A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga
Chapter 131

Chapter 131

However, before the ten minutes were up, the outside of the library suddenly became lively. Su Bei walked to the palm-sized window to look out and saw that the group of guests who had drunk the red wine were gathered together, frenziedly confronting Jiang Tianming and his group.

At the forefront stood a calm, white-haired middle-aged man who bore a five-point resemblance to Feng Ling, though his face had the look of a villain. He was likely Feng Lan’s uncle.

The uncle’s face was full of smugness as he spoke loudly: “I admit you’re impressive, managing to disrupt our plans in such a short time. But so what? Isn’t the most critical person still in our hands?”

He was naturally referring to the guests, who were completely under their control. Upon hearing this, the guests showed no anger; instead, their faces were filled with fanaticism, as if they couldn’t understand what the uncle was saying and simply supported him unconditionally.

One of them even helped persuade: “Exactly, you should know we have plenty of items on us. You can’t possibly defeat us, so just surrender quickly. As long as you surrender, you can join us in enjoying this wonderful world.”

This persuasion clearly pleased the uncle, who nodded with satisfaction: “If you don’t want them to get hurt and the responsibility to ultimately fall on you, you’d better raise your hands and surrender now, handing over Feng Lan. Don’t worry, no matter who among you it is, Uncle here can’t bear to harm you.”

When they heard the phrase “the responsibility to ultimately fall on you,” everyone’s heart tightened. Even a moment’s thought made it clear that this situation was entirely possible.

If their refusal to compromise led to the deaths of these important figures, even if the truth eventually came to light, the forces behind them would surely blame them. Logically, their refusal to compromise was justifiable, but where in reality was everything always reasonable?

Just like the Sun Family parents they encountered at the start of last semester, who knew the real killer of Sun Ming was the murderer but, unable to deal with the culprit, stubbornly pinned the blame on them.

The current situation was the same. They couldn’t handle the “Black Flash” organization, but could they not handle a group of students? No one could guarantee that those people would all be reasonable.

Moreover, judging from the uncle’s earlier words, it was highly likely the truth would never come to light. Who knew if the “Black Flash” organization had the ability to tamper with the truth?

But surrendering now would be different. First, the blame would certainly not fall on them. Second, Su Bei had already gone for help.

Given his reliability—though he was never reliable in small matters, he never failed in big ones—reinforcements would surely arrive without issue. Then, they could leave the matter to the teachers to resolve.

And honestly, the guest’s earlier words weren’t wrong. They likely had plenty of protective items, so it was true they might not be able to win.

For a moment, everyone wavered, unsure of what choice to make.

Except for Jiang Tianming.

He showed no sign of being swayed. Seeing everyone’s hesitation, he responded without hesitation: “Don’t delude yourself! When you say you won’t harm us, you mean only physically, right? We’d end up like those people behind you, with no freedom to speak of. Besides, if they could really deal with us, why haven’t they acted yet?”

His final sentence was like a wake-up call, stunning Qi Huang and the others. Yes, if they could really use those items, they would’ve captured them long ago. Why waste time talking?

These people might not all be powerful Ability Users; they might just hold high status to be in this position. But because of their status, they surely had countless items. Normally, dealing with a few Ability Users would be easy.

So what was going on? Si Zhaohua frowned: “You can’t use your items anymore?”

The guest who had spoken earlier knew they couldn’t fool them anymore and looked at the uncle. The uncle hadn’t expected them to react so quickly, and his expression soured: “So what? As long as they’re in my hands, don’t you have to hold back?”

He wasn’t wrong, and everyone fell into a dilemma. But Su Bei, observing from a high vantage point, could clearly see that things weren’t unfolding as the uncle imagined.

He thought he had successfully threatened Jiang Tianming and the others, but he didn’t notice that, in a corner he couldn’t see, ropes were slithering across the ground. The ropes’ positions were peculiar—not near anyone’s feet but scattered chaotically in hidden spots some distance away.

At the same time, flames were gradually rising in the distance, seemingly surrounding them. Wu Jin, standing nearby, also noticed these subtle movements. After observing carefully, he said in surprise: “Jiang Tianming and the others are wearing earpieces!”

