Female-oriented, male protagonist, no romantic pairing, ensemble cast, ability academy. ["Female-oriented" has nothing to do with the protagonist's gender; it refers to the readership category. For example, BL novels are also female-oriented.]
The forum contains discussion of male-male, female-female, and male-female pairings. (Personally, given the current environment, I don't think it's possible for no one to ship characters in a comic.) If you can't accept that, you can leave. Note: You can ship them or not. Respect each other, don't tell others what they can ship, and don't act as though there is anything wrong with people who don't ship anyone.
Before reading, please check the pinned "Content Warnings" and "Content Changes" posts in the book forum.
The story is slow-paced. If you dislike spoilers, you may want to avoid paragraph comments early on. Also, if you see anything you dislike, feel free to leave on your own. There is no need to tag me specifically to explain why.
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Only when the sun finally deigned to temper its radiance did people at last feel the arrival of autumn.
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On September 1, Supernova Ability Academy welcomed its newest class of students.
Class S aimed for the heavens, Class A refused to fall behind, and Class F was packed with hidden talents.
As for the students in the other classes...
Average.
Ordinary ability types, ordinary skill levels, ordinary attack power, ordinary family backgrounds, and ordinary futures.
They were a microcosm of the vast majority of society, like the landscaping along both sides of an expressway. No matter how distinctive its design, there was so much of it and travelers sped past so quickly that few people paid it any attention.
The battle-hardened teachers all said the same thing: they were used to it. Every year's Class F had a few powerful students who insisted on concealing their strength, but in the end, they would all shine brilliantly.
To avoid that situation as much as possible, every incoming class at Supernova Ability Academy underwent ability and psychic-power level testing before enrollment.
After the testing, students had to wait an hour to receive their class assignments.
A crowd had gathered by the school gates, most of them looking at the class lists. Lin Shubei stood in front of the entrance, forced to experience what it felt like to attract attention.
To his left, two people—one with white hair and the other with purple—had already drawn everyone's gaze with their thunderous argument.
Of the three people to his right, two were twins standing on either side of the person in the middle. Just before Lin Shubei could bear no more and leave, he overheard their conversation.
"I just heard loads of people saying Class F is packed with hidden talents. Why don't we go to Class F? It sounds so cool!"
Class F was packed with hidden talents?
Lin Shubei thought that unlikely, but when he saw the "F" on his class assignment, he still pulled out his phone and sent Qi Yue a message.
【I want the window seat in the back row.】
【Qi Yue: ? Do you seriously think you're the protagonist of a hot-blooded comic?】
Lin Shubei laughed, then told a girl who accidentally bumped into him that it was all right.
Her dazed expression left no impression on him. He looked at the large stone by the gate engraved with the school's name and felt that he had reached a new beginning.
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After watching the scene above, Lu Renyi blinked. Once he was sure the thing before his eyes had vanished, he asked.
"So this world is a comic?"
Two uneventful months had passed since the start of the school year, and Supernova Ability Academy's first-year students were about to take their midterms.
Each academic year's overall assessment was divided into four parts: midterm exams, final exams, winter-break social practice, and ordinary performance.
The people charging at the front were always those from Classes S, A, and F. They were like the center of the world, with everyone revolving around them.
Some people resented it. Others went with the flow and took life easy.
Lu Renyi belonged to the latter group. Ever since entering Supernova Ability Academy, he had never sought distinction. All he wanted was to graduate in peace.
But after taking it easy for too long, even he occasionally wanted to make an effort—and the moment he did, trouble tended to follow.
"Skipping class to get food isn't a reason for me to believe everything you say and cooperate with you just because you showed me a video, is it? Plenty of people around here skip class."
Lu Renyi felt utterly helpless. Heaven knew he had only skipped one class to come to the cafeteria for an early lunch. How had this so-called "Cannon Fodder Self-Improvement System" latched on to him?
The System was helpless too. It had originally wanted to bind itself to a teacher, but a lack of energy had caused it to fall onto Lu Renyi instead, binding them immediately.
But what was done was done. The System had no spare energy to sever the bond and search for someone else, so it could only make the best of a bad situation.
It had just used its last reserves of energy to contact headquarters. After receiving a workable answer, it tried to hoodwink Lu Renyi.
