Chapter 299 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

**Chapter 299** Of course, no one else had come out with him; otherwise, it wouldn’t just be Su Bei standing here alone. Even if they were to send someone to report back to Teacher Li, it wouldn't have likely been him. In his concise manner, Su Bei retold the key events that transpired in the illusionary realm: the revelation that killing in the illusion was equivalent to real death, the clown initiating a purge mode, Jiang Tianming and others resolving the clown issue, only for a new problem to arise. In the end, he shrugged, “They should by now have been transmitted to the domain of the Nightmare Beast.” Having encountered numerous crises, Su Bei had become quite adept at summarizing events succinctly. He conveyed the situation with few words, while cleverly using subtle nuances to conceal anything that might reflect poorly on him. What might reflect poorly, of course, was Su Bei departing via the core and not sharing the method of escape with the others. Though he understood this method was likely unique to him, if others attempted it, he might not be able to use it at all. This reasoning holds in the real world but certainly not in the world of manga, where such an explanation would be easily seen as an excuse, so he chose to keep quiet about it. Upon hearing the cause and effect, Teacher Li's face turned impossibly grim. Not only her, but Qi Huang was also visibly shocked and angered. Not even addressing the clown issue, just the fact that killing in the illusion equated to real deaths was shocking enough. They were participating in a contest where the rules dictated eliminating other teams, and the method was indeed through killing! Those who advanced to the world championship’s second round were the elites. The loss of even one would be significant to their academy, and if they all died, it would be a tremendous loss to the entire superpower community—a major one. Teacher Li's voice trembled slightly, “When you left, how many students were still inside the illusion?” Su Bei hadn't personally counted, but considering he had toured the amusement park aboard the circular train, he had a rough estimate. “About a hundred or so. Since the problem emerged quickly, not too many died.” Still, half had perished, though it was better than anticipated. Earlier, Teacher Li had already envisioned a gruesome scene of corpses and blood within the illusion, along with the subsequent turmoil in the superpower community. A smaller number might still be considerable but far better than complete annihilation. Taking a deep, pained breath, Teacher Li quickly composed herself. “I need to report to the higher-ups right away. You should call Teacher Meng and explain the situation; he'll know what to do.” With that, she promptly walked out of the hotel. Exchanging a glance with Qi Huang, Su Bei dutifully dialed Meng Huai’s number. Upon receiving the call, Meng Huai had a bad feeling. When did Su Bei, of all students, ever call him proactively during their spare time? This was surely a sign that something had gone wrong with the competition. “What happened?” Without any pleasantries, as soon as the call connected, Meng Huai cut straight to the chase. Catching the intent behind his words, Su Bei wasted no time and recounted the events of the second stage of the competition, both inside and outside the illusion, along with Qi Huang’s experiences. As with Teacher Li, Meng Huai instantly discerned what needed to be done. “I understand. The principal will likely send someone to bring you all back soon. You don't need to worry about Jiang Tianming and the others; we'll handle it. Your priority is to ensure Mu Yunfan and the others return safely.” Remembering something about Mu Yunfan, Su Bei added, “Oh, right, Teacher, have those responsible for poisoning the team been caught?” “They have been. Preliminary interrogation reveals it’s ‘Saint Dante's Academy’ orchestrating it in the shadows. However, we need more conclusive evidence to formally accuse them.” This response was within Su Bei’s expectations, as he initially suspected that school was behind it. After hanging up, Su Bei turned to Qi Huang, “I’ll head back to my room to rest. Please don't disturb me unless it’s necessary…” “Even if it’s necessary, you’d rather I didn’t, right?” Qi Huang retorted irritably. She had already heard this “famous saying” of Su Bei from others. Unashamed, Su Bei nodded earnestly, “Exactly, I hope I won’t be summoned by surprise.” Returning to his dorm room, Su Bei picked up the phone lying on his bed and began reading manga again. He wasn’t tired at all. Supernatural beings had much better endurance than normal people, and besides, he hadn’t really done anything. Although he had traveled quite a bit, he also had plenty of rest. Compared to others, Su Bei practically went to the illusion to enjoy himself. The manga updated two chapters. The first chapter covered the second round of the competition normally. Besides depicting the clown with certain eeriness and the graphic violence during battles seeming eerily realistic, there were no significant reveals early on. However, readers were keen, and even with these minute details, Su