Chapter 17: A World Where Only the Protagonist Is Useless

Chapter 17: A World Where Only the Protagonist Is Useless

In the real world, with the release of the first two episodes of Stellaris: Embers, the show had already stirred up quite the buzz on Crustyroll.

Thanks to its stunning production quality and the massive promotional budget behind it, the anime quickly became a hot topic.

And Tendou, with his years of careful setup and near-perfect performance in those two opening episodes, managed to win over a considerable number of fans.

Some who had originally just been casual fans of Crustyroll ended up becoming dedicated fans of his character.

New trending tags began popping up, such as “Masamune Tendou: Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic,” “Sweets Can Cure Anything,” and “The Real Protagonist of Stellaris: Embers.”

His popularity was visibly skyrocketing.

This also drew in some passersby who had no idea what Stellaris: Embers even was. Seeing the rising hype, they checked it out, and after learning more, many of them joined the ever-growing ranks of viewers following the show.

The fanbase of Stellaris: Embers expanded at an astonishing pace.

And then, when Episodes 3 and 4 aired on Sunday, that momentum climbed even higher.

The third episode opened with Tendou and the others arriving at the Central Arena, where the final assessment would take place.

To emphasize just how difficult this final test was supposed to be, the production team gave a special cinematic close-up when the level two Starbeast, the Terravaran, appeared.

Its rock-like scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, and when its claws struck the arena floor, even through the screen, the viewers felt the tremor ripple across Crustyroll’s broadcast.

The oppressive weight of the Terravaran’s presence pressed down on them—even through a monitor, its menace was undeniable.

By now, most of the audience had already gotten a handle on the basics of the Stellaris: Embers world after the first two episodes.

They knew that although Tendou and his group of children were special in some ways, in the vastness of this world, they were still nothing more than “half-stars” without even a Star Core.

Their strength was far below that of a first-order Starbearer, let alone something beyond.

And yet here they were, forced to face off against a level two Starbeast—an enemy so powerful that even a full-fledged first-order Starbearer would struggle to defeat it.

The difficulty of this so-called final assessment was clear as day.

“Holy crap, what kind of ‘assessment’ is this supposed to be? Straight-up hell mode from the start?”

“Whoever designed this fight needs to get fired! How’s anyone supposed to beat this boss?”

“Change the title already: That Time a Newbie Wandered Into a Max-Level Raid.”

The moment the Terravaran appeared, speculation exploded across the comment section.

After all, in a normal anime, an enemy this overwhelmingly powerful would surely end up being the stepping stone for the protagonist’s growth, right?

Convinced of this, the viewers leaned in, eager to see how the story would unfold.

But what they saw… wasn’t at all what they expected.

Because the protagonist, Chen Kong—upon seeing the Terravaran—didn’t grit his teeth and think up some clever way to fight it.

No.

His very first reaction… was to cling to Tendou’s leg.

“Bro-Brother Tendou…”

Tendou chuckled, giving his shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.

“No helping it, Kong-kun. This one’s gonna be rough. Even with you, I can’t say for sure we’ll pull it off.”

Then, Tendou tilted his head toward the crowd. His gaze locked onto a familiar figure.

“Besides… compared to me, isn’t there someone more suitable waiting for you over there?”

“Useless. Don’t you dare drag me down.”

“O-okay… sis.”

Watching as the protagonist Chen Kong was brushed off by Tendou and then despised by his own sister Chen Xing, the viewers couldn’t hold back anymore—the screen filled with mocking comments.

“Tendou: Chen Kong, this assessment’s a bit tough. (Translation: This is a high-rank match—you’re too trash, I can’t carry you.)”

“Honestly, if it weren’t for Tendou and Caroline, who the hell would even want to watch a protagonist as pathetic as Chen Kong?”

“Chen Xing: You’re lucky you’re my brother. Otherwise, who’d drag dead weight into a ranked game?”

Although Chen Kong’s cowardly reaction had left viewers grumbling, they didn’t linger on him for long.

Because right then, Chen Xing’s tsundere “sharp tongue, soft heart” performance completely shifted the mood.

Many who had thought Chen Xing was being too harsh now began to see her in a new light.

“Looks like her so-called venom is really just her being angry that her brother won’t fight for himself. She doesn’t actually hate him that much.”

“Yeah, I thought she was cold and heartless at first, but now she seems more like the ‘cool outside, warm inside’ type.”

“Tsundere Queen × Scheming Prince — TenXing Ship is locked in!”

“Hold up—who said TenXing? Clearly TenCar Ship is the real deal! Don’t go pairing people up randomly!”

“No way. Robo-catgirl supremacy!”

“TenCar is canon! They’re practically living together already! (Translation: they always appear together!)”

With the arrival of the shippers, the flood of comments quickly drifted away from Chen Xing’s character discussion and into the great battlefield of who should be paired with who.

Amusingly enough, thanks to Chen Kong’s pathetic showing so far, no matter how intense the ship wars became, one thing was constant: he was never part of the equation.

Not a single person wanted to pair him with any of the female characters introduced so far.

Because in the anime world, where looks and charm are everything, a plain-faced, timid protagonist like Chen Kong was just… hopelessly unappealing.

And just then—almost as if Tendou had heard the audience grumbling from beyond the fourth wall—he spoke up, acting as their perfect mouthpiece.

“Hey, Caroline… don’t you think Chen Xing has some kind of hidden trait?”

“Otherwise, why would she obviously care so much about Kong, yet act like she hates his guts every time she sees him? As if she’d be happier if he just vanished from the world entirely?”

But Caroline, fully absorbed in analyzing the Terravaran’s combat data, didn’t so much as twitch. She flat-out ignored him, giving Tendou the cold shoulder in real time.

The comments section erupted in laughter.

“My Girlfriend Finds Data More Attractive Than Me.”

“cat.jpg (cold and indifferent)”

“Who says silent treatment isn’t a form of violence?”

“Tendou: Wait a sec— so I’m the third wheel?!”

Amid the wave of playful banter, the plot moved forward—Tendou approached a girl in the crowd: Jing Liuli.

And the moment she appeared, sprawling out and sleeping right in the middle of the final assessment, she instantly hit a sweet spot with viewers.

After all, the “cute but ditzy airhead” archetype had always been popular.

So when Tendou used his ultimate weapon—calling in Chen Xing—to forcibly rouse the snoozing Liuli from her nap, the audience instantly accepted this new Episode 3 addition as one of their own.

To make it even clearer why Tendou had sought her out, the production team displayed her stats in a flashy introduction card the first time she appeared:

[Name: Jing Liuli]

[Student Rank: No.003]

[Star Core: Eternal Night Butterfly]

The chat froze.

Because no matter how you looked at her, Jing Liuli didn’t seem powerful in the slightest.

Especially when, after Tendou teased her, she pouted and scrawled on her precious pillow in marker: [Liars and Dogs Named Tendou Keep Out]

That cemented her status as the squad’s mascot in the viewers’ hearts.

She was adorable, she was whimsical, and—at least at first glance—she didn’t look like she’d contribute much in battle.

But now… the audience realized they’d been wrong.

Behind her clumsy, sleepy façade, Jing Liuli was no ordinary girl.

In this world of stars, it wasn’t that everyone was weak.

It was only the protagonist, Chen Kong, who was truly useless.

The achievement, A World Where Only the Protagonist Is Trash!, is unlocked.

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