"Host, don't worry. Just as I said, you only need to appear in the comic and make sure you have at least 1,000 fans in the real world."
Lu Renyi stirred the soup before him as he tried to make the System take his doubts seriously.
"What I'm asking is, how can you make me believe that I live in a comic-book world? After all, I'm more inclined to believe you're an ability-created product of some pyramid scheme."
"If you can't convince me, I'll call the police and have the men in caps pull you out of my brain."
Anyone told that they were merely a cannon-fodder NPC in a comic-book world would probably find it unbelievable.
Lu Renyi was still able to keep his composure partly because he had excellent control over his expression, and partly because the cafeteria's soup was too delicious.
The System also realized that everything it had just said sounded like pure fantasy to Lu Renyi. It hurriedly dug the introductory handbook out of a corner and began its explanation according to the approved script.
"Host, the world you're currently in is a comic-derived world produced by the Creative Department of our Quick Transmigration Branch Bureau. The protagonist is Lin Shubei, and the main plot follows his growth from an ordinary rich kid into a dependable savior."
"The main comic has already begun serialization. The protagonist, Lin Shubei, and his two friends who have been through life and death with him, Qi Yue and Jian Yi, were admitted to Supernova Ability Academy together. They concealed their strength, entered Class F, and began their university lives."
"He'll meet many like-minded people. Together, they'll overcome setbacks, eventually defeat the main villain, repel the Aberrant Tide, and become heroes of humanity."
"But after we released a small amount of content to test the waters, too many readers said the plot was ordinary and boring. Headquarters therefore restarted this comic world and sent me to bind with a host to make the story more interesting."
"Your role in the comic is cannon fodder. During the academy uprising a year and a half from now, the villain will mercilessly kill you, and your remains will be swallowed by an aberrant, leaving not a single trace of you in this world."
Once the System finished, it excitedly waited for Lu Renyi to ask questions so it could negotiate terms with him.
But even after Lu Renyi finished eating, he asked nothing. He said neither whether he believed it nor whether he did not, and he showed no panic despite learning when he would die.
The System grew anxious. Its energy was already exhausted. If Lu Renyi still did nothing within a week, it would have no choice but to enter dormancy.
"Host, aren't you anxious?"
"What do I have to be anxious about?"
Lu Renyi found the question baffling. He walked along eating an apple, admiring the scenery as he took a detour back to his dormitory.
"You're only cannon fodder in this world, and you'll even die a year and a half from now. Don't you want to change that?"
Lu Renyi did not take the System's words to heart.
"Even if we assume for argument's sake that this really is a comic-book world, what do you plan to make me do? Find Lin Shubei and work myself to the bone for him?"
The System paled in shock and snapped.
"Host, how could you think that?! Our motto is cannon-fodder self-improvement, not slaving away for others!"
"This is a high-level world directly administered by branch bureaus established in every world under our Quick Transmigration General Bureau. Of course we wouldn't put our host in a position where he had to humble himself!"
"You only need to accumulate fans and discussion on the forum, then unlock the System Shop and find a tool that can help you safely survive your death plot point. If all goes well, you might even save the world alongside the protagonist!"
By the time the System finished, even it felt its blood heating up. In a daze, it could almost see Lu Renyi standing beside the protagonist, chatting and laughing as the villain vanished into ash.
The System was sure that Lu Renyi must now be extremely...
"Oh."
"All right, Host, I'll... oh?!"
The System's shriek made Lu Renyi's head ache. He hissed.
"Stop yelling. If all that noise turns me into an idiot, I'm taking you down with me."
"Host, why aren't you excited at all? That's the System Shop! Any random item from it could cause a sensation!"
"Can I trade them for money in the real world? If not, forget it. Compared to those tools, I prefer cold, gleaming gold and bright-red banknotes."
"Other people can use the tools, and you can charge them immediately afterward. They can even be reused."
"Then tell me what tools I could use."
Thinking it finally had a chance, the System hurriedly opened the shop and scanned its contents, throwing itself into the sales pitch.
"There's a Transformation Mask. Once you put it on, you can take the appearance of anyone you've seen, with absolutely no flaws."
"There's a Time Needle, which lets you return to the past and change certain events."
