Chapter 38-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
"By the way, Li Yixin, have you seen the latest update of King of the Demonic Domain? My fated wife has appeared!"
"You're not usually into this two-dimensional stuff, are you? I've been trying so hard to get you into Zhao Mei, and you didn't budge! Wait, have you finally been moved by Zhao Mei?"
"Oh, you'll know once you read the new chapter!"
Li Yixin hung up the phone, her mind filled with doubt. This friend of hers was a 'real-life' person (a term for someone who focuses on real-life pursuits, not online or subculture ones) who was into celebrity fandom. Li Yixin had only started reading King of the Demonic Domain because of her friend's persistent recommendations. Although she was hooked on the story, her 'real-life' friend still didn't seem interested in stanning two-dimensional characters and couldn't understand investing deep emotions in fictional figures.
Her friend's voice on the phone just now sounded as excited as when she was fangirling over Zhao Mei. What on earth happened in the new chapter?
Li Yixin twirled the pen in her hand, her mind completely distracted from homework. She opened the manga app on her phone.
The last update had brought a storm of controversy around Zhao Mei. Fans of Percy and Zhao Mei were still in a heated and drawn-out argument, which pained Li Yixin's heart. She had intended to stay away from this manga, which she both loved and hated, for a while, as a high school senior couldn't handle such emotional ups and downs. But her friend's mysterious words had piqued her curiosity.
The new chapter began where the last one left off.
The Demonic Domain, from which the shadow was born, was destroyed. Zhao Mei appeared mysteriously before the protagonist team and told Percy that he might have to leave for a while.
Li Yixin sighed. It was highly likely that Zhao Mei wouldn't appear in this chapter. Fortunately, there was a lot of fan content for him now, which was a small comfort.
On the screen, the Cloud-Soaring Squad was a little dejected without Zhao Mei. He was so mysterious that they didn't even know where he was recuperating or about his other relationships. His teammates couldn't find a way to check on him even if they wanted to.
Then, the next afternoon, the sensor lit up again. The Cloud-Soaring Squad immediately perked up. Percy glanced at the location on the sensor, and his expression changed.
"This is where I grew up."
The other members of the Cloud-Soaring Squad exchanged glances. Come to think of it, Percy was just as mysterious as Zhao Mei. They had all met at the Cloud-Soaring Academy, and Percy always kept his past to himself.
"This location is a bit far, and it's very close to the Royal Academy..."
Roy reminded him with a serious expression.
"No, I don't feel comfortable letting Sykes and his team handle this. They have no empathy."
"I'll go alone. This has nothing to do with the competition; it's a personal matter."
The black-haired, blue-eyed boy's lips were tightly pursed, his eyes dark and somber. The creator's skilled artistry perfectly conveyed his momentary sense of loneliness and detachment. Li Yixin's positive feelings toward Percy had dropped because of some irrational character fans, but now, seeing this panel, she couldn't help but feel a wave of affection for him again.
The creator had kept Percy's past a deep secret. All that was known was that he became an orphan after the 'Blood Flower' Incident, was detected with the lowest E-rank talent, and had to attend a low-grade ability user academy. For some unknown reason, he later transferred to the failing Cloud-Soaring Academy. He then led the academy to shine in various competitions, and the academy escaped the crisis of closure, becoming a highly sought-after ability user academy in the lower district.
"What are you talking about! We're the inseparable Cloud-Soaring Squad. Don't think you can go off on your own and leave us behind!"
Lucy huffed and patted Percy on the shoulder.
The tall and muscular Caleb looked crestfallen. "Is... is it because we're dragging you down..."
Roy awkwardly ran a hand through his blond hair, his tone a bit regretful. "Hey, I was just objectively analyzing the difficulty of this. Who said I don't want to go?"
Seeing this, Li Yixin smiled in relief. The bond between the protagonists in a shonen manga was always admirable. No matter how much the readers outside the manga argued, the Cloud-Soaring Squad was a warm family.
[No need for that look, Percy, my heart aches for you]
[Percy has such a magnificent face...]
[The protagonist team are all good kids!]
[Can I say it? The protagonist team is much more harmonious without 'that person.']
[This is the original Cloud-Soaring Squad!]
[Why are people still trying to scold Zhao Mei in every way? Why are you so cruel to my Zhao Mei?]
[Old Uncle, when will you reveal Percy's past? I'm already prepared for a heartbreaking story...]
