A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 35

"Are you serious?"

Everyone was bewildered, and Lan Subing, despite her social anxiety, couldn't help but speak up, "How do you use it? Make sure the loser looks a bit more dignified when delivering their speech?"

The Queen of Sarcasm was back! (x)

Jiang Tianming looked at the two on the stage and then back at Su Bei, full of doubt: "Did your ability tell you this too?"

"Just keep watching." Su Bei didn't say much. In truth, even he hadn't figured out how Zhao Xiaoyu's [Laughter Speech] ability could help her win the fight.

"Manga Awareness" was equally puzzled but was even more curious: "How did you dare to say something like that? Even I can only tell that Zhao Xiaoyu will win, but how can you be sure she'll win using her ability?"

"It's just a reasonable guess." Su Bei didn't really care about this small bet after the bigger one earlier, and he seemed quite nonchalant about it. "If she wants to become a powerful ability user, she wouldn't give up using her ability in a fight."

There was no doubt that Zhao Xiaoyu wanted to become a powerful ability user. This was evident from how she kept the specifics of her ability hidden during her self-introduction, how she paid close attention in class, and how seriously she took the monthly exams.

In this world, all powerful ability users must develop offensive methods using their abilities. They constantly face the threat of Nightmares, and without sufficient offensive techniques, the stronger they are, the quicker they die.

Even the ability user whose power was [Detective] could use their ability in battle to quickly identify an enemy's weakness.

So, as Su Bei had just said, since Zhao Xiaoyu wanted to become a strong ability user, she would never give up on using her ability in a fight. And this monthly exam was the perfect opportunity to showcase how she had developed her ability's offensive potential.

Understanding Su Bei's reasoning, "Manga Awareness" immediately approved of his actions. Zhao Xiaoyu was indeed likely to use her ability in the ring, even if neither of them could figure out exactly how.

Moreover, the bet Su Bei made on this match wasn't a big one, and there was an easy way to make up for it. Even if Zhao Xiaoyu didn't use her ability, he wouldn't break his persona since he never claimed that his ability made that judgment.

Afterward, Su Bei could simply act disappointed and explain the reasoning he had shared with "Manga Awareness," then express that Zhao Xiaoyu wasn't as smart as he had thought.

This simple explanation would completely cover up any mistake he had made earlier.

In the ring, the two contestants had already started fighting. Everyone in Class F knew each other well. Even if they weren't clear on each other's abilities, they knew that relying on abilities in a fight was pointless. It was all about close combat.

It was clear neither of them was particularly skilled. Although they had been training with Meng Huai recently, it had only slightly improved their physical fitness, not their combat skills.

So, they were essentially two amateurs awkwardly flailing at each other.

At first, neither dared to use much force since they were classmates and would still have to interact after the match. They were half-heartedly trading blows while trying to persuade each other to surrender. But gradually, they couldn't control their anger, and the fight escalated into serious punches and kicks.

Li Qian, being taller and bigger, had the advantage in this brawl. Although Zhao Xiaoyu wasn't short at 1.6 meters, she was still being forced back, step by step. Her retreat wasn’t as embarrassing as Wu Jin’s earlier, but it was clear to any observer that she was being driven to the edge of the ring.

In her current state, let alone using her ability to fight, it seemed difficult for Zhao Xiaoyu to win at all. Jiang Tianming sneaked a glance at Su Bei but didn't say anything. After the lesson with Wu Jin, he wouldn't doubt Su Bei's judgment until the referee announced the result.

Su Bei remained calm and composed. Since Wu Jin won, Zhao Xiaoyu would surely win too, so he wasn’t worried.

After some struggle, Zhao Xiaoyu was finally backed into a corner at the edge of the ring.

Strangely, Jiang Tianming felt a sense of déjà vu from this scene. Then it hit him—wasn't Wu Jin also forced to the edge of the ring?

Was a reversal about to happen?

He perked up and watched the ring closely, and so did the others, who also noticed the similarity.

Sure enough, Zhao Xiaoyu suddenly spoke with confidence, "You're definitely going to lose."

Li Qian looked puzzled: "What are you... ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Before he could finish, he suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, with a hint of confusion still visible in his eyes.

