Here’s the translation:
Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
A Single Chapter to Discuss Matters
I hope everyone can read this seriously. Releasing the setting might have been a bit rushed, but it’s acceptable to reveal it when introducing the second antagonist to the protagonist.
There are still Silly Players. As you can tell from the title of the second volume, the plot will primarily focus on National Wars. However, the Silly Players will all be under the Lord’s command, which makes it easier for me to write and allocate more plot to the players.
Every day, I read all the readers’ book reviews and section comments, line by line. Even if I don’t like them, I still read them. One reason is to understand what readers want to see; if I can incorporate their suggestions without affecting the established settings, I will. Another reason is to check if I’ve forgotten to tie up any plot threads, which I will then arrange to resolve later.
It’s been over forty days since Penguin (the author’s nickname) started writing this book, and it’s now close to 500,000 characters. I’m writing this part-time, and I’m exhausted every day. Sometimes, I stay up until two or three in the morning working on outlines. Although a new book has been started, it’s progressing at about one chapter per day.
Since Penguin also needs to prepare for the Postgraduate Entrance Examination, the current income isn’t enough to silence my family’s concerns. I genuinely love writing novels, but nowadays, everyone prioritizes a stable full-time job. No one knows if my next book will flop.
I even considered studying illustration after my postgraduate exams, so I could write novels and draw my favorite characters myself.
To me, these characters are like my children, and I’m willing to invest time and money to flesh out their backstories.
My parents ask me, “Can you really write books your whole life?”
So now, I attend classes, study Higher Mathematics, and write eight to nine thousand characters, sometimes even ten thousand, every day.
You might not understand how long it takes to write ten thousand characters. Let me put it this way: even if I just blurt out anything without thinking, it still takes three to four hours.
With an outline and a clear idea, I can write about two thousand characters per hour.
Without any ideas, many authors can’t even churn out four thousand characters in a day.
The reason I write so quickly is precisely because I have a general outline, the story’s synopsis, and defined plot twists and directions.
Admittedly, as my first book, it has many flaws. The settings are jumbled, and the emotional arcs aren’t delicate enough. I’m aware of all these issues and will strive to correct them in my second book.
Many readers curse at me, but I endure it. As long as it’s not too extreme, I usually ignore it and simply delete the comments and report them.
Many readers support me, and I’m very happy about that. I see your support and am consciously incorporating you into the book, giving you more a sense of participation.
I’ve never charged for extra chapters (fanfics). Perhaps my biggest flaw is my lack of time management, which led to two readers’ main discussion forums exploding in the early stages.
The current groups were not created by me. Many readers are urging me to update the extra chapters.
I will update them, but I also need to eat. I don’t have the time. I’ll write them next month when I have more free time.
The current plot is proceeding as planned because the outline is in my hands. I know the entire story’s progression, and I’m well aware of what I need to write.
It’s like Journey to the West. Sun Wukong was misunderstood and banished by his master three times when he encountered the White Bone Demon. If you didn’t know the subsequent events, you’d surely feel heartbroken at that point. I was particularly sad as a child and felt Sun Wukong was wronged.
Later, there was the incident with the True and False Monkey Kings, which was another painful moment.
After rereading Journey to the West many times, I understood the subsequent plot and realized that being banished didn’t matter, as Tang Sanzang would eventually ask Sun Wukong to return.
You’ll never know what I’m going to write. Of course, it’s your right to speculate on the plot, but please don’t vocalize it to incite conflict, for example, by saying I’m going to detail Qi Wub’s story or create an incredibly powerful villain.
I’m increasing the difficulty for the Lord to prevent the plot from becoming too monotonous, but it won’t affect the Lord’s overwhelming dominance.
Speaking of which, this name wasn’t my idea. It was unanimously decided by everyone in the group, and I didn’t see any issue with it, so I used it. Many people might mistakenly believe it’s me, so I need to stand up for myself.
I am an author, and I will only stand up for my book.
Qi Wub is a madman. He is somewhat an antagonist to the protagonist, but if he were a normal enemy, he would fight Xi Wei to the bitter end. However, Qi Wub is not normal; his train of thought is unconventional. I don’t want to spoil what he’s going to do; he’s just a plot device.
Furthermore, I deliberately kept the Silly Players entirely under Xi Wei’s command. This way, I don’t have to write extensively about Qi Wub and can simply bring him out at necessary plot points. But many people don’t understand this and are leaving lengthy, furious comments below the book, accusing me of things like:
“My book is going to collapse.”
“What nonsense about parallel universes? Are you crazy?”
“What garbage plot is this?”
“The Blue Star Will is so weak. Even a ten-year-old shouldn’t be so clueless.”
She has existed for a long time, but she is just a nascent elf. Even if she is a high-dimensional existence, as long as she has humanity, she must adhere to one principle: experience is linked to age.
Earlier, many people questioned the tasks she assigned to Ye Hao’s players, calling them foolish.
Weren’t many of her actions quite trashy?
These were all foreshadowing, which is now being revealed.
It’s true that the Blue Star Will is an antagonist to Xi Wei and Cain.
Just because I wrote her as a Loli doesn’t mean I have to whitewash her. I’m just a fan of lolis…
My book has never had such a setting.
It’s like that Elf Princess.
But have you considered what will happen to the players under the Lord of Eagle Territory? They must eventually return to Blue Star and face the invasion of the Old Ones.
Xi Wei’s relationship with his subordinate players will only grow stronger.
If Cain and Blue Star aren’t in the same parallel universe, what method will Xi Wei have to help these players?
Should I just directly say Xi Wei travels there? That seems unreasonable.
If Xi Wei can cross dimensions, why doesn’t he raid the Old Ones’ lair?
As for world fusion, where Western fantasy and technology are intertwined, I dislike that kind of plot, so I won’t write it.
I believe Xi Wei should live happily with his Maids in Cain, rather than having skyscrapers, urban professionals, dazzling city lights, airplanes, and tanks mixed in. This is not Western fantasy.
This book’s power has a ceiling. I don’t want to create an omnipotent being because human cognition is limited, and the universe is infinitely vast. No one can completely dominate everything. While the protagonist might feel incredibly powerful, that feeling would be fleeting, and the plot would end there, leaving no suspense.
There’s also the matter of Demons bewitching Souls.
I’m actually quite impressed by the readers’ intelligence. Sometimes you’re incredibly astute and notice everything, but at other times, it’s as if you see nothing.
When Qi Wub and the players entered the Abyss, many thought they would be bewitched.
Remember, Qi Wub is a madman.
Nobody brought up the fact that earlier, during the Undead Soul Gathering S spell array, the players’ souls were protected by the Blue Star Will and not made into Undead. In Chapter 65, Ye Hao was targeted by a Demon because Ruo Yi was by his side, and he accepted the bewitchment. Coupled with Blue Star’s critical invasion period, Ye Hao wasn’t protected, but the influence was later removed.
I don’t want to repeat settings I’ve already written.
I thought you all knew, but I’ve discovered that many people are completely unaware, as if they haven’t read the book at all.
That’s all I have to say for now. After this month, I’ll be updating two chapters a day. I’m truly exhausted. I should live and study properly instead of pouring all my time into this only to be insulted and criticized daily. In such an environment, I don’t want to live like a dog.
If you’re unwilling to continue reading, or if you feel the story has gone downhill, thank you for accompanying me this far.
