In June, I went on a trip and only had single updates for fourteen days. Yet you still let Lord of the Mysteries rank first in monthly tickets and stay second on the bestseller list. I'm both touched and ashamed.
You are so tolerant of my whims and so generous. Throughout June, the peak 24‑hour follower count rose to over 55,000, and even after it dropped due to a slower plot, it still stayed above 50,000. It kept fluctuating up and down, back and forth. Well, since its launch, the overall trend of follower count for Lord of the Mysteries has been rising: usually it increases significantly during climax arcs, then decreases slightly, oscillates within a certain range, and then repeats the process.
The plot and scene of Mist Town is something I had envisioned for a long time. I'm really happy you liked it. The ending of the fourth volume is also a scene that I had when I started writing. Hope I can truly convey the feeling of "The Undying – a blessing or a curse?" Maybe I don't need to state it directly; just depicting that scene might be enough. Of course, there are still many chapters before that.
The biggest feeling while writing this month is fatigue. While traveling, I would get up at seven in the morning and not return to the hotel until seven or eight at night. I had time to write, but luckily I could take naps in the car. Otherwise, instead of yawning while writing, I simply wouldn't be able to write at all. However, traveling and relaxing did improve my mental state, which had been tense and oppressive from staying at home for so long. After returning, I felt that several chapters were of high quality.
Of course, I also gathered material. If I ever write about a foreign city again, I'll describe the brothel there: its sign would be a stone protruding from the door, symbolizing the genitals. Because most of the prostitutes there are captured through war, they don't speak the language, so to attract customers and call out to sailors arriving at the port, they mimic the howling of female wolves. The brothel is thus called a "Wolf's Den." This kind of detail can evoke the atmosphere and texture of a foreign land. I heard this in Pompeii. There are only three or four official Chinese‑speaking guides there. It was pretty good but a bit expensive; it's more cost‑effective with a group since they charge by the hour.
Alright, back to the topic of fatigue. It's not just during trips; it also persists after returning. Since the start of the fourth volume, this is a common feeling, because the story is getting bigger, and unlike my previous works "Arcane" and "One Life," I don't want to only focus on the protagonist and rush straight to the finish. I hope that the many interesting characters I've written before can become more fleshed out, lively, and participate more in the world. Plus, the life of a wealthy person mostly consists of banquets, meetings, and conversations. There must be sufficient buildup and groundwork to unleash conflicted and highly tense plots. So, shifting perspectives, character involvement, and daily writing always require a lot of mental effort, and I don't handle it with ease, often appearing quite fatigued.
Apart from these reasons, it's an unavoidable state after writing a book for over a year. Procrastination gets worse, I need more time to concentrate, the time I finish writing gets later each day, fatigue mounts. There were even two occasions where I accidentally turned off the alarm, slept until noon, and almost missed the update.
Currently, the only solution seems to be implementing what I said before: taking one day off per week.
My plan is this: I rest on Sundays, but move one of the two Saturday chapters to Sunday. That means both weekend days will have only one chapter, at 12:30 PM. Other days remain normal.
This way, if I need to take time off due to writer's block or travel, I'll make it up. The extra chapters for the first place in monthly tickets in June will be released during the more intense parts of July.
Alright, it's July now, and I'm properly asking for your guaranteed monthly tickets. The chapter has been updated early, so there won't be one at noon. The second chapter will be at 7 PM.
Also, I'm asking for recommendation tickets on Monday!
(End of chapter)