Chapter 96

Name:Surviving a Shounen Manga Author:
Chapter 96

So Listen, Why Dont We Cooperate?

I quickly skimmed through the results of the last chapter.

[Chapter 28 The Battle for Ramirezs Treasure (1) has ended]

[Hiro's character evaluation has been updated]

[Liar' has been added to the characteristics]

[An enormous amount of support from numerous readers followed]

[Awareness has increased by 100,000]

[Excess awareness is replaced with level']

[Attracts the author's attention]

[The author's favourability has decreased by 90]

[Received fan art from 20 readers]

[The author's favourability has increased by 20]

[Reappearance probability has increased to 100%]

[State]

Name: Hiro (Enigmatic Squatjaw)Characteristics: Very strong, Bluffing, Chatterbox, Secretive, Turned out he was a pretty boy?, Leadership, Spirit of sacrifice, Chivalry, Romantic, Frantic, LiarAwareness: 453,759Author's favourability: 52Reappearance probability: 100%

[Became the main propagator for a new race]

[Registered as a major record in the official character data of Hiro]

[Character's rank has increased significantly]

[Character's rank has increased significantly]

[Character's rank has increased significantly]

[The final evaluation of the character has been calculated by the author]

[Hiro is the subject of the next chapter]

[Character points paid 300,000p for the rise in awareness]

[Character points deducted 7,000p for the fall in the author's favourability]

[Character points paid 1,000p for the rise in reappearance probability]

[Character level has increased by 180]

[Character Level]

Current rating: Supporting castCurrent value: 896Experience: 77%Value to reach the next level: ?Preceding plot can be ignored: 2 times

Hmmm.

The result itself wasn't half bad.

Or rather, reaching the highest level of awareness and causing an overflow meant the chapter was a definite success.

Despite the leading point of view switching continuously, Id managed to enter the stage almost every time, reminding the audience what was the main focus of this chapter and who therefore was the most important, and then Id managed to cut the plot off before any new content could arise.

It hadnt been easy, but the rewards were commensurate to my achievements.

But there were three things I found disappointing.

First, the huge drop in the author's favourability.

A fall of ninety points! If I hadnt vetoed the penalties, the situation wouldve been even worse.

This wasnt something to laugh about. The author's favourability was the most obvious warning sign' about my place in this world that I could track.

Of course, Id been predicting something like this ever since Id committed to bringing in the goblins to blow the plotline up.

But that hadnt been my whole plan. Id had the idea that helping solve the issue of their appearance would soothe the author and also deepen the significance of my character.

Werent we still aligned with the big picture as far as the original plot was concerned?

Id never imagined the author would come out swinging in the response like he did. Who couldve expected a monster like Gronyan to appear and try to bury me six feet under?

Honestly, I didnt actually want to be enemies with the author. Right now it was merely Gronyan, but who was to say it wouldnt be the Seven Kings themselves after my head one day?

Anyway, itd left me feeling shaky. The author had definitely acted a bit sulky this time. Hopefully the trend wouldnt continue.

Second, my link to the goblins still remained tenuous.

I thought so because all I got was a liar' characteristic.

This kind of a characteristic was more of a reader reaction than something defined by the author.

Id shown off so many facets of my character, but I only got liar?

Presumably, the readers hadnt thought anything of my relationship with the goblins apart from the fact that they followed my orders.

If the readers had recognized me as a goblin, the new characteristic wouldnt have merely been liar, but something more along the lines of turned out he was a goblin?

And naturally this didnt satisfy me.

I wanted to be recognized as a goblin. That way I could easily wave off all the suspicions about my character. My backgrounds, abilities, knowing the future, transforming, etc

Id even come out and said it, I'm a goblin!' Several times, at that. But it hadnt worked out.

It wasn't that I couldn't understand the readers reaction. Although the goblins had taken my form while wandering about, I myself had never shown a separate ability that reminds you of a goblin', such as masquerade.

Maybe I shouldve tried transforming to my pretty boy form at least once? But that milk had already spilled.

Anyway, from the readers point of view, none of their questions had been resolved, and only more rice cakes had been strewn around.

So this too got added to my homework pile to solve eventually.

And third. The biggest issue.

Id really overspent my points.

I could earn about 300,000 points at most in one chapter.

But in comparison, including all the items Id used up this time, my expenditure was close to 900,000 points. There were still two penalty vetoes' left, sure, but I wouldnt be able to return them for points.

Besides, my original plan had been to use two vetoes at most. Not to use all vetoes except the last two.

""

Anyway, my current remaining points were 343,773p.

