Shepherd's Secret Covenant

The extraordinary path, imbued with the meaning of "playing a role," is named the Path in this world. However, no one is perfect; even saints are not without fault. Extraordinary individuals, who should adhere to the core principles of their chosen Path, may gradually forget their original intentions over time. Any extraordinary individual with dual Path adaptability possesses a level of understanding and spirituality far exceeding that of ordinary people. Exceptional talent, keen insight, and formidable emotional intelligence—these are the high praises that "The Fox" Iaasu Moriarty and "The Detective" Sherlock Hermes gave each other upon their first meeting. Although Sherlock was unaware of Moriarty's identity at their initial encounter, as the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; becoming familiar with Moriarty's character and habits meant that the revelation of his identity was inevitable. It was this shared understanding that transformed the two, whose lives had previously had little overlap, into partners facing storms and challenges together. When their relationship transcended ordinary friendship, the term "bond" was apt. In the mansion, having resolved the Shadow Demon issue, Aiwas no longer needed a wheelchair for daily transportation. Sitting in his reception chair, he inquired with a hint of surprise about the purpose of his visit, "Mr. Sherlock, it hasn't been two months since we parted in the Dream World. May I ask what brings you here?" As far as Aiwas knew, the information and speculations he had provided to Sherlock in the Dream World, after being processed by Sherlock, had been submitted to Queen Sophia, the current ruler of the Kingdom of Avalon. The Queen, over fifty years old, clearly did not underestimate these seemingly insignificant pieces of information. With her authorization, the resources of the Glass Island Surveillance Bureau were entirely entrusted to Sherlock for his continued investigation. Logically, Sherlock should still be buried in his office, reviewing files. Could it be that the other party has made a new discovery? "Mr. Aiwass, there's no need to worry. The investigation is progressing smoothly according to my original plan. I expect to receive their report in a few days. I've come to invite you to join me on a trip to the countryside." Sherlock chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "The Moriarty family truly lives up to their reputation as an unshakeable founding family. This coffee tastes far superior to the generic stuff in the Bureau of Inspectorate's inventory." Aivas waved his hand. "The old butler informed me of your visit, so I had him bring out a cup of coffee my father prepared for distinguished guests." He raised an eyebrow at Sherlock as he spoke. "You're one of the few young people the butler approves of; you should show some courtesy. As for the trip to the countryside, let's discuss it further." Sherlock chuckled and replied, "It seems you're quite interested in my invitation. A few days ago, a secret report arrived, indicating signs of 'Transcendent' paths appearing in the border villages of the kingdom. Considering the recent tensions at the border, the superhumans stationed there are hesitant to act, so I decided to invite you to join me on a sightseeing trip." Aiwas nodded thoughtfully. "Transcendent" paths have always been considered forbidden territory in the Kingdom of Avalon; leaving traces is no small matter. He had recently regained his ability to travel, so he would accompany Sherlock. Aiwass snapped his fingers. "Protecting the kingdom's safety is my duty as a member of the founding family. Set a time." "Since you've agreed, then prepare well these next few days. We'll depart in three days!" Sherlock rose to take his leave. "Time is a bit tight. I need to go back and speed up the investigation. The people from the Surveillance Bureau still lack experience." Declining Aiwass's offer to see him off, Sherlock followed the waiting butler, Oswald, out of the Moriarty mansion. After watching Sherlock's figure disappear, Aiwass returned to his bedroom, planning the challenges he might encounter based on his current abilities as displayed in the system. After all, it was a trip to the border to investigate forbidden matters. Even though he and Sherlock were both dual-path transcendents, caution was still essential. Three days later, Aiwass bid farewell to Julia