A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 284

As expected, everyone nodded, but their expressions were tinged with surprise. The bald senior’s name was actually He Shang—truly a case of the name matching the person.

Seeing their surprised looks, Zhang Sheng didn’t need to guess what they were shocked about. He spread his hands with a smile: “Why don’t you guess my Ability too? If you get it right, I’ll introduce the Abilities of the other two main team members.”

Besides him and Mu Yunfan, the other two main team members were a brown-haired senior from the Student Council and an unfamiliar girl who looked only twelve or thirteen. Though they themselves were only fifteen or sixteen, a time of rapid growth, they appeared much taller than the little girl.

Everyone had long wanted to ask about this girl, but except for Mo Xiaotian, who lacked tact, the rest weren’t emotionally clueless. They knew she must be here for a reason, and asking rashly might upset her, so they suppressed their curiosity.

If Zhang Sheng was willing to share, that’d be perfect.

Zhang Sheng hadn’t used his Ability in front of them, making it nearly impossible to guess blindly. But since he invited them to try, there had to be some clue.

Considering the topic’s origin—He Shang’s Ability, which was closely tied to his name—could Zhang Sheng’s Ability also relate to his name?

Jiang Tianming was the first to catch this, living up to his reputation as the wise and calm shonen protagonist. After a brief pause, he asked tentatively: “Senior, is your Ability related to studying?”

Zhang Sheng, Zhang Sheng—it sounded like a scholar’s name.

Zhang Sheng’s eyes widened in surprise, then he gave a thumbs-up and nodded readily: “You’re on the right track. Keep guessing. I’ll give you another hint: my Ability is a four-character idiom.”

A four-character idiom related to studying—everyone started thinking. Si Zhaohua, the top academic, spoke first: “Well-read?”

Zhang Sheng shook his head.

Seeing him guess wrong, Jiang Tianming followed: “Diligent Study?”

Zhang Sheng shook his head again.

Guessing like this could take forever. Wu Mingbai’s eyes gleamed, landing on the dependable Feng Manman: “Related to studying? Is it about scholars, the act of studying, or academic achievements?”

Seeing his earnest look, Feng Manman humored her junior: “Achievements.”

Amid Zhang Sheng’s grumbling, Qi Huang gave the third guess: “Vast Knowledge?”

“Bingo! Correct!” Zhang Sheng snapped his fingers, grinning. “It’s [Vast Knowledge].”

Since they got it right, he kept his promise, pointing to the brown-haired senior: “This is Wei Yuexi. We’ve worked together, so I don’t need to introduce her. Her Ability is [Arms Dealer].”

Being introduced, Wei Yuexi flashed a smile and waved. As Student Council members, they’d interacted a few times.

Then Zhang Sheng pointed to the little girl: “She’s Luo Li, Ability [Destruction].”

Luo Li, in a princess dress, gave a cute smile and a loud greeting, her voice matching her appearance—a doll-like tone.

If she wasn’t a grade-skipper, she might have dwarfism. Because of this, Jiang Tianming and the others were cautious, avoiding interaction to not offend her. They didn’t want to risk upsetting someone they’d be around for a while.

Seeing their cautious demeanor, Mu Yunfan was the first to laugh: “Hahahahaha, I knew you’d be too scared to talk to little Luo Li! Stop guessing—she’s twelve, skipped grades to attend the Ability Academy because she awakened her Ability early and it’s uncontrollable.”

That explained it! Everyone sighed in relief, then felt embarrassed. They’d been so careful, only to realize they’d been played for fools.

After the laughter, Feng Manman, a fellow alternate, said: “I won’t introduce the other three. Just knowing names is enough. Unless something happens, we probably won’t compete.”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow. Feng Manman seemed confident in the main team’s endurance. Alternates weren’t just for injuries or accidents; when the main team’s Mental Energy ran low, alternates could step in.

The competition schedule was tight. If too much Mental Energy was used in one match, it’d be hard to perform at full strength later. Even with Mental Crystals, recovery wasn’t guaranteed, so alternates could shine.

Since Feng Manman was so confident, there must be someone in the main team who could replenish others’ Mental Energy. Was it Mu Yunfan’s [Light of Hope] or Zhang Sheng’s [Vast Knowledge]? Su Bei was curious—he needed such an Ability to restore his Mental Energy at critical moments.

Getting a senior as a teammate was unlikely, but asking to record their Ability should be fine. Yes, record Abilities—a tool he’d exchanged from the Destiny organization’s point system.

Submitting the All-Knowing Conch earned him a ton of points. Su Bei wasn’t one to hoard, so he spent them, picking out items like an “Ability Record Book.”

As the name suggested, it recorded Abilities. One book had thirty pages, able to record thirty Abilities, though at half their original effect and with the owner’s consent. While not powerful, the quantity was useful in critical moments, hence its high cost.

After a four-hour flight, they arrived at their destination. The host country, Sesbia, was powerful enough to host the world competition, with a teleportation array at the airport.

