(TL Note: Entire chapter is author's note and can be skipped)
The first two volumes didn't have a proper epilogue, and thinking about that made me feel a bit regretful. Plus, I used up my author's leave today, so it counts as a successful check-in, but not updating would still break my continuous update streak. Considering all these factors, I decided to just post a very, very short volume epilogue.
I really enjoyed writing this. Even though Kaylar was taken away in the end and little Ai still got defeated, I was still very satisfied overall. That's all.
After these past few volumes, you probably all have an idea of what kind of author I am: purely passion-driven and self-expressive. To put it bluntly, I'm probably the type with an excessive desire to express myself. This led to me doing a lot of things “on a whim” in this volume (though not necessarily good things).
Let me clarify a few points within the text:
What exactly are the Six Kings of Folly? Will they appear often later? Do they have a lot of screen time?
: Well, one of the inspirations for this book was my PvP guild. The so-called Six Kings of Folly are actually six god-tier friends who enjoy combat.
Since the background of that guild was the same as the novel background I've been fantasizing about since elementary school, and it happened to include someone like the Ancestor of Blood, I simply incorporated them.
Among these six kings, only Valius (who is Landon Colen) will have a bit more screen time, followed by Esper's ancestor, Alucard. The other four will have roughly similar amounts of screen time.
In a sense, this might be considered digging a hole and not filling it. I humbly apologize in advance.
(Perhaps I could write a side story about them?)
Will this book have a happy ending (HE) or a bad ending (BE)?
: A happy ending. Absolutely a happy ending.
While I personally agree with the saying that “a satisfying story is a story I enjoyed writing” and “a happy ending is an ending that makes me happy,” I believe my values and sense of right and wrong are still in line with the general public.
For example, works like The Binding of Isaac, Dark Souls 3, Library of Ruina/Black Souls, and Lobotomy Corporation, despite containing many dark, profound, and tragic (I think, don't argue with me qwq) settings and plots, often end with hope.
Isaac ultimately found peace, putting out the fire in Dark Souls 3 was for a new flame to be born, Library of Ruina/Black Souls's finale called for love (though it's hard to call that a complete happy ending), and Lobotomy Corporation's launch of the Seed of Light at the end was incredibly impactful for me.
Then there's a game with a seemingly simple, cartoonish style, mixed with gore and horror, yet at the climax of its ending, it uses completely different visuals, scattering all that light into the sky... All in all, it was a truly breathtaking scene. And with the main menu changing after quitting the game, it felt even more profound.
Ultimately, the main purpose of most tragedies or works with similar themes is to highlight beautiful things.
It's precisely because the destruction of beautiful things makes one's heart ache as if pierced by a sharp blade that people come to appreciate the importance of beauty more deeply.
Conclusion: It will have a happy ending, trust me.
How long do I plan to make this book?
: Well... the outline has 7 volumes, around 500,000 to 600,000 characters. Maybe it will get a bit longer depending on how things go?
The ending?
: I haven't decided yet. Don't laugh, but I really haven't decided.
Originally, I intended a single-person victory, but the more I write, the more agonizing it feels.
Ugh, why can't I just take them all in?!
Sigh, wouldn't taking them all go against my original intention?!
Even though Fina has some personality issues, and Ela has issues too. Despite that, they are still very good people and still deserve to be loved.
The more I write, the more conflicted I feel.
Maybe I'll succumb to the pressure and change it to a harem ending? Or maybe I'll stick to my convictions and go for a single-person victory. Who knows.
Will there be other heroines with romantic subplots?
: Only Ela and Fina. Kaylar and the future mage girl have already been Mamba-ed out.
Oh, unrequited love for little Ai doesn't count. Sorry, sis.
The Holy Sword is too weak, and little Ai has a miserable time. When will little Ai get stronger?
: Ahaha...
Actually, I don't think little Ai is weak at all. It's just that she's always fighting in high-tier matches, which makes it seem like she's struggling.
Just Zhong alone is someone a normal person can't defeat. Fighting Louis and Landon later are even higher-difficulty dungeons.
Does “Contingency Contract” ring a bell?
In terms of combat, I generally follow the “everyone has a cheat” method. It emphasizes that everyone is quite cunning, I guess.
But little Ai might truly not be as cunning as others.
Some have also asked why there's such a huge performance gap between Skeletal Crown and Holy Sword. Well... I'd say Holy Sword's potential for growth accounts for it.
