A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga-Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“We’re going down!” Jiang Tianming shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

The ten of them stepped into the quicksand, struggling briefly. In seconds, they sank, leaving only their heads above.

The quicksand parted around their heads, forming a square shape—Mo Xiaotian’s air cube materialized.

Seeing them trapped, sinking helplessly, Qingqing and her team’s eyes flickered, seeming tempted.

Noticing their restless intent, Su Bei’s lips curled, but his eyes held no warmth. He didn’t care if they caused trouble up here, but if they interfered with their mission, he wouldn’t stand for it.

Su Bei stepped in front of Qingqing, blocking their view, and smiled. “Sister Qingqing, staring at them like that—do you want to go down too?”

Qingqing had no such desire and shook her head. “No, no, I’m just curious about what it looks like to be swallowed by quicksand.”

Interrupted by Su Bei, she abandoned her earlier thoughts. Though the trapped group looked tempting, acting now was too risky.

Better deal with the ones up here first.

With that, a glint flashed in her eyes. Once Jiang Tianming and the others vanished into the quicksand, she signaled her teammates and Zhou Renjie.

At her cue, Zhou Renjie walked toward Su Bei, saying, “Su Bei, I need to talk to you.”

His ability required proximity, ideally contact, to work. Without suspicion, this was easy.

Unexpectedly, Su Bei raised a hand to stop him. “Good news or bad?”

The surprising response stunned Zhou Renjie, who then said, “Good news, of course.”

“Liar,” Su Bei raised an eyebrow. “If it’s bad news, I’m out.”

The next second, he vanished into thin air.

“Where’d he go!” Zhou Renjie’s eyes widened, turning in panic. “He just disappeared—you all saw, right?”

Ai Baozhu was equally shocked. “Never heard Su Bei had an invisibility ability. How’d he vanish?”

Perhaps her own question sparked a thought, as she then asked suspiciously, “Wait, what’s this ‘bad news’ he said you were going to tell?”

Zhou Renjie stiffened, then his eyes darted, and he approached her. “I can tell you.”

Unlike Su Bei, who’d seen through him, Ai Baozhu had no guard against Zhou Renjie. She let him close, and he easily activated his ability, sucking her into his stomach.

“Well done. Now two left,” Qingqing said, smiling at the sight.

Su Bei’s sudden disappearance startled her, but the outcome was close enough. Controlling the remaining two would render Su Bei’s escape moot.

She turned to speak but froze, eyes widening. “Why’s there only one left?”

Everyone looked. Sure enough, one of the two boys—purple-haired and white-haired—standing side by side had vanished. Only the white-haired boy remained, standing calmly.

Brother Staff’s brow furrowed, dropping his earlier cheer. He strode over menacingly, grabbing Feng Lan’s collar. “Where’s the purple-haired one?”

“Don’t know,” Feng Lan replied expressionlessly. “Maybe he left earlier.”

“Don’t know? How could you not know!” Brother Staff started to rant, but Sister Shield cut him off.

Sister Shield’s expression was calmer. She approached, curious. “Why haven’t you left?”

“Can’t,” Feng Lan said honestly. He’d noticed something was off but couldn’t vanish like Su Bei or slip away unnoticed like Wu Jin under everyone’s noses.

Sister Shield smiled, reaching to pat his shoulder, but Feng Lan stepped back to dodge. She didn’t mind. “Be good, and we won’t mistreat you. Tie him up.”

Brother Staff pulled a coarse rope from his bag, expertly binding Feng Lan, while Qingqing asked anxiously, “What now? Two got away. They’ll definitely tell their teachers.”

“Don’t worry, we can fix this,” Sister Shield soothed patiently.

“You and Brother Knife stay here with them, control the others when they come up. Brother Staff and I will head to the entrance. I have a speed ability, so we’ll get there faster. Those two don’t seem strong. We’ll ambush them at the entrance.”

Hearing this, Qingqing relaxed and nodded. “Okay, hurry. We’ll meet at the entrance. If we don’t show by evening, something’s gone wrong—run.”

“Su Bei, the blond guy, is strong,” Zhou Renjie suddenly said, eyes full of love for Qingqing, though his words were harsh. “Just the two of them probably can’t beat him.”

The four froze. Brother Staff asked incredulously, “That pretty boy? How could we not beat him?”

Su Bei had never acted, always seeming to slack off, so they assumed he was the team’s deadweight. Every class had a few stragglers, right?

Wu Jin was similar—silent, never acting. From the students’ talks, Qingqing vaguely guessed he got in through connections, making him even less threatening.

But now, both had vanished, and one might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Qingqing felt a bad premonition. “Why do I feel like we’re about to crash?”

Sister Shield frowned, sharing her concern, and looked at Zhou Renjie. “You’re sure the four of us plus you can’t beat him?”

Zhou Renjie thought carefully, answering cautiously, “Not sure if we can win, but we definitely can’t outsmart him.”

That guy could see fate—who could outwit him? Honestly, even with lover’s bias, he didn’t think these four were that clever.

