Howdy y'all, I'm here to explain things about chapters 1 - 8 that I think you may not understand. If you understand 100% of the words and phrases in this novel, or don't want to understand them for some reason, then you can skip this. I should be posting chapter 9 soon after this, since I had alot of time waiting for the poll in chapter 7 to end.
Okay, my first note is going to be a disclaimer. I'm not trying to offend people with any sentence of this novel. I will state what I want the characters to feel. I will also be stating my ethics, opinions and such for which I'd gladly be judge by the world for believing. I'm nihilistic though, so this will end up offending most, if not all of you at some point, including myself.(I mainly correlate things together, like calling someone who judges people based on attributes of groups formulated by anecdotal evidence that probably isn't correct, shallow. And it is. If you some how get offending by it, then I mean to offend you, since you clearly can't face the reality of your choices, so I won't apologize.) I try to make it seem comedic to make it seem like I'm not a total arse who hates everyone whole-heatedly, but don't forget the reality that I am...
You see, my sense of logic is probably different to yours. One part of my ethics goes like this. 'Only about 7.6 million of the 55.3 million people who will die in a year die of cancer... 55.3 million of the 55.3 million people who will die in a year will die because they have lived. Therefore, why fight cancer and save the 7.6 million people per year, when you could just fight life it's self and save the 55.3 million people per year who'd die due to living by killing all the world's population already, preventing any more deaths of humans from ever happening?' Of course, I'm not shallow and vindictive enough to force my opinion on anyone, so don't worry about me trying to make this ideology a reality... I can't do anything to change your own view points, I gather that you disagree with me, and that's fine. If your own sense of logic contradicts mine, keep it. You're you, and I am me. Doki follows my opinions in this story.
Although I'm English, claiming that I find anyone else's reason behind using any other type of English apart from English version of English wrong, doesn't mean I'm good at spelling or grammar. This is way better than when I got my C in English language at GCSE, but it's still not good, and I appreciate this. I go back to edit chapters when I notice enough typos to piss me off, like misspelling my own username in the prologue, which I've amended now, but yeah, please don't get too annoyed at these mistakes.
Anyway, another thing I wish to discuss is the world of Myth of Men. The world this story happens in is not earth, but based on earth to a degree. For naming real nations, I've been purposefully butchering translations of the names in different languages, and claiming it to be the English name of the nation based on the nation from earth. For instance, Angleterre is England in french. So I make it Anglete, and that's the name of the nation in this fictional world based on the ideologies and stereotypes of England. Angletarian = English people/ English language in the world too. I did a similar thing with the United States of America to make it Amerikagasshuka based on the Japanese translation of the USA. Also, I use google translate... I'm trying to butcher them anyway, okay?
You probably have gathered that I've butchered game titles in the same way. SoC (Shackles of Conscription) being this world's version of CoD (Call of Duty.) I think the names are funny personally, so will keep making stupid parody names for these game titles.Since I'm doing this as a pure hobby, and am definitely making nothing for this, so copyright is irrelevant, I just have fun doing this.
Another thing I've changed is idioms. For instance 'Everyone strives for new endings, but they all start at old beginnings.' I don't know/ care is this actually exists, but I originally created it just for name sake because I'm narcissistic. But the meaning is basically just because someone does one thing similarly to you/ something with you, it doesn't mean that they want to walk your path exactly, so to assume so is stupid. Of course, real idioms will be used as well, I just like the freedom this gives me...
Now, for chapter specific problems.
Prologue: Yes, I know. The human brain is estimated to be something times ten to the power of sixty... But that's without compression, and is in-fact an estimate, not a fact. Also... Oops, almost said a spoiler. Basically, ignore that until the end of the series, and it might make sense, if not, I suck at writing... Also, yes, I know I'm an arse, and seem to have a vendetta against Americans... I don't. I just know that some of the people on this site that are Americans, may read this, and the English way of speaking English may cause some problems since the two versions are pretty different. I just wanted to do it in a comical and entertaining way.