Everyone knows that laughing weakens your body. Zhao Xiaoyu seized the moment and, with a strong push, flipped Li Qian out of the ring.

She won!

"It's [Laughter Speechs]!" Mo Xiaotian's eyes widened. "She timed the use of her ability perfectly!"

The sudden turnaround left Mu Tieren stunned for a moment before he turned to Su Bei in surprise: "She really won using her ability."

Su Bei smirked but said nothing. If Zhao Xiaoyu hadn’t used her ability, he would have explained his reasoning. But since she had successfully used it, he chose to maintain his air of mystery.

Seeing his reaction, everyone couldn’t help but speculate about his ability once again.

"[Laughter Speechs] can make people laugh like that? I wonder how long it lasts. If it’s long enough, it could actually cause significant damage," Mu Tieren mused, thinking that Class F really was full of hidden talents.

Wu Mingbai shook his head. "At least for now, it definitely doesn’t last long, otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until the end to use it."

There were only two people left who hadn’t competed yet—Lan Subing and Jiang Tianming. Jiang Tianming looked at Lan Subing. "Will you be able to use your ability when it’s your turn?"

Lan Subing’s ability was [Word Spirit], and telling these novice ability users to "step off the ring" wouldn’t be too difficult for her. Even an A-rank opponent couldn’t break free from her control, though it might drain her mental energy a bit more.

The problem was that Lan Subing’s extreme social anxiety made it nearly impossible for her to speak to strangers, which was why she ended up in Class F. An ability that can’t be used is useless, no matter how powerful it is.

"I don’t know," Lan Subing said honestly, clearly worried. "If I’m matched with a classmate from Class F, it’s one thing, but if it’s someone from another class..."

She was really unwilling to accept this. If she lost because she wasn’t skilled enough, that would be one thing. Even if the opponent won by cheating, she could accept that. But if she failed because of her psychological issues and couldn’t use her ability, that would be unbearable for anyone.

Wu Mingbai couldn’t help but sigh. "Honestly, you should work on developing a way to use your ability through a phone recording."

Lan Subing forced a bitter smile. "You think I don’t want to? It’s just that I don’t have that capability yet."

As soon as she learned that the monthly exam would include individual battles, she started trying to find a solution. At the time, she thought that if she could see Jiang Tianming and the others in the audience, she might be able to speak.

But after watching the day’s matches, Lan Subing realized that when standing on the ring, you can’t see the audience at all, which meant she couldn’t cheat.

Now her mind was completely blank.

"Why don’t you take our photos with you? Maybe looking at them will help you speak," Jiang Tianming suggested, thinking it was the most reasonable idea he could come up with.

Lan Subing’s eyes lit up. "It’s worth a try!"

Weapons weren’t allowed on the ring, but a photo should be fine. Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai hurried back to the dorm to each grab a one-inch photo for her. They were the two people Lan Subing was most familiar with, so their photos were perfect.

With the photos in hand, Lan Subing gratefully gave them each a hug before nervously heading up to the ring.

As soon as she got on stage, she took out the two photos, trying to use [Word Spirit] to send her opponent off the ring immediately.

But unfortunately, as she looked at the cold, lifeless photos, her lips felt glued together. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open her mouth, and her throat felt blocked, making it impossible to make a sound.

Her opponent was a student from Class D with an ability that wasn’t very useful in combat. When he saw the blue-haired beauty across from him take out two photos as soon as she got on stage, he was startled, thinking it might be some kind of ability.

But after waiting for a while without seeing her make a move, he cautiously stepped forward.

Noticing his movement, Lan Subing quickly retreated. Her combat skills weren’t strong, and if they actually fought, she could easily be thrown off the ring. As Wu Mingbai said, she was a pure mage.

Seeing her back away, her opponent realized what was happening! He suddenly felt excited, thinking, "So she’s just bluffing. I’ll throw her off the ring... but maybe I should get her contact info first."

With that in mind, he took a big step forward, ready to act.

Fortunately, while Lan Subing couldn’t speak, her body wasn’t controlled by her social anxiety. Seeing her opponent about to attack, she ran away without hesitation, not planning to fight back at all.

