Words Upon Release

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It is finally going premium. I have to admit, it feels rather strange.

Since I have the opportunity, I would like to talk with all of you.

To begin with, I did not start this book simply because I wanted to write another formulaic novel.

I do not know whether any readers feel the same way I do, but novels seem to be getting less and less enjoyable these days.

Many new books now... concentrate all their satisfying moments at the very beginning. They open with one spectacular development after another, delivering instant thrills. But if you keep reading, then after several hundred thousand words, the same formulas begin repeating themselves until the story becomes dull and tasteless.

Online fiction has entered an age of assembly-line production. That feeling I once had while reading novels—the sense of having my horizons broadened, of being enchanted and utterly captivated by the strange new worlds an author portrayed—has become almost impossible to find.

Science fiction suffers from this most of all.

Most of what we see is merely fantasy wearing the skin of science fiction. But deep down, is not the science fiction we all long for about colossal warships, powered armor, planet-destroying cannons, and endless armies of machines?

Novels like that are extremely difficult to write.

Even when someone manages to write one, they can only explain how its characters control and operate such things through concepts like supernatural abilities, mechanical force, primal energy, or telekinesis.

Otherwise, the protagonist would not be powerful enough, and the readers would not find it satisfying.

In the end, the story returns to the realm of fantasy. It has merely changed the names of divine weapons, magical artifacts, and mystical power.

Those predecessors deserve our respect, but that is not the science fiction I envision.

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For that reason, I have made a great deal of effort. Whether it is the Mech Suit or the Data Ether Body, I imagine many readers have already realized that what I want to create is a science-fiction world capable of standing on its own logic.

In this world, human beings cannot fly through the air unaided.

In this world, human beings cannot evolve to the point where their brains alone can control an entire fleet.

In this world, the power of technology and knowledge will be truly brought to the forefront.

I hope to bring everyone fresh and interesting concepts, and a world created with genuine sincerity.

I also believe I can organically combine the overwhelming power of the individual with the realism of science fiction.

For this purpose, I made extensive preparations. Now all that remains is to tell the story slowly, taking everyone along to appreciate these wonders.

I am a perfectionist, so I did not rush the pacing or hurry the plot toward its climactic moments merely for the sake of short-term results. Instead, I have taken my time sketching the characters, refining the plot, and shaping the details, so that this world may truly acquire flesh and blood.

In South Harbor, I devoted considerable space to depicting the tragedies of ordinary people. In the Hive, I devoted even more to the tragedies of the gifted. Taken together, they form the tragedy of the entire White Mountain Star.

The story itself is enjoyable and thrilling, but if, after having their fill of excitement, readers can find something to savor and ponder, then I will have achieved my purpose.

In truth, I have also been attempting something else.

The entire White Mountain Star arc was actually written using the planted clues, hidden threads, and careful structure of a traditional novella-length detective story.

You receive clues one, two, and three, unravel mysteries four, five, and six; everything echoes across the narrative, forming a complete whole from beginning to end.

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In the end, every mystery will be resolved, forming a closed loop in both logic and structure. Only two threads will extend beyond it.

One is the Galactic Empire storyline; the other is the origin of the Mechanical God Church. These two threads will converge around the middle of the book and reveal its central theme. Everything arranged and foreshadowed beforehand exists in service of that theme.

So, at its core, this is a slow-burning novel that gathers strength in its middle and later stages. Under today’s recommendation systems, that will indeed put it at a considerable disadvantage—especially since I really do update very slowly, hahaha.

Let me also be candid about one thing: a novel with such a tightly interlocking structure is far more difficult to write than the linear stories one usually encounters. Every day, I write until late at night just to finish the next day’s chapter. I generally get no more than six hours of sleep.

It is exhausting, truly exhausting, but everyone’s encouragement has continued to inspire me.

I sincerely want to thank all my dear friends for your patience and understanding, and for refusing to abandon a work that updates so slowly.

Thank you for your support, your votes, and your rewards.

I love you all!

P.S. VIP chapters will begin releasing at five o’clock this afternoon.

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