Finally, the point of the nuclear war was that it was a reason to make every nation to increase it's force on controlling it's civilians, making them bored enough to the point of getting addicted to escapism through substance abuse or gaming. I could have done this in a far more interesting way, it just made sense to increase the amount of addiction so the thoughts behind the people playing make more sense. It also builds up issues in arguments wanting to leave the game, which I feel could be interesting to write.
Chapter 1: This seems like a pretty self explanatory chapter, but I see two things that may confuse people in it. When a character is thinking, time doesn't pause, hence when Doki's thinking about classes, to LOD it's like he's frozen and ignoring him. Also ~(insert sound)~ indicates that the sound is being made inside a person not on purpose, like a natural yawn, or a sneeze. It's pretty obvious I know, I just wanted to clarify it.
Also for this chapter, something I should explain. At this point, the game Myth of Men had just been released, meaning the people who are playing it don't know anything about it. Hence they're surprised about any information about this new world, such as the fact you can re-spawn, meaning it isn't perma-death. Sorry I didn't make this clear, a friend reading it didn't get this, so I can assume at least one other person didn't get this. I edited it to be slightly clearer.
Chapter 2: This also seems pretty clear, but I might as well explain what little there is to the currency system. Basically Gold coins are the currency. The more expensive something is, the more gold it costs... Gold in this world is a waste product, considering it's not good for hitting people over the head, it pretty useless in this world. Of course, there is equipment made of gold, and gold ingots, but it's pretty much just a weaker, better conducting copper in this world. Due to conducting not meaning anything in this world, it's pretty useless, hence it's used as a currency.
My views of sexism, which apply to any form of discrimination. I DON'T CARE! It's a stupid concept made by shallow idiots for prideful shallow idiots because of the shallow idiot's anecdotal evidence... That's what I think. Let's put it this way, unless someone can tell me every single possible variation of the XX and XY chromosomes, explaining why no others are possible with 100% accuracy, and can quote me the exact proteins made from the exact orders of bases in all of the gender defining parts of the everybody's chromosomes, and can therefore tell me the exact differences between the different genders, also identifying where hermaphrodites lie on this because they're technically both/ neither gender themselves, I will never care about this issue, and call those who do Shallow, Pretentious dicks. Change these words with anything different defining aspects of other people such as race, religion and sexuality, and you'll instantly get my view point on those topics too. Doki and Titanious mimic these sentiments.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Last thing to note about this chapter, the phrase 'Anti-charisma'. Basically, as explained later on in the series, but Doki doesn't like holding conversations. He can't keep a conversation going, even with people he knows alot, for long because he just gets to a point where he can't continue. This is brought up alot, because based on my own experiences, these conversations happen way too much in real life.
Chapter 3: another chapter I have little to say on. I'll use this to explain why everyone see's Doki as purely apathetic. Basically between chapters, he's not had any meaningful conversations, and pretty much isolates himself by not joining in the other's conversations. The only thing he's done was decide on the battle plan, and actively shut up anyone who was trying to talk about anything else. This happens alot between chapters, so that's why they seemingly call him apathetic and consider him antisocial when he's been talking alot in the last few chapters. The reasons they think he's smart is because he did all the strategy making himself, learning the other's skills and combining them and as this and later chapters show, his plans work out well.
Chapter 4: One minor thing. A sentence said in capital letters means that it's being exclaimed very loudly. Also, for some reason I didn't notice the spacing problems before writing this... Sorry.
Chapter 5: Yeah, the first part of this chapter was a train-wreck. I've edited it alot, but I'm still not sure it's that good. For reference *(insert sound)* means that the sound of someones actions affecting something else is being made. Like squishing of mud under someone's feet, or knocking of a door.
Chapter 6: Yeah, I was annoyed at my own countries idiocy on certain different grounds in that one, so I vented my anger out in a rant. My analogy is still perfect though, so shut up. By the way, when I say 'The Wicked Witch' I'm referencing Margret Thatcher. Basically, a few years ago, on the week of her funeral, the song 'The wicked witch is dead' from The Wizard of Oz was in the top 10 charts in England or something... Yeah, I didn't expect many people to get this reference, but thought it would be funny anyway.
