Blood Tax

"Blood Tax" is a story that I have been preparing for many years. The earliest idea came from "The Red and the Black", and I even considered a similar name for the original title. The red army and the black mysterious side also happen to be the core of this book. However, it is impossible for a novel of this era to allow Griffith to lose himself in his interactions with Galadia and Sonia, and die worthless in the end. Stendhal, the author of "The Red and the Black", makes a guest appearance in this book together with the protagonist Julien as Count Larmore's secretary Armance Soren (Sorel), but this time Miss Larmore will not give it away for free. 1. World view The world map of this world is similar to Byzantine Rome. I have hinted at it many times in the book, for example, in 1453, the capital in two sea areas (the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea), the Eastern Province on the other side of the strait from the capital, and the large river and grain-producing area (Nile River) that flooded from south to north in the Southern Province. I even used place names such as Odessa, Sevastopol, and Izmir directly, and I just missed writing the word Byzantium. This world is the world of real Cthulhu. The real god will almost never appear. Once he does, he will be in despair that cannot be resisted. Just like a sailor on a ship looking down at the never-ending rolling waves, strange shadows appear under the sea from time to time, and there are also strange things that are beyond common sense. If these things appear, he will definitely die. However, he may not have encountered these strange things in the end, but was drowned in the sea because the ship was torn apart by the storm. Based on this background, under certain circumstances, people in this world will lose their sanity due to the terrifying existential radiation and lost power, say crazy things (referring to JOJO memes) or become crazy (referring to the behavior of P Club players). 2. Combat Power Settings Sequence 8 is the backbone of this society's combat power, and many important magic items require at least Sequence 8 to be activated. This condition is also the minimum requirement for becoming a knight class and a mage stationed in remote areas. Sequence 7 has a relatively strong combat power and can serve as the leader of the Beyonder team or the commander of the army in a certain region. Most extraordinary people will be at this level for a long time. Galadia has a special setting, which allows her to do things that other Sequence 8 or Sequence 7 people can't even think of. Sequence 6 and above are called Extraordinary. Their extraordinary abilities can be projected under certain circumstances, forming effects similar to Noble Phantasms. The level of power is very different from that of Sequence 7. The protagonist's squadron leader Erza Valkyrie is such a character, and she has a very important plot in the later stages. Furthermore, extraordinary strength is not the only measure of strength in this book. Physical strength and other unknown forces are also powerful, just not as common. For example, a demon wolf without extraordinary characteristics can defeat an entire group of dismounted armored cavalry by charging (refer to the use of war elephants to charge the garrison in the Roman war). Organization, technique, tactics and quantity are very important. A team of Sequence 9 armored cavalry can basically succeed when besieging a Sequence 6 one; a powerful mage is more like an artillery unit, and is likely to be defeated or killed without proper cover; Rana, who is very strong in terms of setting but actually very strong, can be overthrown by a few goblins without helmets and equipment; the protagonist has repeatedly blocked terrain and defeated superior enemies. Future stories will also show that extraordinary strength is not the only factor that determines victory or defeat, which is one of the themes of this book. This can be regarded as some of my own innovations after reading so many fantasy novels. 3. Currency and Society Beyeland's urban prototype was a synthesis of Constantinople and Paris. Victory in the war brought more colonies and investment opportunities, and money flowed into the farms and mines of the new provinces, diverting investment. The money could have been used to accelerate the industrialization of the world, such as the steel and textile industries, and Beyeland would become rich and empty. The powerful wizard class can claim that the city belongs to them, rather than to the craftsmen, vagabonds, and traditional military nobles. The study of magic is their highest pleasure, regardless of the fact that most people cannot use magic. There are also some people who are not satisfied with this, and they will work hard to push the wheel of the times and involve the protagonist and his friends. The currency system is a synthesis of the franc system at the end of the 19th century, with reference to a large number of famous works such as "Beautiful Friends", "The Red and the Black", and "Les Misérables". I made adjustments according to different stages of wartime and foreign trade and investment. At the beginning of the first volume, due to the wartime situation and the shortage of supplies, 1 silver lang was equivalent to nearly 100 RMB. At the end of the first volume and most of the subsequent period, 1 silver lang was equivalent to about 75-80 RMB. The first volume is the one I am most satisfied with. Although the length and story layout are limited, I cannot expand on all the settings and foreshadowings. However, after repeated revisions to the plot and rhythm control, I think it has reached a high level before and after winter camping. There will be several small volumes and small plots next, and the core of the first stage is arranged in volumes five and six.

