NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 18: Chapter 17
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Chapter 17
Weekly Shonen Magazine, Editorial Department — Tokyo, Japan
To aspiring manga authors across Japan, the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Magazine was a sacred battleground.
This legendary publication had birthed countless iconic manga. Many of Japan's greatest mangaka had debuted here, launching their careers into stardom. With a deep reservoir of creative talent and a catalog brimming with hit series, Weekly Shonen Magazine consistently held the top spot in national circulation.
So, when the magazine launched a nationwide online manga submission contest, it ignited a storm of creativity. Thousands of amateur artists seized the opportunity, each hoping their work would be their ticket to professional serialization.
But for the editorial staff, the influx of submissions meant an enormous workload.
Hundreds of entries poured in. Editors were stretched thin, juggling a mountain of tasks: reviewing submissions, promoting promising works, organizing data, verifying legitimacy, managing existing authors, and ensuring the timely release of new issues.
The notorious "corporate slave" culture of Japanese workplaces was alive and well here. Exhausted editors worked late into the night, silently grinding away under fluorescent lights, bound to their desks by unspoken expectations and sheer workload.
As the second day of the contest's voting phase began, the editorial team of Youth Weekly Magazine's data department was still working overtime. Their monitors glowed in the dark office, casting shadows on weary faces.
> "The King's Messenger — 2,066,666 views and 8,900 votes?! That's more views than the top three combined! I swear, if anyone clicks on it again while I'm looking, I'm pulling it off the site!"
Masaki's voice broke the silence.
Minako, a junior editor, looked up from her screen. "Masaki-kun, I just found another one with suspicious stats."
He glanced her way. "Suspicious how?"
"4,091 views. 1,397 votes. That's a click-to-vote ratio of about 3:1."
Masaki dropped his pen. "You're kidding. That's insane. The usual ratio is between 20:1 and 50:1. This has to be bot activity!"
Minako frowned. "Should we report it? The content team already left for the day."
"Why are you asking me? You're senior to me."
"You're more experienced…"
"If it were me? I'd just yank it. Didn't Editor-in-Chief Jiumu authorize that last week?"
"I feel like we should double-check first... Maybe we should inform Jiumu-san?"
Masaki sighed. "Your call."
---
Minako knocked on the glass door of the editor-in-chief's office. Inside, the lights were still on.
> "Editor-in-Chief Jiumu!"
The grizzled man looked up from a pile of manuscript proofs. "Minako, what is it?"
"We found data irregularities in a new submission. It's part of the current contest. We suspect fraudulent voting. The content team's already gone, and we weren't sure what to do."
"Let me hear the numbers."
"4,091 views and 1,397 votes."
Jiumu raised an eyebrow. "That's 3:1?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hmph. Blatant manipulation. Take it down."
"You don't want to review the content first?"
"No time. If we leave it up, it could top the rankings tomorrow. We can't afford a scandal."
"Understood. Also... another work, The King's Messenger, had over two million views. The data team already removed it for suspected bot traffic."
Jiumu scowled. "What the hell is the tech team doing?!"
"They said our servers couldn't handle the spike in traffic over the last few days."
"Forget it. The contest ends tomorrow. Take down both titles and make an official announcement on our social media. This is Weekly Shonen Magazine, not some back-alley fan forum. We have standards."
"Yes, sir."
---
Later that night, the magazine's official Twitter/X account posted an update:
> [Official Announcement]
After thorough analysis, we discovered that two submissions in our manga contest — The King's Messenger and Attack on Titan — showed signs of vote manipulation.
The decision committee has agreed to remove both works from the platform.
Weekly Shonen Magazine maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward fraudulent voting.
We will continue to investigate data integrity across multiple vectors, including voting source accounts, traffic patterns, and operation paths.
If any contributor is confirmed to be directly involved, they will be permanently disqualified from participation.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
---
The post went viral within minutes. Thousands of comments flooded in.
Many users praised the decision:
> @NetizenA: "This contest is for real artists. We can't let a few cheaters ruin it for everyone else."
@NetizenB: "I've been reading Shonen Magazine since I was a kid. Proud of the integrity here."
@NetizenC: "@Kunyouta — author of The King's Messenger — you got caught again! Two million views? Are you serious? Come out and face the music!"
@NetizenD: "Cracking down on fraud protects the hardworking creators. This is a win for originality!"
@NetizenE: "Everyone, check out Reincarnated as a Beautiful Girl, Adventuring with Them! It's ranked third, and it's all real votes!"
@NetizenF: "Sea Lion's Drawing Manga While Dying, They Begged Me Not to Go is really underrated. Give it some love!"
But not everyone was convinced.
Some readers who supported Attack on Titan voiced their frustrations:
> @NetizenG: "I get that The King's Messenger had fake stats, but Attack on Titan? No way. Double-check your data."
@NetizenH: "I watched Attack on Titan and shared it with all my dorm mates. All five of us voted. Nothing shady."
@NetizenI: "How is 1,397 votes considered manipulation? If someone were cheating, wouldn't they go for tens of thousands?"
@NetizenJ: "I wanted to rewatch Attack on Titan. You removed it too fast!"
@NetizenK: "Where's the evidence?"
@NetizenL: "Evidence? Come on. The organizer just says 'final interpretation rights lie with us' — that means they can do whatever they want."
@NetizenM: "@Eri_Kashiwagi-sensei! Come quick! Your friend Whale-sensei has been wronged!"
---
Lucien D. Blackthorn, known in the publishing world under his pen name Whale, had just woken up when he saw the notification flood on his phone. Mentions, retweets, and reposts filled every corner of his timeline.
> Whale-sensei is dead.
Whale-sensei was framed.
Whale-sensei's work is too good. That's why they silenced him.
He sat frozen for a few seconds. Then slowly, he pulled up the page for Attack on Titan.
The entry was gone.
Deleted. Erased.
His work — disqualified.
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
🎉 A Big Welcome and Congratulations! 🎉
Let's give a warm shoutout to Никита Козлов for joining the journey! Your support means the world and helps keep these stories alive and thriving.
🔥 Want to read advance 18+ chapters before anyone else?
Join my Patreon for exclusive early access and much more!
👉 patreon.com/Forbidden_lust
Every supporter helps me push boundaries and bring forbidden fantasies to life.
— forbidden_lust 💋