Oh yeah, this affects chapter 6 and 7, but the reason Jeehan doesn't know terminology such as Telepathy, or common mob names, is because he's an NPC, not a visitor. I wanted to create minor, meaningless differences between the two groups to remind you of the contrast. but yeah, the mobs found in order of mention were hob-goblins, imps, mimics and bats.
Chapter 7: Apparently Jeehan's level 120 was persistent to stay in even though I'm sure I edited it out before... Spoiler, he's actually level 20 at that point and that was a typo made by me with next to no sleep at midnight...
Chapter 8: Yeah, obvious reference is obvious I guess. By the way, if you've sensed the pattern of Doki abusing one or two of his skills, well done. By the way, if you don't understand my gripe with the Americanization of the English language, read the prologue again... I can't make it any simpler that what I said there.
Fun fact: Doki was originally going to be a gender bent character in game. Whilst writing I realized Doki wouldn't care about his character's looks and would skip the customization, so went for the default, which was his real world looks.
Well... I hope you can understand things you were having problems with, and that this covers most of your miss-understandings for now. Last thing to do is state the results of the poll in chapter 7, for reasons stated in chapter 7.
A whole one person voted yes at the end of the vote, and no one else voted, so here is the class information, I'm also adding in player stats for a similar reason:
Player Stats:
Level: Increased character level increases class related skills effectiveness, range and freedom of choice of skills.
Speed: Increased speed increases dodge rate and increase speed of thrown items.
Damage: Increased damage increases damage per hit.
Weapon affinity: Increased weapon affinity increases damage per hit with a certain type of weapon.
Hp: Hit points, increased hit points increase about of total damage you can take with full hp.
Ap: Affinity points, increased affinity points increase the rate of skill usage.
Defense: Increased defense, less damage taken per hit.
Stamina: Increased stamina increases length of time of free movement.
Classes:
Assassin: 2nd fastest, highest damage, 7th highest 'natural' hp, 6th highest ap, 8th highest natural defense. Good against individual opponents. Glass canon, takes alot of skill to use well, more to master. Most popular class.
Samurai: joint 8th fastest, 6th highest damage, 5th highest 'natural' hp, 5th highest ap, highest defense. Good at piercing, and standing their ground. Can use healing spells, but weak compared to healers. 3rd least popular class.
Tank: joint 8th fastest, 7th highest damage, highest natural hp, 8th highest ap, 2nd highest defense. Good walls, skills increase their durability. doesn't take much skill to use, but takes lots of skill to master. 2nd most popular class.
Battle-mage: joint 4th fastest, 4th highest damage, 7th highest natural hp, 2nd highest ap, 7th highest defense. good at range. Takes some skill to get used to the spell based combat. Most skills to learn to use to be good. joint 3rd most popular class.
Healer: joint 4th fastest, 8th highest damage, 6th highest natural hp, 4th highest ap, 6th highest defense. Bad for combat, good support character. joint 3rd most popular class.
Pirate: joint 4th fastest, 3rd highest damage, 3rd highest natural hp, 7th highest ap, 3rd highest defense. Good basic attacker, can dual wield any weapon type without wasting a space in their shortlists, more skill is needed to pull it off. joint 3rd most popular class.
martial-artist: 3rd fastest, 2nd highest damage, 2nd highest natural hp, lowest ap, 4th highest defense. Great at hand to hand fighting, but lacks any range and only has a couple skills to help them. joint 3rd most popular class.
Succubus: joint 4th fastest, 5th highest damage, 8th highest natural hp, 3rd highest ap, 5th highest defense. Unlimited max hp, easily drains hp from opponent, but without it, is basically useless. 2nd least popular class.
Ghost: fastest, lowest damage, lowest natural hp, highest ap, lowest natural defense. Good at hexes, high evasion rate, higher with skills. supposed to be weak, until someone breaks the meta, and takes extremely high skill to be good. Least popular class. Only 2 in the world. The only class that doesn't appear for npcs. Invisible to people with less than half their speed, can possess objects and people until their ap goes down.
Well then, hope these sort out problems you've had with the series so far, and continue/ start to enjoy the series.