A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

46:

Having exchanged pleasantries outside the arena, the two entered and immediately started fighting with their fists without hesitation. To the uninformed, they might seem like sworn enemies.

Both were orphans who grew up together, and their fighting styles were distinct. After fighting like twins for a while, they both burst into laughter as if by agreement.

“Alright, I’m getting serious now,” Wu Mingbai said first, putting away his smile, his palm facing up with a faint earthy-yellow orb of light.

Behind Jiang Tianming, a black shadow emerged: “Come on!”

Indeed, the two displayed their highest level of skill. Wu Mingbai first created a small patch of quicksand under Jiang Tianming’s feet, trying to trap him. However, Jiang Tianming knew him well and jumped away as soon as the sand formed.

Jiang Tianming’s ability was more effective when used unexpectedly, so he didn’t immediately use his power but continued to brawl as before.

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But this time, they were no longer evenly matched. Wu Mingbai had to control his ability while fighting, which was certainly more strenuous. However, with the help of his ability, it was actually Jiang Tianming who was at a disadvantage.

“If you keep this up, Ah Jiang, you’re going to lose,” Wu Mingbai said with a laugh as he attacked.

Although Jiang Tianming took a punch to the face, he remained calm: “Just don’t get too happy too soon.”

The comic didn’t reveal what Jiang Tianming did, but in the following scene, the trap he had set became apparent.

It turned out that Jiang Tianming had used the distraction of the fight to secretly undermine Wu Mingbai, controlling the sand created by Wu Mingbai’s ability with his own power of object manipulation, and then, seizing the right moment, he delivered a fatal blow to Wu Mingbai.

This plot twist made Su Bei raise an eyebrow, as he suddenly discovered something very interesting—Jiang Tianming’s “object manipulation” ability could control the creations of others’ abilities.

Generally, ability users have absolute control over their own creations. For example, the gears created by Su Bei could easily be made to disappear even if someone else was holding them.

But clearly, under Jiang Tianming’s control, Wu Mingbai had lost this ability. Otherwise, he would have long since made those sands disappear.

The “Object Control” superpower was provided to Jiang Tianming by the first season’s big boss, as few had displayed much superpower in the first season, so the secret of this power was surprisingly kept hidden. It wasn’t until now that it caught Su Bei’s attention.

【The outcome was decided. In front of his friends, Jiang Tianming wasn’t as composed as usual, proudly wrapping his arm around Wu Mingbai’s shoulder: “How’s this move?”

Wu Mingbai wouldn’t get angry over a single defeat, just gazing somberly at someone who was smugly out of shape: “Considering I lost, I think A Bing wouldn’t mind using ‘Word Spirit’ to fulfill some of my small requests, what do you say?”

Hearing this, Jiang Tianming immediately remembered the scene when Lan Subing was angry and used ‘Word Spirit’ to make them dance, and he stiffened: “Don’t be a sore loser!”】

“So he won like that, the old thief is indeed good at turning the tables.”

“Hahaha, going to Bingbing to tattle, is that okay?”

“That’s the price of being smug!”

“I’m going to die laughing hahaha”

“Reminds me of some plots from last season hahaha”

Despite a whole season of collaboration,

Even though Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai fought, the barrage was still joyous, with no chaos of fan wars.

This was a good thing, some comic authors don’t know how they do it, making character fans fight, turning everything upside down, making the comics smoky and chaotic.

The benefit of harmonious character fans is that more people discuss the plot, even if they are not fans of that character, they can objectively discuss it. Instead of starting to find faults and argue as soon as the comic updates.

It’s worth mentioning that the plot where Su Bei unhesitatingly said Jiang Tianming would win was also released. Seeing this plot released, Su Bei’s eyes lit up. If the author is willing to release this part, then the words he said during Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing’s match will also be released.

With two accurate predictions, he didn’t believe it wouldn’t cause a stir on the forums. Even if no one discussed it on the forums, he would use his own account to actively post a thread.

