xiaoyu quickly recovered. There’d likely be versions online, maybe not accurate, but enough to satisfy her curiosity.

After giving the world competition’s date, Meng Huai concluded: “The competition’s abroad, so everyone must arrive at school two days early—no exceptions. That’s all. Class dismissed!”

“Goodbye, teacher!” everyone said in unison, watching Meng Huai leave.

Once he was gone, the classroom buzzed.

“How do we team up for summer homework?” Zhao Xiaoyu asked first.

Though her [Happiness] Ability was a Nightmare Beast kryptonite, facing a High-Level Nightmare Beast alone was unlikely. Like Su Bei, her issue was weak self-preservation. But unlike Su Bei, who could predict and alter his Destiny, she couldn’t.

“Like winter break, group up,” Jiang Tianming suggested. “Six of us can reliably handle High-Level Nightmare Beasts. With fourteen people, split into three groups, two per group.”

Fourteen people in three groups, about five per group, each with two who took the high-level exam. Jiang Tianming was selfless—this split disadvantaged him, Lan Subing, and Wu Mingbai, as they’d be separated.

The final groups were: Su Bei, Jiang Tianming, Zhao Xiaoyu, Li Shu, Wu Jin; Wu Mingbai, Lan Subing, Feng Lan, Ling You, Mu Tieren; and Si Zhaohua, Ai Baozhu, Zhou Renjie, Qi Huang.

The grouping was strategic, ensuring each had at least one person with easy access to High-Level Nightmare Beasts. Since Meng Huai didn’t forbid seeking help, asking classmates or parents/families was fair game.

“I’ll call you once I discuss with my dad,” Wu Jin said glumly. Though his [Succubus] Ability was exposed and everyone had seen his face, his long habit of keeping a low profile persisted, with purple hair covering half his face.

Honestly, Su Bei thought his low profile was entirely due to his No Presence Ability. With his hair-over-face, edgy look, he’d stand out anywhere, let alone keep a low profile.

The world competition was a week after the break, so they had five days at home. No one stayed at school; everyone went home. Su Bei was no exception. Though no one was home, it was better than school.

The next few days were calm, a calm before the storm. Though they were only alternates for the world competition, Su Bei knew Jiang Tianming and the others would likely compete.

With six Class S alternates, based on the Tri-School Competition format, at most five might compete at once. Su Bei figured he could maneuver to avoid competing if possible.

Finally on summer break, Su Bei gave himself a small vacation. Before the world competition, he wanted to do nothing but play games and kick a ball at home.

He used to enjoy reading manga, but since learning his world was a manga world, that hobby faded. For manga readers, a beloved manga world, characters, and plot being real was exciting. But realizing he was in a manga world as a cannon fodder, he empathized more with cannon fodder and side characters than protagonists, making manga feel off.

Happy times passed quickly, and soon it was two days before the world competition. As the national main team, Endless Ability Academy didn’t need the first round, so they could arrive later.

Arriving at school, Su Bei saw familiar faces. Besides their class, the rest were Student Council members. The captain was, unsurprisingly, Mu Yunfan, who greeted them warmly: “Long time no see, juniors! Miss me?”

“President…”

Before Si Zhaohua could respond, Mu Yunfan interrupted: “Hey, I’ve stepped down. Call me Senior Mu or Yunfan. The Student Council president now is Manman.”

Though they were still competing for the school, this third-year class had truly graduated. Si Zhaohua nodded: “Senior Mu, where’s Senior Feng?”

Unlike the carefree Su Bei, Si Zhaohua had researched the academy’s world competition participants. Held every two years, only second- and third-year students could be main team members; first-years, no matter how strong, were alternates.

A team could have five main members and ten alternates, with Feng Manman as an alternate and the main team’s vice-captain.

Though her strength wasn’t top-tier, just a second-year Class B student, her achievements, healing ability, and responsibility guaranteed her a spot.

Feng Manman was vice-captain, and the captain was the graduated blond senior before them.

But compared to the captain, everyone knew the vice-captain was more reassuring in daily matters. Seeing Mu Yunfan acting unserious, Si Zhaohua immediately sought the vice-captain.

“The teacher called her away,” Mu Yunfan said, pouting. Before he could continue, his pink eyes lit up: “She’s back!”