and the butler, Oswald, instructing the old butler to inform him of the matter if his father happened to return during this time, so that he would not worry. Although Aiwass knew that his adoptive father was currently preoccupied with important matters that would prevent him from leaving, he still decided to inform the old butler out of a special feeling. "Let's go," Sherlock said, watching Aiwass walk towards him, then glancing slightly at Julia and the old butler still standing at the mansion gate. "It seems that having family by one's side is quite helpful for extraordinary individuals. No wonder that even though you inherited the profession of shepherd and are committed to the dual paths of dedication and transcendence, you haven't forgotten your original aspirations." "I've gotten used to being alone, and I've been spending less and less time with my family. Fortunately, it doesn't hinder my path," Sherlock said with a faint smile. "Emm, what nonsense are you talking about?" Aiwas glanced at him. "You always go your own way, so how do you explain being my friend? You were just using me as a tool all this time, weren't you?!" (Annoyed) "Hiss," Sherlock's face immediately fell. He awkwardly laughed, "My, my, I was just reminded of the scene, don't mind me. Come on, let me tell you about some of the results I've found out over the past three days." If the people from the Bureau of Investigation saw this scene, they would probably be dumbfounded. In their eyes, Sherlock had always been an unruly yet extremely talented figure, making him difficult to approach, let alone get close to. It can only be said that anyone who can gain Sherlock's approval is a master in both character and conduct. It is precisely because of this that, although he and Aiwas are several years apart in age, they can treat each other as equals and work together sincerely. The two arrived at the border and personally investigated all the locations mentioned in the secret report. In an abandoned warehouse, Aiwass sensed lingering traces of the "Transcendent" path in the surrounding environment. Upon closer inspection, a small silver knife with dried bloodstains appeared before them. "Finally, we've found this person's trail. We should find someone to help locate their position." Sherlock breathed a sigh of relief. A "Transcendent" path transcendent being with a higher energy level than Aiwass was no small matter. Although Sherlock and Aiwass did not hold any powerful positions in the Kingdom of Avalon, preventing them from requesting local assistance in their personal capacity, the royal token that Sherlock had prepared and carried proved invaluable in this situation. As a token bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen, the holder's status was equivalent to that of a member of the Avalon royal family. This was not only a reward for his abilities in resolving the kingdom's problems but also signified the Queen's personal approval of Sherlock. After seeing the token, the local authorities, taking it very seriously, dispatched a powerful superhuman. Using a knife to pinpoint the location, the superhuman, along with Aiwass and Sherlock, killed the enemy before they realized they had been exposed in a highly concealed location. Out of respect for their identities, the superhuman politely gave them all of the enemy's belongings, stating that he had not examined the items. Relieved that the problem had been resolved, Aiwass and Sherlock attended the farewell banquet prepared for them by the locals. The next day, they returned to Glass Island together. In front of Moriarty's residence, Sherlock bid farewell to Aiwass, explaining that he was going to the border and the Bureau of Surveillance had received a new batch of matters requiring his attention, which he should resolve as soon as possible. Sherlock said seriously, "I'll come find you after I've analyzed the final results of this investigation. Please wait a while. In any case, I must thank you, Aiwass, for accompanying me." "Since we're friends, there's no need for thanks," Aiwass smiled and waved his hand. Sherlock understood and said nothing more, turning to leave. Aiwass, watching Sherlock walk away, turned and went home. He wondered how Julia and his brother were doing while he was away. When kindred spirits set aside their usual solitary lives, they can forge a unique bond through cooperation and create a new life they've never had before!

