4 I Just Summoned a Cannon Fodder From a Web Novel!

Lynn could not believe what his eyes were seeing. General Li was still standing tall and proud fighting off the zombies as if this was all just a warm-up for him. The general was gracefully slicing the heads off the zombies. Even through the slits, Lynn could see that the basement was a total chaos. There was zombie matter and rotten parts everywhere. The truth was that the putrid smell was making him a bit sick already, and he wanted to throw up. Too bad that he was too scared to even make a sound. Nonetheless, to throw up in the closet. He did not need more nauseous smells.

Lynn could not believe that Li Mu Qing had been a cannon fodder in the web novel. He had so much talent to be so much more, even a side character.

"What a waste of a good character," Lynn thought.

Just as Li Mu Qing finished killing the last zombie, he walked toward the utility closet and opened its doors.

"Master," General Li said as he bowed, "The enemy has been eradicated."

Lynn was blinking fast. Was this man calling him master?

"I think that you got the wrong person, mate, I'm not your master," Lynn explained to General Li. Lynn was not even sure if the general understood English, since he had a Chinese accent when speaking.

General Li then pointed inside the utility closet where the glowing words were still there, "You summoned me. You are my master."

Lynn could not believe what he was hearing. He summoned a cannon fodder from a story! Should not that be fiction? Well, zombies are also fiction and just a few seconds ago, those "fictional" zombies almost turned him into their food.

"So… maybe they are not so fictional after all," Lynn thought finally accepting the fact that he summoned General Li.

General Li then offered his hand, so Lynn could stand up. Lynn gladly accepted his help since he had been all crawled up inside that closet for at least 30 minutes. His legs were all cramped up.

"Thanks," Lynn said to Li Mu Qing.

"All for my master."

Lynn really felt uncomfortable that General Li always called him master. He was no one's master, nonetheless the master of such a good general.

"Please, General Li, don't call me master. Address me as Lynn."

"As you wish, Mas…Lynn," the general finished saying.

"So, he does understand English," Lynn thought as he stretched a bit his legs and arms. That is when he noticed that it seemed as if his muscles were more toned up, and not only that, but that his legs were also slimmer.

"For goodness' sake! Even my waist is slimmer!" Lynn thought as he touched his stomach area and realized that he had abs. He had never had abs in his whole life!

"General Li, could you please find me a mirror!" Lynn ordered panicking.

Lynn then passed his hand through his face and noticed that his face was smooth as an egg and that his nose was no longer stubby, instead it was straight and long.

General Li went looking through the boxes since Lynn did not specify where to find a mirror. To his luck, he found a small mirror and a letter addressed to Lynn in one of the boxes that were from Lynn's deceased grandfather which were now sprawled over the floor after the zombies knocked them out.

"Lynn, here is a mirror. I also found a letter addressed to you," Li Mu Qing said as he handed both items to Lynn.

Lynn thanked Li Mu Qing and grabbed the hand mirror to see his reflection.

"No way!" Lynn was so surprised by his appearance that he almost dropped the mirror to the floor. The brush had not only changed his clothes. The brush had changed his whole appearance. His dark brown eyes were now pale orange while his shaggy dark brown hair was now a vivid orange-yellow color. He looked as if he had come out from a Victorian-era otome game.

Lynn was hyperventilating. He was not sure how to process all this. A few hours ago, he was just an average writer that could barely meet his basic needs and that was recently dumped. Now, he is summoning characters from web novels to fight zombies while being a total bishounen himself.

"Lynn, are you alright?" Li Mu Qing asked noticing that Lynn was pale.

"No… I mean yes…" Lynn answered back gulping.

He then handed the hand mirror to Li Mu Qing and proceeded to check the letter that was meant for him.

Lynn then saw that the letter was sent to his house, years ago. Yet, somehow, he had never read it. He did not recognize the sender's address. At the center back of the letter was written in elegant cursive "To Lynn". Lynn could not stop but question why he thought that letter was something for his late grandfather. The letter was clearly addressed to him, yet he had put it in his grandfather's things.

Lynn then opened the letter, and in the same pretty cursive the letter said,

Dear grandson,

If you are reading this, then it means that I'm no longer living in this house or in this world. You may have a lot of questions. The first one must be, why did not you find this letter sooner.

Let me be short in my explanation.

This letter was sealed by magic. Yes, Lynn, you did not read wrong. Magic. The condition for you to find this letter was that you must use the magic brush first, which I assumed you did since you are reading this letter.

So, how would you use a brush that you did not know of its existence?

The second thing was that brush had a spell that would lead you to it when you were in trouble. That is why I am trying to be as precise as I can in this letter since I do not know what kind of dire situation you are in.

I know you must think that I have gone bonkers. I'm not.

You must still have a lot of questions. Especially about the brush that should have changed your appearance and summoned you a total stranger into thin air. Don't worry, that is the brush function.

This is a magical brush that I "invented" a long time ago.

The rules are simple, but you must follow them, Lynn.

1. You will be able to summon one cannon fodder per day, and you may retain it as long as you are transformed. If the character is fatally injured then the summoning spell will disappear, so be careful with that.

2. You must transform back as soon as the danger has passed, the longer the time you remain transformed, the higher the stakes that you will be absorbed into a story in who knows where (P.S. your clothes may give you a clue though, mine made me look like a wizard. I hope yours are better.).

I know you must have a lot of questions still, but I must cut this letter short. I have a very close friend that will soon find you. Believe in her, Lynn. Also, trust your instincts you are a smart kid.

Good luck in your journey,

Your loving grandpa,

Merlin.

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Author's Notes: Cannon fodder is basically a term nowadays to describe a character that was created just for the plot's sake. Its importance is not relevant and may die at any moment. You may describe it as a cameo.