Continuing to read. The semi-finals were Si Zhaohua against Su Bei, Jiang Tianming against Lan Subing. These two battles were equally eye-catching. Besides the main group’s internal strife, the mysterious Su Bei’s and the openly strongest Si Zhaohua’s battle were definitely highlights.

Without a doubt, Su Bei’s group was the first to appear. Si Zhaohua’s fighting style had been shown once before, but with little content, this was his first time going all out in the comic.

Just looking at those feathers drawn like blades, one could tell his attack power was definitely not low.

And Su Bei’s combat value was also fully displayed this time, the opponents he faced in the previous comic battles couldn’t beat him at all.

And this time, Si Zhaohua’s formidable psychic power fully compensated for his weakness. Especially since he was still in the air, Su Bei could only passively take hits, showcasing his max-level evasion.

However, it was evident that Su Bei’s gears were not to be underestimated; if they could be easily blocked, Si Zhaohua wouldn’t need to fold his wings every time.

Their methods of attack were somewhat similar, turning their battlefield into a scene akin to a hail of bullets, bustling with excitement.

It wasn’t until Si Zhaohua’s first cunning ploy, using a boomerang-like feather, that he caught the unguarded Su Bei off guard, causing damage and stirring the first wave of excitement in the barrage.

“Wow, this must be the world of psychics, so cool! ()”

“The clash of the strong, it’s so thrilling I’m boiling with excitement ▼()_[()]▼”

“Both of them look so handsome!”

“How did Su Bei get such skills??? How did he train?”

“Ah, damage! It’s damage!”

“The artist is too good! This full picture fully displays my Brother Bei’s beauty.”

“Damage! A beauty needs to be damaged! Even the bloodstains on his face look good.”

Su Bei decisively turned off the barrage and quickly flipped a page before turning it back on. By then, the plot had progressed to the part where Su Bei’s first scheme had failed.

“Si Zhaohua still has the upper hand, hiding his strength so deeply.”

“Si Zhaohua can see outside even with his wings covering him? Isn’t that invincible?”

“Too bad, Su Bei’s plan was quite good, but there’s always someone better.”

The story continued, and Su Bei didn’t give up. He began to dodge again, sparing no effort in his attacks.

Soon, he came up with a second method, willingly taking a hit to grab the feather

() and then hiding a gear underneath. As the feather was recalled by Si Zhaohua, the gear also floated over.

The comic gave this particular feather a close-up, through the gaps of the feather, one could vaguely see the gear below.

Then, Su Bei launched two gear attacks in quick succession, one a feint, the other serious, with the comic informing the readers of his intentions through thought bubbles.

As Sizhao Hua folded his wings on his second attack and then groaned, falling from the sky like a fallen deity, the barrage of comments exploded once again.

“OMG OMG OMG!”

“Used to seeing kids bicker, I’m actually a bit shocked by such scheming.”

“Subei’s plan is brilliant! Looks like Sizhao Hua is going to lose.”

“I love characters with brains!”

“Subei is really cool!”

“Something’s off, according to my usual manga experience, it should be Sizhao Hua and Jiang Tianming in the final battle.”

“The referee hasn’t arrived yet, I feel there’s still a chance.”

“No matter who wins, I’m a fan of Subei now!”

Unfortunately, when the wings finally lifted, Sizhao Hua only had a wound on his chin. However, his pale complexion and profuse sweating revealed that he had indeed been greatly startled.

The next scene was interspersed with a flashback of Sizhao Hua being attacked within his wings.

In the end, he finished the fight with his ultimate move, “Holy Light Judgment,” showing enough respect for Subei and demonstrating his own strength.

Subei was very grateful that the manga focused on portraying Sizhao Hua’s strength and beauty, without depicting his own shocked expression at the time, or else he would have been out of character.

