Xie Chan transmigrates into a socially withdrawn nobody in a modern action manga, a character the protagonists pick up who only ever appears in warm slice-of-life scenes and doesn't get a single line of dialogue.
He has to become a popular character in the manga if he wants to stay alive and keep the world of the manga running.
The good news... Sorry, there is no good news.
The bad news: Xie Chan is an ordinary person.
In a manga where supernatural powers are the central theme, how can someone like me, with no powers, save you, a broken world? (The world, that is.)
The worse news: from the start, two out of the four members of the protagonist team are gone. Even if Xie Chan wants to grab some screentime alongside the protagonist and cling to his coattails, he can't.
What, you say there are still two left?
That's the even worse news. Not only is Xie Chan an ordinary person without powers, the two remaining members of the protagonist team are, too!
The even, even worse news: will readers accept a nobody getting more scenes and taking over at the last minute?
He can already imagine them telling him to get lost! Let alone winning their affection and recognition and becoming a popular character.
Sigh, every road leads to hell. He's doomed from the moment the story begins!
Closes eyes in despair.jpg
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The Young Exorcists' Strange Tales is currently the hottest urban supernatural manga. Its plot is thrilling, and its art is dazzling.
Beneath the peaceful surface of the world lies a hidden side ordinary people cannot see, where demons lurk everywhere. It tells a fiery tale of people with supernatural powers fighting on the front lines to slay demons and banish evil.
What readers look forward to most is the big reveal and emotional fallout within the protagonist team's little circle: people exposed for who they really are, followed by a tearful reconciliation.
That's right. The protagonist team includes supernatural ability users with secret identities, as well as ordinary people who know nothing about the truth of the world or their companions' hidden identities. A reveal is inevitable!
How could readers who love drama not be delighted and eagerly anticipate it?
Then, in the latest chapter, two teenage geniuses from the world of supernatural abilities both fell on the battlefield...
Leaving behind their dearest friend, who knew nothing of their secret identities, lost and confused.
Meanwhile, a previously minor character was clearly being set up to carry the story going forward.
The readers revolted, ready to send the author a whole stack of knives:
[You old hack, you must be crazy. What kind of manga kills off its protagonists halfway through the run?!]
[Damn it! Are you replacing the protagonist? Zhao and the others aren't even cold in their graves, and you're already trying to push a new character into the lead? You have no heart!]
At first, readers were strongly opposed to Xie Chan, the C-list nobody turned protagonist. He had a somewhat aloof personality, utterly unremarkable abilities, and a frail body that made it hard for him to even leave the house.
What right did someone like that have to be the protagonist, besides having a pretty face? They weren't here to look at a pretty ornament.
But later, they understood. He was the guide fate had chosen, the first and last person to hold fast on this journey to defy destiny and change their fate.
Without him, there would be no story.
Forum:
[Waaah, Xiao Chan, I admit I was way too harsh with you at first. Please don't die!]
[You old hack, stop torturing us! The others couldn't bear the pain of losing Xiao Chan, and our readers' hearts aren't made of chopping blocks!]
[Xiao Zhilia and the others have had such a hard time. They went from ordinary people to supernatural ability users, facing snow, rain, wind, and frost, mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It's just too hard.]
[Waaah, Brother Zhao, A Xing, do you know how your younger brother and dearest friends managed after you died and left them behind?]
[What kind of ending could possibly do justice to all the hardships they've endured along the way...?]
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Xie Chan, who feels like he's following the normal steps and working hard: ?
Xie Chan: Are all those tragically dramatic descriptions supposed to be about me?
--
Cicada: commonly known as a cicada.
The protagonist is the original character. For certain reasons, he mistakenly believes he transmigrated.
The protagonist is in poor health at first, but should recover later on.
The protagonist will eventually max out his combat abilities, but it will happen gradually.
The entire cast has a family-and-friendship focus, with no romance.
The overall tone won't be too heavy. There'll be a little silliness and a lot of people misunderstanding things in the protagonist's favor.
Definitely a happy ending.
--
A preview of an upcoming story: After I, the Manga's Protagonist, Become a Background Character
Blurb:
A city of supernatural powers, overrun with demons.
Xie Zhao was once one of the most powerful ability users, a heaven-blessed genius whose very name suited him, someone everyone looked up to.
Then an upheaval caused his level to plummet and his supernatural powers to vanish.
One day, a plot-correction System suddenly bound itself to him and told him that he was actually the protagonist of a manga.
Originally, he should have been full of confidence, accompanied by his closest friends, charging ahead with fiery passion and protecting the world.
But the plot had been maliciously altered, his moments in the spotlight stolen, and now he had become a disposable nobody in the manga.
The System spoke with fervor: "Host, the three-year term is up. It's time to show everyone what you can do."
"Go on, save the world in all your radiant glory, and take back everything that belongs to you."
Xie Zhao: "..."
That was inspiring.
The only problem was, as an ordinary person already retired, how was he supposed to return to the extraordinary world?
System: "Don't panic, friend. You'll have bread, and your powers will come back, too."
"Go find the people who were supposed to become your closest friends. They're still popular characters in this manga. Win them over, heal them, and stand by their side again. You'll have no trouble getting some screentime."
Xie Zhao got it.
But there was one tiny problem.
"...System, you're late. You might not know all the details."
