Chapter 73 (Book 2 Epilogue)
Added 2021-09-13 04:08:13 +0000 UTCAuthor's Note:
In accordance with the Kindle Unlimited release, Chapters 1 through 38 have been removed. This post itself has been preserved for the sake of the comment section.
Comments
You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. And as far as anyone in Elatra can tell, there is no max stat. Levels ups are the limiting factor to strength growth.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-20 16:00:30 +0000 UTCThank you for this fantastic chapter. What is the maximum level a stat can be?
Fabhar
2021-09-20 11:32:09 +0000 UTCGlad I can help you with that! Monday blues are the real deal sometimes.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-20 07:18:37 +0000 UTCHaving a New chapter to read each monday really lessen the impact of ye old monday blues:)
Fetteworst
2021-09-20 07:08:13 +0000 UTCI don't have any specific stories off the top of my head, but there's always the original webtoon the concept was inspired by: https://www.webtoons.com/en/action/the-gamer/list?title_no=88&page=1
KamikazePotato
2021-09-16 07:43:42 +0000 UTCDo you have a link by any chance? Thanks!
Catra
2021-09-16 07:41:42 +0000 UTCIt often comes up in fanfiction, honestly, although there are plenty of original ones. It's literally called a 'Gamer' story, which admittedly makes it hard to search for. Has also spun off into the GameLit genre as well.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-16 07:31:53 +0000 UTCAre gamer stories a specific thing or a genre or what? and where can one read them? Not exactly a Google able phrase
Catra
2021-09-16 04:21:54 +0000 UTCThe very first inspiration I had for Outcast actually came about as a result of reading Gamer stories. For those who aren't aware of them, Gamer stories overlap heavily with LitRPG, and tend to have a Skill called 'Gamer's Mind' that basically turns the main character into a low-grade sociopath so they can experience the LitRPG elements without worrying too much. It's an element of those stories I consistently disliked, as it undercut lots of potential for emotional storytelling, and it was the direct inspiration for Melancholy Resistance and Rob's refutation of that Skill. Secondly, I wanted to write a story about the last human in a fantasy world. No big inspiration for that bit; I just liked the idea. The rest of the world and the story spun off from these two initial ideas. For Rob, initially I imagined him as being the secondary 'male lead's best friend' character who fell ass-backwards into the role of the main character of a dark fantasy story and forced to deal with what that entails. I tend to write him as the story's comic relief, as that's what he would have been in a 'traditional' story, and a lot of the sillier moments happen around him. This makes for a nice contrast with all the shit he has to deal with, and I like how that dichotomy has ended up playing out. For Keira, I wanted a female lead who was strong, competent, and violent - at least by the good guys' standards. She couldn't overshadow the main character, but she's more than capable of holding her own, and is the lynchpin in many fights. Her weaknesses would generally come from society and certain emotional flaws. This sprung about as a simple desire not to write a damsel in distress, token love interest, or Mary Sue. Riardin was the stoic mentor. He was never meant to be an overly complicated character, although I think I did a decent job at portraying the weight on his shoulders. Rather, his purpose was to be an introduction to much of the world's tone. His actions in Chapter 4-8 really set the stage. I ended up really enjoying writing him, and almost didn't kill him, but for the rest of the story to work as I wanted he either had to die or be crippled. Alas, it's the fate of 99% of mentors to bite it. Poor guys. Most other characters evolved as I wrote Book 1. By the end of that, I'd ended up deciding their general arcs for the rest of the story, but I allowed myself room for improvisation (and still do, to a degree). Probably the biggest improv characters were the Elders; I had no idea which ones I would keep around (if any) until I got a feel for which ones were working and starting to fill a niche in the story. Orn'tol and Zamira was also improv'd to a decent degree. Alia and Malika were probably the characters outside of Rob, Keira, and Riardin that I mostly had a clear idea of where to take since the beginning. Meyneth is probably the character who changed the most since my initial idea. Her backstory was the same, but her personality was very different. I like this version much more. The characters have grown more nuanced since their original inception in my brainstorming sessions, but every character starts from a core idea that you then expound upon.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-14 08:05:34 +0000 UTCWhat was your inspiration for the story and it’s characters?
