Chapter 124: Light and Dark (Part Twenty-One)
Looks like the city’s gone to ruins…
I took a gentle breath, the scent of bl**d filling my nostrils.
I stood still for a moment until my eyes adjusted to the light, then took a step forward.
“Ahhh! Hahaha—”
Crazy soldiers were howling beside me in the narrow alley, laughing maniacally as one stabbed another soldier in the chest with his sword, bl**d splattering everywhere. He pulled the sword out, weirdly twisted his neck, and his gaze tilted towards me.
“Hehehe…”
The soldier was grinning, his bl**d-splattered face contorting grotesquely.
“I’ll k*ll you… I’ll k*ll you… Hahaha!” he said.
I kept walking, turning my head to look at him. Seeing him so amused made me chuckle as well.
“Giggle.”
How amusing…
But the next moment, the soldier charged at me.
In less than ten meters, he bounded in front of me, his bl**d-soaked sword raised high, grinning as he swung it towards my head—then suddenly froze, his ugly grin plastered on his face.
An intense wave of Dead Smoke erupted from beneath, quickly enveloping and devouring him, turning his body to ash. The pale blue smoke darted out, entering my chest.
The ashes drifted away in the air behind him.
I didn’t look back and kept moving forward.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
The Dead Smoke coiled around me, “nourishing” my gruesome wounds, healing them at a visible speed, and my broken armor swiftly pieced itself back together.
So itchy…
Above the bl**d-soaked street, countless wisps of pale blue smoke drifted lazily, gathering in front of a dilapidated old house not far away.
There, the road was cracked to pieces, rubble scattered everywhere, with the massive body of a monster lying at the center of all the cracks, its long limbs unable to struggle, its body trembling slightly.
Ah, she’s right there…
I quickened my pace and walked over, standing quietly in front of her.
The monster was a pitiful sight, its body riddled with horrific wounds, dark pus oozing from the gashes, pooling on the ground and staining the rubble black. Countless pale blue wisps were drifting in from all directions, entering the monster’s body.
But she no longer had the strength to lift her head.
I pouted.
…Even in this state, she can still consume stuff.
Illusion…
Making people see terrifying things and then going mad… and somehow managing to unleash chaos on a large scale. Even on her last breath, she can still eat… what a convenient ability.
As I thought this, I suddenly heard a soft sound next to me.
Hmm?
I turned my head slightly.
The sound came from the window of the old house beside me, where the curtains were still trembling. Someone had pulled them apart just enough for a pair of lively eyes to peek out; they trembled slightly, and the moment they made eye contact with me, a small hand waved, and with a “swish,” the curtains closed, followed by hurried footsteps fading away.
“Mommy…”
After a moment, I faintly heard the voice of a small child, filled with alarm and fear.
A little girl, huh…
She didn’t seem to have entered the illusion.
And those bodies sprawled awkwardly in the street? They looked like Iron Guards from the destroyed city—I didn’t see any civilians… at least not on this street.
Probably because most of them were hiding inside their houses, right?
When the red light flashed in the sky, those people didn’t notice, but the Iron Guards who stormed into the royal city were caught unaware.
“Giggle…”
Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Why is this so entertaining…
“Grr…”
The monster beneath me moaned weakly, its voice barely audible.
I looked down at her.
“Iliush.”
“You’re never waking up again, are you?”
“Huff…”
The only response was heavy breathing.
“…This is for the best.”
A cool breeze brushed past, lifting the ends of my hair. I raised my hand, catching a few strands and tucking them behind my ear.
“Now you won’t have to bear that pain anymore…”
“Way better than me.”
“‘Abyss Language’ You…”
The monster was about to speak when I interrupted immediately.
“‘Abyss Language’ I’m not talking to you. Close your mouth, would you?”
I really didn’t want to hear that annoying voice.
“Really, so bothersome…”
The next moment, I extended my finger and gently poked the air in front of me.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Sharp black blades formed from the howling air, shooting forward.
Thud!
I sliced off the monster’s head, which then crashed into the ground.
With a loud bang, pieces of rubble and a fierce shockwave sent the headless body of the monster flying a few meters high, and then it fell back down, the severed head rolling away, black goo splattering onto my cheek.
I raised my hand to wipe it off.
The monster’s body began to disintegrate, turning into countless tiny particles and scattering away.
“Sleep now, Iliush…”
May you have sweet dreams.
Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps coming from around the street corner. I looked up in the direction of the sound and saw a familiar figure running into my view, looking quite disheveled.
“…Eh?”
That figure was very familiar.
He seemed to be fleeing, rushing my way, his bright silver armor in tatters, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet, his wild white hair obscuring half of his face.
