The Cannon Fodder Character in Four Infinite Flow Novels
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Bai Jin remembered the next part of the plot—the group would begin exploring the area. This section didn’t involve Jiang Yu or Yu Xiaoyu. Since it was outside his role, Bai Jin had no intention of continuing to act.
Looking at Jiang Yu, who was lying on the ground after being beaten and struggling to get up, Bai Jin swallowed back the absurd thought of asking.
"Can you get up and go over there to be tied up yourself?"
He started searching for rope to bind Jiang Yu.
Based on his recollection of the original story, Bai Jin knew everything about this scenario. This was an ancient tribal village with primitive tools, so finding rope shouldn’t be too difficult. Bai Jin knew Jiang Yu hadn’t been beaten to death, but since Jiang Yu wasn’t moving, actually tying him up posed a real problem.
According to the setting, Yu Xiaoyu was indeed a 'Trash' with inferior genes and physical ability. Though Bai Jin was using his own body, his frail, inactive physique—barely accustomed to exercise—wasn’t suited for dragging someone as tall and well-built as Jiang Yu to the pillar.
Jiang Yu was long-limbed and heavy. After struggling for a while, Bai Jin broke into a light sweat. Seeing Jiang Yu still motionless, Bai Jin wondered if he might actually be dead. He crouched beside Jiang Yu and watched for a moment before noticing the faint tremble of Jiang Yu’s eyelashes.
The novel mentioned that Jiang Yu was in a state of deep despair at this point. He had discovered the Enlightenment Society’s secret, which shattered the values and beliefs he had upheld for years. Everything he had fought for now seemed like a joke, which was why he had allowed himself to be humiliated earlier.
Even now, Jiang Yu remained listless, as if already dead.
Bai Jin thought further ahead, soon rain would fall, and Jiang Yu, tied to the pillar, would see the pulsating eggs in the downpour. This was a crucial plot point requiring Jiang Yu to be bound.
But for that to happen, Bai Jin had to tie him up first. Unable to move Jiang Yu, Bai Jin felt a twinge of guilt seeing his own shoe print on Jiang Yu’s handsome face. However, his words came out stiff and unfeeling.
"Can you go over there and stand still so I can tie you up?"
Perhaps due to his lack of social interaction, Bai Jin’s speech sounded awkward. But because he forced himself to remain composed, his tone came across as cold and detached.
Jiang Yu lifted his eyes to look at him, dark irises gazing up at Bai Jin. He seemed lost in thought earlier and hadn’t caught Bai Jin’s words. Now, under Bai Jin’s stare, he slowly asked.
"What?"
Bai Jin repeated himself.
Jiang Yu studied Bai Jin quietly, as if determining whether this was a joke. Though Bai Jin’s expression was neutral, his serious eyes made it clear he meant every word. After a long pause, Jiang Yu finally replied in a hoarse voice.
"My knees hurt too much from the kicks. I can’t stand."
"Then I’ll wait for a while." Remembering the rain would come at nightfall, he added, "As long as you’re tied up before dark."
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and fell silent, giving no indication whether he’d even heard. He seemed to sink back into his despair.
His face was filthy, his entire body covered in dirt. If not for the group’s urgency to escape this disaster world, they might have subjected Jiang Yu to even worse treatment.
Though Bai Jin knew how to eliminate the disaster, his role was simply to play his part as a minor character. He planned to stay silent, sticking strictly to his tasks. Anything beyond the script—actions that wouldn’t earn merit points—held no interest for him.
As System had explained, Bai Jin might need to jump between different scenarios, leaving no energy for irrelevant matters. Besides, he felt no pity for Jiang Yu. Given how formidable this man would become, what was there to pity now?
For now, while the others searched for clues, Bai Jin stayed behind to watch Jiang Yu. After a long silence, as if realizing Bai Jin truly intended to tie him up, Jiang Yu opened his eyes again and met Bai Jin’s cool, dark gaze.
"Help me up" Jiang Yu said.
