MTLNOVEL Chapter 50
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The sunlight filtering through the hospital window carried the gentle warmth of an early autumn afternoon in Tokyo. Outside, the world moved with the slow rhythm of students leaving school, their laughter faintly drifting up from the street below. Inside, Lucien D. Blackthorn sat propped up on his bed, sketchpad in his lap, his fingers still faintly trembling from the lingering weakness of his illness.
That morning, he had already endured his regular medical check-up, but once his two-hour creative window began, the dull, suffocating fog in his mind parted just enough for him to create again. For Lucien, every second in this state was precious—each moment a stolen fragment from the illness eating away at his life.
Today's work was the nineteenth chapter of Slam Dunk's third volume.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura—better known to her fans by her pen name Eri Kashiwagi—sat on the chair beside his bed, a can of cold milk tea resting against her knee. Her golden twin tails swayed slightly as she leaned closer, eyes sparkling as she watched the panels take shape under his pencil.
---
In the chapter, Sakuragi Hanamichi had just returned to the Shohoku basketball team after bluntly rejecting the invitation from Judo Club President Aota Ryuhiko. Fired up with fighting spirit, he dove into basketball practice—only to be reminded that passion alone couldn't make up for inexperience.
On the court, Rukawa Kaede made an effortless, graceful layup, the kind that seemed to defy gravity. Girls watching from the sideline—Haruko Akagi among them—let out an involuntary chorus of admiration.
The moment Sakuragi saw Haruko's delighted expression, his competitive streak flared. He grabbed a basketball, determined to outshine Rukawa in front of her.
Unfortunately, the reality was… less than impressive. Sakuragi had never truly learned how to dribble or perform a proper layup. His awkward, exaggerated movements made the ball spin wildly out of control, earning bursts of laughter from the spectators.
Eriri couldn't hold it in. She covered her mouth, but the laughter spilled out anyway, her little canine teeth peeking through. She looked utterly, disarmingly cute.
Lucien glanced at her from the corner of his eye. If all this work, all this effort… could make Eriri smile like that… then even if I can't win against time, it's worth it.
---
By the time they finished reviewing the chapter together, Eriri was still grinning.
"This Sakuragi has made some progress," she said, "but he's still such an idiot!"
Lucien chuckled. "Even Rukawa couldn't help calling him one."
"Haha… yeah," she admitted. Then, with a softer smile, "He's… kind of cute, though."
Their conversation drifted to school gossip.
"I heard," Eriri began, "that during the midterm exams, Kasumigaoka-senpai handed in her paper thirty minutes early. She's amazing!"
"Kasumigaoka Utaha has always been top of the class," Lucien replied. "You're just envious."
Eriri puffed her cheeks. "Hmph! You're making fun of me again."
"I'm just stating the truth. But really, you don't need to be jealous, Eriri-san. Everyone has different strengths. Your art skills are far beyond hers."
"She doesn't even draw, so what's the point of comparing?" Eriri muttered.
Lucien smiled faintly. "That's exactly my point. You two could complement each other perfectly. You've dreamed of working as a Galgame concept artist, right? She could write scripts, and you could design characters. Together, you'd be unstoppable."
"Is that even possible…?"
Lucien nodded. "More than possible. You may not get along at first, but once you do, you'll make the strongest pair in the industry."
---
Her mind wandered for a moment. Galgames were her passion—games where art, text, and music intertwined into an experience greater than the sum of its parts. The text and illustrations were the heart; without a great writer, even the most beautiful artwork would feel hollow.
Lucien's words had planted a seed.
"If you two really become partners," he added, "I'll even create a work for you to adapt—a story called White Album. I promise it'll go down in history."
Eriri gave him a long, suspicious look. "From the way you talk… you know Kasumigaoka-senpai personally, don't you?"
"I don't," Lucien said quickly. "I just heard some things from others."
"Hmm…" Eriri narrowed her eyes. "I didn't expect you to pay attention to her. I guess she is your type after all."
"I already told you," Lucien said, exasperated. "I like tsunderes. Kasumigaoka-senpai is definitely not one."
Eriri only snorted in response, but somewhere deep down, she was already wondering how she might cross paths with Kasumigaoka Utaha.
---
When she left the hospital that evening, she uploaded Chapter 19 of Volume 3 online. The series had gained a reputation for its almost unbelievably fast pace—one volume a week—and it was completely free. Readers devoured each update with glee.
The comments section filled quickly:
> [User A]: Sakuragi's finally getting serious! He's so cute.
[User B]: If he joined the Judo Club, he'd be a national champion in no time.
[User C]: But Haruko's in the basketball club—he'd never leave her!
[User E]: I'm sure she'll notice him one day. I want them together!
[User F]: (rotten girl mode) I ship Sakuragi × Rukawa. Don't judge me.
Lucien read the feedback silently, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
---
That Friday night, his mother returned from Chiba. Relief washed over her when she saw he was stable. She told him his father would be arriving soon. They had consulted countless doctors in Tokyo, but all had said the same thing: the cancer was too far advanced.
For now, all they could do was hope the targeted drugs would hold off resistance as long as possible.
On Sunday evening, Lucien called up the system to settle the rewards for Volume 2.
> [Settlement in progress…]
[Quality rating: A. Impact rating: F.]
[Reward: +7 days lifespan. Health +1.]
His stats updated:
> Life remaining: 14 days
Health: 10/100 — Two-hour creative window per day
A new notification appeared:
> Pain levels reduced by half. Prize draw unlocked.
Lucien leaned back against the pillow, breathing out slowly. It wasn't victory… but it was time. And time was everything.
END of the chapter
250ps=1 extra chapter