[Report This]Date: January 25 2022 2:41 PM Title: Renewal
Ah, yes! The same old excuse: "We're doing it for The Greater Good!"
Jisoo tells Eren that specks killing microspecks is for the good of the whole world. Satsuki claims killing both Jisoo and Keqing is for the good of the whole family. And the Nazis claimed killing six million Jews was for the good of all Germany.
Describing that over-used cliche as "bullshit" would be putting it too kindly.
Author's Response:
The road to hell is paved with good intentions they say.
Date: January 25 2022 5:44 AM Title: Renewal
Great chapter. Eren seems to be back to his normal self. Was wondering when he would realize how evil they were.
If what Jisoo said is actually their true plan, it makes sense in a truly gross and cruel way, like Hitler wanting lebensraum for his "people". I feel as though the people of this world are too complacent though. Unless there was some kind of mind altering, I feel like this would've been figured out by many many more people. Just looking at today, powerful entities are held under such a microscope by every-day people, I feel like the Amrita Corp would've imploded. But that's just me. I assume you have explanations for these things coming as they're huge loopholes.
But as of now it's pretty slated that Amrita corp are essentially people who have literal god complexes and are Zedong's.
I'm really interested in where you're going to take this.
Author's Response:
There actually is a canon explanation as to why they can get away with so much which has kinda sorta been talked about before! Next chapter talks about it a lot more though, but there are abilities of the Fang Sisters Descendants behind just shrinking people and super strength.
Date: January 25 2022 2:20 AM Title: Renewal
This is my least favorite chapter. That Erin is so easily manipulated, and that he's willing to try and turn Jisoo against the corporation who controls the world is insanity. He's no more powerful than Jisoo is to stop them, and yet this delusion fuels them both to try, even if it means becoming fugitives against a corporation that has unlimited resources and the control of every force in the world.
Author's Response: Im sorry you didn’t like the chapter!
Date: January 24 2022 9:23 PM Title: Renewal
Wow. Glad Eren and Jisoo had that conversation. Also Satsuki, what a schemer. As for the Amrita Corp's big plan, I want them to succeed. Honestly, I want their plan to come to pass but then I want it to work TOO well. There are always unforeseen and unexpected things that have ways of messing up carefully laid plans. Even when they work, if they work more than they were supposed to, that's a problem. Their reason for allowing specks to be mistreated, the whole divide and conquer idea may work too well and nothing gets done or too many die fighting each other. The population loss from causing a second worldwide Diminution might cause too many casualties as well. The environmental damage from critical infrastructure falling apart or going into meltdown would be problematic, people shrinking during winter and freezing, etc. It reminds me of what happened after the bubonic plague: if it's too effective and there are not enough people left to keep everything running, the balance of power shifts and the old power structure falls apart.
Every chapter that comes out leaves me more excited than before!
Author's Response:
Fun fact about the bubonic plague, it is the only time in human history since the Neolithic Revolution where there was a dip in the population. Around ten percent of the world died which is insane, I am very thankful to be born into a world with air conditioning, modern hygiene and streaming services.
[Report This]Date: January 24 2022 1:13 PM Title: Renewal
Well, it looks like we're about to climax here. This chapter has left me with a shivering feeling in my stomach. There is a lot that those two have to face, too much power is like David vs Goliath. And its a truly big Goliath. However, what decision Jisoo and Eren will take is unpredictable, Eren's is clear but Jisoo I don't know. That Satsuki is too cunning and evil, if she talks to Riuwen before Jisoo I don't even want to think what will happen to Maddie. In short, suspense... a lot of suspense as this literary work has always been since it began. Keep it up Kardo.
Author's Response:
We aren’t finished yet!
[Report This]Date: January 24 2022 5:29 AM Title: Renewal
Well Jisoo looks like u finally have to face your hipocracy as well as your families,. Poor Maddie though it looks like she maybe ok for the time being. Now what about poor Maeve.
Author's Response: So I’ll admit I don’t know science well enough to know how someone that small would do in the cold for a prolonged period of time, but hopefully she’s alright!
[Report This]Date: January 20 2022 6:17 AM Title: Reduction
Poor Maddie! I had so hoped she'd be exempt from the attempt on Giulia's life. And a killer half-sister?! I definitely didn't see that coming.
Brilliant! Makes me wish I could score you an eleven.
Author's Response:
So maybe it’s revealing to much but I don’t see the harm in clearing up confusion. That woman was actually her complete biological sister, not half-sister. But lots of people bit the bait and thought was Keqing! I wonder if she will show up soon if at all?
