(Third Person POV)

  Since Genjitsu translated Yuuma's webnovel into manga, his motivation to write has skyrocketed, and ideas he was hesitant to write at the time were adopted in his newer chapters after the mangaka artist convinced him that it was fine. Genjitsu always advised him to stop worrying about her and do what he wanted.

  He was ecstatic, especially when Genjitsu forwarded the manga chapter drafts to their chatroom. He felt so appreciated because Genjitsu always asked for his permission, even though he felt he should just be grateful that his amateur work was being adapted at all.

  With Genjitsu always giving him complete control over the draft and continually informing him that he could demand modifications at any time, he gradually adapted to it. It's just been two weeks, and he's growing acclimated to this type of work.

  'Still... It's quite surprising for her to finish those drafts that quickly'.

  He wondered how she did it. She always drew fifty or sixty pages of manga panels for each chapter, which covered an entire chapter of the webnovel and included extra information as he saw fit. She told him not to worry about the manga's page count. She assured him that she would follow his directions and not add anything unnecessary to the story. Missing details from his webnovel were skillfully integrated into the manga adaptation. If a chapter had little action and couldn't fill a whole manga chapter, she constantly asked him if he wanted to fill in extra scenes or cover the following webnovel chapter in that manga chapter to meet the required page count.

  And it piqued his curiosity. How can Genjitsu make such exquisite pictures and put what he anticipated in those panels as if she knew his aim, even offering to adjust it to fit his vision without complaint? How could she accomplish that so quickly?

  It had only been two weeks, and she had already released six chapters, with seven more ready and waiting for his approval. She didn't appear to worry about scheduled releases, as she assured him once again that he could pick when these chapters would be released.

  She stated that if the current chapter draft was not the most recent chapter he had written, she could make the next chapter. She was so quick that she kept up with his writing pace, adding to his admiration for her.

  This also made him guilty. It felt like he was effectively limiting the ability of such a wonderful artist. If she wasn't a fan of his story, he figured she'd get more proposals from more successful and capable writers, and she may even end up finding success for one of the major publishing companies out there, like Lemon Books or Shounen Leap. This notion just added to his anxiety, forcing him to write more so he wouldn't be a burden to her.

  His remorse grew further when he discovered that Genjitsu created her own website solely to publish the manga version of his work. It told him that she adored his work and would not let other publishing companies get hold of it. He looked at it when he first started writing, and he knew that most of the time, submitting your work to an agent or publisher means giving up the majority of your rights to that work. They could determine whether or not to discontinue the adaptation, and the author and illustrator had no control over it.

  He was aware that maintaining a website costs money. Genjitsu told him not to worry about it, but he couldn't help but be anxious. The website just displays his work. It seemed very sad, as if that site just existed solely for his work.

  He was planning to tell her that she could find others to post more stories to her website, allowing her to earn some money. He doesn't know much, but he knew she'd make more money as more individuals joined and published their work on it.

  One day, just as he was about to discuss it with her, Genjitsu called to make an important announcement. He accepted her video call and saw her seated in front of her computer, staring at the camera with a carefree expression.

  ["Good morning! Sorry for calling you this early... how are you doing, Wadokami-sensei?"]

  "I'm doing fine." He still felt shy hearing the adult woman on the other side of the screen calling him with such respect.

  He felt like he didn't deserve it.

  ["Great. Have you eaten anything?"]

  "Yes."

  After that small exchange, the talk could finally begin.

  ["Anyway, the reason I called you is because it's about the manga. We've discussed this before, but now I'd like to make it official."]

  He saw a fresh associated file being transmitted to their chat room. He looked through the document file and saw that it was an official-looking contract between him and the company she had formed. Seeing the word "clauses" and other business-sounding terms reinforced the fact that his work would be commercialized.

  'This is it!'

  He clenched his fist hard, his heart racing with anticipation. After signing this contract, he will begin earning money. Furthermore, if he begins to earn money, he will be able to prove to his parents that pursuing his hobby is the right path for him. He didn't only write because he was inspired by all the Isekai stories out there. He actually enjoys writing. He was only reluctant to do so because his parents were opposed to it. They want him to seek a more lucrative career, such as being a doctor or a lawyer. He doesn't want to, and he knows, based on his performance in his literature class, that he has some writing talent.

  Teenagers of high school age already have their own bank accounts. It is legal in this country for teenagers like him to work without parental supervision; thus, even if he signed the contract here, it would not be illegal because he is legally accountable for himself in this country. There are certain restrictions on the types of jobs he can do, but as long as it is not heavy labor or something that could threaten his life, he can begin working.

