If you're reading this somewhere other than RoyalRoad.com, you're missing out, I use images, cursive, bold and tables in my writing and this is the site I publish my chapters at. So, get your ass over to this site and read it here. It free and you get the new chapters the moment they come out.
Alright, now that that's out of the way, I want to thank everyone who's given me feedback on the novel. I will be spending some time improving/editing/re-writing earlier chapters, so book 2 won't begin for some time. Any major changes/updates i make, such as re-writes, name changes, power system changes will be stated here in this chapter.
Thanks again, and for those interested in what might happen next, I've pretty much got book 2 already mapped out. Won't be doing any spoilers though. All that's left to do now, is to actually write it.
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[01.01.2025]
Chapter 1-5: Symbol for POV shift has been changed.
Chapter 1: (re-write) no description of Ronin home, No dino the bus-driver. Removed Marvin from chapter. Chapter starts with the speech by Principal Armstrong instead. Ronin comes off as a little less naive.
Chapter 2: (re-write) put in some smoother transitions. Began chapter with Ronin entering the cave.
Chapter 3: (edited) Added a description of Ronin’s apartment. He looks in the mirror instead of using an implant to scan body. (Only new implant can do that)
Chapter 4: (edited) Removed info on Ronin’s parents being killed and Nagata knowing.
Chapter 5: (edited) The Uninet implant can scan the body for injury.
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[19.01.2025]
Chapter 6: (re-write) Changed place of POV shift, smoother transition from chapter 5. Ronin trains for a couple of days before going out. Influence of artifact is more subtle.
Chapter 7: (re-write) Smoother transition from chapter 6. Added a small time skip between arriving from district 101 to buying the factory. Moved over the last part of the chapter to chapter 8.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Chapter 8: (Heavily edited) Smoother transition from chapter 7. have tried making the chapter more understandable. It does get pretty deep into the details, so, figured it was necessary. It became over 4k words long though.
Chapter 9: (edited) Cleaned it up, making the chapter more understandable.
Chapter 10: (re-write) To clean the chapter up, I removed the stat table and the last POV shift of Garnic, cutting the length of the chapter down from 4.2k to 3.6k words. Have also removed/changed some internal dialogue and added details to certain scenes. Also, the "stat table" doesn’t appear before chapter 22 now I think — and without any much introduction too. I will try to fix this with the next update.
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[07.02.2025]
Chapter 11: (Re-write) Beginning of chapter is now from Ronin’s perspective instead of the previously more objective perspective. To have less POV shifts, I moved the last section of the chapter over to chapter 12.
Chapter 12:(Re-write) Now contains end of chapter 11. Also edited the chapter to try to make it a little better. Kalvrakian embrace has also been written clearer. Ronin is now bald. The acid air corroded off his hair.
Chapter 13:(Re-write) Introduced “Stat table” after Ronin gets lowered into the arena.
Chapter 14: (Re-write): No time skip now in this chapter. It’s only about the Battle soul technique. fleshed out the technique more. The figures at the edge of Ronin’s mindscape, can move around as well as merge with him to empower his internal perception/mind/soul power.
Chapter 15:(Re-write) Now has the full month time skip/training arc.
Chapter 16:(minor re-write) Some light editing. Moved the last section over to chapter 17 (chapter 17, might feel a little discordant now. Will fix it with the next update.)
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[21.02.2025]
Chapter 1,5,7,10,11,12,14, 18,19, 20 POV shifts have been removed. Everything is now from Ronin’s perspective.
I've added more exposition in dialogue to make up for removed POV shifts. Still unsure if I should/can remove the POV shift to the academy board in chapter 13 though.
Chapter 17 (edited): some more info given by Nagata about Ronin’s transfer to Exodon
Chapter 18 (re-write): No Scrabby POV.
Chapter 19 (re-write): Dialed down. Argus POV removed. Ronin fights less battles. There's more exposition on how it feels to die in game with 100% of all sensations turned on.
Chapter 20(Re-write): Chapter has been split. First part only concerns the spaceship crafting and attack on factory (has some more details on Nimitri.) 2nd part (chapter 21 now) concerns the academy practical and Simons.