Su Bei also noticed the earpieces and, after a moment’s thought, said confidently: “Feng Lan gave them those.”

From their actions, it was clear someone was directing from behind the scenes. Since all the S Class members except Feng Lan were here, the one directing had to be Feng Lan.

“Didn’t he give you an earpiece?” Su Bei turned to ask Wu Jin.

Wu Jin shook his head, indicating he didn’t have one. At the time, due to the urgency and his lack of strong self-preservation abilities, he was the first to leave, unaware of when Feng Lan had given the others earpieces.

Hearing this, Su Bei showed a thoughtful expression. He was pondering the purpose of the ropes’ placement and whether this matter had anything to do with him.

Logically, Feng Lan not giving Wu Jin an earpiece meant he didn’t plan to contact him. But not planning to contact didn’t mean he hadn’t assigned him a task, especially since Feng Lan had the [Prophecy] ability and believed Su Bei’s ability was similar to his.

The flames’ purpose was obvious—to trap everyone here. Once the action began, if they panicked and fled, they wouldn’t escape the encirclement.

Wait…

Flee?!

Suddenly, Su Bei’s pupils contracted sharply, and with a flash of insight, he understood the purpose of the ropes and what he needed to do.

“So that’s it!” After figuring it out, he couldn’t help but marvel. Feng Lan had calculated brilliantly. Even if Su Bei hadn’t understood his intentions, the plan wouldn’t be hindered. But understanding it would only make the process smoother.

Hearing his words, Wu Jin looked surprised: “You figured it out?”

Su Bei nodded, saying unhurriedly: “No rush, just wait a bit. The time is almost here.”

Since he said so, Wu Jin naturally had no objections. He wasn’t an impatient person and quietly waited with Su Bei.

As soon as ten minutes passed, the teleportation array Su Bei had set up suddenly lit up, and a large group of people appeared in the library.

Not only were there teachers and the principal from Endless Ability Academy, but also some people Su Bei had never seen before. If he guessed correctly, these were likely government officials and members of the guests’ families.

As soon as they arrived, they looked around. Seeing Su Bei, Wu Di strode over, first giving his son a look, then addressing Su Bei with relative kindness: “Su Bei, right? What’s the situation?”

As he spoke, he noticed the confrontation below through the small window, and his brows furrowed: “So many people are under control?”

Seeing Su Bei nod, the group behind grew anxious. These controlled individuals were all important figures. If they all defected to the “Black Flash” organization, it would be a disaster.

“What do we do, Principal Wu?” one of them asked, wiping sweat from his forehead. “We do have control-type Ability Users here, but these people likely have items that nullify such abilities.”

Wu Di looked at Su Bei: “Do you have a plan? If not, I’ll take action.”

At this, Wu Jin quietly tugged at Su Bei’s sleeve, signaling that if he had a plan, it was best not to let Wu Di act. As his son, he knew his father well—if Wu Di acted, it would be violent. Whether the people could be saved was uncertain, but his father would surely be criticized afterward.

“There’s a plan,” Su Bei said confidently. “Please head downstairs toward their location now, but don’t act. Just show up.”

Seeing his assured demeanor, the group, though not entirely trusting of Su Bei, followed his instructions. It was just going downstairs, not time-consuming or strenuous.

Though it might alert the enemy, Su Bei, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, couldn’t be unaware of such a simple principle. If he asked them to do this, there must be a reason.

After they left, Su Bei used his Mental Energy to sense the movements at the library’s entrance. The moment they were about to arrive, he shouted loudly: “Our reinforcements are here! Don’t escape! Surrender quickly!”

Since he represented the opposing side to the guests, they would instinctively do the opposite of what he said. So, when Su Bei said “Don’t escape,” they would instinctively flee.

Unlike the guests, who were heavily influenced by the red wine and far from clear-headed, the uncle was still lucid. He knew they absolutely couldn’t scatter at this moment; staying together maximized their ability to restrain the government side.

