Forced to Become the Protagonist of a Restricted Novel [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 1

“You useless trash! You’re a disgrace to the Lin family!”

“It was just a bump—why are you acting like you’re dying?”

“The family head gave you so many rare potions, yet you still can’t even gather battle energy. Your physique is worse than a street vendor’s…”

Su Cheng woke to the sound of curses.

Dazed, she opened her eyes and found herself standing in a courtyard.

Lush greenery surrounded her, with a stone path half-hidden by flowering shrubs ahead. At the end of the path, a commotion of jeers and taunts echoed.

A group of young men and women stood at the crossroads, encircling a boy sitting on the ground as they mercilessly mocked him.

The boy appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with a slender build and delicate features. His face was deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and he kept coughing incessantly.

Su Cheng: “?”

Wasn’t she just taking a nap at home? Where the hell was this?

“Hey! Someone’s here!”

The group of youths turned their heads and spotted Su Cheng standing by the roadside. Their expressions instantly shifted.

“Miss Su,” one of them greeted her with a smile. “Apologies for the unsightly scene. Lin Yun here is the infamous good-for-nothing in our clan—”

Su Cheng blinked. “Lin Yun?”

They weren’t speaking a language she was familiar with, yet she could understand them effortlessly and even respond instinctively in the same tongue.

“That’s right,” another sighed. “You’ve only just arrived at our family, so you probably haven’t heard…”

Su Cheng turned her gaze to the boy sitting on the ground.

His head hung low, his eyes vacant. After a few seconds, a strange, bewildered expression suddenly flickered across his face.

Slowly, the boy raised his hand and wiped the blood from his lips with force.

Around his wrist was a thin obsidian chain, subtly transforming as it came into contact with the blood.

At the center of the chain hung a dull gray jade pendant, upon which an eerie and intricate pattern gradually surfaced.

The boy’s movements froze, and he stiffened in shock.

Su Cheng: “…”

Wasn’t this the classic trope of blood activating a special artifact?!

It seemed the cheat-code old man inside the bracelet was already communicating with the male lead.

Yes, the male lead.

A few hours ago, Su Cheng had stumbled upon an R-rated novel titled The Legend of the Divine Throne on an external site.

The protagonist, Lin Yun, died in a car accident in the modern world and transmigrated to a fantasy continent, becoming the namesake good-for-nothing scion of the prestigious Lin family in Golden Amber City.

Orphaned at a young age, the original Lin Yun lived under his uncle’s roof. Due to his abysmal cultivation talent, he was frequently bullied by his relatives.

After transmigrating, the male lead accidentally activated a divine artifact left behind by his father. With the help of a thousand-year-old ghost bound within the bracelet, he embarked on his journey of revenge and rise to power.

But in the end, this was a smut novel. The plot was cobbled together from trending tropes, taking up minimal space, while the real focus was on the male lead’s tangled relationships with the female leads and supporting characters.

—R-18 scenes were endless, featuring all sorts of high-difficulty kinks, along with some niche, fetishistic horror elements.

The novel spanned millions of words, and the comment section was a perpetual battlefield. There were warnings, rants, praises, arguments, onlookers, and even death threats to the author—truly, everything under the sun.

Su Cheng had read the opening chapters and skimmed through the rest, catching some spoilers from the comments.

Some complained that the plot grew increasingly chaotic, with the male lead’s personality flip-flopping like he had multiple personalities, while the author retconned world-building and logic into oblivion.

Others suggested the author should just focus on writing smut—if they couldn’t handle plot, they shouldn’t bother. Even if they wanted to pad the word count, at least make it enjoyable. The male lead was constantly manipulated like an idiot.

Then there were the abstract plot points—“the male lead was almost gang-raped by male villains,” “one of the deities who slept with the male lead might have been a man before ascension,” “the mother-daughter pair who had a threesome with the male lead were actually stitched-together skeletons, rotting flesh, and corpse parts”—that made many readers lose their minds, accusing the author of indulging their fetishes now that they were making money, and warning that they’d get their comeuppance someday.

Su Cheng had even laughed at the absurdity.

By then, it was already noon. Drowsiness overtook her, so she turned off her phone and fell asleep. Who would’ve thought she’d wake up here—right in the middle of the novel’s opening scene?

After sorting through this body’s memories, Su Cheng was absolutely certain: she had transmigrated into a cannon-fodder side character who shared her name.

This cannon fodder character appeared in only two chapters, with less than three thousand words of screen time.

One chapter as a background character, one chapter to meet their end.

At the time, the comment section was full of question marks because the author had specifically described her beauty, only for her to be killed by the male lead shortly after her second appearance.

The reason was simple.

—Lin Yun had once sworn that since he had taken over the original host’s body, he would avenge the original host’s parents by killing all their enemies and the descendants of those enemies.