Thanks to the training from their homeroom teacher Meng Huai over the past few weeks, the students in Class F might not excel in other areas, but they were excellent at running. The guy chased her for a long time but couldn’t catch up, wearing himself out in the process.

"How are you so fast?" he panted heavily, standing in place, out of breath. "Stop running. You can’t beat me anyway, so why don’t you just step off the ring?"

But Lan Subing felt much more at ease now because she realized that he really couldn’t catch her, and it seemed like his stamina wasn’t as good as hers! What was there to worry about? She could just outlast him!

Hearing the boy’s words, Lan Subing thought he was dreaming and couldn’t help but retort, "Why don’t you..."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized she could speak again. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly changed her words: "[Why don’t you step off the ring?]"

"I’m not going to... huh? What’s happening?" The next second, the boy suddenly found his body out of control. His legs seemed to have a mind of their own, carrying him toward the stairs leading off the ring.

"Wait, what’s going on!" he shouted in surprise, unable to resist as he was forced off the ring.

Leaving Lan Subing standing there in a daze.

In the audience, everyone was stunned by the unexpected turn of events. No one had anticipated that Lan Subing would break through her social anxiety and use her ability under such circumstances.

Su Bei murmured, "Is this the outburst of a Tucao character? (Straight Man)"

Lan Subing still hadn’t fully processed what had happened. She walked off the stage in a daze, looked at Jiang Tianming and the others, and pointed at herself, asking, "Did I win?"

"You won," Jiang Tianming confirmed.

Seeing that she still hadn’t fully grasped the situation, Wu Mingbai hooked an arm around her shoulder, laughing, "Not bad! You’ve managed to speak up in front of strangers!"

The atmosphere among the three of them felt as if there was a barrier between them and the others—like the bond shared by the main characters after an entire season of a manga, something no one else could intrude upon.

Except for Mo Xiaotian, who didn't know how to read the atmosphere.

He didn’t care and rushed over, hugging the trio. "Xiaolan, you’re amazing! [Word Spirit] is such a strong ability! After this monthly exam, you should be able to move up to Class A, right?"

Lan Subing couldn’t help but laugh, her mind finally clearing up. Once she calmed down, she reflected on the situation and realized it wasn’t that simple.

Hearing Mo Xiaotian’s words, she honestly shook her head. "Not necessarily. I haven’t completely overcome my social anxiety yet."

Even just saying that made her want to hide her face behind a scarf. For the rest of her explanation, Lan Subing typed it out on her phone.

—"I think the reason I could speak in front of a stranger just now was, first, because my urge to retort was overwhelming; I really wanted to criticize him. But the second, more crucial reason is that I felt like I could beat him even without using [Word Spirit]. Realizing that made me feel relaxed, which allowed me to speak out."

Su Bei’s eyes showed a flash of admiration. As expected from one of the main characters known for their intelligence, Lan Subing’s self-analysis was spot on. In the short two minutes from leaving the stage to typing on her phone, she had already thought it through so clearly, proving just how smart she was.

Although Su Bei hadn’t read the next part of the manga, it was easy to guess that Lan Subing’s social anxiety wouldn’t be cured so easily.

As she herself pointed out, being able to use [Word Spirit] in front of strangers this time was entirely due to the relaxed feeling that came from her confidence in winning.

But if she were to face a stronger opponent, her mindset wouldn’t be so calm, and her social anxiety wouldn’t be so easily alleviated.

Her self-awareness made everyone realize that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. Mu Tieren suddenly asked, "Subing, didn’t you say before that you saw a psychologist, but it didn’t help? Have you considered seeing a psychologist who specializes in abilities?"

That was actually a good idea. Previously, because her family was entirely made up of regular people, even though they were wealthy, they couldn’t find a powerful ability user to help their daughter. They simply didn’t have the connections.

But now that Lan Subing herself had become an ability user, she could ask the teachers at school if they had any recommendations.

Before she could respond, Jiang Tianming shook his head. "I don’t think it would help much. The homeroom teacher clearly wants to help you overcome your social anxiety. If he hasn’t mentioned seeing a psychologist who specializes in abilities, it’s probably because that kind of psychologist can’t cure you."

