“Forget it. One extra person doesn’t really matter.” The examiner muttered to himself. “Anyway, all the character archetypes a main cast in a manga should have are already present here. Actually, to begin with, I created a very traditional horror manga called Tomie. The protagonist was an immortal, beautiful young girl but then Qingmei told me that this kind of story, with a villain as the main character, isn’t popular anymore these days. In order to ensure that this manga could be serialized in Weekly Shonen JUMP, which takes ‘friendship’ and ‘passion’ as its two core themes, I had no choice but to ask all of you, as righteous heroes, to go and defeat the evil Tomie.”
Upon hearing the examiner’s words, Chu Tianshu formed a rough guess about Lin Huai’s current role.
‘Looks like he’s been designated as the antagonist and made to play “Tomie”…’ he thought. ‘But what’s strange is that, judging from how this mission is set up, the examiner is clearly trying to screw him over completely. What on earth did he do to offend the examiner?’
“It is now seven o’clock in the morning. The seven, oh no, eight, chosen children have gathered at an intersection in Never-Ending Town. They come from all corners of the land and possess different abilities. However, they remain completely unaware of the terror they are about to face.”
Before Chu Tianshu could arrive at a conclusion, the cold, mechanical male voice had already resounded across the sky. Before he could even process the shock of the surrounding forest vanishing, the exquisitely constructed intersection and the crowd appearing as if by divine craftsmanship, Qiu Ran, with the sharp eyesight of an archer, had already noticed the suspicious white block in the sky.
“What is that thing?” the Master of Unorthodox Arts asked in confusion.
“…This…” Qiu Ran narrowed his eyes, trying to discern the contents of the white block. Chu Tianshu raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight and looked ahead. “It’s narration.”
“Huh?”
“Narration. You know, the kind of text box commonly seen in manga that explains the background and setting.” Chu Tianshu let out a breath. “At least it’s not in Japanese…”
Zhang Mingge cast him a skeptical look. He took out a pair of binoculars, stood on the edge of a flowerbed and began observing the text inside the narration box. As he performed this bizarre action, the townsfolk around them gradually stopped what they were doing. They stared at Zhang Mingge, pointing and whispering among themselves.
“What is that kid doing?”
“Judging by his clothes, he should be a student from Liangchuan Middle School, right? It’s so early in the morning, why isn’t he going to class? Why is he doing something so strange here?”
“Is there something in the sky? I can’t see anything at all.”
From their conversation, Chu Tianshu extracted several key pieces of information.
First, these NPCs could not see the narration boxes. The contents of the narration were visible only to the players.
Second… he looked down at his own body. At some unknown point in time, all of them had been uniformly changed into Liangchuan Middle School uniforms.
The girls wore pleated skirts paired with shirts and ribbon ties, while the boys were dressed in black stand-collar uniforms. However, what puzzled Chu Tianshu was that among the players, the large, silent, heavyset man had not been changed into a student uniform.
“Could it be because there wasn’t a student uniform that fit him?” he pondered. “But even if the game were extremely stingy, it wouldn’t go so far as to skimp on something like this.”
He kept the anomaly of the heavyset man in mind. The final thing that caught his attention was the white narration box suspended in the sky.
If someone were to fly up into the sky and use paint to alter the text in the narration box, say, changing ‘seven o’clock’ to ‘seventeen o’clock’, would the in-game time change as well?
This idea surfaced in his mind. If this were Chu Tianshu’s own instance, he would definitely go up and give it a try. However, at present, his thoughts were not focused on clearing the stage. As such, he decided that it would be better to show a bit of courtesy to the host.
At present, there was only one question that truly concerned him, had Lin Huai been assigned the slip of paper labeled “Tomie”? And where was he now? And if Tomie was female…
Had Lin Huai already suffered the misfortune of being forcibly gender-changed?
As he imagined that scene, he couldn’t help but reveal a very strange expression.
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the narration box in the sky changed once again:
“7:30 is class time. I really don’t want to be late on my very first day after transferring to Liangchuan Middle School! Thinking this, the group shouldered their schoolbags and hurried toward Liangchuan Middle School.”
“Mission Release Notice: All players must arrive at Liangchuan Middle School before seven-thirty. Those who arrive late will miss key plot developments.”
As soon as the mechanical voice fell silent, everyone felt a sudden weight press down on their shoulders. Chu Tianshu turned his head and discovered that a black schoolbag had appeared on his back at some point. Beside him, Qiu Ran was startled by the abruptly materialized backpack and let out a short cry.
The examiner continued, “Please complete the mission before I die or before Qingmei marries someone else. Also, if the manga’s serialization popularity isn’t high enough, I’ll be adding some bizarre characters, creatures or plotlines every week to draw attention or perhaps I’ll learn from the ‘Warrior of Love,’ *Gen Urobuchi. Oh right, I might also delete characters who aren’t popular enough or fashionable enough… After all, in manga…”
As he spoke, he picked up an eraser and thrust it toward the “world” where the group stood. To everyone’s astonishment, wherever the eraser passed, all the trees vanished without a trace under its rubbing!
