Surviving a Shounen Manga

Adventium

[Chapter 13 – Mimic Acrobat has ended]

"Hmm."

There were no special reactions from Leo's party.

At first, yes, they were indeed a little surprised by my transformation,

"S-, Squatjaw! Your squat jaw! It shrank!"

"Hey, so that’s what you originally looked like?"

"Mr. Squatjaw, you… ooh… look so pretty… oh my!"

But hey, why can't you react a little about my name?

"Hero?"

"What kind of weak name is that?"

"But what about it? Is that all you wanted to say?"

Well, they probably thought it was normal. There was no one in this world who did not dream of becoming the adventure king. Of course, there were hardly any guys who would actually say that out loud, apart from Leo.

In other words, I only showed off my looks (?) and gave them a name. Getting angry and asking what I was babbling about was a very natural reaction.

The readers and the author, though… Let's see, there would've definitely been some impact.

[The character evaluation of the Enigmatic Squatjaw has been updated]

[Name has been changed to ‘Hiro']

[‘Turned out he was a pretty boy?' has been added to the characteristics]

[The support of many readers followed]

[Awareness has increased by 28,500]

[Attracts the author's attention]

[Received fan art from 5 readers]

[The author's favourability has increased by 5]

[Reappearance probability has increased to 50%]

[State]

• Name: Hiro (Enigmatic Squatjaw)
• Characteristics: Very strong, Bluffing, Chatterbox, Secretive, Turned out he was a pretty boy?
• Awareness: 40,259
• Author's favourability: 46
• Reappearance probability: 50%

Tiling –.

[You have successfully played the role of the main villain of the chapter]

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

[Character's rank has increased significantly]

[‘Mimic Acrobat' has been fully attached to the character by completing the conditions for using the background]

[Character points paid 3000p for the author's privilege payback]

‘Oh, a significant rise!'

It was impossible to confirm the exact number, but it felt good anyway.

Tiling –.

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

[Hiro is the subject of a preliminary appearance in the next chapter]

[Character points paid 85,500p for the rise in awareness]

[Character points paid 500p for the rise in author’s favourability]

[Character points paid 5,000p for eliciting enthusiastic support (fan art) from readers]

[Character points paid 500p for the rise in reappearance probability]

"Nice…"

Awareness rose by almost 30,000. And I got over 80,000 points as reward. There was a sense of fullness rising from the depths of my heart.

All that hard work had been worth it.

‘But was it really that impressive?'

I pondered over what happened earlier.

Summoning five ghosts, blowing Yan away, and declaring that I will become the next adventure king.

In fact, the guy they'd thought was only an extra became a helper, then appeared like a villain, and then transformed to a completely different figure and claimed to be Leo's rival. Even if I myself had been among the readers, I thought my eyes would have popped out a bit.

‘Did they think I was kinda cool?'

But, of course, I didn't know how much of that was actual favourability. Awareness didn't necessarily indicate positive reactions alone.

‘No, since the word ‘support' came up, did it only measure the positive ones?'

Hmmm.

Soon I shook my head.

Why keep thinking about it? Anyway, I'd have to check it out for myself sometime later.

Because the character shop here sold some very convenient products that directly told you how well you were doing.

[Read last chapter's reader comments]

It wasn't just this.

Several small backgrounds and chapter-related goods that I'd been drooling after but had to eventually pass over, and even the just-in-case [Deletion Grace Right].

I was finally able to buy products that I couldn't purchase because of a lack of points in the past.

"Let's comb through the store. I'll give it a full once-over today. It'll have to wait a bit first, though."

I went back to considering my character evaluation again.

Readers' reaction? It was okay. Good, rather.

However, the most interesting part in this evaluation was the author's attitude.

No reaction.

It was unfortunate.

I'd certainly caught the author's attention.

Didn't he also meekly admit it?

[Attracts the author’s attention].

However, there was no change in ‘author's favourability'. It did not rise or fall. We're talking about the honourable sir who was prone to expressing his opinion about every single trivia.

The rise of 5 was because of fan art, not purely the author's will.

‘He's being silent…'

Of course, I couldn't actually read his thoughts. But nevertheless, I could affirm this situation. Because the author didn't give a negative reaction right away.

Actually, what I'd said in the ring had been like a proclamation towards him as well. Because only the author could understand the true meaning of my words in the first place, and he was the only one who would be directly affected by this.

So, I'd been prepared to face great hardships and trials. Considering the symbolic meaning of the ‘rival' element in shounen manga and the importance of its role, the author had the right to honestly say, ‘Is this kid messing around?'

