A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 314 : Chapter 314

Translator: AkazaTL

Proofreader/Editor: JWyck

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Chapter 314

Placing the unconscious king on the bed, I let out a long sigh. My original plan was to release the king at a critical moment to take charge, while I, as the honored guest who saved him, would bask in the glory of this plot arc.

But now, it seemed that once I let the king out, I’d have to return home immediately. Though understandable, in the king’s eyes, I’d blatantly disregarded Wu Mingbai’s safety and defied his wishes. Even with the merit of saving his life, I might not win his favor—better to head back home for safety.

Picking up the tablet that had fallen on the bed, I switched the view to the secret chamber. Wu Mingbai had already summoned the guardian god and was now fighting It. Ai Baozhu didn’t immediately help him escape—after all, their goal here wasn’t achieved yet, and fleeing now would be pointless.

But as the king said, Wu Mingbai clearly couldn’t defeat Gao Di An Zhuo. On the screen, he looked utterly battered. Ai Baozhu, protected by an item and with someone else drawing fire, was relatively at ease in the chamber, though no glory fell on her.

“We should run,” Ai Baozhu finally said, seeing he couldn’t win. “Your kingdom’s guardian god seems to have lost Its sanity. Keep fighting, and we won’t get any answers.”

But despite the torment, Wu Mingbai didn’t give up. Shaking his head, he said firmly: “I think I’ve figured out a way. Baozhu, I need you to activate your Ability to protect me when I’m in real mortal danger. Can you do it?”

Ai Baozhu thought she couldn’t—she wasn’t the type to blindly take on responsibility. Her face was full of disbelief: “I can’t. Where’s this confidence in me coming from?”

Though her response choked Wu Mingbai, he wasn’t surprised. He quickly continued: “Then call A-Jiang and A-Bing now and have them help me time it.”

Good idea! Ai Baozhu’s eyes lit up, and she dialed immediately.

Up in the castle’s sky, I had to admit Wu Mingbai was adaptable. When he asked Ai Baozhu that question, I was as stunned as she was.

Sure, Wu Mingbai and Ai Baozhu were on good terms, but only as friends—not to the point of entrusting life and death. For Wu Mingbai to willingly put his life in her hands in an unnecessary situation made me wonder if he’d been possessed. The Wu Mingbai I knew wasn’t this hot-headed.

Only when he proposed the second plan did it click. He probably never intended to rely on the first plan. Even if Ai Baozhu said she could do it, he’d still find a way to make that video call.

But now I was curious about what Wu Mingbai was up to. Had he figured out a way to deal with Gao Di An Zhuo? Or to communicate with Its lucid self?

The video call connected quickly. After grasping the situation, Lan Subing and Jiang Tianming took on the task without hesitation. Though Wu Mingbai’s plan was risky, they showed concern but didn’t try to dissuade him.

The three knew each other best. Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing knew once Wu Mingbai decided, no amount of persuasion would sway him. All they could do was ensure Ai Baozhu saved him in time.

The plan began. Wu Mingbai stopped dodging, attacking the guardian god as much as possible.

I keenly noticed he wasn’t just attacking—he was doing something else, though I couldn’t quite tell what.

His frequent attacks annoyed the guardian god, who finally struck with lethal force. A brown light orb the size of a human head shot from Wu Mingbai’s blind spot behind him.

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing shouted in unison: “Save him!”

At the critical moment, Ai Baozhu didn’t drop the ball. Just as the orb was about to hit Wu Mingbai, she activated her [Gorgeous Domain], enveloping the chamber. The orb was flung out of the domain, along with its owner.

Strangely, though unharmed, Wu Mingbai collapsed, unconscious. The guardian god, relentless moments ago, also stopped moving. If not for its face still on the stone wall, they might’ve thought it had fled.

“What’s going on?” Lan Subing asked anxiously over the phone. “Why’s Mingbai unconscious?”

Ai Baozhu crouched to check, shaking her head in confusion after a moment: “No wounds. I don’t know what’s wrong. What now? Should I take him away?”

