A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 57

When Su Bei had previously seen forum discussions speculating that he deliberately lost, he realized this idea wasn’t bad—provided there was a proper reason behind it.

It wasn’t until he recently became aware of a “Black Lightning” organization spy within the school that he finally came up with the justification. The first and second place holders are far more likely to draw the spy’s attention. It made perfect sense that he wouldn’t want to be noticed, didn’t it?

However, there was no need to explain all this. Su Bei glanced down, pushed off with both hands, and effortlessly leapt down from the five-meter-high tree branch. Thanks to the physical resilience of his superhuman body, he could move with such ease.

“Anything else? If not, I’ll head out first.”

“Hey, wait!” Jiang Tianming immediately called out. “If you didn’t want to complete the mission, why are you still here?”

Hearing this, Su Bei paused to think and gave a deliberately vague reply: “Perhaps it’s fate’s guidance.”

When he landed on another tree moments later, the “Manga Awareness” resurfaced: “I’ve noticed you don’t seem to like lying very much?”

So far, apart from details about his abilities, Su Bei hadn’t really told any lies. He either answered honestly or remained silent, yet still managed to steer others into interpreting things in the way he intended.

Leaning against the tree, Su Bei adjusted himself into a comfortable position. Smiling faintly, he responded, “Lies will always be exposed someday, but the truth won’t. The truth can only be understood correctly or misunderstood.”

This approach gave him leeway in every situation, with room to adjust both the upper and lower limits of expectations.

If one of his plans failed, he wouldn’t risk undermining his persona. As long as he hadn’t explicitly stated something, it could always be reinterpreted.

This was how he preserved his safety net.

On the other hand, if he had claimed outright that his ability placed him among the top first-years, it would’ve been much harder to defeat someone like the purple-haired girl. Readers would perceive him only as a standout among the freshmen—how could a novice superhuman beat an experienced one?

Besides, readers loved to overanalyze. They often came up with ideas better than what Su Bei could think of himself, so leaving things unsaid gave them space to interpret the story as they pleased.

This was how he adjusted the ceiling of expectations.

Of course, there was another critical reason: he genuinely preferred telling the truth. Su Bei sincerely believed that before all this nonsense happened, he had been a straightforward and honest handsome guy. Even now, forced into acting like a walking enigma, he refused to lose himself. (Cue dramatic emphasis.)

The spot he picked this time turned out to be great. He didn’t encounter anyone else until nightfall. Clearly, the map was big enough that he wouldn’t be perpetually unlucky.

After dinner, Su Bei was planning to wander around and assess the area for risks when he sensed a team moving nearby through his mental perception.

In the group, there was a leader holding a rope. Tied to the rope were five students. Clearly, these students had been captured by “Black Flash” operatives.

He decided to check it out, feeling an odd premonition that someone familiar might be involved.

After all, at this point, there weren’t many people left in the alternate space who hadn’t been captured. Among those remaining, it was likely that people with some connection to the storyline would make up a significant portion. And this group had five people captured all at once.

With that thought, Su Bei crept toward the group under the cover of night, hiding behind a tree to sneak closer. Peeking out, he indeed spotted familiar faces—Zhao Xiaoyu and Mu Tieren were both in the group.

However, their conditions were drastically different. Mu Tieren was covered in injuries, his arms tightly bound with ten loops of rope that practically immobilized him.

Zhao Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was unscathed and positioned at the front of the group. She was even chatting and laughing with the person in black who had captured them.

Seeing this, Su Bei observed the other students in the group. They were all slightly injured but not severely so. While they showed signs of fear, they weren’t overly distressed.

Their gazes, however, often fell on Zhao Xiaoyu and Mu Tieren. They looked at Zhao Xiaoyu with admiration and at Mu Tieren with guilt.

How interesting—it seemed like something significant had transpired among them.

Knowing this would all appear in the manga later, Su Bei withdrew his gaze and turned to leave. But just as he turned, he suddenly realized someone was standing behind him.

Su Bei: “!”

Even he was almost scared out of his wits and barely stopped himself from crying out. Luckily, upon recognizing who it was, he managed to keep his composure.

Standing behind him was none other than Wu Jin, his expression dark and brooding. With most of his face obscured by his hair, Wu Jin had momentarily looked like something out of a horror story.

Clutching his chest to calm his racing heart, Su Bei finally asked, “When did you get here?”

“I’ve been following them the whole time,” Wu Jin replied, referring to the captured group.

Su Bei raised an eyebrow. “You were following Zhao Xiaoyu?”

The purple-haired boy nodded.

Su Bei understood immediately. Wu Jin must have used his abilities to avoid detection during the ambush, allowing him to escape capture.

