Chapter 305 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 305 The next event requiring Su Bei's participation was set to be the Asia-Africa Country Tourism Quest, with Wu Mingbai scheduling it for August. This meant Su Bei had a pleasant period of rest ahead. Truth be told, Su Bei was never really a homebody. Although he loved reading manga and novels and enjoyed playing games, these interests did not stop him from loving sports and travel. However, currently, all Su Bei wanted was to stay at home peacefully as a homebody, with no desire to go out and explore. His body wasn't tired, but his heart was. Days without any interruptions were joyful, and Su Bei felt this was the most relaxed he'd been this semester. However, not everyone shared his perspective. First, there was the aftermath of the World Tournament. The Cespia government undoubtedly faced public condemnation. Such incidents happening under their watch reflected poor planning on their part. They were responsible for the compensation and arrangements for the families of the deceased, and those who survived received substantial mental distress compensation. Among those who were credited with saving others, Jiang Tianming and his peers received rare superpower items as rewards. They shared them in their group, and that's how Su Bei got to see them. There were one-time superpower enhancement items, recovery items, and defense items... The variety was wide, and the quality was impressive, showing that the Cespia government took this seriously. The one who received the most rewards was Qi Huang, who saved the most people. Had she not intervened to defeat the Gourd Nightmare Beast, when the superpowered individuals returned from the alternate space, they might have faced a scene of carnage. The hotel and arena were equipped with surveillance, so Qi Huang's battle was fully recorded. To uplift spirits dampened by the tragic losses and to inspire the frightened students, the Cespia government edited the footage into an adrenaline-pumping video and posted it on their official website. Several other countries' superpower governments also featured the video on their websites to motivate students. Naturally, their own nation's feat of their young superpowered individuals protecting citizens abroad was something they wanted to highlight, official recognition from Sayesbia or not. A few days after the video was released, Su Bei noticed in the school’s group chat that Qi Huang had gained a lot of fans. He didn’t know the reception Feng Manman received after returning from saving people in the past, but likely similar. He had a premonition that Qi Huang's position as the student council's secretary-general was secure. As for the competition results, although the tournament was utterly disrupted with no care for who won the second match, realistically, survival was the real victory. But Cespia, wanting to conclude their first and last World Tournament, posted the team scores online, no matter how imperfect: [Infinite Superpower Academy: 7800 points] [Don Quixote Superpower Academy: 4320 points] [Moscow Superpower High: 4275 points] … Unquestionably, Infinite Superpower Academy's top spot was shocking. Everyone knew their situation; their main team couldn't compete due to incidents, so freshmen had to step in. How did Infinite Superpower Academy manage the top spot under such circumstances? Were their freshmen truly that strong? Sayesbia's government, in a rare moment of reliability, refrained from releasing the competition footage publicly. Yet they sent copies to each academy participating in the second match. Thus, Su Bei received a "friendly" message from Meng Huai. Su Bei: "..." He couldn't tolerate Cespia anymore! Incidentally, during his enforced stay at the academy those few days, Su Bei fulfilled his silent vow and made Zhang Sheng's day thoroughly unfortunate. At that time, Zhang Sheng, inexplicably stumbling again, couldn't stand it anymore and complained to Feng Manman and Mu Yunfan. The quick-witted Feng Manman immediately pinpointed, "Did you offend someone? Probably someone from our academy; think about who has the ability to make you this unlucky?" "Su Bei?!" Zhang Sheng pondered for a while, then widened his eyes in realization. Remembering his own folly, he directly confronted Su Bei to see if it was his doing. Su Bei, of course, didn’t admit to it. While Zhang Sheng wasn't foolish, he promptly apologized. Seeing how adaptable Zhang Sheng was, Su Bei didn’t pursue the matter further. Though he verbally denied his involvement, he did, in action, lift the spell of misfortune from Zhang Sheng. Returning to the main topic. In these times, danger was