FAILED MALE SUPPORTING CHARACTER [TRANSMIGRATION]
chapter 1
[THE DEMON REALM - MAIN HALL]
An imposing and magnificent palace occupies one-third of the Demon Realm’s territory. Its golden and resplendent architecture does not appear luxurious under the dim, gloomy sky; instead, it adds a touch of eeriness and desolation.
TAEHYUNG sits on the golden throne of the main hall, staring blankly at the crowd of beauties below. Beside him, a scantily clad, handsome man provocatively tries to feed him a grape. He silently turns his head to avoid him.
Taehyung(mc)
{Even though I’ve been in this world for some time, I still isn’t accustomed to such scenes. Seriously, who writes scenes like this? Oh right, I did. I really had a flair for the dramatic and the uncomfortable when I was writing this.}
Taehyung(mc)
{}means thinking
The people of the Demon Realm are steeped in carnal desires and extravagant pleasures; the concept of “integrity” has absolutely nothing to do with them. However, as a modern person, TAEHYUNG works hard to maintain his own moral principles
Taehyung(mc)
{I had simply taken a nap, only to wake up and find I had transmigrated into a romantic xianxia (cultivation) novel I had written. To make matters worse, I wasn’t the protagonist or even an important supporting character. I was a minor “cannon fodder” antagonist from the early stages—a boy who tried to steal the male lead’s heart with cruel and vicious methods, only to be destroyed in the end, serving as the fuse that ignited the war between the Orthodox and Demon factions.}
Taehyung(mc)
{As for why such a minor character could trigger a world war? Because I gave him the prestigious title of Saint of the Demon Race. I really wrote myself into a corner, didn't I?}
TAEHYUNG silently shifts his posture on the golden throne
Taehyung(mc)
{If I had known I’d transmigrate, I would have written a “everyone is happy” world instead of this one, where almost no one is truly “good” outside of the Demon Realm. The Human Realm and the Immortal Realm have been disconnected for thousands of years. It’s been a long time since any cultivator successfully ascended. The spiritual energy (Qi) in the Human Realm is so depleted that the number of cultivators has plummeted. In this world, a single small spirit stone could trigger a bloody battle. It is truly a world of the “survival of the fittest.” And I made it that way.}
Ji Manqiu
“So, have you decided when to go?”
On a soft couch to the right of the throne lies a seductive beauty. Unlike TAEHYUNG’s discomfort, she thoroughly enjoys the service of her male attendants. Her silver hair and thin red gauze cannot hide her exquisite, curvaceous figure.
TAEHYUNG looks at the speaker and hesitates. This is the Right Protector of the Demon Realm, Ji Manqiu. She has a much better lot than TAEHYUNG—she’s a supporting character who survives until the final chapter.
Taehyung(mc)
{She’s currently asking about my mission to Misty Valley. If I go, I die. If I don’t... I need to survive. When I transmigrated, this body had already been born from the altar for a while, and the “whim” to go undercover had already happened. I’m literally stuck following the plot points I created.}
Ji Manqiu
Covers her mouth and yawns, looking lazy. “The Lord is about to come out of seclusion. Why not wait for him to emerge before you leave?”
Taehyung(mc)
{That one sentence kills any thought of staying. The Demon Lord is this body’s long-term ‘bed partner.’}
TAEHYUNG sighs and rises from the throne, resigned to his fate.
Taehyung(mc)
“…I’ll go now.”
Taehyung(mc)
{Staying in the Demon Realm is worse than seeking a path to survival in Misty Valley. The Demon Lord? I’m definitely not ready to lose my ‘integrity’ yet. Furthermore, as long as I don’t court death like the original character, the chances of exposure are slim. After all, as the Demon Saint, I had originally written several “cheats” for this character.}
In the original book, the world was divided into three realms: the Human Realm, the Cultivation Realm, and the Demon Realm. The Human and Cultivation realms were connected, while the Demon Realm was independent. The Demon Realm consisted of two types of people: “Demon Cultivators” (humans who fell into obsession) and “True Demons” (those born in the Demon Realm, like Ji Manqiu).
