A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 16

["Li Tao, Are Su Bei and Feng Lan Both Prophecy-Type Abilities? [hot]"]

[CilantroSupremeNo.0: The second season of [King of Abilities] manga has updated, and I’m sure everyone has read it. Apart from our Jiang Jiang, Bing Bing, and adorable Xiao Mingbai, I’m currently most interested in Su Bei and Feng Lan.

From what Teacher Meng said, Feng Lan should be the next head of the Feng Family, famous for their prophecy abilities, and he himself said his ability is [Prophecy].

Meanwhile, Su Bei said his ability is [Gear], but judging from his various behaviors, his true ability is probably closely related to prophecy, with the gears he summons serving as the medium for his predictions.

But I find it a bit strange—two people with prophecy abilities in the same class. If they were twins or had some blood relation, it might make sense, but from their appearances, they don’t seem to have any familial ties. So why did the old thief design two characters with such similar functions? I don’t want to maliciously assume it’s a mistake by the old thief, so I hope to find the correct answer on the forum.]

[BugFlyingFlyingNo.1: Obviously, it’s because Su Bei’s ability is [Gear], and you guys are overthinking it!]

[No.2 replying to No.1: Got it, go play elsewhere.]

[No.3 replying to No.1: Alright, alright, straight to the point. (Someone, escort this big shot to the idiot bar.)]

[…]

[No.7: I think there must be some fundamental difference between their abilities, but there’s too little information to tell right now.

However, from what we’ve seen, Su Bei is much more active than Feng Lan. Could it be because of the needs of his ability?]

[No.8: Su Bei feels so cool! A mysterious prophet, turning the gears of fate.]

[No.9: Feng Lan is cool too, okay? White hair is my type! And those golden eyes, like a divine child untouched by mortal concerns!]

[No.10: The old thief’s aesthetic is still trustworthy; a new round of beauty feasts has begun!]

[…]

[No.18: Seems like the thread’s gone off-topic, but I won’t say anything.]

[No.19: Speaking of which, do you guys think what Su Bei said about everyone having a fate compass above their heads is credible?

I feel like this guy’s words aren’t entirely trustworthy—half true, half false. There might be something above people’s heads, but it’s not necessarily a compass. If there really is a fate compass controlling people, would it really be okay for him to tamper with it so casually?]

[No.20 replying to No.19: I also think his words are half true, half false, but this doesn’t seem like something worth lying about. Messing with the fate compass might affect people, but this newbie ability user probably can’t reach that level yet.]

[CilantroSupremeNo.21 (OP): Actually, I’m also curious about something else—both Feng Lan and Su Bei ended up in Class F. Su Bei is most likely here for Jiang Jiang, but what about Feng Lan? Is it really like the teacher said, that he came to recruit Su Bei?]

[No.22: Honestly, I think both of them are here for the trio of Jiang Tianming. After all, they’re the protagonist group, so it’s reasonable for them to get special treatment.]

[No.23: Feels like this season will have a lot of new CPs. I’m tired of seeing the protagonist group mixed and matched.]

[No.24: Then I’ll bet on the unlucky fate CP first! Jiang Tianming × Su Bei, definitely the ultimate ship.]

[…]

[CilantroSupremeNo.30 (OP): Stop derailing, go to other threads for shipping!]

[No.31: Back to the main topic, I discussed with a friend who reads the manga, and we both think these two have the same type of ability, either complementary or substitutive.

Of course, there’s a slim chance the old thief was brain-dead and forgot to differentiate them.]

[No.32: The above sounds reliable. If it’s one of those two possibilities, I hope it’s the former. Don’t let the handsome guys fight each other!]

Seeing that the later replies were mostly discussing the earlier content without providing the new information he wanted, Su Bei exited the thread and clicked into another post related to himself that piqued his interest.

["On Behalf of Fate, I Salute You, This Season’s Most Unlucky Soul! [hot]"]

[OneInchLongerOneInchStrongerNo.0: Aaaaah, so cool! I declare this line my favorite of the year! The clash of mysterious purple and dazzling gold was truly stunning. The old thief’s art is still impeccable. Quietly stanning Su Bei—I love high-class handsome guys!]

[No.1: Insanely cool. I have a feeling Su Bei will definitely become the new hot guy.]

[No.2: +1 to the above, I think so too.]

