A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Li Tao: “Are Su Bei and Feng Lan both prophecy-type ability users?” [Hot]

Cilantro is Supreme no. 0:

[The second season of *The King of Superpower* has been updated, and I’m sure everyone has seen it. Aside from our Jiang Jiang, Bing Bing, and Ming Bai, the three cuties, I’m currently most interested in Su Bei and Feng Lan.

From what the homeroom teacher Meng said, it seems that Feng Lan is the next head of the Feng family, known for their prophecy abilities, and he himself mentioned that his ability is [Prophecy].

Su Bei claimed his ability is [Gears], but from his various behaviors, his true ability probably also has a lot to do with prophecy, with the gears he summons serving as a medium for prophecy.

However, I find it a bit strange that two people in the same class have prophecy abilities. If they were twins or had some blood relation, it would make more sense, but judging by their appearances, they probably have no kinship. So why would the author design two characters with such similar abilities? I don’t want to speculate maliciously, but I hope the forum can provide the correct answer.]

Fireflyflyflyfly no. 1: “It’s obvious that Su Bei’s ability is [Gears]; you guys are overthinking this!”

No. 2 replies to no. 1: “Got it, go play somewhere else.”

No. 3 replies to no. 1: “Alright, alright, spot on. (Someone, please invite this big brother to the ‘Genius’ group)”

[…]

No. 7: “I think there must be some fundamental difference between their abilities, but there’s too little information right now to tell. However, judging by what we’ve seen so far, Su Bei is much more active than Feng Lan. Could that be due to the nature of his ability?”

No. 8: “Su Bei is so handsome! A mysterious prophet who turns the gears of fate.”

No. 9: “Feng Lan is also super handsome! White hair is totally my type! Plus, those golden eyes—he’s like a divine being who doesn’t belong to this world!”

No. 10: “The author’s aesthetic sense is still trustworthy. Another round of eye-candy galore has begun!”

[…]

No. 18: “It seems like the discussion is getting off track, but I won’t say anything.”

No. 19: “By the way, do you think Su Bei’s claim that everyone has a destiny compass above their heads is credible? I feel like not everything he says is completely trustworthy, more like half-truths. Maybe there is something above people’s heads, but it might not necessarily be a compass. If there really is a destiny compass controlling people, wouldn’t casually messing with it cause problems?”

No. 20 replies to no. 19: “I also think what he says is half-truths, but this part doesn’t seem like something worth lying about. Tinkering with the destiny compass might have some effect on people, but this newbie ability user probably isn’t powerful enough to do that yet.”

Cilantro is Supreme no. 21 (OP): “Actually, I’m also curious about something else: both Feng Lan and Su Bei came to Class F. Su Bei most likely came because of Jiang Jiang, but what about Feng Lan? Is he really here to recruit Su Bei, as the homeroom teacher suggested?”

No. 22: “To be honest, I think both of them came for Jiang Tianming and his group. After all, they’re the main characters, so it’s only natural they get special treatment.”

No. 23: “It feels like there will be a lot of new ships this season. I’ve grown tired of the main trio being shuffled around.”

No. 24: “In that case, I’m placing my bet on the ‘Unlucky Fate’ ship! Jiang Tianming x Su Bei—sounds like a beautiful disaster.”

[…]

Cilantro is Supreme no. 30 (OP): “Stop derailing the thread; go ship elsewhere!”

No. 31: “To answer the main question, after discussing it with friends who also read the manga, we all think that these two characters have similar types of abilities. They might either complement each other or be substitutes. Of course, there’s also a small chance that the author just forgot to differentiate between them.”

No. 32: “That sounds plausible. If it’s really one of these possibilities, I hope it’s the former. I don’t want the handsome guys to end up killing each other!”

Seeing that the later replies mostly discussed earlier points and didn’t provide new information, Su Bei directly exited this thread and clicked into another post related to him that piqued his interest.

“Saluting you on behalf of fate, the unluckiest of the unlucky in this generation! [Hot]”

An Inch Longer, An Inch Stronger no. 0:

“Aaaaaaah, so handsome! I declare this to be my favorite line of the year! The collision of mysterious purple and dazzling gold was truly stunning. The author’s drawing skills are still top-notch. I’m now a shallow fan of Su Bei—love a handsome guy with a sense of style!”

No. 1: “So handsome I could die! I have a feeling Su Bei is going to become the next ‘It’ guy.”

No. 2: “+1 to the comment above; I feel the same way.”

