Volume 3 Summary
"When the once most powerful conspirer returned in the most brilliant manner, a conspiracy against "him" also began, perhaps it had already begun long ago. Everyone is a hunter, and everyone is prey."
This is the imagery that I wanted to convey at the end. I originally planned to write it directly after Lumian's silence at the end of the volume, as a concluding statement, but then I felt it was too Chūnibyō. Leaving the end open might be better, especially since Lumian currently doesn't know what O-01 represents. He can only see that Morora, the city of exiles, closely relates to the headquarters of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom, and that Morora is also similar to Trier. This leads to Lumian being able to suspect about the relationship between O-01 and the 4th Epoch Trier without being able to associate it with a conspiracy against the "Angel of Red." Making him unfit to say that beginning line of this summary at the end of this volume.
And if the author imposes these words through a narrator's voice, it becomes too immersion breaking, and thus it's better for readers to infer the meaning themselves.
For those who have read the first book should easily recognize that the stolen information given to Lumian represents a new conspiracy. This new conspiracy corresponds to that "him" who just recently returned to the stage with a grand conspiracy of "his" own. For those who haven't read the first book, I also tried to imply a connection between the sealed artifact O-01 and the Hunter Pathway, by showing that the sealing method of this artifact is eerily similar to how 4th Epoch Trier is sealed. This item is related to the war of the gods of 4th Epoch, and that it being given away is also a response to the return of the Angel of Red himself. which leads up to the very sentence in the beginning.
This volume was exhausting to write, with conspiracies large and small interwoven. Different people and factions have their own schemes, ultimately converging into a fireworks display to welcome the return of the most formidable conspirer. Therefore, this volume is called Conspirer.
The first layer of meaning is undoubtedly Lumian becoming a conspirer, the second layer is the return of the Red Angel Medici, and the third layer is the myriad of conspiracies, some already erupted, some just being exposed, some still continuing in the shadows, and some still in the process of being planed. And even the apparent ultimate winner is still the target of conspiracies of others.
Case and point, you guys seems to have figured out who the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom is supporting (and betting on), but so far hasn't figure out why Wisdom is betting on said side. And no one seemed to point out that the hostel ritual's crucial step is that Lumian has to appear in front of the Iron Cross Blood Order, in front of Gardner Martin, and allow them to find the special quality of his body. So, I ask you, which organization(s) scheduled Lumian to go undercover in the ICBO? [TL Note: pretty sure he's only looking at CN comment section/forum on Qidian]
This volume introduces the influence of Outer Gods factions, very very many of them. combined with the existing ones, there are too many side plots and lines, causing a pacing issue in the middle section of the volume for a rather long time, too slow and dragging, with insufficient changes. I initially planned for Lumian to become a Conspirer around Chapter 120-130 of this volume and digest the potion at the end. However, the more side plot I write the more side plot emerged, adding several tens of chapters. Later, there was no choice but to cut some side plots, quickly introduce the hostel, and pulled the main story back, it worked out as well as it could be, but there's room for improvement.
In addition, there's a natural problem with sequels. Readers who read the previous work have already seen high-level and intense events and fights, so returning to a lower level may feel lacking in tension and passion. I can't solve this, so I have to patiently write, and we will eventually reach higher levels. We should cherish the low-level moments now.
Of course, nearing the apocalypse, all conflicts will intensify. Lumian and his group will inevitably get involved, just like at the beginning of the second volume when Lumian arrived in Trier. As soon as Lumian stepped into the city, I immediately started thinking about what Medici wants do in the current situation, what "he" could realistically achieve, and how "he" going to go about it. This led to the detailed structure of the entire third volume, and not just leaving the title "conspirer" an empty name with only 3 key ideas for me to work with. (TL note: meaning - I did this so "he" ain't a fraud )
Due to the limitation of their own sequences, when encountering similar events in the previous volume, Lumian and his group often play a marginal role. This is unavoidable, but they will definitely grow and gradually enter the main stage later.
I said before that in this part, there might be a battle of wits between the protagonist and the Red Angel. Now it seems inevitable. Whoever loses will become a Demoness! (not really).
Regarding this, both of them still have hidden lines on them, another subplot to shape and build the image of a certain character. Not those two themselves, it's someone else. [TL Note: didn't specify who Lumian and Medici is indirectly fleshing out]
In conclusion, I am very satisfied with the third volume's wraping up. Although using chaotic transitions to correspond to the interweaving of large and small conspiracies may not be suitable for readers who follow my work chapter by chapter [TL note: aka the pain of cliffhangers], it eventually converged into a stronger climax. Only with such an extreme plot can extraordinary characters be molded and portrayed. I am very satisfied with the Sun and the Red Angel in this volume.
Writing that segment of Medici and Sun's inner monologues and in a lyrical manner was carefully weighed. I have said before that restrained and sad emotions are suitable for straightforward description, suitable for a silent blank space, like Klein offering flowers as a clown. On the other hand, bold and unrestrained emotions require an eruption, a "shout." as in the case of Medici's moment of ascension.
Hmm, the title for the fourth volume comes from the path of the Outer God, as everyone already knows. As for the Volume opening quote, I modified a line from Jay Chou's song, line similiar to this has appeared in chapters before, and I feel it fits well. As such, the final tone for the next volume is:
Volume 4 - Sinners
Opening Quote: Oh Merciful Lord, I plead for thy forgiveness, for the sins I have committed.
Well, it's time to rest and organize the story outline again. The kids at home started kindergarten in September, getting sick with a cold or fever every month. As a parent, I sometimes get infected too. Thanks to having some drafts, I was able to keep up with the updates, but it's still mentally exhausting. So, there's another day off this time. I'll resume updating at 12:30 PM on Thursday. Thank you, everyone.
