In September, not only did I not miss a day and update on time, but I also added four or five extra chapters. I don't know exactly how many, but in short, I fulfilled my promise. And you guys also made Mysteries rank third on the monthly ticket list, which is probably the highest monthly ticket ranking since the first life.
Having briefly discussed the monthly pass system, let's talk about the book itself.
As I've written the second part, my biggest feeling is that the plot is rather fragmented, but that was expected. I wanted to unfold the world, present all the details to you, and make the setting the flesh and blood of this world, making it more vivid and realistic. Therefore, we need more characters and more subplots to build and depict this world. This may make the overall pace slower, but I can only say that if you choose this idea, you have to keep going and try your best to achieve it.
The first book could have strung together all the threads into a complete novella with a strong sense of climax. The second book could have done the same, but after careful consideration, I abandoned that idea and changed the format. Tingen is small, so putting everything together doesn't feel out of place. Backlund, on the other hand, has many Beyonder and many forces. If all the threads were strung together into one event, it would seem small, making Backlund seem small, the world seem small, and the scope seem small.
Well, one of the purposes of creating Mysteries is to break through the limitations of the past. Whether it's Destruction, Arcane, or One World, the world structure itself is not problematic, and you could even say it has some creativity and the power system is not bad (proud face). But the problem is that it is not detailed enough. The bottom layer of the whole world is very empty, which gives people a feeling of not being real enough. So, before writing Mysteries, I was thinking that I wanted everyone to be able to imagine what each Beyonder's daily life is like, what difficulties they will encounter, how they will interact with ordinary people, and what kind of life ordinary people lead and what impact they will have on the extraordinary world. These are all things I want to write.
Therefore, since I don't have a formal background in economics, I can only use price data from the Victorian era as a reference, so that people can see that such a world and such a way of life existed.
The emphasis on pounds and Soli here is not just about realism, but also about vividly depicting social stratification, making some subsequent events a natural progression. I used to worry about how to integrate the Cthulhu style into the Steam world, and how to portray the evil god. But after reading the materials, I no longer had that doubt. If there really is an evil god, that era would inevitably give birth to one.
In addition, many of the comparisons themselves contain strong narrative elements, like the landlady's story.
This Spirit Intuition came from my most genuine feelings. I remember first looking at materials about the lives of the poor in the Victorian era, and I just felt that they lived very hard lives, having to be careful with every penny, because that often meant food for a meal or even a day. Then, I read monographs on middle-class marriage, which contained detailed accounts of housewives' expenses. I immediately felt the stark contrast between this and the lives of the poor. A banquet cost four or five pounds, several pounds a week, detached or terraced houses, clothing, education, servants, and so on.
After reading it, I realized how valuable the gold pound was back then. Earning two or three hundred pounds a year, or even four or five hundred pounds, was enough to live quite well.
With this in mind, I picked up a book about the lives of Victorian aristocrats and wealthy merchants, and the very first part told me this:
A well-trained foxhound costs between 400 and 700 pounds. One lord owned 30 and would replace them every year.
My feelings at the time were probably the same as yours when you saw that scene. I'm not going to elaborate on the details, but rather let the scene convey my feelings.
Okay, I've rambled on for a while and summarized quite a bit. In October, I hope to catch up on some plot lines and finish writing a few major storylines. There will be three updates today, then a few days of rest, followed by another three updates. I can't sacrifice quality for extra updates, right? I also need rest. I hope everyone can continue to support me.
Finally, don't forget to vote with your monthly tickets! They're doubled during the National Day holiday! Voting won't hurt you—once you fall behind, it's very difficult to catch up!