"The people you listed either keep everyone at arm's length and never let anyone close, or hate me to the bone and would never work with me."
But that wasn't a big deal.
Who said he had to win them over to get screentime?
Hate lasts longer than love.
Being the most infuriating rival or the best of friends, either way, you're unforgettable.
So all he had to do was make life hell for those guys.
System: "..."
The System was tearing its hair out. What was this ridiculous plot where the male protagonist suddenly turned villain and became the big bad?
Could this story really still be saved?
Reader forum:
[What a shame about Xie Zhao. He made such a dazzling entrance. I thought he'd be part of the protagonist team.]
[Yeah, a proud genius falling from the mountaintop, becoming an ordinary nobody, then turning evil because he couldn't accept the loss and opposing the protagonist team. Fate sure is cruel!]
[So this is what really happened... Brother Zhao was the protagonist whose fortune was stolen. He was the one who saved everyone and protected it all, and he's still the one everyone is looking for.]
[A missed chance, a mistake... What a sigh.]
[Brother Zhao, you wanted them to hate you so they wouldn't hurt when they lost you. But what will you do if they discover the truth one day?]
Xie Zhao said nothing, simply nodding in satisfaction.
If even the readers, watching from an all-knowing perspective, had misunderstood things so badly, how much more would certain people read into it?
Plan successful. √
--
Theme: Persevere and strive for self-improvement.
After I, the Comic's Protagonist, Became a Cannon Fodder
A Fake Master Rides the Waves in Horror Movies
Everyday Savior of the Fourth Calamity
Those Without Love Don't Get Their Hearts Broken
After Faking My Death, My Memories Were Exposed
Master, I Have Something to Say
Everyone Thinks the Fake Heiress Has Her Reasons
The Little Monster Acts Its Way to Redemption [Quick Transmigration]
The Host Clears Their Name Through Acting [Quick Transmigration]
My Years as a Life Mentor in the Supernatural World
The Young Demon Exorcist
I Save the Female Lead with Poisonous Comforting Words (Quick Transmigration)
I can feel that the author is trying hard to tell a complete story. But how to say it? Many settings are explained temporarily when they are used instead of foreshadowing in advance. The impression given to me is almost "since you said so". For example, the time being skipped needs to be detailed and appropriate from the comic perspective, so it is right to jump in time significantly. Why does it have to be like this in the text? The character has grown and upgraded without us knowing it, and his behavior has also deviated from the initial impression. Where can I make up for the missing experience? On the other hand, if the content of the article is to be exactly the same as the comic part, then why repeat the comic part? This is like the original film and the director's cut. The former should be detailed, while the latter should focus on the main line and foreshadowing clearly, so as to avoid the comic chapter giving people a "watery" look. To be honest, in the early stage, I felt the same when I saw those barrages being slashed, but in the later stage, I gradually felt that... There was no nutrition and it was a bit boring. It is said that the purpose of the protagonist using this "Book of Observation" is to filter out useful information, but the author lists all the barrages that are not available, giving the impression that the protagonist is just watching the comic through the camera, but the content of this comic has already been read once by the readers of this article, so... Does the protagonist know what the point of what he wants to read is? It gives people this very relaxed impression, which is inconsistent with the background of a world-class disaster. There are many other settings that are not clearly explained, such as what the spiritual power system and upgrade methods are, how powerful the official power is, there seem to be only a few named characters, and there are only a few representatives of the masters. The management directly disappears and lets the protagonist team lead. The final battle also relies heavily on a certain time-based superpower. It gives people the feeling that the whole country can't find a second person who can support it? There is no way that this family is the only one in the time system, right? This feeling. Speaking of which, the maps of other countries have not been opened. Basically, the whole article is centered around a map of Cloud City. I don't know what the situation is in other cities. They can use demons to refine spiritual weapons. Have you considered developing spiritual technology or the like? Another thing that really surprised me about the description is that there are always game-like descriptions in the tense and exciting battles, and it is not the beautification of the third perspective but the character himself joking like this, just... Can't all of you think of a second way to relax the atmosphere? Everyone using the same series of rhetoric will only give people the feeling that they can't distinguish the differences between the characters. When it comes to being aloof, no one seems to be really aloof, and when it comes to being gentle and sinister, everyone has a bit of it, and there are always similar situations of childishness and stupidity. The character creation situation that left a deep impression on me was the scene in the early stage when the trio fell into the abyss, the protagonist did not hesitate to throw the book of observation to save a glimmer of hope, and Sister Wushuang rushed forward without retreating. There is no such place in the later period. Everyone has become too restrained in their emotions during the time skip. If the author does not use the character's words to express his mood, he will be completely unable to form his own reading understanding, because there is no reference material for judgment, which is very regrettable. I enjoyed the relationship between the five characters, but... This book could have been more exciting. I hope the author can continue to improve and write more exciting chapters in the future!
Wow, you're going to be caught, little cicada.
Are you going to lose your horse? You are going to lose your horse. Haha.
Caught a little cicada on the spot 🐶🌹
The reader's mouth is a bit uncontrollable 🐶
Is it over already? QAQ I can't bear to finish it.
Hahahaha, one move to destroy the enemy 🐶 🐶
I always thought that what I was reading was a completed [Joker] and it ended here, which is really heart-breaking.
Madam, when will it be updated?