Chapter 103 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - NovelsTime

A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 103

Author: 恬然天然
updatedAt: 2025-07-30

Translator: AkazaTL

Proofreader/Editor: TenebrousGaze

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Chapter 103

Back at school, everything returned to normal. There was no helping it—though they’d achieved great feats this time, saving the school and indirectly the country, the matter involved two nations and couldn’t be easily revealed.

So the school could only reward them with points in secret, claiming publicly that their absence was for training.

On the weekend, having established the intelligence organization and filled all previous plot holes, Su Bei finally decided to return the silver ball.

This hollow silver ball was obtained during the team battles. When the “Black Flash” organization members were defeated, to protect the ball and due to his scheming, the leader, the baseball cap man, left it with him.

It had been a long time, and even the “Black Flash” organization might have forgotten about this item. But that didn’t matter—Su Bei planned to deliver it and make a good profit.

Following the address to 26 Mushroom Road, he deactivated his invisibility. If anyone saw this on surveillance, they’d only see Su Bei appearing out of thin air.

The address Duck Cap gave was an ordinary small villa in the suburbs, surrounded by open space and few people. No one would guess it was a “Black Flash” organization stronghold.

Su Bei pressed the doorbell. Soon, a chubby but kind-looking man emerged from the villa. Seeing Su Bei’s black-robed, mist-shrouded, child-scaring appearance, his expression shifted, and he immediately asked: “Who are you?”

Su Bei noticed his right hand faintly glowing gold, likely preparing an Ability.

But he wasn’t nervous, answering in that aged voice: “I’m here to return something.”

Hearing this, the man’s expression changed, as if realizing something. He sized Su Bei up, then opened the gate: “Come in and talk.”

They entered the villa one after the other. The man didn’t neglect courtesy, letting Su Bei sit and pouring him tea before cautiously asking: “Hello, I’m Zheng Yun. May I ask who you are?”

“‘Destiny,’” Su Bei replied concisely, maintaining his mystique.

Hearing the name, Zheng Yun understood, his expression tinged with excitement: “What item are you talking about?”

“An item you lost at the Endless Ability Academy,” Su Bei answered briefly, and a silver ball appeared in his palm.

Since Manga Consciousness had patched up his previous plot holes, in the “Black Flash” organization’s eyes, they had indeed dealt with the “Destiny” organization, which was why Zheng Yun let Su Bei in instead of attacking.

Seeing the silver ball, excitement flashed in Zheng Yun’s eyes: “Thank you so much! The ‘Destiny’ organization truly lives up to its reputation!”

In truth, since it had been half a year and Su Bei hadn’t returned the item, the “Black Flash” organization had nearly given up. But they didn’t dare question “Destiny,” as such transactions were voluntary—you deliver, I pay, no obligations. Seeing the silver ball returned intact, Zheng Yun felt a surge of joy at recovering something lost.

“No need for thanks. Just a transaction,” Su Bei said flatly.

His words reminded Zheng Yun that since the other party had delivered the item, he should offer the corresponding “payment.”

“Please wait a moment.” Zheng Yun stood and hurried upstairs.

Su Bei sat quietly on the sofa, bored, and began observing the surroundings. The villa showed little signs of life, with a chaotic mix of decor styles—black-and-white cabinets in some areas, a grandmaster chair in others.

He quickly concluded that this villa wasn’t for one person’s permanent residence. It likely rotated intelligence agents periodically.

While idly musing, Zheng Yun returned, holding a red box.

Seeing the box, Su Bei wondered what was inside. Since this was an uncertain transaction—Su Bei might not have returned the item—they hadn’t agreed on a fixed reward. Otherwise, if Su Bei didn’t deliver, the reward would’ve been prepared for nothing.

Thus, the deal was to choose a reward on the spot when he delivered. If Su Bei was satisfied, everyone was happy. If not, he could leave with the silver ball.

It was hard to say whether “Black Flash” proposed this hoping that if Su Bei was unsatisfied, they’d keep both the item and the reward. Su Bei didn’t mind—with his undetectable Invisibility Charm and his Ability, nothing could trap him.

Unaware that Su Bei was already planning an escape, Zheng Yun opened the box, revealing a plain, gray cloth doll with no facial features or hair, just a humanoid shape.

