Chapter 2: The Birth of "Bloodline"
[Name: Yamamoto Naoto]
[Physical Fitness: 15 (1.5 times that of an ordinary adult, next level requires 1000 points)]
[Physical Condition: Healthy.]
[Talent: Your previous life's artistic talent allows you to quickly grasp any drawing and drawing-related techniques.]
[Drawing Level: Masterful—Peak (requires 100,000 points)]
[Next Drawing Skill: Vivid Imagery (The viewer can personally experience the environment in the painting through your realistic drawing skills.) Required Fame Points: 10,000 points.]
[Other Skills: Karate (Level 1 skill, opening next skill slot requires 1000 points), Basic Drawing Knowledge.]
[Remaining Points: 0]
[Note: Points can increase overall physical attributes. Higher increases in physical fitness require more points.]
[Note: The more people know your name and are attracted by your works, the more points you can obtain.]
Perhaps it was due to the blessings of his predecessors, the Great Chinese transmigrators, that after a month of nearly collapsing, Yamamoto Naoto finally awakened his system.
Although this Strongest Manga Artist System had its flaws, Naoto, eager to make money, couldn't care less about them.
But speaking of manga, Yamamoto Naoto paced to his desk and pulled out a light yellow envelope from a drawer.
After opening the envelope, what came into view were printed manga drafts, with characters already drawn and backgrounds laid out.
Looking at the slightly naive drawings on the drafts, many memories surfaced in Naoto's mind at this moment.
These manga were drawn by his predecessor, the original Yamamoto Naoto.
Like Naoto, the original Yamamoto Naoto also loved manga very much and hoped to become an excellent manga artist in the future.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Naoto transmigrated into him.
The initial reason Naoto became an art student was very simple: he loved manga and wanted to become an excellent manga artist.
But after he actually started studying art, he discovered that the gap between the traditional art industry and manga artists was simply too great.
Among traditional painters, if one in a hundred became famous, that was considered good; most painters died in poverty, to the extent that in many people's eyes, a painting only became valuable after the artist's death.
And in order to gain fame, many 'masters' appeared in China who 'shot ink,' 'sprayed ink,' or even used 'mops' to paint. But was that really called painting? Rather than painting, it was more like a circus act.
But manga are different; anyone is qualified to draw a manga.
Even if your drawing is terrible, as long as you have good ideas and a plot, then you have a chance to succeed.
The one who originally guided Naoto to become a manga artist was the famous ONE.
T/N - (In case you don't realise, ONE is the mangaka of One-Punch Man)
Even though his drawings looked like rough drafts, his wild imagination and profound writing deeply captivated him.
Moreover, this Japan, compared to the one he knew, although largely similar, lacked many excellent works.
Not just mangas.
From literature, paintings, TV dramas, and movies, many well-known works were missing from all walks of life.
For him, this was an opportunity for success.
However, Naoto, who used to be involved in traditional art, didn't understand the techniques of drawing mangas.
For example, those well-known works like One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, a series that has been serialized for over a decade, drawing one or two chapters might be manageable, but to serialize them long-term, it's not something that can be done simply by snapping your fingers.
Fortunately, as a manga enthusiast, Naoto remembered the plots of many excellent works.
He could easily recall the plots of future popular manga like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Demon Slayer.
"Hmm, if I want to make money, then JUMP is definitely the first choice. But if it's JUMP, then some horror works can't be chosen."
After careful consideration, Naoto decided to eliminate some options first.
First, horror and adult mangas are definitely out; such mangas are not popular in JUMP, and might not even get serialized. So, famous works like "Ring" and "Tomie" all have to be skipped.
And those manga that will be popular in Japan in the future should also be put aside for now; after all, he's just starting out and there's no need to waste those good works. Otherwise, it would be a sin if they were ruined.
After thinking for a while, Naoto's gaze fell on the former Chinese manhuas.
He recalled that Chinese manhuas also had a glorious history for a long time. In Naoto's opinion, the brilliance of Chinese manhuas was no less than that of Japanese mangas at the time.
For example, The Legend of Luo Xiaohei, Peking Opera Cats, Kuiba, and Scissor Seven. These were all former pillars of Chinese mangas.
A good-looking manga that also fits JUMP's characteristics. Finally, Naoto thought of a work, which was Ai Ou's "Bloodline."
Speaking of Ai Ou's work, it was one of Naoto's favorites back then. In the manhua world at the time, Naoto's favorites were "Instant Noodle Superman" and "Bloodline."
The story of a chuunibyou teenager growing up during his exile with a vampire was simply irresistible. To this day, he still regrets not being able to see the final ending.
It's a pity that Ai Ou lost the creative rights to Bloodline due to contract issues. Future manhua, one after another, failed to reach the height of Bloodline, and most of them ended before they even began.
But to this day, in Naoto's eyes, this manhua is still a god-tier existence.
Since the manga's theme was decided, it was time to get to work.
Of course, just because Naoto choose this manhua, doesn't mean he can to copy it one for one. Some of the story wouldn't fit exactly for Japanese audience, therefore, he has to localize it while drawing to fit JUMP's requirements.
Naoto picked up his brush and carefully revised the manga draft paper.
For some reason, his originally clumsy arm now seemed particularly nimble.
"This is truly amazing. Could this be the power of the system?"
After repeatedly watching, learning, and bringing out the images from his memory, exquisite drawings appeared on Naoto's desk at an unimaginable speed.
Under Naoto's focused drawing, the first chapter of Bloodline quickly began to take shape.
And over the next few weeks, Naoto continuously improved the manga he was drawing.
Finally, on a weekend, Naoto looked at the draft in his hand and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew, I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"
The moment Naoto stopped drawing, a sense of exhaustion quickly overwhelmed him.
Naoto, who had been busy for several weeks, finally couldn't hold on and collapsed.