Chapter 57: A Standalone Chapter

First of all, I owe an apology to all of you reading this chapter. If you’ve reached this point, you must be loyal readers who have been following the story from the beginning. The reason I intersperse standalone chapters is to maintain more frequent interaction with my readers. Receiving praise for engaging with you all genuinely brings me joy.

I understand that inserting standalone chapters into the main storyline is not ideal, but after reading all your comments before bed, I often find myself restless, unable to sleep easily. Given my current situation, there are some things I feel are necessary to clarify with everyone, hoping to exchange sincerity for sincerity.

Though I may not cover every aspect perfectly, I want to emphasize that I read and thoughtfully consider every comment and message. I never ignore or gloss over them.

If, after reading this chapter, you still choose to continue with this work, please accept my heartfelt gratitude.

...

First, I do have a full-time job outside of writing, so although I update twice daily, the timing isn’t always consistent. This is also my first formal novel; other attempts died in the drafting stage.

I didn’t anticipate the recent surge in readership. When only a few readers followed my work, I could reply to every comment with care. But now, the sheer volume makes that impossible, which is frustrating for me.

Yes, I am greedy in this regard—I want to care for every reader, take your suggestions, and help realize the inspirations I once hoped authors would fulfill when I was a reader myself. I don’t want anyone to feel disrespected.

Even though I can’t reply to everyone, I still check every comment during my free time. I’ve read all the positive and negative feedback and have made immediate efforts to address and correct any errors pointed out.

I truly appreciate your support. As a former reader and now an author, I pay special attention to issues that might spoil the reading experience, and I try to avoid them. Still, I sometimes make mistakes; occasionally, I notice comments mentioning “toxicity” in the story but without specifics.

If you feel something is off or “toxic,” please speak freely. I won’t feel offended—you help me improve.

I don’t think the work is flawless. Maybe you’ve been generous in overlooking some issues. Some critiques raised are both important and critical, so I want to be upfront about them before future updates.

...

On the feeling of déjà vu or familiarity with this book: I’ve replied to many similar comments, but I want to clarify here. This novel was indeed inspired by another story I read years ago, likely serialized on FL. I loved that genre, so I subscribed to every chapter back when most web fiction was behind a paywall.

...

Unfortunately, the novel I liked was abandoned and left unfinished. I wanted to write my own version—not to make money, but to satisfy my emotional needs and creative urge.

Some plot points in the early chapters may feel similar and might make certain readers uncomfortable. However, beyond the initial resemblance, the deeper world-building and various settings are all original. While you may spot shadows of other works, as I’ve said before, I admit my own knowledge and literary background aren't enough to support a wholly original, self-contained work. Familiar elements will inevitably appear.

Other influences include works I’ve read before, such as the widely recognized StellariS, which contributes significantly to the setting. Other references may appear, but the entire world is not a direct copy of any existing one.

Literature always reflects echoes of other works—this is unavoidable. Creating an entirely new genre or unique world is a monumental feat. I’m not someone remarkable enough to achieve that. My approach is to incorporate my own stories within existing frameworks, aiming to create a complete work that brings a knowing smile to those who recognize the references.

This addresses the most critical issue of similarity and plagiarism in novel writing. I offer this explanation with sincerity.

...

On certain plot points feeling heavily influenced by AI:

In this era of advanced technology, many novels are blatant copy-pastes of AI-generated material, seeking easy profits. This practice angers everyone.

To be transparent, I have used AI tools to expand or extend some paragraphs—these are features provided by the web platform itself—but only to flesh out descriptions of appearances, actions, or expressions. I have never copy-pasted entire passages.

Some readers are highly sensitive to AI’s “flavor,” so I want to be honest here. If a contest allows the open sale of performance enhancers, it may be within the rules but not universally accepted.

Just because the platform provides these author tools doesn’t mean everyone must accept AI-generated content. While technology is convenient, it breeds laziness and passivity.

Therefore, I am reflecting on this and will strive to avoid AI inspiration in future chapters, working to enrich my writing myself.

...

On questions about technology, civilization, and other matters:

Some have asked why I only created humans and not other species. I’ve responded to this in a previous comment, but I want to reiterate: I respect everyone’s opinions and preferences, even if it means receiving negative feedback.

One reader in the review section said: “Don’t read the comments—the issues they raise aren’t real problems, and venting emotions isn’t helpful.” Once words are spoken, they carry weight.

I’m sorry I couldn’t please everyone, but I’ll do my best to make most readers happy.

Many readers have commented on the technological aspects, especially the portrayal of Earth’s civilization, which has been a major point of contention. Flaws and inconsistencies abound, and patching things up often creates more problems.

This is entirely my fault, and I sincerely apologize. I didn’t do enough preparation before starting the novel. I failed to research what each stage of technology should or shouldn’t include, mixing possible and impossible elements together, which led to a poor reader experience.

Driven by enthusiasm, I began writing, but in doing so, I brought you an unsatisfactory impression. This restlessness is part of why I find it hard to sleep. Even in soft science fiction, there must be technological plot support—glossing over it leaves gaping holes.

This issue can’t be solved immediately, but I will study and improve my understanding of technological settings and strive to minimize these problematic depictions in future chapters.

Since the early plot forms the foundation of the current story, making rash changes could cause major inconsistencies or even collapse the narrative. For now, the best I can do is move forward steadily, making incremental improvements.

Additionally, the basic framework for the later story has already been completed, and the ending is set. Some middle sections need further refinement. After Earth’s civilization arc, new storylines will follow. The novel is expected to reach about 1.6 million words, roughly 800 chapters. That’s an estimate—it might be shorter if the plot develops quickly, or longer if my descriptions become drawn out.

The readers’ enthusiasm has been overwhelming, leaving me a bit at a loss. The recent surge of updates has left me somewhat exhausted, and the pressure from various sources has taken its toll. Yet, I haven’t missed a single daily update, maintaining two chapters a day. Following a reader’s suggestion, I’m working on increasing that to three chapters daily.

As more readers join the group chat, I’ve promised a ten-chapter update spree, which I will complete in the next couple of days.

Thank you all for your support!