A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

32:

Seeing that there were no further questions for the moment, Meng Huai introduced the second competition: “Next, let’s talk about the team battles. Team battles consist of three to six members forming a group, with at least two students from different classes. One thing to note is that a student from Class A must team up with at least one from Class F. You cannot have two students from Class A and one from Class F teaming up—that would be exploiting a bug.”

The crowd couldn’t help but laugh. Some quick thinkers had already devised a way to superficially comply with the pairing of Class A and F. But the school had anticipated this and banned it, which was indeed good news for the students of Class F.

“The final score of the team battle is the total points divided by the number of members, resulting in an average individual score for comparison. So a trio won’t be at a disadvantage compared to a group of six.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” a student immediately objected. “No matter how you look at it, having more members is an advantage.”

At this, Meng Huai let out a cold laugh: “Speaking without raising your hand? Go stand at the back!”

After the unfortunate student moved to the back with a dejected face, Meng Huai explained: “Having more people has its advantages, and so does having fewer. With a larger team, it’s hard to ensure there won’t be one or two who lag behind, which could lower the average individual score and might even make it worse than that of a trio.”

Having said that, Meng Huai seemed somewhat irritated and decisively sat down on the chair next to the podium: “The specific details of the competition will be posted on the school’s official website tonight. You can check it yourselves. I have only one requirement—”

He deliberately drew out his words for two seconds, waiting until he had everyone’s full attention, before continuing: “I’ll allow you to fail in the individual battles, even if it’s in the first round. But for the team battles, if any of you appear in the bottom five teams of the grade, then after the monthly exams, you will receive my personal training.”

“How does that sound? Are you moved?”

Dare not move, dare not move.

Seeing the crowd fall silent, Meng Huai smiled with satisfaction: “Alright, you have a week to form your teams. On Friday, send the team leader to submit the list to the grade director. If you haven’t formed a team by then, you’ll be automatically grouped with others who haven’t. Dismissed!”

As soon as his last word fell, the voice of “Comic Consciousness” rang out: “‘The King of Special Abilities’ has been updated, please pay attention to the new release.”

Hearing the comic update, a glint of joy flashed in Su Bei’s eyes. He had feared the comic would update only after the competition began, which would delay his plans. His mental strength would have to wait until the team battles to improve. Wouldn’t his persona crumble in the individual battles?

Fortunately, the old thief was skilled enough, and the comic updated just now. Now, the only worry is whether the author has included the particular segment he wanted.

As Subei was fretting over this, Jiang Tianming approached: “We agreed before, for the monthly test, we’d team up. I plan to form a six-person team: you, me, Lan Subing, Wu Mingbai, Mutieren, and finally, we’ll ask Mo Xiaotian if he’s coming. What do you think?”

“That’s fine. Once you’ve formed the team, just let me know the final list.”

Subei nodded on the surface but was inwardly asking the “Comic Consciousness”: “Who would have been the sixth person in the team without my participation?”

Truth be told, he was quite worried about taking someone else’s place. He couldn’t justifiably cause a character to lose an important opportunity to appear, and

it might even mean that the character would never appear again.

If there really was a character whose place he had taken, then Subei might choose to team up with the protagonist group. He was clear about it; actually, that would be fine too, he could team up with Feng Lan.

If nothing unexpected happened, Feng Lan would likely join Si Zhaohua’s team. He could just join an antagonist team, which wouldn’t be bad either.

“Comic Consciousness” didn’t know he was considering giving up teaming up with the protagonist group and honestly answered: “Originally, the comic set the monthly test teams to be 3 to 5 people, but because you were added, it became 3 to 6 people.”

“Eh?!” This was an answer Subei hadn’t expected. “Did I change the comic’s setting?”

“Not really,” “Comic Consciousness” denied the claim, “This segment’s setting was for the participants of the last round’s murderer search to team up. Since there were originally only five people searching for the murderer, the setting was for 3-5 people. Now there are six, so the setting changed to 3-6 people.”

So that was it, Subei suddenly understood. If that was the case, then he was relieved. Although joining the antagonist team was good, it still didn’t compare to the screen time with the protagonist team.

After getting clarity, he didn’t waste any more time and hurried back to the dormitory.

Opening the APP, Subei had skipped past the previous storyline in a hurry. It wasn’t until he saw the scene of Jiang Tianming getting up early to go to the classroom that he breathed a sigh of relief, his purple eyes brimming with a smile: “It seems I bet correctly.”

“Comic Consciousness” was also thoroughly convinced: “Congratulations.”

Now assured that the content he wanted was there, Subei relaxed completely, lazily flipping through the pages.