“This is…” A bead of cold sweat slid down Zhang Mingge’s forehead.
The man’s intention was obvious. If necessary, he would erase the players themselves!
“…No ability to fight back at all… This is terrifying…” Qiu Ran leaned against a tree, nearly getting erased. Hugging her bow tightly, she recoiled another step backward in shock.
“I am the master of your fate.”
The examiner curled his lips into a smile, gazing with satisfaction and twisted delight at the players who stood frozen in fear yet among this group, there was a single intruder who muttered softly, “So timid and submissive toward Qingmei in reality yet so heavy-handed toward players on paper… Truly worthy of a loser dog…”
The examiner: …
“This is a competitive game.” The chief examiner smiled. “That concludes the game introduction. Please work hard, tip generously, make my outline more interesting, pass the audition, add bricks to the dream of becoming a manga artist and help him achieve a perfect love story! And now…”
“Game start.”
With that, he set down the eraser and stretched lazily.
At the moment the words “Game start” were spoken, the scene before their eyes shifted from black and white into full color. The originally two-dimensional world reverted back into three dimensions. Everyone stared around in shock, only to find that the forest from before had vanished entirely, replaced by crisscrossing roads and a bustling town.
They were standing in the very center of the town square. At that moment, the clock tower in the town rang seven times.
Seven o’clock in the morning.
“Mission has been released.” The system’s voice echoed inside everyone’s mind.
“Mission One: We educate, we redeem, we eradicate. Eliminate ‘Tomie’ and all of her clones. Become qualified shōnen manga protagonists! If more than sixty-four Tomies exist simultaneously, the mission will fail.”
“Mission Two: Assist Chief Examiner Jun San in creating a high-popularity manga! Work hard to complete engaging manga plotlines and produce a masterpiece. In addition to completing mandatory main storyline missions, players may also seek out side quests within the town, resolve supernatural incidents and receive extra rewards!”
“Mission Three: Rescue the students who have been bewitched by Tomie, be a good student and assist in completing a successful school festival.”
“Optional Mission: Prevent ‘Tomie’ from winning the title of ‘Miss Liangchuan’ at the school festival!”
“Mission Notes: This is a faction-based competitive mission. Players are encouraged to actively participate in confrontations. The manga will undergo a popularity ranking once per week. The chief examiner has the authority to delete low-popularity characters, add bizarre manga settings or alter the manga map… All of this depends on the mood of the manga artist and the editor. Additions and changes may include but are not limited to *Saya no Uta, ABO settings, *Sadako, *Kayako and other characters or concepts. Upon Qingmei’s suggestion, the manga may change magazines, from Shonen JUMP to Young JUMP or even degenerate into an adult (harmonized) manga that relies on erotic and grotesque elements to attract readers…”
“Mission Notes: As this is a manga aimed at young audiences, all players except the antagonist must adhere to core values, fulfill their duties as students and refrain from engaging in actions that violate laws and regulations!”
“Mission Reminder: All players must proceed to Liangchuan Middle School and arrive before seven-thirty. The game will officially unfold within the school.”
The bell had already finished ringing yet the people in the square remained frozen in place. It seemed that, before the game officially began, the examiner had deliberately left them a brief window for discussion.
“…Sadako and Kayako are still somewhat understandable but what exactly are ABO and Saya?” Ji Fengjian scratched his head irritably. “Especially ABO… some kind of blood type?”
“Pfft.”
Ye Xiangxiang let out a light laugh. Ji Fengjian glanced in the direction the sound came from, then quickly turned his head away again, as if believing that even if he knew nothing about it, he could still make it through this instance.
Zhang Mingge adjusted his glasses and said, “Just as the examiner stated, this is a confrontational mission. You’ve all read that manga called Tomie, right?”
Ji Fengjian and the Master of Unorthodox Arts shook their heads.
“The protagonist of Tomie is a beautiful young girl with a demonic charm,” Zhang Mingge explained patiently, offering a brief summary of the story. “…She is extremely difficult to kill. Even if only a single cell remains, she can regenerate. Her existence bewilders everyone around her, driving them into madness and distortion and what we are meant to oppose is precisely such an undying monster, one that manipulates and corrupts the minds of others.”
“But the examiner said that this mission is a faction-based competitive task,” Qiu Ran said, knitting her brows slightly. “There are eight of us yet there’s only one person on the opposing side. Isn’t that a bit…”
“You’re overlooking one thing,” Gu Beichen suddenly interjected. “She isn’t fighting alone.”
“That’s right,” Ye Xiangxiang also spoke up. “‘Tomie’ can create clones. If that’s the case, then what we’re facing isn’t just a single opponent but many opponents. In other words…”
“She isn’t fighting alone.”
“You’re right.”