That actually made sense. Mu Tieren remembered the first day of school, when Meng Huai had forced Lan Subing to introduce herself. He frowned, "How about I ask the homeroom teacher? I’ve already finished my match today, so it’s no trouble."

"Thank you," Lan Subing said gratefully. After all, this wasn’t part of the class monitor’s duties. Mu Tieren was only offering to help because they were friends.

At this moment, the boy Lan Subing had defeated walked over with a gloomy expression. "What kind of ability do you have? How did you end up in Class F?"

He wasn’t stupid; he knew that an ability that could control someone wasn’t simple. Being placed in Class F with such an ability seemed like a joke.

"It’s [Word Spirit]. I ended up in Class F because I have severe social anxiety and can’t speak to use my ability." Seeing him approach, Lan Subing carefully stepped back a few paces before quickly typing out her response on her phone.

Hearing this, the boy scratched his head, suddenly smiling. "So, if you’re able to talk to me, does that mean..." —You’re interested in me?

Before he could finish his sentence, a mechanical female voice from Lan Subing’s phone cut him off: "Because I realized I could easily beat you even without using my ability, I was surprisingly less socially anxious. Thank you for that!"

The boy: "..."

As they watched him cover his face and run off in tears, Lan Subing turned around in confusion. "Why did he leave crying? Was it because he was too upset about losing?"

Wu Mingbai flashed a bright, cheerful smile, gave her a thumbs-up, and nodded firmly. "Exactly!"

Now, only Jiang Tianming hadn’t competed yet. Su Bei was looking forward to his match. He was curious whether Jiang Tianming would use his ability in this fight.

Up until now, in the manga’s updates, Jiang Tianming had only seemed to use his ability once, passively, during the first day of running. He hadn’t used it otherwise. If he were to use his ability, which could summon the dead, would it arouse suspicion?

After all, the deceased he summoned all seemed to be connected to him in some way. Su Bei even boldly speculated that the ones he could summon were all people he had personally killed.

Wu Mingbai, who had a deep understanding of human nature’s darker side, clearly thought that Jiang Tianming using his ability might damage his image. As Jiang Tianming’s turn approached, Wu Mingbai leaned in and whispered, "Be careful with your ability."

Jiang Tianming nodded, indicating that he understood, and then walked straight up to the stage.

His opponent was a student from Class C with an ability called [Hair], which allowed her to attack using her hair. This kind of ability, which served as a natural weapon effective at both long and close range, was clearly advantageous in a tournament setting. Su Bei had previously marked her as one of the ability users he least wanted to face.

Jiang Tianming, as he had mentioned before, was indeed the unluckiest among the surviving students this year, second only to Su Bei himself.

The girl from Class C had obviously done her homework on Jiang Tianming before today. Even though she couldn’t find out what his ability was, she figured that since he was placed in Class F, it couldn’t be anything good.

So as soon as she saw him step forward, the Class C girl said bluntly, "You should just forfeit. My ability is [Hair]. Before you even get close to me, I can use my ability to bind you and throw you off the stage."

The saying "the more you say, the more mistakes you make" applies everywhere. Hearing the girl’s warning, Jiang Tianming keenly caught a flaw: "If you could really just throw me off the stage, why are you wasting time talking?"

Indeed, there was only one match today, so even if she exhausted all her mental energy, she could fully recover by tomorrow. If the girl could easily use her hair to throw Jiang Tianming off the stage, as she claimed, there was no need to waste any more effort—she could just end the fight immediately.

The Class C girl was momentarily at a loss for words, realizing her scheme had been exposed. She coughed awkwardly and, without saying anything further, began striding directly toward Jiang Tianming.

The truth was, she couldn’t actually use her hair to directly throw her opponent off the stage, as her mental strength wasn’t at that level yet. If she had that kind of power, she would have been in Class B by now, not stuck in Class C.

However, this didn’t mean she couldn’t handle Jiang Tianming. At least in her eyes, getting rid of a Class F student should be easy. She had only lied earlier to save some effort.

Now that her trick had failed, she would have to rely on brute strength.