Su Bei paused, a guess forming: “This is... the ‘Substitute Doll’?”

The “Substitute Doll” was something Su Bei had seen only once, at the auction held by the three allied schools. As the first item, it drew significant attention.

He hadn’t expected it to end up with the “Black Flash” organization.

Come to think of it, the situation was chaotic then. Who knew how many treasures they’d stolen? Robbery was indeed lucrative—this haul likely covered at least a year’s research funding.

“You’re truly knowledgeable,” Zheng Yun confirmed Su Bei’s guess. “Indeed, this is the ‘Substitute Doll.’ Would you like me to explain how it works?”

Logically, he should’ve explained directly, but Zheng Yun worried Su Bei already knew. Rambling might annoy him.

But Su Bei genuinely didn’t know, only having a rough idea. As a life-saving item, the “Substitute Doll’s” usage wouldn’t be revealed publicly—it was shared privately with buyers to avoid exploitation.

“Go ahead.”

Zheng Yun quickly explained: “By dripping a drop of blood on the ‘Substitute Doll,’ it becomes your second life. When the user suffers a fatal injury, the doll takes the death instead, granting the user five seconds of invincibility.”

Invincibility time too? Su Bei’s expression under the mask was delighted. If so, this item was insanely powerful.

But he quickly calmed down. Such a powerful item must have drawbacks, or he didn’t believe they’d hand it over.

Sure enough, Zheng Yun, unable to tell if Su Bei was tempted, gritted his teeth and continued: “But there’s a slight issue. It can’t be too far from the user, and if the doll is damaged, the user takes some harm too.”

Hearing this, Su Bei understood. No wonder they were willing to give up such a game-changing item. Knowing its weakness made it easy to counter.

After all, though small, the doll was palm-sized and could be noticed if hidden on the body. Destroying the doll first would not only disable it but also harm the user.

He asked a key question: “Does keeping it in a storage space count as being nearby?”

“...No,” Zheng Yun hadn’t expected Su Bei to be so sharp and smiled awkwardly.

Su Bei, already anticipating this, wasn’t surprised and asked lightly: “Do you think it’s worth it?”

Zheng Yun couldn’t say “not worth it” and immediately explained: “The ‘Space Lock’ is indeed somewhat important to us, but it only seals space, which likely isn’t useful to you, sir. It might not even find a buyer. Unlike the ‘Substitute Doll,’ which can be sold or used to great effect.”

He wasn’t wrong. After learning the silver ball, or “Space Lock,” only sealed space, Su Bei lost interest. It wasn’t very useful for individuals, only needed by troublemaking villain groups like “Black Flash.”

But his words had a flaw. The value of a traded item wasn’t determined by the seller but by the buyer. It might be useless to Su Bei, but it was valuable to “Black Flash”!

Since they needed it, how could they take it back without paying a price?

Su Bei said with a half-smile: “If this ‘Space Lock’ isn’t that valuable, you probably don’t need it. Let’s call off the deal.”

“You’re joking, right?” Zheng Yun wiped sweat from his forehead. “I offered the ‘Substitute Doll’ with sincerity.”

“I don’t see your sincerity,” Su Bei said calmly.

After a moment’s silence, Zheng Yun said with a pained expression: “How about I add a bonus—a fixed-point teleportation item? You can return to a preset location from anywhere.”

That item wasn’t bad and could save him plenty of trouble.

But wasn’t it a bit too generous? Su Bei raised an eyebrow and asked Manga Consciousness mentally: “Is there something wrong with this item?”

Since Manga Consciousness had previously warned him about the flaws of the Invisibility Charm and Transformation Mask (Fake), it shouldn’t mind telling him about this item.

Sure enough, Manga Consciousness replied: “In gaming terms, when you use this item, it pings your location. The item’s creator can sense your final landing point.”

Su Bei sneered audibly. In the quiet villa, his sneer was especially noticeable: “Trying to scam me?”

“Then you don’t need this ‘Space Lock’ either.” With a flick of his wrist, the silver ball returned to his storage ring.

Zheng Yun’s expression shifted, but he was smart enough not to defend himself. Knowing Su Bei spoke so confidently, he must have uncovered the item’s secret.

