A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

He then turned back to the buzz-cut man. “Why the fuss? Regardless of how small he is, he’s still got to be taken.”

Su Bei hopped down but didn’t join the others; instead, he was called aside by the ponytailed woman for questioning. “How old are you?”

“Eight,” Su Bei replied, trying to make himself seem smaller.

Eight was indeed quite young, and the ponytailed woman had no wariness towards him. She asked directly, “Did you come with your parents to this auction?”

Su Bei nodded, briefly recounting the identity he had fabricated. Thankfully, due to his young age, the ponytailed woman didn’t probe further. Once she confirmed he was the child of a politician, and that he served some purpose, she waved him back to the group.

Upon returning, the older sister softly reassured him, advising him to behave and not throw a tantrum; his father would surely come to fetch him.

But Su Bei’s attention was not on her; it was on Uncle Liu nearby. His strong mental presence allowed them to sense that Uncle Liu’s gaze was fixed on him.

Unsurprisingly, Uncle Liu was likely beginning to suspect his identity. Even though Su Bei had changed the design on his hoodie, it was still a black hooded sweatshirt, and he was still standing right next to him. Such coincidences were bound to raise suspicion.

—

Originally, Uncle Liu probably hadn’t thought much of it, but the words of the buzz-cut man had rekindled his suspicions once more.

But it mattered not; Uncle Liu surely had no evidence to prove that he was the same golden-haired youth who had received him before. As long as there was no proof, he wouldn’t speak recklessly. Moreover, if he truly was an ability user, it would be an absolute boon for these people.

From earlier, it was clear that ability users were far more powerful than ordinary folk; even armed with guns, they were no match. At this moment, having an ability user in the group could greatly ensure their safety, couldn’t it?

Indeed, after a while, Uncle Liu withdrew his gaze, saying nothing.

While he observed Su Bei, Su Bei was not idle; he was scanning the surroundings. No wonder it had felt so desolate earlier—they were heading up a mountain, and not far ahead loomed a cliff.

A man’s voice trembled slightly as he whispered, “They can’t be expecting us to jump, right?”

“Cursed crow, spit, spit, spit!” the older sister retorted immediately, and the others glared at him in anger. They had all considered this possibility, and thus were even less inclined to have it spoken aloud.

Once all the hostages had disembarked from the vehicle, the ponytailed woman and the buzz-cut man approached. The scarred man had gone to the edge of the cliff to set something up.

Having witnessed Lei Ze’s ability in action, Su Bei could vaguely guess that the other party was likely drawing a teleportation array. According to Teacher Lei’s explanations, teleportation skills were notoriously difficult to execute.

Unless one was like him, blessed with the innate ability of [Teleportation] (as Lei Ze called it), long-distance teleportation generally required the use of special ability items.

Clearly, the other party was in the process of setting up such an item.

Seeing that no one had caused any trouble, the ponytailed woman nodded in satisfaction. “Good, good. Everyone’s quite obedient. Do you see that circular pattern over there? Everyone, step onto it together. If anyone dares to cause a ruckus now, don’t blame me for pushing you off the cliff, leaving you as nothing but bones!”

—

Though the others were unaware of what teleportation entailed, they grasped something from the ponytailed woman’s words.

The methods of ability users were ever-changing, as they had just witnessed. Since the other party did not intend to kill them, they must be planning to take them away. There was likely some sort of transmission device here. Once they stepped into that circle, they would probably be transported to the kidnappers’ territory, and escaping then would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

With this thought, several among the escape-minded group wore complex expressions, their eyes flickering, minds racing as they began to contemplate their next move.

A dozen or so people slowly approached the cliff’s edge in a line, while the buzz-cut man urged them on like herding sheep. When they finally reached the spot, everyone stood together in the circle.

Suddenly, the one who had earlier said, “Women are just cowards,” lunged forward with force, directly pushing both the ponytailed woman and the buzz-cut man over the edge!

Yet, in the very next moment, he was swiftly subdued by the scarred man with lightning speed, forced to the ground. But the middle-parted man showed no signs of panic; instead, he shouted loudly, “Now there’s just one left! We’re thirteen—can’t we handle just one?”

—

—

As soon as the words left his lips, both factions—those who wished to stay and those who sought to flee—were stirred. Indeed, if three of them dared not strike, it would be one thing; but if a single soul hesitated, it would truly be a waste of all those years they had lived.

