Chapter 328 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 328 "Of course, that's fine." Jiang Yan naturally saw no reason to refuse, nodding as she led the group to the first floor. She first registered everyone and issued them a points-saving card. Then, she took them to another counter to view the available tasks. In the World of Nightmare Beasts, tasks generally revolve around advanced nightmare beasts. The tasks include drawing maps of unexplored areas, eliminating advanced nightmare beasts, and rescue missions... Most of these tasks grant around 10-20 points and are quite challenging. If members of their S-Class attempted these tasks, it might require two to three people to complete one task within half a day. Once the points are divided, they might not even cover their accommodation expenses. Working an entire day to complete two tasks just about provides enough points for a night's stay. Luckily, meals here only require regular currency. Otherwise, one would truly be at a financial loss. "That makes returning very difficult," Lan Subing remarked quietly. Jiang Yan, possessing exceptional hearing, turned to look at her upon hearing the comment. "These things are disclosed before entering here. Only those confident in their abilities or determined to train here for an extended period choose to enter the World of Nightmare Beasts through our Three Schools Base entrance." "Three Schools Base..." Hearing this, Su Bei couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Is it literally named after the base built by three colleges? What a simplistic name. Unlike his wandering thoughts, the others were absorbing Jiang Yan's words. As she pointed out, knowing they wouldn't be able to leave for a long time after entering, there are only two possible reasons why someone might choose to come here. "No wonder they say that ability users coming out of the Three Schools Base are extremely formidable." Si Zhaohua had heard of the Three Schools Base even back in his family days. Understanding their internal mechanisms now, he realized the reputation was well-earned. At this moment, Zhao Xiaoyu suddenly thought of a question, "Teacher, if we can't draw maps, does that mean we can't take on the task of map-making?" Before Jiang Yan could answer, someone who had set up a stall next to them raised their voice, "Map-making specialists available here for hire for just 2 points. Honest business, no deception—first come, first served!" The group: "..." Seeing that there were many people at the task point on the first floor, Jiang Yan did not keep them there long. After they reviewed the tasks, she led them outside. Outside the Three Schools Base fortification, there was an open-air camp, which was also under the jurisdiction of the Three Schools Base. They could see many tents, sleeping bags, and even some campfires. "Do people sleep here?" Ai Baozhu asked in surprise, "Aren't there dormitories?" Clearly, this sheltered young lady had never experienced the hardships of sleeping rough. Jiang Yan glanced at those people and replied faintly, "Because they cannot afford or do not want to pay the 10 points for a room, they choose to sleep outside." To save points, opening up new sources of income is a must, and if their abilities do not allow this, managing expenses is the only way. Zhao Xiaoyu could understand these folks; if she were here, she might choose to sleep outside as well. However, she had a question: "Is it safe to sleep outside?" "The camp is definitely safer than other parts of the World of Nightmare Beasts, mostly because there are so many people here, and the nightmare beasts are generally too intimidated to approach," Jiang Yan explained, as if she'd answered this question many times, continuing, "However, the base holds no responsibility for protecting those camping here. At night, the entire fort closes. If there is any danger, they must fend for themselves." After her explanation, the group suddenly understood. Simply put, it's indeed a bit safer than other areas in the World of Nightmare Beasts, but not by much. True safety can only be found within the fortress. But then again, if inside and outside were the same, 10 points would only offer a more comfortable stay, and few would choose the dormitories if that were the case. "Do we have to spend points to stay here?" Jiang Tianming asked a critical question. Jiang Yan had anticipated this question and shook her head, "No, your accommodation is fully covered by the academy. After a month, you can leave directly. But when you graduate and want to return, you'll have to abide by the same rules as everyone else." She paused for a moment, this time with a rare smile, "But if you wish to work here after graduation, that's a different matter." These students are top talents from the Infinite Superpower Academy, and recruiting even one would be a big gain. "We'll consider it carefully," Si Zhaohua nodded. Although he had no intention of staying here, and the Si family