Even if these descendants might be innocent and unaware of the grudges between their elders.

“Su Cheng” was one of them.

This plot point was also criticized, with some readers saying that a protagonist in a trashy novel shouldn’t try to play the righteous avenger—it just comes off as comical.

“……”

Su Cheng looked at Lin Yun, who was sitting on the ground.

He stared blankly at the bracelet on his wrist for a few seconds before suddenly scrambling to his feet.

“Lin Ting!” Lin Yun shouted. “Was it you who ambushed me just now?”

The other youths turned at the commotion.

“Ambush?” A tall young man stepped forward. “I just bumped into you by accident. You’re not even a first-tier warrior—if I really ambushed you, you’d already be dead!”

Lin Yun glared coldly at him. “Apologize.”

“Apologize?” Lin Ting sneered. “Who the hell do you think you are? Are you even worthy? What if I don’t? Are you going to challenge me to a duel?”

Lin Yun curled his lips into a chilling smile. “Fine. Lin Ting, you pick the time.”

The others burst into laughter.

“Has Lin Yun lost his mind?”

“Did that hit just now scramble his brains?”

“He was never that bright to begin with. Otherwise, with all the resources the family head poured into him, why hasn’t he even condensed his battle aura yet?”

Lin Ting was stunned for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. “Hahahaha! Since you’re asking for death, I won’t hold back. Out of consideration for your injuries, let’s make it ten days from now—”

“Wait!”

Su Cheng suddenly interrupted.

Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, she took two steps forward.

Lin Yun’s bracelet had been activated—the old man inside would provide him assistance, and other female leads and supporting characters would hand him cheat-like advantages. From now on, he would grow stronger by the day.

In the duel ten days later, Lin Ting would have his heart meridians shattered by Lin Yun’s battle aura and die on the spot.

Though she didn’t care about Lin Ting’s fate, she also didn’t want to let Lin Yun develop unchecked.

Su Cheng cleared her throat. “Mr. Lin Yun, I’d like to fight you too.”

“?”

Everyone stared at her in bewilderment.

—She was a relative by marriage of the Lin family head, with no blood ties to the Lin clan. She was only staying with them temporarily while waiting to participate in the academy’s entrance exams.

“You?”

Lin Yun turned to study her for several seconds, his eyes flashing with admiration before he scrutinized her from head to toe, looking her up and down repeatedly.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “I don’t know you, but since you’re pretty, I’ll indulge you in ten days.”

He expected to see anger or humiliation on her face, but there was nothing.

“No,” she said calmly, “right now.”

Lin Yun was taken aback.

He had just finished conversing with the soul in the bracelet and learned the root cause of this body’s inability to cultivate. He was confident that given some time, he could completely transform himself.

By then, whether it was that damned Lin Ting or this troublesome woman, he would have ways to deal with them.

Especially since she was so beautiful with such a great figure – he’d never encountered such a top-tier woman in the modern world.

When the time came, he’d definitely have some fun with her.

But—

Now?

What a joke.

“Young mistress,” Lin Yun scoffed lightly, his gaze lingering on her chest, “you’re a proper second-rank mage challenging someone who isn’t even a first-level warrior, and you’re in such a hurry. Do you really want to fight me? Or have you taken a fancy to me?”

He expected her to get angry this time, or at least show some emotional reaction.

Yet there was none.

She didn’t get upset at the “challenge” remark, nor did she show any discomfort at his last comment, much less change her mind.

Su Cheng feigned confusion, “Are you suggesting that in ten days, you’ll have achieved a rank?”

Lin Yun frowned.

That was indeed what he thought, but he couldn’t reveal the soul in the bracelet, so he couldn’t openly express such confidence.

“Ha,” Su Cheng laughed, “What difference would that make?”

The other youths looked at them in confusion.

“…What’s going on?”

“Why pick that trash Lin Yun? He’s not even a Battle Attendant!”

Battle energy intensity, physical constitution, and overall combat strength divided warriors into eleven ranks:

Battle Attendant, Battle Disciple, Battle Warrior, Battle General, Battle Master, Grand Battle Master, Battle Ancestor, Battle Venerable, Battle King, Battle Emperor, Battle Saint.

Each rank had nine star levels.

These Lin family youths, all in their teens, had been certified by the Warrior Guild as Battle Attendants – first-level warriors – though with varying star levels.

Only Lin Yun had no rank at all.

And Su Cheng?

Everyone recognized the emblem on her chest.

Swirling wind and mist, a diagonally placed short staff with a spiral shaft.

Wind element, Apprentice Mage.

Like warriors, mages also had eleven ranks, with Apprentice Mage being the second rank.

Between mages and warriors of the same rank, combat strength was generally comparable. As a second-rank mage, Su Cheng should be challenging a second-rank warrior.