True Demons possessed extraordinary abilities from birth, and most were not human in their original forms. For example, Ji Manqiu was a Nine-Tailed Fox, and TAEHYUNG’s original form was… a Black Cat.
Ji Manqiu
Smiles. “If your identity is exposed, just turn into your original form and run back. Those stupid cultivators won’t be able to catch you.”
Taehyung(mc)
{“Stupid cultivators?” I literally named them that! I gave them generic backstories! How could they not catch me? I can barely walk in my cat form without tripping.}
TAEHYUNG leans over the couch, looking at her pitifully.
Taehyung(mc)
“Give me a life-saving treasure.”
Ji Manqiu
Laughs and taps TAEHYUNG’s forehead with a slender finger. “Weren’t you acting all high and mighty when you first came off the altar? Scared now?”
Taehyung(mc)
{The ‘high and mighty’ one wasn’t me. I’m just a guy who forgot he gave his own character a fatal weakness.}
TAEHYUNG continues to stare at her without shame. After a few more taps, Ji Manqiu finally laughs and pulls something out.
Taehyung(mc)
“What is this?”
TAEHYUNG looks curiously at the object pressed into his hand—a palm-sized jade fox, carved so realistically it looks alive.
Ji Manqiu
“A gift for your journey.”
She blows a breath toward the jade fox. Red mist erupts, surrounding TAEHYUNG. The mist tears through space, whisking him out of the Demon Realm.
chapter 2
[MISTY VALLEY - THE RECRUITMENT]
Thanks to Ji Manqiu’s “kindness,” TAEHYUNG arrives just in time for the final wave of the Misty Valley’s disciple recruitment trial.
Misty Valley is the sect of the protagonist and one of the top sects in the cultivation world. Most of its disciples used to be women who specialized in swordsmanship, but it changed since JUNGKOOK entered the sect as the sect leader’s disciple.
Taehyung(mc)
{JUNGKOOK. My protagonist. Eldest disciple, rare “Pure Water Spirit Root.” Reaching the Nascent Soul stage in less than a hundred years in this Qi-depleted world. A miracle. And his “Triple Prism Sword Technique” is unrivaled. I really piled every good attribute onto him. Aside from a slightly cold personality, he was perfect. If I had known this would happen, I would have given him a ‘Magnanimous’ (overly merciful) trait instead of being so stingy with his personality.}
TAEHYUNG , wearing coarse cloth clothes, follows the commoners trekking from the foot of the mountain to the summit. He forces himself to break a sweat to look the part.
Taehyung(mc)
{Seventeen years old. I stand out like a sore thumb among these seven-to-thirteen-year-olds.}
One by one, the crowd thins. Those with decent aptitude go to the left; those with too many “cluttered” roots leave. TAEHYUNG walks with the line, looking at his palm.
Taehyung(mc)
{Strangely, as a Demon, my body can still show Spirit Roots, though I can’t actually practice human cultivation techniques. It was a major “bug” in my world-building, but since I was the creator, I’ll just calmly ignore it.}
After half an hour, it is his turn. The disciple holding the testing stone explains how to use it.
TAEHYUNG grips the stone. When he lets go, the pure white stone is mostly stained blue, with a small corner of green
........
DISCIPLE: “…Water and Wood Dual Spirit Roots
The disciple looks at TAEHYUNG with surprise and delight. She gestures for him to join the group on the left.
The disciples lead the recruits into Misty Valley. The sect occupies thirteen peaks. The group is split, and TAEHYUNG is brought to the Main Peak to rest.
........
DISCIPLE: “There are Cleansing Pools behind this house. Once you’ve changed, remember to soak for an hour to clear impurities. I will give you the introductory manual soon. Those with higher talent have a better chance of being taken in by First-Generation disciples.”
Taehyung(mc)
{Getting the right master is a matter of luck. Except for JUNGKOOK, all the First-Generation disciples already have pupils. JUNGKOOK missed out because of his own seclusion. And that disciple is destined to be me. I wish I could avoid him. If my identity were ever exposed, my chances of escaping JUNGKOOK are slim.}
Someone taps his arm. A shy, clean-looking boy smiles at him.
