Chapter 295 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

### Chapter 295 If Su Bei's suspicions were correct, then the others were in danger. The author of "King of Superpowers" wasn't one to shy away from incorporating death into a story just because it was a shonen comic. In fact, from the very first installment, many events had been triggered by a death, and casualties frequently cropped up as the story unfolded. However, the repercussions this time could be even more severe. Killing a fellow classmate might leave a psychological shadow. But Su Bei didn't think the author would be soft-hearted; those destined to die would undoubtedly meet their fate. In the early stages, though, it should be relatively uneventful. As he had analyzed before, the beginning didn't require many deaths; their focus would be to complete tasks and eliminate the Nightmare Beasts. Everything hinged on when the protagonist group could uncover the truth—the sooner they did, the fewer would perish. Yet Su Bei was curious how they might unearth the truth. He had discerned it through advanced mental power, but Jiang Tianming and his companions lacked such abilities. Additionally, their team didn't include someone like Li Shu, whose powers could unravel an illusionist's facade—a nearly impossible feat for them. Emerging from the shadows, Su Bei was set on returning to the haunted house. Initially, he figured he could be so nonchalant that others wouldn't bother killing him. While this tactic carried moderate odds and stronger schools might not be interested in "keeping him as livestock"—considering their goal was to conquer all realms—it allowed him to play freely. Even if he got eliminated, dangers lurked within and beyond the tournament, providing ample reasons for self-justification. Previously, Su Bei worried that being eliminated too soon might stray too far from character (OOC). Still, he had already laid enough groundwork through the information he provided at the outset, coupled with the looming internal and external threats. Leaving earlier than planned likely wouldn't stir much disturbance among readers. But now Su Bei couldn't afford indifference towards his own elimination. If the price of losing was death, staying put became his only option—either become the sole victor or find a method to forcibly break through the illusion. Given that the protagonist group was also trapped in the false reality, naturally, only the second path remained viable. However, breaking Gillam’s illusion posed its own set of challenges. Despite possessing advanced mental power, Su Bei couldn't achieve such a feat. Moreover, if the Nightmare Beasts weren't foolish, they would have prepared countermeasures to some degree. Though these efforts would ultimately fail, they could still cause significant trouble for the protagonists. Thus, Su Bei knew he couldn't wander recklessly in this critical moment. Escaping within the illusion was inherently difficult, especially since he knew full well he was a thorn in the Nightmare Beasts' side. They would surely have sought to eliminate him long ago. In comparison to other open-air areas, the haunted house offered relative safety. As the origin point of the protagonist team, they likely had cleared out most of the Nightmare Beasts, making it a secure enough place for a temporary stay. The pitch-black environment instilled an odd sense of safety in Su Bei. He intended to lie low here until the competition ended. Being a character not scripted by the author came with the advantage of deciding whether to engage with the plot. Even though avoiding the storyline didn't guarantee safety, was participating any safer? The deaths of protagonist group members in shonen comics weren't uncommon. Moreover, as characters within the author's scripted narrative, they found it far harder to evade the author’s control than he did. Perched atop a giant skull, Su Bei began to ponder. His plan to adopt a laissez-faire attitude was strictly limited to the plot—it didn’t mean he would do absolutely nothing during this period. The haunted house was merely a relatively secure spot, reliant solely on darkness and information gaps. It wasn't as safe as the "Holy Spirit Banyan" he previously hid within. Both Nightmare Beasts and competitors could very well stumble upon him unexpectedly. The best strategy for dealing with a precarious hideout was to prepare an escape route in advance. Within this illusion, the sole escape was to leave its confines. Despite not being an illusion-type superpower user, even without advanced mental power, Su Bei might be able to break through an illusionist master's spell. At least he found something to occupy himself, ensuring he didn't waste time aimlessly. Concerning illusions, the academy had arranged special classes for them. Although this topic wasn't typically taught in the first year, they were part of the S-class and had experienced several illusion journeys already. There were three methods