Not to mention rankless Lin Yun – none of the Lin family members present should theoretically be a match for her.

“You?!”

Lin Yun hadn’t expected this and panicked, “I’m injured right now!”

Weren’t people in this world supposed to value honor and reputation?

How could she bully the weak like this without fear of ridicule?

He currently had no battle energy or magic, his whole body ached – how was he supposed to fight?

Even an ordinary person could easily kill him now!

“Oh, that’s fine,” Su Cheng shrugged. “I’m not that particular.”

Her expression was relaxed, but in reality her heart was pounding nervously, her back soaked with cold sweat, her right hand behind her back trembling slightly.

Then, between those trembling fingers, sudden gusts of wind arose.

Tiny air currents swirled and gathered, wind elementals dancing joyfully among them, flickering in and out of view, quickly coalescing into a pale green blade.

—A single-cast Wind Blade was a second-rank spell.

Its lethality wasn’t particularly great. Against a first-level warrior protected by battle energy, the wind blade could only inflict limited damage.

But against an ordinary person, it was an entirely different matter.

Su Cheng possessed her predecessor’s memories and naturally knew how to cast spells.

She formed the wind blade and slashed at Lin Yun’s neck.

Lin Yun’s physical condition was poor to begin with, not to mention he was already injured.

He recoiled in shock.

“No!”

The soul within the bracelet roared in fury.

It took Lin Yun a moment too late to understand what that meant.

When ordinary people see an enemy swinging a blade horizontally, they instinctively dodge backward. But the wind blade in a mage’s hand was different from ordinary weapons.

The pale cyan energy blade flew from her hand with a howl, striking the side of his neck.

How fast is the wind?

Skin, blood vessels, and bones were all severed simultaneously. Blood gushed forth, staining the light-colored floor tiles crimson.

Lin Yun staggered back, clutching his wound. “You—”

With half his neck sliced open, blood spilled between his fingers. For someone without any cultivation rank, such an injury wouldn’t last more than a few seconds.

He collapsed to the ground.

“What have you done?!”

A furious roar suddenly came from behind, the voice rapidly approaching.

A tall, lean man who appeared youthful rushed over, staring at the scene in disbelief.

“Family Head…”

The surrounding youths trembled as they bowed in greeting.

The Lin family was one of the prominent clans of Golden Amber City. Family Head Lin Zhen was a nine-star battle master—a fifth-level warrior—just one step away from advancing further.

Within the entire city, he was already considered a top expert. Due to his battle energy cultivation, he still appeared quite young.

“Su Cheng!”

Lin Zhen’s face turned ashen as he looked at the boy lying in a pool of blood, veins bulging on his forehead.

“Out of respect for your shared lineage with my late wife, I’ve treated you with courtesy since your arrival in Golden Amber City. I’ve never wronged you in any way. And now you’ve killed my nephew—my own sister’s son!”

An aura of furious power surged around him.

A force brimming with oppression seemed ready to lunge at the young woman before him.

Su Cheng quickly pulled out a handkerchief, using the fabric as padding to yank the black stone bracelet from Lin Yun’s stiff arm.

“Family Head, look at this.”

She raised the bracelet.

“I once had the privilege of entering Archmage Dawson’s magic tower and browsing through some ancient texts in her library. One of them recorded similar patterns—this is the symbol of the God of Darkness’s followers!”

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Golden Amber City, where the Lin family resided, belonged to the Silver Moon Empire—the oldest and most powerful nation on the northern continent. And the entire northern continent was under the control of the God of Light’s church.

On this land, any faith related to the God of Darkness was strictly forbidden.

Over the past thousand years, there had been no shortage of bloodshed—entire families exterminated, cities slaughtered.

Some kingdoms had even fallen because of this, their thousand-acre palaces burning to ashes in holy light, their prosperous capitals crushed to dust beneath the iron hooves of paladins.

“Destroy it quickly!”

A Lin family youth screamed, “We can’t become heretics! The church will kill us all—”

“No no no! This was Lin Yun’s possession! We knew nothing about it!”

They cried out in terror, “This has nothing to do with us!”

“You—” Lin Zhen’s face also turned deathly pale. “Miss Su, is what you say true?!”

Su Cheng nodded slowly.

She had just been contemplating how to ensure her own survival.

But whether it was making friends with the male lead, confessing her transmigration to him, clarifying that she wasn’t the original owner in hopes he wouldn’t seek revenge, or fleeing under a false identity—none of these options were truly secure. They all amounted to placing her hopes in others’ hands.

It would be better to eradicate the source directly.

Since Lin Yun could kill her for such ridiculous reasons, she could just as well strike first.

Moreover, there was one crucial factor.