Opening the comments, Li Yixin was surprised to see someone openly advocating 'only the four' in the comments (a term from idol fandom for fans who only support a subset of a group, excluding one member).
She had learned this term from her friend who followed girl groups. Solofans of a group often exclude one member, believing the team is perfect without them. She couldn't believe someone was doing this in King of the Demonic Domain.
Although Zhao Mei joined later, he was still a beloved and accepted member of the Cloud-Soaring Squad!
Li Yixin fumed and continued reading.
It took the Cloud-Soaring Squad a considerable amount of time to reach the Demonic Domain. Surprisingly, they only encountered one team from the Middle District inside. It seemed everyone was intimidated by the crown prince's strength and gave up this potential scoring opportunity.
"Wow, this Middle District girl is so cool and beautiful!"
Li Yixin sighed as she looked at the short-haired girl on the screen. The new girl also had a great figure, with a form-fitting black dress that outlined her graceful curves and revealed small patches of fair skin on her chest and waist.
She didn't find anything wrong with it. This kind of outfit was even considered conservative for a two-dimensional female character. Li Yixin was used to it.
Upon entering the Demonic Domain, Percy gave up on searching for the core for points and instead led the Cloud-Soaring Squad to rescue ordinary people. Li Yixin sighed, thinking this kind of mindset was truly fitting for a protagonist.
She scrolled down, and Sykes's extremely striking face appeared on the screen.
"Crown Prince, long time no see."
"I didn't realize you had a hobby of being a shepherd."
The arrogant and dazzling boy's presence took up the entire panel. Li Yixin admired the crown prince's handsome face for a moment, then suddenly noticed an intriguing figure in the corner of the manga: a black-haired girl in a white dress. Even with the rough sketch, she was very eye-catching.
It was Ye Zheng, the woman who had stirred up a storm in the forums. Later, Zhao Mei took her place as the new controversial character, but even so, readers who disliked her still occasionally appeared in the forums.
"Sir, are you feeling unwell?"
The Saintess in the white dress stepped forward to ask a man with a strange physique. Immediately, countless bugs burst out from the man's body and crawled all over her screen. Disgusted, Li Yixin quickly scrolled down.
Among the scattered crowd, people began to burst out with horrifying bugs from their bodies. Under the combined attack of the Cloud-Soaring Squad and the Royal Team, these bugs were quickly eliminated.
Then, the Divine Academy appeared. Bai Muqing worked with Ye Zheng to remove the parasitic eggs from the humans, resolving the hidden danger.
Li Yixin found that both of them were pure and holy-looking beauties. Standing together, they looked quite pleasant.
Li Yixin's feelings toward Ye Zheng's character were a bit complicated. Previously, she shipped Percy and Sykes as a couple, and she was a little dissatisfied with this female character who suddenly appeared and seemed to be developing a romantic relationship with Percy.
But now, her main interest was Zhao Mei. Zhao Mei and Ye Zheng were also hinted to be siblings, so she no longer had the previous dislike for Ye Zheng and just saw her as a normal female character.
However, this 'normal' female character once again stirred up controversy in this chapter.
"Your Highness, please allow me to stay behind."
The black-haired, black-eyed girl asked the crown prince for permission, wanting to stay and watch over the shelter.
Even after Yu Tianming explained that staying behind was pointless and that it would be better to break the Demonic Domain early so the Sei Curia could save these ordinary people, this Sei Curia Saintess still insisted on staying.
A slew of questioning comments flew by.
[Speechless. Does staying make you feel very kind?]
[Little sis you...]
[If Old Uncle can't write female characters, he shouldn't write them. She acts like a NPC.]
[There's a reason why the first to be killed in an apocalypse are the 'self-righteous' characters. In my opinion, it would be better to eliminate all the ordinary people inside to ensure they don't drag others down.]
[She's trying to morally blackmail others, isn't she? For her safety, others will definitely have to stay behind. I hope it's not my favorite character, aah!]
[If someone has to die, let it be just one person. Don't drag others down!]
Li Yixin frowned as she read. Ye Zheng's actions were indeed a bit too 'self-righteous'. There was a better solution, and her insistence on staying would only put herself and the other contestants at risk.
But the animosity in the comments was too much. Ye Zheng hadn't done anything yet, and they were already certain she would cause a bad outcome.
She scrolled down again. A clearly parasitic person suddenly appeared behind Ye Zheng. The manga panel's close-up showed Percy's eyes narrowing, as he noticed the monster.