“No, wait,” Jiang Tianming refused decisively, explaining, “This is probably part of Mingbai’s plan. Leaving might ruin it.”

Ai Baozhu, taking the advice, found a chair and sat patiently to wait.

Five minutes later, a sudden change occurred. A flood of yellowish-brown light specks burst from the stone wall, converging on Wu Mingbai. Ai Baozhu’s Ability couldn’t stop them from entering and merging with him.

“What are these?” Ai Baozhu tried blocking the specks with her hands, but it had no effect.

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing grew anxious too. Though a rational voice told them the specks might not be harmful, their worry for Wu Mingbai kept them from staying calm.

Jiang Tianming’s voice carried a rare urgency: “Use an item—anything to maintain Mingbai’s state? Use it now, and we’ll replace it later.”

“Wait, I’ll look,” Ai Baozhu rummaged through her Storage Ring.

But before she found anything, Wu Mingbai’s hoarse voice sounded: “No need. I’m fine.”

“You’re awake!” The three exclaimed in unison, relieved. Lan Subing quickly asked: “How do you feel?”

Wu Mingbai didn’t answer immediately, standing slowly. The brown specks kept flowing from the stone face into him. He touched one, and it naturally merged into his body.

Unable to suppress a laugh, he turned, his brown eyes brimming with excitement: “I feel better than ever!”

Through his explanation, they finally understood. Essentially, he had infused his Earth Element into the environment through repeated attacks. At the brink of death, he merged with the environment, connecting with Gao Di An Zhuo, who was also Earth Element-based.

The guardian god’s actions were no longer under Its control, but Its sanity remained, suppressed in a small corner, unable to surface.

Gao Di An Zhuo said the celebration had gone wrong—all the faith It should’ve absorbed turned into resentment, causing Its loss of sanity.

This transformation was irreversible; It couldn’t revert. But Wu Mingbai’s arrival gave it an outlet. It could transfer all its power to him. While this wouldn’t restore it, it would at least prevent further harm to Yafei Kingdom. “Is this guardian god really so selfless? What great debt does Yafei owe?” Ai Baozhu was shocked. Despite losing sanity, Gao Di An Zhuo’s strength was undeniable. Few could handle it, and It could escape to the Nightmare Beast world. Yet It chose to give up Its power and life to lessen Yafei’s losses—Ai Baozhu couldn’t comprehend it.

Wu Mingbai paused, revealing the truth: “It’s actually the embodiment of the resentment of all our Yafei royal ancestors, so It doesn’t want their centuries of effort ruined. The guardian god said if it wasn’t me, It wouldn’t pass its power to anyone else.”

In other words, because it was Its descendant, the guardian god was willing to sacrifice so selflessly. A stranger wouldn’t have gotten this help.

As expected of Wu Mingbai’s destined opportunity—I knew his royal status would come in handy, not just cause trouble. And so it did.

But the benefits came with as many troubles. I grabbed my phone and messaged Ai Baozhu, who was on hers: “Get out quick—Andrew’s coming to catch you.”

From the tablet’s surveillance, Andrew had learned of Wu Mingbai’s infiltration, tipped off by the older twin brother.

The Second Princess was composed, with Weather Butler in the castle, likely aware of Wu Mingbai’s arrival but not tipping off Andrew, keeping her cards hidden. The twin brother, however, had just exposed his informants in the castle—not just to Andrew, but likely to the king too.

Ai Baozhu’s phone wasn’t on ring, but since she was looking at it, she saw my message instantly: “Su Bei messaged! Uh… run! Andrew’s coming!”

With their strength, escaping was easy. With the king “gone,” Andrew couldn’t seal the castle, so they had many exit routes. But Wu Mingbai looked conflicted: “The energy transfer isn’t done. I can’t leave.”

Leaving now would interrupt the transfer. He could’ve gained 80% of Gao Di An Zhuo’s power, but stopping now would limit it to 40-50%.