[Jiang Tianming, as usual, got up early. Just as he reached the classroom door, he suddenly heard a voice inside saying, “Let’s test the range.” The next second, he saw a chalk flying straight from the lectern towards the back of the classroom.

Seeing this, Jiang Tianming stood alertly in place without moving, then heard the voice inside continue: “Indeed, just having become advanced, doing this kind of thing is still a bit forced.”

The comic displayed his thoughts next to his head — “Is that voice Subei?”

Then Subei’s stern voice questioned “Who’s outside,” and Jiang Tianming tiptoed to hide around the corner as quickly as possible. After a long wait, he entered the classroom with the next student who arrived.]

The barrage was incredibly excited.

“Wow, what kind of skill is this? It has nothing to do with fate, right?”

“Su Bei still had this trick up his sleeve?”

“‘Just became advanced’—what does that mean? An advanced psychic?”

“How did Su Bei detect Jiang Tianming outside without him moving a muscle?”

[The plot continues, with Jiang Tianming telling Lan Subing about the incident, and the two of them secretly observing Su Bei. Several split screens are used to show Su Bei’s lethargy throughout the day, dozing off constantly.

When they see him go to ask the psychic enhancement teacher after class, Lan Subing whispers, “Could he do that because of his psychic power?”

The two hit it off and, together with Wu Mingbai, head to the library after school. It doesn’t take long before they find a book about advanced psychic power. They learn that an advanced psychic has two traits—telekinesis and heightened senses.

Jiang Tianming immediately confirms their guess: “Su Bei has just become an advanced psychic!”]

Seeing this, Su Bei decides not to waste any more time. He immediately opens the forum and, sure enough, there are several posts about him.

“Su Bei is actually an advanced psychic—what other secrets is he hiding?”

“Awesome, Su Bei! Mu Qiang is totally in love!”

“The team battle is in the bag!”

Seeing the entire forum convinced of his advanced psychic abilities, Su Bei excitedly snaps his fingers: “It’s settled! ‘Comic Sense,’ do you know when the author will update the comic next? Telling me shouldn’t be against the rules, right? ()”

“Comic Sense” hesitates for a moment: “…Alright, the next update should be the day after your individual battle. The third and fourth days will be released together with the team battle.”

Although Su Bei’s most hoped-for outcome was to have the next comic chapter updated before the individual battle starts, he knows that would be too easy. The current outcome isn’t the best, but as long as he performs well in the first two days, it won’t affect anything.

He casually clicks on the post about the team battle.

“The team battle is in the bag!”

[Flying Cockroach No.0: One [Death Summoning] ability, one [Word Spirit], Wu Mingbai’s [Earth Element], and Mo Xiaotian’s air blocks can all easily catch one off guard. Now with Su Bei’s mysteriously high psychic power, the team battle is in the bag!]

I sense this month’s exam copy is perhaps revealing the secrets of the Wooden Iron Man? Currently, it seems his body enhancement ability doesn’t quite match the team. (No offense to him.)

【No.1: Hahaha, the original poster’s name!】

【No.2: Big bro, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed, hahaha.】

【No.3: In the team battle, the protagonist will surely win. I feel this time it’s mainly about letting everyone understand the team members’ abilities. Not just Wooden Iron Man, we still don’t even know the names of Su Bei and Mo Xiao Tian’s abilities.】

【No.4 replying to No.3:

Oh, right, I had forgotten about that until you mentioned it.】

【No.5: I thought they would team up with Feng Lan; alas, we won’t see the handsome guy with white hair.】

【No.6: Those three from Class A (Si Zhao Hua, Ai Bao Zhu, and Zhou Kai Xuan) will definitely face off against Tian Ming and his team. They are all from Class A, so they’ll need three from Class F to team up. My blind guess is Feng Lan will join their group.】

【No.7 replying to No.6:

!!!!!!!!】

【No.8 replying to No.6:

Oh my, I hadn’t thought of that, Feng Lan will definitely join that team.】

【No.9: I wonder which other two from Class F will team up with them.】

【No.10: Looking at it this way, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be Jiang Tian Ming against Si Zhao Hua, Lan Su Bing against Ai Bao Zhu, Wu Ming Bai against Zhou Kai Xuan, Su Bei against Feng Lan, with the remaining two matchups unknown. That’s quite exciting, haha.】

【No.11 replying to No.10: I’m already looking forward to it!】

【……】

Seeing the content in the sixth post, Su Bei raised an eyebrow; he hadn’t really thought of this before. Prompted by the other’s reminder, Su Bei began to ponder.

That’s right, the other person is correct. According to the rules, three from Class A must team up with three from Class F to comply. So, besides Feng Lan, which other two from Class F

() might join Si Zhao Hua’s team?

