Chapter 1467.5: Side story — Volume Summary (IV)

Volume Four has finally ended.

I didn't write a postscript for Volume Three, so I should make up for it with Volume Four.

This volume is a rather special one for *The Theater God*. Unlike the Aurora Realm and Red Dust Realm chapters, which were centered on the stories of those realms, and unlike the Wuji Realm, which polished the atmosphere within the realm a bit more, Chen Ling in this volume was all about drifting from place to place, with no fixed home.

From leaving the Twilight Society to the Fusion Faction, then to the destruction of the Fusion Faction and heading to the South Sea Realm, being kicked out, feeling disheartened, and returning to the Ghost Mockery Abyss... Chen Ling in this volume wasn't as high-spirited as in the first three, and not as "satisfying."

I know, of course, that a story that isn't "satisfying" enough might not be liked by everyone. Chen Ling’s setbacks and frustrations along the way will certainly be a reason for some readers to drop the book, but after much thought, I decided to write it anyway.

*The Theater God* is different from my previous two books, *Slaying Gods* and *Replica Mirror*. From the very beginning, *The Theater God* has been a grand and tragic story. It will have many "knives" (heart-wrenching moments), many people will die, and it looks like a tragedy—and Chen Ling is the one trying to rewrite that "tragedy."

From the past Red Kings to Chen Ling, what they do is try to find the possibility of turning everything around in a destined tragedy. They are great, tragic, and possess immense personal charisma. Such a protagonist absolutely cannot have smooth sailing, killing gods and demons like a typical power-fantasy novel...

An invincible protagonist like that appearing in a world view like *The Theater God* would only make people feel awkward. It would make the tragedy less tragic and make the sacrifices of others seem small and foolish. It would shatter the main tone of *The Theater God*.

Volume Four is the volume of Chen Ling’s transformation—from a Twilight Society member to a Fusionist, to a thorn in the side of the human realms, and finally to the Red King who knows everything. He is no longer the weak and confused Chen Ling, no longer the "Heart 6" protected by many. This time, he suffered grievances with no one to stand up for him. Only in such an environment could he truly grow and eventually become the Sixth-Generation Red King who carries the entire Twilight Society.

Of course, now that Chen Ling’s transformation is complete, Volume Five won't be so oppressive...

I didn't say there wouldn't be any "knives" in Volume Five, though.

Some people say Volume Four doesn't have as much atmosphere as the first three. The reason is simple: Aurora and Red Dust were both writing the story of a single realm. I spent a lot of ink building the realms, describing down-to-earth minor characters, and writing about their spiritual worlds, loves, and hatreds, so that the realms could become three-dimensional.

But if every subsequent realm's destruction were written this way, maybe this book wouldn't be finished even after ten million words... and it would definitely be criticized for being "too padded."

As the story reaches the later stages, the speed of realm destruction accelerates, and since Chen Ling is no longer in the midst of it as a "person of the city," the perspective naturally changes... At this point, the focus of the story has shifted from the "realm" to the story line itself.

According to Sanjiu’s current plan, *The Theater God* will likely end in six volumes, but it's also possible that Volume Six will be merged directly into Volume Five, ending in five volumes. Sanjiu doesn't have a detailed outline for this yet, so I'm not sure.

But Sanjiu must clarify: not having an outline doesn't mean writing randomly. Some main plot points and big twists are engraved in Sanjiu’s mind and won't be easily changed, let alone "writing whatever I dream of."

Volume Five, just like its name, is the story of Chen Ling destroying the world. I won't spoil the specifics, but I can say that everyone can look forward to it~

So far, *The Theater God* has been serialized for over two years. Writing continuously every day is a very mentally draining thing. It slowly empties your inspiration and accumulation, so the longer it's serialized, the more tired you get and the emptier your brain feels. That's why Sanjiu will occasionally ask for leave to rest and adjust my state.

It's not that Sanjiu is lazy or unwilling to write; sometimes, forcing it actually leads to poor quality. I hope everyone can understand this. Perhaps there will be more requests for leave in Volume Five, so I'm explaining it here first. When I'm in a good state, Sanjiu will naturally update more, like a few days ago and today.

Also, after Volume Four is finished today, Sanjiu will also take two or three days off to recover inspiration, adjust my state, and sort out the plot~

OK, that's it for the summary. See you in the next volume!