Skeletal Crown is, after all, a top-tier weapon that has already fully matured, right?
Holy Sword: Just wait until I activate.
I've said that little Ai will become exceptionally strong once she can use her power or wisdom.
Big Brother Lan and Little Brother Lu feel a bit weak.
: Kids... they're really not weak...
Let's discuss them separately.
First, Little Brother Lu.
Louis, embodying Jealousy, had peak Rank Six base stats at this time, comparable to little Ai. His main strength came from Skeletal Crown and Jealousy.
Jealousy, as an Authority of the Abyss, was countered by fire, and Skeletal Crown was forcibly taken offline after Louis went berserk. Then he was beaten up by Landon before being handed over to little sister Kay to deal with.
Louis isn't weak...
Next, Landon.
Actually, Constantine mentioned earlier that Landon is Rank Six.
Did you think he was holding back? He was.
But that's not the main point.
As one of the anchor points, he was chosen and monitored by the Heavenly Dao. To escape the Heavenly Dao's judgment, he even had to change his name and discard his Authority.
This also meant he couldn't use his full power.
His Rank Six base stats were genuinely Rank Six. Bro was actually fighting the entire time relying only on Greed and a Rank Six Haji body.
If you count multipliers, he only had one extra: his fighting skills.
Then he beat up Kaylar, then Louis, then Esper, then took a fully charged Terminal Spiral (that was the most painful), and then took a combined attack from Esper and Kaylar.
He hadn't actually lost at that point; he could still continue, but Yulia forcibly took him away.
Don't say Big Brother Lan is weak anymore... He did his best...
...
That concludes the volume epilogue and answers to some common questions. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment.
If you'd like to see any “what if” scenarios or side stories, please head over to the author's notes in Chapter 72 to comment and vote with likes. Thank you!
...
Here's something everyone loves to see, by the way.
As of 5:35 PM on July 8th, here are the voting results for various categories:
Side Story Topic Collection (QQ Group single choice):
First Place: What If Scenario – Rafina at 17, and her eating habits
QQ Group 10 votes + Comment Section 23 votes = 33 votes
Second Place: Demon King Lonia's Personal Side Story
QQ Group 11 votes + Comment Section 20 votes = 31 votes
Third Place: What If Scenario - Yandere Eliza (Why are the top three all Lonia-centric series?)
QQ Group 3 votes + Comment Section 17 votes = 20 votes
Fourth Place: What If Scenario - Pope Eladia
QQ Group 6 votes + Comment Section 10 votes = 16 votes
Fifth Place: What If Scenario - Magical Girl Esper
QQ Group 4 votes + Comment Section 7 votes = 11 votes
Sixth Place: Yulia and the Sword Saint's Personal Side Story
QQ Group 0 votes + Comment Section 6 votes = 6 votes
Tied for Seventh Place: Wald and Valius's Side Story
QQ Group 0 votes + Comment Section 0 votes = 0 votes (You two are really pathetic, aren't you?)
And now for————
Popularity Poll Rankings (Voting ended at the same time as the side story poll) (Conducted in the QQ Group, multiple choice, maximum three selections)
First Place: Esper 37 votes
Second Place: Lonia (Demon King) 27 votes
Third Place: Rafina 27 votes
Fourth Place: Eladia 25 votes
Fifth Place: Kaylar 3 votes
Sixth Place: Beatrice 3 votes
Seventh Place: Gloom 2 votes
Eighth Place: Yulia 2 votes
Ninth Place: Landon 2 votes
Tenth Place: Louis 2 votes
Eleventh Place: Renn 1 vote
Twelfth Place: Zhong 1 vote
Congratulations to Esper for taking first place!
I'm truly happy to see little Ai being liked by so many people, and I want to thank everyone again for your support ( ◜‿◝ )♡
What was somewhat unexpected was Demon King Lonia's surprisingly high popularity; for quite a while, it even surpassed Rafina's, with Rafina only catching up to Demon King Lonia near the end.
Do you all really like “widow literature” that much? (angry)
I like it too ( ╹▽╹ )
Also, the calmer version of Rafina has been written and will be released in Chapter 82.
However, after writing it, I realized it seemed to lean towards a possessive yandere, with some scheming elements, so I hope everyone can accept it ().
Rate on N.U.