Yet before anyone could act, a lilting voice echoed from the depths of the cliff: “Is it truly down to just one person?”

At the sound of that voice, everyone shuddered in unison. They turned, disbelief etched on their faces, toward the cliff’s edge, and there she was—the girl with the ponytail—rising as if summoned from the void.

Moments later, a hand appeared, gripping the edge of the precipice. It was the hand of the buzz-cut man, who effortlessly pulled himself up, his slit-like eyes glinting with mockery as he fixed his gaze on the one with the center parting: “You will pay for your ignorance.”

He strode forward, delivering a merciless punch that shattered the terrified center-parted head into a gruesome mess.

A chorus of screams erupted, followed by several people retching. The brutality of this scene struck harder than the earlier murder committed by the ponytail girl, a vision that would haunt the dreams of all present.

The ponytail girl casually dusted off her hands: “Alright, I trust there will be no more roosters crowing. Stand still and do not move; we shall commence the transfer immediately.”

No sooner had she spoken than the props around them began to glow. The light enveloped everyone, and Su Bei once again felt the familiar dizziness wash over him.

In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in a spacious room resembling a lounge. However, the ordinary bodies of the others could not withstand the discomfort of the teleportation, and they all fainted. Observing this, Su Bei feigned unconsciousness at the right moment, using his mental prowess to survey his surroundings.

The room already housed several individuals—another batch of kidnapped guests. Notably, Su Bei spotted Zhao Xiaoyu, who was also pretending to be unconscious.

She, too, was not in her school uniform, but her age clearly marked her as a student of the academy. It was curious that she had been placed among the other ordinary people in such a situation; he wondered how that had come to be.

Su Bei knew Zhao Xiaoyu was merely pretending because, as they had arrived, she had stealthily opened her eyes for a brief moment, a glance that his mental energy had captured.

Before long, Zhao Xiaoyu was the first to “wake up.” Shortly after, a man returned, holding a machine that appeared to be the device used to test their abilities before enrollment.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoyu awake, the man handed her the machine: “Let’s test your ability. You’d best not be deceiving us; otherwise, you know the consequences.”

Zhao Xiaoyu nodded earnestly: “I’m not lying; I’m a student of Class F.”

So that was it. Su Bei understood. Zhao Xiaoyu had claimed her ability was utterly useless, which had lulled them into a false sense of security, sparing her from further scrutiny.

What they did not know was that, despite her ability being of no use, her extensive training in physical combat was no mere façade. In Class S, she had been the most diligent in her training. Now, her physical prowess had surged to the third position in the class, surpassed only by him and the Iron Man.

In close combat, it was clear—at least the ponytail girl and the scarred man would not stand a chance against her.

When the test results came in, Zhao Xiaoyu’s ability indeed proved to be utterly useless, a definitive Class F talent. The man was satisfied in his heart, yet his lips curled in derision: “Such a worthless ability, and your school still dares to accept you.”

—

Facing such mockery, Zhao Xiaoyu did not feel anger; instead, she shrugged with a hint of resignation. “I didn’t want to come either. It’s just wasting my time that should be spent on proper studies. But without an ability permit, things are always inconvenient.”

“You people from this country are such a hassle,” the man said, his face twisted in disdain. He waved his hand dismissively. “Fine, just stay here for now. Don’t cause trouble, or no one will be able to save you.”

Listening to their conversation, Su Bei felt a flicker of surprise. He had been using his mental power to sense the outside world, so he hadn’t noticed that this man was a foreigner. The realization that foreign forces were behind this, abducting so many officials, hinted at a far-reaching scheme.

Once the man left, Zhao Xiaoyu let out a sigh of relief, her gaze turning anxiously toward the unconscious crowd. Those who had been invited were politicians of some standing; their abduction at the auction wouldn’t affect the school, would it? Would it further impact their own positions?

But then again, as long as they could rescue them, the chances of that happening seemed slim. After all, this auction, organized by three schools together, was not solely prepared by the “Endless Ability Academy.” Moreover, the “Endless Ability Academy” wasn’t even the main organizer; otherwise, they wouldn’t have only sent students from the student council to assist.

So even in the worst-case scenario, it would be three schools facing misfortune together, a case of the many outweighing the few, and that wouldn’t be a significant problem. The most important thing was to ensure the safety of these politicians.