  So he carefully reviewed the digital document, even though he had already decided to sign it. While doing so, he is also listening to Genjitsu talk. She doesn't seem to mind that he's reading the document as she continues with her speech.

  ["Just like what we discussed at that time, I want to monetize the manga adaptation of your work. Because this is our company's debut effort, we have yet to establish a fan base. That is why our strategy is to make the first volume of the manga available for free. The following volumes will be sold separately at a reasonable price."]

  He nodded, seeing those terms written under "Employer's Responsibilities".

  ["Any intellectual property we adapt from you, you have complete authority to request changes to any section of it. You also have full ownership of that intellectual property, which means that if you don't want to work with me anymore, you can pull out and write any continuations or prequels to your work on your own without fear of legal repercussions from our company."]

  "... I'm sorry, but can I ask something?" With her nod, he resumed with a nervous look. "Is it really alright? Isn't it unfair to your side?"

  Hearing what she was saying and seeing it included in her responsibilities to him as an employer, he can't help but feel that he's benefiting too much from her. He was surprised when he saw her wave her hand in dismissal, still looking casual as ever.

  ["It may be unusual for you, but I really enjoy your story. I'm doing it on my own volition because I really want to adapt your work into manga. In fact, I felt like paying you for letting me adapt your work!"]

  "No way, that's too much! It's me who is grateful for this opportunity!"

  ["Me too. So, you don't have to worry about it that much. I'm the only one who will take such a deal because I can handle it."]

  Seeing her grin at him made him nervous. She might appear ordinary with those broad round glasses she was wearing and her shoulder length hair tied neatly into an updo, but the relaxed confidence she radiates made her appealing to him.

  'So this is how adult women are like, huh?' He quickly shook his head. 'Ugh, focus Yuuma!' He couldn't help but reproach himself.

  ["Anyway, can we continue?"]

  With his nod, the illustrator of his story resumed her speech, explaining everything he needed to know about the contract. It just took an hour for her to finish, and he couldn't help but be stunned by the document's contents once more.

  She offered to pay him 80% of the sales proceeds from any of his intellectual properties placed in her domain. At the same time, she will handle everything necessary to promote his story while not detracting from the 80%. Essentially, she will only receive 20% of the earnings from any of his intellectual creations, and she will bear the responsibility of promoting, editing, and managing his work. She was basically losing a lot by doing this, when standard publishers typically take more than that while paying the author 15% in royalty payments.

  "What about the site? Doesn't it cost a lot to maintain it?" He couldn't help but express his own concerns.

  ["Don't worry, I'm already planning to contact other authors to have their work published on my domain; it would be strange if only one manga was displayed on my company's website, wouldn't it?"]

  "... Do you need any help?"

  ["It's fine. Just focus on your story. I'll take care of all of the troublesome stuff."]

  His admiration for her grew significantly when he saw her unperturbed about that troublesome stuff. If she isn't going to seek him for help, he can only assist her by devoting himself to his work.

  "Alright."

  So he promised himself that he would continue to grow and reciprocate this gratitude via work.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  He doesn't want to disappoint her!

  (Asane POV)

  I wanted Wadokami-sensei to think about it for a few days and review the documentation I had prepared to formalize our partnership, but it just took a day for him to sign the document and forward it to my email.

  Anyway, with Wadokami-sensei basically entering into a partnership agreement with my company, I am free to adapt any of his work as long as I have his consent, which is exactly what I stated in my responsibilities as his employer, publisher, and illustrator.

  He has no deadlines for cooperating with my company. He can do whatever he wants, including taking a hiatus to rest or do something else. I actually have to mention that on the document so he knows he is free to do whatever he wants, because I do not want to restrict him with the typical strictness of a corporation.

  I recall many authors and artists in the past timeline quitting the industry owing to stress and pressure from the strict timeframes they had to meet. I recall there being consequences for failing to fulfill those deadlines, and in Japan, companies are always right, and artists like them can only remain silent.

  Well, in this country, all artists are classified as freelancers, so what else can they do? Companies regard freelancers the same way they do outsiders, and the work culture in this country is obsessed with company loyalty. So in this country, it's natural for any company to disregard the opinions and welfare of the artists.

  This is why I despise corporations. Many companies in the anime and manga industries are constantly exploiting artists who create such great art and stories. Instead of fostering such artists so that they can create more amazing things, they are simply squeezing them out in order to increase their profits!

