Chapter 04

After finishing her browsing session, Ye Zheng exited the manga app. At that moment, she noticed another icon on her phone screen—

Forum.

This was yet another unfamiliar term.

According to the system, the real world possessed something called the internet, which gathered people from across the globe into a single network. Through electronic devices such as phones and computers, people could communicate freely regardless of distance.

Ye Zheng found this difficult to believe. In her world, computers were exclusive to the Royal Academy of Sciences, and ordinary citizens had no idea they even existed. Phones were merely communication tools, heavily restricted in function.

Filled with curiosity, Ye Zheng tapped into the 【Forum】.

Rows of horizontal text filled the screen. Some threads were marked “new,” others labeled “hot.”

“New, hot… obsolete characters.”

The empire used A through Z for ordering, but alphabet-based writing had long been abandoned. It was rarely seen anymore.

The common language of the Sacred Citadel Empire was identical to the script used in the manga and forum applications. Now, however, she was encountering entirely different writing systems from the real world.

In other words, the real world was home to more than one dominant civilization. Two, three, perhaps even more.

The system explained: 『‘New’ refers to the latest posts. ‘Hot’ refers to popular ones. This forum is the reader discussion board for 《Throne of the Aberrant Realm》. You can gauge your reputation here.』

『The top hot post is discussing you. Hurry and take a look.』

Ye Zheng obediently clicked the first hot thread.

【Analysis! What exactly is the background of the mysterious character who hasn’t appeared yet?】

The moment she entered, the screen was flooded with lively discussion.

Her gaze swept across the text, quickly catching familiar names: the empire’s princes and princesses, the king, the pope, the chief of the Ability Users Association. Figures who were untouchable taboos in her world were being casually dissected by readers.

Yet she did not rush to scroll.

Her eyes fixed on a small corner of the screen.

2024-05-13 09:11:28 Jinhai*

[T/N - Jinhai means literal translation is Golden Sea! Why it is here I don't know.]

This must be the real-world time and… location.

Thoughtfully, Ye Zheng lowered her gaze.

『Look at post 57. It mentions you.』

The system urged eagerly. Ye Zheng scrolled down and soon found the relevant comments.

【57L: No one analyzing the mysterious person who saved the protagonist team? Feels like a big shot.】

【58L: My guess is the pope. The church opposes the royal family, and since the protagonists have been humiliating the royal team lately, the pope probably sent someone in secret.】

【59L: Honestly, the church’s attitude toward the lower districts is pretty hypocritical. They only send the saintess down for show. Even though they saved the protagonists, the church still treats them poorly.】

【60L: That reminds me. Could it have been the church’s saintess who saved them?】

【61L: Probably not. According to rumors, the saintess is very friendly toward the lower districts. Even if it’s an act, she would at least pretend to receive the team properly.】

【62L: It must be someone from the Divine Academy. Pei Xi and the others are probably going to face them soon.】

【63L: I agree with the above. Likely a tournament participant. Betting on a handsome holy knight with a dark side.】

“How amusing. They managed to eliminate the correct answer entirely.”

Ye Zheng rested her chin on her hand, reading with keen interest.

“Although I am the church’s public image project, everything I do is sincere. Hearing them say this makes me a little sad.”

She could tell that in the manga, neither the royal family nor the church was portrayed favorably. Yet this did not stop readers from admiring powerful individuals within those factions. As the saintess, even genuine goodwill failed to move them.

“I had 3 action points. Hmm? It became 5.”

『Your popularity is rising. More readers are discussing you and developing expectations for this unrevealed character.』

Her eyes curved into a smile. “That also means my next appearance must meet those expectations, or my popularity will fall.”

『Current popularity value: 500. If your next appearance causes a decline, action points will be deducted.』

“So stingy.”

“Then I must think very carefully about how to use my 5 action points.”

Ye Zheng sat before her vanity mirror, lightly touching her reflection. There was no makeup to remove. The author had given her naturally pristine beauty, radiant even without adornment. Even the most critical imperial crown prince had admitted that her appearance was flawless.

Yet she did not view this as favoritism. The author adored his male protagonist, and the spouse bestowed upon him naturally had to be of the highest beauty.

Since she had no need to artificially enhance her looks, Ye Zheng rarely wore makeup. Still, she devoted a great deal of time each day to her appearance.

She combed her long, thick hair. Soon, the maids would arrive to wash and condition it, a process that took no less than three hours daily.

Her movements suddenly stopped. She opened the cabinet beneath the vanity and retrieved a pair of scissors. Grasping a handful of her lustrous hair, Ye Zheng raised the scissors.

Her smile slowly widened.

In the mirror, the girl shed her habitual, practiced smile. Joy and anticipation bloomed openly in her eyes, as though she were finally about to cast off a long-borne burden.

“The hair restricts my movements far too much. If it weren’t for it, I might already be a level-five ability user.”

“Use five action points. I want to cut my hair.”

Hair that reached her ankles was part of the manga’s character design. As long as she was willing to spend action points, she could alter the course of the manga’s plot.

From childhood to the present, carrying such heavy, movement-hindering hair while maintaining a pleasant, accommodating demeanor was already her way of showing restraint toward this world.

『Stop! That’s part of your core character design!』

『In manga, the more hair a beauty has, the more beautiful she is. If you lose your beauty, what will you use to gain popularity?』

The system screamed frantically beside her ear.

Ye Zheng ignored it completely. Without the slightest hesitation, she brought the small, sharp scissors down onto her carefully maintained hair.

