Chapter 11: Reborn Master Writer 3

The original host of this body had been serializing comics on the Pantheon Network, the largest manga website in this world. Unfortunately, she lacked fame and her technique was unremarkable. Mu Yin reviewed her previous work and found that while the drawing skills were acceptable, the plotting was mediocre.

It was the typical, clichéd story of a poor girl and a wealthy young man. In an era where the entertainment industry is highly developed, such tropes are quite stale. If written with enough novelty and brilliance, it might pass, but hers was unfortunately very conventional. The only saving grace was that she had managed to render the sweet atmosphere between the two leads quite well, successfully establishing their mutual attraction.

Seeing that the story had only just begun, Mu Yin decided to overhaul it from the later chapters. She introduced a twist where the heroine wakes up one day to find she has been transmigrated into—or rather, replaced by—a host from a "Quick Transmigration Strategy System." This interloper begins to flirt with the hero in various elaborate ways. However, Mu Yin’s version wouldn't have the hero immediately falling for the charade; instead, he would vaguely sense the changes in her.

He would test her in secret, not daring to be too obvious, while repeatedly recreating moments of tacit understanding they had shared in the past. Meanwhile, the transmigrator would suffer from sudden bouts of headaches, which were actually the original heroine struggling to break free from the suppression of the interloper’s soul.

It was, in essence, a reverse-transmigration story. Having traversed several worlds herself, Mu Yin was quite adept at weaving narratives. Sometimes, the premise is important, but writing style is equally vital. A cliché premise can be engaging if written with wit; after all, there are only so many tropes, and innovation usually boils down to plot twists and "golden finger" power-ups. Style, on the other hand, refers to the prose itself—some can make mundane events vivid and interesting, while others write as if they are describing stagnant water.

Ultimately, comics are about telling stories through imagery. Both the premise and the plotline are crucial, but one must also consider the art style, which often dictates the target audience.

Mu Yin’s story was relatively fresh, and the concept of a hero and heroine teaming up to fight against a transmigrator was uncommon. Consequently, after a few updates, she gradually attracted a readership and saw a modest rise in popularity.

But that is a story for another time. At that moment, she was preparing to head to school. She declined Li Xing’s offer to take her and set off on her electric wheelchair—the kind typically used by the elderly. She had specifically chosen this model when buying it because it made getting around much easier for her.

Upon arriving at school, she first checked in to cancel her medical leave and then headed to class. Since she was still physically limited—and while she could use crutches, they were not exactly convenient—she only attended select lectures, completing the rest of her coursework at home. After all, her major was Comics, with a minor in Animation.

Indeed, the original host had also minored in animation, hoping to adapt her comics into animated works; she had been quite ambitious. Mu Yin did not come to school to study; she had mastered both disciplines and could even design the very software used to produce such comics, having learned from far more technologically advanced worlds.

She came primarily to locate the hero or heroine. Based on the resonance from her Origin Core, she knew she wasn't far from the main plotline, which suggested she had already crossed paths with one of them. Since her memories provided no clues, she had to investigate in person.

It was fortunate that she appeared to be a supporting character, as she spotted the heroine the moment she entered the classroom. How did she know? Because the heroine possessed a powerful, distinct aura—commonly known as the "Protagonist Halo." While others couldn't see it, Mu Yin could.

The heroine, Zeng Yi, was in the same department as her, though she focused on watercolors rather than comics. She was striking in appearance, the "department beauty," and possessed decent talent, having once won a second-place prize in a painting competition.

Once she identified her as the heroine, Mu Yin recalled some shifts in the girl's behavior. Originally, Zeng Yi had been very close to a "prince" from the Music Department, and there were rumors of a romance. But about a month ago, she had suddenly cut ties with him, expressing extreme disgust, leaving everyone at school baffled.

In hindsight, it was likely that she had been reborn. In the typical patterns of rebirth stories, the protagonist was usually betrayed by a "scum man and a cheap woman" in their past life, though a few were simply victims of an untimely death and were left with regrets.

Clearly, this was the former. Was she here to crush the scum, find love again, and reach the pinnacle of life? Mu Yin wasn't sure, so she decided to keep a close eye on her. Moreover, while Zeng Yi used to visit their comic class, she had previously been poaching talent; now, she seemed genuinely interested in learning.

Was she planning to draw comics herself? If so, she wouldn't need to change her major, but Mu Yin needed to confirm it. It was a pity that although Mu Yin had studied coding, she hadn't delved into hacking; otherwise, she could have simply breached the girl's computer.

Fortunately, the heroine had only recently been reborn, and her career had barely begun. Mu Yin had time. In truth, the best strategy was to find the hero as well. In romance novels, the hero's career is often more significant than the heroine's; severing their romantic entanglement usually meant cutting the main plotline. However, some stories focused more on career arcs where the hero was merely an accessory, as many readers preferred stories with no hero or a low-profile one. She needed to account for that possibility.

Two months later, Mu Yin still hadn't figured out exactly what the heroine was doing. She only knew that Zeng Yi frequently visited their comic class. Learning to draw seemed secondary; it felt more like she was scouting students—specifically those who were excellent at drawing and skilled in storytelling.

This led Mu Yin to suspect that Zeng Yi’s goal was to recruit these potential future stars, investing in them early to earn a fortune later. Yet, something felt off.

By then, Mu Yin’s injuries had healed. Li Xing had moved out, and she had opted not to live on campus. Renting outside was certainly more comfortable than the dorms, and although the cost was high, her comic revenue had been steadily increasing. She had also developed an animation software—a program that could convert comics into animations. While not as refined as professional studio productions, it was capable of producing decent, if slightly stiff, animations. It had a market, and sales were strong after she listed it.

With no shortage of funds and her health restored, she was determined to uncover the heroine’s true motives to stay ahead of her. She didn't ask Zeng Yi directly, as the heroine likely assumed Mu Yin had died and would be suspicious of her presence.

Instead, Mu Yin questioned the students Zeng Yi had been approaching. After some careful probing, she discovered a hint: the heroine was indeed looking for people to draw comics, but specifically for the purpose of adapting existing stories.