Now, he just wanted to get home and finish reading this story.
That night, he followed the perspective of the protagonist, William, as he navigated a world where humanity had been wiped out by the Beasts.
The remaining races, stranded on floating islands in the sky, weren't entirely safe, as the Beasts still threatened them from the ground below.
Other strange races, salvage teams searching for relics of civilization, and fairy soldiers fighting with Holy Swordsthe world came to life in a way that completely immersed him, filling him with awe.
What stood out most was the portrayal of William.
In a world where civilization and entire races had perished, there should have been nothing but despair.
Yet, despite everything, William still felt the vividness of life all around him.
It was a contradiction that resonated deeply, stirring an uncontrollable sadness.
He was an outsiderwithout a past, without any ties to the world he now inhabited.
There was no one for him to care about, no reason to feel connected to anything. Even memories of his homeland were nowhere to be found.
And yet, his past battles had shaped him into someone with a calm, detached mindset.
It was as though his heart, filled with anger and sorrow, had been trapped deep under the surface, unable to express itself.
This sense of quiet emotion echoed with readers, drawing them deeper into the story and evoking a sorrow that was almost unbearable.
"What a fantastic piece of work!" Hikari sighed.
Though the story was filled with sadness, the way it was told captivated him completely.
"I should follow up on this series."
Despite his busy work life, he couldn't afford to neglect such small joys.
Without them, life would be nothing but pain, wouldn't it?
If the end really did come, he would only regret not having taken the time to appreciate life's beauty in the here and now.
The book's popularity had already spiked, and discussions about it were flooding the internet.
"First, I must apologize to the author. I'm sorry!"
"I started following WorldEnd because I knew the illustrator, the Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei."
"This was their first illustration project, so I bought it out of support for them."
"I had no expectations since they were a complete newcomer, but after reading it, I realized how foolish I was."
"If this work could get the Warrior of Love and Hope to agree to illustrate it, then it must be an outstanding work."
"With their current fame, why would they do something like this otherwise?"
"I really hope that fans who bought this book with the same mindset as me will take the time to read it!
This is a truly outstanding work from every angle!
With the teacher's illustrations, it's an amazing collaboration!"
"It really is a great work! Thanks to the recommendation from the mangaka 'Warrior of Love and Hope,' I didn't miss out on such an incredible piece!"
"Maybe this is the magic of words even though we know the inevitable ending is going to be like the ghostly faces of past characters fading away, we can't help but keep reading to experience that last bit of beauty before the end of the world arrives!"
"Even though the first volume hasn't fully unfolded, there's this unspeakable sadness that lingers in my heart."
"I don't know how to describe it, but the author's writing skills are incredible; they made me feel the pain at every moment."
"Honestly, when I first saw the long title, I thought it was just going to be a tragic story wrapped in a fancy package."
"But after reading, the sadness I couldn't express made me realize this is a tragedy with no hope!"
"Strongly recommend this to every reader who likes this style!"
"Could it be that the 'Warrior of Love and Hope'-sensei agreed to illustrate this because from the start, this story was always meant to be a tragedy?"
"I wouldn't rule that out! But of course, I think the work's excellence is also a big reason for that!"
"For someone who enjoys tragedies like me, this was such a fulfilling experience!"
"Ugh, after reading your comments, I suddenly got scared. 'Madoka Magica,' 'Anohana,' those endings made me cry enough as it is. And now here comes another one, is this story really trying to make us cry?!"
[117] WorldEnd Sales Report! [300 PS]
As days pass, more and more discussions about the future plot of "WorldEnd" emerge in forums and group chats, sparking curiosity among readers!
Even those who usually enjoy comedy, moe, or harem genres couldn't resist picking it up.
They all wanted to know what made this book so captivating, and they found themselves feeling both pain and joy as they experienced the deep malice of "WorldEnd!"
As they know, readers who enjoy comedy, moe, and harem genres might not dislike tragedies.
Perhaps the type of tragedy they enjoy just hadn't appeared until now.
