A Word of Thanks

This book began on November 1, 2020, and concluded on February 14, 2023, spanning over 4.5 million words. As of this morning, the average subscription count stands at 2,023.

Originally, I only intended to write this book to make a living; I would have been content if the average subscription had exceeded 500, allowing me to scrape by on the minimum guarantee.

Surpassing two thousand average subscriptions is truly beyond my wildest expectations.

To have achieved these results, I must thank all of you readers for your support.

This book has many flaws. As it was my first time writing, I was essentially crossing the river by feeling the stones.

Before I put pen to paper, I had no idea how much preparation was required, and the outline I prepared beforehand was extremely rough.

I only had a general storyline and simple settings for the characters and factions.

Only after I actually started writing did I realize how underprepared I was; there were so many settings that needed to be fleshed out, and it was easy to accidentally create contradictions.

The various subplots were also poorly prepared, and I could only write as ideas came to me.

I often found myself in situations where, after finishing one plot arc, I had no idea how to unfold the next.

At those times, I would come up with a small transitional plot on the fly, and such segments inevitably had loopholes.

My grasp of pacing also had serious flaws; at times it was too rushed, and at others, it was far too sluggish.

Many readers accused me of "padding" the word count, but in truth, it was never intentional—I simply lacked the ability to control the rhythm.

I knew what prerequisite plots were needed before each major arc, but introducing those prerequisites required a certain amount of buildup.

Often, the main storyline would reach the next major arc before the prerequisites and buildup were ready, leaving me no choice but to drag it out for a few more chapters.

It was primarily a lack of writing skill; the space required to properly execute all that buildup was so extensive that it was indistinguishable from padding.

Regarding the main plot, I failed to strike a balance between the family aspect and the individual, causing the narrative to sway back and forth between a family-focused story and a lone-wolf adventure.

Readers who preferred the family aspect were uncomfortable, and those who preferred the lone-wolf aspect were equally dissatisfied.

In terms of character portrayal, the writing was overly stereotypical.

The dialogue and actions failed to truly bring out the unique characteristics of each individual.

The female lead was a major failure, a point frequently criticized by readers. Many of those comments were quite valid, so I will not dwell on them further here.

The protagonist's design also had significant issues. I wrote him to be too omnipotent, capable of doing everything himself, which left no room for the supporting cast—including the female lead—to shine.

Whenever I forced opportunities for the supporting characters, it made the protagonist seem too foolish.

The failure of other characters was also influenced by these flaws in the protagonist's design.

I did my best to bring this book to its current level, but due to my limited ability, the writing is not particularly good.

There were people who advised me to drop the book halfway through, but I wanted to make a proper living at this and didn't want to "enter the palace" and ruin my reputation, so I persisted until the end.

Being able to write a book to its conclusion, even if the quality is mediocre, has provided me with many gains.

I have absorbed many lessons and experiences, and I will strive to make my next book better.

I originally intended to release my new book during the first lunar month, and the outline was already prepared.

After the editor reviewed it, they mentioned it didn't quite fit current market trends and needed revisions.

Since I write to make a living, I dare not go against the market.

After this book concludes, I will first revise the outline for the new book. It will be some time before I can release it, and I hope you will all come to support it then.

My fellow readers, I will see you in the new book.