Chapter 347 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 347: Entering the Refuge City After waiting for three days, Su Bei finally gathered useful information. It all began when the Cross Nightmare Beast impatiently asked the head of the "Black Lightning" organization, "When can we start the operation?" The leader glanced at an external communication device and replied, "We're more than halfway done. The world-ending plan will commence in no more than a week." As this was a matter concerning all Nightmare Beasts, the Cross Nightmare Beast, despite its confidence in the leader's loyalty, couldn't fully trust him and queried further, "How many defense system superhumans are in that city? They won't disrupt the sacrifice, will they?" "Of course not. Since that city is relatively far from the Gates of Nightmare, there are only two defense system superhumans there. One of them is even a student," the leader replied with a surprisingly gentle tone despite his calm demeanor. Hearing this, Su Bei's brow furrowed. He quickly surmised which city they referred to—it was undoubtedly the refuge city where Ai Baozhu was. It reaffirmed that his initial decision to follow her was indeed correct, as she was integral to the main storyline. However, the mention of "sacrifice" by the Cross Nightmare Beast suggested that this wasn't just about a few deaths; it was likely that everyone within the city would perish due to their actions. In theory, Ai Baozhu's ability should avoid any danger that appears within her {Gorgeous Realm}, including a "sacrifice." A sacrifice can hardly be considered a courteous act, after all. To carry out such an act within her realm, they could only do so if Ai Baozhu shut down her power. This could happen in two ways: either by killing her to achieve their goal, or taking advantage of a moment when Ai Baozhu has to temporarily turn off her ability. Either way, it was time for Su Bei to take action. He distanced himself from the Nightmare Beast group and randomly teleported once. After ensuring that no one could sense him using the device, he used the teleportation tool given by Lei Ze'en to leave the Nightmare Beast world. Apart from leaving through the Gates of Nightmare, only a few superhumans worldwide had the ability to bring people out of the Nightmare Beast world, so using this tool was necessary for him. Su Bei wasn't sure whether Lei Ze'en knew he was still alive, but he likely did. Information could deceive, but the state of Jiang Tianming and his peers couldn't lie. As their teacher, even if the students deliberately acted, Lei Ze'en would certainly detect something. Given the chance to investigate through Meng Huai, he would likely know Su Bei was still alive. As one of the three teachers, with there already being another undercover, Lei Ze'en shouldn't be an issue. Thus, Su Bei dared to use the tool Lei Ze'en provided without fearing exposure. "Where's Ai Baozhu now?" Su Bei asked while sitting on a flying carpet back in the real world. "Could you set up a navigation for me?" His request was justified, as he joined these troublesome events because the author required it. While there were personal motives, it was initially the author's suggestion. The "Manga Awareness" understood this, quickly setting up navigation on his phone. Su Bei initially planned to fly directly to the refuge city where Ai Baozhu was, but he soon realized it was impossible. Flight restrictions set by humans or Nightmare Beasts covered many cities and war zones, creating no-fly zones. Despite his invisibility, flying in such areas of indiscriminate attacks could still get him shot down. Thus, he had to put away the flying carpet and proceed on foot to the refuge city, as airplanes and high-speed trains were out of service during the war. Even driving was risky, as cars on highways were prominent targets, potentially leading to their downfall if any accidents occurred. Fortunately, he had acceleration tools, so although walking, his pace wasn't slow. Using invisibility charms, he avoided detection. Seeing the battlefield, even Su Bei couldn't help but sigh. The war zone was constantly bombarded, and superhumans, in small groups, bravely fought against seemingly endless Nightmare Beasts. Navigating through the area was challenging, as he had to constantly avoid indiscriminate attacks from both sides. This journey had enhanced Su Bei's evasion skills to their peak. Despite avoiding frontline combat zones, he still accumulated many wounds from widespread AOE attacks. The battlefield reeked of blood from fallen superhumans. Fortunately, Nightmare