No. 3: “There are so many handsome guys this season—Su Bei, Feng Lan, Si Zhaohua, and even the homeroom teacher Meng Huai, each with their own unique charm. I’m practically drooling. There are also a lot of beautiful girls: the directionally challenged classmate who asked for directions on the first day, Teacher Han from the infirmary, and that somewhat annoying Baozhu…”

“Could it be that this season, the author is trying to show off their drawing skills by presenting us with a visual feast?”

No. 4: “Didn’t someone predict on the forum earlier that this academy season would introduce several important new characters, unlike the first season, which focused solely on establishing the main character group?”

[…]

Leewenhoek is Also no. 11: “By the way, am I the only one who thinks Su Bei might not be a good guy? Just look at these two scenes in the manga—there’s something dark about him. I have a vague feeling he might be a villain.”

Su Bei standing outside the classroom.jpg, Su Bei following.jpg

No. 12 replies to no. 11: “Although Su Bei does look pretty dark in those two images, I think it’s just to highlight his mysterious character, not to suggest he’s a villain.”

No. 13: “I think no. 11 is overthinking it. Su Bei currently seems more like someone who enjoys watching the drama unfold.”

No. 14: “Ah, I hope he’s not a villain—I really hate villains. If he turns out to be one, I’ll immediately switch from fan to hater!”

No. 15 replies to no. 14: “Have you finished your homework?”

No. 16: “Elementary schoolers, get out of the forum!”

[…]

No. 35: “Hold on, we haven’t even confirmed if Su Bei is a villain, so why are you all arguing? To be honest, I’ve already got a bad feeling about this guy—he gives off such a sinister vibe.”

No. 36: “Exactly! The earlier posts were arguing for more than ten replies, and I was just sitting here, baffled.”

No. 37: “Is no one planning to discuss the question in the title? Before I clicked in, I thought this was supposed to be a discussion thread. But what are you all even talking about?”

No. 38: “+1!”

No. 39: “+2”

No. 40: “+3”

No. 41: “+10086”

[…]

No. 86: “Although Su Bei’s true motives aren’t clear, I do think this statement is spot on. As the protagonist of the manga, saying Jiang Tianming is the unluckiest person is completely accurate. He really is accident-prone, almost like that one cursed child detective.”

No. 87: “True, in that sense, Su Bei’s prophecy was pretty accurate, though it does have a sort of surreal, fourth-wall-breaking vibe to it.”

No. 88: “Hahaha, is this some sort of self-deprecating joke from the manga author?”

No. 89: “The fact that the protagonist of this manga is indeed the unluckiest is beyond doubt, but I don’t think Su Bei’s statement was entirely a joke. I get the feeling he knows about some bigger conspiracy, like—’Oh, so you’re the unlucky one who’s been targeted by xxx (some big villain), huh?'”

No. 90: “Don’t say it—no, really, don’t say it! But now that you mention it, I can totally feel that!”

No. 91: “Su Bei’s role as a spectator who enjoys the chaos remains unshaken.”

no. 92 replies to no. 39: “Makes sense, considering Jiang Tianming’s ability, it’s reasonable for the villains to target him. 🙂

Honestly, I never imagined that Jiang Jiang’s power would be like this. I originally thought he might be able to randomly summon the dead, but the person next door is right—he probably can only summon people he has killed.

With this kind of ability, if the protagonist didn’t have it, it would undoubtedly be a villain’s trait! If I were a villain, I’d be tempted too. It would be great if I could pull someone like him to my side.”

[…]

no119: “I feel like we’re getting off track, let’s steer the discussion back. Regarding what Su Bei said, if he was simply mocking the protagonist because of his luck, then he’s just a bystander having fun.

But if it’s for the reason that no. 89 mentioned and he feels Jiang Tianming is unlucky, then his purpose in saying that line is worth pondering.

Is it a reminder, a warning, or a threat? If he’s just a spectator, silently observing would be enough—there’s no need to say something like that.

In any case, if it’s as no. 89 suggested, then Su Bei definitely has a stance; we just don’t know which side he’s on.”

no120: “Long post above, I’ll go with what they said. If Su Bei really has a stance, I don’t think we should limit it to just good or bad. After all, the world isn’t black and white, maybe he’s with a third party?”

An Inch Longer, An Inch Stronger no. 121 (OP): “Wow! A third-party force? Wouldn’t that be even cooler?!”

no. 122: “OP, you’re really consistent (facepalm with a bitter smile).”

Leewenhoek is also no. 123: “Look what I found! I found it in another post!”

In the corner of the promotional page: Su Bei.jpg

[So Su Bei is also on the promotional page. I was wondering why such an obviously plot-important character didn’t appear on the promo page, but it turns out he was in such a small spot? This is too stingy, old thief.

Doesn’t my Brother Bei deserve a big picture?