"The item most often redeemed by the neighboring Strategy Department is 100% Affection. The user can designate any three targets and raise their affection toward the user to 100%."
"The last Category-One tool is the Guiding Compass. No matter where you are, it can locate a safe exit."
...
The System droned on for ages. Lu Renyi had long since returned to his dormitory. As he entered, he snapped his fingers and the lights came on in response. The System's voice faltered for a moment as it searched through Lu Renyi's records.
Illusion-type ability. Level-Five ability user.
After confirming it had remembered the records correctly, the System became puzzled. Had illusion-type abilities already advanced this far?
Lu Renyi thought it had finished and held out a hand for his gift.
"According to you, all these things have to be redeemed with points, and earning points requires discussion. But I was bound to you out of nowhere without ever agreeing to it, and I haven't received anything. I'm getting the short end of the stick, aren't I?"
"Then what do you want, Host?"
Seeing Lu Renyi begin to relent, the System forgot the oddity from moments ago. It longed to yank every concern from his brain and throw them away. Its words came out urgent, and it did not even notice the soft laugh that had just escaped him.
"Games always give you a beginner's gift pack. This is also my first time learning that the world is a comic. It isn't unreasonable to give me something as consolation, is it?"
"After all, if I get nothing, how am I supposed to believe you have the ability to help me?"
Lu Renyi sat in his chair and leaned back, rocking idly. He did not look as though he needed comforting in the slightest. The System simply had too little understanding of the human world to know the meaning of the phrase supremely confident.
"What do you want, Host? You can choose one of the tools I just described, but it will have a limited number of uses. If you want to own it permanently, you'll still need to redeem it with points. Discussion converts to points at a ratio of 1:10, and those tools generally cost around 1 million points."
There was really only one tool that interested Lu Renyi most.
"Can that Time Needle truly change the past?"
"Don't worry, Host. System-made means quality guaranteed. Once you've changed the past, I'll arrange for you to return to certain fixed points in time and help patch up the logic."
Holding the Time Needle's lengthy instruction manual, the System found several warnings highlighted in red.
"However, the fate of anyone who already died in the past cannot be changed. Otherwise, the user will suffer backlash. In severe cases, the user will become a substitute and die in place of the person whose fate was changed."
"What do you think, Host? Do you want this one? I can secure four trial uses for you!"
The System eagerly hoped that Lu Renyi would choose the Time Needle. In the long run, it truly was a useful tool.
"No. I'd rather have the Guiding Compass."
Lu Renyi suddenly looked uninterested, all his earlier enthusiasm for the Time Needle gone.
"The compass? Weren't you just asking about the Time Needle, Host?"
"That's how we humans are. We hide what we truly like and want in our hearts and pretend not to care."
"Is that so?"
The System did not understand, but it still respected Lu Renyi's decision. It took out the tool and contacted headquarters to alter the number of uses, after which the item appeared on the desk before him.
"Host, this tool can only be used five times, and it has a time limit. If you're trapped in danger and haven't escaped by the time the limit runs out, you'll be on your own."
After all, this was only a temporary tool given as a reward. It could not compare to the compass itself.
After explaining every drawback of the Guiding Compass in detail, the System waited for Lu Renyi to change his mind. Although both were Category-One tools, the Guiding Compass was clearly inferior to the Time Needle.
"If I still haven't escaped by the time it runs out, then that disaster must be written in my fate."
Lu Renyi took it in stride, entirely unafraid of encountering the low-probability event the System had mentioned.
"All right. Does this mean we've reached an agreement? You should believe now that I wasn't deceiving you and that you truly live in a comic-book world."
"You've already given me the item. Can I still refuse?"
"No."
Lu Renyi shrugged, unsurprised.
"Don't worry, Host. The Cannon Fodder Self-Improvement System's missions are very simple. Once you complete them, you'll be able to leave the plot behind and live your own life."
After settling the details of their bond, the System remembered its earlier question.
"Host, are your dormitory lights voice-activated?"
"? Are they insane? Who puts voice-activated lights in a dorm? Turning them on with my ability is easy."
"But aren't you a Level-Five illusion-type ability user, Host? What does illusion have to do with turning on lights?"
"Throw down an illusion and you can see anything you want."