After figuring this out, Su Bei moved past Wu Jin, intending to find a spot to sleep for the night. However, Wu Jin’s gaze—despite being mostly hidden behind his hair—was impossible to ignore.

Wu Jin: Stare—

Su Bei: "..."

He took a couple of steps but couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Finally, unable to bear it anymore, he turned around and asked with some exasperation, “Do you need something?”

“Save them,” Wu Jin replied concisely.

Su Bei fell silent again before eventually responding, “They’ll all end up being taken to the same place anyway. Why not follow them there? You might even be able to save more people.”

Perhaps finding his words reasonable, Wu Jin thought for a moment, nodded, and then fixed Su Bei with a dark stare. “Together.”

This was the second time Su Bei had fallen silent. Finally, he couldn’t hold back: “You know I don’t want to go, right?”

Wu Jin, ever honest, replied, “I know.”

“Then why are you—”

Before Su Bei could finish, Wu Jin cut him off as if he already knew what Su Bei was going to say. “But you can.”

You don’t want to, but you can.

That “can” didn’t just mean he was capable of saving them—it also implied that he was the one who should go.

Hearing this, Su Bei’s curiosity was piqued, and he decided not to leave immediately. “What are you basing that on?”

Wu Jin thought for a moment. “Emotions.”

Interesting. While Su Bei had no real desire to save anyone, he had to admit that, at the moment, he didn’t feel particularly opposed to the idea either.

However, he was certain that he hadn’t outwardly shown any changes in his attitude. After all, after so much time pretending and playing roles, he was skilled at controlling his expressions. Yet Wu Jin claimed he could sense Su Bei’s emotions.

It was worth noting that Wu Jin’s ability, "Silent as Silence," allowed him to diminish his presence. It had nothing to do with emotions.

So, was Wu Jin simply naturally sensitive to emotions, or did this have something to do with the second state he had displayed in the manga?

“Alright,” Su Bei said, suddenly in a great mood. “I’ll help you save these five people, but in exchange, you have to tell me why you cover your face with your hair. Deal?”

Wu Jin was stunned for a moment but then agreed without hesitation: “Deal.”

This time, Su Bei was the one caught off guard. That easy? He had the faint suspicion he was being tricked.

Regardless, he kept his promise and moved closer to the group. From what he observed, the black-clad person’s ability seemed to be related to the rope. If it were an ordinary rope, there was no way it could hold all five people so loosely without someone escaping.

The rope behaved more like a whip, so defeating this leader would probably be similar to dealing with the purple-haired girl earlier.

However, Su Bei wasn’t aiming to defeat the enemy—his goal was simply to rescue the hostages. That made things easier.

He thought for a moment and then controlled two gears, sending them silently along the ground, hidden by the cover of night, until they touched Zhao Xiaoyu’s and Mu Tieren’s ankles.

Since there was no guard watching the back, Mu Tieren immediately looked down and saw the copper-colored gear.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoyu, who had been chatting with the black-clad person, froze for a moment. Casually smoothing her hair back, she glanced down and spotted the gear as well.

To be honest, if the person chatting with the enemy hadn’t been Zhao Xiaoyu, Su Bei would never have dared to risk using the gear at that moment. If she had gasped in surprise, it would have endangered both her and their plan.

But since it was Zhao Xiaoyu, there was no need to worry. She was smart enough not to lose her composure.

Upon seeing the gear, Zhao Xiaoyu subtly stepped back a little. She recognized the gear’s owner immediately, and while she couldn’t understand why Su Bei was rescuing her, that didn’t stop her from planning her next move.

It was obvious that saving them would involve attacking the enemy. Standing so close to him, there was a chance she could be caught in the crossfire. Better to step back now.

“What are you planning to do?” Wu Jin asked from beside Su Bei, his eyes fixed on the group in the distance. His tone was curious, though his appearance was as lifeless as ever.

Su Bei smirked and activated the gears he had placed earlier, which launched a coordinated attack on the black-clad man.

The gears, disguised as various objects—some wrapped in leaves, others embedded in wood or dirt—attacked from all directions, creating the illusion of multiple attackers.

The black-clad man panicked. He was already struggling to subdue the large man at the back. If not for his clever tactic of using the other students as leverage, he wouldn’t have been able to restrain him at all.

At the same time, the large man at the back, who had just calmed down, suddenly erupted in another fit of rage, as if in sync with the external attacks.

The black-clad man felt his ability being stretched to its limit, his mental power rapidly depleting.

Faced with internal and external pressure, the black-clad man quickly realized he had no chance of handling a group of students in this situation, even if they were just freshmen.

