Chapter 235: .5: Volume 2 Postscript

Ah, before I knew it, I had written over 1.1 million words, and the second volume has come to an end. Two traditions of this book must be upheld: the post-volume reflection and the protagonist’s character card. Today is for the reflection, tomorrow for the character stats, and the day after, we begin the third volume!

As always, I want to discuss the future direction of this book and address some of the feedback readers have given me. Haha.

1* The second volume largely revolved around several key figures in the capital. I have some thoughts on them that I’d like to share here.

Wang Yu: A guy who can never be called great.

Avia: A true genius who transcends her era.

Edward: A solid bulwark protecting those behind him.

Charles: The playwright of fate.

Zieg: A broken rebel.

Father Fang: A simple, noble, and powerful man.

Shugin: An unwavering avenger.

I wonder if these align with your impressions of these characters? Haha, I must admit that as a new author, my characterization is actually quite poor, and in some aspects, I definitely failed to bring them to life.

When you make a mistake, you take the hit; when you take the hit, you stand tall. I apologize to all my readers for failing to fully flesh out every character. I will try to make their personalities more distinct and their images more vivid in the upcoming third volume.

992951443 is the author’s chat group; feel free to join and roast me if you’re bored.

2* Regarding the protagonist and heroine.

Haha, the relationship between them was firmly established in the second volume, and I managed to sprinkle in quite a bit of sweetness.

While the main focus remains on advancing the plot, I think the daily interactions between them, interspersed with the main narrative, should be a bit sweeter and more pleasant than industrial-grade sugar.

I said in the first volume’s reflection that I would never write a "vase" heroine or a mere plot device. I think, in that regard, I have succeeded; neither has become a burden or a vassal to the other.

They are growing together, though in a sense, Avia is growing faster—after all, she is a genius among geniuses. Without the unique advantages brought by his transmigration, how could Comrade Wang Yu compare? But then again, that’s not why she fell for him in the first place. Haha.

At the end of the second volume, without the heroine, the protagonist would have been finished. Haha, the beauty saving the hero—that’s exactly the kind of content I wanted to write.

The protagonist isn't perfect. He has moments where he exhausts his trump cards, finds himself at a dead end, or misjudges the situation and gets targeted by powerful organizations. In those times, he relies on the heroine and his other companions. After all, Wang Yu really can’t be considered a lone wolf.

As for his strange powers—the "Ripple," "Inner Strength," "Chariot"—as I said before, all these peculiarities stem from his transmigration. I’ve planned this out, so rest assured: his growth won't be modified by random patches.

Much like the foreshadowing of the key, I’ve been laying the groundwork for his uniqueness all along. If you look at the descriptions of his growth, you’ll see his cultivation is indeed different from everyone else’s in this world.

Moving forward, his power will maintain a relatively steady upward curve. He won't suddenly skyrocket to godhood; he will grow bit by bit as he explores the power systems of this world and understands his own nature.

If I had to pin down Wang Yu’s strength, he’s currently at the level of a high-ranking official knight. Without buffs, facing two or three high-ranking knights or grand knights alone would get him beaten to death.

Of course, if you count all his miscellaneous gear—the Weaver’s Book, alchemical firearms, potions, etc.—his strength rises. As one reader said, these external tools are part of his power, too.

Wang Yu isn't one to get hung up on fixed methods. A master of weapons, a jack-of-all-trades—"this is a machine gun"—that is Wang Yu’s style. As a pragmatic person, he’ll do whatever it takes to blow the enemy away.

3* Regarding some issues during the writing process.

Some readers pointed this out, and I think they’re right: I haven't done well in terms of pacing, specifically regarding the exposition, which has been a bit wordy.

When writing this book, I wanted to create a "unique" and complete world. I wanted every power—the path of the mage, the path of the knight—to have a logical explanation. Reasonable growth and logical acquisition of power make for a comfortable writing experience for me.

Writing about "Inner Potential," "Arcane Energy," and "Artifacts"—these are the unique, novel things that make this world interesting to me.

During combat, I don't like "beam-clashing" fights; I don't think they look good. I prefer JOJO-style battles with a bit of tactical wit, where it’s not just about pure combat power but about outsmarting each other.

However, based on feedback, I didn't strike the right balance, and the exposition made it tiring for readers. I am truly sorry for that. My skill level just isn't quite there yet.

Some settings really didn't need to be explained in such detail, right? I will optimize this in the third volume. I will still write what is necessary because I want to build a "detailed" world.

I will simplify the settings so they don't take up too much space and make the reading experience more comfortable. After all, I’ve always hated padding the word count!

4* Regarding the third volume.

I had planned four volumes from the start. The second volume, titled "Rising Winds and Clouds," focused on events in the capital and the dog-eat-dog conflict between the kingdoms of Alastair and Sevinthan. Their situation is a microcosm of the entire continent, which is descending into chaos.

The title of the third volume is "Wandering," which corresponds to the book's title. The protagonist hates politics and can't be bothered with power struggles, so at the end of the second volume, he flipped the table and told the Alastair royal family, "See you to hell!"

The content of the third volume is clear: the protagonist and heroine leave the stage of Alastair to adventure and wander the world.

If the second volume expanded the scope from the protagonists' perspective to include more characters and escalated family conflicts to kingdom-level wars, the third volume will expand the perspective from kingdoms to the entire continent.

More of this world will be revealed: the five great races, the sealed past, the Tree of Life, the Sky Mechanical City, the Endless Sea, the Dragon Kingdom, and so on. The fantastical elements will be showcased through their journey.

This volume might have a less obvious main plot. The second volume’s thread was the war between Alastair and Sevinthan, from the "Lady of the Night" plot to the end of the war.

The third volume will be about their wandering adventures. As Wang Yu said, the world is vast and strange, and he wants to see it all. The main plot might not feel as linear as the second volume.

However, it won't be aimless. There is a single thread leading to the end of the third volume. The stories might be diverse, but they will all serve to reveal the world while pushing the plot toward its destination.

5* The story I want to write.

As for the fourth volume, I’ll keep the title a secret for now—no sense in ruining the mystery.

Originally, the end of the second volume and the start of the third were meant to be a very dark, heavy story. But after much thought, I killed that plotline, even though I had prepared it for a long time. I’ve modified it and moved it to later.

I felt it wasn't necessary. Why force tragedy or write such cruel stories for the protagonists? I think there are other ways to show the harshness of this world. Besides, with the protagonist’s willpower, he wouldn't be broken by it, but it would make things difficult for the heroine, which is hard to watch. So, I changed it.

The story I want to write about the protagonist is exactly as I described him: a guy who can never be called great.

You can't expect him to solve existential contradictions or the unfairness of the world. He doesn't have the ability or the sense of responsibility for that. He’s just a tough guy who will smash anything that harbors malice toward him or those he cares about. He won't try to change the world; let the great pioneers and noble souls do that.

But he *can* change things. Perhaps, inadvertently, he has already altered the course of destiny.

Smashing the key indirectly changed the outcome of the war; the birth of the Night Church and the creation of the prayer communication network changed the Night Blades, and so on. Without intending to, he has made a real, perhaps massive, impact.

Haha, anyway, that’s the reflection for the second volume. Thank you all for reading. Your comments and views are the source of my motivation to keep writing! I’ll keep working hard to bring you a fantastic story!