The System: ? Was that how it worked?
But the System had no time to focus on Lu Renyi anymore.
"Aaaaah! Host, why do you share a dorm room with the protagonist?!"
"You're back. Did Teacher Zheng keep the class late again?"
Lu Renyi calmly greeted Lin Shubei as he entered, giving no sign of how much noise he was enduring inside his head.
Lin Shubei sighed, not at all pleased that Lu Renyi had guessed why he was late.
"Yeah. Our last lesson was our combat-arts class, and Teacher Zheng kept me sparring for ages. I only just got away."
Once they finished speaking, they had no further interaction. The entire dorm room was silent except for the System clamoring inside Lu Renyi's mind.
"Host, aren't you in Class C? Why do you share a dorm with the protagonist from Class F?"
"You should ask the academy's logistics office. I'd also like to know why the academy has my student records but didn't assign me a dormitory, leaving me no choice but to live in the final room."
Supernova Ability Academy's facilities were excellent. Besides its many athletic venues and libraries, its dormitories and cafeterias received the most praise from students. Every dorm room housed two people and had a balcony and bathroom, while the academy had fully ten cafeterias offering cuisines of every kind at reasonable prices.
The numbers of male and female first-year students enrolling this year both happened to be even, so no one had to share with an upperclassman. Yet Lu Renyi could not find any information about his dorm assignment.
Only after visiting the logistics office did he learn that his student record had briefly gotten stuck and had not been entered in full, causing an error in the dorm assignments. But the information had already been submitted and was difficult to change, so the teacher could only arrange for him to stay in the final dorm room.
Lin Shubei was the lucky one. That was why Lu Renyi had been stunned when the System first told him the protagonist's name.
After hearing Lu Renyi's explanation, the System also felt it had overreacted. It apologized awkwardly, then continued.
"That actually makes it easier for us to show your face in the comic. You just need to say a few words to the protagonist every now and then."
"I see." Lu Renyi pulled a book from his desk and flipped idly through it, looking somewhat distracted. "Then I'll have to be more careful in the future. It would be bad if I were drawn into the comic while talking to you."
"Don't worry, Host. The comic's content follows the protagonist's group. Unless you do something that affects them, you'll only appear if you cling to their side constantly."
"I see. System, you know so much."
Lu Renyi put the book back. As he listened to the System's bashful explanation inside his head, he took the nearby diary and began writing.
After watching for some time, the System realized that Lu Renyi was recording what had just happened.
"Host, are you trying to record the mission? Then you need to hide it well. The contents of your diary concern the world's foundations. Ordinary people can't see them, but the protagonist's group may be different. If they discover it, there'll be serious trouble."
Lu Renyi stopped writing and asked.
"Can't you block the contents of my diary? Or put a restriction on it like in the novels I've read, so that it looks like an ordinary diary to everyone else?"
The System felt guilty. It actually could. After all, missions depended on their hosts, and many people had a habit of reviewing events, some electronically and others with pen and paper.
Anything recorded carried the possibility of being spied upon. At times like that, the System was supposed to provide protection.
But the System's energy was nearly exhausted. To keep itself running, it could not perform any other energy-consuming task.
After explaining, the System comforted him.
"Don't worry, Host. As long as you gain discussion when the comic next updates, I'll have energy. Then I'll be able to protect your privacy."
Lu Renyi understood what the System had left unsaid.
"So right now, you can't interfere too much with the plot's development, can you? For instance, if I accidentally do something that gets drawn into the comic, you won't be able to cover for me in time?"
The System grew increasingly remorseful. Even its normally emotionless electronic voice sounded dejected.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Host. I'm truly useless right now, but don't worry. I won't always be this useless!"
Lu Renyi smiled. "Of course I believe you. We're partners now, after all, and we're going to complete the cannon-fodder self-improvement mission together."
"By the way, when is the next comic update?"
"Class F and Class A have a small group test tomorrow afternoon. There'll be a minor plot point then. It's the protagonist's first time becoming well known inside the academy, and the comic will update once the plot point ends."
Lu Renyi closed the notebook and put it back. As before, he rocked in his chair, not at all resembling the composed man who had first met the System.
"Tomorrow afternoon, huh."