Novel blurb:
[Next book I'm starting]
The moment Xi Mian opened his eyes, he had transmigrated into a Sentinel-and-Guide novel where everyone doted on the protagonist.
The good news: He awakened his spiritual powers and found a steady job.
The bad news: He had become the universally hated character in a Sentinel-and-Guide novel.
In the original story, he was an E-rank Guide who bullied the beloved S-rank Guide out of jealousy, earning the Sentinels' enmity and eventually dying in a swarm of Zerg.
Xi Mian clenched his fist and resolved to stay away from the original plot, work hard, save money, and retire early to buy a villa. He absolutely would not let himself get killed off.
*
A new little Guide arrived at the Star Tower.
The newcomer was a delicate, timid beauty who looked terribly fragile.
His jewel-like eyes shimmered with tears, making him look like a little rabbit.
Everyone thought he would never be able to withstand the corrupted spiritual powers of the Sentinels.
But to everyone's surprise, the little Guide they thought so frail reached out with a trembling hand toward the black-snake Sentinel undergoing mutation before him and stroked his scales. "D-don't be afraid. I'm your Guide."
The black snake, who had been violent moments before, seemed soothed and fell eerily quiet.
He curled his tail around the little Guide, drawing him into his embrace, and buried his head in the hollow of the Guide's neck.
His golden, slit-pupil eyes burned with fervor. His forked tongue gently licked the Guide's pale, tender skin.
They were entwined like lovers, and a satisfied purr rumbled from the black snake's snout.
*
After that, all the Sentinels at the Star Tower knew that its new E-rank Guide had an exceptional ability to soothe them.
Whether it was the leader of the strongest black-snake knight order in the galaxy, the saintly merfolk prince, or even the Empire's second Lionheart Prince, they all overcame their mutations under his guidance.
Before long, the E-rank guidance room at the Star Tower, once all but deserted, had a long line of people waiting to book an appointment with the little Guide.
Bonus scene:
After joining the workforce, Xi Mian rose to the top of the galaxy's most-requested Guides. He never expected a rookie like him to earn recognition across the galaxy, or for Sentinels from other planets to book appointments with him. Fired up, he worked diligently every day, dreaming of an early retirement.
But lately, there had been so many requests that he was struggling to keep up. His colleagues kindly offered him snacks and looked at him sympathetically. "It must be exhausting, guiding that gang of thugs every day."
Xi Mian: "?"
Xi Mian stared blankly. He looked outside the guidance room at the dog-people Sentinels, quietly holding their number tickets and patiently waiting in line, occasionally sneaking glances at him. He thought they were all adorable. When they couldn't control their spiritual powers, they even turned into little dogs. Who could say no to getting paid to pet fluffy animals?
So he smiled warmly. "Not at all. They're all so kind and friendly. They've really boosted my confidence in my work."
His colleagues stared at him with complicated expressions, as if he were some kind of weirdo. He started wondering if he'd said something wrong.
He had no idea that outside the guidance room, the Sentinels of the dog-people mercenary group were blushing and holding their faces in their hands. "Mianmian said I'm kind and friendly!"
"Get lost! Mianmian was obviously complimenting me!"
"Hmph! You're just jealous that Mianmian and I once formed a spiritual bond."
"What?! You formed a spiritual bond with Mianmian? Die!"
Just as Xi Mian was wondering why the NPCs in this story seemed to have such a poor impression of Sentinels, the receptionist burst into the guidance room in a panic. "Oh no! The doggies and the homewreckers outside are fighting!"
Reading notes:
1. A blissfully oblivious bottom x a nonhuman top.
2. Not a traditional Sentinel-and-Guide novel. Sentinels turn into little animals when their spiritual powers are corrupted.
3. A shameless, everyone-falls-for-the-protagonist wish-fulfillment story.
Theme: Love life even when you're in a difficult situation.