Bai Jin disliked close contact with strangers and avoided unnecessary conversation. Even though Jiang Yu had been his favorite novel protagonist before death, he only extended a hand, waiting for Jiang Yu to take it. The most he could offer was pulling Jiang Yu up.
Once on his feet, Jiang Yu actually obeyed, walking to the pillar and standing there. Seizing the opportunity, Bai Jin hurriedly fetched the rope and began binding him. But when it came to tying the knot, Bai Jin hesitated.
He recalled the upcoming plot when the monsters attacked, Jiang Yu would break free to evade them. That meant the knot had to be secure enough to appear genuine but loose enough for Jiang Yu to escape.
Holding the rope, Bai Jin belatedly realized this acting gig wasn’t as simple as he’d thought. Beyond delivering lines at key moments, maintaining the world’s stability required considering details outside the script. After some thought, he tied a random knot and asked System about his concerns.
System explained, "Your primary task is role-playing, which mainly involves delivering lines. But you’re here because the world lacks certain characters, your presence stabilizes it. Think of role-playing as your initial task and world stability as your ultimate goal. Completing either earns merit points. However, if the world collapses due to instability, all your tasks fail, and you’ll earn nothing."
"What happens then?"
"If the world collapses severely, we can’t rescue you—you’ll be trapped. If it’s minor, we’ll retrieve you. With enough points, you can choose your next life. Without them, you’ll reincarnate in the Animal Realm."
Bai Jin sighed inwardly. "Fine."
Just as he finished this brief exchange and completed tying up Jiang Yu, System announced, "We’re heading to the next scenario. Ready?"
Bai Jin was startled. Your role here has no further scenes. We’ll use this gap to jump worlds, it’s more efficient. I’ll manage the timing; don’t worry. Overall, your screen time is minimal, leaving plenty of rest periods."
"Alright."
Remembering something, Bai Jin asked, "What happens to Yu Xiaoyu after I leave?"
"Without your acting, the body remains like an empty shell—dull and unresponsive. But I’ll control it for necessary reactions or dialogue. Most characters follow the plot and won’t notice anything amiss."
As System spoke, Bai Jin opened his eyes to a completely new setting.
Gone was the desolate tribal village. Instead, he found himself in a warm, dimly lit European-style room. Ancient castles were common in survival horror, but the one Bai Jin recalled from Wu Xian’s works was the [Rose Nightmare] scenario from Monster Invasion.
Monster Invasion was Wu Xian’s experimental work. Monster Invasion was a new experiment by the great author Wu Xian. Each Scenario seemed to have a different protagonist. These protagonists, due to their own circumstances, would unknowingly enter an infinite flow world similar to their surroundings and then encounter monsters. Only by killing the monsters could they return to their own reality.
At the beginning, readers were confused, not understanding why the protagonist changed with each dungeon, and why almost all the dungeon protagonists died. Later, as the foreshadowing was revealed, readers discovered that the protagonist of Monster Invasion was actually the monster.
This was a reverse infinite flow perspective of writing.
You thought the dungeon protagonists were resisting the infinite flow world, but in fact, those monsters were the protagonists themselves. The protagonist, Xie Jingchu, was sucked into a terrifying world. In this world, his existence was that of a monster. But for Xie Jingchu, anyone who appeared in human form in these worlds was the real monster. He existed in these worlds in the guise of a monster, while they existed in human form. Only by killing the other could they gain their own freedom.
After this reveal, subsequent scenarios were told from Xie Jingchu’s perspective as he embraced his monstrous role, eventually destroying the horror world, shedding his monster identity, and ascending toward godhood.
Now, Bai Jin had been transported here. Out of habit, he looked down at himself, and froze.
Elegant dresses. Delicate lace gloves.
He quickly stood, confirming that yes, the person wearing this lavish gown was himself.
Before he could process this, a maid beside him spoke: "Madame?"
...Madame?
Bai Jin blanked for a second.
Then it hit him—his role here was the Countess from Rose Nightmare. The spoiled, beautiful Countess.
Checking his palm, he spotted the familiar mole beneath the semi-transparent lace glove. This was still his body. But now he was playing a Countess, a grown man in this role would seem absurd, wouldn’t it?
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