Okay, kidding aside, this promotional page further confirms my suspicion. Su Bei might really not be a good character; otherwise, there’s no reason for him to have such a small presence.

And look, this position is right in the shadows, very dark—doesn’t that make him stand out from the other characters?”

no. 124 replies to no. 123: “!”

no. 125 replies to no. 123:

“Whoa! I really didn’t notice that little figure when I looked at the promo page. Brother Bei, how did you shrink (fog)?”

no. 126 replies to no. 123: “Now that you mention it, it does feel suspicious, huh? I’m casting my vote for Su Bei being a villain too.”

[…]

— In the real world —

Lin Xue, who was reading this post, happily called her friend, proudly saying, “So, what did I tell you? That character hidden in the corner is definitely important!”

“Fine, fine, you were right,” her friend replied, surprised that Lin Xue had guessed correctly.

Lin Xue raised her voice, “I’m declaring now, this is my new favorite. Gold and purple are the best combination! I’ve already set aside money to buy the seeds, so old thief, I suggest you don’t miss this chance.”

Only then did she suddenly realize she was still in a restaurant. Faced with the astonished looks from the people around her, her face turned bright red. She quickly finished her last bite and stood up, ready to leave this place where she had just socially embarrassed herself.

However, before she could leave the restaurant, a guy walked up quickly and asked in a low voice, “Were you just talking about Su Bei?”

Hearing this, Lin Xue turned sharply. Their eyes met, and sparks flew.

A kindred spirit!

— In the manga world —

After reading the post, Su Bei couldn’t help but smile. The content of the post delighted him.

Not only had they vaguely caught on to the possibility of his villainous identity, but they also provided him with many new ideas for his role-playing.

Indeed, his initial plan was to navigate between the black and white sides, then decide which identity to stick with based on popularity.

But now, who says the world only has black and white identities? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to walk in the gray area in between?

Perhaps he could even use the forum to truly create a third-party organization that blends black and white.

With class about to start, Su Bei stopped browsing the forum. For now, the content was under control, with discussions proceeding just as he expected, so there was no need for deliberate guidance.

Using the last bit of time, Su Bei quickly created a post with content he had long prepared. He wanted to start laying the groundwork for his presence on the forum.

[Prophet’s Post] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in Class F!!!

Prophet no. 0: “As it stands, Jiang Jiang and Bing Bing will likely stay in Class F for a while. So according to the protagonist law (where important characters always surround the protagonist), Class F should have many key characters.

Based on my research, these characters from Class F should have plenty of storylines.

[Prediction] Feng Lan with his ability, Su Bei reprsenting destiny, Zhao Xiaoyu (who was the first to introduce herself), the two boys who were first and last in the running circle, and homeroom teacher Meng Huai.

As the prophet, the goal is 100% accuracy. I welcome everyone to verify this post later!”

As someone genuinely living in Class F, even though he couldn’t see the future plot, Su Bei had a significant advantage in predicting the story because he could observe many details that the manga hadn’t drawn.

The people he mentioned in his post likely hadn’t been noticed by other readers. Their identities were indeed somewhat special, so even if he pointed them out, no one would suspect him of cheating.

And most importantly, even if any of the people he mentioned ended up not having special storylines, it wouldn’t matter. Su Bei could simply bring them into the manga’s frame and forcibly add them to the plot, ensuring his “prophecy” wouldn’t fail.

For his next post, he planned to predict the identity of the murderer or something similar. With two successful posts as a foundation, he could then start spreading misinformation to his heart’s content.

After posting, Su Bei didn’t wait to see the replies and directly turned off his phone and left the bathroom. He was laying the groundwork, so others’ responses were not important to him at this stage.

In fact, if he had more than one account, Su Bei would have used a side account to post some negative comments about himself in the thread.

Shortly after returning to class, Meng Huai, dressed all in black, walked in. “I’m your ability practice class teacher. No need for introductions, right?”

As he spoke, he walked up to the podium and scanned the room: “First, I have a few announcements. The first is about the appointment of the class monitor. Mu Tieren, you’ll be the class monitor for Class F. Any objections?”

Mu Tieren was the boy who led the run yesterday and even helped take some struggling students to the school clinic afterward. Everyone seemed fine with him becoming the class monitor. Of course, this level of agreement was partly because this was Class F; if it were Class A, there would likely be competition for the position.

“The next thing I want to mention is—” Meng Huai sneered as he read off a long list of names, “Zhao He, Li Weide… Chang Sisi, you’ve been advised by the school to withdraw. You can contact a regular high school.”

The room instantly erupted, especially among the students whose names were called, all of whom looked shocked.

Granted, their abilities were indeed useless, but by coming here, they had hoped to obtain an “Ability Use License.” Without that license, they wouldn’t be allowed to use their abilities in public places in the future. How could they accept this?

