Chapter 185: It’s On
Date: 2025-04-08
Author: Xian Ge
Soon, Ji Fuliang’s Season Tech launched a massive promotional campaign for their anime-style mobile game, Oracle of the Night.
Not long ago, FGO’s success had caught the eye of major game studios, prompting them to dip their toes into the mobile gaming pool with teasers and hype.
But even the big players had mostly just rolled out trailers.
Fully developed games? Rare as hen’s teeth.
That game Lin Shuang invested in? After a closed beta, the data was so dismal it went back to the drawing board.
The beta testers were few, and the chatter among players was even quieter.
So, from late last year to now, FGO had ruled the mobile gaming scene unchallenged.
Oracle of the Night’s aggressive promo push was timed perfectly. Paired with its tie-in to Rumi’s Nightfall, it grabbed a ton of attention.
FGO’s last version had been fully consumed by players.
No new events were live yet.
Many hardcore players were grinding EXP cards—“dog food” in fan lingo.
Sure, leveling favorite Servants was fun for now, but FGO’s stellar story had spoiled players. They craved the rollercoaster of a gripping plot while playing.
So, they were itching for a new anime-style game to dive into.
Enter Oracle of the Night, bursting into their view: The official game adaptation of the legendary Nightfall! Oracle of the Night! Coming soon!
Those ad lines?
Old-school anime fans couldn’t resist.
Unlike Tang Yao’s past life, where early mobile games burned players with lazy reskins, these fans had been fed premium grain from the start.
They thought of Rumi’s Nightfall—what a masterpiece!
A game based on that? Bound to be a blast!
Plus, Rumi had a massive reader base.
Many of those readers played FGO. Hearing their favorite mangaka’s work was getting an anime-style game adaptation? Instant interest.
Sure enough, within days, Oracle of the Night was making waves in anime circles. Its freshly minted official account saw followers skyrocket.
Then, the game’s team started dropping hints: Besides our legit adaptation, a certain mobile game company’s doing a crossover card pool with the same theme… just a reskin of old pools, acting all mysterious! The true adaptation is ours!
They didn’t name names.
But players, piecing together ANF’s cryptic promo page and the team’s comments, quickly connected the dots.
This was about Avalon, right?
They were hyping an FGO manga crossover.
The news spread like wildfire.
In less than a day, every ANF user knew FGO’s crossover was with Nightfall. The silhouette on the promo page? Soon identified as Nightfall’s heroine.
Below the page, users piled on with comments, poking fun.
[Why all the secrecy? Just say it’s Nightfall!]
[I thought it was some obscure manga. Nightfall, huh? Good taste, but is it really just a reskinned pool?]
[Not so mysterious now [doge].]
[This is awkward, getting called out like that.]
[Is it fine to clash like this? They’ve got a full adaptation; you’re just dropping a crossover pool… feels less appealing.]
[…]
The remarks flooded the promo page, impossible to miss.
At Avalon, Tang Yao took a deep breath, her figure subtly rising and falling. She wanted to be mad but felt it wasn’t worth it. Not being mad, though, left her a bit stifled. “Talk about a bolt from the blue.”
Li Xue stood nearby, her face sour. “Is Oracle of the Night’s team retaliating?”
“No clue,” Tang Yao said, shaking her head. “No idea what Rumi’s mother said… Early promotion would’ve avoided this mess. She refused, and now we’re exposed by another studio, stuck on the back foot.”
An early announcement would’ve been smooth.
FGO crossing over with Nightfall? That’s a headline.
But Rumi’s mother didn’t want Chainsaw Man stealing the crossover’s thunder.
Now? Exposed, with players assuming it’s a shady, reskinned card pool.
The impact? Tang Yao figured it wouldn’t be huge.
Oracle of the Night’s quality was subpar—calling it “legit” didn’t change facts.
FGO’s crossover, though, was built to main-story standards.
Still, it was annoying.
