Chapter 6: The Resolve to Create
"Sawamura-san, you're here?"
Lucien D. Blackthorn greeted Eriri softly, his voice faint but welcoming.
Eriri's cheeks turned a slight shade of red upon seeing him awake. She quickly set the notebook down.
"Lucien, are you feeling better now?"
"Much better. Thank you for your concern."
"You're welcome. Oh, and I brought you some nutritional supplements."
Lucien frowned lightly. "That's too expensive... I don't think I can use it right now."
"Don't say that," she replied with gentle firmness. "I believe you'll recover."
Eriri gave Lucien a few encouraging words, hoping to raise his spirits. Then her eyes shifted back to the notebook. "Lucien, did you draw this comic?"
Lucien nodded with a slight smile. "Yes. What did you think?"
"It's incredible! Really exciting."
Her praise was sincere, not exaggerated in the slightest. The only disappointment was the abrupt stop at the end of the second chapter, right as the protagonist joined the training corps. It left her craving more.
But seeing Lucien's frail and pale face, she felt certain he wouldn't be able to continue.
A half-finished masterpiece in a manga-loving country like Japan wouldn't gain the recognition it deserved.
Suddenly, Lucien asked, "Sawamura, do you want to see what happens next?"
Eriri blinked in surprise, wondering if she had heard him wrong. "Your body... Do you really want to keep drawing? The doctor said you need rest."
Lucien shook his head, smiling with quiet determination. "I want to finish it. Please buy me two more notebooks."
She hesitated, but the longing in Lucien's eyes softened her resolve. She nodded and left quickly, returning shortly with two more notebooks.
As she stepped into the ward, Lucien tried to sit up but struggled.
"Lucien, you really should rest..."
"I'm fine. I just want to draw. Please help me up, Sawamura-san."
With a sigh, Eriri moved to his side and helped him lean against the bed. A soft fragrance reached Lucien's nose—her scent.
Once steady, he took the notebook and pencil from the table. "Thank you, Sawamura-san."
"You're welcome..."
Eriri sat beside him again, watching silently with a complicated expression.
---
[Do you want to activate today's two hours of extended consciousness?]
"Yes," Lucien answered firmly in his mind.
He entered the system's consciousness interface, activated the bonus time, and started sketching rapidly.
His pencil glided across the page with graceful, practiced strokes. Each panel materialized as if guided by instinct.
Eriri sat in awe, mesmerized by Lucien's speed and precision. The motion of his hand on the page was like a dance.
"They say focused men are the most attractive..." she thought, feeling an involuntary flutter in her chest.
But as time passed, her admiration gave way to concern.
Beads of sweat appeared on Lucien's forehead. Though he wasn't feeling pain, his physical energy was being drained fast.
Painting, after all, was both a mental and physical task.
Eriri handed him tissues as he kept drawing. He wiped his face carelessly and continued, driven by something far beyond pain.
Roughly 40 minutes later, Lucien finished over 20 pages, completing Chapter 3 of Attack on Titan.
Just as he was about to begin Chapter 4, the door burst open.
"Stop it! You're killing yourself!"
The attending physician stormed in, snatching the notebook from Lucien's hands.
"Doctor, I..."
"No talking! Let me finish the examination first."
Several medical staff followed, entering the room for Lucien's routine check-up. He sighed and surrendered his pen.
The physician handed the notebook to Eriri. "Excuse me, little sister. Please wait outside while we examine the patient."
She stood up and looked at Lucien with worry. He smiled reassuringly.
Then he remembered something. "Sawamura-san, I have one more favor to ask."
"Yes?" she replied without hesitation.
"Please publish this manga. As soon as possible. I want as many people as possible to see it."
The staff exchanged looks. Was this his final wish?
The attending physician said nothing and checked Lucien's vitals in silence.
"Leave it to me!" Eriri nodded, clenching the notebook. "By the way, what's the title?"
"Attack on Titan. And... please publish it anonymously."
Lucien knew this manga would become a hit. If he used his real name, obsessed fans might track him down, interrupting his limited time and delicate condition.
He had seen this before.
In his past life, fanatical readers had sent threats, razor blades, and even attacked authors over their fictional choices.
Even Isayama Hajime, the original author of Attack on Titan, suffered extreme backlash when fans disliked the story's ending.
Lucien didn't want that kind of chaos now—not when every minute counted.