Worthy of the “Destiny” organization, knowing secrets others didn’t. Thinking this, he didn’t dare push further and apologized decisively: “I was blinded by greed. Please give me another chance. This time, the item will definitely satisfy you.”

Without waiting for Su Bei’s reply, he hurried upstairs again.

“I thought you’d leave,” Manga Consciousness said, slightly surprised. Zheng Yun’s scam was too obvious—some hotheads might’ve abandoned the deal.

And Su Bei was clearly the hotheaded type.

His patience surprised Manga Consciousness.

“It’s business. Scamming is normal,” Su Bei said magnanimously, but his lips curled slightly. “He scams me, I can scam him, right?”

“How do you plan to scam him?” Now Manga Consciousness was curious.

Su Bei looked toward where Zheng Yun had gone, saying meaningfully: “He’s got a treasure vault hidden here.”

Soon, Zheng Yun returned, holding another large red box, making Su Bei wonder if he was wholesaling red boxes.

Zheng Yun solemnly opened it, revealing a vivid oil painting. It was a pure landscape, no people—a park with lush trees and shimmering lake water, very beautiful.

“This is the ‘Storage Painting,’ with a hundred-square-meter storage space. Besides holding objects, it can hold people. It has two forms. This one allows people inside to exit freely. The other...”

He shook the painting twice, and the park turned into a hellscape. The clear lake became steaming magma, the forest became barren scarlet rocks—everything looked terrifying.

“—is this one. Shaking it twice switches forms. In this form, people can enter but can’t exit unless someone outside shakes it back to the previous image.”

Finishing, Zheng Yun was full of confidence: “With the previous two items plus this one, that’s enough, right?”

It was indeed enough, even exceeding Su Bei’s expectations. He nodded, and they completed the transaction—one handing over the payment, the other the goods.

As he saw Su Bei to the door, Zheng Yun apologized: “I was truly blinded earlier. Please don’t be angry. I look forward to our next cooperation.”

Su Bei didn’t respond, only vanishing coolly. Zheng Yun sighed at his elusive ability, lingered a moment, then returned to the house.

But he didn’t know that Su Bei, still invisible, hadn’t left. Instead, he flashed back into the villa.

He went straight to the second floor, entering the room Zheng Yun had visited to retrieve items. It looked ordinary, just an empty guest room with a bed, a cabinet, and a chair—nothing else. On the surface, it couldn’t hide anything.

But Su Bei wasn’t worried. He calmly adjusted his head’s small pointer to the far left, then began searching randomly.

With absolute luck, he soon uncovered the room’s secret. Inside the cabinet was a hidden chamber filled with many items.

Su Bei didn’t hold back, looting everything, keeping a few useful ones, and tossing the rest into the “Destiny” organization’s Point System store.

If they were government people, he’d have been more restrained. But they were a villain organization—their misfortune was his delight.

This was robbing the rich to aid the poor, punishing evil, and promoting good. Looking at the suddenly stocked store, Su Bei jumped out the window, satisfied, and left the villa.

After leaving, Su Bei asked Manga Consciousness: “Can you fix the flaw in that teleportation item too?”

Since Manga Consciousness had fixed the Invisibility Charm and Transformation Mask (Fake) before, he figured he’d ask. If it worked, he’d have another useful item.

Perhaps in a good mood, Manga Consciousness agreed: “Yes.”

Overjoyed, Su Bei successfully gained an effective item.

Back at school, he entered invisibly. To maintain an alibi, he hadn’t left his room in anyone’s sight all day.

In the evening, as he debated between ordering takeout or eating at the cafeteria, Si Zhaohua called, his voice full of excitement: “Zhao Xiaoyu’s awake!”

Su Bei raised an eyebrow in surprise: “I’m coming now.”

He threw on a jacket and headed straight to the school infirmary. Zhao Xiaoyu had been staying there since she was comatose—it wasn’t safe to leave her unattended in the dorm.

At the infirmary, Zhao Xiaoyu was indeed awake, sitting on the bed. Her complexion was rosy, not at all like someone who’d been unconscious for nearly a week. But her expression was dazed, head lowered, lost in thought.

Su Bei glanced at Si Zhaohua and Ai Baozhu by the bed, asking with his eyes what was wrong.

Si Zhaohua shook his head blankly, indicating he didn’t know.

