At this point, stopping is not an option, both for my own effort and for the readers who have supported me all the way. So do not worry: this book will definitely finish. The ending is already set, and what remains is how much or how little I write, which is up to me.
The web novel world is a world of Mew, and it is a hard reality where only results matter. Before launch, a writer can hide behind many numbers, but after launch only subscriptions matter. If subscriptions are good, you get more resources, more recommendations, more visibility, and more readers. If they are poor, you get almost nothing and must spend from what is already there.
And performance is directly tied to my income. If I pass a certain threshold, I can continue; without it, life itself will not allow full focus on writing. There are examples of people who rise again midway, but those are mostly in original works, especially fantasy, and are rare in fanfic.
Whether a work can rise is already shown in subscription trend; if it keeps dropping, the hope is almost gone. Even when it is not outright abandonment and is just a temporary holding pattern, the data still shows decline for the author, and the result is the same from this side of the meter.
So I am asking seriously: please subscribe more, and if you can, keep automatic subscription on. Please do not hold and wait; please do not hold and wait. I am asking sincerely and directly.
Now let us talk about updates after launch, which everyone wants to know. The standard burst update on launch day is a common practice in this industry, and since I am not a high-output writer, even two updates a day is my limit. So I set the base as five updates for each chapter cycle.
On top of that base, if cumulative rewards reach one patron-level sponsor, or about a thousand yuan from readers together, I add one more update. If total subscriptions reach one thousand, which is Qidian's base threshold for full-attendance security, each extra one hundred adds one more update. Every extra one hundred monthly tickets also adds one more update.
Every one-rank increase in breakout level adds one more update. I am currently at rank two, and if it reaches three, the operations side can add twenty thousand coin units. Operations staff will run activities that earn more coin if you join actively. So again, please subscribe and keep your subscription active.
Please do not hold it and wait, and please do not hold it and wait. Qidian is running a 515 campaign with refunds at the moment, so subscribing now is definitely not a bad choice. It also happens to be on 5.14 that it is my birthday, and long-term readers know that, so please send subscriptions, rewards, and tickets as if you are giving me a birthday present.
I promise I will still finish all promised extra updates, even if I am not able to eat properly. At twelve-oh-five on June five, we are all meeting.
"What are you, what are you trying to do?"
Mai Zenin panicked. The charm and flirtatious look she usually showed were all an act, and deep down she had no real experience. With her status as a Jujutsu Sorcerer and a father who was a Special Grade 1 Sorcerer, even the scum in the family could not go too far if they tried.
But the overall environment of the Zenin Clan was there for all to see, and Mai Zenin had witnessed far too many filthy things. The look on Akira's face at this moment was exactly the same as those trashy older brothers and nephews.
"This, this is Kyoto Jujutsu High. You, you better not mess around…"
"Oh? And so what?"
Akira stuck out his tongue to lick the corner of his mouth as he moved closer to Mai Zenin. She stepped back on instinct. He dropped his usual easygoing manner and pressed forward step by step.
In just a few seconds, he forced the girl into the corner. With a heavy thud, his hand swept past her ear and slapped against the wall, the sound hitting her heart just as hard. He leaned in close to her other ear and spoke in a low voice.
"Do you know why Maki Zenin is willing to listen to me? Because I am stronger than anyone she has ever seen. Stronger than Naobito Zenin, Ogi Zenin, Jinichi Zenin, and Naoya Zenin, all of those Special Grade 1 Sorcerer. If someone like me wanted to do something to you, who do you think would stand up for you? The Zenin Clan? Or Yoshinobu Gakuganji and these classmates of yours?"
Mai Zenin's body trembled. The names he listed represented the elite of the Zenin Clan, the very foundation that upheld its status within the Three Great Clans. These so called special grade one figures had not gone through official grade one evaluation, yet possessed grade one strength, and only powerhouses from ancient families could enjoy such unquestioned Benefits without approval from the Jujutsu Society.
In some ways, the price of asking them to act was even higher than calling on other Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer, because of their family aura and vast influence. Stronger than all of them? Mai Zenin did not want to believe it, but she had to.
When her sister Maki Zenin faced those people, she always held her head high, never yielding and never admitting defeat. She had never shown the kind of obedience she showed before Akira.
Even if his performance in the team matches was not eye catching, the calm control he showed from start to finish and the way Tokyo Jujutsu High treated him made it clear that he was the core figure there, higher than even the Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu, on the same level as Satoru Gojo.
Satoru Gojo had once said that he still had three Special Grade prospects in hand. One of them was very likely this man. Mai Zenin knew her own limits well, and whether she could even reach grade two was uncertain. Compared to Akira, she was like a firefly against the moon.
If a powerhouse like him was willing to pay a price, then even handing her over to the family would not be difficult. In the end, this world still spoke through strength. The family might even blame her for not seizing the chance and for lacking sense, causing trouble for them.
When that time came, she would have to go apologize in person, saying sorry again and again. Having thought it through, Mai Zenin slowly closed her eyes and took on a tempting posture of surrender, even unconsciously pushing out her well developed chest.
Yet after a long while with her eyes closed, she felt no touch at all. Even the warm breath by her ear was gone. She opened her eyes in confusion and found that the frightening man had actually stepped back like Makoto, the wicked look gone and replaced by a sunny expression as he flicked his hand as if brushing off dust.
"You… you are not going to do anything?"
Akira laughed when he heard that. "What do you want me to do? Honestly, I did not expect my charm to be this strong, attracting a JK just by being handsome."