[No.3: This season has so many hot guys—Su Bei, Feng Lan, Si Zhaohua, and Teacher Meng Huai, each with their own charm. I’m drooling.

There are plenty of beauties too—the directionless classmate who asked them for directions on the first day, Teacher Han in the infirmary, and that somewhat annoying Baozhu.

Is this season the old thief showing off their art skills with a beauty pageant?]

[No.4: Didn’t someone on the forum predict that the academy arc would introduce several new important characters, unlike the first season, which focused on establishing the protagonist group?]

[…]

[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.11: Am I the only one who thinks Su Bei might not be a good guy? Look at these two panels in the manga; they feel too dark. I have a vague feeling he’s a villain.

Su Bei standing outside the classroom.jpg, Su Bei stalking.jpg]

[No.12 replying to No.11: Although Su Bei doesn’t look that sunny in those two images, I think it’s fine. It’s probably to highlight his mysterious persona, not a villain persona, right?]

[No.13: Floor 11 is overthinking. Su Bei clearly seems like a fun-loving spectator right now.]

[No.14: Ugh, please don’t be a villain. I hate villains. If he’s a villain, I’m instantly unstanning!]

[No.15 replying to No.14: Finished your homework?]

[No.16: Elementary schoolers, get out of the forum!]

[…]

[No.35: Hold on, we haven’t even confirmed Su Bei is a villain, and you’re already fighting? Honestly, I’ve already sensed this man’s chaotic, blood-stirring vibe. What a sinful man.]

[No.36: The above nailed it. The random argument went on for over ten floors; I’m dumbfounded.]

[No.37: Isn’t anyone going to discuss the title quote? I clicked in expecting analysis, but what are you all talking about?]

[No.38: +1!]

[No.39: +2]

[No.40: +3]

[No.41: +10086]

[…]

[No.86: Although I’m not sure about Su Bei’s exact intentions, I think this statement is spot-on. As the manga’s protagonist, calling Jiang Tianming the unluckiest person is totally fair. He’s truly a magnet for trouble, on par with a certain death god elementary schooler.]

[No.87: True, from this perspective, Su Bei’s prophecy is pretty accurate, with a sort of absurd fourth-wall-breaking vibe.]

[No.88: Hahahaha, is this the manga author stepping in to roast?]

[No.89: The fact that the protagonist in this manga is the unluckiest is undeniable, but I feel Su Bei’s comment wasn’t just a jab. I sense he said it because he already knows some conspiracy, like—“So it’s you, the unlucky soul, who got targeted by xxx (some big villain).”]

[No.90: Don’t say it, but you’re onto something! It really feels like that!]

[No.91: The fun-loving spectator persona stands strong.]

[No.92 replying to No.39: Makes sense. With Jiang Tianming’s kind of ability, it’s reasonable for a villain to target him :)

Honestly, I never expected Jiang Jiang’s ability to be like that. I thought he might randomly summon spirits, but as someone next door said, it’s probably only those he killed who can be summoned.

With an ability like that, if it weren’t owned by the protagonist, it’d totally be a major villain setup! If I were a villain, I’d be tempted too. Pulling him to my side would be ideal.]

[…]

[No.119: Feels a bit off-topic, let’s bring it back. Regarding Su Bei’s line, if he’s just roasting the protagonist’s luck, then he’s purely a fun-loving spectator.

But if he said it for the reason mentioned in floor 89, then his purpose for saying it is worth pondering.

Is it a reminder, a warning, or a threat? If he’s just a spectator, silently observing would suffice—there’s no need to say it out loud.

In short, if it’s the possibility from floor 89, then Su Bei definitely has a stance, though we don’t know which side.]

[No.120: The above has a lot of words, I’ll go with them. If Su Bei really has a stance, I think we shouldn’t limit it to hero or villain. The world isn’t black-and-white—maybe he’s a third party?]

[OneInchLongerOneInchStrongerNo.121 (OP): Whoa! A third-party force? That’s even cooler!]

[No.122: OP, you’re consistent as ever (facepalm with a wry smile).]

[LeuwenhoekIsMeNo.123: Look what I found! I dug this up from another thread!

Su Bei in the corner of the promo page.jpg

Su Bei was in the promo page too! I was wondering why such an obvious plot-relevant character wasn’t in the promo. Turns out he’s in such a tiny spot? Old thief, you’re too stingy—doesn’t my Bei-ge deserve a big image?

