Chapter 333 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 333 Everyone's expressions ranged from panic and fear to confusion and anger... Yet, there was one person who laughed — albeit it was a cold, mocking laugh. That person was Su Bei. He lowered his head and let out a low chuckle. He thought to himself, why is this so easy? Everything seemed to fall into place effortlessly, with no hint of difficulty. So, this was the trap waiting for him! Only he could see through his phone screen; all the fates above their heads had suddenly transformed. Every little needle on their fate compasses veered right, with Si Zhaohua and Wu Mingbai's larger needles dropping directly to the lower half of the compass! Oh, and atop his own head, his larger needle had plummeted too. The author actually wanted to reduce the main group's numbers in this event, even wanting him to exit the stage! Su Bei was both amused and irritated. If it were just the small needles changing, he might have let it slide. Usually, the major needle wouldn't change so abruptly. Was it because the author feared an early reveal of fate would be intercepted and altered by him? Amidst the overwhelming news, no one noticed his unusual demeanor. Wu Mingbai was the first to think of a solution: “I’ll finish up my end, then come find you guys. Hold on until I...” His sentence was cut off by Jiang Tianming: “Even if you can pinpoint our exact location via our signal flares, how are you planning to get here? At your speed, by the time you arrive one by one, we might not hold out any longer.” It's essential to note that the Nightmare Beasts approaching them would undoubtedly be elite Advanced Nightmare Beasts. Holding out for even an hour or two was optimistic; even ten minutes might prove challenging. “I can fetch him,” Si Zhaohua quickly interjected. “I can fly, naturally faster than the others. Plus, I have a flight accelerator and some other speed-boosting tools.” These tools were specifically crafted for flying superpowers, capable of enhancing takeoff speed by four to five times. Si Zhaohua always kept them handy. With these tools at his disposal, no matter the vast distance, he could reach the others swiftly. Hearing this, Su Bei understood—this is how those two met their end. As the ones on the move, they would face increased dangers, intercepting numerous obstacles on the way, eventually meeting their demise, understandably. As for how he perished? Who really knows? It wouldn't be a feat for the author to kill him off amid the chaos. In normal circumstances, he could change the major needles of three people; though it would consume a large amount of mental power, it was doable. However, the issue lay in the fact that among the three, two were key members of the protagonist group, with one being the protagonist of all protagonists. Altering a protagonist’s fate required an immense consumption of mental power. Su Bei had already utilized a substantial portion to change Jiang Tianming’s luck, alter the fate of the stone forest Nightmare Beasts and two Advanced Nightmare Beasts. Now, his mental power was barely a quarter of his peak state. Attempting to alter the major needles of all three was impossible; his mental power wouldn’t support it. Mental power aside, even all his life force combined might not suffice. Just changing Wu Mingbai alone would consume over half his mental power, adding Si Zhaohua would nearly exhaust his entire peak mental strength. Protagonists were just that formidable. Were Jiang Tianming present, the consumption would be even greater. Choosing not to save these two presented no issue; he could use the remaining mental power to alter his own fate, without even needing to expend life force. Saving them, whether fatal or not, would surely incur a significant toll. Yet, what's seemingly the best choice for him, Su Bei found himself unwilling to take. He laughed once more, but this time, it was a bitter laugh. He had pondered upon enrolling not to grow too close to the protagonist group, as emotional ties often led to entanglement. Ironically, it turned into prophecy — he couldn’t bring himself to become heartless now. The author might be ruthless, letting characters exit the stage, but he couldn't watch his fellow classmates, whom he saw daily, meet their ends. Despite often appearing detached, Su Bei was well aware of how much of his demeanor was mere facade. Moreover, purely from a rational perspective, he didn’t believe he could stand idly by. “Tell me, do you think the author genuinely seeks my demise, or is he merely testing me?” Su Bei suddenly pondered inwardly. Hearing no response from "Manga Awareness," he was unsurprised. In such major scenarios, its silence or containment was typical, lest any unintended leaks occur. The question arose because of a sudden realization — would the author truly be indifferent to a character's death? The deaths of Wu Mingbai and Si Zhaohua were reasonable. Although readers in reality would undoubtedly explode with misplaced anger upon seeing the plot, no one would deem it purely plot-mandated or think the author’s whims led to their exit. After all, this was a major plot point. Character deaths were par for the course. The entire manga ending with every character surviving would hardly be a shonen manga! Yet, would logical progression mean the author wouldn't feel sorrow? Leaving Si Zhaohua aside, Wu Mingbai was a character who had been developed for two entire seasons. Even if not the absolute protagonist like Jiang Tianming, he was certainly a top character below the main one. The author must have poured considerable effort into him. Did he truly wish for Wu Mingbai’s death? Regardless, all these were fleeting conjectures in Su Bei's mind, leading to two potential conclusions. One possibility was that the author arranged for the character deaths but actually hoped for Su Bei to save them. If he rescued them and subsequently saved himself, perhaps the author might eventually let him go. The other possibility was that the author indeed intended character deaths here, and Su Bei’s intervention would disrupt his plans. Disrupting the author's scenario might invite even fiercer "pursuits" from his side. Were he facing any other decision now, Su Bei would undoubtedly opt for minimal disruption. With the author’s plot laid out, intervening would be sheer folly. But this involved the life and death of his companions, giving rise to hesitation. In truth, with an