Suddenly, Aiwass and Lily seemed to sense something, but they didn't know what it was. Just then, the silver pegasus beneath their feet stopped. Aiwass looked up. At the top of the floating island stood a magnificent golden palace. On the palace's outer walls were countless enormous magic circles. They shimmered with a pale blue light, illuminating the center of the floating island, the palace's main gate. In this location stood a castle built of golden bricks. The castle was adorned with red gems, which shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, even in daylight. At the four corners of the castle were rows of neat walls and towering buildings. The floating island where Aiwass and Lily now stood was situated on a high platform next to the castle's main gate. Ten passageways opened on each side of the platform, all sealed off by tall spires. At the very center of these ten passageways stood a massive metal gate. This gate was three meters high and approximately three meters wide. On either side of the gate stood ten towering iron pillars, each about one and a half meters tall. At the top of each pillar was a large gemstone. Aiwass and Lily's attention was focused on this metal gate. Just then, a gemstone suddenly appeared above the metal gate, activating the teleportation array beneath Aiwass's feet and transporting them to an unknown location. After the teleportation, Aiwass and Lily finally arrived at their destination. This was a place shrouded in mystery. Within this mysterious space, numerous fairies, dressed in magnificent robes and wielding various implements, roamed freely. They sat, lay, stood, or prostrated themselves on the ground. Some fairies danced gracefully on the ground; some soared and tumbled in the sky; some danced in mid-air; some chased and frolicked in the forest; some walked around on the ground; and some flew in the sky… This is the Fairy Kingdom. And Aiwass and Lily were now standing on an altar in the plaza. In the center of the altar was a huge magic circle. "Welcome to—the Fairy Kingdom!" It was the voice of the Fairy Queen Titania. Aiwass looked up at the sky following the sound. A fairy was hovering above the altar. She wore a pure white dress and lay lazily on a cloud. Her wings were bound with something like ropes made of rubies, which were very beautiful. "Children, your arrival is a wonderful surprise!" She greeted Aiwass and Lily softly. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Titania, and I am the Queen of the Fairy Kingdom." Titania extended her fair, jade-like right hand. "I've heard your names from the other children. Thank you for your help to the fairies. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can become friends." Aiwass bowed, placing his hand on his chest. "May the Twin Mirrors protect you, Your Majesty." Aiwass and Lily's bow signified their acceptance of the fairies' invitation and their becoming friends with them. Titania smiled and shook her head. "Children, your experiences are truly memorable." The fairies are the cream of the crop in the path of beauty, and the Fairy Queen's attainments in this path are profound; naturally, she would know what had happened before their arrival. "So, shall we begin the game?" Titania's tone suddenly changed: "In the game, you must try your best to ensure your safety, otherwise you will be punished~" After saying this, Titania disappeared from the platform. "Ah—a familiar cutscene," Aiwas thought. In his previous life, he often came to the Fairy Kingdom dungeon with the girls on his contact list. There was no danger, and he could play around with pretty girls—no, Aiwas actually liked the atmosphere of the Fairy Kingdom dungeon, regardless of whether there were any girls with him.

Never trust online friends! Especially those you think are friends, but who you actually barely know. Recently, two online friends I've been exchanging esoteric knowledge with for years came to the capital to meet me in person. Since we've "known" each other for two years, I readily agreed to meet them at a bar without hesitation or suspicion. That day, we had a great time chatting and drinking, getting more and more excited as we talked about many taboo esoteric topics, continuing until late at night. Around 10 pm, just as I was about to go home, the bald male online friend said mysteriously, "Setting up the ritual will take about an hour. It's getting late, do you want to try it yourself?" Personally? Hearing this, I was immediately tempted. As someone who only talks the talk, although I'm very curious about esoteric taboos, I've never actually tried it myself. It's rare to encounter a truly extraordinary person willing to let me participate in a genuine mystical ritual, so I quickly and excitedly agreed. However, after working for over an hour, I finally belatedly realized something. This ritual seems to be a ritual to summon a demon. Summoning a demon definitely requires expensive materials as sacrifices. At first, not seeing any sacrifices, I hadn't realized something was wrong. But coincidentally, having personally set up the ritual altar, I seemed to have become the "voluntary sacrifice." Especially since I'm a student at the Royal Law University's Theological Seminary, and will become a priest before graduation. Even as a sacrifice, I'm a high-caliber one. But… I freaking don't want to be a sacrifice! When the ritual activated, at the critical moment of being sacrificed, I finally awakened my past life memories, preemptively recognizing the demon's species and seizing control of the demon's contract. I controlled the demon and successfully ambushed and killed the bald online friend who had deceived me. However, my situation did not become safer. Because summoning a demon is a serious crime. Once the Royal Capital's Surveillance Bureau discovers that the summoned demon I have contracted, even if I was initially the victim, it is still considered a crime. Unless