Bei saw several comments on the screen from those who had guessed the truth. In the storyline involving Su Bei, first, was his trick at the start deceiving others and earnestly enjoying the roller coaster. “Well-played, surprisingly in character.” “Hahaha, Su Bei, were you truly just finding an excuse to stay?” “Su Bei seems to be immensely enjoying himself.” “It’s evident Su Bei has a penchant for thrilling games.” “Who’s the happiest during this exam? Quick answer: Su Bei.” “Students who saw someone on the roller coaster: ?” The narrative then shifted back to the main group. By feigning weakness, they found themselves relentlessly hunted. Of course, those pursuing them were mainly from “Saint Dante's Academy,” aiming for complete eradication. However, the protagonist team wasn’t easily defeated. Though their power was indeed much weaker, intelligence was also a form of strength. Jiang Tianming was undoubtedly someone who could compensate for a lack of power with intellect. He first had Lan Subing utilize [Word Spirit] to create the illusion that they were still present. Since this didn’t harm the enemy and the enemy didn’t realize Lan Subing’s casual words, “They’re always watching us here,” were actually a [Word Spirit], the mental energy consumption wasn’t significant. Next, the [Binding Immortal Rope] was quietly set by Jiang Tianming, and Wu Mingbai discreetly manipulated stone and soil to cover the ropes, keeping them hidden. Concurrently, Jiang Tianming placed a red circle on each of the ropes. Without doubt, these red circles were his new superpower. Su Bei knew this, but the readers didn’t. As soon as the circles appeared, the comments soared. “What’s happening? Author, what is this?!” “A new… superpower?” “When did Jiang sneakily evolve?” “Ahh, is it a new superpower? It must be, right?” “Grandma, you might finally witness Jiang mastering a new superpower!” “Curious about what this new ability does.” Equally curious about the red circle’s functionality, Su Bei flipped a few pages and quickly understood. It was an intriguing superpower, where the caster’s own ground also displayed a circle, and any power used within that circle would replicate across all circles. Essentially, it could replicate an individual’s attack multiple times, This was truly a great skill for area attacks, especially combined with [Binding Immortal Rope]. As demonstrated by Jiang Tianming in the manga, [Binding Immortal Rope] immobilizes several enemies within the red circle, then allies attack from within Jiang’s circle. The five contestants from “Saint Dante's Academy,” any of whom could single-handedly defeat the freshman lineup sent by “Infinite Superpower Academy,” provided it were one-on-one. But when facing a full-power assault from four individuals, especially with powerful big-move capabilities from Jiang Tianming and Si Zhaohua, the outcome was clear. If preparations had been adequate, Su Bei believed the students from “Saint Dante's Academy” might have countered this tactic. Despite appearing unsolvable, they could break the Binding with brute force, launch a long-range assault on Jiang’s team, or employ group defense—instant reactions conceivable. Just as Su Bei thought of these strategies upon witnessing Jiang’s maneuvers in the manga. Jiang’s brilliance lay in having Lan Subing create the illusion first, and then retaliating after preparations were complete, leaving no time for them to react. Although both involved illusions, Lan Subing's creation differed significantly from those by Li Shu. The former merely induced a delusion in the opponent, whereas the latter was a genuine illusion. In other words, Lan Subing’s illusion could be easily broken by concentrating a little mental power. Unfortunately, knowing that none of them had mental interference abilities, their guard was down, leading to their complete bewilderment. Seeing the members of "Saint Dante Academy" eliminated, Su Bei's face showed a somewhat peculiar expression. When he had called earlier, Meng Huai mentioned that they planned to exact revenge on "Saint Dante Academy" once they gathered evidence. Now, it seemed there was no rush; Jiang Tianming and the others had already avenged themselves. Compared to the unconsciousness of Mu Yunfan and the others, which could be treated, the complete loss of life for the opponents was far more critical. However, despite their serious losses, it didn’t mean that “Infinite Superpower Academy” would cease its plans for retribution. Su Bei merely noted that there was no longer an urgent hurry. The elimination of opponents by Jiang Tianming and his team was within the competition boundaries, while “Saint Dante Academy’s” attack on the main team members occurred outside the competition. It was a matter for "Infinite Superpower Academy" and "Saint Dante Academy." Su Bei was confident that, despite their current plight, "Infinite Superpower Academy" would not forego punishing them. As expected, Jiang Tianming was the first to suspect a problem with the killings. However, he didn't sense the issue; rather, he noticed from the corpses. Since they were supposed to be killing spirit forms, logically, there shouldn't be any corpses. Corpses detract from