Suddenly, he thought of two names—Zhao Xiao Yu and Wu Jin.

It’s not surprising he thought of those two; they were indeed very likely to join Si Zhaohua’s team.

Si Zhaohua and his trio, proud and aloof, were bound by the rules to accept three from Class F. But aside from Feng Lan, who was in the know, they wouldn’t consider anyone else from Class F.

As such, it didn’t matter to them who they chose.

Zhao Xiaoyu was clever. If she saw Si Zhaohua’s team approaching Feng Lan, she’d likely take the initiative to go up with someone and volunteer. The reason for bringing someone was, of course, to save Si Zhaohua’s team the trouble, completing the selection in one go.

In this case, the choice of companion was crucial. Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t one to settle, waiting to be carried along. Her best option would be to bring someone who wouldn’t overshadow her.

Clearly, Wu Jin, with his minimal presence, was an excellent choice.

It’s worth mentioning that Su Bei seriously suspected Wu Jin’s special ability was “Low Presence.” Otherwise, how could he be so easily overlooked, even when Su Bei was deliberately paying attention to him?

In the evening, Su Bei received the team list from Lan Subing, along with a friend recommendation request. It was then he remembered he hadn’t added Jiang Tianming as a friend. Not to mention Jiang Tianming, he hadn’t even added Feng Lan.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to or had any reservations; it was simply unnecessary. They were all classmates living in the same school, dealing with matters face-to-face. With their time spent training and studying, there was no time for chatting.

After adding Jiang Tianming, Su Bei entered the grade’s large group chat. This group was created at the start of school and was quite lively, with frequent conversations.

Su Bei had an alternate account in there, and seeing the group admin nicknamed “Supernatural Academy Campus Wall,” he added them directly with his alt.

At this time, most students were on their phones, and the Campus Wall quickly accepted his friend request. Su Bei’s fingers tapped swiftly, asking directly the question he wanted to know.

“Cement Sealed Heart: Do you have information on the first-year students’ abilities?”

“Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Dear, you’ve got taste! I have all sorts of news here, it all depends on whether you have enough points to purchase.”

“Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Meow~”

“Cement Sealed Heart: How many points for the information I want?”

“Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: The information is divided by class. Class A, 500 points; Class B, 100 points; Class C, 50 points; Class D, 40 points. If you buy enough for two classes, I’ll give you the Class F news for free.”

“Cement Sealed Heart: Then I don’t want the Class F news, can you make the others cheaper?”

“Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Hahaha, my apologies.jpg”

“Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Not really, dear.”

【Cement-Sealed Heart: Are you sure your information is accurate?】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: I have special channels to obtain these secrets, at least as accurate as their enrollment records.】

【Cement-Sealed Heart: How do I pay? I don’t want to reveal my identity.】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Darling, you can be anonymous on the official website.】

Su Bei: ?

He was truly unaware of this news and hurriedly logged on to check

Blinking his eyes, he indeed found the anonymous option in the settings of his personal homepage.

【Cement-Sealed Heart: I want the information for Class C and D.】

It’s not that he valued Class C and D so much, but rather, those were the only classes he could afford the information for. If he chose to buy Class B’s information, he wouldn’t be able to get Class F’s intelligence, and there was a chance he might crash two days before the individual battle.

As long as he didn’t crash two days before the individual battle, he would have completed his minimum guaranteed task, at least not completely shattering his public persona.

Moreover, Su Bei really needed the supernatural information of Class F, firstly to verify the accuracy of the Campus Wall’s information through Class F’s data. Secondly, to better understand the situation of his classmates.

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Alright~ Search for Campus Wall on the official website, pay 90 credits, then send me a screenshot, and it’s done!】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Kissy.jpg】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: By the way, darling, do you also need the information for Class F?】

【Cement-Sealed Heart: Yes, I do.】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Okay then~】

After all the procedures were completed, “Supernatural Academy Campus Wall” promptly sent Su Bei three compressed files as promised.

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Class C Supernatural Information.docx】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Class D Supernatural Information.docx】

【Supernatural Academy Campus Wall: Class F Supernatural Information.docx】

[Psychic Academy Campus Wall: Pleasure doing business, dear. Looking forward to your next visit!]

[Psychic Academy Campus Wall: Bowing cat.jpg]

Looking at these three files, Su Bei pondered for a moment before opening the dossier on Class F. As expected, it listed the names, photos, and psychic abilities of Class F’s students. Su Bei’s own ability was recorded as:

[Gear]: Can produce gears (suspected precognitive ability)

However, the entry for Jiang Tianming was entirely a question mark.

After reviewing the document, Su Bei nodded in satisfaction. It seemed the intelligence was quite accurate and without deceit. He specifically looked at Wu Jin’s ability, which was named [Silence is Golden], meaning his presence felt diminished when he was silent.

