Chapter 327 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

**Chapter 327** Just as they had said, Jiang Tianming and the others returned that night looking quite dejected. At the same time, a new chapter of the manga was released, and Su Bei immediately went to his room to read it. In summary, the latest manga plot was primarily about delivering intel and resources to the protagonists. On the surface, they were cornered by Mo Xiaotian and Ye Lin along with members of the "Black Lightning" organization. However, Su Bei could tell from the manga that Ye Lin was secretly holding back. Previously, Su Bei was puzzled about how the "Black Lightning" organization managed a successful operation given Meng Huai was in the shopping mall. Seeing Ye Lin's appearance made him realize she may have secretly defected again. Knowing that there wouldn't be any real danger, Meng Huai probably took this opportunity to use the "Black Lightning" organization as a training ground for the students. As for Mo Xiaotian, he wasn't holding back. He preferred that people willingly join the "Black Lightning" organization rather than be kidnapped. So, he often rambled on and on, giving the protagonists a chance to break free. The phrase "villains die from talking too much" certainly holds true in this manga. Thanks to the intentional and inadvertent slips from these two, Jiang Tianming got several pieces of information. Firstly, the "Black Lightning" organization was collaborating with the Nightmare Beasts, a fact that Ye Lin subtly hinted at, which was enough for Jiang Tianming to understand her implication. Secondly, he obtained coordinates of a Nightmare Beast world. Ye Lin never explicitly said what the coordinates were for, but they were "accidentally" overheard by the protagonist group during a phone call she made. The third piece of information and resources came from Mo Xiaotian. He mentioned that the "Black Lightning" organization had developed a new tool capable of temporarily enhancing superpowers to a mighty level. However, the tool could only be used once in a lifetime, with any additional usage being too much for the body to withstand. This tool causes significant harm, even on the first use, though the damage can eventually be healed with time. A second use, however, would leave permanent harm. Seeing this tool, alarm bells rang loudly in Su Bei's mind. He had been pondering how to eliminate the meteorites in the Nightmare Beast world, knowing earth element users were crucial to the task. Wu Mingbai was the only earth element user in the protagonist group, but being only a high school junior, even with exceptional talent, divine gifts, and countless opportunities, reaching the required level would take at least five to ten years. However, the "Manga Awareness" had previously hinted that the manga world could not wait that long. Thus, for the author to solve this problem, Wu Mingbai had to suddenly boost his power significantly. To Su Bei, the enhancement tool from Mo Xiaotian seemed to serve this very purpose, indicating the author was laying the groundwork for the season finale. In other words, the conclusion was near. As for why Mo Xiaotian handed the tool to the protagonist group, besides his stated reason of apology, Su Bei suspected he wanted to sabotage the leader's plans. The leader's aim was likely to maintain the existence of the Nightmare Beasts, ensuring human extinction eventually. By giving away the key tool, Mo Xiaotian could potentially lead to the Nightmare Beasts' complete destruction. This was nothing but beneficial for him. Of course, Mo Xiaotian might not have such complex intentions and could be simply acting on instinct. After finishing the manga, Su Bei began studying his new ability. Indeed, thanks to the recent manga update, his previous lie had come true. At the moment the manga was updated, he sensed a new ability manifesting within him. Earlier, he had been eager to read the manga, so he postponed checking it out, but now was the perfect time for that. Following the sensation of the new ability within him, Su Bei summoned a gear. This gear was unlike any of the ones he had summoned before, being colorful. However, the color wasn't painted on; instead, it resembled the iridescence of a bubble. As for the gear itself, it was black, but due to the severe light refraction, the base color was hardly visible, leaving only the appearance of a rainbow-colored gear. It gave off a magical, fairy-tale-like vibe. After slightly feeling out the gear's ability, Su Bei named it the "Wish Gear." As the name suggests, it was a gear that could grant wishes. Making a wish would cause the gear to disappear, fulfilling the wish. The author adopted his phrasing in the manga, that this wish could only be used for passive auxiliary defense. In addition to this known drawback, the author added a few more. Firstly, the expected cooldown for skill usage — one can create one gear per day, and each gear lasts five minutes. The cooldown wasn't too long, something Su Bei could accept. Next was the skill's consumption. The forum readers' guesses were spot on, with the "Wish Gear" consuming significant energy. Even with his current mental power, it consumed a full one-third to make one gear. The consumption was greater than altering a major pointer on