I am willing to break the contract and give up the demon. However, after awakening my past life memories, I know that this world is extremely dangerous, and only by being strong enough can I ensure my safety. Since I have already contracted the demon, how could I possibly give up what's already mine? Therefore, I need to conceal the fact that I have contracted a demon from the Surveillance Bureau. Fortunately, because of my father's unusual status, the Surveillance Bureau did not dare to make a big deal out of it, and in the end, they only sent a senior female student doing an internship to investigate me. I checked the senior student's information beforehand and learned that she came from a commoner background, and although she was the top student in the academy, she had a straightforward personality and was not very familiar with the intricacies of society. People like this, who start hitting roadblocks in society during their internships, easily become lost, making them perfect for being the CPU (intellectual property). I had a maid do my makeup beforehand, creating a pale, weak appearance as if I had lost blood, and then sat in a wheelchair reading a book, feigning a weak and helpless kitten-like demeanor to evoke the senior's protective instincts and soothe her hidden, sensitive, and inferiority complex. A "weak," "wounded," and "handsome" superior will be completely under her control during the investigation, which will make the senior's subconscious stop targeting me because of my privileged background. Awakening my past life memories, I laughed inwardly: "Senior, let me teach you a lesson—never trust online friends, and never trust juniors." When the belated senior finally arrived to investigate me, the pitiful, weak, and helpless me, using a feigned retreat to gain the upper hand, politely asked, "Nice to meet you." "—Excuse me, are you here to arrest me?" #AmwayFamousScene##PastorSequel#

* **Urgent! I'm dying!** I was sacrificed in a ritual to summon a demon. Fortunately, I regained my memories of my past life. … … The dump truck is coming! Because I replied to my wise boss's message while crossing the street, I hit the jackpot. I transmigrated into a game developed by my own company. But... I didn't make the game, and I'm not familiar with the storyline. Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do? I don't care about the main storyline at all. My usual playstyle has always been: Fast forward! Fast forward! Fast forward! Skip! Skip! Skip! Fortunately, I've listened to a lot of early story information and been spoiled about some settings, characters, and the future main storyline. Using my information advantage, as the sacrifice, I made a pact with a demon during the demon summoning ritual and killed one in return. I survived. I became a demonologist. But I know this identity cannot be revealed. So, in front of outsiders, I am still a selfless healer, a buff provider, and a shield-granter. To conceal my identity, I seek revenge; I must silence everyone. So, taking advantage of the fact that the Supervisory Bureau was investigating the incident, I used my charm to easily gain the trust of the senior investigator and join the investigation. During the investigation, when facing the dungeon boss in the game, I naturally speed-cleared it! Instant kill. After getting rid of the clueless senior, I seized the opportunity and went to the corpse. As expected, I found the secret letter and destroyed it. Dead men tell no tales, so I nipped the buddy in the bud! All outsiders who knew I was a demonologist are dead. This achievement landed me in the newspapers and earned me a prize. A black book—"The Shepherd's Secret." The great detective Sherlock Hermes praised me! Princess Isabella of the Empire is fond of me! Yet, I still feel a deep sense of crisis. Because in the future of this game... My sister will go out of control and turn into a butterfly monster. My adoptive father will become the final boss in later versions. My kingdom will be destroyed. And I myself will die in a cutscene while taking a hit! I want my sister to live! I can't die so easily! I will climb to the top step by step! So, during the full moon ascension ceremony, I took on the role of my father in a parallel world. My biological father. Then I teamed up with the princess and the great detective Sherlock. Then, while fighting the boss, I committed suicide. —That's what Sherlock Hermes and the princess thought. Laughing to death, I'm perfectly fine. Full of vitality, surging power. Like a certain anonymous crossover character, I drew my knife and stabbed myself in the neck. I willingly offered my own blood, flesh, and spirit as a sacrifice to feed the Iron Hook Demon. After the Iron Hook Demon had devoured me, my consciousness revived within it. I became one with the demon! This is the art of Shepherding. A Shepherding technique from the *Shepherd's Tantra*. I threatened the boss to reveal his employer. He uttered a name. James Moriarty. My adoptive father. As I expected. I knew that to achieve my goal, I had to be willing to sacrifice myself for my son when necessary. The advancement ceremony ended. I ranked first and obtained two rare affixes. After that... My sister still entered the dungeon. Her body was curled up. Ragged and broken. Frozen in the butterfly's abdomen. The butterfly's abdomen, as transparent as amber. I was heartbroken, my heart aching. I remembered her sleeping with me, clutching a stuffed animal, her body burning hot like a furnace. I remembered her constantly disassembling and reassembling appliances, transforming her pain into a thirst for knowledge. She was in pain, she was melancholy. She shines, she radiates. The day has come, your brother can save you. Resurrect, my sister! My sister, Yulia, is reborn. With your brother here, don't be afraid. #FamousScene #PastorSequel

Unlocked 400 benefits (.· ·.). After a year, it's finally reached the limit.