"Okay, the creator is going to stage a clichéd hero-saves-the-damsel plot again. Can male creators not have some imagination when it comes to male-female relationships!"
Li Yixin couldn't help but complain. A beautiful, overly kind female character, combined with the hero-saves-the-damsel, love-at-first-sight template—the same old, boring romance of male-oriented web novels—was born.
"Wait, what?"
As she expected, Percy made his move. His hands turned into blades, and his figure was swift and handsome, but someone even cooler appeared!
As if she was prepared, the Saintess in white raised a black gun. She turned to face the狰狞 monster, the barrel pointed directly at the bug-person's neck. With a bang, blood splattered everywhere!
The manga featured a full-page close-up of Ye Zheng. The moment she pulled the trigger, she tilted her head slightly. The splattering blood inevitably stained her upturned nose, soft cheeks, and even her long, lowered eyelashes. Her pure white clothes were also flecked with blood. The monster fell backward with half its neck severed. For a moment, it was hard to tell who was the cruel hunter.
She seemed to hate the blood. Her expression was shockingly cold for a moment.
Soon, Ye Zheng's face returned to a calm expression, and she turned around, revealing a gentle, standardized smile, as if she were still the typical, overly kind heroine Li Yixin had just complained about.
"I have to stay," she said again, rubbing the gun in her hand.
This time, the expressions of the characters in the manga and the readers outside were surprisingly similar. Even the usually indifferent Sykes showed the same wide-eyed, dazed expression as the high school girl in front of the screen, unable to recover for a long time.
The monster wasn't difficult to deal with. Other characters could have easily handled it. But, but the impact of that scene was just too strong!
Li Yixin couldn't accurately describe her feelings for a moment. She felt that the Ye Zheng in that scene had a kind of cruel, inscrutable divinity that was completely different from the persona she had anticipated.
She couldn't help but take a screenshot of the moment Ye Zheng took down the monster. It was the first time she had ever saved a screenshot of a female character.
Li Yixin finally understood who her friend was stanning. Before reading this chapter, she would have thought her friend had bad taste, but after reading it, she completely understood!
Opening the forum, Ye Zheng's name was once again a trending topic, a long-awaited comeback.
The last time was when everyone collectively opposed the existence of the female protagonist. But this time, Li Yixin believed that many people, just like her 'real-life' friend, had fallen hard for her!
The hottest post was titled: [Is anyone discussing the new chapter's Ye Zheng? I hate her after reading it...]. This clickbait title made Li Yixin curiously click on it.
[#1: Is anyone discussing the new chapter's Ye Zheng? I hate her after reading it...]
[#2: ...I hate that Old Uncle didn't draw more! Please, let me see my Sister Zheng again. I'll do anything!]
[Li Yixin breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought everyone still hated Ye Zheng.]
[#3: Oh my god, I only started following her for her looks. Before this chapter came out, I didn't even dare to tell people I was a Ye Zheng fan, such a niche group.]
[#4: Hello, I'm a Ye Zheng stan (straightens tie) (stands up) (proudly)]
[#5: The blood-stained Saintess is exactly my type!]
[#6: Not a Ye Zheng stan, but I've already screenshotted the close-up for my phone's wallpaper. Looking at it makes me feel like I can take on the whole world. So cool!]
...
Sure enough, Ye Zheng's action at the end of the chapter had shocked many readers. This contrast immediately won her many fans. However, there were still many people in the forum who were skeptical.
[#65: Did Ye Zheng just get whitewashed?]
[#66: That's funny. My girl hasn't done anything yet. Why does she need to be 'whitewashed'?]
[#67: Even though the scene was drawn very cool by Old Uncle, Ye Zheng herself is a mindless, self-righteous character who drags others down. She even forced my favorite character, Bai Muqing, to stay behind. My Muqing stan is so unlucky.]
[#68: #67, you should change your username first. Are you so ashamed of your Sykes stan? Stop hiding behind a female character's fan base.]
[#69: The logic of Ye Zheng antis is so ridiculous. When the plot is illogical, you only blame my girl. When there's a highlight, you only praise the male creator? Don't be so misogynistic.]
[#70: I'm a neutral party. Objectively, Ye Zheng's actions were indeed irrational. And the creator even gave her the gun ability to prop her up. Isn't that too forced? I don't like overpowered characters.]
[#71: Percy, as the male protagonist, has two abilities. Why is our female protagonist using a gun considered overpowered? Don't say Ye Zheng isn't the female protagonist. A month ago, you were all complaining about her being the female protagonist.]