Date: January 19 2022 9:17 PM Title: Reduction
1. Poor Giulia.
2. Poor Maddie!
3. Poor Maeve.
4. Jisoo is in several kinds of trouble. Her goddess complex was ripped apart, she learned a game changing revelation, and Eren was on video call with Maddie when she was shrunk so there's no hiding that from him. Combined with what Satsuki was saying about Amrita corp. having dark, dirty secrets and Jisoo straight up admitting she loves being a monster, there will be consequences!
I don't know how you do it but every chapter leaves me even more excited for the next one.
Author's Response:
I sometimes feel bad about the weekly release schedule which is not set in stone for this very reason, since cliffhangers are not very fun to wait for! But that tension is part of the appeal of the story, each chapter makes you really want the next one
[Report This]Date: January 16 2022 10:43 PM Title: Reduction
Ah fuck, I knew this was coming but I still hoping that Maddie would get away unscathed. Now I have this sinking feeling in my stomach. I just hope theres a way to reverse the formula because her company has turned into the only light of hope for specks in this novel.
Author's Response: Maddie is a smart enough character to have put up a very good fight before it happened though! Only Thomas was that resilient before her.
[Report This]Date: January 16 2022 1:22 PM Title: Reduction
Oh, wow. Hell, exactly what I feared the most happened. Again I felt sad about what happened to Maddie. I've only felt that way in this story and it was when the speck commune was destroyed. I don't have to say that Maddie doesn't deserve something like that, not to mention that Giulia doesn't either. Really Amrita co. it's corrupt. Surely, humanity in this story has a lesson to learn but Jisoo is... well let's just say she's a contradictory character. I come back and I repeat I would not like Maddie to suffer something like slavery at the hands of that crazy Riuwen. Her projects and feelings are very noble. Someone like her doesn't deserve something like that. But I guess Eren will figure it out in time. Everything is in the hands of our literary master Kardo.
Amazing story, dude. It's been a long time since I read a story as good, emotional and deep as this one. The emotions from the beginning until the end are something out of the ordinary without counting the suspense in each chapter that makes you keep reading until the end. Thanks again Kardo for sharing this wonderful story on this site.
Author's Response:
I greatly appreciate the kind words!
[Report This]Date: January 14 2022 3:22 AM Title: Reception
The old poem is right.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."
Author's Response:
Very true quote as well! I also like the old saying to describe this as well. "You reap what you sow."
Date: January 11 2022 11:41 PM Title: Reception
Satsuki brings up some very good points. I have to admit I wasn't expecting her to point out these hypocrisies. It's either an act on her part or she genuinely knows it's all hypocrisy and that's why she's so frigid. And good for Eren that he's actually being made to think about these things. If the Amrita Corp. does care about specks and has the influence to casually appoint political leaders and dictate policy, why allow specks to go mistreated?
And Maddie, oh dear. She woke up from her bigotry when she saw the speck commune but it seems she never realized that everyone else did not see what she did. Her casual brushing off of everyone else as bigots while she used to be just like them is a pride thing she needs to work out. If she changed her views on specks just by going to a commune, how many other "bigots" can see the truth like her? Good on Giulia for pointing that out.
Author's Response:
Very fair assessment of Satsuki! She definitely comes off as a very combative person but perhaps there is a reason for that. It's very possible that she's simply sick of the high and mighty attitude of her family when she isn't blinded by their supposed glory.
[Report This]Date: January 10 2022 9:33 PM Title: Reception
Very nearing the point of no return here. With Ruiwen close to one of her targets, under orders of Jisoo no less, and Maddie so near then things are almost certainly going to spiral out of control.
And this is why you gotta let bygones be bygones Jisoo. Shoulda listened to Eren. Now we are so close to an issue that could be avoided had you never given that order.
Really noticed how plenty of the Fang ladies go on about how what they do is for the benefit of the world, only to give in to their vices in the name of the "greater good". Sounds like some people ain't practicing what they preach lol.
"Hypocrisy is the audacity to preach integrity from a den of corruption" -Wes Fesler
Maybe their intentions were good at one point but they've definitely fallen to some of the seven sins yessir.
Great chapter as always Kardo. I always look forward to when you update.
Author's Response:
There are lots of things that would never have happened if Jisoo had managed to let things go, right from the beginning if she had listened to Eren and not gone after Mikayla, Alice and Sylvia it's very possible she and Eren would have had a comparably 'normal' relationship. The Fang ladies are definitely revealing their true colors as more about them is revealed! When they aren't 'arbiters of justice' their moral ethics are very questionable to say the least.
Thank you for the feedback!
[Report This]Date: January 10 2022 2:53 PM Title: Reception
Oh no. no! that's bad really bad. If that killer hurts Maddie that would be the last straw for Eren. He is already quite taken aback by what happened to Jisoo but if he finds out that a murderer on Jisoo's orders shrunk or eliminated Maddie there is no going back. Jisoo will have to choose between Eren and his family and given the state of their relationship the answer is obvious.
