Chapter 58: Shadows of Giants
On Thursday night, Lucien D. Blackthorn decided to settle the system rewards for the third volume of Slam Dunk.
Since the manga had grown more popular than before, he was curious to see how much reward the system would grant this time.
---
[Settlement in progress…]
[After evaluation, the manga Slam Dunk (Volume 3) has received: Quality Rating — A. Influence Rating — A.]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving: Lifespan +12 days! Health Value +5!]
---
[Host: Lucien D. Blackthorn]
Remaining Lifespan: 37 days
Health Value: 15/100 (Allows 2 hours of extra consciousness per day)
---
Lucien widened his eyes slightly.
"The influence rating… is actually A?"
He hadn't expected it at all. Thanks to Mai Sakurajima's recommendation, Slam Dunk's influence had skyrocketed, jumping all the way from F to A.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So now I have 37 days left. If I just keep creating steadily… I don't have to worry about dying for the time being."
He hesitated for a moment, then asked the system:
"By the way, how high does my health value need to be for me to leave the hospital?"
[Answer: When the host's Health Value reaches 40, he will meet the discharge criteria.]
Lucien leaned back weakly on his pillow, exhaling. The gap was still wide, but at least there was a clear target.
---
Friday arrived—the day that readers of Attack on Titan had been anticipating most.
After a long wait, the second volume was finally about to release.
During the serialization of Volume 1 in Manga Jump, countless readers had been glued to every chapter, desperate for more. The suspense of not knowing what happened next gnawed at them. Now, they would finally be able to see the continuation.
---
Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Hikigaya Hachiman wasted no time. Ever since Zaimokuza Yoshiki had recommended Attack on Titan to him, he had been utterly hooked.
As soon as class ended, he and Zaimokuza rushed toward the school store, intent on getting the latest issue of Manga Jump.
Though Hikigaya had long declared that he had graduated from his chuunibyou phase, ever since reading Attack on Titan, he often caught himself imagining wearing the omni-directional mobility gear, soaring through the skies, blades flashing as he struck down Titans.
He sighed inwardly.
I guess chuunibyou never really graduates…
From the corridor, Yuigahama Yui passed by and spotted Hachiman and Zaimokuza huddled together, talking animatedly with magazines in hand. She puffed her cheeks.
"Seriously… this guy really has nothing to do with us anymore."
She couldn't help but recall how Hachiman had quit the Service Club, after being invited by Totsuka Saika to join the tennis club instead.
Both Yui and Yukinoshita Yukino had strongly disapproved of his evasive decision, but he hadn't changed his mind.
Yui shook her head and quickened her pace.
"I need to hurry, Yukinon is waiting…"
The Service Club had recently received a new commission.
The basketball captain of Sobu High School had asked for help: how to boost the morale of the team, which had been shaken after their coach abruptly transferred to another school. With the National High School Basketball Championship approaching, the team was in danger of falling apart.
Yukino had been troubled, unable to think of a practical solution.
But Yui had an idea.
She had heard of a manga that was inspiring basketball players everywhere—Slam Dunk. Some university teams were even imitating its storylines in real life. And with Mai Sakurajima herself recommending it, the influence was undeniable.
It might be unconventional, but perhaps this manga could reignite the team's fighting spirit.
---
Toyozaki Academy, Class 2-G
Meanwhile, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, writing under her pen name Eri Kashiwagi, sat at her desk with her classmate Azusa Satomi. The two girls flipped through the latest issue of Manga Jump, eagerly devouring the newest chapters of Attack on Titan.
On the page, chaos reigned. Titans stormed the town, and Eren Yeager alongside the cadets of the Training Corps fought desperately to hold the line.
The panels were drenched in blood and tragedy—soldiers torn apart, limbs flying, entrails spilling across cobblestone streets. The horror was raw and merciless.
The classroom buzzed with shocked exclamations.
"Uwaah! Did you see that Titan bite his head clean off!?"
"This is insane… it's way too graphic for shounen!"
Indeed, if classified, Attack on Titan would likely fall under an R-12 or even R-15 rating.
By contrast, Titan Wars, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine, carried a safe G-rating, suitable for all ages.
That series followed its protagonist, Suga Yusuke, who had just left his destroyed hometown. Along his journey, he freed an elf girl from slave traders. Predictably, she immediately fell in love with him, pledging her loyalty in a rather fanservice-heavy scene.
The class snickered.
"A cliché… but kind of entertaining."
"This author, Kim Jung-gun, really knows how to play to the crowd."
Eriri, however, was unconvinced. Admiration aside, she could see right through the formula.
Attack on Titan might not have the same instant appeal, she thought, but its depth will eventually leave something like Titan Wars far behind.
---
That afternoon, after school, Eriri went straight to the hospital.
She handed Manga Jump to Lucien D. Blackthorn, then received the freshly completed drafts for Chapters 30 and 31 of Slam Dunk.
The long-awaited game between Shohoku and Ryonan had finally begun.
As expected, Hanamichi Sakuragi started on the bench. At first, he was thrilled, convinced that Coach Anzai's words about being the team's "secret weapon" meant he was too powerful to be revealed prematurely.
But as the match unfolded, reality hit hard.
Shohoku quickly fell into trouble.
The captain, Takenori Akagi, was locked down by Ryonan's massive center Uozumi Jun, struggling to even move. Meanwhile, Kaede Rukawa, facing off against Sendoh Akira, found himself pressured and unable to score effectively.
From the sidelines, Sakuragi grew increasingly restless, begging to be subbed in. But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Eriri's heart raced as she flipped through the drafts. She had expected this to be Rukawa's shining moment, but Sendoh's overwhelming presence left him no room to dominate.
Even with plenty of Rukawa panels, she felt no satisfaction.
Her frustration echoed Sakuragi's own, who could only watch helplessly as Shohoku struggled.
The game had just begun, yet the tension was already unbearable.
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