would not permit it either. But Mu Tieren seemed a bit tempted. He wasn't keen on staying on as a teacher at the academy; instead, he preferred fighting on the front lines against nightmare beasts. It seemed like staying here could be a viable option. Jiang Yan, without pressing further on recruitment, clapped her hands after a brief explanation, "I've shown you the base's general area. Now it's free time. There's a clock in the first-floor lobby, and a curfew begins at midnight when the base gate closes. It reopens at five in the morning. So, make sure to return to the dormitory by eleven and back to your rooms." As she spoke, she distributed keys with room numbers to everyone, continuing, "Since moving around in one big group can inconvenience others, I'll pair you into twos for free exploration. If anyone runs into trouble, their temporary partner will also be penalized." She announced her contingency plan and started assigning groups: "Those I call can team up and leave: Su Bei and Si Zhaohua, Ai Baozhu and Lan Subing, Jiang Tianming... Mu Tieren, Li Shu, and Zhou Renjie, you three are a group." Paired first, Su Bei and Si Zhaohua walked back together, both deciding not to explore the World of Nightmare Beasts just yet, opting instead to further examine the Three Schools Base. After all, they'll be here for a whole month, and not knowing the map isn't an option. "Where to first?" Stepping into the fort, Si Zhaohua turned to Su Bei, "I'd like to check out the arena on the fifth floor first." Su Bei had no objections. The suppression of happy emotions by the World of Nightmare Beasts left him not very curious about this colorless place. Reaching the fifth floor, cheers and shouts filled the air. The noise made Si Zhaohua scrunch his brows, "It's so loud; won't this disturb treatment upstairs?" "The upper floors likely have soundproof walls," Su Bei replied offhandedly, tossing a pair of earplugs to him, then squeezing into the cheering crowd, smiling back at the uneasy fellow, "Let's watch a match first." "Since we're here," a classic Chinese phrase for persuasion, proved timeless and effective. Si Zhaohua was indeed persuaded. Though reluctant to squeeze alongside others, he overcame his aversion and joined anyway. It's worth noting, despite their high standing in class and even the year level, as minors, they appeared quite small amid all the heavily scarred burly men. Their small frames contained immense power; otherwise, they wouldn't have so easily pushed through. Si Zhaohua looked particularly uncomfortable, grimacing both from the smell and dissatisfaction with his height: "I'll definitely reach 190 cm one day." "Quite ambitious." A nearby listener chuckled, a rough voice complimenting him, though it was unclear if in earnest or sarcastically. Su Bei thought Si Zhaohua's aspiration might be tough in a manga universe where aesthetic characters seldom had sturdy builds—unless it was a comedic manga. But he didn't shatter his hopeful vision, instead turning his focus to the arena where two men were locked in deadly combat, unlike the sparring matches seen in school. This kind of fight was far more engaging and useful. Su Bei's task was to absorb their techniques through observation, learning their skills without needing to step into the ring himself. Unlike others, this wasn't impossible for Su Bei, a martial arts prodigy endorsed by the martial arts teacher himself. While Su Bei watched intently, the initially eager Si Zhaohua found himself regretting his suggestion to visit. Becoming distracted, he shifted topics, "What mission do you think the teacher will assign us tomorrow?" "Probably patrolling," Su Bei answered nonchalantly, glancing at the crowded first floor, "Other tasks likely have enough people." "That's where you're mistaken." The burly man next to them chimed in again, "It's crowded now because it's morning. Later, it thins out. The Three Schools Base aims to use the base as a hub to explore the entire World of Nightmare Beasts; even with more ability users, it's not enough." Indeed, this was a grand ambition, not rendered futile by any conclusion the author might impose on the nightmare beasts. Eradicating the meteor stopped new nightmare beasts from emerging, but didn't cause existing ones to disappear instantly, nor did it make this space vanish entirely. For centuries, the number of nightmare beasts has been countless, and the World of Nightmare Beasts itself is boundless, making such exploration incredibly significant. The burly man continued, "But looking at you, you all seem to be students, right? The academy indeed doesn't give students overly dangerous tasks. Likely, it'll be as you said — tasks like patrolling." The two thanked him and moved away from the arena to the staircase. Si Zhaohua glanced upwards and, knowing Su Bei had no opinion, made the decision, "Let's head to the sixth floor." Upon reaching the sixth-floor entrance, they were stopped by two guards. One of them sternly warned them