From the barrage, it was evident that excluding Sizhao Hua’s ultimate move, the consensus was that Subei had a slight edge, as his plan had almost succeeded, just lacking a bit of luck.

And this, after all, was a manga world, so many were aware that this “luck” was deliberately crafted by the author to ensure the final showdown would be between Sizhao Hua and Jiang Tianming.

Many Subei fans might be dissatisfied with this, but undoubtedly, for Subei himself, this was the best outcome. He didn’t have to fight Jiang Tianming and successfully established his character.

The events after he and Sizhao Hua left the arena were also depicted in the manga, which was fine. At that time, although he was both angry and amused internally, his spoken words were well thought out.

Although he mocked the opponent, it wasn’t serious, more like teasing. After all, having lost, such an attitude was quite reasonable.

What truly surprised Subei was that the barrage started shipping them again.

“Subei: You’re willing to give up the finals just to deal with me?”

“Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter, go check your brain!”

“Ai Baozhu: ?”

“Is it just me, or is this kind of ship-worthy?”

“Si Zhaohua would rather give up the finals than use his ultimate move against Su Bei, who is annoyed that Si Zhaohua would disregard the finals to use his ultimate move. I’ll ship them first as a sign of respect.”

“It’s rare to see Su Bei show such emotion.”

“What do we call this ship? BeiHua CP?”

“Why not HuaBei? I’m on Si Zhaohua’s left side.”

“Su Bei, the ultimate top!”

Seeing these comments, Su Bei almost lost it, comforting himself that being shipped is better than being fought over.

As he comforted himself, he chose to turn off the comments once again.

Next was the battle between Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing. Familiar with Lan Subing, Jiang Tianming directly used his object-controlling ability to gag her with her handkerchief, then quickly closed in to send her off the stage.

Their battle was much faster than Su Bei’s. If it weren’t for entering late, they would have definitely finished before them.

Just as Su Bei had thought earlier, the plot where Jiang Tianming wins was also drawn out.

Following that, during the rest period before the finals, Jiang Tianming and his two companions approached Su Bei, asking why he didn’t use his abilities to change the outcome of the match, a scene that naturally appeared in the comic.

[“A poor attempt at reverse psychology,” the blond young man chuckled, shaking his head with a smile that seemed mocking. Yet, from those purple eyes, it was unclear whether the mockery was directed at Wu Mingbai or at himself.

“Ever heard of ‘physician, heal thyself’?”]

After he left, the discussion among the main characters began, and the comments started discussing as well.

“Feels like there’s a hint here. What has Su Bei been through before?”

“Physician, heal thyself, what a sharp comment, new material right there.”

“Mummy, hungry, food,” the child whimpers.

“You fangirls really do amuse me,” she says with a hand to her forehead and a wry smile.

“So why doesn’t Subei change his own fate? Jiangjiang says he doesn’t want to, but would changing his own fate bring about dire consequences?”

“I’m more curious if there are any consequences when he changes the fate of others.”

“The only thing I can say is how handsome he is…”

“Subei’s ability to change fate has been proven this time, hasn’t it?”

Alright, alright, alright, seeing these comments, Subei is reassured. He knows the readers’ imaginations won’t let him down; haven’t they perfectly interpreted what he wanted to express?

However, there’s no need for ‘knives’ or anything of the sort. Even though he knows that tragedy is an important factor in boosting popularity, Subei doesn’t actually plan to stir up any trouble in that regard.

Apart from his role as a disposable character in the comic, the only real tragedy he could claim is his current status as an orphan. But compared to the two other main characters who are also orphans, his hardships hardly count for anything.

The final showdown is between Jiang Tianming and Si Zhaohua, following the classic trope of every shonen action manga. In such a finale, the protagonist always starts off in a dire state.

Subei can handle Si Zhaohua’s attacks with ease because he’s skilled enough to dodge multi-directional assaults, avoiding injury as much as possible, and even managing to counterattack.