Footsteps sounded from the door, and a clean-cut girl with short blue hair walked in with Director Li. The team leader was familiar—Teacher Li. Originally the first-year Director, she took on the third-year Director role at the semester’s start due to the previous one’s injury and coma.

Though Class S didn’t interact much with the Director, compared to other third-year teachers, Teacher Li was the most familiar.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Li Minhua, your team leader for the world competition. Call me Teacher Li outside,” Director Li said, pushing up her glasses—a habit common among glasses-wearers. “I have two requests: don’t cause trouble, and get good results.”

“Teacher, what if trouble finds us?” Mu Yunfan raised his hand eagerly, like a kindergarten kid.

Teacher Li, familiar with him, gave a warning look before answering: “If others provoke you, the academy will back you up.”

She took out fifteen school badge pins from her Storage Grid and handed them to Mu Yunfan: “See these pins? I require you to wear them outside.”

“So others will know we’re from Endless Ability Academy and won’t mess with us?” Qi Huang asked innocently.

The other seniors who knew the truth couldn’t help but laugh, clearly not as Qi Huang thought.

Sure enough, Teacher Li shook her head and took out another badge for a demonstration. “See? When the badge’s top aligns with the pin’s head, it activates the recording function, transmitting video and audio to the academy’s computers in real-time.”

“Wow.” Su Bei’s eyes widened, quickly taking the item. “Good stuff.”

He genuinely hadn’t expected the school to prepare such things. Was this still a manga world? Even in the real world, few academies would be this thorough.

Besides him, the rest of Class S were stunned. They hadn’t expected this—had the Ability world become so tech-savvy? The school was giving them portable surveillance?

But they weren’t ungrateful, knowing it was for their benefit. Seeing the seniors pin them on, they quickly followed. The badge pins could dispel suspicions—wearing school badges for a competition was normal; who’d think they were monitors?

Once they’d pinned them on, Teacher Li continued: “Our academy has this measure, and others might too. So I’m warning you again—don’t cause trouble. If another academy’s teacher comes to me because you started something, you’ll repeat a year. Understood?”

Director Li’s threat was daunting. Repeating a year sounded terrifying, far worse than other teachers’ penalties like running laps or writing reflections.

Besides Class S, the others were familiar with each other. Many were classmates, and even those who weren’t had trained together after being selected, so they knew each other well.

The only less familiar ones were Su Bei and his group.

But they didn’t need introductions. Mu Yunfan smiled: “We watched your Tri-School Competition midterm. You didn’t disgrace our school—reminiscent of our prime.”

The bald senior beside him clasped his hands, exuding a Buddhist aura, and said to Mu Yunfan: “Amitabha, benefactor, I think you’d fit well in Buddhism.”

“Why?” Mu Yunfan humored him. They’d had this exchange many times but never tired of it.

The bald senior said earnestly: “We need talents like you for alms. In the future, I’ll preach, you collect alms, and we’ll spread Buddhism far and wide.”

“What a beautiful future~” Mu Yunfan’s face showed excitement, then turned to pain. “But no, my worldly ties aren’t severed.”

He looked at Feng Manman with affection, blinking his pink peach-blossom eyes, sending sparks to his crush.

Feng Manman couldn’t stand their silly banter. She closed her eyes, pushed Mu Yunfan’s face away as he leaned in, and said seriously to Teacher Li: “Teacher, we should go.”

Teacher Li pushed her glasses to hide her amusement and nodded: “Enough banter. Everyone, gather on the teleportation array. We’re heading to the airport.”

In seconds, they reached the airport and boarded the plane. Endless Ability Academy was generous, not chartering a plane but reserving first-class cabins, which was decent.

“Can I ask what this senior’s Ability is?” On the plane, Su Bei asked curiously, referring to the bald senior.

Unlike Nightmare Beasts, human Abilities often related to personality or experiences, especially as manga characters. Su Bei was curious what Ability someone who said “Amitabha” would have.

Others looked over curiously too. They were interested not just in the bald senior’s Ability but others’ as well. But as alternates and juniors to the main team, they didn’t have the standing to ask.

“His name’s He Shang, and his Ability is [Instant Buddha], a transformation Ability,” Zhang Sheng, a black-haired senior they’d met before, answered with a playful whistle. “Pretty expected, right?”