But soon, Su Bei realized something was wrong.
From this page of the comic, it was clear that his comic counterpart was supposed to die from a slit throat. Analyzing the death scene based on his memory before he lost consciousness, it seemed that the masked man successfully killed him with a knife.
The problem was that he had already dodged this danger—he hadn't been hurt by the knife and had even managed to turn the tables on his attacker.
Thinking this through, Su Bei raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile returning to his face as he looked up into the void and asked, "Is this how I was originally supposed to end? Showing me all this, or rather, helping me change my fate—what's in it for you?"
He was indeed supposed to meet his comic demise, but he had somehow shaken off that hazy, dreamlike state in the bathroom, which had allowed him to avoid the deadly attack.
Now, here he was in this strange space. It wasn't hard to imagine that someone had helped him.
Within seconds, a childlike, cheerful voice echoed from all directions, "I knew I chose wisely—you're not a fool. As you guessed, I want your help with something. In return, you'll get a chance to change your fate."
"What do you want me to do?" Su Bei, not letting the promise of a changed destiny cloud his judgment, asked casually, as though he were simply inquiring about lunch.
Fortunately, the voice didn't beat around the bush. "I'm sure you've realized by now: the world you're in is a comic book. As a story meant for the public, of course, the forces of good need to prevail."
Indeed, from the first volume, it was clear this was a typical shonen manga. Such a story demanded a triumphant protagonist.
The voice, still carrying that childish tone but with a sigh of world-weariness, continued, "But once the world's framework was set and the comic's world took form, the author realized the antagonists had grown too powerful. If things were left as they were, the protagonist might die prematurely, and the villains could end up winning."
"So, to ensure the comic can pass review and be serialized, I, the 'Comic Consciousness,' have chosen you to alter the storyline."
Hearing this, Su Bei quickly evaluated the proposal. If he helped this entity alter the villains' likely victory, he would receive a chance to survive.
While it didn't sound entirely fair, he had no choice. If he refused, judging by the entity's demeanor, he would surely be forced into his original, fatal storyline.
Rather than dying pointlessly, it was better to take the risk. No wonder the entity seemed so confident—knowing full well that he wouldn't refuse.
"First question." After thinking it over, Su Bei finally asked, "Why me?"
"Because although you were set up as a disposable character, you're also a key player in opening the second volume of King of Superpowers. You have the potential to become an important character. Major roles in a comic are limited, and your character status is flexible. All candidates needed this quality."
Su Bei pondered this and soon understood. In a fixed comic, there could only be a few major roles; too many would overshadow the story. An ordinary disposable character, even if they avoided death, wouldn't have a chance to become a main character.
But he was different. He was an "important death character," after all.
If he managed to survive, his role had much more room to evolve.
"There is one thing you need to know, though," the Comic Consciousness added after giving him time to process. "Even if you change the original course, you're still considered a disposable character. So if you don't cooperate with me, you're likely to die in some other way soon after leaving here."
This was clearly meant to prevent Su Bei from backing out after agreeing.
"So if I agree to cooperate, I won't die?" Su Bei pressed for a critical answer.
"…No." The Comic Consciousness coughed, sounding somewhat sheepish. "You're still disposable, but you have a chance to change your role to a truly important one."
Disposable characters might die, but significant characters could also meet their end. Su Bei recalled the first volume of the comic, where a somewhat popular supporting character had died mid-story.
The Comic Consciousness was obviously sidestepping the truth, but Su Bei didn't press. For him, the priority was escaping the constraints of a disposable role.
From his prior experiences, disposable characters were at the mercy of plot-driven deaths, while major characters likely weren't.
"Got it. Third question," Su Bei tilted his head, "What happens to this world if I fail?"
If, upon his failure, the Comic Consciousness could simply choose another person to finish the task, then he only needed to worry about himself.
But if this was a unique, mutual choice, one where success or failure impacted the entire world, he'd need to carefully consider whether to accept.
Could he truly bear the responsibility of saving the world?
The Comic Consciousness, now bound to him as a partner of sorts, didn't hide the truth: "That depends on what the author decides."
"What do you mean?"
"If the author decides to continue and let the villains win, this world will naturally proceed in that direction. But if they forcefully alter the logic to grant the protagonist a victory, then this world will collapse, and the comic will lose its soul."
When the characters in a comic can no longer save themselves, everything falls to the author's decision.
The Comic Consciousness's response, however, raised another question. "So, no second chances? Once you've chosen me, you can't pick anyone else?"
"That's right, only one choice. The comic officially starts serialization next week."
Hearing this, Su Bei's expression turned serious. While he certainly wanted to live, carrying the responsibility of an entire world was another matter.
After all, if he failed, the people of this world would face terrible consequences—either total destruction or life under villainous rule.
If that were the case, perhaps it would be better to die now and avoid the burden.
Sensing his hesitation, the Comic Consciousness tried to reassure him with a bit of urgency in its childlike voice: "You're already the most promising candidate I calculated, with a success rate much higher than anyone else."
It hesitated, reluctant to admit, "…If you don't take this on, this world is almost certainly doomed. But if you accept, there's a glimmer of hope. So you don't need to feel too burdened."
Oddly, this reassurance did ease Su Bei's mind. He raised an eyebrow, somewhat curious, "May I ask what the success rate was for me compared to the others?"
"You're at 3%, while the others aren't even at 0.1%."
The Comic Consciousness had no choice—it would have preferred more reliable candidates, but Su Bei was the only one with any real promise.
The other candidates either weren't as sharp or, frankly, weren't as attractive. None of them had Su Bei's unique combination of qualities.
He had golden hair like waves of wheat, framing a striking, fair face. A small lock on the left was braided, giving him a playful yet nonchalant charm.
His eyes were a deep purple, mysterious and intense, with pupils that seemed to pull people into a vortex when he looked at them.
When he smiled, his fox-like eyes narrowed, and his mouth curved into a roguish grin. Raising his eyebrows added a hint of danger. The academy's gray-blue uniform only enhanced his striking appearance. He could effortlessly portray either a hero or a villain.
With the Comic Consciousness drawing on the author's years of experience, it knew that as soon as this face appeared in the comic, fans would flock to him.
This stark data difference surprised Su Bei at first, but a thoughtful expression soon crossed his face. Just as the Comic Consciousness had suggested, he truly was the best choice.
In other words, they were helping each other, rather than him owing it a favor, so he didn't have to feel any personal obligation.
Relaxed by this realization, Su Bei gave a lazy chuckle, "I do want to cooperate with you, but what makes you think I can change this world's direction?"
After all, his ability was simply to create gears—practically useless in a world of superpowered beings.
Su Bei wasn't ashamed of this; after all, only a small portion of people in this world had powers. His ability might be weak, but that didn't affect his character.
Whether or not he had powers, or what kind of powers, didn't change his value as a person.
However, using this power to save the world seemed highly unlikely. In fact, Su Bei just wanted to stay far from danger and live an ordinary life.
The Comic Consciousness knew this and replied, "I'll naturally give you a special ability. But how you use it will depend on you."
"So, what's this special ability?" Su Bei was unexpectedly eager, imagining the superpowers he'd seen in other comics.
A powerful ability? A cheat system? Guidance from a mentor? Any of these would be thrilling for a 15-year-old.
"Your special ability is… when readers of the comic completely believe the information you present, that information will become reality."