But "WorldEnd" hooked many readers with its oppressive, unresolved pain, fulfilling that unique "lonely" feeling from their adolescent years.
A week later...
"Akif...Shadow-sensei, doesn't it sound strange? Should I just call you Shadow sensei? Never mind?"
Listening to Machida Sonoko's voice on the phone, Akifumi replied indifferently, "Whatever makes you happy..."
"Shadow-sensei, the sales for the first week of 'WorldEnd' are in!" Machida's voice carried an unmistakable joy.
Akifumi smiled but didn't respond.
There was always someone eager to speak first, but why the rush?
Not getting the response she expected, Machida couldn't help but pout.
"It really is like what Mihari said, you never react to sales, Sensei. It's like you're not interested in royalties."
"Well, whether I know the sales or not doesn't stop me from getting paid, right?"
"True..." Machida shook her head.
She had hoped to see him as excited as the younger newbies, but it seemed like that wasn't happening.
"The first week sales for 'WorldEnd' are 27,000 copies!"
At 600 yen a volume and a 10% royalty rate, that's 1.62 million yen!
Though this is far from the numbers seen with comics, it's still not bad! Especially for the first week.
But this number is a bit lower than Akifumi had expected.
After all, even the first volume of Madoka Magica sold over 60,000 copies, and the second volume almost hit 50,000 on its release day!
Compared to that, 27,000 feels a bit low.
"That's still not too bad, right?"
"..." Machida was silent.
'Was he seriously downplaying it?'
'27,000 copies in the first week!'
'That's enough to hit 100,000 by the end of the month!'
'And 500,000 for a single volume that's an incredible result!!'
'And yet, here he was calling it "not too low"?'
'If any other author heard this, they'd probably want to punch him in the face.'
Despite wanting to complain, Machida couldn't ignore the fact that Akifumi was a rising star in the comic world.
Though she wasn't as familiar with the light novel sales, she had heard from others that this was still a solid number.
Still, comparing comics to light novels is a different thing altogether.
The animation crowd is much wider, while the light novel crowd is narrower.
Machida decided to explain, "Sensei, we can't say it's 'low.' In the light novel world, these first-week sales are considered a hit! This is a super hot work that will definitely reach 500,000 copies!"
"Okay. As long as I didn't embarrass you, Machida-san."
'Embarrass?'
That's impossible!
Other authors will be jealous of this success!
And given that Machida Sonoko had worked hard to get this book published so quickly, she was certainly in line for a nice bonus!
'Now, where can I travel for a vacation...?'
Though "vacation" was a joke, Akifumi couldn't help but fantasize.
"Machida-san, now that the first volume is out, it's time to start planning for the second, right?"
"!!"
Not only did they have the drive to release a second volume so soon, but they also brought it up themselves!
Machida couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Mihari!
Though she also wanted to get started on volume two, the first volume had only just been released a week ago talking about volume two already felt a bit rushed!
With a polite tone, she said, "Sensei, there's no need to rush. We have time for the second volume. Five months, six months the readers won't mind."
"Machida-san, you don't need to be so formal." Akifumi sighed.
"You know, this work is meant to pave the way for my new manga, right?"
"Waiting for readers' feedback is one thing, but I have my own thoughts."
Is this what genius looks like?
Passionate about publishing, unstoppable!
No wonder he managed to complete two works in just six months.
His work ethic is the key to success!
Machida carefully asked, "So, Sensei, do you mean...?"
"Let's release the second volume next month."
"??"
'Was I imagining things?'
Did he just say next month?!
Machida was stunned.
"Next month... is that really possible?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The first volume was just released on October 1st, and now he was talking about releasing the second volume by November 1st? That's barely more than 20 days!
"Actually, I finished the second volume back in September. The third one is almost done too. I calculated it, and releasing it next month is totally feasible!"
"The only thing we need is for you to work a little harder, Machida-san."
Machida, still in disbelief, tried to process what Akifumi just said.
"So... you're serious about releasing it next month?"