But before they could voice their protests, Meng Huai, as if reading their minds, said, “Are you wondering why you’ve been advised to leave? None of you completed the ten laps yesterday, right?”

The truth came out—this was why they were being asked to withdraw!

With that, the rest of the class had no objections, but the students being expelled clearly weren’t ready to give in. Zhao He, his face flushed, said, “Teacher, I know we were at fault for not completing the laps yesterday, but isn’t expulsion too severe a punishment?”

With him speaking up, the others seemed to find their courage. Chang Sisi, on the verge of tears, said, “Teacher, I’m sorry. I’ll never slack off again. I’ll go run ten laps right now… no, twenty laps. Please don’t expel me!”

“Yes, yes, us too!” the others chimed in.

Seeing them beg so earnestly moved some of the other students, who considered speaking up on their behalf.

However, Meng Huai remained unmoved and even used this as an opportunity to make an example of them: “Don’t act like you’re the victims here. The school advising you to leave is for your own good.”

“Being an ability user is a dangerous profession. All ability users attract fatal attention from the Nightmares. Even F-class ability users, if they use their abilities too often, will attract Nightmares—after all, even a small mosquito is still meat. The school gathers you here to teach you so that we can reduce the casualties among ability users.”

This was common knowledge. Otherwise, the mere “Ability Use License” wouldn’t have been enough to convince so many students, who had already given up on their abilities, to spend their time at this school instead of a regular one.

“Unlike the students in other classes, you don’t have much self-protection capability and can almost only rely on yourselves. For the sake of your own safety, following your teacher’s instructions and training diligently should be an absolute rule for each of you. But clearly, those of you who slacked off on the first day don’t have this awareness.”

These words made the few students blush with embarrassment. They hadn’t thought about it that much; they just found the ten laps too much and couldn’t resist slacking off.

“Rather than letting you half-heartedly train, and then get your ‘Ability Use License,’ only to attract Nightmares and harm others and yourselves in the process, it’s better to advise you to withdraw now and avoid that possibility.”

Having said that, Meng Huai didn’t want to waste any more time: “Alright, now please leave the classroom. If you have any issues, you can talk to the principal. If the principal agrees to let you come back, then you can return.”

Though he said that, Meng Huai knew the principal would never agree since the suggestion to “advise a few F-class students to withdraw” came from the principal himself.

F-class students were practically incapable of eliminating Nightmares; keeping them at the school was a waste of resources and disrupted their regular studies. Advising them to withdraw was beneficial for everyone.

Although those students were reluctant, the intimidating presence of Meng Huai’s strong physique made them too scared to stay in the classroom any longer, so they left one by one.

After they left, Meng Huai acted as if nothing had happened. Without issuing any warnings to the remaining students, he started the lesson: “Now, I want you to use your abilities. Focus on what you lose when you use them.”

It was common knowledge that using abilities consumed mental energy, so Meng Huai wanted everyone to experience the feeling of losing that energy.

Su Bei, having used his ability quite a bit yesterday, was already familiar with the sensation of losing mental energy. He casually summoned an ordinary gear, then turned to look at Feng Lan.

After all, Feng Lan had a genuine [Prophecy] ability, and Su Bei was curious to see what it looked like in action.

Because he turned around, Su Bei didn’t notice that behind him, Jiang Tianming and Lan Su Bing, who had been watching him closely since experiencing his ability, were puzzled by the plain pattern on the gear on his desk.

The difference was significant between this ordinary hardware piece and the collectible artwork they had seen yesterday.

How could there be such a big difference?

Feng Lan didn’t mind using his ability in front of others, but its manifestation wasn’t as grand as Su Bei had imagined.

The white-haired boy lowered his head, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and his body faintly emitted a white glow. After a moment, he opened his eyes, and a flash of golden light disappeared as quickly as it appeared. His originally pale skin became even paler, his lips lost some color, and he looked somewhat fatigued.

“I saw a quarrel during this class.”

This was clearly a prophecy. Su Bei was momentarily stunned but then realized what he meant: “Do you mean someone will argue in this class? Between a student and the teacher, or between students?”

However, Feng Lan shook his head. He had only recently awakened his ability and wasn’t very good at controlling it: “This time, I only predicted the event and the time.”

Hearing this, Su Bei wasn’t disappointed. Instead, he made a show of understanding, deliberately saying, “No worries, everyone goes through this.”

This response made Feng Lan look up suddenly and ask the question Su Bei had been hoping for: “Everyone? Do you know other [Prophecy] ability users?”

Note:

This chapter is really tough to translate, my head feels like it’s going to explode TT