off, "Kids, don't meddle where you don't belong." Unfazed, Si Zhaohua calmly produced an advanced item, "I'm here to sell." Seeing the item, the guard reconsidered, taking out a simple quality assessment tool. When it emitted a purple glow, his attitude shifted to one of respect, and he opened the door, "Please, go ahead." While the sixth-floor trading platform was considerably higher-end than the second floor, it was only in terms of the items traded, not fundamentally different. Transactions here involved money, though some sellers accepted points too. Of course, Si Zhaohua preferred dealing in cash. As the young master of the Si family, the last thing he lacked was money. While Su Bei wasn’t short of funds for daily life, this realm of multimillion deals was beyond his comfort zone. For this visit, he intended to gain knowledge by accompanying Si Zhaohua, without plans of making purchases. Apart from being man-made, high-grade items primarily come from advanced nightmare beasts. Many advanced nightmare beasts, upon defeat, drop such items. While following the protagonist group, Su Bei had encountered several advanced nightmare beasts but hadn't killed many personally, thus missing out on acquiring high-grade items. Conversely, other members of the protagonist group had, to Su Bei's knowledge, at least one item each. Fortunately, he never lacked items; otherwise, it might have really frustrated him. Si Zhaohua shopped liberally, as if scattering money everywhere, proving that being smart isn’t the only way to have lots of money. After earning the reputation of the biggest spender on the floor, he contentedly led Su Bei to the third floor for a meal. “Don’t you already have lots of items? Why buy so many more?” Su Bei asked, yawning, perplexed. Lately, he'd been studying new abilities at night, leaving his mental energy depleted and causing him to feel tired. Yet, he couldn’t study every night without drawing attention from his teachers and classmates. Having experimented with an ability for the last time yesterday, he wasn’t in great shape today. It happened often enough that Si Zhaohua didn't think it unusual and replied casually, “Can you ever have too many items? I’m not short on money anyway.” “Having money is something else.” Su Bei admired him, giving a thumbs-up. Several restaurants occupied the third floor, serving dishes mainly made of nightmare beast meat. While such a meal was expensive outside, it was the cheapest option here. Fresh vegetables were scarce and costly instead. Su Bei and Si Zhaohua chose a braised chicken place, although the chicken was actually a type of nightmare chicken, succulent and aromatic, with a bonus of slightly replenishing the consumer's mental power—not much, but enough to be noticeably invigorating after eating. While ordering, Su Bei casually inquired about vegetables, “Boss, are the vegetables here bought from outside, or are they grown in the World of Nightmare Beasts?” This question touched on common knowledge here, so the owner answered honestly, “The World of Nightmare Beasts can't support plant life, so the vegetables are purchased outside or produced by wood-type ability users with relevant powers. I myself have the ‘Plant Acceleration’ ability.” That certainly matched his specialty. However, Su Bei had a new question, “I apologize if this is a bit rude, but doesn’t your ability feel unsafe in the World of Nightmare Beasts?” ‘Plant Acceleration’ sounded like a non-combative ability, akin to a D-class or even F-class in terms of combat utility. Being in the World of Nightmare Beasts, or even the realm of superpowers, posed a challenge. However, here was this owner thriving unexpectedly. Sensing no disdain in Su Bei's curious gaze, the owner clarified, “Do you think my ability lacks offensive capability?” He casually displayed a seed, prompting it to grow into a small carnivorous plant. With a smile, he explained, “As long as I have the seeds, my ability can be versatile.” Realization dawned on Su Bei, “Impressive, thank you for explaining.” Afterward, he checked the owner's fate compass with his ability, ensuring everything was in order before leaving a silver gear on the counter, “A token of thanks. This gear helps identify an opponent’s weak point.” ‘Gears of Fate’ are useful only against formidable opponents, not easily attackable. Su Bei intended it for scenarios where the owner's foes would pose a challenge, letting the gear naturally come to his aid then. Initially, he'd debated giving a ‘Wish Gear’ to boost awareness of that ability. However, it felt inappropriate. For one, the ‘Wish Gear’ held considerable power, and gifting it over a few simple questions seemed demeaning. Moreover, the ‘Wish Gear’ had a backlash effect after an hour, which he didn’t want to disclose, so he wisely refrained from offering it to avoid causing trouble. After lunch, they collectively decided to inspect the dorms, where they'd reside for thirty days. If the environment was poor, they'd