Author's Response:
Jisoo in the past has demonstrated that she has Eren under a spell in a way... She knows how to play with his emotions! So we will see what she comes up with, perhaps the same trick won't work twice.
[Report This]Date: January 10 2022 1:48 PM Title: Reception
Oh shit! Oh fuck! Maddie is one of my favorite characters so I'm heavily dreading next chapter.
Author's Response:
Hey I'm really glad to hear that Maddie is your favorite character! I would really like to know which characters become people's favorite and least favorite as the story goes on. I'm sure Thomas was a very disliked character at first but later became more popular with some readers, and Jisoo has fluctuated quite a bit I think too! Maddie is in a interesting place where she started as a very well-liked character, then after she rebuked Eren became disliked, and now it seems she's become more popular!
Perhaps I'll do a poll sometime soon and see a leaderboard of who people like.
Date: January 10 2022 1:39 PM Title: Rescue
Curious. If things go wrong, will it lead to tension between Jisoo and Eren? Although Eren must be paranoid about Maddie's accident, he must worry Jisoo, she must not lie ... No, not reasonable theories for me, too many ifs. But an excellent gun! Or it will not fire as I intended.
Moral suffering, even anticipation, is so delicious ...
Author's Response:
Anything is possible! We already know that Jisoo seems to have a bit of a spell over Eren... Who knows how he would react?
[Report This]Date: December 28 2021 2:49 PM Title: Recuperate
Oh, dear! Either Nang Yai is planning to "Thai" one on with these soon-to-be-shrunken soldiers , as soon as she's off-duty. Or else she's working "hand-in-glove" with Keqing!
Author's Response: I love these puns!
Date: December 26 2021 12:14 PM Title: Recuperate
To coincide with the Lunar New Year, the military would host a parade in Beijing.
The author does not seem to understand the meaning of this festival to China. This holiday for China is similar to Christmas in European and American countries. The leader delivered a New Year message, and the people ate dumplings at home. Even the military will uniformly make and eat dumplings on this day. Most government agencies and almost all companies suspended their work on this day. During the day on this day, people need to visit relatives and friends (this is not an option but a mandatory option, otherwise they will be regarded as alienated from each other), and in the evening they need to eat together and watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV. In other words, no one has time to watch the military parade on this day.
Author's Response:
Ah that is very good to know! This is the dangers posed when you write a story which is largely based in another culture, of which I lack a good chunk of knowledge. With this in mind I will absolutely edit this most recent chapter in the final few paragraphs to correct this mistake and be sure to have that fixed before the next update. I greatly appreciate the chance to learn more about Chinese cultural practices and wouldn’t want to make such massive mistakes again so it is awesome to have someone able to correct them! In the future if any similar issues are noted I would be delighted to see where I can improve as well.
[Report This]Date: December 26 2021 8:16 AM Title: Recuperate
I love the deep story and revenge stuff.
One problem seems to occur now. They are all equally cruel and dishonest, therefor what her mother did doesn't have weight for me. I don't feel bad for Jisoo or Grace who themselves would not hesitate to kill a person like Suyin if they got the order or just on a whim.
Jisoo turned against her own family which is already a betrayal. The personalities at that company are so annoying now that I actually root for her mother.
I'm curious how this will develop. If there is anything I dislike, it is those big corporations who preach about morality and what is good for humanity and the world.
Author's Response:
The Amrita Corporation is incredibly wealthy and powerful, and definitely feel that their powers grant them to ability to dictate what all others do, they don’t exactly practice what they preach!
[Report This]Date: December 17 2021 2:04 AM Title: Redoubt
WHEW!!!
I did not expect such dramatic developments so soon. I guess this is your way of giving all your readers a suitable Xmas present. If so, I thank you, profusely.*
So, we finally get to meet Jisoo's biological mother. And she appears to be just as ruthless as her daughter! If so, I have a bad feeling that there's going to be a showdown between them. One doubtless ordered by the three judges as a way of both avenging the Fang family's dishonor...and granting unanimous approval for the marriage.
Interesting given name Jisoo's mom has, btw. From what little I've read on the subject, "Keqing" is the pinyin system of anglicized Chinese. Whereas, under the older system, Wade/Giles, it would have been spelled something along the lines of "Kaching!" Ah, well.
Thanks for posting these two new updates...and Happy Holidays!
*I've always wanted to use that adverb!
Author's Response:
Thanks for the feedback!
I originally got the name Keqing from Dream of the Red Chamber, which is the same source a few Fang ladies get their first names from! Daiyu and Baochai are both from that story for instance. As for how it is pronounced I do wonder how some readers say these names in their minds, but I won't try to confuse anybody and leave it all up to your best judgement lol.