She lowered her head to observe closely, and when her gaze fell upon Su Bei, she suddenly paused.

Where did this child come from?

As the one responsible for hospitality, Zhao Xiaoyu had not only memorized the list of those she was in charge of but had also glanced over Su Bei’s. There were only about thirty people, not many at all, so it was easy to remember. She was certain that there was absolutely no child among them.

She was confident in her memory and did not believe that this child was brought by any politician, someone she had simply forgotten.

However, if this child was brought by an ability user, that was a possibility. Since the organizing party of this auction was not their academy, the students from the “Endless Ability Academy” were assigned less significant roles, such as attending to ordinary people.

The reception of ability users was handled by others.

So this child could very well be brought by those powerful ability users. If that were the case, she had to protect this child; perhaps it could lead to connections with those influential figures.

But still, it was better to wait until the other party woke up to inquire about the situation, to avoid making a wrong guess and ending up doing unnecessary work.

Feeling Zhao Xiaoyu’s gaze upon him, Su Bei understood she must be speculating about his identity. He was still hesitating about whether to reveal his true self in front of her.

Revealing it would certainly be fine; after all, Zhao Xiaoyu was clever and would never accidentally leak his true identity. But would not revealing it lead to more opportunities? He couldn’t be sure.

After some thought, he decided to wait a little longer. As a jester, it was a reasonable choice not to disclose his identity, perhaps even more so than revealing it outright.

While he pondered, several people suddenly appeared out of thin air from the room, crashing to the ground. Among them, three who were awake were the kidnappers guarding them, while the unconscious ones were the last few ordinary people invited to the auction.

Yet, aside from them, there was even one unfortunate soul who had been captured.

“Sir—” The first word slipped from her lips, but she caught herself just in time, “—is he dead?”

The three kidnappers turned to her in unison, their expressions a mix of confusion. One of them, sporting a scorpion braid, furrowed his brow and asked, “How come you’re awake? Wait a moment? A student? An ability user?!”

At this, the trio instantly grew wary. In the scorpion braid’s hand, a large blade formed from water materialized, pointing directly at Zhao Xiaoyu. “Who are you?”

Zhao Xiaoyu felt no fear; she replied calmly, “I’m a student from the Ability Academy, Class F. I’ve already been tested for my abilities. The ones who brought me here told me to stay put.”

Upon hearing she had been tested, the three relaxed slightly. They weren’t so distrustful of their own kind; if she had been tested, there shouldn’t be any issues.

They had heard of Class F from the Ability Academy, rumored to be filled with useless abilities, merely there to pass time and collect certificates. With this in mind, the scorpion braid curiously asked, “What’s your ability?”

Zhao Xiaoyu repeated what she had said earlier, watching as their expressions shifted to one of relief. Then, feigning casualness, she asked, “Are these people all ordinary?”

“Isn’t there one who isn’t?” The scorpion braid pointed to the silver-haired boy lying on the ground, unconscious from a collision. “By the way, do you know this person?”

At this question, Zhao Xiaoyu’s gaze flickered, and she pretended to be a bit cautious. “I think I’ll wait for Brother Sun to arrive before I say anything.”

Before the scorpion braid could inquire further, a man beside her chimed in, “Brother Zhao is probably the one responsible for capturing them.”

“No way?” The scorpion braid displayed an incredulous yet mocking expression as he looked at Zhao Xiaoyu. “You’ll only speak if he’s here? You’re not developing a crush on little Sun, are you? Stockholm syndrome?”

A wave of disgust washed over Zhao Xiaoyu. How could she possibly like these people? If it weren’t for covering for her teammates, would she need to play along here?

Though her mind was filled with scathing thoughts, her face betrayed a hint of embarrassment and annoyance. “I’m not! It’s just that I know his identity, while I’m not sure about yours. How could I dare to say more?”

Zhao Xiaoyu was acutely aware that the more foolish she appeared, the easier it would be for others to let their guard down.

Sure enough, seeing her demeanor, the scorpion braid became even more convinced of his assumptions. Yet, he couldn’t be bothered to say more. “Call little Sun over. His ability is the ‘Eye of Truth,’ so with him here, we won’t fear this girl deceiving us.”