The story of Neopolis is not over. Griffith will return here again when he becomes stronger, looking for clues about the cult and the ancient gods, and at the same time, he will uncover the secrets of the Alandel family and the island. If we want to draw lessons and references, this book is the "Red and Black" of the mysterious world, incorporating a large number of Cthulhu works (The Truth of Neopolis is based on one of them). A large number of other work jokes that appear in the book are just to keep everyone reading as the dignified Cthulhu worldview and complex plot lines unfold, and also to prevent me from writing myself crazy because my sanity is too low when unfolding the story (I almost wrote myself crazy in the fifth volume). After reading the second volume, readers of this book should clearly find that Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Brotherhood have nothing to do with this work. I just have fun when writing about similar cutscenes and settings, and mention their sanity. I drew on an obvious dark line in "The Red and the Black" as a sublimation of the main plot, and prepared to pay tribute to the great hero. I didn't expect that some Harry Potter readers who thought they were Harry Potter fans thought it was a fan (I really have nothing to say, I almost came up with my foreshadowing). Before starting the important next volume, especially the most important opening chapters and events, I feel it is necessary to disclose the following information to everyone that does not involve spoilers. 1. Blood tax In this book, Shutoral refers to specially selected young guards with extraordinary characteristics. They serve as companion cavalry and reserve officers during the schooling of candidates for heirs of famous families. After graduation, they can directly become adjutants, heralds officers and commanders, or they can also serve as staff officers or territorial administrators. This special treatment is distinguished from ordinary guards, squires and elite cavalry by using proper names. The prototype comes from the Byzantine Nordic Guards (Roman Orthodoxy), the Turkish Guards (New Dynasty Yazheng) and the Macedonian companion cavalry. Shutoral is the "blood tax" in the origin of this book and setting. Apart from the fact that you will die, this is actually a very good job. If you are lucky, you can even win the title of the eldest lady of the feudal family (yes, I am talking about the current Earl of Larmore). However, the blood tax in this book is not limited to the protagonist and other trainee knights. In such a world ruled by mysterious forces, those with gifts of fate, higher status and talents must also pay a blood tax to their belongings and beliefs. If there are readers who have difficulty understanding some of the choices and actions of the elders, school authorities, and politicians in this book, please note that this world is not the world we live in, and some things are inescapable. No matter who it is, no matter whether there is a time-travel setting or not, it is difficult for the characters in the book to transcend their own social identity and environment when making choices. When Griffith makes some choices in the next volume, please do not forget his identity and position. I think that even in the era of online writing, there must be serious works. The reflection, growth and contradictions of the characters themselves are necessary elements of a work. I will try my best to make the writing interesting and vivid, but interesting without content is just paper to wipe your ass. It is precisely because of this identity, the current choices, and the conflicts that when I reveal the mystery about Griffith to you, this book can be called a complete plot that is different from the usual, and it is not just a toilet paper for everyone to relieve their boredom while squatting in the tub. 2. Ancient God Griffith's battle in the second volume has shown his full strength, and he achieved extraordinary results with the support of the local forces in Heura, but he is still as weak as a doll when resisting the conspiracy of the mysterious beings behind the scenes. In a world of Cthulhu, his rescue mission is doomed to fail. So, what should we do next, when the unspeakable existence begins to devour the people around him, and the layout from the first volume really unfolds? Normally, you can look for treasures (such as a physics holy sword/crowbar) like other fantasy/fantasy works, seek help from others (sacrifice a good friend or an old grandfather), and then print dozens of volumes in a specific environment (there is an old seal nearby), or accumulate experience first and then play dozens of volumes to fight off the ancient god (projection) and save the girl. I have indeed prepared this trick. Minos the Bone Ring is a very powerful plug-in, and I have also prepared a good friend for him. Roland, who invented the mutton hotpot in a book and then overthrew the legendary ranger based on Deedlit, is problematic at first glance. He will appear in the fifth volume. He is no longer a brave man and is doing some very interesting things. Having experienced the tragic loss of the Shadow Volume of Neopolis, Griffith will make the necessary choice without hesitation when power is needed in the future. But this is not enough. Will the protagonist and his friends sacrifice a few good friends to defeat the devil, return to the happy story and wait for the arrival of the new devil, and let the story repeat over and over again and write 8 million words? No, it won't. I'll prepare a better story for you. In other words, I didn't write this book to sell it for money, I just wanted to tell this story to everyone. Then, well, there is no more, and then the main plot begins. Without further ado, I will blast the next volume in everyone's faces early tomorrow morning!

