[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Above the Mage!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2257105,4404,"Chapter 101: Subscription Message","above-the-mage-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>Important notice first: Tomorrow’s subscription launch! This is my second book—I suppose I’m technically an experienced author by now, but honestly, I’m still a bit lost during the new-book phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, my last novel about sword cultivators had a rough journey: direct submission, one-round elimination, and I wrote blindly for four months before finally launching. This mage novel is the first time I’ve properly gone through the new-book process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, I have many feelings—and plenty to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Authors—even just web novel authors—tend to have strong urges to express themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I know my readers are here for the story, not my rambling nonsense, so I usually keep a low profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subscription message is one of the few legitimate occasions for an author to ramble freely, so I’ll take this chance to say a few more things:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. *Mage Above!* will be an excellent story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stats are terrible, my writing’s garbage—how dare you say that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No other reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I really love this story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So to me, it’s an excellent story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing more, nothing less—just love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likewise, because I love it, I’ll do my best to finish this story well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. The title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original title had no exclamation mark—it was just *Mage Above*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But *Mage Above* was already taken, so I had to add the “!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it annoyed me—but then I realized: without it, I couldn’t use this title at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So over time, I stopped caring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. About the book’s style: First, though the setting is Western fantasy, that’s because mages and Western fantasy are a natural pair—any other setting would feel mismatched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when writing, I didn’t deliberately tailor my diction to fit Western fantasy, nor did I deliberately avoid Chinese terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason is simple: it’s written for Chinese readers; no need to raise the reading barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this world is mine—I hold the final authority on its interpretation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more, I’ve gone out of my way to lower the reading barrier under the Western fantasy setting—for example, I cleverly used “Chinese-style” foreign names: Gao De, Amy, Pierre, and future major characters will follow suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest: the setting is Western fantasy, but the foundation is still “xuanhuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, I categorized it as xuanhuan · otherworld continent, not fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that doesn’t prevent it from being a pure mage novel—no martial qi warriors or anything like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, and it’ll still be a “clichéd” story, like the sword cultivator novel—full of clichéd plots and an utterly clichéd ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it’s very different from the sword cultivator novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, sword cultivators and mages are fundamentally different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>4. Prices and economic system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve probably noticed that prices are a crucial component of this book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stitched together medieval European and 19th-century European price systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why stitch them together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this is a world of the extraordinary—wealth disparity is extreme; the lower classes still live medieval lives, while the elite enjoy alchemical artifacts resembling modern technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the prices of ordinary items mostly come from scattered historical records, so they should closely match real-world values.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, rye bread at 4 pounds and 6 copper coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some items, even after searching databases and Baidu, I found only rough estimates, so I had to deduce prices based on common sense and known item values.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, wheat bread: I found this note: “Historical records show wheat bread prices ranged from several times to over ten times that of rye bread.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blind spots are inevitable—if any reader spots a pricing issue, please comment and let me know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there’s a problem, I’ll fix it—but don’t just say “I think it’s wrong”; show me your evidence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary items’ prices can be traced, but extraordinary items’ prices must be set entirely by me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For price increases between ranks, I used a rank-increase formula with a multiplier of 4.64.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For pricing different types of extraordinary items, I generally follow this principle: the price of a repairable item at the same rank is roughly ten times that of a consumable item; repair costs follow the same ratio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following these two principles, most prices should be reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inevitably, some oversights exist—if any reader finds a bug, feel free to point it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A more coherent worldbuilding requires collective effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>5. About D&D: Most spells in this book are taken from D&D.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in spell design, D&D’s system is unquestionably the most comprehensive and rigorous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t copy everything—I made some modifications, so don’t treat this as pure D&D, and don’t criticize me based on D&D rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, only the spell entries come from D&D; all other worldbuilding elements are my own creation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before writing this book, I had never touched D&D; my knowledge came entirely from studying and memorizing materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if any reader knows interesting spell applications I’m unaware of as a half-baked fan, please share them in the comments—thank you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Lastly, if you have interesting ideas about spell “skill point” builds, feel free to post them—I’ll consider using them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>6. Updates: To most readers—and even many authors—the mage novel’s current performance is mediocre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In plain terms: this is a performance that could make any author quit anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honestly, I’m fairly satisfied with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, my last novel, the sword cultivator, took four full months to launch, and its total collection count at launch was under 1,500.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet that 1,500-collection sword cultivator eventually reached over three million words and finished with an average subscription of 5,000+.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, this mage novel surpassed 1,500 collections within fifteen days—it’s now at 11,500.