So he immediately shouted to stop them: “Don’t run! We’ll stay together—”

Before he could finish, Feng Ling, who had been silent and maintaining a low presence, suddenly sprang up, tackling her father and covering his mouth, preventing him from finishing.

With no one to stop them, the guests fled recklessly, and almost all were caught by the [Immortal-Binding Rope] hidden along their escape routes.

With all the guests subdued, the uncle could only surrender.

The uncle didn’t resist throughout, but after everyone was successfully bound, he angrily questioned Feng Ling: “Why did you betray me? We’re father and daughter! Everything I did was for your good! You have a prophecy-type ability too; you were supposed to be the next family head. But then Feng Lan awakened and took the position. How could he deserve it? Aren’t you unwilling?”

His look of disappointment made him seem like a father who had risked everything for his daughter. Those around, putting themselves in his shoes, couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He had wanted to help his daughter rise, only to be betrayed by her.

Though righteous betrayal was theoretically correct, it was emotionally hard to accept. For a moment, a few people whispered among themselves, their voices standing out in the quiet environment. However, though Feng Ling’s eyes were slightly red, her expression was calm, or rather, numb. She said only one sentence, silencing everyone, including her father.

—“I saw you drink the red wine.”

Red wine was usually just a common drink, but here it was clearly not. Before coming, those involved in the rescue had been briefed about the drugged red wine.

It was an addictive mental drug.

Since the uncle had drunk it, he was likely long under the “Black Flash” organization’s control. His subsequent actions were more likely driven by the desire to keep drinking the red wine and serving “Black Flash,” rather than fighting for his daughter’s justice, as he claimed.

“You… Wasn’t I already dissatisfied before? Drinking the red wine came after I started working with ‘Black Flash.’ I had to drink it to gain their trust. How can you not understand my good intentions?” The uncle, abandoning his earlier sorrow, frantically defended himself.

But no one was a fool. Seeing his evasive eyes and feigned anger, they could tell he was lying.

The crowd immediately showed disdain. If he had admitted to being controlled by “Black Flash,” it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but using his daughter as a shield was despicable.

Looking at her father, Feng Ling, who had held back her tears, finally let them fall. She roughly wiped them away and took a deep breath: “This red wine probably alters personality. My dad wasn’t like this before.”

Honestly, Su Bei believed her. From Feng Ling’s earlier behavior, she must have grown up in a relatively loving environment.

Sighing, Wu Di patted her head: “Don’t worry, we’re already working on an antidote. It’ll be developed eventually.”

Feng Ling nodded firmly, took a tissue from a woman nearby, and stood silently wiping her tears.

At this moment, Feng Lan, who had been absent throughout, finally appeared from a distance. Still in the suit from the morning, he was unscathed, having stayed behind the scenes.

He bowed deeply to the crowd with utmost courtesy: “On behalf of the Feng Family, I thank you all for your support. Please follow me to the hall to rest and… witness the aftermath of this incident.”

As he spoke, a group of white-haired elders emerged. From their attire and demeanor, they were likely either Feng Family members or closely tied to them.

Notably, among them, Su Bei spotted Si Zhaohua’s father. No wonder he hadn’t appeared earlier—he had wisely hidden himself.

Seeing his father safe, Si Zhaohua was clearly excited but didn’t approach immediately. He exchanged a glance with his father and stayed with the group.

Upon seeing these elders, the uncle’s face changed dramatically, showing a mix of panic and grim realization. He glared at Feng Lan: “I knew their disappearance was your doing! You took them away so early, probably to guard against me, huh?”

“Hmph!” The leading elder stepped forward, snorting coldly. “If we didn’t guard against you, would we have been fine? You’ve disgraced the family, colluding with ‘Black Flash.’ If the family head hadn’t foreseen it through his [Prophecy] ability, our entire family would’ve been ruined by you!”

Even at this moment, he didn’t forget to subtly emphasize the [Prophecy] ability’s role in front of others, clearly aiming to advertise and prevent distrust in their family due to this incident.

Su Bei had little interest in the uncle’s trial. He signaled to Feng Lan through the crowd and slipped away.

Before he’d gone far, Wu Jin caught up. Su Bei looked at him in surprise: “Not staying with the principal?”