So familiar…
So familiar, so familiar…
That man froze upon seeing me, standing at the mouth of the alley, neither moving forward nor backward, staring at me dazedly, his expression increasingly one of horror.
“Hey…”
I waved from a distance.
“It’s you, right?”
Though he looked drastically different from before, it was unmistakably…
The Old Duke!
“Haha!”
I pivoted on my toes and activated Moon Step.
Boom!
The wind howled past me as I shot forward like a cannonball. In an instant, I had closed the distance to him.
The Old Duke hadn’t even realized what was happening.
His eyes were still locked on where I had been standing, his hair fluffed up by the wind, and his lips parted as he bared his teeth, his wrinkled face shaking like a wave. He instinctively took a step back, and the next moment, I raised both hands and gently patted his shoulders.
Smiling like the moon, I grinned broadly.
“Long time no see~”
The Old Duke stumbled backward, and about half a second later, his eyes finally focused on my face, his body jolting as he realized.
“Ah!”
He let out a hoarse scream, his eyes widening, his pupils shaking violently, instinctively trying to struggle—and I tightened my grip on his shoulders a bit, and he didn’t dare move anymore.
I smiled even wider: “What are you doing here?”
“I… you… you are…”
His lips trembled, his legs shaking, and whatever he had gone through made him lose the calm demeanor he once had when I first met him. Now, he looked a bit like a scared rabbit.
…Am I really that scary?
Thinking to the side, I cleared my smile, moved my mouth a bit, and offered him another smile.
Let’s be kind…
Looking more friendly, just like seeing an old friend… sounds about right…
Convinced I had smiled kindly enough, I relaxed.
But the old guy still looked scared… oh well, it’ll have to do.
“Let’s play a game, okay?”
The end of the frivolous chitchat.
Had a little drink, got important work winding down, and with no early rising tomorrow, I wanted to casually chat with everyone.
Consider this an early three-volume summary.
Lately, the reading experience has felt somewhat lacking compared to before. Some readers don’t feel it, but others do, and I’ve received short reviews, book reviews, and private messages that I’ve taken seriously. I’ve even read through some emotionally charged comments, as well as vague but self-important remarks, and I’ve responded to them all thoroughly.
Let’s talk about the issues first.
What do you think the problems are? Declined quality, flat emotions, lack of depth, loose plot, and Pepé being a silly sweetie, among other things. Each person’s triggers are different, so we all get different points.
In short, it’s not as good as what I wrote before.
Why is that?
From my perspective, all of the points brought up—many of which I haven’t mentioned—aren’t really problems.
Or rather, they’re merely the results of a problem.
So where’s the problem?
There’s only one—balance.
There are too many events.
Too many things to tell.
I had set things up for a big explosive conclusion, intended for all characters introduced in Volume Three: Victoria, Margaret, Oblivion, Rect, the Old Duke, his son, Old Leikmon, his son, Carlos Angel, even Sophia, Cardinal Nero… and most importantly, our Pepé.
I set explosive moments, or zones that would trigger emotional responses.
But as I wrote, I realized it just wasn’t working.
Why not?
It’s not due to inadequate writing nor the author’s shortcomings (though that could be it), the reason is quite simple—this book is first-person narrative.
The narrative style prevents me from writing what other characters are doing every so often, and most importantly, I can’t frequently describe others’ inner thoughts. Since the perspective is Pepé’s, all I can do is guess, project, and observe.
But you’ve seen, despite this, several times in Volume Three’s climax I switched to other perspectives—otherwise, I couldn’t explain things, because Pepé didn’t see or know.
At the end of this volume, all events converge, each one boiling with excitement, and every character is at the center of the whirlwind: Margaret, Victoria, Old Leikmon, even the Old Duke, Sophia, Cardinal Nero; they are all main characters who will shock or infuriate everyone—this is what I envisioned.
However, from a first-person standpoint, I spread out too far, so much so that it spiraled out of control.
If I attempt to narrate each of these moments well, Light and Dark could easily reach a hundred chapters… who knows if that will be enough?
The grand climax I envisioned was originally intended as a peak after much buildup, but when I started writing, I found I couldn’t do it justice.
The Iron Guards attacking the city, Oblivion going wild, the conflict within the Church, Pepé’s growth, Victoria’s growth—every single issue demands a full volume to be addressed, but I clashed them together…
So, the reading experience understandably suffers, akin to why the last season of Game of Thrones was criticized so harshly; some thought the Night King died too quickly, others found Daenerys’s downfall ridiculous, and some felt Tyrion’s intelligence plummeted… and so on. The reasoning is similar. Those “I think” problems aren’t actual problems; they’re results stemming from the issue. The core issue lies in compressing a story that should be detailed into a mere snippet… and having to rush through it.