endure much hardship. Su Bei and Si Zhaohua's rooms were adjacent, aligning with Teacher Jiang's grouping logic. Having spent a year together, they didn’t need to be split for familiarity's sake; convenience took precedence. Opening the door revealed a small room. Though confined, it packed essentials: a bed, a small wardrobe, a desk, and a chair—nothing more. The room lacked an ensuite. Bathrooms were communal, situated in the corridor. Honestly, it felt slightly stifling; the room was small, windowless, and monochrome in black, white, and grey hues. Long-term residence here would undoubtedly lead to psychological issues. Nevertheless, for temporary occupancy—just to sleep—it was acceptable, at least clean and free of pests. The day quickly passed, and the next morning at eight, Teacher Jiang assigned tasks. As Su Bei predicted, their duty was patrolling. Groups of four were inserted into existing patrol teams, responsible for different areas. Notably, Feng Lan wasn’t part of this task. His role was supervisory from the rear. Jiang Yan wasn't even planning to let him leave the fort this month; this was a condition set by the Feng family for the learning expedition. Upon joining their designated patrol squad, Su Bei assessed those around him and considered himself quite lucky. With Si Zhaohua, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Wu Jin, not a single protagonist-group member was present—the safest team of all. Naturally, their patrol area was also the safest: inside the camp. Upon seeing the students assigned to him, the red-haired captain grimaced, eyeing Wu Jin more dismissively. He tersely instructed, “I understand you’re here to get some ‘experience.’ Stick to the middle of the group and don’t cause trouble, or else I’ll ensure you leave here without having gained any ‘experience.’ Got it?” Aha, so even someone that didn’t immediately notice Wu Jin dared to threaten them. Su Bei smirked, suppressing laughter with some effort. Here, anyone who spoke up would play the role of a face-slapping cannon fodder in the story. Though it wasn’t a bad storyline, it entailed complications that Su Bei preferred not to engage with; instead, he’d rather see his teammates shine. Predictably, Si Zhaohua stepped up. His blue eyes icily met the captain’s, enunciating each word, “Not quite clear. How exactly do you plan to prevent us from gaining any experience?” The red-haired captain, oblivious to Si Zhaohua’s confidence—or perhaps indifferent—even if he did notice, retorted arrogantly, “Why, I'd rough you up as an excuse for misbehavior, then reject your reintegration into the team.” But he overlooked one critical point: these students, whom he underestimated, didn’t need academy intervention to deliver a lesson to him. When Si Zhaohua glanced at Su Bei, he unexpectedly understood, nodding subtly to indicate he'd recorded the captain’s words entirely. Seeing Su Bei nod, Si Zhaohua confidently looked away, not worried that Su Bei might misunderstand him. He immediately activated his ability, launching an attack on the red-haired captain. Wu Jin asked in a low voice, "Is everything okay?" "Who do you mean?" Su Bei replied, puzzled. If Wu Jin was worried about Si Zhaohua, then Su Bei could only think Wu Jin's judgment was off. The red-haired captain's ability was clearly average. Given he hadn't even noticed Wu Jin when aware of four new team members—this clearly indicated low mental power. As an ability user, Wu Jin should recognize that. With Si Zhaohua's strength, he wasn't likely to be defeated by someone like that. As for worrying about the captain? That was even more far-fetched. Su Bei didn't believe Wu Jin had such a kind heart. "He's worried about the fight being discovered," Zhao Xiaoyu, understanding Wu Jin's thoughts, interjected. Sure enough, Wu Jin nodded, acknowledging her explanation. Su Bei realized this and reassured, "Don’t worry. Here, it's normal for ability users to get into skirmishes. As long as they don't disrupt things inside the fortress or attract nightmare beasts, people won’t interfere." He based this on experience, recalling how a fight broke out outside just yesterday with bystanders merely spectating. As Jiang Yan had explained, living in such an oppressive environment long-term, many people need an outlet for their emotions. Those who can control themselves vent on the sixth floor, while those who can't tend to fight it out on the spot. The battle swiftly reached its conclusion, with Si Zhaohua undoubtedly victorious. He didn't even use his ultimate moves but conquered his opponent with the newly learned "Angelic Radiance" skill. Not only the red-haired captain but also the onlooking teammates were dumbfounded, not expecting this seemingly underaged student, likely not even a senior, to defeat the captain. "How did you become the patrol captain?" Si Zhaohua asked after his victory, showing no joy but rather curiosity. "I'm beginning to question the Three Schools Base's patrol criteria."