The Comic World Depends on Me to Stay Alive

Please check the pinned post for all my upcoming novels~ My new novel, He Is the Depressed Cannon Fodder in an Idol Game, is now open for follows (blurb at the very bottom). If you're interested, please add it to your follows 🥺🥺

(The first 60 chapters of this novel are free) Coming-of-age shonen manga protagonist vs. secret-identity mastermind and his group of scriptwriters

A battle between two powerful male leads

A shooting star streaked across the distant horizon and, with a crash, struck the Chaos Zone.

Yun Gu opened his eyes, his head buzzing.

[Congratulations on successfully signing the contract. The Popular Character System is at your service. May you overcome every obstacle and difficulty, and bring vitality to the world of comics.]

This was his second time being reborn. This time, he absolutely would not fail.

*

He had no past and could not see the future.

He had countless identities, but not one of them was truly himself.

He could become anyone, as long as he wished it.

He was called the Pure White Performer, the Thousand-Faced Killer, the Playwright Behind the Scenes, the Dazzling Magician, the Hyena in the Shadows, the Jade-Faced Asura, the Lone Hunter, the Wind's Beloved, the Shield of Pure Silver, the Other Shore Deep in the Maze... Countless versions of him came together to form someone utterly unique.

Those who loved him were as numerous as the stars, and so were those who despised him.

In response, he merely smiled gracefully. "It doesn't matter. All I need is popularity."

He would eventually use the popularity born of their love and hatred to achieve his goal.

Even when faced with an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, he felt no fear.

"A god? Then I'll simply slay a god. No one can stop me from walking the path I've chosen."

At first, countless people hated him, calling him a "murderer," "a beast in human skin," and "a monster pretending to be human."

Later, when he worked with the protagonist of the comic, some called him a "liar" and told the protagonist to stay away from him.

Some loved his face, his freedom, his carefree nature, his mystery, and his strength. They loved how unconstrained and fearless he was. Others hated his hypocrisy, his arrogance, his disregard for rules, and his irreverence toward spirits and gods.

Yet when the truth came to light, every one of them regretted their words: "I was wrong." "Waaah, so he really was 'him'!" "I shouldn't have insulted you."

Bit by bit, his popularity would accumulate, until it formed a river of stars and forged the throne that belonged to him!

"No one's sacrifice is cheap."

"Yun Gu? White Dove? White Crane? Or Performer, An He, Mo Yun, Bai Yu, Xun Xing, Jiang Wuyi, Luo Shiyi, Si Rumeng... It doesn't matter. Call me whatever you like."

"This isn't my real world."

"You are my anchor, my connection to the real world..."

"All love and hatred will pave your way. Flowers and cheers will one day crown you. You will shatter the world's barriers, and the world will shine because of you."

*

Top's perspective:

A pitiful little guy whose father and mother are both dead, yet he inherits a fortune worth tens of millions and works harder than anyone.

Sadly, his fate is full of twists and turns. He takes a nap, and the world changes beyond recognition. From then on, he begins traveling between two worlds.

Just as he's about to leave the "starting village," a "shooting star" suddenly falls from the sky.

So, can someone tell me who this person in the crater is?

Swayed by the other man's repeated calls of "Mr. Ally," the two embark on a shonen-manga-style journey of recruiting companions, beating up villains, and clearing map-based challenges.

//

There is one-sided attraction. Xiao Gu is the bottom, Xiao Su is the top, and their pairing is fixed. (The forums include some discussion of non-canon pairings, mostly just mentioned in passing and not described in detail.)

The main focus is the plot, with comic forums as a secondary element (they take up little space). There are all kinds of fans. It's a feel-good novel with a large ensemble cast, plenty of stories about minor characters, and animal motifs.

The protagonist isn't a saint. He's somewhat chaotic neutral and self-interested, but he has principles and empathy.

Finally, thank you to Angel Sister for the cover! It's amazing!

He Is the Depressed Cannon Fodder in an Idol Game

Blurb:

My name is Sui Yi. Just like my name suggests, my existence is utterly inconsequential, something that can be casually brushed aside.

For reasons unknown, I was reset countless times, returning to the same starting point again and again, only to end up as an unremarkable nobody every time.

It was only later that I learned I was a character in a management and training game.

As an "uncollectible" character, I was destined to be a cannon-fodder supporting character in this world, forever trampled under the protagonists' feet.

So I gave up. I gave up struggling and gave up on everything.

The only thing I wanted to keep was the guitar in my hands. As long as I had that, it was enough.

It was raining heavily that day. A little tipsy, I was utterly dejected, slumped under the eaves with my guitar in my arms. The rain still dampened my hair.

Unexpectedly, I ran into a five-star character from that game.

He took me in.

When I opened my eyes again, I had become an entertainer under the game's player character.

It was my first time joining the player character's agency.

But I wasn't the protagonist. In the end, I'd still become an unremarkable nobody, wouldn't I?

*

Shine Bright! Super Star is a revolutionary, high-freedom VR game that finally launched after decades of refinement and testing.

Players soon discovered a unique character: Sui Yi.

He was handsome, beautiful, and exceptionally talented, yet gloomy and depressed.

When he was alone, he was like a mushroom in the corner, lifeless and devoid of energy.

But whenever he stepped onto the stage, he became the brightest star in the crowd, igniting pure-black, dazzling fireworks onstage.

This contradictory, chaotic flame quickly drew everyone's attention.

More and more people came to love him and become obsessed with him.

[Who understands just how precious this soggy little black cat is?]

[Baby Sui Yi, can we please keep living together?]

[There's no one who wouldn't love you.]

[Your flame will never go out.]

[You deserve the best. You are the best.]

They wanted to lift him up high and tell him, "You are the brightest star of all."

*

When all that love is gathered around you, who could still be a cannon fodder?

So, Sui Yi, please bravely move forward.

"We'll always be right behind you."

//

◎ Very beloved, adored by everyone, with countless one-sided crushes

◎ Includes game forums and all kinds of fans

◎ The player character cannot romance game characters. All relationships are familial or platonic.

◎ No betting on pairings. Because the setting is unusual (game + ?), there are multiple endings. If that's not for you, please feel free to skip this little novel (sorry!)

◎ At heart, I want to write a healing, cozy little story. It has no basis in reality and leans toward a fairy-tale style.

A bit of an ensemble cast. Everyone likes Sui Yi, though not necessarily romantically.

◎ Please be active in the comments, and you might catch the author slacking off there~ Mwah~

Theme: Never forget your original intentions, and you'll see things through to the end.