NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8: Chapter 8
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Chapter 8: The Submission
In this world, most comic book authors still follow tradition—they publish and serialize their work in magazines. This is considered the mark of legitimacy, the orthodox path to success.
Those who publish online? More often than not, they vanish into obscurity.
Of course, that excludes artists like Eriri, who specialize in doujinshi. For doujin creators, the internet is the main battlefield.
But for professional comic authors? Posting their debut work online is like an admission of defeat. It's a path taken only when all other doors are closed.
That's why, when Sayuri Sawamura proposed publishing Lucien D. Blackthorn's manga online, Eriri hesitated.
To her, Attack on Titan was not just good—it was exceptional. It deserved to be in a magazine, published in volumes, printed in glossy covers and stocked on bookstore shelves.
But then, she remembered Lucien's words. He wanted his work out there as soon as possible. He didn't have time for bureaucracy, for waiting on publishing cycles.
Perhaps by the time the first volume hit shelves… he would already be gone.
"It seems the only way… is online," Eriri muttered, her tone reluctant but resigned.
So, mother and daughter opened the laptop and began the process.
As they navigated to the browser, a pop-up appeared. Sayuri leaned in, eyes lighting up.
"Eri, look—Weekly Shonen Magazine is holding an online comic contest!"
She quickly clicked into the link. The details unfolded before their eyes:
> "Participants must submit a comic of no fewer than 20 pages."
"Entries will be displayed on the official website and subjected to online voting. The top 50 entries will be considered for publication."
"Comics over 80 pages (or complete volumes) will receive priority consideration. Selected works may be fast-tracked for serialization."
"Submission closes in 24 hours. Online voting begins tomorrow and lasts three days."
Sayuri and Eriri exchanged wide-eyed looks. The timing couldn't have been better. This contest had been running for two weeks—today was the final day to enter.
The platform? Weekly Shonen Magazine, published by Lecture Hall—the largest comic publisher in the country.
"Mom, let's enter!"
Eriri's eyes sparkled with excitement as if she were submitting her own work.
Sayuri smiled. "Alright. I'll scan the manuscript upstairs. You fill out the registration info."
Thanks to Eriri's art background, they already had a high-quality scanner at home. No need to waste time going out.
Sayuri carried the pages upstairs. Eriri got to work creating the account.
> "Real name or pseudonym required."
She paused.
Lucien had made it clear: publish anonymously.
So using his real name was out.
But what was his pen name? Did he even have one?
"Well… I'll give him one for now. We can change it later."
She thought hard. A name that suited him. A name with meaning.
"Lucien D. Blackthorn…" she murmured.
It felt powerful. Mysterious. Perfect.
She filled it in as his pen name.
The system accepted it.
Not long after, Sayuri returned with the scanned pages on a USB. They copied the files and uploaded them to the contest site.
Next came the genre selection.
> "Adventure? Sci-fi? Fantasy? Suspense?"
"Mom," Eriri asked, "Would Attack on Titan count as horror?"
"I think so."
Those grotesque giants, the nightmarish world, the violent desperation—it all screamed horror.
They chose the horror category.
Then came one final prompt: upload a cover image.
Eriri flipped through the manuscript. No cover.
"Guess I'll have to draw one myself."
Her fan artist instincts kicked in. Inspiration surged like lightning through her mind.
She dashed to her room and planted herself in front of her drawing board.
The image came together quickly—Eren (the protagonist), midair, wearing his vertical maneuvering gear, blades drawn, charging at a giant atop the city wall.
It was dynamic, tragic, and thrilling.
Within the hour, the painting was complete. She scanned it, enhanced it slightly, then uploaded it as the official cover.
"Eri, your painting is incredible," Sayuri said, pride swelling in her voice. "You're truly my daughter."
Normally, Eriri would glow at such praise.
But today, she barely smiled.
Her heart remained heavy.
Lucien was still dying.
And this—this was her promise.
She would not let his story be forgotten.
Not even by the world
×××××××××××××××××××××××××
🎉 Huge shoutout and congratulations to OMG X WAFF3LZ for becoming a new paying member! 🎉
Welcome to the family — your support means everything and keeps this story alive and growing! 🙌
If you've been enjoying the chapters and can't wait for what's next, now's the perfect time to join my Patreon!
Get advance access, exclusive content, and be part of the amazing group making all of this possible.
👉 patreon.com/Forbidden_lust — unlock the next chapters now and support the journey!
Let's keep going — together. 💖📚