"…"
Enzo slumped in the dark corner of his dirty ass room, together with the pile of trash bags that had accumulated over the past few months while working. The stench was hard, but Enzo was too exhausted to care. He closed his eyes, hoping to escape the reality of his current situation for just a few moments.
"Someone, bring me back to Earth..."
— [Host, is it truly a problem for you because manga does not exist in this world?]
— [If you keep being depressed about it, how am I supposed to start the tutorial?]
"You wouldn't get itttt..."
Enzo sighed, as in, sighhhhhhhhed, like he was trying to exhale his lungs out or something in order to make himself feel emptier than he was feeling at the moment. "Life, nature, exploration, fantasy life! That's beautiful and all!"
"But if I were to pick between reading mangas and isekai life in a fantasy world, I'm picking reading always! Do you think touching grass is that much fun for us otakus!?! Blehhh, compared to the cool shit that happens inside my head, reality ain't shit!" Enzo looked furious. Damn, that's kinda sad, though. Nature is fun, for real. But hey, each to their own.
— [Do you realize you're in another universe right now? There are so many things on this planet that did not exist in your previous universe! Isn't it tempting to have a second chance at living your life differently? You can level up, battle creatures, and explore the globe—there are many things you can't do in your current environment!]
"Hey, system." Enzo stopped slouching on the corner, stood up, and turned around to look at the system.
— [Y-Yes???] In text, and you still stutter?
"A word. Just my perspective."
Enzo glared at the screen and grabbed the floating panel of light.
— [The system is pleased.]
— [System intimacy: +10.6/100.]
"Life is beautiful. I am not dumb. There's at least a hundred mangas that I've read and reread over the years that show how exactly beautiful life is. How beautiful nature is, how wonderous it is— and not just that, but in another world? I can only expect that everything would be such a magical experience!"
— [Then—!]
Enzo shook the hell out of the floating panel of light in front of him, "However, things are pretty simple for me, okay, darling?"
— [Ah… The system is very pleased. ♡]
— [System intimacy: +20.3/100.]
"Over everything this world has to offer, I will choose reading manga. Even if I was reading the lamesttttttt manga that existed, let it be "
This was the symbiotic artificial intelligence's first interaction with a mortal guy who was so passionate about anything from their past. There have been people who desired to return to their old lives, but only because of their family. They had people they didn't want to be without. It was understandable.
People who do not have such relationships, on the other hand, would choose this over anything else. A second shot in life devoid of social obligations, roles, and expectations. They could now be themselves and live life on their own terms.
However, Enzo was different. He was similar to those people and only had a single friend with him. He didn't have something like a family to miss or a romantic partner. But what held him back from choosing a blissful isekai life was a persistent attachment—not to people, but an obsession with the fantasy behind the stories of books! He couldn't bring himself to leave behind the world of manga literature that had consumed him for so long.
This guy was crazy in love with manga—a fucking otaku.
He couldn't imagine a life without it.
— [That's…]
The system didn't have any idea as to what was making this new host of hers voluntarily and decisively choose reading manga over experiencing such a luxurious life in another world. However, passion was something the system had always favored from a host. Someone who wanted something with intense passion!
— [So hot!… ♡]
— [System intimacy: +45.9/100.]
"???" Enzo shook his head and ignored it. "Anyways, if you don't want to bring me back to my old world, that is fine with me." He went back to slumping in the dark corner of his room. "I will stay in my apartment, starve to death, and rot. No isekai adventure, isekai campfire cooking, dungeon exploring, or killing a demon lord. I will live none of that, even if I get to bring a manga book with me. I will devote myself to art and reading mangas! You're not changing my mind."
— [System intimacy: +51.2/100.]
— [
— [While I cannot bring you the manga from your old world, I can help you make manga in this world!]
— [How about that? You can show this world the stories and the books you love!]
"You'll let me do that?" Enzo stopped sulking and looked at the floating panel of light. Then he raised an eyebrow, curious: 'Strange, wasn't it blue in color earlier? Why is it pink colored now?'
— [Does that interest you, host♡?]
"..." It does.
— [Would you like to convert the "Isekai Survival System — (EX+ rank)" into the "
— [YES] / [NO]
— [NOTE: After converting the system, you will not be able to bring it back to its previous version.]
— [The "Mangaka System" is a specialized support-system, but unlike the previous version, this is not combat focused. Instead, it is focused on improving art-related talent and rewards art materials instead of weapons and materials for survival.]
Enzo stared at the newly popped-up panels incredulously.
"Okay." Without much second thought, Enzo tapped the floating [YES] button, and it all disappeared.
"The hell?" And then he heard a boot up noise on his PC, which was somehow still operating despite the possibility of a power outage after his apartment room was brought into another world with him.
His desktop screen was replaced with a [♡♡♡] and a voice started speaking through the speakers of the computer set-up: "The system had successfully converted into the "Mangaka System". Most previous functions had been uninstalled, and different software as well as modifications had been created to suit the host's objectives of [wanting manga]. Host, you didn't even think twice, huh? ♡"
"Well, if I'll get to draw manga, then anything is fine with me, honestly. Even if I get killed by a demon lord or something the next month, I don't mind as long as I get to see manga exist." Enzo lost his steam from earlier, calmed down, and sat on his legs, kneeling politely in front of the speaking computer. He then said softly, "Thank you for this opportunity."
"You must really like manga a lot! I shall support you in your endeavors, host! ♡"
Welp, there wasn't much convincing this guy from regretting it.
======
NOTE FROM MM:
Finally, we're done with the introductions!I can now move on to making Enzo draw his first manga!I'm so glad!
BTW, while this story will have Enzo draw manga, would you hate it if I made him draw works that weren't originally manga?
Examples:
Also, what's your opinion about adapting other shows from other media into manga?
Examples: Harry Potter (movie) series, Metal Gear or Grand Theft Auto (video game) series, and
[I'll be turning a movie into a manga for Enzo's first work, btw.]
[Of course, the next one would be a Japanese manga.]