Before long, Brother Sun was summoned. Upon seeing him standing before her, Zhao Xiaoyu finally spoke: “I know this person; he’s in my class.”

Brother Sun nodded. “What she says is the truth.”

Upon receiving this response, the Scorpion Braid felt a flicker of irritation. “Why was that F-Class brat so defiant just now? As if he could actually stand against us.”

Beside him, a man chuckled mockingly. “I wondered why he hadn’t used his powers; turns out he’s got nothing to show for it.”

Only then did Su Bei grasp Zhao Xiaoyu’s intent. She had long known that Brother Sun’s ability could discern lies, which was why she had deliberately mentioned that Si Zhaohua was in the same class as her.

Everyone, convinced by Zhao Xiaoyu’s powers, believed she was from F-Class. When she said this, it naturally led them to assume that Si Zhaohua was also from F-Class, thus lowering their guard against him.

As for why Si Zhaohua hadn’t used his powers during his earlier resistance, Su Bei speculated he understood that once he did, his identity would be impossible to conceal.

It was well-known that the Si family held considerable influence in the realm of abilities. If the kidnappers discovered his identity, they would not let him go easily. So, in a situation where escape was uncertain, he dared not reveal his powers.

It was precisely because of his vigilance at that moment that he had successfully maneuvered Zhao Xiaoyu into helping him deflect suspicion now.

“By the way, who is this kid?” Suddenly, the Scorpion Braid noticed Su Bei. Despite his unremarkable appearance and attire, a small boy among a group of adults was hard to overlook.

Zhao Xiaoyu shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She too was curious about who this child was.

At that moment, the door swung open, and the buzz-cut man who had captured Su Bei and the others stepped inside. He had overheard the Scorpion Braid’s question and answered directly, “This kid is the child of a politician. He was placed in that row, so we just grabbed him.”

“Are you sure he’s just an ordinary kid?” the Scorpion Braid questioned, clearly hoping the child belonged to some powerful ability user at the auction, which would be of greater benefit to them.

Unfortunately, the buzz-cut man nodded with certainty. “You know we have surveillance in the carriage. When we weren’t around, he said the same to those people.”

Hearing this, the Scorpion Braid could only sigh in disappointment. Su Bei looked no older than eight or nine; a child of that age wouldn’t be so meticulous as to avoid telling the truth to his companions. He couldn’t possibly suspect he was being watched.

Still, a politician’s child was somewhat acceptable; after all, any politician involved in the auction was formidable in their own right, so he might still hold some value.

Yet Zhao Xiaoyu felt a surge of doubt within her. She firmly trusted her memory; this brown-haired child shouldn’t belong to any ordinary politician.

But she had also heard the buzz-cut man’s words. It was indeed difficult for an eight or nine-year-old to remain calm enough to lie about their true identity in such a situation. Normally, they would struggle to grasp the significance of that identity.

Could it be that this child was exceptionally clever, gifted beyond measure? Or was there something she had overlooked?

“Alright, let’s go.” Seeing that the others showed no signs of waking up, the Scorpion Braid, with other matters to attend to, grew impatient and led everyone away.

As she reached the doorway, she turned back to warn Zhao Xiaoyu, “You’d best keep them quiet when they wake up, or you’ll be the one to suffer.”

Not long after they left, Si Zhaohua stirred awake on his own. Of course, he wasn’t dazed; he was merely pretending. Sharing a knowing glance with Zhao Xiaoyu, he feigned confusion, asking, “Where are we? Have we been rescued?”

Zhao Xiaoyu played along, explaining their current predicament before launching into a complaint. Si Zhaohua joined in, lamenting his own misfortune, and together they appeared like a pair of pitiful fools.

Before long, the others began to awaken one by one, quickly grasping the situation from Zhao Xiaoyu’s words. A few of those she had previously attended to asked anxiously, “Hey, when will your school come to save us?”

Zhao Xiaoyu worked to soothe the crowd, “Everyone, please don’t panic. The school will definitely come for us. Right now, our most important task is to wait patiently and not get ourselves into trouble before they arrive.”

Watching the fifteen-year-old girl patiently comfort them, the group of adults in their thirties and forties finally regained a semblance of reason, ceasing to seek solace from someone so much younger.

Yet, another thought crossed their minds. The bespectacled man who had previously tried to lure Su Bei with a lollipop asked with concern, “What kind of abilities do you two have? Can you tell us?”