Just as Zhang Mingge voiced his agreement, he realized that the previous sentence had come from Chu Tianyu, who was leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, wearing an expression that suggested she was merely enjoying the show. Zhang Mingge frowned and looked toward the woman dressed in men’s clothing. She, in turn, spread her hands and said flippantly, “Don’t look at me like that, Glasses. I’m genuinely analyzing the situation here.”
…That was true. On second thought, Zhang Mingge realized that there really was nothing wrong with what she had said.
While everyone was talking, Ye Xiangxiang had already used her phone to look up the address of the middle school.
The author has something to say:
Also, let me casually spoil (or rather, let you imagine) some keywords related to Gu Beichen’s abilities:
Gu Beichen: decisive and ruthless, anesthetic injections, contract signing
P.S. Lin Huai is temporarily suffering from amnesia and will probably remain amnesiac for quite a few chapters.
___________
Sadako and Kayako, these are ghost of Movie “Grudge/Ju On” and “The Ring”. (Highly recommended 😁)
Tomie (Japanese: 富江) is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It centers on a mysterious, beautiful woman named Tomie Kawakami
Saya no Uta (The Song of Saya) is a dark, horror visual novel by Nitroplus, known for its intense psychological themes, body horror, and mature content (eroge), following a student who perceives the world as grotesque after a trauma, finding solace only in a monstrous girl named Saya, with its story penned by Gen Urobuchi and inspired by Lovecraft.
Gen Urobuchi: Japanese novelist, visual novel writer and anime screenwriter
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Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
This is not a bribe. It is a totally legitimate caffeine-based appreciation system.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 111 · Although the author really didn’t want to writeChapter 112 · An explanation of the main storylineChapter 113 · Lin Huai’s QuestionChapter 114 · Hello classmateChapter 115 · Let me introduce the protagonist’s family backgroundChapter 116 · The innocent and naive Lin XiaohuaiChapter 117 · The Trisolarans ArriveChapter 118 · He Isn’t Fighting AloneChapter 119 · Why Here?Chapter 120 · A World Where Everyone Is Sculpted in ClayChapter 121 · How Could It Be YouChapter 122 · I want to sell my carChapter 123 · The Mysterious Transfer StudentsChapter 124 · Gu BeichenChapter 125 · The Male Lead of This StoryChapter 126 · A Voice Never Heard BeforeChapter 127 · You’re Tomie, aren’t you?Chapter 128 · I’ll give youChapter 129 · I just want to be with youChapter 130 · The Principal’s OfficeChapter 131 · Chu: I Disbanded Your Hate GroupsChapter 132 · Speak ProperlyChapter 133 · A Trisolaran Enters the Grand View GardenChapter 134 · Ji FengjianChapter 135 · About Me and YouChapter 136 · Kayako Likes ItChapter 137 · YouChapter 138 · I’ll Beat MyselfChapter 139 · I Want to See MyselfChapter 140 · The Trisolarans’ First Experience of Love and SexChapter 141 · The Trisolarans Try Romance Once MoreChapter 142 · The Trisolarans Try Romance for the Third TimeChapter 143 · It’s All This Buff’s FaultChapter 144 · The Way You Straight Men TalkChapter 145 · Why are you taking it so seriously?Chapter 146 · Chu Tianshu Shows Off His MusclesChapter 147 · Enter the DreamChapter 148 · Leave a little secretChapter 149 · Shadow StreamerChapter 150 · Don’t Look at MeChapter 151 · The Trisolarans betrayed StalinChapter 152 · Then I WillChapter 153 · The Trisolarans rewrite the Book of Life and DeathChapter 154 · What Career Could Be More Important Than Your Wife?Chapter 155 · Aren’t We Already Together?Chapter 156 · MVP of the Entire FieldChapter 157 · Meeting the FamilyChapter 158 · A Phone Call Across Time and SpaceChapter 159 · Lu Jin, You’re So MiserableChapter 160 · The Lands Of DaughtersChapter 161 · The So Called Pregnancy StreamChapter 162 · The Street Where Only the Two of Us ExistChapter 163 · No bare faceChapter 164 · Question 1: Do you have hair loss?Chapter 165 · LaxativesChapter 166 · Where Exactly Do You Exist?Chapter 167 · Seven ZeroChapter 168 · The issue of 0 and 1Chapter 169 · Wind ChimeChapter 170 · Visa and Wind ChimesChapter 171 · Continue to persecute Lu JinChapter 172 · Examiner: I’ve fallen in love with himChapter 173 · Lin Huai intimidates scalpersChapter 174 · Night of EvilChapter 175 · Congratulations to the Male Guests on Successfully Finding Their PartnersChapter 176 · Before ThisChapter 177 · The gong says he is terrifiedChapter 178 · The Tasker CampChapter 179 · I’m So ScaredChapter 180 · The Final Transitional ChapterChapter 181 · Four Beauties Among the FlowersChapter 182 · Plum FragranceChapter 183 · Dry Weather and Flammable ThingsChapter 184 · The Heartless Sword ManualChapter 185 · Only MeChapter 186 · The North PoleChapter 187 · Let Brother Lin Learn to Meow Like a CatChapter 188 · Good Night