  I hate it!

  I don't want Wadokami-sensei to go through the same scenario. In fact, I don't want any future artists who work for me to go through something like this. This is why I elected to give them an extremely lenient contract in which they practically have all of the benefits.

  Of course, I will limit such an unfair deal to myself. If I had an artist working for my company, I would not push them to perform the same thing I do. Unlike them, I am essentially cheating!

  I'll refer to this as a special contract from me. Only I can provide such a contract to others. When the time comes, I'll put together a conventional contract for ordinary artists. I don't have to think about it right now because I'm the only one who officially works for this self-made company.

  Anyway, Wadokami-sensei's suggestion regarding the webpage is reasonable. My website only has one manga title, which makes it look pitiful. Well, I haven't really done anything with the site. I merely set it up and did not bother with a background. People are unlikely to be interested in my website's background. They're only here to read manga adaptations from my contracted authors.

  So I'm going to post more works to my website. Where will I receive this work? Well, there are many new authors writing on Syosetsu, and some of them are writing my favorite series! It's no question that I'll contact them and offer them the same contract that I gave Wadokami-sensei.

  I'm the only mangaka artist in this company, so I basically have to do all the manga adaptations myself!

  But that is in the near future. We have yet to discuss the cut point for Volume 1 of "Isekai Growth Cheat". I need to check with Wadokami-sensei at what point in the story he wants to end Volume 1 so that I can start preparing how to market Volume 2 of the manga adaptation. Future volumes will become the main source of income for my company, so I need to confirm this as soon as possible.

  I'll do it tomorrow; I'm not in any hurry. I'd rather not disturb Wadokami-sensei too much. I already notified him about it in our chat, so he won't be surprised when I contact him again tomorrow.

  For now, I'll have to resume my programming.

  It's not like I'm just sitting around after finishing the manga drafts for "Isekai Growth Cheat". I don't have to devote much time to it because of my three smart tools, so I have a lot of time on my hands.

  This is why I am quite busy with other things. This past week, I have been busily upgrading my computer and all of its paraphernalia so it can keep up with my advanced applications. Then recently, after I'm done doing that, I'm programming AIs to handle promotions, moderation of the site, and the maintenance for it.

  Like I said, I am not the most creative person. That's why I am letting others handle it. I can't really hire someone with my current financial state, so using AI is more cost-effective. It doesn't even use as much of my computer's processors because I have the Black Box Server v1 taking the burden of the processing of this AI.

  I haven't finished the AI yet, but it is getting close. Coding is exhausting, and creating a smart AI requires more than trillions of codes just to function. Surprisingly, this is not even a sentient AI, but rather a very smart artificial intelligence capable of discerning information by referencing a variety of sources. It cannot evolve beyond its programming. By putting hard limits and absolute rules within its framework, it wouldn't be going beyond what I simply ask of it. It's the most effective way of making a safe AI.

  ... Well, let's just say my mind is filled with a lot of knowledge to make malicious AIs and leave it at that...

  Anyway, this AI is already functional, and in fact is helping me write the script to improve itself. I just said it is not complete because I haven't implemented the important codes needed for it to function as a PR for my company.

  After I am done with this, I can start letting it run the website. After that, well, anything will become easier for me at that point.

  The following day, I called Wadokami-sensei so we could discuss the first volume of the manga. It didn't take long before we agreed about the end point for the first volume.

  The events in Talos City lasted until the seventh chapter, so that means the next volume will focus on the Dragon Valley. It only had three chapters, so we should also include the part where they arrived in Rotesheim. That's fine, because while the webnovel version did a poor job of foreshadowing what would happen in the capital, we can easily fix it in the manga adaptation. It'll be up to Wadokami-sensei. When it came to the direction of his story, he was very specific when requesting additions or changes to the drafts. I like it because I didn't have to think about what to type into my manga assistant tool.

  He has already approved the chapter seven draft of the manga, so that was basically the last free chapter available for anyone visiting my site. The next volume will be an entire volume, and unlike the previous volume, I did not have to post the chapters one by one. I intend to market it; thus, I can not just sell it by chapter. It is similar to how Shounen Leap and Lemon Books offer full bundles of chapters in a single book through weekly and monthly issues. That's also what I plan to do. That is why I am splitting them by volumes.

  This plan might sound too simplistic for being a publisher, but what can I do? It's not like I'm a publisher in the past timeline!