At this, Zhao Xiaoyu offered a clear, bitter smile. “I’m from Class F; he’s in the same class as me. Class F is the worst in the academy. My ability is to make people laugh.”

Fearing that the one with the “Eye of Truth,” Brother Sun, was still watching them, she employed a bit of clever phrasing. Without uttering a single lie, she managed to quench their curiosity about Si Zhaohua’s abilities.

After all, with Zhao Xiaoyu’s ability being so lackluster, how powerful could her classmates’ abilities be? Without any impressive powers, they seemed no different from ordinary children, and naturally, there was little reason to pay them any mind.

However, the bespectacled man remained skeptical, smiling as he looked at Zhao Xiaoyu. “I thought such an important event would only be open to the top students. I didn’t expect your school to be so egalitarian.”

Zhao Xiaoyu understood his implication and replied without a flicker of her expression, “Both of us did quite well on our midterms a couple of days ago; this is a reward from our homeroom teacher.”

This explanation held water, and the bespectacled man ceased his inquiries.

At that moment, Su Bei stirred awake, rubbing his eyes and suppressing his embarrassment to play the child. “Um… where is this?”

The “Transforming Mask (Imitation)” could only alter appearances, not voices. So, Su Bei deliberately pitched his voice higher, making it sound more childlike.

Zhao Xiaoyu regarded him with a hint of confusion. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Can you tell me your father’s name?”

At her words, Su Bei adopted a wary demeanor, as if fearing she might be a villain. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “My last name is Yan.”

Among the invited guests, there was indeed one Mr. Yan who hadn’t been captured. However, Su Bei refrained from revealing the man’s full name, leaving himself some leeway should others decide to investigate.

Upon hearing his father’s surname, Zhao Xiaoyu recalled and recognized who it was. The child’s response was plausible; he could very well be the son of that Mr. Yan. Perhaps he hadn’t been included in the two lists she and Su Bei had received at school?

As she pondered this, Zhao Xiaoyu couldn’t help but chuckle, realizing she had been overthinking. She gently ruffled Su Bei’s hair. “It’s alright, don’t be afraid. We will definitely get out safely.”

With that, she shook her head at Si Zhaohua, signaling that the child seemed to be fine.

So, Si Zhaohua approached, wanting to ruffle Su Bei’s hair as well, but Su Bei quickly tilted his head away, evading the gesture.

What a joke! He didn’t want to keep this secret forever. It was one thing for Zhao Xiaoyu to pat his head, but if Si Zhaohua did it too, when the truth came out, he would be the laughingstock!

Seeing him dodge, Si Zhaohua curiously asked, “What’s this? It’s fine for her to touch you, but not me?”

Su Bei lazily nodded, clearly uninterested in engaging with him.

This little display made Si Zhaohua laugh in exasperation. With a flourish, he asked, “How about five hundred for a head pat?”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Su Bei remained unfazed, adding to prevent any pointless price hikes, “Not for any amount.”

Beside them, Zhao Xiaoyu laughed, her eyes crinkling with delight. “Oh, this little one is both refined and principled.”

After saying this, she turned to Si Zhaohua, “After all, he’s here with his parents for our auction. Would he really bow to money?”

Su Bei nodded seriously, as if acknowledging her words. Then, with a generous grin, he said, “I’ll give you five hundred and one. How about you let me pat your head once?”

If he could really pat Si Zhaohua’s head for five hundred and one, that would be a huge win. Though he couldn’t capture evidence with a camera, having Zhao Xiaoyu as a witness would allow him to boast about it later.

Si Zhaohua: “…”

What a turn of events! Su Bei didn’t lack for money; could it be that the young master of the Si family was short on cash?

Before he could refuse, Zhao Xiaoyu chimed in with a smile, “It’s fine, if he doesn’t agree, I can.”

Five hundred was a week’s worth of living expenses; why not earn it?

Once again amused to the point of laughter, Si Zhaohua reached out, intending to grab Su Bei by the collar and pull him in for some forced affection. But Su Bei twisted his small body once more, successfully evading him.

This time, a flicker of surprise crossed Si Zhaohua’s eyes. If Su Bei had dodged earlier, it was understandable; he hadn’t been serious. But now, when he was genuinely trying to catch him, Su Bei managed to slip away again, which was unusual.