someone, prompting Su Bei to sigh. This meant the ability was almost incompatible with his other abilities. Unless he wished to leave no mental power reserve for himself, after using this ability, he could at most employ a few luck-altering skills or a "Destiny Gear," making it impractical to change someone's fate. Still, this didn't bother him too much; the skill was inherently powerful and his only invincible defensive capability, so even with the high consumption, he felt it was worthwhile. Finally, there was an unexpected drawback no one had mentioned before. Just as the colorful appearance of the "Wish Gear" hid its black base color, the wishes it granted weren't as marvelous as they seemed. The gift of fate always came with hidden terms. Wishes granted by the "Wish Gear" would return with consequences an hour later. Su Bei didn't quite understand this limitation, but since he was safe at the moment, he directly used the gear he had just conjured, making a wish — "I wish to not be touched by anything but the ground." The wish was reasonable; the gear vanished, and as he tried to touch the surrounding objects, eerily, he failed to make contact. He only attempted it twice before stopping, realizing that even though the skill seemed defensive, it indiscriminately protected him. The method of keeping Su Bei from touching other objects included possibly causing him injury, preventing any contact. When his left hand was suddenly pricked painfully, Su Bei ceased further attempts. He stood still for five minutes before sitting down again. Even after sitting, he remained still, knowing the skill mentioned a feedback from fate would occur soon after the wish was fulfilled. Thus, staying motionless was the best way to receive the feedback. An hour later, the chandelier above suddenly fell. Reacting quickly, he dodged to the side, only to collide with the desk. The desk, along with the bookshelf, curtains, flowerpot... all came crashing down, burying him thoroughly beneath. Lying on the ground in silence, Su Bei finally remarked, "So that's how it is." Simply put, it worked contrary to his wish. He wished to not touch anything, resulting in everything sticking to him, whilst being in bed made avoiding contact with the ground yet another inversion of his wish. An intriguing limitation indeed; if used correctly, this restriction could even aid him. However, in most cases, it wouldn't, as he couldn't always predict the form the feedback would take. A wrong guess could lead to big issues. Thus, he could only utilize the "Wish Gear" in reverse during highly specific conditions, closely timing it with the feedback. Generally, after using the "Wish Gear", he needed to quickly find a safe spot to endure the feedback. In this regard, the author was considerate, giving him a full hour to prepare. Since only one "Wish Gear" could be produced per day, as dictated by fate's cycle, even the "Fantasy Bubble" couldn't replicate this skill. Further testing would have to wait until tomorrow. Overall, it wasn't bad. At least it was undoubtedly a strong protective skill. Although it only lasted five minutes, given the situations he would face, with stealth charms in hand paired with those five minutes, it would suffice perfectly. The following month passed in ordinary daily routines. Su Bei should have been happy about it, but knowing the manga season was nearing its end, he naturally wished for events to progress quickly. A short-term upheaval leading to long-term stability seemed worth it to Su Bei. He was constantly waiting for the next event to start, but it never came. Until the beginning of the month when Meng Huai assigned their class a new task: "Our academy and others are currently short-handed at the bases in the Nightmare Beast world. Since you'll likely be frequenting there after graduation, I'm planning to let you adapt in advance. For the next month, you'll be studying at the base, and your performance during this study will determine the amount of holiday homework you receive." The threat of a heavier workload over winter break indeed prompted everyone to take the study trip very seriously. Mu Tieren raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, what will we be doing there? Are you going with us?" "I'm not going with you," Meng Huai replied. "Actually, there's no harm in telling you—the 'Black Lightning' organization has partnered with the Nightmare Beasts, and we'll be pursuing them with all our resources." If not for this development, he wouldn't have arranged for the students to stay long-term at the base in the Nightmare Beast world so soon. Even for Class S, such an assignment would typically be given later in the next semester. It's too early now. After Ye Lin's hints during the last incident, everyone had speculated about this to some extent. Now that it's confirmed, it doesn't shock them—they just feel a heavy burden. They were well aware of how formidable the "Black Lightning" organization was, having faced them numerous times before. Initially, they were solely focused on researching ways to counter superpowers, but now, allying with Nightmare Beasts, it posed a significant threat to humanity. "But I don't understand," Qi Huang said with confusion. "Weren't they firmly against the Nightmare Beasts before? Why the sudden change?" Before