—This happened to be Lin Yun’s weakest moment. She wouldn’t get another opportunity like this, given how many cheats he had and how rapidly he grew stronger.

With all these factors combined, hesitation would mean missing her chance. Gritting her teeth, she made up her mind.

But she still needed an explanation that would satisfy the Lin family head.

A reason that would absolve her completely, ensuring she wouldn’t pay any price for murder.

The best part was—the pattern on that bracelet did have some connection to the God of Darkness.

The cheat old man had said so himself. He’d spoken of the God of Light with bitter resentment and even taught the protagonist how to conceal the bracelet, warning that it must never be seen by the Church.

“Otherwise, why would I challenge him to a duel?”

Su Cheng raised the bracelet higher, pleased to see the surrounding crowd recoil.

“It was because I saw this! We all bask in the grace of His Eminence the God of Light. I could never allow someone to openly wear such a filthy, blasphemous object of darkness!”

“…Indeed.”

Lin Zhen closed his eyes briefly, quickly regaining his composure.

He glanced at the corpse with a flicker of pity before looking away. “You’re right. It must be destroyed immediately.”

Given the gravity of the matter, Lin Yun’s life naturally couldn’t compare to the safety of the entire family.

Besides, Lin Yun had poor talent and a reclusive personality. Though Lin Zhen had shown him some care, the uncle-nephew bond wasn’t particularly deep.

“Very well.” Su Cheng handed over a handkerchief. “This is a dangerous magical artifact. I advise against touching it directly.”

Lin Zhen still harbored some suspicion—wondering if she coveted the bracelet, as enchanted ancient artifacts often tempted mages.

But seeing her hand it over so readily only strengthened his belief in her words.

He didn’t dare take it, merely gesturing for her to place it on the ground.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng set it down and stepped back.

The next instant, a shadowy figure—ghostly and indistinct, barely humanoid in outline—burst from the bracelet, claws outstretched in visible fury.

“You!”

The shadow turned its howl toward Su Cheng. “You’ve ruined everything! I—I waited two thousand years! You damned lackey of the God of Light! Pathetic, brainwashed follower of that false—”

Lin Zhen’s face paled.

His last shred of doubt vanished.

Who would dare openly insult His Eminence the God of Light in the Northern Continent?!

The radiant and supreme deity, ruler of all gods, sovereign of the divine realm, the very foundation of universal faith!

That was an existence capable of incinerating continents with just a glance!

Whatever was inside this bracelet would bring disaster upon the Lin family!

Without further hesitation, a dazzling red light erupted from his hand as he gathered his strength and smashed his fist downward.

With a deafening explosion, the courtyard trembled violently, bricks shattered, and dust filled the air.

Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief and slowly stepped back.

Then, to her horror, she realized she couldn’t move.

The entire world began to fade, turning into a monochrome ink painting. Everyone around her seemed frozen, as if someone had pressed pause.

“You did influence some things—”

She heard a sigh.

The voice didn’t seem to reach her through her ears but rather seeped into the depths of her soul—a soft yet icy sensation brushing against her consciousness.

“But now, it seems you might be more suitable.”

What?

Suitable for what?

Her thoughts were a chaotic mess, as if sinking into quicksand.

The voice was consuming her, unraveling her reason, stripping away her awareness, pulling her toward a distant and illusory world.

“Then you—”

Nothingness abruptly descended.

She could no longer hold on. Her mind scattered completely as she sank into deep slumber.

In her dazed state, light flickered against her eyelids, and a delighted voice sounded beside her.

“Hey! You’re finally awake!”

Su Cheng opened her eyes to find herself lying in a cozy bedroom, sheer curtains draped from the bedposts, and warm yellow light casting faint shadows.

The head of the Lin family stood beside her, his face filled with affection and pity.

“Chengcheng, you’re still young. Listen to your uncle—there are plenty of men out there. As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new…”

Su Cheng: “???”

Get a grip! How could you be my uncle?!

Your wife is my cousin’s aunt—you’re clearly my cousin’s uncle-in-law!

Lin Zhen sighed at her bewildered expression. “You fainted from anger when you saw the invitation they sent…”

He shook his head. “Rest well. They’ll be here tomorrow. The merchant guild is waiting for me, so I’ll take my leave.”

With that, he departed.

Su Cheng stared blankly at his retreating figure, utterly confused as she sat up in bed.

Before long, two young men barged in, both wearing smug grins.

Their faces looked familiar.

They were probably the same guys who had been mocking Lin Yun not long ago.

“Hey, Su Cheng, we heard all about it! That fiancé of yours, studying in the capital—he’s become the rising star of Nanhe Academy!”

“Too bad Murong Yue is about to break off the engagement with you.”

Su Cheng’s pupils trembled violently.

Murong Yue?

Wasn’t that the name of the original novel’s male lead’s fiancée?!