to resolve an illusion: the first was completing the illusion's task—tasks weren't always singular and could be hidden, depending on whether those inside could uncover them. The second method was breaking through the illusion by force. The third was locating the core. The second method was beyond them; Gillam's involvement in creating the second round of events meant he was an extraordinarily talented illusionist. At eighteen or nineteen years old, even with advanced mental power, the odds of forcibly breaking the illusion were virtually nonexistent. Thus, the feasible options were the first and third methods. Presently, Su Bei aimed for the third. The only known task was to eliminate everyone. Discovering an unknown hidden task would require exhausting efforts—better spent within the amusement park completing tasks and combating Nightmare Beasts. He had no overt need to do so, ruling out the first option. Thus, finding the core became the only way forward. Although this too required traversing the entire map, fortunately, Su Bei's advanced mental power meant he didn't have to inspect each corner himself. In the past, when instructed by the academy, he had searched for cores in other scenarios. Without any cover, the core presented itself as a small vortex when sensed through mental power. The larger the illusion, the bigger the core. This served as a limitation for illusionists. Only by skillfully concealing cores of varying sizes within the environment could one attain the title of master illusionist. Uncertain about the amusement park's size, Su Bei needed to visualize it completely to determine the core’s scale and identify potential locations for its placement. Thankfully, knowing he would inevitably face illusions in the future motivated him to explore extracurricular knowledge. Now he clearly understood the correlation between an illusion's size and its core. After a resigned sigh, Su Bei got up and made his way out. Gillam likely wouldn’t place a map within the amusement park, and if there were one, it could only be acquired by completing a task. Thus, he had to leave his newfound safe haven and head to the park’s highest point in pursuit of his goal. In an open area, the highest point was easy to spot. From afar, Su Bei saw the telltale rise of a Ferris wheel—always the tallest structure in any amusement park. He should be on the right track. However, the Ferris wheel was a considerable distance away, and he had no idea how many people he might encounter en route. Su Bei couldn't help but miss his invisibility charm. Despite setting his luck to the maximum and sticking to the shadows, he was discovered halfway there. His opponents were three students from a prestigious school, renowned for being consistently ranked in the top ten. No way could Su Bei fend off these three senior students. Their gaze fixed on him, evidently not allowing an easy escape. Su Bei was helpless but put on a casual demeanor and greeted, "Hello, seniors." The trio approached with interest, and the girl with a distinctive pair of water sleeves asked curiously, "You're from 'Infinite Superpower Academy,' aren't you? Why are you alone?" She suspected Su Bei was carrying all of his team's points, hence her inquiry. Although a group of first-years probably didn’t earn many points, every little bit counted. In matters of reading people, Su Bei’s skills were quite honed. Seeing her question lacked genuine curiosity, he realized her intention. "You're curious about how many points I have, right?" Without waiting for her response, Su Bei exhibited his watch without hesitation. The sleek interface prominently displayed his zero points. Before venturing out to seek the core, he had deliberately transferred all his points to Jiang Tianming and others, instructing them not to return these until his next cue. If the protagonist group members amassed many points, they may not encounter problems, but Su Bei surely would. "None at all?" the Water Sleeve Girl asked incredulously, assuming he would at least retain a few on hand. Prepared for such scrutiny, Su Bei reasonably replied, "Even assuming I didn't have a falling out with them, we wouldn’t store points with me. Wandering alone with points is akin to flaunting gold in a busy market, as if I'm constantly announcing my treasures." Her logic had merit, leaving the Water Sleeve Girl momentarily speechless. A solitary person likely served as bait, luring opportunists like her. Just as she contemplated letting Su Bei go, a boy in her group with a tear mole beneath his eye suddenly asked, "Why did you fall out with them?" Su Bei concisely repeated his earlier reasons, yet the boy with the tear mole reacted differently than those who had previously heard the explanation: “Since you’re without a team, why not join us?” The girl wearing sunglasses snapped her fingers excitedly. “I remember your superpower is related to Fate, right? Perfect, we could exchange some insights!” “You also have a