Most of it was from this times chapter rewards. And it would only let me buy three veto tickets.

The implications were simple.

I couldnt rely on the character shop so solve my problems anymore.

"Then what should I do now?"

As I perched on a high mound at the foot of a mountain, I looked down at Gibrante's smoky, damp industrial area.

"Oh, youre awake?"

"You've been hammering like that since the morning, how am I going to sleep? Huh?"

"Ah, yeah, sorry. I suddenly got an idea last night"

Jean glanced at what the young man was making.

"What is it this time? A weapon?"

"No, it's just a combat aid."

At first glance, it looked like a mechanized device that could be attached to your arm.

"Tsk. Who uses mechanical attachments these days? They just slow you down."

"Haha, is that so?"

"You cant survive just with crafting skills, you know? You need to have vision, and you need a brain, to understand if a product will sell. Whod buy such a machine these days? The old farts around here might get nostalgic and buy it for a pittance. Special ability engineering is the trend right now; nobody would even look twice at any weapon or gadget that doesnt have an ability installed."

Despite the blunt advice, the young man just signed and chuckled.

"Either way, were talking about a machine. Be it special ability engineering or something else, you still need to understand the metals, materials, and power circuitry to make anything useful. The principles dont change, do they?"

"What principles? Tch, you sound like an idiot. What matters these days is the ability, the ability, you hear me? Not how well-made your gadget is. As long as it can infuse the ability you need, those principles dont matter."

Jean, who was intimately familiar with the current market trends, clicked his tongue as he looked at the immature kid who only knew how to fondle gadgets.

When hed thrown a few rice balls to a street beggar three months ago, hed never thought the two of them would form a relationship like this. Id just been a moment of fickle sympathy on his part.

It was embarrassing to admit, but if he was being honest with himself, the kid was interesting. Not only was he a dab hand at repairing defective products, the gadgets he made were quite astonishing, and he was definitely an expert in mechanical engineering although Jean didnt know where hed learned it all.

That was why he scolded the kid like this more and more often. That he was an idiot.

The kid had talent. He shouldnt let his skills rot here in this dirty little smuggling shop fixing broken products and fiddling with old-fashioned gadgets.

He should go to the heart of Northland and unleash his talent to the fullest'

That was then.

Clangadangdang.

A strange noise tickled his hearing.

Soon after,

"Here, huh?"

Some gigantic-looking fellow poked his head into the store.

With a really large jaw.

Jean instinctively sensed a feeling of danger.

"Who are you?"

As he spoke, he noticed several members of the gang in charge of this area lying behind the giant.

Jean gulped.

His little smuggling shop was no match against this guy.

Jean did have some pride in his own guts, but in front of this Squatjaw, he was feeling strangely numb. The sense of intimidation this guy exuded was at an unbelievable level.

"Ah, I came to meet someone. Thats why Im here."

"Meet? Meet who?"

"Well, its not you Oh, there you are."

Then he pointed to the young man behind him.

This'

I knew it. Jean had guessed that the kid had gotten caught up in some kind of trouble. There was no way somebody this talented wouldve been in such a situation otherwise.

But he wasn't willing to just surrender. No matter what, didnt the kid have a connection to him now? He couldnt throw away his own responsibility, he had to see it through. To the end.

"Wait, wait Im in charge of this place. That kid works for me now. If you want to take him, you have to first go through"

But the squat-jawed man had already passed by him.

"Hey, you, look!"

That was then.

Huh?'

The expression on the kids face was strange.

He didn't look terrified at all.

Rather, he was sporting a soft, interested smile.

And in addition,

"So listen, why dont we cooperate?"

The first words from that squat-jawed giant were also quite strange.

He didnt come to catch the kid or interrogate him?

He came with a proposal for cooperation instead?

The young man shrugged his shoulders as if it was absurd.

"Hey, do you know who I am?"

Squatjaw answered.

And it was very absurd answer.

"Why wouldnt I know? Youre Designer Cormier. If were talking about your major achievements you were the chief architect of Cormier City, one of Northland's most innovative cities; a pioneer in ability engineering, and the maintenance officer of the King's Road right? Hey, you also designed the White Rain, didn't you? I rode that ship coming here. It was a great trip."

Jean gaped blankly.

And there was Cormier, whose mouth was gaping just as wide as his own.

"No, how."

While he was busy being surprised, Squatjaw kept talking.

And it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"What was it called again that rideable robot weapon with multiple special abilities thats it! Yeah, that Multifunctional Armoured Cavalry! Could you please make one for me?"

Editor's Notes:

None for this chapter.

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