What mattered more: credit for the mission or his life? Of course, his life. Without hesitation, he abandoned the five students he had painstakingly captured, retracted his ability, and fled at full speed.

Su Bei stood there debating whether or not to step in. The rescue was already complete, and he had no interest in taking credit. Besides, wouldn’t the appearance of his gears make it obvious who had acted?

But if he didn’t step forward, Su Bei worried that Wu Jin might say something to make others mistakenly believe he genuinely wanted to save people—completely ruining his persona.

Just as he was mulling it over, Wu Jin suddenly said, “Impressive.”

Su Bei blinked. Two words again? Is there some kind of rule you have about speaking only two words at a time?

“Convenient,” Wu Jin answered with two words again. Realizing this could cause further misunderstanding, he elaborated, “As long as the meaning gets across.”

Su Bei had only asked out of idle curiosity, but Wu Jin’s response reminded him of their earlier deal. “So, can you answer my previous question now? Why do you cover your face with your hair?”

Wu Jin nodded. “Because I’m very good-looking.”

The moment Su Bei heard this answer, countless manga clichés flooded his mind. Things like so beautiful that seeing his face will make you die, faint, or fall in love...

With that in mind, he asked directly, “So what would happen if I looked directly at your face?”

“You’d be stunned,” Wu Jin replied with complete seriousness.

Su Bei: “...?”

Even staring into Wu Jin’s single visible eye, which seemed entirely sincere, Su Bei couldn’t help but feel like he was being trolled. “You’d be stunned”? What kind of ridiculous answer is that?

Unwilling to let it go, Su Bei pressed further: “No other effects? Are you sure I won’t have any problems if I see your true face?”

If there really were no issues, then how could one explain the heart-shaped pupils of the person who fought Wu Jin in the manga? If they were just “stunned,” wouldn’t that be too far-fetched?

Seeing Wu Jin nod again, Su Bei decided to take a risk. “Then can you let me see? I’ve been curious about what you look like for a long time.”

As he spoke, he silently activated both Inner Voice and Manga Awareness, saying to them, “If I end up being controlled or something, can you let me know afterward?”

He was worried he might lose control or even forget the encounter entirely.

Perhaps because the request didn’t violate any rules—or was simply pointless—Manga Awareness quickly responded, “Okay.”

Reassured, Su Bei relaxed. With a faint smile, he looked at Wu Jin, ready to witness the face that supposedly would leave him “stunned.”

Wu Jin didn’t hesitate. He lowered his head, quickly brushed the hair from his face, and tied it back into a small ponytail.

Once done, he raised his head.

In that instant, Su Bei’s eyes widened, and his breathing momentarily stopped.

He’s stunning. Truly stunning.

What kind of face was it? Without a doubt, it was the kind of face that would leave anyone awestruck at first glance. Every feature was flawlessly delicate and perfectly proportioned.

His light gray eyes paired with his pale—almost ghostly white—complexion might seem too faint on anyone else. But on him, it gave an otherworldly, ethereal aura.

The dark purple hair and rosy lips added two bold strokes of color to this celestial beauty, creating a blend of elegance and allure that transcended gender or earthly description.

He’s truly too beautiful, Su Bei had to admit. He was, indeed, “stunned.”

Wu Jin, clearly aware of his face’s devastating effect, tilted his head with a confident smile. “So? Are you captivated by me too?”

Su Bei: “?”

He had to admit, even with that smirk, Wu Jin still looked amazing. In fact, the youthful charm added by his current expression made him even more appealing.

But...did he have a split personality? Did removing his hair trigger a personality shift? Otherwise, how could Su Bei explain the stark difference in demeanor?

“Is your hair some sort of seal?” Su Bei couldn’t help asking, gesturing with his hands. “You weren’t like this a second ago.”

Wu Jin remained as honest as ever, though his response was no less shocking: “No. I just habitually suppress my presence when I cover my face. But when I show my face, I know I’m the most beautiful person in the world.”

...Is he for real?

Honestly, Su Bei was exhausted from being repeatedly left speechless, but he still paused for a moment before finally managing to say, “Haha, your mental state is...quite fascinating.”

Feeling the situation grow more awkward, he quickly changed the topic. “So why don’t you usually uncover your face? I always thought you were just socially anxious.”

Wu Jin’s behavior made sense—judging from his usual demeanor, he seemed like someone who would prefer to fade into the background entirely when his face was covered.

Hearing Su Bei’s comment, Wu Jin couldn’t help but laugh, his smile radiating unparalleled charm. “Hahaha! But trouble always follows when I reveal myself, doesn’t it? Sometimes, beauty is a curse.”

After saying this, he wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes from laughing so hard and glanced at Su Bei, whose expression had grown slightly complicated. “But it’s fine in front of you. I know it’s safe to tell you these things.”