Fate-based superpower?” At this, Su Bei, who was initially preoccupied with planning an escape, became intrigued. Confident, the Girl with Sunglasses nodded. “Sort of. My ability is called [One Who Defies Fate].” Su Bei was momentarily speechless. He needed a plan to escape. Although he knew he’d eventually have to get away, Su Bei was genuinely interested in this superpower. Plus, their direction coincided with his intended path, so he didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he curiously asked, “So what abilities does [One Who Defies Fate] grant you?” In a sense, Su Bei himself was defying fate. He was currently fighting against predetermined outcomes, changing the storyline the author had originally set for him as a mere background character. Previously, his "Manga Awareness" had reminded Su Bei that characters, aside from himself, wouldn’t realize they were in a manga world. Therefore, he didn’t expect the Girl with Sunglasses’ power to break such a limitation—he was simply curious about [One Who Defies Fate]. “It’s quite simple. When I don’t believe something, it just doesn’t happen,” she openly explained, albeit her answer was a little unexpected. Su Bei's eyes widened in astonishment. “Wouldn't that be unstoppable if paired with hypnosis?” The power alone sounded formidable, yet in practice, it wasn’t entirely so. The brain couldn’t easily override what the eyes saw or what the body felt. For instance, making oneself believe a real wound was fake was exceedingly challenging, despite repeated self-assurance. Though the Girl with Sunglasses was likely trained to alter her perceptions, ultimately, it defied human nature. Nonetheless, with hypnosis enhancing it, a hypnotist could swiftly make the Girl with Sunglasses disbelieve what she chose not to believe, thus rendering it into reality. Her surprise mirrored his own, realizing he’d quickly devised such a combination. Unfortunately, having wielded her ability for so long, she had long considered and tested this idea: “During my ability’s use, my mind cannot be controlled. In fact, I often use it as a mental shield.” Indeed, if hypnosis could integrate with her power, the Girl with Sunglasses would have been invincible by now. She sighed with a mix of regret and relief. “While it doesn't make me invincible, at least I’m not targeted by opportunists. I’d rather not have my power controlled by others.” Had her superpower been controllable by hypnotic abilities, she’d effectively be a sharp knife, wielded by any hypnotist. Compared to uncontrollable strength, she preferred her current situation. The group continued chatting while moving forward, and because he was now with a team, not a single person stopped Su Bei along the way. However, their progress was slow due to recurrent stops to vanquish Nightmare Beasts. Who could predict when they’d eventually reach the Ferris wheel? As their course veered off, Su Bei finally decided to abandon the convenience of teaming up: “I’m off now; with you guys, I don’t even get to enjoy the rides.” The Water Sleeve Girl hesitated briefly, then nodded, “We’ll at least see you onto the drop tower before you go.” Initially, leading Su Bei along was part of a suspicion that he might be part of some clandestine mission set by “Infinite Superpower Academy.” As a prestigious school, despite suffering catastrophic setbacks in this competition, there was always the chance they might have an ace up their sleeves—a suspicion highlighting Su Bei’s solo journey as suspicious. But along the way, Su Bei showed no interest in completing tasks or eliminating Nightmare Beasts. He simply bided his time, aligning perfectly with his previous justification. Given the circumstances, observing him further would yield no greater insights. Carrying an extra person ceased to be convenient for the trio, prompting the Water Sleeve Girl ultimately to allow Su Bei his departure. Generally speaking, not killing anyone early was part of their strategy to expedite the elimination of Nightmare Beasts and accumulate more points, streamlining their subsequent operations. Someone like Su Bei, idle and unproductive, could well have been sent off right from the start. Yet, in light of his friendly interaction and to avoid unnecessary trouble, she let the junior—two years younger—walk away. No surprise that they allowed his easy departure; after their exchanges, Su Bei had gauged their personalities enough to assert his leave. Had these three been less agreeable, treating him as expendable fodder or mere entertainment, Su Bei would have chosen a less peaceful departure method. Having traveled more than half the distance with the trio, Su Bei encountered no hindrances on the remaining journey, reaching the Ferris wheel effortlessly. Major attractions often featured task points, and being the park's sole Ferris wheel, this one wasn’t an exception. News had spread about its associated tasks, drawing quite a crowd underneath. However, Su Bei wasn’t