Wu Jin shook his head: “My dad’s handling serious business. Why would I stay? You’re going to the library, right? I didn’t finish that book earlier. I can read a bit more now.”

He guessed correctly—Su Bei was indeed heading to the library. Though he’d learned everything he needed, he wasn’t just living for missions. The library’s books were a treasure; seeing them was a gain.

For the world, he wanted to understand the birth of Nightmare Beasts. For himself, he wanted to explore the mysteries of abilities.

Compared to the former, the latter was less secretive and not hidden in a secret room. Wu Jin had found related books earlier, and Su Bei planned to follow his lead to find them.

“Hey! Su Bei, Wu Jin!” Jiang Tianming’s voice called from behind, followed by hurried footsteps.

Turning around, they saw all the S Class members—except Feng Lan and Si Zhaohua’s trio—leaving the hall and approaching.

Mo Xiaotian, walking fastest, said with a mix of excitement and smugness: “I didn’t want to sit through their meeting. The moment I saw you leave, I followed!”

“Why didn’t you call us to hang out?” Wu Mingbai smiled gently, but his words carried a sting. “You weren’t planning to ditch us, were you?”

In the next second, he continued: “How could it be intentional? They probably just forgot about us.”

With these two stirring the pot, the others stood watching, waiting for Su Bei and Wu Jin’s explanation.

Unlike Su Bei’s thick skin, Wu Jin, who preferred to stay unnoticed, couldn’t handle the attention and mumbled: “We just wanted to read… thought you wouldn’t be interested.”

“We love reading too,” Jiang Tianming said, no longer teasing him. He walked over with a smile: “To the library? I wasn’t interested when Feng Lan mentioned it before, but now it seems like there’s something worth checking out.”

His gaze fell on Su Bei as he said the last part, clearly aware—or guessing—that Su Bei had spent the whole day in the library. “A book holds a house of gold,” Su Bei nodded calmly, unfazed by his look. He gave Wu Jin a glance, signaling him to toughen up next time.

At the library, everyone quietly began searching for books. Some might have wanted to come earlier but were sidetracked by Feng Lan’s family issues and other tasks.

Su Bei picked a book on abilities—a common topic found in schools or bookstores for Ability Users.

But often, the most basic things hid secrets. Knowing Nightmare Beasts were formed from human resentment after death, Su Bei was curious about what formed abilities.

He chose a book he hadn’t seen on the market, its cover aged, titled The Exploration of Abilities. It might not meet his needs, but he was intrigued.

Since he wouldn’t have much time to read, Su Bei didn’t study it as closely as the last book. He flipped to the table of contents and jumped to the sections that interested him.

Abilities were initially thought to be products of Mental Energy, with only those possessing Mental Energy able to awaken them. Later, research found ordinary people also had Mental Energy, so it was believed only those with high Mental Energy could awaken abilities.

But, as with all academic research, the truth was repeatedly misunderstood until finally uncovered. The previous conclusion was wrong too, as one year, an Ability User discovered an ordinary person with Mental Energy far exceeding that of Class F Ability Users, yet they hadn’t awakened an ability.

This was all knowledge Su Bei knew, recorded in textbooks as part of ability history. But the following content was new to him.

Someone proposed that whether an ability could be awakened or its strength had nothing to do with Mental Energy. More precisely, Mental Energy and abilities were like a battery and a tool—the battery’s capacity determined the tool’s usage time, but that was all.

This view, conflicting with mainstream thought, was suppressed at the time and unrecorded later. The book’s author, a descendant of the proposer, knew of it and agreed with their ancestor, conducting further research to explore what formed abilities, if not Mental Energy.

Through the common knowledge that Ability Users’ abilities generally weakened with age, she believed this held the secret to ability formation.

Sadly, due to lack of support and funding, she reached no final conclusion. She only suggested possibilities: life force, emotions, vitality.

After reading, Su Bei felt enlightened. He agreed with the author’s ancestor—abilities weren’t formed by Mental Energy. The three proposed causes seemed plausible to him.

If he could uncover the cause of ability formation, he might be able to use it to enhance his own ability.