Su Bei: “…”

To speak or not to speak, this ability seemed quite fitting for Lan Subing. If she could have an ability that allowed her not to speak, she’d probably be overjoyed.

Speaking of Lan Subing, Su Bei suddenly remembered something else and immediately sent her a private message.

[EastSouthWest: Are you there? Need any intel?]

[Silent yet Passionate66: Peeking cat.jpg]

[Silent yet Passionate66: What intel?]

[EastSouthWest: Class C and D’s psychic abilities, highly accurate.]

[Silent yet Passionate66: ??? How did you get this?]

[EastSouthWest: Found a source. Just tell me if you want it or not. I’m thinking of selling it to someone else to recover some points, selling for credits.]

[Silent yet Passionate66: Want, want, want! How many credits?]

[EastSouthWest: Depends if you want exclusive rights. If you do, it’s 60 credits. If not, and you don’t pass the intel to anyone else, it’s 20 credits.]

[Silent yet Passionate66: Do you plan to sell to Tianming and Mingbai as well?]

[EastSouthWest: Of course.]

() [Silent yet Passionate66: I’ll buy it for 50 credits, and only share it with Tianming and Mingbai, is that okay?]

Upon seeing the proposal, Su Bei hesitated for a moment but then nodded in agreement.

【Dong Nan Xi: Alright, transfer the points to me.】

Lan Sui Bing did not doubt his words and quickly sent him 50 points. Su Bei, as promised, transferred the information to her.

He then opened the official website to check the latest public announcement, which was about the monthly exam.

Most of the content had already been mentioned by the teachers, but there were some details that hadn’t been brought up, such as the prohibition of killing during this exam, which, of course, was common sense.

Additionally, during the individual battles, there would be referees who, under certain circumstances, could declare a participant defeated, such as when one’s attack approached the vital areas of the opponent.

The team battles would take place in a secret realm controlled by the school, where shadow beasts roamed. Each student had a watch, and pressing a button on it would immediately teleport them out of the realm. However, that was all that was disclosed; the specific rules of the team battle were not yet announced.

The rewards for the monthly exam were as follows: the first place in the individual battle would receive 1000 points, second place 700 points, third place 500 points, fourth to tenth places 200 points, eleventh to twentieth places 100 points, and twenty-first to fiftieth places 50 points each. There were no rewards for the rest.

For the team battle, each member of the first-place team would receive 500 points, and the MVP of the team would receive an additional one-fifth of the individual reward, which was 100 points.

The second-place team members would each receive 200 points, third place 100 points, and fourth to tenth places 50 points each. The MVPs of these teams would also receive one-fifth of their respective team’s individual reward. There were no rewards for the rest.

The MVP would be determined by the teachers based on the actual situation.

The next day in class, Su Bei actively asked his classmates if they wanted the information. Of course, he wasn’t asking blindly; he specifically targeted those ambitious students who aimed to leave Class F in this monthly exam, ensuring he only received affirmative answers.

He wasn’t greedy; after earning back the full 100 points, he stopped selling the information. After all, it was someone else’s intelligence, and selling too much could provoke dissatisfaction from the source, which would be counterproductive.

The last buyer purchased the information outright, and in the end, Su Bei made an extra 50 points. As for whether the buyer would resell it, Su Bei didn’t care; he only requested that his identity not be revealed.

In the following days, to recognize faces, Su Bei casually strolled by Classes C and D. These two classes had the highest number of students, with four classes split between two grades, totaling 160 students.

160 was not a small number, and if he didn’t take the time to memorize everyone now, he might not be able to recall their abilities in time for the competition. Su Bei knew he couldn’t rely on his abilities to defeat others for the time being; he had to rely on his own strength. Therefore, knowing both himself and the enemy, and gaining the upper hand in advance was crucial.

On Sunday, the official website surprisingly launched a new section specifically for the monthly exam called “Arena Betting.” This section would last for the entire duration of the exam, focusing on betting on winners and losers.

Similar to betting on sports, the individual battles, except for the last day, would have the day’s matchups announced in advance. Students could bet points on who would win before the start of the arena. For the team battle, bets were placed directly on which group would win.

Su Bei was very interested in this event, although he strongly suspected that the school organized it to recoup points. After all, it was well-known that in gambling, no matter who won, the house never lost. But it didn’t matter; knowing he was in a comic world, he was confident that betting everything on the protagonist’s victory would pay off big. He currently had 175 points, and by the end of the monthly exam, he had a feeling he would strike it rich.

With everything in place and amidst an atmosphere of restless anticipation, the much-anticipated monthly exam finally arrived!!