Hundreds of chapters are just non-stop fighting and killing, killing and fighting. It feels endless. At least there should be a buffer. Who can watch the pig's feet being beaten all the time? It's a real moving natural disaster. It will die wherever it goes. At this level of danger, the world would have been dead before the pig's feet appeared. And it took him hundreds of chapters to become a second lieutenant from a top soldier? There is no one left in this promotion mechanism. He has done so many great things, survived so many narrow escapes, and is pretty good at it. I don't know how he got there to be so many useless lieutenants and colonel officers in the article. At this rate, I guess I can become a major by saving the world and defeating evil gods.

This book was written about 20 years ago. To be honest, it is not well-known. I didn't have high expectations from the beginning. But even if I lower my expectations, there are too many things in this worldview. There is nothing wrong with borrowing some good things from other places. People who know it can smile knowingly when they see the paradoxical elements, and readers who don't know it can also be unaware of it. But without a core setting of its own, it's a bit abstract. A bunch of unrelated settings are stacked together, making people feel uncomfortable even before the free chapter is finished. You might say it's just a piece of writing, but it's not bad when you think about it. The key is that the author is very intense in commenting and replying. Logically speaking, it is a good thing to have interaction, but the desire to express is too strong, and information that should be leaked and should not be leaked is leaking out. A common problem for new authors is that the story skeleton has not yet been set up. Settings, character relationships, etc. Are all thrown out at once. I have been thinking about my middle school fantasy for more than ten years, and I can't wait to share it, but this punch definitely doesn't have the skill that I have for more than ten years. I don't know if the author will feel a little embarrassed now looking back at the past🤡

Thank you for your thoughtful readers. Your suggestions on prices and productivity are very valuable. This is something I have always cared about. 1. Prices. You can probably guess the currency system of this world, which is florins, francs, sous and centimes. In different periods, the exchange of money and commodities is also different. What is the concept of the first meal the protagonist eats? It was in a mountainous province near a war zone and the maritime blockade had not been lifted. I ate a whole pound of mutton, two large pieces of bread, a plate of apples and vegetables, and a plate of honey. In contrast, 10 silver francs allowed the town officials to live for a week. That was the normal consumption level of residents, who lived on black bread and a small amount of vegetables and meat. Even though the protagonist is sometimes very aggressive, have you seen any of his purchases and counter-offerings? 2. Savings. The protagonist has been a soldier for two years. In fact, the war ended not long after he was promoted to second-level squad leader (before he was promoted, he could kill pure-blooded orcs with lucky dice). During this period, he bought himself mail armor, leather armor, gauntlets, helmets, swords and daggers. In addition, the prices of daily necessities on the front line are very high. Everyone must have noticed that the protagonist mentioned in the conversation with his teacher that their real goal on the eastern front is to extract points along the coastline, so it is self-evident how scarce supplies will be before the fortresses along the way are removed. 3. Productivity and world map. The productivity of this world is really not low, and I wonder if you have noticed? This is a capital city sandwiched between two sea areas. Across the strait to the east of the capital is the Eastern Province. The province south of the sea has a large river flowing from south to north. Where do you think this is? As the war subsides, food from the south will flood in, lowering prices and bringing about new social problems and the following story. The protagonist will not return to his hometown to farm, build water trucks, hydraulic machine tools, muskets and modern armies. I have a more interesting idea.