Joking aside, this promo page further confirms my guess that Su Bei might not be a heroic character. Otherwise, why would he only get such a small spot?

And look, this position is exactly in the shadows, very dim, completely different from the other characters, right?]

[No.124 replying to No.123: !]

[No.125 replying to No.123: My gosh! I didn’t even notice this little figure when I looked at the promo page. Bei-ge, how’d you shrink? (lol)]

[No.126 replying to No.123: Now that you mention it, it does seem off. I’ll cast a vote for Su Bei being a villain too.]

[…]

Real World.

Lin Xue, who was reading this thread, happily called her friend, smugly saying, “See? I told you so! That character hiding in the corner is an important one!”

“Fine, fine, you’re amazing,” her friend replied, not expecting Lin Xue to actually guess correctly.

Lin Xue raised her voice, “I declare this my new stan! Gold and purple are the best combo! I’ve already saved up for merch. Old thief, you better not mess this up.”

After saying that, she suddenly remembered she was still in a restaurant. Facing the surprised stares around her, her face flushed red instantly. She quickly shoveled down the last bite of food and got up, ready to flee this socially mortifying scene.

But before she could leave the restaurant, a boy hurried over and quietly asked, “Were you just talking about Su Bei?”

At those words, Lin Xue whipped her head around. Their eyes met, sparks practically flying with lightning.

A kindred spirit!

In the Manga World.

After reading the thread, Su Bei couldn’t suppress a smile. The thread’s content was a pleasant surprise.

Not only had they vaguely glimpsed his potential villain identity, but they also provided plenty of new ideas for his upcoming performance.

Indeed, his initial plan was to navigate between the black and white sides, then settle on whichever identity gained more popularity.

But now, it seemed that who said this world only had black and white? Wouldn’t lingering in the gray area in between be far more interesting?

Perhaps he could even use the forum to genuinely create a third-party organization that dominated both sides.

With class about to start, Su Bei didn’t continue browsing the forum. For now, the forum content wasn’t spiraling out of control, and the discussions were entirely within his expectations, so no deliberate guiding was needed.

Taking advantage of the last bit of time, Su Bei quickly posted a thread he’d been planning, starting to lay the groundwork for his forum account’s momentum.

[[Prophet Post] Class F, a Den of Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers!!!]

[ProphetNo.0: For now, it seems Jiang Jiang and Bing Bing will stay in Class F for a while. According to the protagonist rule (i.e., the protagonist is inevitably surrounded by many important characters), Class F should have plenty of significant characters.

Based on my analysis of Chapter 1, these Class F characters should have substantial roles.

[Prophecy] Ability Feng Lan, Representative of Fate Su Bei, Zhao Xiaoyu who introduced herself first, the two male classmates who finished first and last in the laps, and Teacher Meng Huai.

In the name of the Prophet, my goal is 100% accuracy. Everyone’s welcome to come back and verify later!]

As a genuine member of Class F, even though he couldn’t see future plot developments, Su Bei had a huge advantage over other readers in plot predictions because he could observe details not shown in the manga.

The people he mentioned in the post were probably unnoticed by other readers. Yet their identities were indeed somewhat special, so even mentioning them wouldn’t make anyone suspect he was cheating.

Most importantly, even if he misjudged and some of these people didn’t end up with special roles, it wouldn’t matter. Su Bei could actively drag them into the manga’s spotlight, forcibly giving them plot relevance to ensure his “Prophet” title didn’t falter.

His next post would predict something like a culprit. With two successful posts as a foundation, he could then start spinning tales freely.

After posting, Su Bei didn’t wait for replies and closed his phone, leaving the bathroom. He was planting seeds now; the current replies weren’t important to him.

In fact, if he weren’t limited to one account, Su Bei would’ve used an alt to throw some shade at himself in the thread.

Class started shortly after he returned to the classroom. Meng Huai, dressed in all black, walked in, “I’m your Ability Practice teacher. No need for introductions, right?”

As he spoke, he stepped onto the podium, scanning the room, “First, a few announcements. The first is about the class president appointment. Mu Tieren, you’ll be Class F’s president. Any issues?”

Mu Tieren was the boy who ran first in yesterday’s laps and even helped escort some exhausted classmates to the infirmary afterward.

No one had objections to him being class president. Of course, part of the reason for the calm was that this was Class F. In Class A, there’d probably be competition for the position.