Seeing the specks still surging into him, Ai Baozhu understood immediately: “Then we’ll keep guarding here. Talk to Andrew—see if he’ll wait before acting?”

Though she said this, they both knew persuading Andrew was unlikely. If he were reasonable, he wouldn’t be chasing and confronting Wu Mingbai. Wu Mingbai wondered how he’d earned such intense suspicion—did he seem that strong?

What he didn’t know was Andrew’s wariness stemmed from the recent world competition. Sent to the Nightmare Beast world together, Andrew witnessed Wu Mingbai’s strength—far greater than his own.

In Andrew’s mind, strength was the biggest asset for the throne. A stronger Wu Mingbai was naturally a major threat.

Within a minute, they heard synchronized footsteps—Andrew and his guards had arrived. As expected, talking was futile. Andrew was fixated on Wu Mingbai’s “ill intentions” for sneaking in, ordering his men to attack and apprehend him.

Though he clearly didn’t want Wu Mingbai dead, even specifying “take him alive,” the attack’s ferocity made it impossible for Wu Mingbai to calmly receive the guardian god’s energy.

This wouldn’t do.

A cold glint flashed in my eyes. I couldn’t let anyone interrupt Wu Mingbai’s upgrade. With his [Earth Element] Ability, he was the best shot at fully eliminating Meteorites.

If he didn’t absorb the energy fully, it might fall short at the end. The author would likely ensure he completed the mission, but whether someone had to be sacrificed due to insufficient energy was uncertain.

Given my role, if a sacrifice was needed, I was 100% sure the author would pick me.

So I couldn’t leave that gap. Wu Mingbai had to absorb as much energy as possible. If that scenario came, I wouldn’t regret slacking now.

“Wake up, it’s showtime,” I said, vigorously shaking the king to rouse him.

Waking abruptly from unconsciousness, the king was dazed but quickly processed my words: “Your second son is about to kill your eldest. If you don’t wake up, you might outlive your son.”

That jolted him awake. He bolted upright: “What! Where?”

After speaking, his mind recalled what happened before he passed out, and he glared at me: “What did you do? You knocked me out, didn’t you? That’s treason! How’s Mingbai now?”

Since the deed was done, I wasn’t one to feel guilty after. I said confidently: “I just let you rest a bit. Wu Mingbai’s received the guardian god’s inheritance, but your less-than-bright second son Andrew wants to interrupt it. You need to step in. Hmm… they can hold out a bit, but if you keep grilling me, things might go south.”

I handed him the tablet, gesturing for him to see for himself.

Though he didn’t understand the “guardian god’s inheritance,” the king saw Andrew attacking Wu Mingbai. Without Ai Baozhu’s Ability blocking, Wu Mingbai would be riddled with holes.

A wise man knows when to act. His worry for his son overrode his anger. He dropped his earlier fury and urged me: “Take me down quick. You said the time’s come, right?”

That was exactly why I woke him. I hoisted him by the waist, leaping lightly from the top as if weightless, grabbing the railing in time to swing us inside.

Once inside, he didn’t need my lead. The king burst forth with astonishing speed, rushing to the basement and bellowing: “Stop!”

The familiar voice silenced the room. Everyone recognized the king’s voice and instinctively looked toward it.

Andrew turned, incredulous, spotting the king he thought was dead at the door. His eyes reddened instantly: “Father, you’re alive!”

I was speechless: “…”

If not for Andrew’s genuinely surprised and relieved expression, I’d think he was disappointed the king lived. This guy was terrible with words—sounding like he didn’t want the king alive. With that brain, how dared he covet the throne? Wasn’t he afraid of leading the kingdom into a ditch?

The king’s face darkened instantly. Smirking, he strode over and punched Andrew, then glared sternly at the guards, demanding: “Who gave you the nerve to harm a prince?”

They instinctively looked at Andrew, who, realizing his missteps, grew guilty: “Uh… I was worried Brother would do something wrong, so I brought them to stop him. He sneaked into the castle—it didn’t look like he was up to good. Father, it’s great you’re alive! Where were you when you went missing?”