Seeing her approach, Jiang Tianming immediately backed away, preparing to imitate Lan Subing’s strategy of running around the arena to exhaust his opponent’s energy. But after only a few steps, he realized that this tactic wasn’t going to work.

The Class C girl couldn’t throw him off the stage with her hair, but she could easily extend her hair by a meter. Moreover, she could control its hardness, shape, and movement.

This extra meter of reach meant that not only could Jiang Tianming not distance himself from her, but he was also at risk of being easily caught. After all, the stage was only so big; it wasn’t like being in the wild where he could just keep running forward.

He could see the strands of hair behind him glinting ominously like long, dark needles, aiming straight for the back of his neck. Jiang Tianming knew that if those hair strands touched his neck, the referee would immediately declare him the loser.

That wasn’t an option.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Tianming suddenly crouched and pivoted, trying to temporarily shake off the hair. But the Class C girl wasn’t so easily fooled—she expertly maneuvered her hair to follow his turn.

The tournament was indeed a great way to showcase how well students had been training with their abilities. This Class C girl, for example, had clearly been diligently honing her powers since the start of the school year.

But Jiang Tianming knew that if he used his ability, he could easily defeat her. The problem was, as Wu Mingbai had warned, he shouldn’t use his ability in front of so many people. If anyone noticed something off, they might uncover his secret.

He needed a more subtle approach.

With this in mind, Jiang Tianming’s gaze fell on the edge of the stage, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He gathered the last of his strength and sprinted toward the edge.

The Class C girl, who had almost caught up to him, was left behind as he suddenly widened the gap with his sprint. She frowned, feeling a bit anxious. How is this guy running so fast? she thought, while still controlling her hair to follow him.

She knew that he could only keep this up for a little longer. Sooner or later, she would catch him. With that thought, her urgency lessened.

Meanwhile, just as Jiang Tianming was about to reach the edge of the stage, he suddenly crouched down. If the pursuer wasn’t prepared, they might overshoot and accidentally fall off the stage.

But the Class C girl wasn’t one to be caught off guard. All day long, too many people had fallen off the stage because of this trick. She wasn’t going to fall for it!

Seeing the space open up in front of her, the Class C girl quickly tried to stop herself. However, before she could regain control of her body, she felt a slight tug on her clothes, as if someone had gently pulled at her.

This was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Unable to counter the momentum from her earlier sprint, she stumbled over Jiang Tianming’s back and fell off the stage.

Jiang Tianming had won!

Just like when Lan Subing won her match, the audience was stunned. He won? Just like that?

From what they saw, Jiang Tianming had run to the edge of the stage, crouched down, and the Class C girl, unable to stop herself, had fallen off.

Did he not use his ability?

Su Bei looked at Jiang Tianming, who seemed calm, as if he had expected this outcome all along. Then he looked at the Class C girl, still in a dazed position after her fall, and smiled knowingly.

Perhaps it wasn’t that simple.

As Jiang Tianming stepped down from the stage and the referee announced the match results, the girl from Class C finally seemed to realize what had happened. She stood up and walked straight to Jiang Tianming, demanding, "Hey! What's your ability? Did you use your ability just now to pull me?"

Hearing this, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. He had been certain that Jiang Tianming used his ability, but he didn’t expect him to do it so discreetly that no one noticed—except for the unlucky girl involved.

"Didn't you just overcharge and trip on your own?" Jiang Tianming replied with an innocent expression, his dark eyes filled with confusion as if he genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.

Only Wu Mingbai, who knew Jiang Tianming well, chuckled softly beside Lan Subing. "Ah Jiang is really good at acting."

Lan Subing, also aware of his pretense, chose to indulge her friend. "Isn’t it convincing though?"

Having had no prior interaction with Jiang Tianming, the girl from Class C naturally didn’t realize he was faking it. She frowned, seeing his seemingly sincere confusion, and began to doubt herself.

In truth, the girl wasn’t entirely sure if someone had actually pulled her from the front. She had only felt a faint tug. Given the circumstances, it was entirely plausible that even if she had sensed the trick, her inability to control the momentum was understandable. Besides, there really hadn’t been anyone in front of her.