eager to join just yet—he hadn’t come to undertake tasks. Task quantities typically capped around ten, so waiting until all tasks were claimed wasn't a problem. Where there are people, there’s chaos. Before long, a full-blown brawl erupted among several teams, leaving Su Bei to click his tongue at the tumult. In an illusion where dying might equate real death, their vicious assaults would eventually boomerang back to haunt the survivors. Pondering whether to alert them, Su Bei, able to detect the illusion's flaws through his advanced mental power, suspected illusion-type superpower users might likewise sense discrepancies. But sharing it might fall on deaf ears. Who would trust a freshman’s words anyway? Overthinking skeptics might even assume he sought to preserve his team’s survival for accumulating more points since a truce among competitors would indeed favor them. Besides, just because some might be convinced didn’t mean these were verification-capable, illusion-type superpowers—a niche not commonly represented in competitions, especially among the two hundred contenders. Pointless hassle, ultimately. Furthermore, his character role forbade such intervention—even warning the protagonist group was beyond him. Without fatalities, the protagonists' actions would lack significance. Even if he disregarded character consistency to warn them, likely, his message wouldn't spread. And even if it could, Su Bei wasn't entirely altruistic. Observing from afar with his powers, he noted several fighters’ life indicators were dangerously low; death loomed near. Approximately an hour later, the conflict subsided. The crowd had either fled, perished, or been gravely injured during the clash. As Su Bei contemplated approaching the Ferris wheel, he noticed a group heading his way. Unsure if they’d spotted him, he chose to remain hidden. Fortunately, they merely passed by, unaware of Su Bei’s presence. One of the girls, her face stained with blood and looking pallid, remarked, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but killing felt disturbingly real.” Despite their seniority, their kill count might pale compared to Jiang Tianming’s experiences. Typical superpower users primarily hunted Nightmare Beasts, with rare accidental human kills occurring during alternate space conflicts or skirmishes instigated by the “Black Lightning” organization. Such massive human melees were unprecedented. “You’re just nervous because you haven’t killed many before,” a boy beside her commented, unfazed. “Besides, it’s Gillam’s illusion; realism is expected, isn’t it?” His remark seemed correct, yet the girl felt something was amiss. She murmured, “...Forget it, I'll just focus on eliminating Nightmare Beasts.” Once they left, Su Bei emerged from the shadows. It seemed he wasn’t alone in detecting anomalies—likely, many amongst the two hundred sensed discrepancies. Lacking omniscient perspective, entertaining far-fetched hypotheses naturally wasn’t their first consideration. With so many deaths in the air, who dared dwell too deeply on terrifying truths? Yet their observations reminded Su Bei of an overlooked aspect—even if he revealed the truth, people might not believe him. However, considering their suspicions, he could plant the seeds of doubt, allowing them to germinate. However, it was crucial to find the right moment. As a competent intelligence dealer and with his affiliation with the "Fate" organization already implicitly revealed, Su Bei could leverage this opportunity for personal gain, all while potentially minimizing losses among superpower users. But just as a meal is eaten one bite at a time, tasks must be completed step by step. Weighing profit against survival, his life definitely took precedence. Su Bei didn’t rush to contemplate when to reveal the intel; after setting things straight with Mr. Clown, he stepped into the Ferris wheel cabin. As the door closed, the cabin slowly ascended, offering a changing view of the surroundings. Although it wasn't nighttime, with its radiant lights, the colorful daytime scenery held its own appeal. Su Bei indulged in the view briefly. Once the cabin reached a height offering a panoramic view of the amusement park, he shifted focus from leisure to careful observation. Since this test prohibited phone and gadget use, it was crucial for him to mentally draft a rough map of the amusement park to expedite his solo exploration later. Most importantly, Su Bei didn't plan to linger on the Ferris wheel. After at most two rides, he would leave. Such unique, symbolically significant attractions were likely tied to the storyline. Even if they weren't, other competitors would inevitably head that way. Su Bei had no desire to be caught in a place ripe for brawls, where an escape could be blocked. In such situations, he could easily be the first casualty. This ride gave him the perfect chance to study the vastness of the amusement park and determine the optimal locations for concealing the core.