But Jiang Tianming is different; he doesn’t have Subei’s agility. So when Si Zhaohua attacks, he can only dodge clumsily and take hits passively. Soon enough, he’s covered in cuts.

However, his childhood experiences aren’t entirely without benefit. At least Jiang Tianming is very adept at protecting his vital points. Despite being battered so badly, he still manages to shield his vitals and avoid being knocked out of the competition.

He’s also very enduring, allowing the scars to multiply on his body, yet still dodging and refusing to surrender.

Out of caution, Si Zhaohua decides not to descend from the sky to the ground, giving up his absolute advantage. The battle drags on,

And then, as expected, he’s taken down by Jiang Tianming.

Si Zhaohua had already expended too much mental energy in his previous fight with Subei, leading to insufficient stamina. Having lost his trump card, he couldn’t finish off Jiang Tianming in one blow. When he’s weakened, Jiang Tianming seizes the opportunity and strikes decisively.

His method is the same as the one he used against Wu Mingbai—secretly controlling the enemy’s supernatural creations and then striking unexpectedly.

But compared to the fight with Wu Mingbai, Jiang Tianming’s control over the situation is much slower this time. First, those feathers, being part of Si Zhaohua himself, are much harder to control than sand or soil. Secondly, when the feathers return to Si Zhaohua, Jiang Tianming’s control is nullified.

So he has to bide his time, marking most of the feathers while taking hits. When Si Zhaohua recalls a significant number of feathers at once, Jiang Tianming strikes for a sure victory.

It might have been because Su Bei’s previous attack had given Si Zhaohua some experience, and he did manage to protect his vital parts. Unfortunately, startled, he fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious by the well-prepared Jiang Tianming.

Smart, enduring, but indeed in a sorry state.

For a moment, Su Bei couldn’t tell who was more pitiful: Jiang Tianming, covered in wounds, or Si Zhaohua, betrayed by his own feathers.

The interactive drama that followed served as a transition to ease the mood, culminating in the scene where the awakened Si Zhaohua and Jiang Tianming challenge each other to a duel.

After reading the comic, Su Bei took a deep breath, “Not bad, I feel like my powers could undergo a significant change with the next update.”

“Comic Consciousness” asked, puzzled, “What change? I didn’t see it.”

To it, the only foreshadowing Su Bei had laid in this comic update was his ability to indeed change others’ fates.

But he had already managed to change others’ fates with his last operation on the forum during this comic update.

“There are two,” Su Bei said with a smile, “One is what Si Zhaohua said, that my physical technique is the best among the newcomers. My technique might not be that powerful, but since he evaluated it as such, it could probably become a setting.”

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That is to say, unless the author intentionally wants to create another ‘pretend weak, strike strong’ character, he will be the top newcomer in physical technique, and no one else among the newcomers will be able to defeat him in that aspect.

And if the author is sensible, they wouldn’t create such a character, causing his role to collapse.

That’s exactly it. “Comic Consciousness” understood Su Bei’s explanation and nodded in agreement, “And the second?”

Su Bei shifted to a more comfortable position, leaning on the pillow, “What do you think they believe when they see me controlling gears flying around in battle? Is it the power itself or mental strength?”

“Of course, it’s the power…” Before it could finish, “Comic Consciousness” grasped Su Bei’s implication.

Indeed, Su Bei had always relied on mental strength to summon and dismiss the gears at will; his gears had no attack method of their own. But the readers don’t know that; they would assume the power itself has such capabilities.

Meaning, with the next comic update, Su Bei could control the gears at will without forcibly consuming mental strength. The mental strength consumed by using this power would definitely be much less than what it takes to move the gears with mental strength alone.

After explaining to “Comic Consciousness,” Su Bei opened the forum. As expected, the forum was bustling, with various posts emerging one after another, and the entire homepage was filled with hot threads.