“Next, I’ll announce—” Meng Huai flashed a mocking smile, reading off a long list of names, “Zhao He, Li Weide… Chang Sisi, you’ve all been expelled by the school. You can start contacting regular high schools.”

The announcement caused an uproar. The named students looked utterly unable to accept it.

True, their abilities were practically useless, but they came here to earn an “Ability Usage License.” Without it, they couldn’t use abilities in public.

How could they accept this?

But before they could protest, Meng Huai, as if reading their minds, said, “Wondering why you’re being expelled? None of you finished ten laps yesterday, right?”

The truth was revealed—this was why they were expelled!

The others had no objections now, but the named students were clearly still defiant. Zhao He’s face flushed with anger, “Teacher, I know it’s our fault for not finishing the laps, but isn’t expulsion too harsh a punishment?”

With him speaking up, the others found their backbone. Chang Sisi’s eyes were red, “Teacher, I was wrong. I won’t cut corners again. I’ll run ten laps now… no, twenty laps. Please don’t expel me, okay?”

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

Seeing their desperate pleas, some students felt moved and wanted to speak up for them.

But Meng Huai was unmoved, even intending to use this to set an example, “Don’t act so aggrieved. The school’s expelling you for your own good.”

“Being an ability user is inherently dangerous. All ability users are fatally attractive to Nightmare Beasts. Even Class F ability users, if they use their abilities too much, will attract Nightmare Beasts—mosquitoes are small, but they’re still meat. The school gathers you here to train to reduce ability user casualties.”

This was common knowledge. Otherwise, just for an “Ability License,” so many Class F students who’d given up on their abilities wouldn’t waste regular school time to attend.

“Unlike students in other classes, you have almost no self-defense capabilities and can only rely on yourselves. So, for your own safety, listening to the teacher and training seriously should be an absolute rule for all of you. But clearly, those of you who slacked off on the first day lack this awareness.”

His words left them red-faced. They hadn’t thought that far, just saw ten laps as too much and couldn’t resist cutting corners.

“Rather than letting you half-heartedly train and opportunistically get an ‘Ability License,’ only to attract Nightmare Beasts and harm yourselves and others in society, it’s better to expel you now to prevent that possibility.”

Having said this, Meng Huai had no intention of wasting more time, “Alright, please leave the classroom now. If you have issues, take it up with the principal. If the principal agrees to let you back, you can return.”

Though he said this, Meng Huai knew the principal wouldn’t agree, as the suggestion to “expel a few Class F students at the start” came from the principal himself.

Class F students could barely fight Nightmare Beasts, making them a waste of school resources and delaying their regular education. Expelling them was best for everyone.

The students were unwilling, but Meng Huai’s imposing physique was too intimidating, so they didn’t dare linger and left the classroom.

After they left, Meng Huai acted as if nothing happened, not using it to warn others, and started the lesson, “Now, use your abilities and focus on sensing what you lose.”

It was common knowledge that using abilities consumed mental energy, so Meng Huai wanted them to feel the sensation of losing it.

Su Bei had used his ability multiple times yesterday and was familiar with the feeling of mental energy depletion. He casually summoned an ordinary gear, then turned to look at Feng Lan.

The other boy had a genuine [Prophecy] ability, and Su Bei was curious to see what it looked like in action.

Because he turned, he didn’t notice Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing, who had been watching him due to their prior experience with his ability, looking puzzled at the plain gear on his desk.

It was far too different from the gear they used yesterday—one was a common hardware part, the other a collectible work of art.

How could there be such a gap?

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

The white-haired boy lowered his head, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands. A faint white glow emanated from him. Moments later, he opened his eyes, a flash of gold vanishing from them. His already pale skin grew even whiter, his lips lost color, and he looked slightly fatigued.

“I saw noise, in this class.”

It was clearly a prophecy. Su Bei paused, then realized something, “You mean someone will argue in this class? Student and teacher, or student and student?”

But Feng Lan shook his head. Having only recently awakened his ability, his control was limited, “This time, I only foresaw the event and time.”

Su Bei wasn’t disappointed and instead made an understanding gesture, deliberately saying, “No worries, everyone’s like that.”

This response made Feng Lan suddenly look up, asking the question Su Bei had hoped for, “Everyone’? Do you know other [Prophecy] ability users?”