Not a single strand fell. Unwilling to give up, she stabbed at her hair again and again.

【Warning! Warning!】

Flashing red text flooded her vision, overlaying her distorted, unwilling expression reflected in the mirror.

【Core character design collapsing! Initiating self-awareness verification. Consciousness erasure program activating.】

Ye Zheng’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. A violent pain exploded in her brain, and her strength drained away in an instant. The scissors slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. She collapsed against the vanity table, clutching her head as her body convulsed uncontrollably.

A deafening buzzing filled her consciousness. Only after a long while did she finally hear the familiar mechanical voice again. Slowly, she lifted her tear-soaked face from her arm.

『I told you it was a core design. Major alterations can easily trigger severe errors!』

『I exist to help you optimize your character, not to allow you to deviate completely out of character. Straying too far from the original design will result in your erasure under the operating laws of the manga world!』

『This time, I managed to suppress the process. If the consciousness erasure program had fully activated, your awareness would have been wiped clean, leaving behind an empty shell controlled entirely by the character framework.』

Ye Zheng seemed slow to recover. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. After a long pause, she finally spoke.

“I only thought that if I cut my hair, I could move more freely. If my combat ability improved even a little, I wouldn’t drag the protagonist team down… That should make readers like me more, shouldn’t it?”

“After all, that’s what everyone wants from me.”

Her voice was extremely soft, barely above a whisper, like a feather brushing lightly across still water and sending ripples through the heart.

The system had prepared itself for Ye Zheng to argue relentlessly, as she always did. She was stubborn, inquisitive, and relentlessly analytical, causing it endless trouble.

But the moment Ye Zheng softened, every harsh reprimand the system had prepared became impossible to voice. After a brief silence, it stiffly adjusted its tone.

『Your role positioning was never combat-oriented to begin with. Besides, even strong female characters must possess both beauty and strength. Have you ever seen a powerful female character in a manga who isn’t beautiful?』

『Fine. You are a paper character and haven’t read much manga. That ignorance can be overlooked.』

『In short, do not act so recklessly again.』

The girl lowered her eyes and gave a faint “mm” so soft it was almost inaudible. She looked obedient and compliant. Yet the system still felt unsettled. It could not shake the feeling that Ye Zheng was quietly plotting something.

During their brief time together, it had already noticed that even before its arrival, this female protagonist had shown slight deviations from her original character design.

Some deviation was normal. Manga exaggerated personalities for dramatic effect, while characters lived like ordinary people beyond the panels. Humans were multifaceted, and it was natural for them to have sides unknown to readers.

Ye Zheng was indeed kind, genuinely caring for the lower district. She was sensitive, picking up on every nuance in the system’s words. She was perceptive, always able to identify logical inconsistencies.

Seen this way, nothing seemed particularly wrong. The system reassured itself and was about to offer a few more instructions when urgent knocking suddenly sounded from the bedroom door.

Ye Zheng, who had been resting against the vanity, straightened and frowned slightly.

She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a youthful face that bore some resemblance to her own.

“Sister, you’re not resting yet, are you? Let me in.”

Ye Di tried to slip through the door gap, but Ye Zheng subtly blocked him.

“What is it, coming at this hour?”

Her tone remained gentle, that of a considerate elder sister.

“Sister, I just wanted to invite you to a banquet.”

“It’s being held at the Royal Academy to celebrate the conclusion of the second stage of the national ability tournament. You’re also a student there. Everyone hasn’t seen you in ages and is really looking forward to your appearance.”

“I’ve already accepted the invitation for you.”

Ye Di spoke ingratiatingly, though the arrogance hidden deep in his eyes was impossible to conceal as he pressed the ornate invitation into her hand.

Ye Zheng’s status was unique. Although enrolled at the Royal Ability Academy, her duties as the church’s saintess meant she rarely attended classes.

A trace of mockery flashed through Ye Zheng’s eyes. This awkward position was thanks to their father, who played both sides. He sought the church’s protection while fearing to offend the royal family, leaving her trapped between them.

“The crown prince even invited that trashy lower-district team. There’s definitely going to be something entertaining to watch.”

Ye Di’s eyes lit up, his smile finally becoming genuine. The protagonist team would be there too. Ye Zheng thought silently. Even if she refused, the plot would likely force her participation. More accurately, Ye Di’s visit itself had probably been arranged by the plot.

“Sister, it’s settled then. This weekend, we’ll go together.”

Ye Di offered her no chance to refuse. He turned to leave, only to hear Ye Zheng call him back.

“Ye Di.”

“You came to invite me. Was this at the crown prince’s instruction? This time, the Royal Academy not only lost face to the lower-district team, their results were also inferior to the church’s Divine Academy.”

“My existence, just like that lower-district team, serves as an outlet for the crown prince to vent his anger.”

Her voice was calm, almost detached. Ye Di turned around in the dim corridor, his smile stiff and strained.

“Sister, you’re the saintess. How could you compare yourself to those lowly lower-district commoners? No matter how temperamental the crown prince is, he wouldn’t dare openly offend the church.”

Ye Zheng let out a soft chuckle.

“You don’t seriously think that using your sister to curry favor with the crown prince will convince him to let you join the competition team, do you?”

Ye Di’s smile froze completely.

┳⁠━━━━⁠━⁠⁠━⁠━⁠━━━⁠┳⁠

Authors Note

┻━⁠━━━━⁠━━⁠━━━⁠┻

System: No major issues. Everything is under control.