  I simply want these stories to reach many people while also receiving the recognition they deserve. The payment is not an issue. I originally intend to give all of the money I make from the sales of these volumes to their authors but stop myself because I know that is being overly generous. I also need funds for my company, so I need to make a profit if I want to grow it.

  Anyway, after posting the seventh chapter on the site, the next thing I did was finish up the last strings of code for PR-chan. I just have to write this code here and then... done!

  Now, I just have to set PR-chan in the website, and then it can start promoting this site to other internet forums. While it is doing that, I will be reaching out to other authors so I can adapt their works too.

  It will be a busy month, but I am quite satisfied with this. I can finally read the manga adaptations of my favorite stories. What more can I ask for?

  (Third Person POV)

  One day, at the third week of March, multiple accounts bearing the username "Singularity Works Official" appeared on many forums and other social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LINE, and at the same time they appeared, they quickly made posts or started a thread promoting a website called Singularity-Works.

  On the first day, barely anyone looked at it. Though on the second day, there were those who became curious enough that they checked it out. As it was only limited to the Japanese communities that focused on anime, manga, and games, only people who were interested in this kind of thing visited the site.

  One of those guys was now browsing that site. The initial impression he got was that it appeared plain. It just featured a black background and some basic options common of such sites, such as signing up, logging in, a search bar, and a menu to help you browse the site's pages. The second thought he got was that it appeared pitiful because the frontpage of this site had only one manga title displayed in it: "Isekai Growth Cheat".

  Now, normally, even a person who was a fan of anime would leave the site after seeing this, and truthfully, many who checked it out of curiosity had done just that. Though a few of them, like this guy, hadn't because of the illustration cover of the manga.

  That piqued their curiosity!

  The cover of the manga was high quality. It had that anime aesthetic, but more than that, it had a rich detail not just on the characters, but the entire background itself. Even the title was written stylishly despite being a typical title for Isekai stories. What was more surprising was that all of this, even the title, fit greatly together, as if the illustration itself was made to harmonize perfectly with every element drawn on it.

  This illustration pulled this guy's attention, and he couldn't help but click on it to check it out.

  The summary of the story was quite mediocre. It was about another Japanese guy being reincarnated into another world by a Goddess, and being bestowed a cheat ability to grow stronger quickly. Though this guy already expected that, because the title alone screamed "average Isekai" in it. So he decided to look at the chapters and was quite surprised when he clicked the first chapter of the manga.

  First, the page instantly loaded the pages of the manga he was going to read. The front cover, too, was also incredibly mesmerizing. When he looked at the number of pages of this manga, he was baffled when he saw it was over 70 pages long. That increased his expectations for this manga.

  The following three pages only showed some incredible illustrations of characters and even the MC. It didn't just draw the female characters, which was usually the appeal of most manga series, and that made him a bit intrigued. After that was a single glossary index listing all chapters within this volume and an intermission, which indicates the end of a volume.

  He was used to that. Most manga series were uploaded in batches through issues or entire volumes of it, so he didn't question it much and just clicked the screen, going to the next page of the chapter.

  From there, he was greeted with the magnificent colored illustrated panels of a majestic gold and platinum gate. The protagonist's surroundings were a high-quality portrayal of the Heavenly Realm. In the center of the gate stood a woman with long platinum-colored hair. Her body was modestly dressed in white robes, yet her contours were as if carved by a master. A garland of golden flowers was worn on top of her head, and her stance and manner alone oozed grace and purity, revealing her heavenly presence to everybody who saw her.

  This woman introduced herself as the Goddess, and indeed, the guy reading this story right now couldn't help but admit that this character truly looked like how divinity should look. The way she spoke was archaic, in a way that it took him some time to understand what she was saying, though he managed to understand that she was remorseful for a mistake that she made to the protagonist. This depiction of a Goddess felt like a divine entity itself, because she hadn't acted like the typical goddesses in some Isekai series who either did it comically or so extremely seriously that it looked awkward. This depiction showed that, while she found her actions wrong, she looked almost neutral, and her expression was still serene as ever.

  The protagonist's actions also astonished the reader. Because, unlike other manga adaptations of the Isekai series, this one depicted the protagonist with a range of emotions on his face. Just the way his eyes and the small wrinkles on his face expressed his distress and perplexity from his current circumstances to his rejection of his fate and resignation after discovering that the Goddess had mistakenly slain him. It quickly demonstrated his humanity and distinguished him from the other Isekai protagonists since he reacted to his surroundings and his current circumstances.