Could she have simply made a mistake and lost the match due to her own slip-up?

Considering this possibility, she stomped her foot in frustration and glared at Jiang Tianming. "You got lucky this time. In the group battle, you'd better hope you don't run into me!"

With that, she stormed off angrily.

Jiang Tianming blinked and then smiled at the others. "So, should we go eat now?"

It was 5 PM, and the matches weren’t over yet. Judging by the situation, they would probably last until six or seven.

Even though they were a bit hungry, Wu Mingbai shook his head without hesitation and motioned in a certain direction with his chin. "Let’s stay and watch his match before we leave."

Everyone turned to see Si Zhaohua, dressed in his school uniform, elegantly rolling up his sleeves as he walked onto the stage.

Standing below the stage were his teammates. It was clear that, aside from Ai Baozhu, who was genuinely worried about Si Zhaohua, the others didn’t seem concerned at all.

Su Bei glanced at Si Zhaohua’s opponent and then asked Mo Xiaotian, "Is that short guy facing Si Zhaohua also in Class A?"

Mo Xiaotian, remembering his classmates, nodded affirmatively. "Yes, his ability is something like [Laser]. He showed us his laser eyes in class before."

At this point, Mo Xiaotian’s eyes lit up as he playfully widened them, pretending to demonstrate. "That ability is so cool, just like in the movies! Zzz zzz zzz—"

"Do you know what abilities Si Zhaohua and the others have?" Su Bei asked, referring to the three students from Class A on his team.

"Zhou Renjie's ability seems to be related to defense. He once said that no one in the class, except for Si Zhaohua, could break through his defense. I don’t know about Ai Baozhu and Si Zhaohua’s abilities though. I’ve never seen them use them. But I think Si Zhaohua’s ability is offensive," Mo Xiaotian shared everything he knew.

Su Bei nodded and started walking toward the center stage. "Perfect, we can see what Si Zhaohua’s ability is now. Without his ability, he probably can’t handle that [Laser] user."

The others agreed and followed him. On stage, the short guy’s expression was serious, and his hands and eyes were already glowing slightly. "Come on, Si Zhaohua, let me see what your ability is!"

As he spoke, two lasers shot out from his left eye and right hand, attacking Si Zhaohua from both high and low angles, making it nearly impossible for him to dodge. The laser from his hand could even move, intensifying the assault.

However, to everyone’s surprise, in the next moment, Si Zhaohua’s school uniform tore open from the back, and a pair of massive white wings extended outward, instantly crossing over each other to shield him, blocking the laser attacks. The sight was both holy and majestic.

"What the heck! Is this even fair?" Even Wu Mingbai couldn’t help but curse upon witnessing this scene.

Jiang Tianming’s team, including Su Bei, stood frozen in shock, staring dumbfounded at the awe-inspiring scene on stage.

After a moment, Lan Subing muttered, "Is it just me, or does this match feel like it’s from a completely different level than ours?"

Hearing this, Su Bei couldn’t help but glance at her and said to the 'Manga Awareness', "I think she also has the potential to break the fourth wall."

After a simple complaint, Su Bei’s attention returned to the stage. He had to admit that Lan Subing was right—compared to their earlier small-scale fights, this was a real battle between ability users.

Honestly, could their team really stand a chance against Si Zhaohua and his team?

Despite their amazement, the match on stage continued. Seeing that he couldn’t break through Si Zhaohua’s defense, the short boy immediately stopped wasting his mental energy and withdrew the lasers.

Sensing that the attack had ceased, Si Zhaohua’s wings unfolded, partially draping behind him, revealing his unharmed body.

The short boy’s expression was complicated, his face slightly pale from exerting his ability earlier. "So that’s your ability, huh? [Angel]? No wonder the teacher made you the class monitor."

After catching his breath, the short boy continued, "I was unlucky to face you this round, but I’ve heard that the [Angel] ability comes with a powerful attack skill called ‘Judgment.’ Could you show me?"

Hearing this, Si Zhaohua raised an eyebrow. "I may not be able to execute it."