ever-present. Nightmare Beasts were again frequently appearing, wreaking havoc in the human world. Unlike the prelude to the previous war, this time they were much more successful. If earlier ten destructive attempts resulted in significant damage once, now three to four attempts caused major losses, with their success rate tripled or quadrupled. It felt as though a strategic mastermind was guiding them, pinpointing vulnerabilities precisely. If not for humanity's quick responses and ample experience in countering Nightmare Beasts’ attacks, the damage could have been exponentially worse. The superpower community's official site was now regularly updated with reports, almost all concerning Nightmare Beast disturbances, contrasting starkly with the previous once-a-week updates. Amid the beasts' relentless assaults, the entire superpower community was beyond frazzled. Even newly graduated combatants received numerous assignments. Su Bei saw Mu Yunfan’s frequently updated social media, sensing his deep frustration. The superpower government further updated their website with a call to action, urging all guild members, solo superpowered individuals, and teams to cooperate with government deployments, united to face the challenges posed by the Nightmare Beasts. Even without leaving his house, Su Bei, reading the frequent updates, deeply sensed the impending danger. Unlike the prelude of the last battle, this time it seemed more calculated, aimed at truly increasing human casualties. With approaching storm clouds hinting at turbulent times, Su Bei detected an ominous aura. Judging by the manga's storyline, changes were happening in the Nightmare Beasts’ world, presumably with the “Black Lightning” organization's leader despairingly collaborating with the beasts. Fresh graduates' forces were heavily struck, along with growing numbers of Advanced Nightmare Beasts... Everything seemed tilted in favor of the beasts, with the delicate balance in jeopardy. Were it not for his understanding that this was a mainstream shounen manga and the "Manga Awareness" had mentioned the author acknowledging the power imbalance, Su Bei might have believed the Nightmare Beasts would eventually win. Knowing the protagonists will ultimately triumph, the current adversity towards them appeared to Su Bei as a narrative setup for greater triumph later. He’d seen the “setback,” but when would the “triumph” come? This frequent outbreak of Nightmare Beasts wasn’t just a manga-world issue but part of the plot, evidenced by Jiang Tianming and others' involvement. Once, when out, they happened upon a Nightmare Beast activity, naturally becoming embroiled in it. In the latest manga update, the author incorporated the beasts' frequent activities as part of the background and repeatedly hinted at related details in character dialogues. Both the bullet comments and forums were abuzz with discussions about whether the nightmares’ frequent targeting foreshadowed another battle. Despite the recent war, the current situation reminded many of the previous events. Some more prudent readers believed the author wouldn’t repeat an event sequence, suggesting other reasons. Especially since the storyline hinted at increased troubles for the superpower government, more than the last time. Numerous readers speculated if the beasts were receiving assistance, perhaps due to recent discussions suggesting a mole among humans. Combining both phenomena seemed to validate their theory. Su Bei agreed with this guess, suspecting the Nightmare Beasts’ real strategist was the "Black Lightning" organization. Only they could orchestrate such widespread chaos, a feat impossible for an individual. “Does the trip to the Asia-Africa Country involve the 'Black Lightning' organization?” Su Bei suddenly questioned, knowing “Manga Awareness” wouldn’t answer directly but just probing to engage it. “Manga Awareness” quickly appeared, predictably resisting the question: "Sorry, I can’t spoil the plot." “Then, could you tell me how far along the manga is?” Su Bei cut to the chase, asking what he really wanted to know. “How much longer is the author planning to draw?” Indeed, Su Bei suspected the manga was nearing its conclusion. From his years of reading manga, when the general atmosphere becomes dire, it’s prime time for the protagonists to turn the tide and save the world. “…It won’t be much longer.” Understanding his inquiry, “Manga Awareness” hesitated briefly before responding, “This should be considered the latter part of the manga.” Just as Su Bei expected, “King of Superpowers” was reaching its end. While the Asia-Africa arc wouldn’t conclude the story, only a few more arcs would be needed to wrap