Tyrondor
2021-09-14 07:39:09 +0000 UTC105 is a nice, round number and 100% regen in 40 minutes is fantastic. And it really brings to attention that low, low 38 strength... Berserkers do need to smash stuff.... :)
Captain Nuclear
2021-09-13 09:13:47 +0000 UTCFor the readers' perception to show that it's 'unparseable' to Rob's ears. It's not like simply hearing a different language he can't understand; it's some weird shit.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 07:55:58 +0000 UTCI have vague ideas for a potential sequel, but nothing concrete. Whether or not I would write a sequel depends on a LOT of factors that I won't possibly be able to know about until the story is almost finished, so I won't say anything concrete there. Plenty of ideas for other original stories, though! EDIT: Won't comment on potential future build paths. That's part of the surprise.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 07:53:49 +0000 UTCYou said the general path and ending of the story is known. Do you have anything planned for afterwards? Such as a sequel to the story, or something else in-verse (or entirely different). Edit: Also, when is Rob gonna put stat points into strength so he can start slashing his opponents harder? Killing things with firebombs can’t be a economical strategy if they have to keep making them.
TimeDrawsNigh
2021-09-13 07:29:17 +0000 UTCDoes Rob perceive the ASCII text that the thing spoke with, or is that a perception of us as the readers?
Not N. Octopus
2021-09-13 07:24:48 +0000 UTCTempting, but as real life doesn't give you a Regeneration Skill if you almost die, I think it would be a bit...risky. I did once have to jump out of my car and latch on to the back because the emergency brake broke, and it was sliding down a 45 degree angle icy road. Which isn't a big deal compared to some of the other stuff people go through, but yeah, I figured out my tolerance for non-simulated adrenaline that day!
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 06:51:03 +0000 UTCI would think that too high of platelet party would cause massive blood clots and strokes
Heather Hayes
2021-09-13 06:39:05 +0000 UTCHave you considered trying out some extreme sports like caving, diving, skydiving etc to experience the Rob experience?
Craxuan
2021-09-13 06:33:32 +0000 UTCTruly epic, I am glad I found this story. These type of fantasy stories I enjoy immensely. Well done.
Marius 001
2021-09-13 06:14:09 +0000 UTC"Plus, who doesn't love an act of utter defiance in the face of the impossible? So quintessentially human. Or at least our idea of it." I think you would like the HFY subreddit.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 06:11:28 +0000 UTCAt this point he's in peak physical condition for his body. He won't get bigger than it would be possible for 'Earth Rob' to get, though. A lot of what Vitality does to make him tankier is reality-bending system bullshit. A very high-level Platelet Party would have some weird effects. I'll leave it at that.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 06:10:13 +0000 UTCIt honestly covers almost his entire life TBH
DuskDeadman
2021-09-13 05:59:03 +0000 UTCIs the vitality going to do anything to his physical body? Like, bigger or chonkier? If platelet party gets high enough, would a blood splatter would just start eating stuff and ooze away?
Bob
2021-09-13 05:52:27 +0000 UTC*adds you to Rob's Party* There you go! Modern medicine made easy. Why do we need doctors again?
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 04:43:48 +0000 UTCYou will soon be receiving the medical bill for my jaw reatachment surgery, since this chapter has managed to not only make my jaw drop, but has dislocated and detached it, so that it is now lying on the floor. I look forward to the next one.
Michael Edenfield
2021-09-13 04:42:42 +0000 UTCOo. So the god-like figure that kept flipping a coin that seemed mostly humanish from that POV reappears here, except seen as so totally not human from Rob's perspective? Or something that hijacked/replaced that being. Plus, who doesn't love an act of utter defiance in the face of the impossible? So quintessentially human. Or at least our idea of it.
Ziggy
2021-09-13 04:40:22 +0000 UTC"Oops" yes this about covers your little stunt lol
Omen
2021-09-13 04:39:15 +0000 UTCIt means a lot that my chapter release days are something you can look forward to. We all need things like that to make going though life more fun, and being able to do that for someone is basically the highest praise an author can receive. Truly glad you're enjoying the story so much, and thanks for being a diehard since the very first chapter! The general path of the story is planned out. I know the ending, and many of the major beats along the way. Fine details 10+ chapters down the line generally aren't planned much, although I note down anything I can think of that I know I'll eventually want to use in the future. Stuff in upcoming chapters tends to get planned out in my head during idle time (car rides are great for this) to reduce writing time when I sit down to put the next chapter into words. I leave room for improv, and *have* improved a lot of stuff, but I always write within a framework to keep myself grounded.
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 04:25:56 +0000 UTCYour positivity always makes me smile :)
KamikazePotato
2021-09-13 04:21:19 +0000 UTCI love this story, and have been following it from sometime in chapter 1. It actually makes my day when I get to lay in bed and read a new chapter before I go to sleep, and I can not wait to see what happens next. Question wise, how much of the story do you have thought out? Is it done in your mind, and just needs to be written, are you actually an improv king, or something in-between?
Benjamin T Tuomey
2021-09-13 04:20:26 +0000 UTCAnother amazing chapter love it
Catra
2021-09-13 04:14:16 +0000 UTC