Maybe because they were too weak at their school, how could they believe the teachers weren’t following?

Like the others, Zhou Renjie knew Meng Huai and the teachers, though gone, were watching somehow.

These were Class S students, some with deep backgrounds. If they weren’t watched and something happened, the whole academy would suffer. Even Feng Lan, tied up, wasn’t truly at their mercy.

He was the Feng Family’s young master. No protective items? He wasn’t using them because his [Prophecy] ability sensed no danger.

Whatever. With him here, as long as his classmates weren’t hurt, Qingqing wouldn’t face harsh punishment. He’d plead for leniency, smoothing things over.

Seeing Qingqing’s furrowed brow, Zhou Renjie comforted, “But don’t worry too much. I feel Su Bei might not bother with this.”

“What do you mean?” Qingqing perked up at the hopeful turn, and the others looked over, eager not to lose this rare chance.

These students were clearly destined for greatness. If Qingqing’s ability could control them, they wouldn’t need to toil in harsh conditions anymore.

“Su Bei obviously noticed something was off earlier, or he wouldn’t have reacted so fast. But he didn’t warn the others, letting Jiang Tianming and them go down. He only vanished when I approached, showing he doesn’t want to get involved.”

Zhou Renjie’s rare logical analysis was compelling. Seeing Qingqing relax, he felt happy.

Qingqing agreed. Su Bei didn’t seem like he’d meddle. She asked, “Does he not get along with the others?”

“Not exactly...” Zhou Renjie hesitated. Honestly, Su Bei had no real enemies in Class S. “He just loves watching the show.”

Su Bei’s love for drama was Class S consensus. He sometimes even steered events but usually stepped back once the curtain rose. Zhou Renjie remembered Su Bei’s words: he liked watching plays, not acting in them.

Plus, with teachers around, Su Bei likely wouldn’t interfere. The teachers would handle it.

Feeling confident, Zhou Renjie patted his chest. “Trust me, Su Bei won’t meddle.”

Seeing his certainty, Qingqing, knowing he wouldn’t betray her, relaxed. “Then we stick to the plan. We’ll wait here, you guard the entrance.”

Meanwhile, Su Bei, the subject of their discussion, was behind a distant boulder. His sudden disappearance relied on an Invisibility Charm from the Point System Campus Store.

What a great item, Su Bei thought, while mentally grumbling, “You could at least give me a store. I’m slaving away for you here.”

He was addressing Manga Consciousness, which replied helplessly, “I’m just a will born from a comic. Where would I get those things?”

Su Bei didn’t buy it. “You’re a comic-born will. How could you not manage?”

He’d only complained offhand, but if he could squeeze something from Manga Consciousness, all the better.

“...”

After a long silence, Manga Consciousness relented. “Fine, I’ll patch some loopholes for you. Don’t say that again.”

“What loopholes?” Su Bei asked curiously.

Manga Consciousness answered, “Your academy’s Invisibility Charm is great, but some special abilities can see through it. The mask too. I’ll fix those vulnerabilities. That’s big help, right?”

It was indeed significant. Su Bei hadn’t known this, and ignorance could’ve left him exposed. If someone saw through his disguise unknowingly, especially since he used these to deal with Black Flash, it’d be disastrous.

“Absolutely, absolutely!” Su Bei, ever adaptable, turned flattering. “Worthy of a shonen manga’s consciousness—righteous and fair!”

Manga Consciousness didn’t respond, unsure if the flattery hit the mark.

As Su Bei basked in his unexpected gain, a heavy pat landed on his back.

“Oof—”

About to yelp, he remembered he wasn’t far from Qingqing’s group and stifled it. Turning, he flashed a fawning smile. “Teacher, you’re here.”

Meng Huai looked at him, half-smiling. “You ran fast, huh?”

“Not really,” Su Bei mumbled. “Wu Jin was faster.”

He wasn’t lying. Wu Jin wasn’t dumb and, with his special ability, sensed trouble before anyone. After telling Su Bei about Zhou Renjie’s “love scent,” he slipped away.

His escape speed and skill outdid even Su Bei, no wonder he’d vanished in front of enemies during the team battles.

Meng Huai gave him another pat, chuckling. “Now you’re competing?”

He sobered slightly. “Not joining in?”

“Nope,” Su Bei shook his head firmly.

Meng Huai wasn’t surprised. Two months together showed Su Bei’s nature. “Fine, if you’re not joining, come watch the show with us.”

He grabbed Su Bei’s collar, and they vanished instantly.

In a blink, Su Bei was elsewhere—a straw hut with just a few chairs and a table.

Ye Lin, Lei Ze’en, and Wu Jin were there, each on a chair. Ye Lin and Lei Ze’en held mirrors the size of a workbook, and Wu Jin, awkwardly, peered at Lei Ze’en’s mirror.

Seeing them arrive, Lei Ze’en grinned. “You’re here? Su Bei, pick a mirror. Mine shows the surface; Teacher Ye’s shows below.”

Su Bei got the situation. “Below, obviously. What’s to see up top?”