Haina 🙂

I. The Disappearing Attribute Values First, there's a seemingly insignificant detail, but perhaps one that I deliberately omitted during the long serialization process—*The Shepherd's Sequel* has no specific attribute values. This is something many transmigration novels fail to grasp. Novels, in essence, are an art of imagination. Authors using language that's easier for readers to imagine naturally create a more immersive experience. As for attribute values, frankly, readers aren't particularly sensitive to them. Phrases like "A normal person's strength is usually only 5 points, but his strength is a whopping 15 points" and "He punched a half-person-high rock in two" both describe superhuman strength, but the latter is clearly more vivid. Small details provide "room for imagination," allowing readers to understand at their own pace and thus increasing immersion. From the ability values ​​in *Mercury Blood* to decimals, to the integers in *Player's Super Justice*, and now to the lack of visual representation of abilities in *The Shepherd's Sequel*, this is perhaps a step-by-step pursuit of a better sense of immersion by Qi Miao. II. More Upgrade Methods Secondly, there are modifications to experience acquisition. In this world, the proportion of experience gained through non-combat methods has increased, which greatly expands the possible development directions of the plot in *The Shepherd's Sequel*. Transmigration novels often prejudicially apply the settings of real-world games, thus using killing as the primary means of experience acquisition. However, to keep the protagonist up-to-date with version updates, this method naturally requires more combat-related plots, which undoubtedly limits the author's creative freedom. While fighting mobs is always necessary for the rationality of experience acquisition, just like in cloud games where the plot and boss battles are often just virtual, the repetitive leveling is significantly less engaging than the former, let alone in a novel. Increasing non-combat leveling methods simplifies the number of battles, allowing the content to focus more on boss battles and dungeon puzzles. It also helps the protagonist integrate into the world and increases the ways to develop the protagonist's character. III. The Addition of Ritual and Nightmare This is undoubtedly a product of Qi Miao's work after completing *Player's Super Justice*. In the previous part, Qi Miao already demonstrated his excellent imagination, presenting it through various rituals and secrets. Nightmare: Gallery is a classic among classics. Unfortunately, the previous part, *The Overturned Tower*, was limited by its subject matter and could not fully utilize Qi Miao's strengths. In *The Shepherd's Secret*, these two settings return, which can be said to be back to Qi Miao's forte. These two settings can also be seen as an extension of the second point. IV. Conclusion— A Game, but More Than Just a Game Qi Miao said in *Player's Super Justice* that the reason for adding the player setting was to increase the sense of distance. Now, in *The Shepherd's Secret*, what is done is to reduce the game setting to reduce the sense of distance. Whether it is the invisible ability values, the tedious and complex ritual knowledge, or the advanced nightmares that were cut in the game, when we look back, we will find that these settings are actually not very "game-like". This is perhaps the style that Qi Miao has found best for herself after serializing multiple works. The game-like parts ensure readability, while the non-game-like parts allow for more exploration of Qi Miao's ideas. It can be described as a culmination of the strengths of her previous works. A game, but more than just a game—this is perhaps the path that Qi Miao has found best suited to her own style.