Beast corpses didn't produce a smell; otherwise, the stench could have been unbearable. The ground was littered with Nightmare Beast bodies. As products of resentment, these corpses dissipate naturally after 24 hours or nourish superhumans if consumed. However, eating battlefield Nightmare Beast corpses felt odd to many, and the manner of death was unknown. More bizarre would be dying from some contaminated spear. Arriving quietly at the newly established Refuge City No. 3, where Ai Baozhu was, Su Bei faced a dilemma at the city gates. During such critical times, entering the refuge required an all-encompassing scan and a newly issued government ID. Lacking these, one couldn't pass the stringent checks. He understood these exceptional measures but faced a problem: he had no identity. How could he enter the city smoothly? Staying outside meant he couldn't access the fate compass of the city's inhabitants promptly, hindering his ability to act decisively. Timing was critical, so entering the city was imperative. After observing for a while and finding no way to sneak in, Su Bei sighed and sent a message to Ai Baozhu: "Can you bring someone without documentation into the city?" Five minutes later, Ai Baozhu replied, "I can! Are you coming to see me?!" As one of only two defense superhumans in the refuge city, Ai Baozhu held significant status. Personally requesting brought someone in was undoubtedly feasible. It's worth noting that during wartime, the status of defense superhumans surged. Though their utility was less apparent during peace, their indispensability became obvious now. "Yes, I'm at the gate," Su Bei responded. He was actually coming to see her! Ai Baozhu was overjoyed, fully aware of Su Bei's prowess. Having him around would greatly enhance her sense of security. However, Ai Baozhu was no fool and soon realized something was amiss: "Wait, why are you here? Didn't you say you'd be hiding for six months?" She vividly recalled Su Bei faking his death because his powers were sealed for six months, and only five months had passed since then. Why had he re-emerged now? "I stumbled upon a method to unseal my powers early," Su Bei replied succinctly. On the other end, Ai Baozhu nodded in understanding before another, more pressing thought struck her. With the S Class members scattered, what could prompt Su Bei to seek her out immediately upon regaining his powers? Ai Baozhu didn't consider herself so crucial to Su Bei; his visit implied major trouble for Refuge City No. 3. "What's happening here?" Ai Baozhu directly inquired. Su Bei didn’t conceal it, at least not the big picture: "Something will happen, so stay alert." Regardless of the Nightmare Beasts' plans, Ai Baozhu remained a pivotal obstacle they couldn't bypass, so she was surely involved. Ai Baozhu's expression briefly turned grave before breaking into a smile: "So you specifically came to protect me?" "Oh, not exactly," Su Bei honestly corrected. "I'm here by invitation. Principal Wu Di wants the 'Fate' organization to contribute to humanity." At this point, another thought occurred to him. The organization’s notebook mentioned that incentivizing a combined fight for humanity through points was a contribution, but providing valuable intelligence would be the greatest service, wouldn’t it? With that realization, Su Bei initiated a reward, this time offering points for relevant intelligence. Unable to divulge main plot details, Su Bei lacked intel himself. However, other organization members might hold information. Sharing it could significantly aid humanity. "...You might as well just say yes," Ai Baozhu replied, somewhat exasperatedly typing her response. "Wait for me down there; I'll be right over. Oh, by the way, are you planning to lift your fake death status now?" Su Bei, who was still aiming for a dramatic reveal, naturally replied in the negative. He then informed her of the appearance he was currently using. Before long, Ai Baozhu appeared on the ramparts, her pink outfit making her stand out prominently. She scanned the open area below, her gaze quickly locking onto Su Bei. Once Su Bei nodded to her in acknowledgment, she excitedly waved at him, but soon stopped herself, clearing her throat with mock composure. Turning to the guards beside her, she said, "That's my friend down there. He's here to help replenish my mental power as I asked. Could you kindly let him in?" The guards, respecting the girl who ensured the city's safety, were immediately obliging. Hearing Su Bei's significant role, they promptly signaled those below to allow him entry.