Chapter 71: Author's Note: Going Premium
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: Author's Note: Going Premium
We’re going premium!
First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all you wonderful readers for your love and support, and to my editor for their guidance.
I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you.
Actually, there isn't much to say about the "going premium" part itself, so let’s talk about the book instead.
To start, I know the early chapters—especially the beginning—had some significant issues. There were some logical flaws that many of you, my dear readers, have rightfully criticized.
To be honest, when I first started writing, I didn't think there was a logic problem because my internal reasoning was quite simple:
The protagonist transmigrates.
He realizes he’s a Yellow-Haired Villain destined to fail, while the original protagonist is an ultimate Soaring Phoenix capable of slaughtering her way through this Evil God world.
The protagonist feels he can't compete, so he decides to "lie flat" (he wants to apologize to the original protagonist and live out his days peacefully as a Duke’s son).
Then the Black Book appears and hits him with a Prophetic Dream where he suffers a Death by a Thousand Cuts.
Because of this, the protagonist believes that this even more tragic ending is the result of him recklessly changing the plot (the "World’s Correction Force").
So, compared to being sliced into a thousand pieces, he chooses to stick to the original plot—which involves the attempted drugging of Celicia and being stripped of his nobility.
But he never expected that, through a series of accidents, he would actually succeed.
When you look at it that way, the logic holds up a bit better, doesn't it?
However, I think I was so desperate to make that logic work that I over-explained it. Combined with the fact that every reader has their own interpretation, it ended up making the plot feel "stupid" or "toxic" to many of you.
Ultimately, it comes down to my lack of control over the narrative, which led to a less-than-ideal reading experience for many. For that, I sincerely apologize.
The second issue was my writing style at the beginning.
By design, the protagonist is just an ordinary person who transmigrated into a Blonde Supporting Character. He isn't like a typical Dragon Proud Sky who would proactively steal the original protagonist's luck or destiny.
He just wants to "stay alive" and find "happiness."
So, when conflicts arose, I used a lot of psychological descriptions to show his internal struggle.
Compared to a fearless, world-defying protagonist, I personally prefer a main character who feels fear but overcomes it to make a choice that warms the heart.
However, too much internal monologue not only made the protagonist's image feel fragmented, but it also made him seem "weak."
I’m sure no reader liked the male lead during the Celicia arc.
I apologize once again, and I’m truly grateful that you’ve continued to support me even after I stumbled so badly.
Of course, once a problem is identified, it must be corrected.
Starting from the Maid arc—and especially the Eluka arc—I’ve stopped using so much internal monologue for the protagonist, except for the occasional comedic meta-commentary. I’m trying to shape the character through "actions" rather than "thoughts." Does it feel a bit better now?
All these issues stem from my own limitations in storytelling and prose. If you have any other concerns, please feel free to leave a comment in this thread; I will read every single one.
Now that we’ve addressed the problems, let’s talk about the future of the story.
First, I want to state clearly: none of the heroines in this book will be "easy wins."
That includes An. Even though her affection level is the highest and she was the first to appear, she still needs a proper character arc to correct her "distorted" love.
Every heroine will have a long-term "conquest" process, and this process is the "main thread" of the book.
As for why there hasn't been much interaction with other heroines yet... I can only say that in the first volume, I really couldn't find a natural place to insert them. I didn't want to sacrifice the flow of the plot just for the sake of forced interactions.
However, starting from Volume 2, as new scenes unfold, the protagonist will have very interesting interactions with almost every heroine. Please look forward to it.
Based on the current world-building, you can probably tell that the upcoming story is going to be very exciting.
As for when Volume 2 starts... for me, it actually started a few chapters ago, hehe.
Alright, enough rambling. Thank you all again for your incredible support. I hope you’ll continue this journey with me.
Ahem (glances sideways), if you happen to have any spare votes to throw my way, that would be even better. Ahem (glances again).
I’ve been quite busy lately, but I promise that your votes and donations will definitely be converted into extra chapter updates later.
Check the pinned comment in the discussion section for details.
I wish all of you a wonderful day. See you in the next chapter!