Moreover, the rival element was weak in this manga from the very beginning. There were several adventurer groups and many important characters appeared throughout the story, but there was no one who could be called a rival.

This meant that the whole story had to be completely reshuffled due to a single character. To wit, me.

‘Ah, I guess he might've been struck dumb at the absurdity?'

This was certainly a plausible inference.

But I also had a defense. In the first place, this element of rivalry had also been something many readers had longed for throughout the series. I thought things would be a lot more fun if there were rival characters or adventurer groups.

In other words, when considering the fun aspect of the story, I was an existence that benefitted the author as well. Well, although, creating the new developments might give him a headache.

If the author were conscious of this, might he not also keep a more open mind about me?

‘No, wait.'

Perhaps the author had already started thinking about a new development that would utilize my character. Maybe this silence was just proof of that.

‘Ummm… no. That's reaching a bit too far.'

It might just be that the author had not yet fully grasped the meaning behind my declaration. I had merely revealed my name and aspirations, and he might not have guessed that I would even dare to become the rival.

"Well, you'll find out soon."

In any case, since his favourability didn't drop immediately, I decided to take that positively.

"Then, slowly…"

I turned my attention to the phrase ‘Character Shop' at the bottom of the hologram window.

It was shopping time. What I'd waited so long for.

As soon as I opened the store, an exclamation naturally escaped my mouth.

[Currently held points: 97,573p].

"Nice…"

It was just the start, so it was bit shameful to be this admiring only at this level, I thought as I hummed along.

"Let’s go, let’s go."

I opened the ‘Chapter' section first. It wasn't a specific purchase priority; it was just a habit. In the past, I had the habit of always buying a ‘chapter pass' first.

Then, the moment I wanted to purchase the product,

"… Eh?"

Suddenly, I was rubbing my eyes without realizing it.

"What is this?"

[Go straight to the chapter progress area once – 2000p]

The price was weird.

Obviously, it'd been 150 points when I'd checked it last.

I rubbed my eyes once more and checked it again.

It was still 2000p.

"Are you kidding me?"

You can stop the sale-offs, fine. The chapters have entered double digits, and it's time to gradually accumulate points.

But you shouldn't do this. Raise the price like this? Ten times at that?

I didn't know if there'd been any signs beforehand, but I hadn't noticed any.

When I looked around, the other products were the same.

The prices jumped from a minimum of three times to a maximum of ten times.

"…"

I then admitted that I'd been mistaken.

Seeing my actions in a positive light? How ridiculous.

The author, this guy, he hated me, right? He must've not liked the look of me, or something.

"I'll just have to do what I can."

How small-minded could you be?[1]

My good feelings had already subsided.

The shop screen had also been turned off. Because right now, just looking at it made me feel like I was burning up.

That was then –

"So you were here."

Someone sneaked up to me.

It was Cocoa.

"Huh."

"Is your chin back again?"

"Uh, it comes back in an hour."

"One hour?"

"It's like that."

Despite my rough answer, Cocoa didn't ask any further questions. She didn't seem to be interested in asking.

Instead,

"I like the way it looks now. I don't like that absurd look from earlier… you looked like a sissy."

She expounded on her preferences.

"… Your eyes are pretty special."

I fell silent for a while, and then added a sentence at the end.

"This image is fake. Oh, that one was real."

This time I thought she'd ask why.

But,

"Who cares about real or fake? Squatjaw is a squat-jaw."

Cocoa snorted. Again, there was no sign of curiosity.

It was strange. But when I saw the little kid sitting next to me just stare blankly into the air, somehow, I felt my anger slowly subside.

"It’s Hiro. Not Squatjaw."

Cocoa didn't even listen.

"Squatjaw. Squatjaw."

"What."

"I'll pretend you aren't squat-jawed."

"… Yeah, do whatever you want."

Same as me.

Well, it wasn't a bad feeling.

Then,

"But what are we going to do now?"

Cocoa asked as if she’d suddenly remembered.

"What we're going to do? What do you… ah!"

Come to think of it, this wasn't the time to be so tepid.

"Good question. We're going to be busy."

"Are we going somewhere?"

"I have a place to go, but I’m a little pressed for time."

"Why?"

"I was going to take the bus, but the fare somehow went up by a lot. To the point where it's unreasonable. So anyway, I just want to walk."

"I like it."

"That’s good. Don’t take it back later, and take proper care of those things in your pocket."

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something again, Cocoa asked.

"But what about the amusement park?"

"What about it?"

"Are we going to take it?"

"… What?"

It was embarrassing. I hadn't even thought of it at all.