things up completely. How nice it was, knowing it was finally coming to an end. Su Bei exhaled deeply, feeling significantly lighter. Although the story wasn’t all tied up yet, at least he could see the finish line. But then he became cautious again. The author's animosity towards him hadn’t waned; if he wanted Su Bei’s character out of the picture, he’d likely use this final phase to do so. The most logical way to eliminate a character believably is to kill them off in the grand finale. With this realization, Su Bei pondered, "If the author dislikes trouble, why insist on removing me? We’re already at the manga’s end, why not just smoothly finish the finale?" “Who said there were only two seasons?” “Manga Awareness” replied with a hint of helplessness. “'King of Superpowers' is very popular in the real world. The author is planning at least three seasons, and if your character doesn’t die, he’ll have to draw you again next season.” Su Bei: “?” “What? Another season? It won’t wrap up completely?” His composure unraveled. “Does that mean I have to endure a whole other season? Why not kill me off directly?” Seeing Su Bei ready to resign himself to despair, “Manga Awareness” hurriedly explained, “No, no, you misunderstood. As long as you survive this season, the author won’t bother solving your character anymore. You only have significant plot this season. Next season, aside from Jiang Tianming and the other two, the old characters will make way for new ones. There might still be some plot for you, but it won’t warrant the author’s focused attention if you haven’t been dealt with by the end of this season.” Reading this, relief washed over Su Bei, and he curiously asked, “So, has the theme for the next season been decided? If it’s still centered around 'Infinite Superpower Academy,’ it’s unlikely there won’t be any plot with us, right?” “He hasn’t decided yet; it might start post-graduation with a time skip or involve a different world storyline.” As the author’s subconscious, “Manga Awareness” was well-versed in this, “By then, the Nightmare Beasts won’t be a focus.” Hearing this, Su Bei finally relaxed completely. Apart from the dread of enduring an entire season anxiously, he feared lacking peace even after saving the world. But if it involved a time skip to life post-graduation, or Jiang Tianming and the others left for some reason, it wouldn’t matter anymore. They could wreak havoc, and it wouldn’t concern him. Su Bei was always willing to enjoy watching, so long as it didn’t involve him. He had initially chosen this persona because it matched him well, not easily leading to out-of-character behavior. Happy times always pass swiftly, and soon it was the day Wu Mingbai invited them to the Asia-Africa Country. As a prince, Wu Mingbai naturally didn’t need to find his way to Asia-Africa. The royal family chartered a plane just for them. Arriving by taxi at the airport, Su Bei couldn’t help but twitch his lips, seeing the conspicuous plane through the glass. Rumors about the Asia-Africa royal family’s questionable aesthetic sense had been circulating for a while, and Su Bei had initially dismissed them as gossip. But seeing that glaringly painted plane, splattered with the words “Welcome to Asia-Africa” in bold, he finally understood the depth of this aesthetic misjudgment. In the VIP lounge, Jiang Tianming, Lan Subing, and Wu Mingbai had already arrived. A few black-suited foreigners stood there as well, likely bodyguards specially sent to protect Wu Mingbai’s safety by the Asia-Africa government. At that time, Lan Subing was chatting with two friends. Casually glancing up, she suddenly spotted Su Bei walking in, hands in his pockets. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and black shorts, a loose braid rested on his chest. Perhaps it was because his hair was freshly washed that morning, but his golden hair appeared fluffier than usual, making him look especially refreshed. “Su Bei, long time no see!” Lan Subing exclaimed joyfully upon sighting him, waving alongside the other two. “Morning.” Su Bei nodded at them and casually sat on the leather sofa, his gaze naturally drifting towards the lounge's transparent floor-to-ceiling window meant for travelers’ amusement. His eyes glinted with amusement as they landed on a certain object. He pointed towards the striking aircraft and, while teasingly looking at Wu Mingbai, asked knowingly, “Your plane?” Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing burst into laughter, clearly having had their own turn to "admire" this garishly decorated aircraft. Having already been taunted once, Wu Mingbai—prepared this time—merely sneered, “Laugh all you want. You’ll be riding this plane shortly. Keep laughing, and I’ll have your name painted on it.” The black-suited bodyguard beside him immediately bowed respectfully and said in broken Mandarin, “Yes, Prince Mingbai. At your command, we shall serve!” Su Bei: “…” If his name ended up splashed across that absurd plane and someone snapped a photo, he’d be housebound for the whole summer until the memory faded. With Su Bei silent, Wu Mingbai was satisfied and waved the bodyguard off, “No need for now.” However, his smugness soon turned to despair as each arriving group asked him the same question. From Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing to Su Bei, Ai Baozhu, Zhao Xiaoyu, Zhou Renjie, and Li Shu, all teased him about it. Answering once or twice was fine, but by the fifth or sixth time, he was ready to punch someone. When questioned yet again, Wu Mingbai shut his eyes in hopelessness, “Only Wu Jin is left. Surely, he won't ask me this, right?” Others were one thing; Wu Mingbai couldn’t believe Wu Jin would pose such a silly question. Besides, when Ling You had come, she hadn’t asked, though Ai Baozhu had when they teamed up. “I bet he will,” Zhou Renjie immediately wagered. He wasn’t confident Wu Jin would, but he couldn’t resist irking Wu Mingbai. Ai Baozhu jumped in, adding, “I’ll bet he asks, too!” It swiftly escalated into a bet involving everyone. They all placed their bets on whether Wu Jin would bring up something about the plane. Naturally, stakes were needed; whoever guessed wrong had to uncover a secret while exploring the palace in Asia-Africa. If they failed and left empty-handed, a harsher punishment awaited them back at school. That more severe punishment entailed running three laps around the playground, declaring oneself a fool. It indicated how daunting the penalty was. Once the wager was set, several changed their mind, thoughtfully offering their guesses. Only a couple expected Wu Jin would indeed ask about the plane. Not wanting to hunt for secrets or face punishment if he failed, Su Bei pondered a moment before choosing "He will." He joined the minority. By personality, Wu Jin likely wasn’t prone to teasing Wu Mingbai idly. But their gathering in Asia-Africa would likely feature in the manga, and the wager might become part of the plot. Given its intriguing nature, it seemed like something integral to the story. Therefore, if Wu Jin didn’t ask anything, there’d be no surprise element. Surely it would make readers feel unexpected if he did. As for the other predicting “He will,” it was Feng Lan. No doubt he used his [Prophecy] ability. Su Bei gave him a slightly reproachful look, meeting Feng Lan’s golden gaze in return. Feng Lan’s eyes held no emotion; he simply glanced over, seeing someone like himself who predicted the result, likely assuming he had also used a prediction ability. But no! Su Bei roared internally. He had deduced this truth through his wit! Then again, from a detached viewpoint, wasn’t it just another form of his superpower? Ultimately, it was his ability analyzing the situation, with a bit more brainwork involved. Realizing this, his look of reproach vanished, and he raised an eyebrow at Feng Lan, delight evident in their shared understanding. "Wait... Su Bei and Feng Lan, both of you picked 'will'? Is something off here?" Ai Baozhu wore a shocked expression. Since they were the last to give their answers, everyone else had already made their choices. Given the abilities of Su Bei and Feng Lan, no one doubted their joint answer would be incorrect. This would mean that everyone else was wrong and that Wu Jin, the usually quiet guy, would actually ask about the plane? Wu Mingbai was equally stunned. He knew neither Feng Lan nor Su Bei would willingly undertake the challenge of the wager, so their answers had to be what they genuinely believed: “Wu Jin is going to ask me about the plane? Do I really not understand him that well?” However, Jiang Tianming quickly figured it out, "Maybe it's accidental, an unintentional question?" Neither of them responded, and Su Bei merely shrugged, "You'll find out soon enough." The last to arrive, Wu Jin, ambled in slowly. There was a hint of apology on his face, though obscured by his purple hair. No sooner had he entered than he felt the intense stares of everyone present. "...Did something happen?" Wu Jin, unusually anxious, wondered if he had styled his hair wrong and exposed his face. But no, they didn't seem awestruck. The group collectively shook their heads but kept their eyes fixed on him. Confused about what was going on, Wu Jin decided not to overthink it: "Sorry, I got held up by an elderly lady asking about the plane. That's yours, right?"