#proof of existence stuff

[skolomorphic]

really enjoyed your chapter 32 art, especially the bonus comic. i like the idea that whenever something happens between him and acacius, luka goes to veric to help him interpret it. sometimes roxana is there too but all she does is tell him it’s gay

entirely plausible scenario. i laughed

this reminded me of a random drawing i had in my folder. take it as a little treat

[simkjrs]

Hi! Long time reader here. I’ve really loved some other stories you’ve put out so I’m interested in reading Proof of Existence but generally prefer getting pdf or epub versions of things so my screen reader has an easier time. Is there any way to download those from your site?

there's no official pdf or epub at the moment since i'm constantly editing/updating my story and it's being updated once a week... also i'm not sure if github books supports file downloads like that.

if your screen reader is okay with plain html, or if you have an rss feed reader that works well with your screen reader, i have an rss feed here with all the chapters!

i don't have much time to work on the website right now but i'll see if i can add an option to download a pdf or epub for each arc once they are complete :)

[skolomorphic]

hihi...! I absolutely love the Tripartite in PoE. They reflect the themes of the world/story in such a cool way and I love seeing how their powers manifest in things like granting titles. Can I ask how you designed them? Like if you had any strong inspirations or if you had a specific goal in mind while creating them?

hello! i'm so glad you like the tripartite, i love writing them too :)

when it comes to original works, i tend to design the world around the themes i want to bring into focus. for 'proof of existence' i was interested in ideas about identity, memory, cycles, legacies, etc. etc. the ways we form these things and the ways they shape us. also, the ways these things change and distort over time.

the scribe and signifier originally emerged as representations of "truth/reality" and "interpretation/meaning," with the secret-keeper representing what is lost during the process of interpreting the truth. it was something that would play well with (1) my desire for an in-universe reason for a litrpg-style system to exist, and (2) eunseok/acacius' identity troubles. however, as i kept writing, the scribe moved to representing cycles/history while the secret-keeper became a figure that governs knowledge/mystery. this has made their godly domains more concrete while still letting them serve the same narrative purpose.

as for the tripartite's personalities, i like figures like the greek chorus or three fates (hadestown style) who exist as these narrative torture demon type figures that haunt you no matter what choice you make. giving them this kind of whimsical personality, prone to testing and twisting the knife, also lets me use them flexibly for pushing forward narrative beats that i find interesting.

in general ive been inspired by webnovels like omniscient readers view point, the editor is the novel's extra, ex-class supporting role's replay in a prestigious high school, etc. and also by stories about stories (umineko, perfect blue, mulholland drive, etc.) so that gave me an idea for the vibe i wanted for proof of existence, and from that it gave me some idea of what the world's gods should be like. i also wouldn't say this story is Specifically about stories. but stories are one of the ways we ascribe meaning to and interpret the world, so i'm sure it's something that would fall heavily under the signifier's purview. :)

[skolomorphic]

giggle. whats a webnovel without ambiguous yaoi

everyone knows the best transmigration novels, are the ones where the transmigrator has something incredibly weird going on with the original protagonist. the genre would simply be incomplete without it

[skolomorphic]

Do you have chinese characters in mind for chen xiarui’s name? Realized that I don’t know it or the tones for his name the other day. Hope your hiatus is going well!

surname 陈(chén) given name 侠睿(xiá ruì). initially i considered 霞 as a more normal (albeit feminine) character to use in his name but... 侠 is too funny. for eunseok's friend