After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable! - Chapter 1
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- After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable!
- Chapter 1 - Became a Cannon Fodder?
Chapter 1: Became a Cannon Fodder?
It was already late at night, but Ye Lingxi was still reading a novel. Since starting college, she had been hooked on this story, binging it the moment class ended. It was a trending GL xianxia story called *The Junior Sister Is a Sickly Beauty*, which blended fantasy, toxic romance, and utterly over-the-top drama.
The story followed Mo Huaishu (the dominant partner), a cold-blooded, psychotic beauty with a ruthless streak, who eliminated all threats to her beloved junior sister—slaying monsters, demons, and enemies alike—only to plunge into a dark, violent love filled with cruelty and forced passion.
In other words: over-the-top, outrageous, but Ye Lingxi absolutely loved it. Bored and curious, it was her first time dabbling in a GL novel, and the emotional rollercoaster had her hooked.
Turns out the author had only written half of it before taking endless breaks claiming writer’s block. Now, they had the audacity to declare it “the final chapter” without any real resolution.
“What the hell?!” Ye Lingxi was speechless. She’d just skipped one day of reading and came back to a finale?
She couldn’t help but leave a furious comment:
> You’ve been taking breaks nonstop, and now you just slap on a weak ending? Do you even care about the readers waiting every day for an update? Do you know how badly this hurts?! You always leave us hanging at the best parts, there are so many unfinished plotlines. What are you trying to pull?]
> How do you expect to repair our wounded little reader hearts?! You’re seriously the most irresponsible author ever!
Moments later, the author replied:
> If you think you can do better, go write it yourself.
Ye Lingxi snapped:
> Even if I wrote with my feet, I’d still do a better job!
> What if you were the cannon fodder character, then?
What?
Before she could react, a bright white light engulfed her. When she opened her eyes again, she vaguely heard voices murmuring around her.
Slowly opening her eyes, she realized the people around her were all in traditional robes. At the center stood a tall woman in red with a high ponytail and tassels on her waist. Her gaze was terrifyingly cold and emotionless.
“Throw her in!”
Ye Lingxi’s eyes widened in horror. “Wait—what do you mean, throw?!”
She glanced behind her and saw a bottomless abyss, dark and endless.
“Whoa whoa whoa, what is this?! Are you filming a drama? Starting with a cliff scene is a bit much, don’t you think?”
She tried to sneak away, but the others quickly restrained her.
“Seriously, what are you guys doing? This is just acting, right? There’s no need to be this committed!”
Others glanced toward the red-robed woman, who coldly said:
“Still standing around? Throw her now, or do you want to die in her place?”
“Throw?! Hey hey hey, what are you doing?!”
Before she could finish, two people pushed her off the cliff.
“Cut it out! Director! Cut! Please!”
Ye Lingxi screamed as she fell. Her heart pounded like she was bungee jumping—except this time, there was no rope.
“AAAAAAHHHHHH—” she screamed in terror.
Now she understood, they were trying to kill her. But why?
**Ding—**
What was that sound?
A cold robotic voice rang out:
[Binding in progress… Binding complete.
> Hello, host. I am System 001.
System? What kind of absurdity—?
A glowing blue panel appeared in front of her eyes. Then she remembered the comment she had written. Could it be… she really transmigrated into the book?
Now wasn’t the time to panic. She had to survive!
“System, help me! You don’t want your host to go game over on the first level, right?!”
> Apologies. Your role is cannon fodder. Death is your fate.
Ye Lingxi: “…”
What’s the point of a system like this?!
“You seriously won’t help me?” she begged. “System… please…”
As she neared the ground, her desperate plea grew quicker:
“Please, I don’t want to die!”
> Keyword ‘I don’t want to die’ detected. Activating protocol.
Just as she was about to hit the ground, the system froze her in midair.
Eyes tightly shut, Ye Lingxi trembled. When the system gave her the cue, she dared open one eye and slowly, carefully, felt the solid ground beneath her. She exhaled in relief.
“You stupid system! Were you trying to get me killed?!”
“System! Get out here! Say something!”
But there was only silence.
“Ugh. Where even am I?”
As she sat down, her hand touched something slimy and soft.
Her hand began to tremble—she brought the object close…
A snake tongue flicked her face with a chilling hiss.
“AAAAAAHHHH SNAKE!”
She shrieked, tossed it aside, and jumped back in terror.
> Hello host. Welcome to the Snake Pit.
“What?!”
The system flickered on, illuminating her surroundings. Sure enough, snakes everywhere. On the ground, slithering up the walls. And there were bones.
‘What kind of nightmare is this?!’
“System, save me!” Ye Lingxi backed away in a panic. “What do I do?!”
> That’s right, host. We’re here for the thrills. You feel that adrenaline?
Ye Lingxi: “Feel your—ugh! No thanks! Just get these snakes away from me!”
> Understood. Unlocking newbie gift pack.
“You had a gift pack and didn’t say anything earlier?! Hurry up!”
Eyes wide, she didn’t dare blink. If she let her guard down, one of those snakes might just leap.
She stared at their venomous fangs in horror.
“System—are you done yet? Why are you so slow?!”
> Loading interface…
Ye Lingxi: “…”
Who assigned me this brain-dead system?! I’ll file a complaint!
> Interface loaded.
She scanned the items… water, canned food, rope, snacks…
Was this a survival game or a camping trip?
“Can you be serious for once? I need something to repel snakes!”