........
BOY: “We’re going to the Cleansing Pool together. Are you coming?”
Taehyung(mc)
“The Cleansing Pool…”
Taehyung(mc)
TAEHYUNG hesitates and shakes his head.
As a Demon, TEAHYUNG figured he’d better stay away from pools designed to “purify” things.
After dinner, as night falls, the other kids stay in their beds. TAEHYUNG waits until it is dark, tells his roommate he is going for a walk, and slips out.
He checks the Cleansing Pool—no one is there. He shifts into his original form. His clothes fall in a heap as a tiny black cat with emerald eyes crawls out. He is barely the size of a palm, easily hidden by the shadows.
He slinks toward the main square. In the center stands a statue of a Qingluan (a mythical blue bird) in flight. Even at night, it looks majestic and powerful.
Taehyung(mc)
{Legend says every Pure Single Spirit Root carrier has the blood of a Divine Beast. Water roots correspond to the Qingluan. To me, “Qingluan” had just been a word I typed; seeing it “real” is breathtaking. I’m quite proud of this detail, actually.}
Suddenly, he feels himself being lifted. His four paws dangle in the air. He struggles in panic, letting out a weak “Meow.”
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“Where did you sneak in from?”
TAEHYUNG looks up. He sees a pair of clear, icy eyes. He instinctively looks away, then remembers he is a cat and looks back.
The man is breathtakingly gorgeous. Not the seductive beauty of Ji Manqiu, but something ethereal—like an immortal. Refreshing, refined, heavenly.
Taehyung(mc)
{TAEHYUNG ’s heart skips a beat. Wait… is this my protagonist, JUNGKOOK? Those were the exact words I had used to describe him. I nailed the character design, but seeing it in 3D is unnerving.}
JUNGKOOK sees the “dumb” cat staring at him. He pinches the cat’s tiny paws and squeezes its tail. When the cat doesn’t react, JUNGKOOK actually lets out a rare, slight smile
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“Do you like dried meat?”
JUNGKOOK pulls a piece of jerky from his storage stone and holds it to the cat’s mouth.
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“Eat this and leave. You shouldn’t disturb the disciples’ cultivation.”
TAEHYUNG hesitantly takes the jerky and starts gnawing. JUNGKOOK strokes the cat’s back, watching its ears twitch. Footsteps approach. He places the cat on the ground.
Jungkook(original protagonist)
Whispering “Go back down the mountain.”
JUNGKOOK turns and leaves. TAEHYUNG stands there, paws treading the ground. He spits out the jerky and watches JUNGKOOK’s silhouette disappear.
Taehyung(mc)
{Since when was my protagonist so soft toward animals? Why didn’t I know about this setting? I need to check my notes… wait, I don’t have my laptop.}
The kitten shakes its head. It seems too coincidental to meet the protagonist right after his seclusion. He pushes the thoughts aside and trots off in a different direction to continue exploring the Main Peak.
this what our Taehyung look in his demon form(cat form)
chapter 3
[MISTY VALLEY - THE DORMITORY]
TAEHYUNG returns to the dorm. It is a shared room with partitions. The recruits are strangers, and silence reigns.
Taehyung(mc)
{Three days is a short time in a novel—just a paragraph of text. But living through it? It’s agonizingly slow.}
TAEHYUNG sits on his bed, pretending to meditate on his manual, but he is mentally spiraling.
Taehyung(mc)
{Text and reality are worlds apart. I thought as the creator, I’d be omnipotent. I’ve spent three nights roaming as a cat, trying to find the entrance to a secret realm I know is here, but I can’t find a trace of it. Why? Because I was too lazy to write the instructions! I literally wrote: "The entrance is on the Main Peak" and nothing else. I am a victim of my own bad writing.}
He rubs his forehead, frustrated.
Taehyung(mc)
{I really can't be careless. I have to be smarter about this.}
[THE SQUARE - THE QINGLUAN STATUE]
Three days have passed. Disciples lead the recruits to the square. A thin white mist shrouds the area. In the center stands the Qingluan statue. The golden sunlight hits its wings, making it look alive, tail feathers shimmering.