Not understanding what he meant, the short boy assumed that Si Zhaohua might not have enough mental energy to use the skill. He casually replied, "Give it a try—who knows, you might succeed."

Since he insisted, Si Zhaohua didn’t argue further and gave a polite nod. In the next second, his wings fully spread out, flapping twice as he ascended into the air.

His expression was detached, looking down at the crowd below. As he raised his hand, it seemed to completely block out the sun’s light. "Then, ‘Divine Judgment’—"

As his words echoed, the small patch of sky above the stage suddenly darkened. Loose stones and fallen leaves began to swirl without any wind, and the entire space around the stage felt like it was on the brink of a storm.

Before his hand could come down, the referee intervened just in time. "Si Zhaohua wins! Quickly, retract your skill!"

It was only then that the short boy suddenly realized what Si Zhaohua meant earlier. "May not be able to execute it" wasn’t due to a lack of mental energy—it was because the attack was too powerful and would be stopped by the referee.

Understanding this, the boy let out a bitter laugh, said nothing, and stepped down from the stage.

Seeing him leave, Si Zhaohua retracted his wings, offered a polite bow to the referee, and then also stepped down from the stage. As he descended, he briefly glanced at Jiang Tianming and the others, but without pausing, he looked away and returned to his team.

Ai Baozhu’s delicate face lit up with a proud smile. "That was incredible, Si Shao! You never disappoint! But why did you even use ‘Judgment’? That skill is—"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Zhou Renjie, whose face was flushed with excitement and admiration. "Si Shao completely crushed Class A! Honestly, you should be in Class S! The school clearly has no vision."

Si Zhaohua frowned slightly and said calmly, "Class S hasn’t been established yet. Don’t talk too much."

Hearing this, Su Bei and the others perked up. So Class S hasn’t been formed yet—that explains why there’s been no news.

At that moment, Jiang Tianming suddenly recalled what Su Bei had said earlier—“What’s the rush?”

Was this what he meant? Since Class S hasn’t been formed, there was no need to hurry.

Noticing the attention from Su Bei and the others, Zhou Renjie didn’t want them to glean any more information. So, he deliberately raised his voice, speaking in a sharp and sarcastic tone, "I misspoke, but you’re definitely going to make it. As for some people, no matter how hard they try, they’ll never catch up."

Si Zhaohua showed no reaction to his words. As if he hadn’t heard them, he turned and walked away, never once looking at Jiang Tianming and the others.

This sense of being ignored felt even worse than an argument. Jiang Tianming pressed his lips together. "Let’s go eat."

This time, no one objected. They all walked to the cafeteria in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Su Bei had no idea what the others were thinking, nor did he care to guess. But what he was contemplating was this: Si Zhaohua’s ability is so strong—both offensive and defensive, with built-in skills. The unknown students in Class S might be even stronger.

Was the ability he had designed for himself too weak?

No, he needed to first understand the abilities of the Class S students so that he could better decide his own ability. Otherwise, if his upper limit was set too low, it would cause problems later on.

It wasn’t until they started eating that someone finally broke the silence. However, it wasn’t one of the group, but Mu Tieren, who had just returned from Meng Huai.

"What’s going on?" he asked, puzzled, as he sat down with his food. Then, suddenly realizing something, he looked at Jiang Tianming with concern. "Your match…?"

"I won," Jiang Tianming replied, indicating that their silence wasn’t due to his losing the match.

Mutieren set down his tray and scratched his head. "Isn’t that a good thing? We all made it through the first round! We should be celebrating—why do you all look like this?"

It was Jiang Tianming who answered him again. "We saw Si Zhaohua’s match. He’s incredibly, incredibly strong."

He used two "incredibly" to describe the impact Si Zhaohua had made.

Even though the skill called “Judgment” hadn’t been fully unleashed, just the prelude to it had been enough to create an overwhelming sense of pressure on everyone present. That kind of darkening sky, the shifting winds—it was something that not just novice ability users, but even most veteran ones, wouldn’t be able to achieve.

Could they really stand a chance against someone as powerful as Si Zhaohua?

Note: "Hey everyone! Sorry for the break—I got caught up with some personal stuff these past two weeks. Thanks for your patience!"