He wasn't joking at all.
He was already on track to finish the third volume, and he was pushing to release the second one in a month.
She hesitated but then said, "Sensei, isn't one month too short a time to prepare?"
Considering that the first volume had just been published and the second volume was supposed to be ready in no time... it seemed too fast!
But with Akifumi's passion and confidence, Machida Sonoko realized that nothing was impossible for him.
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[118] "Madoka Magica" Episode 3!
"Is it really that fast?"
Machida Sonoko pondered his words for a moment, then answered firmly.
"Yes, it's fast!"
"For a light novel, it usually takes around three months to fully tap into the potential of a work and convert its fans."
"If we release the second volume on November 1st, some of the potential left in the earlier volumes will be missed."
"The most important thing is that such a fast release pace isn't very wallet-friendly for readers."
"As a result, the sales might actually be lower than the first volume."
"So, I'd appreciate it if you could reconsider."
Akifumi thought for a moment, then replied, "Machida, I don't think these are problems."
"Even if we maximize the potential and peak the readers' expectations, a work can't always maintain its initial sales."
"For the fans who really love this story, I believe they'll find a way to buy the next volume, no matter how tight their budget is."
"On the other hand, only fans who are on the fence will hesitate."
"Yes, this quick pace might lower sales to some extent, but it could also keep the enthusiasm high for those who are passionate about it."
"Besides, isn't the most important thing the quality of the work itself?"
"As long as the quality is guaranteed, short-term sales don't matter much."
And the most important point:
"Once 'WorldEnd' has enough volumes, I can finally release the manga version."
"The light novel will provide a foundation for the manga's release, and in return, the manga will boost the light novel's sales. The final sales could even exceed our expectations!"
"..."
Machida Sonoko was silent for a while, then sighed with a wry smile, "I'm really losing to you, Akifumi-sensei."
This strategy does have a significant chance of working.
But there's still considerable risk involved.
However...
"Since you're so confident, I guess I'll go along with you."
Akifumi smiled, "Thank you for your support, Machida-san."
"I'll send you the content for the second volume by email shortly."
"Should we start preparing for the second volume?"
"Akifumi-sensei, you really are confident!" Machida said with genuine admiration.
Usually, it would take most authors 10 to 20 days just to revise the manuscript after finishing it.
But Akifumi didn't seem to have any of those concerns.
"Well, from my perspective, I feel like the second volume is already good enough."
Akifumi couldn't exactly say that he had just followed the usual publishing template, could he?
After hanging up, Akifumi immediately sent the manuscript to Machida.
It was already late, so he wasn't going to wait for a reply.
He spent a bit more time on his illustrations, then washed up and went to bed.
The next morning, he received a reply from Machida as expected.
"The content is fine. I'll go talk to the editor-in-chief today to make sure the second volume releases on November 1st."
"You've just been busy, and now you're giving me more work? You owe me a few big meals!"
Akifumi smiled and quickly replied, "Thanks, Machida-san. But I can see that you're visibly happyare you sure you're not the one treating me to dinner?"
Maybe it was as she said: she was tired but happy.
After all, bonuses in the editorial world are closely tied to a work's success!
A successful project means more money for the editor too.
It was still early, around 6:30 AM.
Machida had probably not woken up yet, so Akifumi didn't expect any further responses.
After a quick wash-up, Akifumi put on his workout clothes and headed out to begin his daily exercise.
"Wow, tomorrow's already October 20th!"
Time really flew"Madoka Magica" was about to air its third episode.
"I can't wait!"
He was excited not just for the episode itself, but also for the fans' reactions.
October 20th.
In Tanaka's class:
"Hey, Tanaka, are you sure 'Madoka Magica' is as amazing as you say?"
"The characters are cute, sure, but it feels like just another magical girl show. The main character hasn't even transformed yetit's starting to feel a bit dull."
"Even my mom's been giving me weird looks, probably wondering why I suddenly started watching a show aimed at little girls."
Tanaka responded nonchalantly:
