HAGLTP Chapter 1

The bathroom was unlit, shrouded in a darkness that resembled ink.

In the bathtub, a person leaned back against the edge. About eighteen or nineteen years old, he was at that age between boyhood and adulthood, possessing the boy’s flexibility and delicacy, yet also a hint of the adult’s uprightness.

The person’s complexion was pale, eyes tightly shut, devoid of any color. The flatness of his chest, the several deep wounds on his wrists, and the spreading red in the water all indicated one thing—he was dead.

The air was thick with damp, oppressive humidity, intertwined with a metallic, rusty scent, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Suddenly, the corpse’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then the eyes opened.

He looked around, his gaze filled with unfamiliarity and scrutiny, then braced himself against the edge of the bathtub, slowly rising to his feet and walking to the mirror.

In the mirror was the pale face of a boy, thick bangs nearly obscuring half of his face.

Seemingly displeased, he raised his stiff hand to sweep aside the bothersome curtain of hair. With that, his strikingly dark brows and eyes were revealed, the lines at the corners of his eyes extending outwards, forming a slightly ambiguous arc.

He looked much better like this.

The boy slowly tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile, but this stiff grin appeared to carry an otherworldly charm in the dim room.

He was Xiao Lu.

To be precise, “Xiao Lu” was the name of this corpse.

And he, at this moment, had an empty mind, unable to even remember his own name.

As he woke up, a voice claiming to be “System 10000” suddenly filled his mind, informing him that he had been bound to a cannon fodder assistance system, with the task of replacing a key cannon fodder character named “Xiao Lu” who had died unexpectedly in a novel, and to continue assisting the protagonist in completing the storyline.

With System 10000’s words, the corpse gradually regained vitality, the wounds began to heal, and blood started to flow again.

“Unexpected death?” Xiao Lu, unable to recall his name, simply referred to himself by another’s name as he looked at his wrist.

Is this really what they call an accident?

Looking at the direction of the wounds, it was clear that the deceased had inflicted them upon himself.

Surely he didn’t think he could experience a little knife prick in the bathtub and accidentally send himself off, right?

System 10000 explained, “Every novel forms an independent little world the moment the author begins to write. They continuously operate in a cyclical manner, but each cycle may alter its trajectory due to minor changes, leading to the death of characters due to these changes. Such deaths are what the system defines as ‘accidents.'”

Then, it transmitted a segment of information into Xiao Lu’s mind.

The protagonist of this book, Xiao Keyang, was a talented singer-songwriter renowned for his creativity, having won numerous awards. Even in the competitive music capital of Yao City, he garnered many fans with his handsome appearance and magnetic voice.

Cannon fodder Xiao Lu was Xiao Keyang’s older brother, raised by their mother with the ideology that “taking care of his brother comes above all else,” growing into a standard “brother-supporting” character.

He diligently devoted himself to Xiao Keyang, handling all the mundane tasks and trivial matters that Xiao Keyang didn’t want to bother with, even writing the songs that Xiao Keyang composed.

One day, an unusual “meteor shower” occurred, with countless colorful stars falling into the atmosphere, sparking heated discussions online. Social media was filled with dazzling starry rain, and people were curious about what it was.

Experts from all sides speculated, but no one knew that this was actually a cosmic race called “Starshine,” which had no physical form and needed to invade other planets to seize the bodies of other life forms for reproduction.

The two brothers were almost simultaneously parasitized by the Crown Prince Starshine.

The Crown Prince Starshine split off after the death of the previous Starshine leader, and the next leader would emerge from among them.

According to the storyline, Xiao Lu would undergo the transmutation reaction earlier than Xiao Keyang, but he couldn’t withstand the impact of the Starshine and soon transmuted in front of Xiao Keyang, only to be killed by the Public Security Bureau, announcing to the protagonist that the previously stable world had been shattered.

After his death, the power of Starshine within him was absorbed by Xiao Keyang, making the latter’s golden finger even more powerful.

However, this time, the world operated unexpectedly.

The original host accidentally discovered hidden plot details—he was not Xiao Keyang’s biological brother, and even his adoption by their mother was not out of kindness; that woman had deliberately raised him to be a stepping stone for Xiao Keyang.

Years of brainwashing had made it impossible for him to hate Xiao Keyang and his mother; he merely tried to escape the identity of a stepping stone and start a life of his own.

He released a new song under his own name, and on the first day, it occupied a decent position on the charts; everything seemed to be getting better.

But just last night, a score almost identical to his new song suddenly appeared online, claiming the original author was Xiao Keyang, and it sensationalized their brotherly relationship, accusing the original host of being a despicable plagiarist.

Based on Xiao Keyang’s previous persona, nearly everyone chose to believe this rumor. In an instant, the original host became a despicable plagiarist who wouldn’t even spare his own younger brother.

Plagiarism was an unforgivable crime in a music sanctuary like Yao City.

The insults came pouring in, while his good brother Xiao Keyang remained silent, neither clarifying nor explaining, like a white lotus blooming in a tranquil time.

This completely crushed the already battered heart of the original host, leading him to despair and commit suicide in the bathtub.

“Without Xiao Lu, the protagonist’s path forward will have a huge gap. You need to correct the ‘accidental death of Xiao Lu’ and bring the plot back on track, assisting Xiao Keyang to reach the peak and ultimately defeat the big boss of this text,” System 10000 stated.