inclination towards choice already in his heart, Su Bei wasn’t sure if his earlier analysis stemmed from reason or if emotions were forcing him to find reasons to aid them. Help them, he must. He needed to act with a clear conscience. Su Bei sighed inwardly, resigning to the fate the author had laid for him, albeit only halfway. He was willing to save his classmates but refused to die for it. The author of "King of Superpowers" was indeed a jerk, but the characters created were undeniably endearing. After all, he had means to ensure his own survival — a small price for two companions’ lives was worth it. Later, he could hit the forums and find ways to make up for it, possibly dodging the cost altogether. With this mindset, Su Bei lifted his head. At this moment, Jiang Tianming was frantically deploying defensive tools to set up barriers. The Nightmare Beast army was encroaching; as the final group Wu Mingbai had decided on, the duration they needed to hold was the longest. Without proper defenses before the Beasts’ arrival, they would be doomed. Seeing Su Bei's focus returning, Jiang Tianming hurriedly asked, “What were you thinking just now? Do you have a plan?” Since discussing with Wu Mingbai, Jiang Tianming noticed Su Bei’s pensive demeanor. However, respecting Su Bei’s visibly somber mood, he tactfully refrained from interrupting, continuing with his preparations in silence. He only spoke up when he saw Su Bei's attention returned. Su Bei glanced at him, his gaze filled with a complex mix of emotions. A moment later, Jiang Tianming witnessed Su Bei’s mischievous grin: "Remember to apologize later. Imagine making me pay such a hefty price to save your lives." That smile, tinged with fatigue and release, gave Jiang Tianming an inexplicable sense of foreboding. Instinctively, he wanted to prevent Su Bei but was unaware of the reason for this impulse. His hand rose slightly; words stalled at his lips. In front of him, Su Bei slowly levitated, golden hair dancing in the energy waves emanating from his palms, revealing a miniature gear between them. The gear twinkled with light, seemingly unremarkable at a glance, yet its immense power was palpable, causing those around to turn pale. Simultaneously, an ominous compass array unfolded beneath Su Bei’s feet, with cryptic, magnificent runes etched into it. As the gear rotated in his grasp, lights floated upward and converged within the gear until, in an instant, they burst forth in brilliance. But before anyone could marvel at this astonishing scene, they watched as Su Bei’s hair turned white from root to tip, whiter and more immaculate than the most pristine snow, signifying decay and death. "Su Bei!" Jiang Tianming exclaimed, immediately comprehending what was happening, “Are you channeling your life force to use your powers?!” As expected of the protagonist, his reactions are swift. Su Bei thought, his mind a haze. With some effort, he slowly lifted his heavy eyelids, observing the Nightmare Beasts that had now reached the vicinity, attacking the defense barriers set up by Jiang Tianming. Feeling the last remnants of life force within him, he gently clasped the gear pendant at his chest and mustered his resolve. "Just one last time to help you." The needle turned, and in the next second, many of the Nightmare Beasts outside suddenly perished. Su Bei had expended all his life force to perform one final use of his abilities. Jiang Tianming stared in astonishment at the sudden collapse of the Nightmare Beasts, soon realizing what this meant. He hurriedly turned back to look at Su Bei, shaking his head repeatedly, as if struggling to voice his thoughts. Before he could say anything, under Jiang Tianming’s watchful gaze, Su Bei gradually and calmly vanished from bottom to top, disintegrating into gray ash that dissipated into the air. "Su Bei!" At the moment of disappearance, Jiang Tianming shouted in panic, his eyes filled with unprecedented chaos and fear. But only silence remained—Su Bei's voice would never be heard again. By now, the others on the outside of the phone screen also began to realize what was happening. Qi Huang anxiously questioned, "What's going on? What happened to Su Bei?" "I... I don't know." Jiang Tianming stood there, lost. Though he had an inkling, he couldn’t bring himself to voice it. Suddenly, he remembered something, clutching at it like a lifeline. He quickly retrieved a sensor from his storage space. This device could detect whether a person was alive and their precise location. Jiang Tianming had previously recorded a hair sample from each classmate, which meant it could now verify Su Bei’s presence. “Beep beep!” The sensor’s indicator light blinked red and emitted rapid beeping, then quickly faded away. Jiang Tianming’s face turned an ashen white, as if rejecting the reality, he stumbled back two steps, murmuring to himself, “It can’t detect... The sensor can’t detect Su Bei’s presence.” Under what circumstances could the sensor fail to detect someone? Only when that person had already passed away. Su Bei was dead? How could this be possible! Everyone else was equally stunned, guessing the grim truth from Jiang Tianming's demeanor and words. “…He said he saved us? Did he exhaust his life force by overusing his mental power to save us?” Qi Huang stammered, her expression more frantic than ever. The further she spoke, the more hesitant her voice became. Qi Huang felt that Su Bei appeared as though his life force had been completely drained, reduced to dust, but she was reluctant to say it. Even for someone like her, the fear of such an outcome was overwhelming. But despite everything, Qi Huang was still in disbelief, “How could this happen? That’s Su Bei! He was always invincible, wasn’t he? How could he just die like that?” Not just her, but everyone refused to accept this reality. As Qi Huang had mentioned, Su Bei had always been an omnipotent figure in their minds, and they couldn’t fathom him simply meeting his end. Lan Subing’s complexion mirrored Jiang Tianming’s pallor. After a moment of silence, she suddenly resorted to her 【Word Magic】: “『Su Bei appear』! 『Su Bei survive』! 『Su Bei return』…” One incantation after another slipped from her lips, but none took effect. Su Bei’s figure didn’t materialize as if he had completely vanished from the world. “Pff—” The excessive use of her power exacted a heavy toll on Lan Subing's body. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her figure wilting instantly.