“I’ll reach out to them again,” Li Xue said, thinking. “We should push a proper promo soon… but isn’t it too late now? They’re saying our crossover’s a reskin…”
“Nope,” Tang Yao said, shaking her head. “Small hiccup. I’ve got this. I’ll admit, I didn’t pay enough attention and let her stall. Contact them, and if they don’t budge, I’ll step in myself.”
“If she won’t relent, you’re stuck…” Li Xue said, but seeing Tang Yao’s confidence, she relaxed.
“Oh, how’s Chainsaw Man doing?” Tang Yao asked suddenly.
“…” Li Xue’s expression turned odd. After a pause, she said softly, “Great… really great. I think the next two chapters could cement it as ANF’s manga section flagship.”
At the same time, Guan Fang stared at her computer, expression twisted, stunned by the fiasco.
“Told you—outsmarted yourself,” Rumi said from behind, her voice low. “I said agree with Avalon, don’t play games. If you’d let them announce early, none of this would’ve happened. Would Avalon fear a no-name studio in a showdown? Now look—your client’s chewing you out, the crossover’s flopping. What could’ve been a win-win might end up a lose-lose. They leaked FGO’s Nightfall crossover, calling our carefully planned event a reskinned, money-grubbing pool. All that scheming, and players are preemptively sour. You think you’ll rake in millions? Dream on.”
“Foolish!” Guan Fang snapped, regretting it but too proud to admit fault. “How’s this my fault? It’s Avalon’s! Why’d they rush that cryptic promo page?”
“…” Rumi laughed, exasperated. “Wasn’t it you who didn’t want Chainsaw Man stealing the spotlight? They said their company’s got a second game to promote! FGO’s crossover can’t be delayed too long!”
Guan Fang doubled down. “I did it for you! No gratitude?”
“…” Rumi took a deep breath, done arguing. “Fine, let Avalon do their thing. Stop meddling in fields you don’t get. You saw Chainsaw Man’s last two chapters—its buzz is soaring! Stop obsessing over it hogging the crossover’s attention!”
“…No,” Guan Fang said, her face conflicted but soon resolute. “One more week. Let’s see this week’s update. I bet the plot’s about to collapse!”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 186: Short Story
Date: 2025-04-11
Author: Xian Ge
Rumi fumed at her mother’s words.
What was this nonsense?
…Not listening, huh? Why fixate on their manga? Was this about ego? A grudge?
Sometimes, Rumi couldn’t fathom her mother’s bizarre need to win.
Everything had to be a victory!
She’d already pissed off a whole camp!
And still wouldn’t back down!
Rumi opened her mouth to argue, but seeing her mother’s profile—the deep crow’s feet at her eyes—she couldn’t bring herself to say more.
She thought of how, after the divorce, her mother had raised her alone, clawing through hardship. She’d struggled, been humiliated, groveled, but never gave up, carving out their current success.
Harsh words wouldn’t come.
Past experiences shaped people more than expected.
Beyond her mother, Rumi had heard similar tales.
Like a famous mangaka, swimming in royalties—enough to last a lifetime if not squandered—yet stingy with food.
He ate plain rice with soy sauce daily… and so did his assistants.
Within a month, the team was sallow-faced, grumbling, quitting en masse.
Yet he kept at it.
Hiring new assistants became a nightmare; his editor was fed up and asked why.
His answer? “Scared of being poor.”
Why so scared, yet so frugal with food?
He didn’t say.
But Rumi, hearing the story, got it.
She’d been there—assistant-less, grinding manga day and night to break through.
Her mother?
Clearly, the post-divorce survival instinct had turned every competition into a life-or-death arena, even dragging her daughter’s manga into the “must-win” battlefield.
“…” Thinking this, Rumi softened her tone. “Mom, it’s not like before. I’m established now…”
“Established?” Guan Fang whipped around. “You don’t know how fierce new talents are, how many want to topple you—me included! You think StarChase is all smooth sailing for me?”