aesthetics, can cause discomfort, and take up space—wouldn't it be better if they simply vanished? Yet, the corpses not only failed to disappear but were actually quite realistic—the scent of blood was palpable. Crucially, the human corpses were more realistic than those of the Nightmare Beasts, prompting Jiang Tianming to suspect something was amiss. The competition couldn't possibly be a means to get them accustomed to killing, could it? The superpower community had no such practices. If they dared this, public backlash would swallow them whole. Upon sharing this suspicion with the others, everyone started speculating possible reasons. Some suggested human corpses were more complex than those of Nightmare Beasts and thus appeared more lifelike. Others posited that human minds attached to the corpses made them seem more authentic… Among all the conjectures, the notion that they might be killing real people emerged as the most plausible. This terrifying hypothesis was suggested by Lan Subing, and as soon as she voiced it, the manga's atmosphere shifted from the vibrant tones of a youth comic to the somber hues of a crime scene drama. The author left this as a cliffhanger, shifting the scene from within the illusion back to reality. While spectators watched the competition excitedly through the magic mirror, the Nightmare side manipulated a pre-controlled person to approach Cespia’s Nightmare-restriction machinery. Under the pretext of using the bathroom, this person used their ability to sabotage the defensive machinery installed by Cespia in the venue. The result: allowing Nightmare Beasts to descend from their realm and unlocking the gourd-type Nightmare Beast hidden in the hotel, enabling it and its followers to use their abilities. It didn't take long for Teacher Li, observing the match, to sense something was wrong. Initially dismissing the realistic portrayal of eliminated students’ deaths as nothing unusual, her unease grew the more she watched. Like Su Bei, she too was troubled by the meticulousness of the illusion in depicting the fallen students. Others, feeling the same, sought Gilam for answers, only to find him gone from the resting area! With Chekhov's gun placed, the story returned to the illusion. With the group confronted by Lan Subing’s alarming theory, everyone fell silent, unsure what to say. After a considerable silence, Jiang Tianming began analyzing what they should do if this were true. Directly telling others was out of the question; without solid proof, who would believe such a claim? Even they found it initially ridiculous, considering it a desperate attempt at self-preservation by a weaker team—a perfect example of what others saw them as. From their lips, it would be the height of unbelievability. However, keeping silent wasn’t an option either. Unlike Su Bei, Jiang Tianming and the others valued others' lives. They couldn’t stand idle when they had the means to save others. Nonetheless, the immediate priority was to find evidence proving their theory. Only once this was confirmed could they plan the next steps. Otherwise, they'd risk making a fool of themselves. Although everyone secretly hoped they were making foolish assumptions, deep down, they dreaded the thought that it could indeed be true. The storyline progressed in a way Su Bei was familiar with, as the clown sold information to Jiang Tianming. Considering the information from beings native to the illusion could be more reliable, Jiang bought it despite the steep price. Following this lead, the group reached the haunted house, quickly finding the clues Su Bei left behind. These validated their suspicions: killing in the illusion indeed resulted in real deaths. With this cliffhanger, the manga ended, and, predictably, the comments section exploded. “Oh my gosh, this is so insidious!” “I can’t even fathom how many must have died by now.” “How could the organizers let such a huge flaw go unnoticed?” “Something must've gone wrong with the illusionist.” “If the illusion’s malfunctioning, why can illusion creatures still inform them?” Finishing the chapter, Su Bei didn't immediately visit any forums. Instead, he dove into the next chapter of the manga. The next chapter opened by shifting from the inside of the illusion to events outside, recounting Qi Huang’s experience. The storyline was mostly as Qi Huang recounted: before the spectators could find Gilam, the Nightmare Beasts began their chaos, filling the venue to capacity. Anticipating trouble from the Nightmare Beasts, the Cespia government reacted promptly, organizing the audience to escape through emergency exits while staff and teachers from various academies stayed to fend off the beasts. However, the sheer number of Nightmare Beasts posed a significant threat. If they delayed in handling the creatures, some would certainly slip out, leading to widespread havoc. With everybody’s agreement, Cespia’s spatial ability expert opened an alternate space, pulling all the beasts inside. After brief deliberation, only those with feebler combat abilities remained outside, while the rest entered to combat the threat. Objectively, Qi Huang didn’t belong among the weaker combatants. But compared to these superpower masters, she