  The event that followed could be described as mediocre. The Goddess offered to reincarnate him in her world and bestow upon him a power that would aid him in his second life. The protagonist, Nagumo Yuuki, wished to be granted a power that would allow him to get stronger quickly, which is consistent with the series' summary. His body was then reproduced in another world, in the middle of a forest near a city. Before reaching the city, the protagonist encountered dire wolves. Instead of battling them, he ran away and successfully escaped them as his speed increased with his cheat ability and had outpaced the wolves following him.

  After getting to the city, the MC registered as an Adventurer as that was the only viable way for him to acquire a valid ID to enter other cities and for him to earn money. He only managed to enter the city because the guard pitied him. After that, he spent several days participating in the newbie training grounds for the adventurers, steadily increasing his capabilities without stopping through his cheat ability, and then did a normal job. Halfway through the second chapter, he met the first female lead in one of his quests to gather herbs, and then he managed to show off his powers to her when they encountered goblins as he was escorting her back to the city.

  This formula is repeated in the majority of this volume, with the MC going around and doing his quest, training to make himself stronger, and then the noble lady whom he met at that time occasionally meeting him, developing their characters slowly. The sixth chapter ended when that female lead was captured by bandits during her journey to the capital, and in the next chapter, the protagonist rescued her and fought the bandit leader, who was quite decent with his swordsmanship, and managed to defeat this bandit leader after he absorbed all of his technique through his learning skill, which also had grown tremendously because of his cheat ability, and after some event, the volume ended with the protagonist accepting the request to escort the noble lady to the capital of the kingdom.

  Again, the story was quite mediocre. Though, throughout that mediocre progression, the illustration brought the entire setting alive. Every panel, the background was drawn beautifully even when they were sidelined and the focus was mostly given to the characters. Whenever a wide shot of the surroundings itself was shown, it showed details that any readers would have to pause just so they could process anything in it, because it's not just the background itself, but the people around it that made it look so mesmerizing.

  Instead of drawing each person as a faceless mob, this manga had drawn each one with distinct appearances, so it felt like an image that had been pictured instead of an illustrated manga of a fantasy Isekai world.

  The most detailed part of the story was the action scenes. Every movement of the people, as well as the environment, had been employed to their best potential. It wasn't just the MC going across an empty stage as his opponents remained to the side. Everyone was moving in each panel. The way they swung their swords or moved in unison, even when things became chaotic, was conveyed clearly and vividly to illustrate to the readers how the conflict was taking place. When the events were more relaxed, the panel would convey as such. During violent confrontations, special effects and action motions were liberally employed, portraying a genuine action sequence as if it were animated in its entirety.

  So regardless of the quality of the plot, this reader genuinely enjoyed the story. He wanted to see more.

  It made him quite sad when he realized he had reached the end of the volume, and the next volume was still in production. He saw that the next volume would be a paid one, though it doesn't deter him. This guy decided he would support the artist and the author and would wait for more updates to this manga.

  He decided to make an account on this new website and leave his comment, thanking the author and the illustrator for making such a great story. This site surprisingly had a comment section that anyone who had made an account could leave their comments on.

  He wasn't just the only one; there are others who followed suit.

  After that, these people, who were pulled by the beauty of this manga, spread the word to their friends from their communities, friends, and some even to their families, who were also interested in this kind of hobby. Before the day ended, the tens of people who read the manga suddenly became a hundred, with most of them bookmarking it and even a few already making preorders for the next volume.

  Three days later, Yuuma was shocked at the sudden rise of the manga adaptation of his story. In the Singularity-Works website, he could see many bookmarking his work and even preordering the next volume, even though its release date was still undecided.

  This site, for two weeks since it was made, didn't have any visitors. There were some, but all of those were the few followers of his story whom he directed to this site through his author's note, promoting it in his own way because the site is quite unknown and, without advertisement for it, no one would even visit it. These readers were already mesmerized with the manga, but the problem was, most of his readers didn't have a lot of friends, even on the internet, making the spread of his manga quite slow.

  Now, he doesn't know why, but this site suddenly acquired hundreds of people visiting it and even thanking him. Some of those even go to Syosetsu just to read his webnovel, adding more readers to his story.

  "I have to tell this good news to Genjitsu-san!"

  Out of excitement, the first thing he did was tell this to the only person who had given him this opportunity.

  After that, his motivation shot through the roof due to this good news that he managed to write an entire chapter and also approve the next draft that Genjitsu submitted to their chatroom.