Looking from the top down, the second post was about him. Although it wasn’t entirely about him, Su Bei didn’t hesitate to click on it.

“Student Combat Power Assessment, Subjective Speculation, Enter the Debate Unwittingly.”

【Happy Mother Cockroach No.0:

The individual battles of today’s monthly test have concluded, and I feel everyone must have gained some understanding of the freshmen’s combat strength. Although the rankings from the manga’s monthly test have been announced, I have my own ranking based on pure combat power.

The characters involved are Jiang Tianming, Lan Subing, Wu Mingbai, Mo Xiaotian, Mu Tieren, Su Bei, Feng Lan, Si Zhaohua, Ai Baozhu, Zhou Renjie, Zhao Xiaoyu, Wu Jin, and Qi Huang.

The rankings may not necessarily follow the outcomes of the matches in the manga; some of the placements are quite subjective and open for rational discussion—no quarreling allowed.】

【Happy Potato No.1: Jiang Tianming ＞ Si Zhaohua (with ultimate move) ＞ Su Bei ＞ Si Zhaohua (without ultimate move) ＞ Lan Subing (daring to speak version) ＞ Qi Huang ＞ Feng Lan ＞ Wu Jin (mutated version) ＞ Mo Xiaotian ＞ Wu Mingbai ＞ Ai Baozhu ＞ Zhou Renjie ＞ Mu Tieren ＞ Zhao Xiaoyu ＞ Wu Jin (ordinary version)

Those who disagree may rebut; I will respond.】

【No.2: 66666】

【No.3: Finally, someone summarized this.】

【No.4: So many people, wow.jpg】

【No.5: Goodness, there are several versions?】

【……】

【No.23: Is placing Jiang Tianming first really not just fan bias?】

【No.24: What is Wu Jin’s mutated version?】

【No.24 replying to No.23:

I also think that without the protagonist’s halo, Jiang Tianming’s ranking seems a bit high.】

【No.25: Jiang Tianming should have two versions, one with all cards on the table, and the other a normal version.】

【No.26: The protagonist’s special ability surely has a high future potential, but I don’t think it’s reached first place yet.】

【No.27: On what basis is Qi Huang ranked so high? I almost forgot who she was.】

【No.28: Seeing Jiang Tianming ranked first, I knew this list lost its impartiality. Isn’t it shameful to rank such a loser who relies on the dead first?】

【No.29 replying to No.28:

[Continued…]】

“Are you sick? If you hate Jiangjiang, don’t read ‘The King of Special Abilities’! Otherwise, with Jiangjiang on every page, won’t you be infuriated to death?”

【No.30 replies to No.28:

Even if the host forbids quarreling, I must say, you’re a jinx, a cursed thing, a [censored]!】

【No.31 replies to No.28:

Unfair [censored]! Are you jealous of Jiangjiang and want to be an orphan too? Well, congratulations, you’ve succeeded, you [censored] orphan!】

【No.32: Everyone, ignore that jinx; they’re just looking for attention.】

【……】

【Happy Potato No.80 (host) replies to No.23:

I am indeed a fan of Jiangjiang, but objectively, I believe he deserves his position. He must have some tricks up his sleeve to defeat every opponent, not to mention the cards he hasn’t played yet. Overall, I think his ranking is justified.】

【Happy Potato No.81 (host) replies to No.24:

It’s the form that Wu Jin displayed after being injured. There’s a dedicated discussion thread outside; you can check it out.】

【Happy Potato No.82 (host) replies to No.25: That’s possible, but how should we count the trump cards?】

【Happy Potato No.83 (host) replies to No.27:

Qi Huang’s special ability is the ‘Fire Phoenix,’ which sounds highly offensive. I think this beauty will have plenty of storylines in the future, so I’ve included her in the ranking.】

【Happy Potato No.84 (host) replies to No.28:

Anyone who reads shonen manga and dislikes the protagonist should be strangled! Get out of my thread!】