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What more could I ask for? A beginning and an end are an author’s conscience—I’ll keep my conscience intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So don’t worry I’ll quit—I’ll still strive to shine later on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any reader followed me from the sword cultivator novel, you know my biggest flaw isn’t my prose or plot (disclaimer: I’m not saying those are good), it’s my update speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My updates are indeed terrible—I admit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So updates come down to “one effort, one guarantee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll do my best to maintain steady updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guarantee completion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>7. About the protagonist: My protagonists are lawful neutral leaning good—I won’t write one with heavy aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I can’t write one anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in some plotlines, the protagonist’s decisions may not please some readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, as I said with the sword cultivator novel: this is just a difference in perspective—you may dislike or disagree, but don’t rant or claim the choice is wrong (with righteous indignation).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave Gao De the identity of a Peking University math major because I feel “spells” and “mathematics” share a similar temperament and common ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in my view, a protagonist becomes a protagonist not just because of a cheat system, but also due to personal ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s Peking University math major background is his “personal ability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, I did graduate from a math department in undergrad and now work in statistics—but I’m not a Peking University prodigy, and I’ve been out of school for three or four years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So any math-related content in the book is mostly researched on the spot—if I embarrass myself, please forgive me and don’t take it too seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, I’m writing a novel, not an academic paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>7. Miscellaneous thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misc. 1: If any reader followed my previous novel, you might remember I said if I wrote another book, I’d never use a system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I always keep my word—so “Wind Spirit Moon Shadow” is not a system! Really not! Misc. 2: During the new book’s first round, I begged for follow-reads for two days and found it incredibly annoying, and most readers clearly didn’t care, so I gave up and left it to fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same after launch: unless it’s a chapter summary, I’ll Jinliang  avoid any content outside the story itself, minimizing my own presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misc. 3: Today I saw a reader comment in the comments section questioning why spell model construction requires potion consumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understand readers’ confusion—I haven’t written that part yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I did write it, I’d still understand if you didn’t get it—after all, everyone thinks differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if you’re confused and just vent a bit, I don’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a web novel author can’t handle this kind of pressure, they shouldn’t be writing web novels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then I found someone else commenting: “He copied the ‘Girlfriend Master’ setting!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I saw that, I sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is reality being more novel-like than fiction: small authors have no rights—they get crushed by random passersby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, with my last novel, many readers accused me of riding the “Steady Master Brother” trend—but it wasn’t steady flow at all; I couldn’t even imitate it properly, and they dinged me for it while my stress resistance was still weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth is, when I finalized the title and created the book, I’d never even heard of “steady flow,” wasn’t writing for it, and “Steady Master Brother” hadn’t even launched yet—his popularity hadn’t risen—how could I have copied him? To avoid suspicion, I still haven’t read “Steady Master Brother,” afraid I might accidentally replicate a scene and be accused of riding his coattails again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, for this book, I haven’t even written what a potion is yet, and I’m already accused of copying “Girlfriend Master” just because of the word “potion” (sigh again).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misc. 4: To those who dislike it, *Mage Above!* might seem clichéd, dull, even toxic—but at least one thing I can boldly claim: it’s a unique story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I didn’t follow any book or trend—I simply wrote the story I wanted to tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old topic: about “padding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since you’ve reached the subscription message, you’ve probably sensed the book’s style—detailed, with lots of minutiae.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that’s my description; many readers bluntly label it “padding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But either way, we spent hours researching and building the world—we must slowly paint it in to give the world texture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simplest example: prices. Without enough daily-life details, readers see 300 gold coins and 30,000 gold coins as just different numbers—no real sense of value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another reason: web novel plots need logic, and logic requires buildup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, in real life I need five hundred thousand, and I, who never buy scratch cards, happen to buy one on a whim today and win five hundred thousand—is that logical? No, but such things still happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But can web novels write like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, if I wrote it like this, my brothers would roast me alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how should I write it? I must first establish that “I” have a habit of buying scratch cards before the need for five hundred thousand arises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better yet, add a small subplot: because scratch cards are selling poorly, the vendor decides to increase the number of winning tickets to boost public purchasing motivation by raising the odds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after these two layers of setup can the plot of “I” buying a scratch card and winning five hundred thousand to solve the immediate problem feel reasonably logical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>8. My first goal in writing this novel, whether it succeeds or fails, is to finish it honestly—the story I want to tell, the one I love. If I can make money too, that’s a huge bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My job is decent, stable enough to barely cover my meals, so I won’t play the victim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, I’ve noticed many good brothers who followed me from my previous sword cultivator novel—honestly, it moves me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still must say: mage and sword cultivator stories are completely different styles. If you like it, of course, welcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you don’t like it, that’s fine—you can wait for the next one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe next time I’ll return to xianxia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t subscribe to the mage novel just because you loved the sword cultivator one—even if you don’t like this one. I’d feel ashamed! After all, earning money isn’t easy for anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope the good brothers who subscribe to the mage novel do so because they truly love this story, not for any other reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, working part-time and writing extremely slowly, producing four to five thousand characters a day truly requires effort, sacrificing most of my personal time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I’m pushing myself to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you good brothers enjoy it, please support the official subscription.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s wrong with that!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2053,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","686abb7457ff5e66bd40d5c9e4d3f494dc042c6a134f89d272adbbb08db4b27a","above-the-mage-chapter-102","above-the-mage-chapter-100",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]