the teacher could answer, Su Bei, who was sprawled over his desk, replied, "When one dream shatters, naturally, you pick up a new one to keep moving forward." At times, Qi Huang was genuinely curious about how Su Bei acquired such information. Even the "Fate" organization couldn't read the mind of the "Black Lightning" leader, right? She wasn't the only one curious; Meng Huai also wondered. His intel suggested that the organization's leader decided to cooperate with the Nightmare Beasts because his wife became one, with the intent to transform all humans into Nightmare Beasts. But listening to Su Bei, it seemed like there might be more to the story? Thinking this, Meng Huai directly asked, "Stop with the cryptic talk. What dream of his was shattered?" "The dream of turning Nightmare Beasts back into humans, of course," Su Bei answered, then shifted the topic. "The class leader asked a question earlier that the teacher hasn't answered yet. What is the base for, and what will we be doing there?" Mulling over Su Bei's earlier words, Meng Huai responded, "This base primarily serves as an anchor for the superpowered in the Nightmare Beast world—it’s a fixed coordinate. There will be many tasks: patrolling, infrastructure building, clearing nearby Nightmare Beasts, exploring marked locations... you just need to follow the study trip teacher's instructions. She's a teacher from our academy and was my classmate, so she should look after you a bit." Everyone nodded obediently and started to discuss the matter quietly amongst themselves. Ultimately, eliminating the "Black Lightning" organization was primarily the teachers' task, while their main task was the study trip at the base. Su Bei also fell silent, pondering the situation. The study trip was to the Nightmare Beast world for a whole month, and during the last incident, Ye Lin had just given them a coordinate in that world. With all the advantages stacking up, he felt this was the time to resolve the Nightmare Beast issue. He definitely had to go on this trip. Su Bei wasn't sure if the author had arranged anything specific for him in this storyline, but he feared that not going might lead to unexpected changes—referring to unexpected changes for himself. Being out of the storyline for too long, who knows what the author might conjure up. It seemed safer to personally oversee things. Moreover, after more than a year of hard work, the task he had been busy with was finally drawing to a close. He felt he had to witness it firsthand. The time for the study trip soon arrived. The group gathered in an empty classroom where Lei Ze'en set up the formation, advising them, "You've been to the Nightmare Beast world several times now, so I won't repeat myself. But the superpowered individuals over there aren't as accommodating as your academy teachers, so you better behave. If you're sent back early, Teacher Meng won't let you off easily." "Cough, cough, cough!" Upon hearing this, some began coughing awkwardly. There was no way they'd be totally obedient. If anything went wrong, they would absolutely be the first to jump into action. Lei Ze'en clearly understood these students' natures, shaking his head in resignation. "Alright, stand on the formation. Once there, a teacher named Jiang Yan will meet you. She'll be your guiding teacher for this study trip." As the formation's light enveloped them, the group was transported to the Nightmare Beast world. "You've arrived," said a pleasant female voice, greeting them as they acclimatized. Turning towards the voice, they saw a brunette woman in a blue fitted suit. Noticing their bewildered expressions, the woman's expression grew somewhat stern as she introduced herself, "I'm Jiang Yan. Just call me Teacher Jiang. Follow me; there are no tasks today. I'll show you around the base first." They found themselves transported to a room, seemingly identical to a room from their ordinary world. Were it not for the monochrome black, white, and gray colors, they might have thought the transport had failed. Exiting the room, they walked down a long corridor. The walls on both sides appeared to be made of some special metal, presumably with sturdy properties. Combined with the surrounding colors, it gave the place a cold and inorganic feel. Noticing Mu Tieren feeling the wall with a curious look, Jiang Yan explained without changing her expression, "This is Daylight Alloy, an exceptionally hard metal, impervious to fire and water, resistant to typical attacks from both humans and Nightmare Beasts. If you’re curious, you can try feeling it in your room later, but be careful not to damage anything else." Su Bei observed that while Teacher Jiang seemed expressionless, she was quite considerate, which was good news considering they would be here for a month. A strict or rigid teacher would drive him insane. At the end of the corridor, they turned left. Just a few steps later, they saw a door. Teacher Jiang pulled out a key to unlock it, revealing a bridge that connected the rooftops of two buildings. Once on the bridge, they finally saw the fortress's full splendor. Indeed, the "Infinite Superpower Academy's" base in the Nightmare Beast world was a fortress. Its overall appearance resembled a black twin-peaked mountain. While they could only view the fortress from an