《Dungeon Defense》, which I began serializing in July of last year, has now concluded after 507 chapters.
In terms of paperback volumes, that comes out to roughly 24 books.
The fact that I was able to sustain this marathon serialization for a year and four months is entirely thanks to all of you readers, who supported me and held me accountable. Before I started serializing《Dungeon Defense》, the most I'd ever written was two novels, each barely one volume long. Without you readers walking this road with me, this would have been impossible.
To speak honestly, I didn't initially have much affection for《Dungeon Defense》. However, there were readers who had come to love the story before I did. Thanks to them, I grew to love it too. As time went on,《Dungeon Defense》became something deeply important to me. In other words, I owe a debt to all of you readers — both in terms of the act of serializing and in terms of my feelings toward the novel.
Thank you once again.
It would be overstepping for me to editorialize about the internal aspects of the novel.
So in this afterword, I'll limit myself to external matters.
1.
《Dungeon Defense》is planned to be remade and published as a paperback!
It will be published through Youngsung Publishing Media's paperback division, with book covers and illustrations added for a fresh new look. There will also be content revisions.
Unlike the daily serialization format, where I had to write and upload a chapter every single day, the paperback format will allow me to more easily adjust the novel's rhythm. I plan to trim or polish unnecessary sections and sharpen the dynamic between characters. It will likely come out around January of next year.
At that time, I'll post another announcement in the serialization section.
If you get a notification that a new work has been posted under《Dungeon Defense》in your favorites list, please do check the announcement. Identical news will be posted in both the serialization section and the announcements section. In short, even those without a Noblesse pass can easily stay up to date by simply checking the announcements.
The cover for Volume 1 is already done. It's a two-shot of Lapis Lazuli and Dantalion.
You can view the aforementioned cover in the current announcements section.
2.
There probably won't be any side stories or "if" scenarios.
There are still unresolved threads within the novel, but I think it's better to accept these as flaws and leave it at that. For example, the Daisy happy ending route that certain readers passionately demanded will likely never be written.
I want to preserve the protagonist's ending as it is. That feeling runs strong in me.
Of course, my track record of being spineless is so extraordinarily impressive that it could be called unparalleled in the entire history of humanity, so I might suddenly change my mind — for instance, the ghost of Saint Jacqueline Longwy, who is officially destined to remain an old maid until she dies, might possess me and compel me to write "I have to write the route where I end up with Saint Longwy!" How frightening, how frightening. Please, I beg you, find peace and move on.
To summarize: I currently have no plans to write side stories or epilogues. However, since I'm the kind of person who cultivates a whole thicket of grudges in my heart, I might suddenly do a complete about-face and write them anyway. Goddesses, please grant me the strength to maintain a heart as unyielding as steel.
3.
I do have a next work in progress.
However, since it's being serialized on a different site rather than Joara, I feel it would be inappropriate to openly announce "I'm serializing!" If any readers are curious about my next work, feel free to send me a private message anytime. I'll reply as soon as I see it.
To all of you readers who supported my very first full-length novel, I offer my final farewell.
Thank you for following《Dungeon Defense》all this way.