The recruits stare, mesmerized. Even TAEHYUNG, who has seen it as a cat, is struck by the craftsmanship.
........
GUIDING DISCIPLE: “This Qingluan statue was carved by the founding master of Misty Valley for his beloved junior sister. It is the core of our sect’s protective array. Since many of us possess the Water Spirit Root, the Qingluan is our symbol.”
Taehyung(mc)
{Wait. Founding master... beloved junior sister?}
Taehyung(mc)
TAEHYUNG blinks, confused.
Taehyung(mc)
{I’m pretty sure I set the founding master of this sect to be a woman. }
Taehyung(mc)
{"Wait, wasn't this world supposed to be all about male leads? Since when did the founding ancestors have a GL backstory? Did I secretly write a lesbian couple into my own lore and forget, or did the world rewrite itself? Either way, I know for a fact I didn't design that history."}
The plaza fills with First and Second-Generation disciples arriving on their swords. TAEHYUNG scans the crowd for the man who fed him jerky, but he isn't there.
........
GUIDING DISCIPLE: “One final test. This stone will measure spirit roots for the senior brothers and sisters to select their disciples.”
A half-human-tall stone appears. Recruits step up one by one. TAEHYUNG observes the three senior members presiding over the selection. His gaze lands on the only man in the center—wearing pure white robes, hair tied with a white ribbon. He looks ethereal.
Taehyung(mc)
{Is that Jungkook? He looks like a painting.}
The man senses the gaze, turns, and offers a beautiful, subtle smile.
It is TAEHYUNG’s turn. He places his hand on the stone. It glows—more than half is blue, the rest is a vibrant green. No cluttered colors.
........
GUIDING DISCIPLE: “Very pure Dual Spirit Roots. Excellent.”
The man in white, the one who caught his eye, raises his sword hilt and points it at TAEHYUNG.
........
MAN IN WHITE: “He will come with me.”
The other disciples move on to pick others. The guiding disciple nudges TAEHYUNG’S arm.
........
GUIDING DISCIPLE: “What are you standing there for? Quickly, greet Senior Brother Li Jianguo!”
Taehyung(mc)
{So it was Li Jianguo? Why him of all people?}
TAEHYUNG’S heart sinks. He bows his head to hide his expression.
Taehyung(mc)
{Li Jianguo... the arrogant, willful junior brother of Jungkook. The one who gets pampered by everyone and has the weirdest 'hobbies' in the sect. If I become his disciple, I might as well just walk back to the Demon Realm and surrender.}
As TAEHYUNG moves forward, Li Jianguo grows impatient, lifting his chin arrogantly. Suddenly, Li Jianguo freezes and his head drops. Someone has appeared behind TAEHYUNG.
........
FAMILIAR VOICE: “Master has forbidden you from taking disciples. Have you forgotten?”
TAEHYUNG turns. It is the man from that night—Jungkook. He looks cold, his presence making the air temperature drop.
Li Jianguo
Biting his lip, reluctant. “Senior Brother.”
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“He forgot. Did all of you forget as well?”
Silence falls over the plaza. Li Jianguo tries to save face.
Li Jianguo
“I was helping you pick a disciple, Senior Brother. This person has Water and Wood Dual Roots; he’s very suitable for you.”
Jungkook looks at TAEHYUNG. Because TAEHYUNG had designed the Demon race to be strikingly beautiful, he stands out even in plain clothes.
Jungkook reaches out, takes a sky-blue ribbon from Li Jianguo's hand, and personally ties it around TAEHYUNG’S arm.
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“I accept him.”
Taehyung(mc)
{He... he tied it himself? The ribbon designates the master, but shouldn't he have just handed it to me? Why the personal touch?}
Li Jianguo
Disappointed, but terrified of Jungkook. “As long as the Senior Brother is satisfied.”
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“Go back and cultivate. Do not come out to cause trouble again.”
Jungkook looks at TAEHYUNG.
Jungkook(original protagonist)
“Follow me.”
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