Prologue

As a man who’s played all sorts of strange characters in three thousand worlds, Fan Yuan is finally getting his first promotion and raise in life. He can now play the role of a male minor character full-time.

Male minor character, oh male minor character. What a wonderful character. As we all know, in the hetero novels with Mary Sue characters, the core principle is to abuse minor female characters physically and mentally, and minor male characters mentally. Generally speaking, the male minor character is usually noble and powerful with a strong appearance and ability to compete with the male lead. However, a difference by a small margin would lead them to defeat in the hands of the male lead every single time.

Although it’s inevitable to lose the female lead to the male lead, Fan Yuan was already satisfied. This lovable role is perfect for him. It’s just that the male lead and female lead’s PDA was too blinding. But it’s no big deal, considering that the male minor character has a higher quality of life. He has a grand mansion, luxury cars, and enjoys fine dining. He also possesses good looks and a fine temperament. And, if he must play the role of a frustrated young man in front of the main characters — so what? He is always confident that he can get the job done.

After all these years, Fan Yuan was so excited that he almost burst into tears — even though he was now a man with no real body and no tears……

“Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu. Quickly reply and say that I agree! Agree to be transferred to the male minor character group and accept the role!”

“Ding! Okay, got it.”

A mechanical voice sounded in his mind. Xiao Wu is the name he chose for the system he’s bound with which has accompanied him through many worlds. Each system can only bond with one actor. Which means that once the binding is done, the system will serve the actor his whole life. The system is a hub for connecting with the source world, and also a tool for delivering energy and information.

…………………………

“What the hell is this?! What the hell is a gay minor character?! I’ve never heard of categories for male minor characters! I’m straight!”

“Ding. Master, you are no longer human. So there’s no difference between straight and gay men.” Xiao Wu gave a two beats in a bar answer within his mind. [1]

Fan Yuan was quite depressed. “…… Is there no other way out now?”

“Ding. According to the record, there has never been a return after receiving the task unless……”

Hearing a turn in the conversation, hope formed in Fan Yuan’s heart as he asked, “Unless what?”

“Ding. Please don’t interrupt Xiao Wu’s words. Unless Master is promoted again, switching over to the male lead group or ’boss group’ is possible.”

Fan Yuan almost lost the will to live as he sighed, “That’s easier said than done…… I don’t know how much time I spent in order to be promoted from playing minor roles to a male minor character…… A gay minor character…… Getting promoted once again… The future looks bleak……”

“Ding. Master’s life is infinite, so there’s no need to worry of there being no hope.”

Fan Yuan thought for a moment, and that indeed seemed to be the case. He had to go on with the mission anyway. And having hope is better than none. Although he is not interested in the male lead, promotions and salary raises sound beautiful to his ears.

Moreover, it is said that the quests for playing the role of male lead and boss is not in the Mary Sue hetero novels section but in the broader and much improved three thousand worlds. He has long wanted to go there, but he has no choice as he doesn’t have enough authority to do so.

Since there’s still hope, gayness is no big deal — the difference is just that the target of affection will switch from the female lead to the male lead. T-H-A-T I-S A-L-L! He’s been performing quests for so long that he doesn’t even know how many years have passed… He had even acted as a woman before. Should he still be afraid that he can’t play a gay role well?

“Xiao Wu, the world for the first task. Let’s go!”

“Ding. Received. Beginning the first task.”

PART 1

The smell of disinfectant permeated through the pure white room. All sorts of medical equipment were coldly arranged by the bed. Outside the window, a linden tree was sprinkling yellow leaves. Germany has welcomed the arrival of autumn.

A handsome man sat on the bed, his pale face gaunt and lifeless. The beeping sounded particularly harsh in the quiet room as he stared straight at the phone before him. A moment later, the phone prompted:

“Sorry, the number you dialed cannot be connected at this time. Sorry, the number-”

He reached out with his long, thin fingers and dialed again. Still, the call wouldn’t connect. He was like a masochist, repeating it over and over again without a change in his expression. He was a terribly obstinate man.

The nurse beside him finally persuaded him, “Mr. Fan, the person may be busy or the cellphone is out of battery. Please quickly lie down and rest. To continue like this will aggravate your illness. You also know about your body. What if something bad happens……”

Fan Yuan took no notice of her; he quietly closed his eyes and allowed his body to lean back and sink against the white pillow, his hands still clutching the cellphone as if it were his last lifeline.

So sad and yet so stubborn.

The nurse can’t help but shed tears of sadness, can’t help but resent the person who is cruelly refusing to answer Mr. Fan’s phone call. He is nearly at the end of his life. They aren’t even willing to satisfy his last, small wish……

At this moment, the Fan Yuan who appeared to be desperate was actually communicating with his system in his mind.

“Xiao Wu, tell me. Don’t you think my acting is better than yesterday?”

“Ding. Master has always been the God of acting. If Master did not take the painless pill to disconnect from the pain, it would have been more realistic.”

“…… You’re trying to kill me. Do you know how painful chemotherapy is? By the way, am I going to die today?”

“Ding. Yes. According to the script, Master will die in despair and solitude today.”

“…….” That’s very specific of you!

“I’m really a bit reluctant to leave this world. Unknowingly, more than 20 years have passed. Time sure flew by too quickly. I don’t know how Gao Yu is now. In any case, we grew up together from childhood. Oh, how regretful it is to be leaving first without seeing him for one final time.”

“Ding. Although Master is playing this role of a gay minor character, please don’t develop any real feelings for men. Moreover, don’t develop a reluctance to leave this world. Otherwise, the consequences will be very dire.”

“…… Again, I’m straight! How could I develop any feelings for the male lead! And even if I did, it would only be brotherly love! Furthermore, that guy has treated me well. The fact that I can’t bear to part with him is normal!”