#72: I support the above comment. Our Ye Zheng was criticized so much for being the female protagonist. What's wrong with giving her some real female protagonist treatment?]
[#73: My favorite's only crime is getting in the way of the couple and 'dream-girl' (fanfiction where a female fan inserts herself into the story) fantasies. Now you don't have to worry anymore; my girl clearly doesn't fancy your 'good boy.']
Li Yixin was dumbfounded. It was true that many people still hated Ye Zheng, but the Ye Zheng fan base was surprisingly strong!
...
[#505: Everyone, stop arguing! Because your Zheng has arrived!]
[#506: Hate is hate. Ye Zheng fans, don't be so overbearing. What's wrong with hating a fictional female character?]
[#507: Ye Zheng fans are so scary. They scold real girls for a fictional girl and then accuse others of misogyny. Is your 'girl' the only female person in the world?]
[#508: Everything you said is right, but a cuter person than Ye Zheng? Sorry, Google can't find one. A person with a more saintly demeanor than Ye Zheng? Sorry, can't load data. A person with a better temper than Ye Zheng's mom? No information found.]
Li Yixin suspiciously narrowed her eyes. The username of #508 was "Ye Zheng Female Protagonist No.1 Confirmed," and the familiar IP address looked exactly like her 'real-life' friend who was a fan of celebrities. She joined the battle so quickly?
Her friend was quite well-known in fandoms, very good at creating content and edits. Several of her videos had gone viral on a certain social media platform. She wondered what it would be like for her to stan a two-dimensional female character.
"If you're also staying, I'm afraid the Divine Academy will have come here for nothing again."
Ye Zheng was supporting Bai Muqing and asked with a smile.
"...What's that got to do with me?"
Bai Muqing's voice sounded genuinely confused.
"I have no interest in this competition."
Bai Muqing paused. "When it comes to the quality of brightness, I will not lose to you."
"Also, don't support me. I can walk by myself."
She was naturally blind and relied on her ability to perceive her surroundings. Now that they had entered this shelter, the deeper they went, the more her ability was suppressed. Her perception of her surroundings became blurry, but it wasn't so bad that she needed to be taken care of.
"Ah, my eyes were just uncomfortable from the sun outside, so I have to lean on you to walk."
"...Whatever."
Lucy was in the lowest level of the shelter, chatting and joking with the anxious children. She looked up at the stairs when she heard a noise and saw two pure white figures walking side by side.
In the bottom level of the shelter, people were crowded together, huddling close to each other. Every little sound made them nervous. The arrival of the crown prince had excited them for a while, but after the powerful young people left, anxiety and fearful fantasies of the unknown once again seized their minds.
Until they looked up again and saw two figures, like true deities, descending upon them.
"Everyone, please maintain a distance from each other."
"I am Ye Zheng. From now on, my friends and I will be responsible for this shelter until everyone is completely out of danger."
Someone stood up involuntarily, looking up at the flawless face. The other person seemed to sense it, and looked down from above, offering a comforting smile.
If the crown prince was a distant, legendary figure who seemed unattainable even when he was right above them, Ye Zheng was the kindest Saintess of the lower district. That face, as beautiful and unreal as Sykes's, existed as a true presence in many people's hearts. She not only healed low-level ability users but also ordinary people. The Demonic Domains entered by the Sei Curia Saintess always had the lowest casualties!
She wasn't a legend; she was their certain salvation!
A roaring cheer echoed throughout the entire shelter. Bai Muqing, standing next to Ye Zheng, turned her white eyes in a daze. Even though she couldn't sense these people's souls now, their hot and devout emotions were so vivid.
Ye Zheng was a more brilliant Saintess than she had imagined.
[Wow, the noise here is as lively as the forum after the update.]
Amid the cheers, the System came back online.
"It has been updated?"
[Not only has the manga been updated, but your popularity has also been greatly updated!]
The System's voice was full of excitement.
"Then, the manga spoilers have also been updated, right?"
Ye Zheng wore a gentle, comforting smile. She was slowly walking down the stairs, supporting Bai Muqing, her eyes showing a calm, thoughtful expression.
In the original plot, a major disaster would erupt in the shelter. If she gambled with the popularity she now had, could she reverse it all?
Author's note:
The Ye Zheng fanbase is starting to take shape. From now on, the forum can become a great battle royale!
Comments
Post a Comment