indeed was less experienced. Most importantly, she was still underage, and the teachers wouldn’t risk her getting hurt. What they didn’t anticipate was how staying outside, where combat power was scarce, might end up being even more dangerous than going in. The author first depicted the adults’ struggle against the Nightmare Beasts in two consecutive pages, evidently showcasing their pivotal role as the main fighters against the beasts. Only then did the scene shift back outside, capturing the moment when Nightmare Beasts flooded from the hotel. Even for those like Su Bei and the audience who expected a resolution, the moment still took their breath away. The idea of being raided perhaps triggers a primal fear ingrained in every human’s DNA—this scene of looming disaster has a chilling allure, heightening the suspense of a looming plot unveiled after initial peace. Leading the charge was indeed the gourd-type Nightmare Beast, marveling at finally seeing the sun. Confronted by such a sudden surge of Nightmare Beasts, Qi Huang, while among the few with powerful offensive abilities present, remained unfazed due to her extensive experience. Her [Flame Phoenix] wielded mass-area attack capabilities, sufficiently handling the Nightmare Beast horde. A single phoenix flame could reduce many of them to ashes. However, low to mid-level Nightmare Beasts were no challenge for her; it was the advanced gourd-type Nightmare Beast that posed a real threat. Its skills included not only invisibility but absorption—transforming absorbed attacks for its own use. Among those remaining outside was a Doctor specializing in Nightmare Beast studies. He quickly identified the gourd-type and relayed its vulnerabilities to Qi Huang, now the strongest defender. There were three strategies to defeat it. The simplest was close combat, an attack it couldn’t absorb. But the gourd-type, well-aware of its weakness, had selected subordinates capable of its protection, preventing anyone from getting close. After two futile attempts, Qi Huang decisively abandoned that method, considering the remaining alternatives. The first of these was to release an overwhelming amount of energy, knowing that its absorption capacity wasn't infinite—enough power could effectively burst it from within. The second involved unleashing attacks immune to its absorption. For instance, Mu Yunfan’s [Light of Hope] was something it could not absorb. As an embodiment of resentment, absorbing hope-infused energy would be fatal. Similarly, Zhao Xiaoyu’s [Happiness] was also beyond its capacity, effectively poisonous to it. At this point, Su Bei suddenly realized that Qi Huang's moment of growth was approaching. She couldn't contend with the gourd-type Nightmare Beast with her current abilities; her powers, while strong, were rendered ineffective under such constraints. Without evolving and finding a way to deal with the gourd-type Nightmare Beast, Su Bei judged that everyone would likely perish before the adults returned. Given that they ended up unscathed, Qi Huang must have gained something significant. Regardless of which method the Doctor mentioned, it was clear that Qi Huang, as she stood, couldn't achieve it. Her only option was to target other Nightmare Beasts without directly engaging the gourd-type. Without absorbing energy from others, the gourd-type itself had no offensive capability. This lack of inherent aggression allowed it to evade detection by Cespia's machines effectively. Devoid of intrinsic attack power and further constrained by tool-imposed seals on its abilities, nothing showed up during scans. However, while Qi Huang sought to avoid it, the gourd-type Nightmare Beast eagerly absorbed attacks. To combat a multitude of Nightmare Beasts, area-wide flames were necessary, but using such skills invariably risked hitting the gourd-type. Any energy it absorbed would be turned against the average superpower users. Though Qi Huang couldn’t be harmed by her own abilities, she wasn’t entirely spared from the peril. In truth, her situation was far from ideal. Facing so many Nightmare Beasts alone severely drained her mental energy, particularly with the gourd-type stealing energy nearby. There were others assisting, but she was the sole strong area-attack user present. As known, the greater the power and area of an attack, the more mental energy it consumed. Watching her growing pale complexion, the Doctor, well-acquainted with the intricacies of superpower use, quickly advised, "Qi Huang, you should take a rest. We can hold them off for a while." At this point, Su Bei nodded in agreement. The Doctor’s suggestion was prudent—Qi Huang certainly needed a break. Although there were other reserve members on the field who could provide some support, typically, the schools reaching the second round were seeded ones. These schools, much like "Infinite Superpower Academy," often used their reserves to groom future participants, namely sophomores and juniors. Usually, with so many healing-type superpower users around, issues with the main team were rare. Consequently, the remaining reserves were primarily there to gain experience. Under such circumstances, the available combat power left outside was indeed limited.