“Don’t change the subject. Think I’m a fool?” The king smacked his head again, unimpressed. “We’ll deal with you later.”

Then he looked at Wu Mingbai, mainly at the brown specks flowing into him, and asked hesitantly: “Mingbai, what’s going on?”

Wu Mingbai glanced at me before explaining what happened. As he spoke, Ai Baozhu sidled up to me, curious: “You disappeared to save the king?”

“Something like that,” I shrugged. I disappeared because I wanted to—saving the king was just incidental.

“What’s there to hide? Can you give us a heads-up next time?” Ai Baozhu grumbled.

Hearing her complaint, I opened my phone and pulled up my “Do Not Disturb” message: “I did.”

That counted as a heads-up? Ai Baozhu couldn’t help rolling her eyes, less than elegantly. But she knew getting me to report properly was impossible and soon let it go.

Wu Mingbai finished explaining. Learning he’d absorbed the guardian god’s power, the king said, relieved: “That’s wonderful. Stay in Yafei to train. I’ll handle your withdrawal from Endless Ability Academy. Our Earth Element masters will guide you.”

“Who said I’m withdrawing?” Under everyone’s varied expressions, Wu Mingbai raised an eyebrow, firmly rejecting the idea. “I’m not leaving Endless Ability Academy.”

I wasn’t concerned with Wu Mingbai and the king’s debate over where he’d stay. If the outcome was uncertain, I might’ve cared. But a foregone conclusion? There was no need to watch.

As I tried to slip away, Ai Baozhu, sharp as ever, didn’t call me out but quietly followed.

On the stairs, she asked, puzzled: “Why’d you come out?”

Saving the king meant I’d likely get a hefty reward once Wu Mingbai’s matter was settled. Even if bored, I should’ve stayed.

Ai Baozhu knew me well. Without complications, I would’ve done that. But I knew what I’d done and couldn’t bet on the king’s magnanimity: “I’m heading back home. Today.”

I nodded to myself, as if affirming my decision.

Ai Baozhu: “…”

She always thought she was willful, but compared to me, she felt almost considerate. Yet her next words exposed her own willfulness: “Why? Another crisis? I’m coming with you.”

With the guardian god’s energy depleted, Yafei’s earthquakes should stop. As for the Nightmare Beasts causing chaos, without natural disasters, foreign aid would handle it easily.

Ai Baozhu felt she’d done her part staying to help in such danger. If more threats loomed—enough to make me leave Yafei—she’d go too.

“Not quite,” I shook my head, honestly saying, “I might’ve offended the king a bit.”

Ai Baozhu almost said, “Didn’t you save him? How could you offend him?” but then, knowing my nature, it seemed plausible.

Not dwelling on it, her eyes glinted as she asked slyly: “So, does that mean we’re in the clear now?”

“Not quite,” I said innocently. I had no idea if Yafei had more plot, but I wasn’t sticking around. “If you want to avoid danger, I suggest you head home with me.”

Ai Baozhu’s face fell, hesitating: “I’ll think about it.”

True to my word, I didn’t give anyone time to react. After chatting with Ai Baozhu, I grabbed my luggage and used Lei Ze’en’s teleportation array to return home. Thanks to Gao Di An Zhuo’s massive earthquake, Yafei’s protective arrays were wrecked, or teleporting out wouldn’t have been so easy—most borders have anti-teleportation measures.

Back home, I looked at the vanished teleportation charm, wondering when to ask Teacher Lei for another batch. Having a [Teleportation] Ability teacher was great—these powerful charms fetched sky-high prices outside, and were often unavailable. Even at Endless Ability Academy, redeeming them from the Campus Store cost hefty points.

If our class teacher wasn’t Teacher Lei’s close friend, and we weren’t his direct students, we wouldn’t get these charms for free—buying them might not even be possible.

For me, Yafei’s arc was over. Now, I’d wait for the manga update.