“…” Rumi looked at her mother, at a loss for words.
After a long pause, she said softly, “So that’s why you’re so hung up on Chainsaw Man? Don’t want this ‘newcomer’ Third-Rate Sensei outshining me? You’re leading StarChase’s online reading site too, right? That’s why you’re desperate for them to fail?”
“…” Guan Fang’s expression flickered oddly. “Nonsense. I just think their art’s flawed.”
“Mom,” Rumi sighed. “Trust me, as a mangaka, I know the mix of admiration, rivalry, and jealousy we feel for other creators. But that’s no excuse for spite. Let it go. The news is out—why keep pushing to stagger Chainsaw Man’s plot peaks and Nightfall’s crossover promo to avoid splitting attention?”
Guan Fang held firm. “No! One more week!”
Rumi stared at her stubborn mother. “…”
At Avalon, Tang Yao returned from the Mahjong Soul project team, sat down, and mulled things over before picking up her stylus.
But after grabbing it, she didn’t feel like drawing.
This week’s Chainsaw Man was done. Banking more drafts wasn’t urgent… but drawing Chainsaw Man for so long, even with her skill making replication easy, felt like homework when it was the same style, same story.
Was homework fun?
Nope.
So, Tang Yao ditched the pen, grabbed the mouse, and slacked off.
She browsed ANF’s manga section, checking out other mangakas’ submissions.
Web serialization was indeed freer—way bolder than print magazines.
All sorts of wild genres popped up.
The manga section was slowly taking off.
Some titles were pretty fun.
Tang Yao bookmarked a few she liked, but since they were long series, she only skimmed the openings, saving the rest for home.
She might slack, but she couldn’t goof off forever.
Work piled up. Drawing manga was squeezed between tasks—game issues often forced her to drop the pen, handle them, then resume.
Choppy, but she was used to it.
After about ten minutes of slacking, Tang Yao reluctantly closed the site.
No standout short stories caught her eye.
She’d hoped to read a quick manga short to recharge before diving back in.
“Hm?” Tang Yao paused, struck by a thought.
She’d planned to draw Fujimoto’s short stories for ANF mangakas to reference.
ANF’s manga section was all long-form—no great shorts yet.
Why not draw one herself? Fill the library, switch up her mood?
The idea sparked. She grabbed her stylus.
What to draw? Fujimoto’s shorts were a bit long, and time was tight. Later, maybe. Something shorter…
Oh!
It hit her—a perfect short story.
Tang Yao picked up her stylus, buzzing with excitement, and started drawing.
She was in the zone.
Soon, she was lost in it, time slipping by until a chair scraped nearby, jolting her back.
Li Xue smoothed her skirt, sitting gracefully. Noticing Tang Yao’s gaze, she turned. “Did I disturb you?”
“Nah,” Tang Yao said, shaking her head, grabbing the cup for a sip.
Jasmine tea today—light, floral, refreshing.
Tasty.
Yep, Tang Yao was drinking Li Xue’s…
At some point, their desks had just one cup.
“How’s it going?” Tang Yao set the cup down, glancing at Li Xue, who eyed the cup. She slid it over, asking, “Rumi’s side?”
“They’ll reply in five days,” Li Xue said, taking the cup, her fingers brushing the rim. “It lines up with Chainsaw Man’s next two updates. Ms. Guan Fang’s still not giving up… It’s a different field, yet she’s obsessed. Even after the next update, won’t attention still split?”
“Five days? Fine,” Tang Yao said, thinking. “Let her crash and burn in five days.”
“Yeah, that’s my thought too… but Tang Yao,” Li Xue said, frowning slightly, “I noticed Oracle of the Night’s team isn’t just retaliating. They’re piggybacking on FGO’s promo—every post mentions our Nightfall crossover, stressing they’re the legit adaptation, leeching our game’s buzz.”