The group teleported to a hotel prepared for competitors, assigned rooms, and once surrounded by familiar faces, Lan Subing whispered: “The process feels like the Tri-School Competition.”

It was similar—check into a hotel next to the venue. From a glance out the window, the venue’s scale was comparable to theirs at home, just more ornate with a unique style.

“But this takes days,” Qi Huang, sharing her room, said excitedly. “Even if we can’t compete, watching live is great.”

Genius Ability Users of similar ages from various countries gathered to compete. The thought alone was thrilling.

“You can be even more excited,” Su Bei said lazily, swiping his room card to enter, not giving her a chance to ask more.

But Qi Huang didn’t get to ask, while Si Zhaohua, sharing his room, had time: “What did you mean? Why can Qi Huang be more excited?”

Because she might not just watch but compete. Su Bei thought this but said: “After the competition, you can spar with the losers—that’s like competing, right? Plus, if Teacher Li sees a chance, she’ll let us try.”

Si Zhaohua felt Su Bei meant something else but lacked proof, so he dropped it skeptically: “The competition starts the day after tomorrow. Any plans for these two days?”

“Stay in the hotel and sleep today, visit the city tomorrow,” Su Bei had planned. It was 3 p.m., early, but after a day of travel, he was mentally tired. Rather than wander, he’d rest and research fun spots for tomorrow. Visiting the city was literal—he wasn’t wasting the academy’s trip abroad.

Seeing Su Bei treat the competition like a vacation, Si Zhaohua thought he’d overthought things. With this attitude, the seniors’ matches shouldn’t be dangerous, or he’d show some urgency.

But Si Zhaohua didn’t know Su Bei well enough and misjudged the situation.

With his manga perspective, Su Bei knew Jiang Tianming and the others wouldn’t compete right away.

Sure, plots where planned competitors face issues the day before, forcing the protagonist group to step in, weren’t rare, but those competitors were usually minor characters with little screen time.

This was different. Mu Yunfan, Feng Manman, and Zhang Sheng had appeared multiple times, especially in daily side stories. Mu Yunfan, as Student Council president, had significant popularity, and his CP with Feng Manman had fans.

Such a main team becoming mere background for the protagonist group? Su Bei didn’t buy it.

Since they wouldn’t face issues immediately, the event would likely unfold in the competition’s mid-to-late stages, so Su Bei wasn’t worried. Having faced many crises, his approach was to plan ahead and adapt. Pre-battle fear? Overcaution? Those had nothing to do with him.

“I’m staying in too,” Si Zhaohua said by the window. “I wonder how strong other countries are this year. I checked—our academy got second place last time. First was Yafei Kingdom.”

“Yafei Kingdom?” Su Bei was surprised. “Wu Mingbai’s?”

If he recalled correctly, it wasn’t a major Ability power. Taking first place—had he misjudged, or was there a dark horse last year?

“Yeah,” Si Zhaohua nodded. “I watched the finals. They cleverly used a five-person Combo Skill, five Earth Element summoners, summoning the guardian deity. My butler said some thought it unfair.”

Unfair? It was practically cheating! But Su Bei had to admit, pulling it off within the rules was skill. It wasn’t entirely fair, but was the world ever?

After brief surprise, he laughed: “Think they’ll use the same move this year?”

No thought needed—Si Zhaohua answered: “Of course.”

“Then they’re done,” Su Bei concluded.

Si Zhaohua’s judgment was spot-on. After mastering this skill, Yafei Kingdom could find five Earth Element summoners. A move that led them to first place last time—they’d have no reason to abandon it.

But what brought success could also cause failure. They might capsize in the ditch.

Knowing the skill, finding flaws was easy. If the guardian deity was invincible, just prevent its summoning. A five-person summon could be disrupted by taking out one early, using interrupt Abilities, or keeping them apart in prolonged fights.

There were multiple ways. If they used the skill, it’d be countered. And Si Zhaohua said they wouldn’t give it up.

Hearing this, Si Zhaohua was puzzled but soon understood. Yafei Kingdom, a small nation, got first by surprise. Repeating the same method now would likely fail.

Relaxing, Si Zhaohua’s thoughts wandered, and he smiled: “Good thing Mingbai isn’t competing, or going home would be trouble.”

Now Su Bei was confused. After thinking, he still didn’t get it: “Why?”

Rarely catching Su Bei unaware, Si Zhaohua grinned smugly: “Something you don’t know?”

Here came the sarcasm. Su Bei laughed: “Sure, I also don’t know when you’ll next have bad luck.”

Catching the threat, Si Zhaohua toned it down, explaining: “If Yafei Kingdom’s team loses badly, and Wu Mingbai, a prince, wins with another country’s team, it’d spark public discontent and alert other heirs.”

That made sense, Su Bei realized. If Wu Mingbai was just an ordinary exiled heir, he wouldn’t concern other heirs. Even a fool knew the king wouldn’t compensate him with the throne, given his lack of attachment to Yafei Kingdom and insufficient strength.