He naturally joined, sitting by Ye Lin to watch her mirror.

It showed Jiang Tianming’s group fighting Nightmare Beasts. The battle was routine, so Su Bei, bored, studied the mirror.

What kind of item could show both scenes?

When he first realized its use, he’d panicked. If they’d seen his actions at the team battle’s end with this, he’d be a joke.

But then he thought, he didn’t know about this item, but Black Flash surely did. They’d never be so careless as to not counter it. If they had items to block Different Space entry, wouldn’t they have ones to block spying?

Relieved, he grew cautious. He knew too little about the ability world. He’d been lucky so far, but he’d been careless, treating it like a normal world.

Now aware, he’d act carefully, avoiding attention.

Doing nothing wasn’t an option—he wasn’t ready to slack off. Maybe he could use Manga Consciousness? Su Bei mused. It couldn’t spoil plots, but asking if his actions were seen might be fine.

“‘Closed Point’!” A shout from Ye Lin’s mirror interrupted his thoughts.

Su Bei looked up. Sure enough, a black hole faced Jiang Tianming’s group, with small Nightmare Snakes crawling out.

That was the “Closed Point.”

“Finally found it,” Lei Ze’en noted. “We can wrap up soon.”

Meng Huai said coolly, “Not so fast. There’s still a welcoming party up top.”

Su Bei glanced at Lei Ze’en’s mirror and laughed. Indeed, Zhou Renjie was helping Qingqing’s group set traps.

Qingqing, Brother Knife, and Zhou Renjie were indeed rigging traps. Sister Shield’s shield ability wasn’t just defensive; the traps were a new use she’d developed.

Transparent shields formed a one-way Barrier—enter, but don’t exit. Knowing it might be broken, she reinforced it with two layers. Originally meant for survival, these shields were now for trapping.

Unsure if Jiang Tianming’s group would emerge from the quicksand, they set two traps: one encircling the quicksand, ensnaring anyone who surfaced, and another outside, with Zhou Renjie inside. If he lured the others close, they’d fall in.

Finished, the four were smug, thinking they’d prepared well.

Zhou Renjie, knowing the teachers were watching but unable to warn them, secretly bowed to the air, muttering, “Teachers, please spare Qingqing. She means no harm, just wants us to help her earn more.”

Seeing this in the mirror, Su Bei snorted. “Wonder what Zhou Renjie will feel when he sobers up and knows we saw this.”

Lei Ze’en grinned. “You’re a bad one.”

If Su Bei didn’t speak, Zhou Renjie would only know the teachers saw, not him and Wu Jin. But Su Bei clearly planned to tease him with it.

Meanwhile, Jiang Tianming’s group, having seen the “Closed Point,” prepared to leave. As Feng Lan said, there was one path—no need to choose.

“Teacher, this underground space—was it built by you?” Su Bei asked suspiciously, eyeing their surroundings.

A “Closed Point” was just a teleportation black hole. Appearing under quicksand, it’d be buried. It wouldn’t naturally come with an underground maze.

Yet this maze had Nightmare Beasts and various traps. Su Bei was glad he’d stayed out, or he’d be suffering now.

Seeing his guess, Lei Ze’en didn’t hide it. “It’s for your training. By not going, you missed a great opportunity.”

No thanks. Su Bei gave a fake smile, nudging Wu Jin to share the heat. “Wu Jin, Teacher’s talking about you, missing a great training chance.”

Wu Jin didn’t talk much but wasn’t dumb. He shot Su Bei a rare exasperated glance. “Together?”

Hearing Wu Jin suggest they go down, Su Bei raised his hands in surrender, shutting up.

On the surface, Qingqing’s group grew impatient. No shade nearby, and though a boulder was in the distance, straying too far risked missing Jiang Tianming’s group. They baked in the sun.

Honestly, with Su Bei not returning after over an hour, Qingqing relaxed. He truly wasn’t saving anyone. As for Wu Jin, Sister Shield and Brother Staff were at the entrance, so she wasn’t worried.

After a bit, Qingqing said happily, “I’ve generated a second Cupid arrow!”

Such a strong ability couldn’t be used consecutively, only regenerating periodically. Arrows could be stored, but not too many. Qingqing had three, used two, and with the new one, had two left. Brother Knife’s eyes lit up. “Great! We can control two more. Just the strongest two.”

He looked at Zhou Renjie. “Who’s the strongest in that group?”

Zhou Renjie ignored him. Brother Knife was a rival—why answer him?

Seeing this, Qingqing helplessly repeated the question. Zhou Renjie glared at Brother Knife, then focused on Qingqing, answering firmly, “The black-haired and brown-haired ones.”

He wasn’t brainless despite his love. Naming Si Zhaohua would doom Qingqing’s group after this. Even if Si Zhaohua didn’t care, the Si Family wouldn’t let it slide.

Zhou Renjie knew he was controlled. Falling for Qingqing at first sight could be love, but becoming obsessed after so long? Suspicious.

Yet his love let him accept it. It was just making him love Qingqing, and he was willing. Why control only him if she didn’t care for him?