MTLNOVEL Chapter 51
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"Pain is reduced… by half?"
Lucien D. Blackthorn's eyes widened as the words from the system appeared before him. For a moment, he simply stared, unsure if he'd read it correctly. Then the realization sank in, and a rush of relief swept through him like a warm tide.
For weeks, pain had been his constant shadow—sharp, gnawing, never letting him forget that death was waiting just a few steps ahead. Without Eriri's companionship and his own stubborn will to keep creating, his spirit might have crumbled long ago.
Now… it felt like the invisible chains wrapped around his body had loosened.
He forced himself to calm the excitement bubbling in his chest. As his breathing steadied, he noticed another notification blinking softly in the corner of his vision: [Lottery chance available].
"A… lottery?" he murmured. He had never seen the system offer such a thing before. What kind of rewards could it possibly give? He felt a faint stir of anticipation.
> [Would you like to start the lottery?]
"Of course," Lucien said without hesitation.
> [Drawing rewards…]
Lines of glowing text began to scroll.
> [Congratulations. You have received: +15 days lifespan bonus.]
Lucien blinked. "…Fifteen days?"
His heart gave a strange little leap.
The status panel updated:
> [Host: Lucien D. Blackthorn]
[Remaining Life: 29 days]
[Health: 10/100 – Can sustain creative focus for 2 hours/day]
He let out a low whistle. "This… is even better than a stack of fresh manuscripts."
But then, he couldn't help grumbling to himself, "Why isn't this a proper lottery system? It feels more like a… krypton life system."
Still, he wasn't going to complain too loudly. One moment ago, he had been looking at just two weeks of life. Now… it was nearly a full month. That crushing sense of urgency eased, replaced by a cautious, quiet hope.
--
Without realizing it, it had been more than a month since Lucien had arrived in this world.
From the moment he first opened his eyes here—weak, confused, and staring death in the face—he had been running against the clock. Now, with pain dulled and life extended, things finally seemed to be tilting in his favor.
Maybe… just maybe… in another month or two, he could be discharged from the hospital. The thought sent a flicker of excitement through him.
The world outside must be incredible.
---
Monday arrived quietly, with a clear autumn sky beyond the hospital window. Around midday, Usami Mizuki appeared at the door, clutching a neatly wrapped folder.
She stepped inside with a polite bow. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Lucien-sensei. I've brought the drafts you requested."
Inside were half the completed illustration pages for Chapter 10 of Attack on Titan, Volume 3.
Mizuki had only just begun working professionally, so her speed wasn't lightning-fast yet—but Lucien didn't mind. The third volume wasn't even ready to enter serialization preparation, so there was no looming deadline.
Still, he had to admit, she worked with admirable precision. Every guideline he'd marked on the rough drafts had been followed perfectly. The shading was balanced, the outlines clean, and the emotional beats of the panels came through vividly.
After reviewing the pages, Lucien only needed to make a few light adjustments before finalizing them.
It's so much easier with a good assistant, he thought. If I want to keep surviving through my works, I'll need more people like her.
One name came to mind: Subaru Uchimura—the so-called "genius boy with a pen." If the chance came, Lucien would bring him aboard.
---
When their work discussion wrapped up, Mizuki asked a few questions about his creative process, jotting notes in her small sketchbook. Then she excused herself with a small bow and left.
---
Later that afternoon, just as the golden light of sunset began to slip into the room, Eriri Spencer Sawamura swept in. She plopped down in the chair beside his bed, eyes sparkling.
"Lucien, guess where I went this weekend!" she said, grinning mischievously. "It's a place you know very well."
Lucien tilted his head. Since coming to Japan, he'd spent nearly all his time in Tokyo. His mind flicked through the few places he'd heard about, but nothing clicked.
"I can't guess. Give me a hint."
Eriri tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Alright. First hint—the city I went to used to be the political center of ancient Japan."
"Kyoto? Osaka? Nara?" he guessed.
"Nope!" She wagged her finger in mock disapproval.
"Second hint—it's south of Tokyo. And more than 800 years ago, Minamoto no Yoritomo established the first shogunate in Japan's history there."
Lucien frowned slightly. His knowledge of Japanese history was… limited. The answer danced just out of reach.
Eriri rolled her eyes. "You really are hopeless at history, aren't you?"
She paused, realizing he hadn't grown up here. "Alright, different clue. Ever had Goro's Hato Sabure before?"
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "Wait… Kamakura?"
"Bingo!" She gave him a playful thumbs-up. "The place I went to was Kamakura."
A coastal city steeped in history, Kamakura had once been Japan's political heart. It was also the setting for Slam Dunk—something both of them knew intimately by now.
"What took you to Kanagawa?" Lucien asked.
"My cousin's wedding," she replied. "We went as a whole family."
"Was it fun?"
"Fun? It was amazing!" Eriri's face lit up. "We visited Komyoji Temple, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Nanarihama, Enoshima, and the Shonan Coast. The sea breeze there is so refreshing—it felt like stepping into another world."
Lucien listened quietly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, the sterile hospital walls seemed to fade, replaced by the salt air and distant cries of seagulls.
END of the chapter
250ps= 1 extra chapter