At that moment, Ye Lin walked in with a glass of water, placed it beside Zhao Xiaoyu, and asked with concern: “Feeling better? Have you figured out the changes in your body?”

After a while, Zhao Xiaoyu slowly looked up at everyone, her eyes brimming with uncontainable excitement: “My Ability seems to have mutated!”

“How so?” Ai Baozhu asked curiously.

As she spoke, Jiang Tianming and the others arrived, crowding the already small infirmary even more.

Zhao Xiaoyu took a deep breath to calm herself, organizing her thoughts. Moments later, she began from the start: “After I fainted, I didn’t lose consciousness. I entered a black space where all sorts of Nightmare Beasts kept chasing me.”

Recalling that the black mist was researched from Nightmare Beasts, Su Bei wasn’t too surprised by her experience.

“You all know I couldn’t possibly fight those Nightmare Beasts, so I just kept running,” Zhao Xiaoyu said with a lip-curling smile, not embarrassed.

Though it sounded humiliating for a Class S student to admit they couldn’t fight Nightmare Beasts, who was Zhao Xiaoyu? She was someone who openly admitted she got into Class S through merit. She wasn’t about to be shy now.

“As I ran, I noticed the number of Nightmare Beasts was decreasing. Observing closely, I saw they were dissipating on their own. When only one was left, I stopped and killed it. Only then did I truly fall unconscious.”

“And when you woke up, you found your Ability mutated?” Mo Xiaotian asked, full of curiosity.

Zhao Xiaoyu nodded: “Before I fainted, I noticed I couldn’t use my Ability. So when I woke up, the first thing I did was check it. I found my Ability had changed drastically—from [Laughter] to [Happiness], a ranged Ability that makes everyone within it feel genuinely happy.”

At this, she gave a satisfied smile: “Though [Happiness] still lacks attack power, it’s at least very useful. I don’t think anyone would refuse to feel happiness. My future job prospects are secure.”

Indeed, compared to [Laughter], [Happiness] was far more practical. Even Su Bei was curious about what happiness felt like.

Lan Subing suddenly remembered something: “Doesn’t this Ability pair perfectly with Student Council President Mu’s?”

Mu Yunfan’s Ability was [Light of Hope], usable as long as there was hope. Happiness and hope often went hand in hand—at least, you couldn’t feel happiness in despair. So, Zhao Xiaoyu’s Ability was less a battery for Mu Yunfan and more a safety net.

With her around, Mu Yunfan wouldn’t face situations where he couldn’t use his Ability due to despair.

Everyone realized this, showing surprised expressions, and looked at the only teacher present, Ye Lin, to see her thoughts.

But unexpectedly, Ye Lin’s expression was grave. Noticing everyone’s gazes, she forced a smile: “Stay here for now. I’ll go tell your homeroom teacher that Xiaoyu’s awake.”

“...What’s wrong with Teacher?” After a silence, Ai Baozhu lightly fanned herself with a pink feather fan, speaking first. She could read emotions, and Ye Lin’s behavior was clearly off.

Qi Huang casually picked up a delivered pear, controlled the flame’s temperature to roast it, and handed it to Zhao Xiaoyu: “Don’t worry. You’re still at school.”

At school, her safety was assured, and any Ability issues could be addressed. Zhao Xiaoyu relaxed slightly, taking small bites of the pear.

“Only two possibilities—either it’s about the Ability or what Subing just said,” Jiang Tianming said confidently. “Did anyone notice when Teacher’s expression changed?”

Li Shu answered: “After hearing about Zhao Xiaoyu’s new Ability.”

He often observed people to create more realistic illusions, so he noticed Ye Lin’s emotional shift immediately.

Zhao Xiaoyu panicked a bit: “Is there something wrong with my new Ability?”

“We’ll know when Teacher Meng arrives,” Mu Tieren reassured her reliably. “I think it might be the Ability mutation itself that’s worrying Teacher.”

Everyone speculated, but no conclusion was reached, so they waited patiently for the teacher. In the meantime, they filled Zhao Xiaoyu in on recent events.

About ten minutes later, Ye Lin and Meng Huai arrived together. As soon as they entered, Meng Huai got straight to the point: “Zhao Xiaoyu, try using your Ability on me.”

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