【Countdown 00:29:00】

In the darkness, Xiao Lu raised an eyebrow slightly.

“A stepping stone, huh…” A hint of mockery appeared on his pale face.

Not interested.

·

Xiao Lu stepped out of the bathroom, using the memories in his mind to locate the original host’s suitcase, while also having the hotel’s smart assistant report on the comments regarding the plagiarism incident.

The original host’s hotel was just an ordinary budget hotel; in this era, smart assistants had almost become standard in every hotel.

However, this version of the smart assistant was outdated, its voice not only distorted but also occasionally stuttering and trembling, making even the most furious insults sound like an old man singing a little tune.

“Copying songs written by your own brother, how shameless can you be?!”

“Still not apologizing? Just bullying Keyang because he has a good temper, huh?!”

“One word—get lost!”

Looking at the sea of old, faded plaid shirts and ripped shorts, Xiao Lu frowned; the original host’s living standards were somewhat…

“Listening to this kind of trash music is simply an insult to my membership in the turtle club!”

“Why am I seeing this? Is it because I didn’t help an old lady cross the street this morning?!”

“You guys don’t understand, this is a family matter, can it even be called plagiarism?!”

“I f**k your *s, damn it, f**k it!”

Finally, Xiao Lu found a set of understated black clothing in a corner, of decent quality, probably prepared for appearances on shows, at least presentable.

After changing out of the already soaked T-shirt, Xiao Lu opened the hotel room door.

“Hey! You, the one acting as ‘Xiao Lu’!” Just as he stepped out, a boy wearing a baseball cap walked straight towards him.

Judging by the boy’s demeanor and somewhat strange phrasing, it was clear he was coming for him, not the original host, but for him, who was currently playing “Xiao Lu.”

Seeing the boy approach, Xiao Lu decided to hold his tongue and wait for the other to state his purpose.

He remembered nothing, and in this situation, saying too much could lead to mistakes.

Fortunately, the boy was not a deep thinker; seeing Xiao Lu silent, he took the initiative to say, “Why were you in there for so long?! Hurry up and find the protagonist, time is running out!”

In an instant, Xiao Lu understood the boy’s identity—another role player like himself.

He stared at the boy: “You’ve been watching over me?”

The boy in the baseball cap looked around, ensuring no one was nearby before lowering his voice, “You’re the key node for the plot to start, of course, I have to keep an eye on you. Otherwise, how can I cling to the protagonist’s leg at the right moment? This is a deadly transmutation world, just as dangerous as high martial arts, supernatural events, war, or zombie worlds; it’s not as safe and easy as a romance world.”

Seemingly recalling something, he added, “Though some authors do write romances where a bunch of people die…”

So there are so many different worlds, and it seems the danger levels vary.

Seeing Xiao Lu remain silent, the boy’s tone turned serious: “I warn you, don’t think about doing anything out of line. We are cannon fodder; just follow the plot. If you die outside of the plot kills, you will really die.”

Xiao Lu remembered his last words.

After saying that, the boy glanced at his smart wristwatch: “I’m going to stay by the protagonist’s side now; you have 20 minutes left. Want to come with me?”

“Thanks, but no.” Xiao Lu politely declined and then turned to leave.

At this moment, Xiao Lu felt his heart racing violently and chaotically, his body temperature rising, and the world before him began to blur slightly.

This was a sign that transmutation was beginning.

His time was running out.

·

The boy in the baseball cap looked at Xiao Lu’s departing figure with disdain.

Another self-righteous rookie, clearly holding a cannon fodder script yet wanting to do something unnecessary; people like this usually don’t end well.

They are cannon fodder, and cannon fodder should obediently assist the protagonist, giving money when needed, people when needed, and even their heads if required.

Though sometimes they might feel unwilling, who told them they were cannon fodder?

Cannon fodder lacks the protagonist’s halo, and often the more outstanding the cannon fodder, the quicker they die.

He had seen many trying to outsmart the plot kills, thinking they could live freely, only to die in subsequent crises.

Isn’t it better to follow the plot and earn rewards after passing through? Although cannon fodder doesn’t get much, it’s better than losing their lives.

Even if experiencing death is tough, after a few times, it’s really just like that.

The boy shook his head, playing with the smart wristwatch in his hand, lightly tapping to open the 3D projection screen.

The technology level in this world was quite good; the functions of the wristwatch were more powerful than some phones and computers in other worlds, capable of handling both entertainment and work.

Unfortunately, peace wouldn’t last long.

As he enjoyed the last moments of tranquility, he walked towards the protagonist’s location. Suddenly, a flood of notifications surged in, instantly occupying the entire screen.

# Xiao Lu Plagiarism Incident Takes a Major Turn! #

# Click to see: Turns out he was the one who plagiarized! #

# Cleared his name? Who is lying, Xiao Lu or Xiao Keyang?! #

# Shocking! Creative genius Xiao Keyang was actually ghostwritten! #

The boy in the baseball cap suddenly felt a bad premonition in his heart and hurriedly clicked on one of the notifications, only to feel as if he had been slapped in the face in public.

Dude, you’re just minutes away from death, and you still want to drag the protagonist down with you!