“Thank you for your misplaced trust,” Su Bei replied calmly.

He had, of course, picked up on the underlying bitterness in Wu Jin’s earlier words. But since Wu Jin pretended to be unaffected, Su Bei wasn’t going to bring it up either.

As for Wu Jin’s confidence in him, Su Bei could only say that Wu Jin was destined to be disappointed. For Su Bei, every secret he uncovered was another piece of information he could potentially use in the future.

If he ever had the opportunity to enhance his own abilities, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t exploit such knowledge.

Despite his thoughts, Su Bei refrained from prying further into Wu Jin’s secrets, even though he was certain Wu Jin wasn’t revealing everything.

Pushing aside the grass in front of him, Su Bei looked at the group of five students from earlier. They were still in their original spot, each using healing potions purchased from the system shop.

Staying put wasn’t necessarily a bad idea. Although the black-clad man who had tried to capture them earlier might return with reinforcements, the likelihood of that happening was low. First, it was nighttime, and any such plan would likely be postponed until daylight. Second, the enemy would probably assume they’d left the area and wouldn’t search the same spot again.

Seeing that the group hadn’t moved, Su Bei turned to Wu Jin, who had let his hair fall back down and reverted to his gloomy demeanor. “You should go find Zhao Xiaoyu and the others.”

Wu Jin, now back to speaking in clipped phrases, responded, “What about you?”

“Me?” Su Bei raised an eyebrow. “I’ll just keep doing my own thing.”

With that, he turned and walked into the forest without hesitation, waving casually. “See you back in class.”

After leaving the area, Su Bei found a secluded spot, started a small campfire, and fell into a light sleep.

The next morning, he instinctively checked his watch as soon as he woke up. As expected, a new mission had appeared.

“Final Mission: Destroy the enemy base. Successfully destroying it will allow all participants to leave the alternate space.

Clue: The base is located in the forest. It is a building. Use someone with tracking abilities to locate it; otherwise, it may be impossible to find.

Reward: 10,000 points.”

Ah, so my earlier hints weren’t wasted, Su Bei thought, raising an eyebrow and relaxing. As long as his clues proved useful, he didn’t need to worry about fading into obscurity even if he didn’t show up again today.

That’s right—on this final day, Su Bei had no intention of participating. If his goal were to become a popular character, then appearing in as many dramatic scenes as possible would be ideal. But since his only aim was to alter his ability through the manga, there was no need to keep showing up.

It was no longer the beginning of the story, where making frequent appearances to establish his presence was necessary. Now, with his final form still unachieved, the less he appeared, the better. Less talk, fewer mistakes.

And so, he did exactly as he planned. For the entire day, Su Bei stayed perched on a tree, not coming down even once. Even when classmates were captured nearby, he remained silent.

During this time, Su Bei carefully observed the compasses using his ability. He had deliberately chosen a tree close to the enemy base, where there was plenty of foot traffic. Everyone who passed by had their fate compasses visible above their heads.

Su Bei focused primarily on the large hands of the compasses. So far, he hadn’t seen any pointing downward, while the upward-pointing ones were already familiar to him, so he paid them little attention.

The large hands, however, showed significant variation. After a full day of observation, Su Bei started piecing together a theory.

Each position on the compass likely represented a fixed outcome. Broadly speaking, the compass could be divided into two halves: the upper half generally indicated positive outcomes, while the lower half represented negative ones.

However, unlike the small hands, which pointed to immediate events, the large hands seemed to predict the outcomes of major events.

For example, Su Bei saw a black-clad man whose small hand pointed left while the large hand rested in the lower half. When the man returned later, he had captured Jiang Tianming.

The moment Jiang Tianming was caught, Su Bei understood what was happening. It was clearly part of a larger plan—to use Jiang Tianming to complete the final mission, destroy the base, and escape the alternate space.

Capturing Jiang Tianming was a minor victory, but bringing him back would lead to the base’s destruction, a major failure.

So that’s how it works. Adjusting the large hand is the real key, Su Bei concluded. If saving the world required achieving true victories, then he needed to focus on the major outcomes, not the small ones.

Su Bei felt like he’d finally grasped an essential part of the puzzle. If he could be present during the manga’s final battle, he’d only need to observe Jiang Tianming’s fate compass.

After all, the world’s destruction would surely be tied to the protagonist’s fate. Otherwise, what was the point of being the protagonist? If Jiang Tianming’s large hand pointed downward, Su Bei would simply work to move it upward.

Of course, Su Bei knew his idea was overly simplistic. Reality would likely be far more complicated. But for now, he allowed himself to indulge in this beautiful fantasy.

Coffee