"… Take ‘that'. Just leave the rest. It'll have some use."

"Where?"

"You don't need to know. There will be."

Then Cocoa lowered her head and muttered a bit.

"It was fun."

"…"

I scratched my head.

The way this kid looked so down was strangely heartbreaking.

What should I do in this case?

After a while, I barely managed to find the right answer.

"Let’s play again next time."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Then I jumped up from where I'd been sitting.

What I said to Cocoa was not just empty words.

If we're talking about fun things, they'd be piled up in our way like a mountain. Even the very next destination would be full of things this kid would find exciting.

"Let’s go, where is everybody?"

Two weeks later.

The megalopolis, Adventium.

[Adventure King serialization resumed]

[Chapter 15 – Official Adventurer Qualification Test (1)]

[Belongs to the realm of the ongoing chapter]

[Hiro is the subject of character evaluation in this chapter]

We'd arrived just in time.

"Wow, so many!"

Cocoa exclaimed.

"Senior, I think I might get it wrong…"

"Take a good look."

I looked around, but there was no place that wasn't full of people. It was truly a huge crowd.

Adventium. The so-called City of Adventurers.

There were two reasons why this place was called that.

First, because it was where the central branch of the Adventurers' Association was located.

Second, because it was where the official adventurer qualification test was held.

This was the city where the second great arc, ‘Adventurer Qualification Test', would take place after Black Shadow.

"So many of these people are dreaming of adventure, how exciting…"

"But there're only a handful of people who'll actually get it."

"Meaning… us?"

The three were already quite excited.

I was a little surprised by this too. Cocoa was one thing; I hadn't thought that the other two would be so gung-ho about this adventurer's test as well. Maybe it was because both of them had the goblins craziness about solving problems.

"Huhu, I'd always wondered, how much had the writers stretched things talking about adventurers… now I can confirm. Are they really great people, or do they just have a high opinion of themselves?"

"Even though the pass rate is very low… If it’s Chinuavi, I’m sure you won't have any problems."

"Fufu, thank you. Same goes for Master Haka."

It was a strange thing.

Everything else was fine, but whenever I saw the two of them talking I just got annoyed.

"I've gotten tired of playing around. Now, everyone, pay attention."

I clapped my hands to get their attention.

There was nothing wrong with the group having a clear sense of purpose, but just passing the test was actually not enough. The goal we had to achieve in this episode wasn't that small.

There is one prerequisite for a character playing a rival role in a shounen manga.

You have to be a ‘powerhouse'.

Funny thing was, these protagonists wouldn't even consider those lagging behind their peers as rivals. You could barely get that qualification only if you were far ahead of them and well-known to boot.

In order to establish my status as a rival, the performance in this episode was very important. There was a ranking in this adventurer test, because it was a system where you could see who was the best and who was the worst.

Therefore,

"Pass? It's not just that. In this adventurer qualification test, we must take the best grade."

This was my goal.

And it was difficult to do well with just me.

"Now, who knows a lot about the adventurer exam, raise your hands."

But no one came forward with confidence. I'd expected that from the moment they'd started chattering about it without knowing what was in store.

"Then how are you going to pass? The test has already started. It starts with finding an examiner."

The adventurer test is not conducted in separate fields. Whether you aim to be a guide, a decipherer, or an adversary, all face the same test.

And it starts with finding a way. As with any adventure.

"Examiner. Want to try finding one?"

I glanced at Cocoa.

Of course, I knew who the examiner was and where he was.

However, the reason why I passed the baton to Cocoa was not simply to test this kid's ability, but also to show Chinuavi and Haka. Because in the adventurer test, knowing the abilities of your comrades was also very important.

"Examiner?"

"Yeah. I won't give you any hints."

I'd even come to a place quite far away on purpose. It won't be that easy to find him in the midst of such a large crowd…

"He’s behind you."

"What?"

"That thin guy in the back."

"…"

When I turned around, a skinny short guy was standing around in front of a shopping mall. He didn't even remotely resemble an examiner. Because the examiners I'd seen in the manga had pretty good physiques.

And it was a face that I'd never even seen before.

"Nope?"

"Yep."

Then she walked straight up to him.

"You the examiner, right?"

It was crazy.

"No, hey, what do you think you are doing?"

But right then,

"Are you a party of four?"

The guy who'd been looking around as if he was not even aware of us, said something strange out of the blue.

"Yeah."

"Follow me."

"…"

I scratched my head. So we ended up trailing after him.

Editor's Notes:

[1] 좀생이 (lit. moth) narrow-minded, picky.