overhead perspective on the bridge, they could piece together its basic shape. "You were just in the accommodation area; the other side is the functional area," Teacher Jiang briefly introduced as she unlocked another door with a new key. Beyond the door lay a completely different scene from before. No longer were there rows of accommodations. A spiral stairway lacked walls to shield its path, offering a view from which each floor could be seen through the gaps. The bottommost level was a bustling lobby, with people moving about, some gathered in groups, others solitary. Several injured individuals were carried in, taken to the sole elevator, heading upwards. Using his keen eyesight, Su Bei noted the elevator ascended to the 8th floor. "They'll be taken to the 8th floor where the only walled level is our hospital. It'll be the place you go if you're injured," Jiang Yan explained. She then flicked through a book retrieved from her storage space and looked at the group, asking, "Who are Ling You, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Lan Subing?" The three raised their hands in unison. Acknowledging them, Jiang Yan nodded. "You three can help out there when you have some spare time. They’re always short-handed. [Happiness] doesn’t need explaining. [Plague] can assist by absorbing some viruses from patients, right? As for [Words of Power], using your ability in treatment might seem wasteful, but taking some time to hone your healing skills there could be beneficial. After all, this ability thrives on practice to achieve full development." "Is that our assignment?" Zhao Xiaoyu asked, her primary concern. Jiang Yan nodded while also shaking her head, saying, "Not exactly. Although individuals have different assignments, your class doesn't have any tasks in the hospital this time because there aren't any healing-type superpowers among you. If you choose to go, you can earn points based on the hours you contribute, but it’s optional." She continued to lead them, giving a tour of each floor as they descended the staircase. The topmost 8th floor housed the hospital, with the 7th floor being the intelligence processing center and office area. Many of the staff, including Jiang Yan, had their offices here, and task assignments were issued from this level. Notably, this area also served as the entry point to the accommodation area, but only staff with keys could come and go freely. The 6th floor functioned as an advanced item trading area, entry requiring verification. It sold superpower tools and even featured a small auction hall. On the 5th floor was the superpower arena, which also functioned as a betting ground. The floor brimmed with blood and violence. The cheering spectators could, at times, drown out the sound from the crowded first and second floors, creating a wild atmosphere. Besides these, there were various entertainment activities: a small cinema, an assortment of arcade machines, and even a dance floor where many danced in synchronization with the music playing. The fourth floor housed a Nightmare Beast slaughterhouse, where specialized butchers were responsible for cutting up Nightmare Beast meat and extracting useful parts. If superpowered individuals desired, they could sell the meat and parts directly to the officials, albeit at a not-so-high price. The second and third floors were dedicated to ordinary goods trading, each dealing with different items. The second floor offered simple items like talisman tools, supplies, and Nightmare Beast parts. In contrast, the third floor catered to services, including restaurants, clothing stores, barber shops, and more. Since most people stayed here for extended periods, even if they brought initial supplies, these would certainly run out over time, making such establishments essential. The first floor functioned as a team formation hall where many gathered to drink and find compatible teammates. Task boards were here too, offering substantial rewards and points upon task completion. The points here served two main purposes: acquiring accommodation and leaving the Nightmare Beast world. Accommodation was straightforward. To have a safe room next door required spending points. All rooms were of the same configuration and price. Staying one night cost 10 points. Paying for a month upfront earned a 5% discount, while paying for a year fetched a 20% discount. As for leaving, exiting through the base's main gate required 500 points, though it wasn't an issue for those with alternative means to leave the Nightmare Beast world. There was a lot to take in, and everyone's eyes wandered around. Qi Huang's attention lingered on the fifth floor, and she questioned in confusion, "Why is there an arena on the fifth floor, Teacher? Isn't fighting the Nightmare Beasts tiring enough? Why fight each other here?" "The arena is set up for two reasons," Jiang Yan replied succinctly. "First, to let them vent their emotions, and second, as an opportunity to earn points. Gathering 500 points isn't easy, and life here can be quite oppressive. The fifth floor is designed to allow everyone to blow off some steam." Understanding dawned on everyone. Jiang Tianming immediately became interested in the tasks on the first floor, specifically the points they provided. "Can we check out those tasks?" they asked.