> Why didn’t you say so earlier?
Ye Lingxi: “…”
At this moment, she truly felt all strength had left her.
**System: Switching interface…
Snakes began to slither up Ye Lingxi’s leg. She jumped, swatted one away, and snapped, “Are you done yet? Hurry up!”
**System: [Loading complete.]**
A medical interface popped up. She immediately spotted a packet of Realgar Powder, tapped it, and it materialized in her hand. She quickly spread it in a circle on the ground. The snakes instantly sensed it and retreated.
Ye Lingxi finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, they’re gone…”
But she didn’t get to relax for long—she suddenly felt a chilling presence behind her and tensed up again.
She spun around sharply, only to find a statue behind her. She collapsed onto the realgar ring and patted her chest in relief. “Good… not a snake. This place keeps messing with me!”
Looking closely at the statue, she realized it was a person bound in chains.
“System, go higher!”
*System: What are you doing?
“Just go higher, will you?”
*System: …
Although confused, the system obediently floated upward, allowing Ye Lingxi a better look.
The statue showed a woman in chains, hair loose and wild, kneeling with her head bowed in defiance.
Ye Lingxi noticed the chain on the statue’s wrist seemed loose. She cautiously approached, spreading the remaining realgar powder into a path.
Sure enough, the chain was nearly broken. She touched the rusted metal—*clang!*—the sound echoed through the vast snake pit.
Brows furrowed, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hold on… was this part in the book?”
She’d reread *The Junior Sister Is a Sickly Beauty* many times, even memorizing the details. Yet none of this, none of this, rang a bell. The scene felt improvised, like a director had taken liberties with the script. Especially odd, considering how abruptly the novel had wrapped things up.
*System: Congratulations, Host. You’ve triggered a hidden plotline.
Startled, Ye Lingxi flinched. “Jeez, you scared me!”
“A hidden plotline? Is this one of the unresolved arcs?”
*System: Yes. This is a hidden event that didn’t appear in the original story.
“I see.” She nodded. “So tell me, who exactly did I transmigrate into?”
*System: Apologies, Host. Your character is a nameless cannon fodder. I can’t give you exact data.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered, exasperated. “I’m such a non-entity I didn’t even get a name? What am I—Extra Number Three in the credits roll?”
She grumbled, “And since this is the snake pit… that cold, commanding woman from before—she’s the novel’s protagonist, Mo Huaishu?”
“The psycho top heroine?”
**System: Correct.
“No wonder she was so heartless and intense. Only someone like her could treat life like a joke.”
*System: So, Host… do you know which cannon fodder character you are?
Arms folded tight, Ye Lingxi rolled her eyes and snapped, “How should I know?! This pit’s practically a mass grave for every piece of cannon fodder the plot forgot about.” She gave a curt nod toward the scattered remains. “Exhibit A: the bone collection.”
*System: …
“By the way, you mentioned a hidden plotline. What happens if I complete it? How do I go home? How do I survive until the ending?”
She had no intention of dying inside this over-the-top, brainless novel.
*System: 1. Complete the hidden plot and fill in the gaps the original author left; only then can the main characters reach a proper ending.
-
- You must finish the entire storyline to return home.
-
- Good luck.
“…”
“That tells me nothing. This system…can I even trust you?”
All she remembered was how abruptly it all ended—like the author had mashed the “happily ever after” button without bothering to fix the mess along the way. The leads? Magically a couple. Conflicts? Vanished. Plot holes? Swept under the rug as if the readers wouldn’t notice.
“So… how do I get out of here?”
The system went silent.
“…Seriously? Why do you always shut down at the crucial moment?” she grumbled, scratching her head. Her clothes were torn, and she was just about to complain again when she heard a cracking sound behind her.
Her ears twitched. “What’s that noise?”
She turned and saw the statue beginning to crack. Then, before she could react, it exploded.
“Holy crap! Did that statue just… explode?!”
*System: Congratulations, Host—
Before it could finish, Ye Lingxi erupted in a fit of profanity.
*System: …
“Congratulations your ass! The damn statue just exploded! Hidden plotline? More like deleted subplot!”
She was on the verge of losing it. She had transmigrated into the novel as a no-name character, didn’t even know what was going on yet, and now the statue was gone.
“How am I supposed to get home?!”
Sobbing, she cursed the system as it issued another prompt:
*System: Host, behind you—
“Behind my ass! The statue’s gone, the plot’s ruined, I’m stuck here and you owe me!”
Weeping bitterly, she ignored the constant alerts.
*System: Warning! Warning! Warning!
The tap was gentle, almost hesitant, but it sent a jolt through Ye Lingxi’s already frayed nerves. She turned sharply, eyes brimming with tears, barely masking the mix of sorrow and rage simmering beneath the surface.
“If you’ve come to drop another plot twist on me, don’t bother,” she growled, voice cracking. “I’m on emotional cooldown!”
But the figure behind her didn’t speak, just stood there in eerie silence, the flickering shadows casting their face in unreadable stillness.
But the tapping didn’t stop. Ye Lingxi began to sense something was wrong.
Wait—this was the snake pit. Aside from the system, there shouldn’t be anyone else here.
So who… just touched her?
Her breath hitched as she slowly turned around. The hand reached out again, long fingers attached to a dry, rough palm.
That wasn’t the scariest part.
The scariest part was—who was it?
Before she could see the face, the hand grabbed her throat.
A deep, raspy voice asked, “Was it you who awakened me?”