Compared to Game of Thrones, what frustrates me more with Abyss is that I must stick to first-person. Everything has to be seen and participated in through Pepé’s eyes. It’s akin to everything happening around Snow when really, for him, Daenerys comes crashing in at the last moment—would everyone still like her if told that way?
There’s simply no room to shape her.
Thus, my ideas almost became an impossible task.
As I wrote the earlier chapters of Light and Dark, I already noticed this problem.
But what could I do?
I just had to soldier on.
But I can’t really stretch Light and Dark to a hundred chapters; some have already said it’s dragging—trust me, I want to finish Volume Three quicker than you do.
Because the story is no longer under my control. The plot has deviated from my original design.
Where did the deviation start?
With the Cardinal.
This impressive character had better plans initially—but saying this now feels pointless; I probably won’t have many chances left to shape him. Unlike Teresa, he parachuted right into the scene, both in front of the protagonist and the readers.
So, many feel Pepé couldn’t match him was a downgrade.
Ultimately, it was a lack of experience that prevented the original ideas from being conveyed effectively, not knowing what points to avoid in a long narrative.
Feeling a bit lost.
But simultaneously, I think it’s fortunate I understand all this now.
Had it not been for this volume making me realize these issues, if I only recognized them at a climax, this book might have collapsed.
Spotting issues early is a good sign.
Emmm…
I suppose normal authors wouldn’t spill the beans about their struggles like me?
Just a casual ramble. After completing this volume, such situations won’t happen again.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about myself.
Writing this novel has been a significant change for me.
Before this, I spent most of my leisure time in rather unsavory places. Outside work hours, my life was solely about drinking and partying. There were work-related events involved, but I actually enjoyed it; meeting people, after all, is a way to convert their cash into mine—yes, I’m not the most distinguished entrepreneur, just like the opening’s Chen Yuxuan.
The setup in the beginning reflects a low point in my life—which was when I first fell for drinking.
Then there was a period where I let myself go. I was familiar with every major nightlife spot in town, had a booth wherever I went, and knew someone at every location. Older friends took me to fancy places, while younger party-goers took me to the street raves; the Martell and Hennessy bottles were popping—no doubt I was the life of the party tonight! —I might have just given away where I live.
Then came the stomach problems from drinking…
Enough talk about that.
I started writing because I didn’t want to live like that anymore. That lifestyle was a waste of life; I’d rather do something more meaningful.
I genuinely love writing novels. Enjoy thinking up little stories before bed, dreaming up characters, and then drifting off to sleep… Back in middle school, I totally loathed chemistry, so I’d write in notebooks and share them with classmates—so strictly speaking, this is actually my second novel? Although I barely wrote a few words before it was abandoned.
Anyway, I love doing this.
Loving my characters, seeing them liked and discussed by everyone, it’s a magical experience, and that’s my motivation for writing.
So sometimes, when work’s intense and I get home very late, utterly exhausted, wanting to rest, I see your comments and think of the many awaiting updates, pushing myself to finish a chapter before sleeping—even if it’s just 2000 words.
There have been a few instances of writing from dawn till morning, catching just two hours of sleep before going to a meeting, then writing again that night. The admins in the group probably know all about this; they often urged me to take breaks, but honestly, I hardly ever listened to them, haha.
In short, if it weren’t for the joy, if it weren’t for you all, I might very well have thrown in the towel.
I’m not the type to settle down easily.
Writing Abyss, in a way, has changed my life, turning me from a wayward soul into a good little boy, morphing me into a dedicated wordsmith (isn’t there a specific word for that?!).
I’m saying all this to let you know that sometimes when I go dark, it really is unavoidable—like being called to study when I should be gaming. Or having a math teacher crash my PE class… what can I do?
I’m just as desperate!
Writing novels is truly great, and I’ll keep pushing forward.
Though it still sometimes results in short, lacking 2000-word chapters.
Here’s to hoping I’ll one day become like those master authors, cranking out over ten thousand words a day with fantastic content, the ultimate writing machine!
That’s all!!!
Oh, one last thing.
I used to reply to nearly every comment and private message, no matter their content or reason, and I’d explain things earnestly—so much so that occasionally, I’d be led off track. Going forward, I won’t be able to do that anymore; it’s exceptionally draining.
From now on, any serious constructive criticism from those who truly want this novel to succeed, I’ll still treat with care. I’ll listen to your opinions nicely. But for those who think they know better, are just here to stir the pot, or seek recognition, I won’t pay any more mind to them so that it doesn’t affect my writing mood.
Seeing particularly childish remarks sometimes… I can’t tell how old you are, but chatting with kids online feels quite novel.
If you’re really upset, leave me a number, and I’ll take you out for a night on the town; don’t just type away online.
Goodnight.