But if he had that strength, as an outstanding exiled heir with the king and queen’s guilt, he’d have a claim to the throne.

Si Zhaohua mentioned it casually, assuming Wu Mingbai wouldn’t compete. But Su Bei started seriously considering it.

He knew Wu Mingbai would compete, and they’d go to Yafei Kingdom for a side story. Si Zhaohua’s words likely foreshadowed the crisis they’d face.

If Yafei’s heirs saw Wu Mingbai as a threat, how would they react? They’d likely nip it in the bud. Being hunted by heirs abroad—Su Bei couldn’t imagine how thrilling that’d be.

He sighed. Without the guardian deity’s lure, he might’ve skipped this trip. Stirring trouble abroad was far riskier than at home.

As Su Bei expected, nothing major happened these two days, though there were minor spats. Young, proud competitors from opposing teams, sharing a hotel, easily clashed.

These conflicts didn’t involve Su Bei—he wasn’t even there. He heard about it later from Jiang Tianming.

In short, they met last year’s rival academy, who trash-talked first. Their side couldn’t back down, so they traded barbs and nearly fought. Both teams’ teachers intervened, stopping the farce.

Besides that, a small surprise—they saw Elvis! A student from Alpha Ability Academy, they’d met him during an exchange program. Unexpectedly, they ran into him here.

Not just him, but Tiffany, with her [Vampire] Ability, was also here.

Meeting old friends abroad was always joyful. Though rivals, the familiar few had a private meal together before the competition.

“Long time no see. Didn’t expect to meet you here. I remember we said we’d meet at the world competition, and it came true,” Si Zhaohua said, breaking the ice before asking what interested him: “Is your academy the main or secondary team?”

“Secondary,” Elvis replied, clearly displeased. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have arrived today.”

Yesterday was the secondary teams’ elimination round, held at a smaller venue. They competed all day and could leave after.

This piqued everyone’s curiosity. Though Qi Huang didn’t know Elvis, her outgoing nature let her ask directly: “What did you compete in yesterday?”

Elvis glanced at her, then answered concisely: “A Team Battle.”

The elimination round’s format was simple: the organizers randomly paired teams, those with matching numbers competed, winners advanced, losers left. Very straightforward.

Clearly, Elvis was in the winning group.

“Are you a main or alternate for the secondary team?” Qi Huang asked curiously. From Su Bei and the others knowing him, she guessed he was a first-year. First-years shouldn’t be main team members, but his demeanor suggested he’d competed, or why be so bold about his academy?

As expected, Elvis replied matter-of-factly: “Main, of course.”

Lan Subing whispered to Qi Huang: “His Ability is [Time Hourglass].”

Qi Huang instantly understood. A time Ability—no wonder he was so confident.

Unlike Su Bei’s Destiny Ability, which was either extremely strong or weak, time Abilities had a high baseline and ceiling.

Answering her, Elvis looked at the others, mainly Su Bei and Jiang Tianming, who’d beaten him: “My Ability’s improved a lot this semester. Don’t get eliminated before facing me, or I’ll be disappointed.”

“That’s our line to you,” Jiang Tianming retorted without hesitation, but he wasn’t angry, smiling warmly. After a month together, they knew Elvis was a tsundere—his words meant he didn’t want them out early.

Getting his response, Elvis turned to the silent Su Bei: “Not talking? Think you can’t beat me now?”

“Feels like you’re more annoying than before,” Su Bei said, amused. “And I’m saying, even if he didn’t know, don’t you others know we’re alternates? Compete, my foot!”

“You’re alternates?” Elvis raised an eyebrow, concern flashing in his eyes, but his mouth stayed sharp: “Wow, not getting ostracized at your school, are you?”

Jiang Tianming, realizing this, coughed and explained patiently: “Our academy’s first-years can only be alternates, and the main team is strong, so we likely won’t compete.”

Though they didn’t know the main team’s Abilities, from the teachers’ demeanor, they were clearly stronger.

That was normal—third-year graduates, all Class S, would be odd if weaker than first-years. Su Bei could only say the protagonist aura was too strong if that happened. Such tropes were common in novels but rare in shonen manga, where seniors were strong, and successors rose with challenges everywhere.

“Then watch us beat your main team!” Elvis said confidently, always sure of himself. “I won’t comfort you then.”

But turning away, his confidence faded slightly. He’d experienced Su Bei and Jiang Tianming’s strength. Though he’d improved, as he said, they weren’t the type to stagnate—their strength had likely grown too.

If even they thought they couldn’t match their main team, how strong was Endless Ability Academy’s main team?

On competition day, Jiang Tianming and the others, as alternates, sat close to the arena in the competitors’ section. With many countries participating, private rooms weren’t feasible, so all sat together.

The stands were packed with spectators. Only now did they feel Ability Users weren’t that rare.

Most spectators were Sesbians—being the host country, local Ability Users came to support. Sesbia, a major nation, had plenty of Ability Users.