Promoted to Protagonist: Persecuted by the Meta-Narrative

Synopsis

Xin Ye was never meant to be the hero. In the hit post-apocalyptic novel 'Doomsday Level-up Game,' he was merely 'Male Lead No. 3'—a disposable plot tool forgotten in the corner while the main couple lived happily ever after. But when a wave of angry fans demands a spin-off for the handsome side character, the lazy author, Xun Yin, is forced to pick up the pen again. Now, Xin Ye has been 'reborn' at the start of the apocalypse, promoted from a background extra to the main star of an 'IF' side story. There’s just one problem: Xin Ye can hear the author’s voice. As he gears up for what should be a routine D-rank mission, he hears the voice in his head musing that 'easy tasks are bad for ratings.' Suddenly, a low-level scouting mission turns into an A-rank death trap as the author summons mutated horrors just to spice up the chapter. Trapped in a world that is literally being written against him, Xin Ye must navigate a collapsing civilization while dealing with a creator who cares more about cliffhangers than his survival. From fighting mutated 'Sparrow Vines' to managing a team of original protagonists who don't realize they're in a spin-off, Xin Ye is determined to survive—even if he has to reach through the fourth wall to punch the author himself.