When a Socially Anxious Manga Artist Plays the Beautiful, Strong, Tragic Protagonist Herself

Ling Jiang is an utterly ordinary comic artist.

On the day he finishes the outline for Multiple Personality Detective, a Star-Seeking System claiming to belong to the Interstellar Empire shows up at his door.

The System has its eye on Ling Jiang. "Sir, I hear the protagonist of this comic is your ideal type. We'd like to invite you to play him yourself. What do you say?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!"

Ling Jiang refuses without a second thought, an introvert through and through.

That isn't his ideal type. It's the person he dreams of becoming! It's a dream, which means he definitely isn't like that now. How is he supposed to play him?

The System doesn't give up. "We offer the highest level of art, storyboarding, planning, and promotion. We guarantee your comic will take the whole universe by storm!"

"Well... I do have a little savings."

Ling Jiang hesitates, poor, resigned, and painfully self-aware.

It's fine. When there's no way forward, he can always take the road to certain death.

The System brings out its trump card. "As long as you complete the entire comic plot without breaking character, the comic world will become reality, and you can meet the protagonist in person."

"I'm in! I'm in!"

Ling Jiang nods frantically, driven by passion.

As long as he can meet him, he'll do anything!

*

After entering the comic, the System stares in confusion at the protagonist Ling Jiang calls "beautiful, powerful, and tragic." In reality, he's gentle and elegant, strong and righteous, emotionally stable, and the world's greatest detective.

The System can see the beautiful and powerful parts, but where's the tragedy?

On the plane, someone pounds on the protagonist's door, while a murderer outside yells arrogantly.

"Detective, get out here!"

Inside his mind, the protagonist's doors are being pounded on too, as the drawbacks of his multiple personalities become painfully clear.

The doctor and the professor radiate murderous intent. "Who are you?"

Meanwhile, Ling Jiang, playing his own protagonist, is a genuine introverted comic artist, currently cowering behind the door with his head in his hands.

The System gets it. "The tragic part is you, isn't it?"

*

To avoid ruining his protagonist's reputation, Ling Jiang steels himself and shakily plays his beautiful, powerful, and tragic protagonist.

As the author, he does have some advantages.

From which building a murderer's hiding in to exactly how many undercover spies there are at the police station, he knows it all.

What's more, the System gives him special help, becoming a fourth personality and constantly giving him cheats.

The professor handles the brains, the doctor handles the brawn, and the System supplies the cheats.

Ling Jiang: The four of us are amazing! (beaming.jpg)

*

Years later.

When Multiple Personality Detective really does take the whole universe by storm, just as the System predicted, Ling Jiang finally gets to meet the protagonist he dreamed of.

"Where's my mentor?" Ling Jiang asks, following the System into the Cloud Mirror Hall, a symbol of the Interstellar Empire's glory. He looks around. There are plenty of familiar faces, but not the person he most wants to see.

The System: "He's right in front of you."

Ling Jiang stops and looks up.

Suddenly, he realizes that the gentle, elegant figure reflected in the mirror is exactly the person he dreamed of becoming.

*

[I will wait for myself to arrive in the place I love most]

Mentor Ling Jiang

Reading guide:

1. This is a birthday fic for my original character. If it isn't written well, then... I'll write another one next year (.)

2. What, you've never seen someone write fanfiction about their own character? Oh, come on (rolls around)

*

Theme: Passion can overcome every obstacle