A Note on Going Premium

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Well then, I’ve written this many times now, so let’s have our customary chat.

This time, it is fantasy—a genre I haven’t touched in a long time.

It has always been the genre I am most skilled at, but honestly, it has also always been a niche, unpopular category—a field with high investment and low returns for a very long time.

Do readers not like fantasy? Sometimes, I ask myself that too.

But truthfully, I really love this style, and I still have a strong desire to write it. So, I decided to be self-indulgent one more time, and thus, this book was born.

In reality, the concept for this book has been around for a long time. I had the general idea early last year, but I kept delaying putting pen to paper.

Some readers have already noticed that the world-building here is somewhat similar to a sub-world evolved in the latter part of my previous book. It is not that this book is copying the last one; rather, when I was writing the previous book last year, I thought, "Since this design won't be used in the short term, I'll just keep it and try writing with it in this book."

There is no need to go back and read that book; that content was written quite superficially.

Of course, you cannot directly compare the settings either. The original design has gone through many drafts and is now unrecognizable; its only remaining reference value lies in the names of a few races.

Don't worry about the plot falling apart later. Those familiar with me know that I always complete the world design and the main storyline before I start writing. I usually come up with several openings for the same world before choosing one to begin with, and this layered fantasy world is truly vast enough to write about for a very, very long time.

Li Ensu’s story has been unfolding for a long time already, and it could probably go on for quite a while (laughs).

Many settings have been accumulating, and the desire to share them has been building up as well.

In the end, I finally started writing. I don’t know what the consequences will be, but I hope for a positive outcome.

I’ve rambled a bit; let’s just talk about this book.

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Some have mentioned that this book’s "golden finger" (cheat/special ability) is a bit like *Lord of the Mysteries*. But if you really read on, you will realize that the essence is completely different. Mine is more like a study group where I pull people together, or a chat group for taking down bosses.

Designing this special ability was also a result of some of my own thoughts—a flash of inspiration when I heard an author say, "The best special ability is one that drives human relationships." This was perhaps the very thing that had been keeping me from writing.

This was done to solve the biggest problem I’ve had with my past Western fantasy works: the extremely slow pacing.

Setup, leveling up, meeting people, building connections, discovering conspiracies, finding the boss, and the final battle—you might go hundreds of thousands of words with only one or two climaxes, while other types of novels have already had multiple "face-slapping" moments and shifted scenes several times.

When I read fantasy books myself, it’s the same—even if they are written well, I find myself putting them down without realizing it, and by the time I pick them up again, I’ve forgotten many things.

My attempt this time is to use this "Hall" to accelerate the connections between characters, get them into the fray as quickly as possible, establish relationships, and push the plot forward. I am trying to shorten the intervals between each climax and get straight to the main event. To put it bluntly, if it weren't for this design, the plot would likely have reached 400,000 words by now to get to this point.

However, in actual practice, some new problems have emerged, such as overly rapid scene transitions, too many supporting characters and secondary storylines, and a lack of character setup and a confused perspective in the early stages.

Heh, after all, there is no such thing as a perfect book. By choosing one thing, you lose another.

I don’t know if this is a gain or a loss, but at the very least, it is an attempt that is theoretically worth trying.

Back when I wrote *The Crazy Lich*, I added lighthearted content and used the first-person perspective to help readers better understand the protagonist’s actions and thoughts, attempting to lower the barrier for readers. But it seems that, instead, it raised the barrier to entry and limited the scope of the story, making it very selective of its audience.

An author’s choices, especially those that go against market trends, often lead to both good and bad developments simultaneously. One can only let the results determine right from wrong.

As a writer, I can only try my best, hoping to provide a better experience for my readers. I dare not say this book is definitely "right."

But at the very least, this is me giving it my all, racking my brains to make it happen.

Sincerity is probably the only thing an author can offer.

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At the very least, it is different from most of the books on the market.

It has been a long time since I’ve written a book so earnestly. I hope you all like it, and I hope you can enjoy this Western fantasy continent and the various races upon it.

I will strive to write better books, racking my brains and giving it my absolute all.

I’ve rambled a lot. Finally, thank you all for your support along the way. Please, by all means, support me with subscriptions and monthly tickets for this new book. I really don't want this to be my last fantasy novel.

It goes live today at 12:00. I’ll start with three chapters, and there will be more during the day. I guarantee 15,000 words on the first day of the launch.

It’s fine to wait and read them together during the day; please don’t stay up all night.

Well, once again, I’m begging for your new book monthly tickets and subscriptions. I’m really lacking in exposure.

Thank you all for your unwavering support.

Shi Zi Jing & Song Shu
2025.3.31