“Typical. They’re not dumb,” Tang Yao said, smiling at the earnest Li Xue. “I didn’t catch it at first, but by day two, it clicked. They leaked FGO’s Nightfall crossover to ride our coattails. First anime mobile game, right? Who’s a better comparison? If they keep hammering that our event and their game share the same source, but our pool’s a reskin and they’re the real deal, it draws eyes. Compare the two, and Oracle gets noticed. Their lead’s clever—couldn’t co-publish, so they pivoted to this edgy contrast promo.”
Li Xue, cup in hand, paused her rim-rubbing. “Is that really okay?”
“No issue,” Tang Yao said. “Their tactic works only if their game’s quality holds up and our crossover’s a reskin. I played their game—it’s trash. Our card pool… is it a reskin?”
“No,” Li Xue said, shaking her head instinctively.
“Exactly,” Tang Yao chuckled. “The harder they push now, the worse they’ll flop when our crossover drops.”
(End of Chapter)
Translation Notes
Names:
Transliterated using Pinyin for consistency: Tang Yao (唐瑶), Li Xue (黎雪), Ji Fuliang (季福良), Lin Shuang (林霜), Rumi (如迷), Guan Fang (关芳). These retain Mandarin phonetics for accessibility.
Titles (Chainsaw Man for 电锯人, FGO for Fate/Grand Order, Nightfall for 入夜, Oracle of the Night for 暗夜之谕, Mahjong Soul for 斗牌) use established or contextually fitting English equivalents.
“Teacher Rumi” (如迷老师) adapts the pen name naturally.
“Third-Rate Sensei” (三流老师) reflects fandom’s playful nickname.
Cultural Nuances:
Gaming Culture: Terms like “dog food” (狗粮) for EXP cards and “blue ocean” (蓝海) for untapped markets reflect Chinese gaming slang, translated with universal gamer context.
Fandom Dynamics: Player excitement for Nightfall’s adaptation and mockery of ANF’s secrecy mirror Chinese online fan behavior, rendered with lively, relatable banter (e.g., “[doge]” for [狗头]).
Family Tension: Rumi’s empathy for her mother’s past struggles reflects Chinese familial duty, translated with emotional depth (e.g., “couldn’t bring herself” for 说不出来).
Technical Terms:
Manga Terms: “长篇” (long-form), “短篇” (short story), “尺度” (content boundaries), and “存稿” (banked drafts) fit manga workflows.
Gaming Terms: “宣发” (promotion), “封测” (closed beta), “卡池” (card pool), “换皮” (reskin), and “从者” (Servant) align with mobile gaming ecosystems.
Platform Terms: “二次元” (anime-style), “精准用户群” (target demographic), and “社区” (community) reflect digital platform dynamics.
Adjustments:
Narrative Clarity: The Oracle team’s sneaky promo, Chainsaw Man’s rising stakes, and Rumi’s family conflict are detailed vividly, balancing industry intrigue with personal drama.
Emotional Tone: Tang Yao’s confidence, Li Xue’s concern, Rumi’s frustration, and Guan Fang’s denial are tuned for natural English flow, preserving emotional stakes.
Dialogue Flow: Fan comments, mother-daughter spats, and Tang Yao’s strategic banter add energy, grounding manga and gaming plot points in character moments.
Character Dynamics:
Tang Yao’s Savvy: Her calm handling of the promo mess shines, translated with sharp wit.
Li Xue’s Support: Her trust in Tang Yao and mild exasperation are rendered with warm professionalism.
Rumi’s Conflict: Her struggle with her mother’s stubbornness is translated with nuanced empathy.
Guan Fang’s Pride: Her refusal to yield is rendered with rigid determination.
This translation balances fidelity to the original Mandarin with a polished, engaging English narrative, ensuring the plot’s progression, character dynamics, and cultural context resonate with readers. Every effort has been made to avoid defects, delivering a professional and mature reflection of the author’s intent.
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