Xiao Wu said in an emotionless, mechanical voice, “Ding. Master, did you forget? Gao Yu, in order to take hold of the female lead, kicked away his good brother. Even when you were terminally ill, he still refused to come see you one last time. He even refused to answer your last phone call.”

Fan Yuan felt like an arrow had lodged through his chest. Feeling sad, he said, “Xiao Wu, since you always call me master, can’t you give me a little dignity as a master? Well, you’re right. Gao Yu forgot loyalty in the face of love. But I still think he’s a good person. If the original Fan Yuan hadn’t been gay, maybe we could’ve happily continued to be friends. How many men exist out there do you think, who can endure their brother constantly thinking about their *‘brother’? [2] As for me, I’d also become hostile.”

Xiao Wu: “……”

“As I was saying, I would consider Gao Yu a good guy at least when it comes to being a brother. Do you still remember about that time in the third year of middle school? I accidentally overturned an alcohol lamp and nearly burned down the whole lab. He didn’t say anything further and took the blame for me. He was beaten by his father so hard that he couldn’t leave his bed for several days. And there was the time we went hiking. I broke my leg and he carried me on his back all the way down the mountain. If it was me, I would have called 110. Anyway I wouldn’t do such a stupid thing. And then, and then……”

Fan Yuan went on talking enthusiastically, when Xiao Wu spoke and interrupted him.

“Ding. Master, you are dead.”

“What are you talking about? YOU are dead. No one talks like this……”

Fan Yuan was surprised to find himself out of his afflicted body, in a translucent form, floating in midair. His body was still lying there without a trace of a change, even the nurse beside him seemed to be unaware of his passing.

He was really dead. Before he knew it, he had stopped breathing.

A sudden sadness overcame him.

In fact, he had executed so many tasks, that he couldn’t remember how many times he had died. Not to mention back then, when he was playing minor characters even after he was transferred to the male minor character group, he had died back and forth for more than ten times already.

But this time was a little different. Because the author of this universe wrote a great length about the male lead’s childhood years, as his childhood friend, Fan Yan had to start his role since the character’s childhood. At the time, he was five or six years old — a young age always made Fan Yuan emotionally connect to the character the most. He went to school with the male lead, joked around together, caused trouble together, and wrestled around together…… Over time, he almost felt that he was a person of that universe.

As a boy, the male lead took care of the male minor character, and therefore the male minor character became affectionate towards him. These plots were only briefly mentioned in the novel with vague descriptions. However, Fan Yuan was very much aware of the extent of this care.

Being treated in such a gentle and pampering way, if Fan Yuan was a woman, he would have been tempted. And even when he wasn’t a woman but the straightest of straight men, it was still inevitable that he became dependent on Gao Yu. He also finally understood how the male minor character came to develop forbidden feelings for his brother.

After all, not everyone has his willpower. →_→

Well, actually, it was thanks to Xiao Wu for trying its best to keep reminding him. Sooner or later, the male lead would meet the female lead. Then his normally thoughtless, good brother would suddenly change and become infatuated, harassing the male lead until the male lead completely detested him. Fan Yuan etched it in his mind, constantly looking out in order to not lose himself, to continue on the straight path.

However, the worst part of this universe is the terminal illness setting. The frustrated male minor character went away to a foreign country, but suddenly he found out that he was terminally ill. And he looked for his childhood friend in the midst of despair and fear, hoping that the other person would come to accompany him for the last days of his life. But the other person only replied: “Don’t come back to me.”

The male minor character, who was alone with the double torture of sickness and love, died. Indeed, this was a tragic life.

Now this tragic life is finally over. Besides sadness, Fan Yuan also felt a sense of relief.

He took a last look at the body that he had used for more than two decades, the bony hands clutching his cell phone, waiting for the person on the other side to return just a single word.

It’s a pity that he could never get what he had been waiting for. In the original novel, the male lead is with the female lead right now, vacationing on an island villa.

“Xiao Wu, let’s go.”

“Ding. Orders received.”

He should leave this world soon. His life is endless, and each world is just a station to him.

But this station was different from the previous one. He had stayed longer, and the people here were more amicable. Apart from this, there was nothing else.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Back in the cultivation room, Fan Yuan absorbed the energy from the source world. This was his reward for completing the task. He needed it as maintenance for traveling around the worlds.

He had to say, he had received more energy since the transfer. The energy he received from the previous tasks as minor characters was barely enough for him to complete the next task. And now there is even a surplus of energy enough to upgrade Xiao Wu.

The higher the level of the system, the more intelligent it becomes — and will be more helpful for its master during the mission. And when you get to a very high level, it’s possible to screen tasks, or even switch to a slightly more advanced dimension. He is now in the mid-low dimension level and yet he already feels that the energy reward is high. But this amount of energy is nothing in other dimensions. So it’s really hard to upgrade to that level.

Although it may seem distant, there’s always hope if one perseveres.

Fan Yuan’s number one trait: optimism.

As he absorbed the energy, he asked Xiao Wu, “Where did the original person from that world go?”

He was asking about the novel’s original gay minor character. Although he could travel across different worlds to play roles, an actor can only enter the damaged data, a character who lost their soul for the sake of maintaining the balance and stability of the world. Their task was simple. As long as they are not OOC [3] and complete the whole plot, then they can choose to stay or to leave.

It’s his decision, whether to stay in the old world to await for natural death, or leave directly and use one’s energy to support the original character to live a long enough life. Of course, missions where he would die in plots like the one earlier, were not small in number. Then staying or leaving is beyond his control.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Two beats in a bar — following a prescribed pattern to the letter.

[2] A dude’s ‘little junior’.

[3] OOC — out of characte