This volume unfolds several early clues. One is the secret of the strong orcs. The sealed artifact in the reservoir has clearly pointed the clues to Salorian, one of the most powerful wizards in the world (you may have guessed his character image reference). The suspicion of his assistant, the always suspicious Velonos, has become clearer. The second is the incredible House of Wonders, where the suspicious Isius puts on a silver mask after a wave of san checks and becomes more mature. He hooked up with the mutant boy soldiers and was planning something. Third, clues became clear about the author of the potion preparation notes that gave Griffith a little help. He went to Bijland in 1427, and was probably related to the destruction of the Aaron family that occurred shortly thereafter. Griffith had already guessed the identity of this person and was scared to death. Griffith and his friends will soon return to Homeland Watts to begin the story of Volume 4, entering a slight twist in preparation for the upcoming climax. Important information that can be disclosed: 1. Titles and promotions The Battle of Boulogne-Plachin was a complete major battle (a replica of Austerlitz). Griffiths completed the precise battle tactical arrangements on his own, commanded the main force to kill generals and capture the flag, and handled logistics and battlefield reconnaissance. The value and ability displayed far exceeded the killing of a few high-sequence monsters. Soon, he will receive a very generous reward (not using Sonia to offset the debt~). Although this book is a fantasy, it is also a fantasy with a very strict setting. The promotion of military ranks and titles is based on the world setting and realistic reference. There is a very common bug in traditional fantasy and fantasy, which is to set social levels based on force value and head count. This is a very childish social structure of a monkey group. Those in power can be killed or overthrown by young monkeys at any time. How can such a world continue to run? It's okay to overthrow it. There's nothing wrong with watching it. But how can there be kind and pure cute girls and young ladies in such a world? How can there be daily life? Such a world must be unbearable. Everyone is a monkey, carrying a knife and ready to stab people at any time. Of course, as a novel, it doesn't need to be so rigorous in many cases, and sometimes it's not that big of a deal. If you like it, just leave it as it is. Based on this concern, and to make the book more interesting and different, and to better control the rhythm, I adopted a hard-core social setting. You will soon see the operating rules of the Beyeland world (again, paying tribute to Stendhal), and Griffith will usher in the first stage of harvest and growth. Some readers, don't be too impatient, just keep writing. 2. Combat Power and Team Fighting The imprisonment of the Spellbreaker is a main clue. In the process of several consecutive spell caster defeats, everyone has also seen that although the spell caster's output is good, its defense power is a big problem, and it is not very useful in a state of war. So why did the spellbreaker get cut off and the spellcaster became the ruler of the world? Productivity, dear readers, productivity changes the world. It is not difficult to imagine that in front of high-level spell breakers, spell casters will be in great pain. It is probably like the beginning of "Release That Witch", where the girl was captured and used as RBQ, or used to produce mysterious items and brew potions. This story will not unfold until much later. After thinking about it over and over, I decided to briefly tell you about it first, so that readers will not be confused about it. As for why the world has turned into the situation in this book, the answer is self-evident, and "Let That Witch Go" makes it very clear. In the face of productivity, there are not so many reasons. This clue is also the final main line of the book. Back to the battle plot, after the novices pecking each other in the Battle of Verona, the cult group has attracted Beyeland's attention. Count Larmore and other superiors are not pig heads. They have realized what the series of events mean and are actively planning. In the upcoming fourth volume, the truly powerful combat-type extraordinary person in this book will appear in team battles. The hidden plot line of Neopolis is about to appear, and the most important secret line of this book is about to be revealed! Scared you to death! Please welcome Erza Valkyrie, the officer sister who is about to make her official debut (applause should be given here)! Her styling reference comes from RWBY's Pyrrah Nikos (a tribute to Monty Oum)!

The ingredients are extremely complex. The first 50 chapters have so far seen a dnd-like world stitched together with Cthulhu's mysterious potion, shaped moon, Lord of the Rings, HP, and even the evolution of Sui Tu... There are too many elements in just a few dozen chapters. How can I say the key if I can still understand it? There is a feeling of laughter.

This book is particularly good. The author makes a cowardly loser as the protagonist. The protagonist is being killed and cannot die, and others have to save him. . The protagonist is a deserter with peace of mind. Not a single feeling of guilt.

I just finished reading the first volume. The sewing is so complicated that I don't even know what to say.

Should I say it or not, this fight was good, it didn't stop from the beginning to the end😐