This book, which was initially poised for success, is now in this state. If it continues to explore topics like "a split self," "the reason for time travel," "the pillar god's conspiracy," and "past lives," it will only suffer more. I'm unsure why the author is writing these things; is it a case of pretentious writing or is the target audience a niche group? I was also following another game-world fantasy novel with a similarly complete world-building and setting, a protagonist entering a game, and a charismatic protagonist. The decline in both books' performance and the reasons I stopped reading them are essentially the same: "The protagonist, who was originally omniscient in the main storyline, suddenly encounters completely unknown enemies, and then the author starts frantically writing about these aspects." The protagonist's control over the plot is gone, new abilities are no longer being developed, daily life is gone, and romance is gone. The Night Demon's presence is less than one percent of the Shadow Demon's, and its combat performance doesn't show any of the oppressive power of a sixth-level being. I've even forgotten what other fighting methods the Night Demon has besides Blood Rain. Or perhaps the author wrote it this way: besides using human sacrifices to cast curses, demonologists seem to only summon demons and act as cheerleaders. If it weren't for the Shadow Demon as a powerful figure from the start, the protagonist would most likely have no combat ability before the fourth energy level job change and the contract with the first phantom demon. Why even write about Xiong Tiansi? He was inexplicably branded at the beginning of the second volume. The Giant Prince was killed in cooperation with Merlin, and it was even part of Weizhe's ritual. Was he afraid to act, or was he unaware, just targeting the protagonist? Then he was used as bait, perfectly completing a dungeon to watch the Crown Lord kill Xiong Tiansi. What was the point of the brand he was branded with earlier? Was it simply to lead to the Crown Lord killing Xiong Tiansi, and the Lord of Scales and Feathers developing warriors? Even if the protagonist was just a background character, why write that? The Theocracy part is too outrageous. It's written for a long time that the protagonist was originally a pawn, a remnant of the split, a scapegoat, and then he continues to be a pawn. The protagonist is only flawlessly strategized when he knows the main plot. When his adoptive father reveals something new, or when the Pillar God Tianji reveals something new, the protagonist immediately believes it and then becomes at a loss. If someone offers him an olive branch, he immediately accepts it and becomes a pawn. What is the protagonist's charm? So, the sudden appearance of teammates wasn't due to the protagonist's charisma, but rather because the protagonist himself is a fragment of the Celestial Bureau that can influence the fates of others? Is the protagonist just a low-level, overpowered character who can only control the main storyline and nothing else? Where is the dedication? Where is the transcendence? You shouldn't be writing about "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?", Or "Where am I going?" You should be writing about: What are the advantages of the Enlightened Ones? What is their fighting style? Why is the Great Sinner so strong that the protagonist set their ascension goals early on? Where is the next Great Beast, and when will it be captured? What are the sacred modules behind the Book of Law? Then use this information to fight the Celestial Bureau. What are the Celestial Bureau's beasts? What are the adoptive fathers? What are the pillar gods? In the end, isn't it all about strength?

Early Stages: The protagonist's character was initially very appealing, but this charm diminished significantly midway through. In the Avalon arc, the protagonist displayed exceptional intelligence, seemingly in complete control, gradually changing the tragedy and growing stronger – a truly captivating figure. The image of a powerful being who transcends himself and the predetermined future was excellent. However, in the Theocracy arc, the machinations of his adoptive father and grandfather caused the protagonist's image to crumble. From the reader's perspective, the protagonist became a puppet, manipulated at will. Too many conspiracies led to a nested structure, and the lack of brute force created a sense of frustration. While logic is important, a compelling story and well-developed characters are even more crucial. The plot involving Xiong Tiansi was poor. While the protagonist appeared involved, his presence or absence made little difference. If the story had been changed so that the protagonist actively sought out and defeated Xiong Tiansi, the experience would have been much more satisfying, rather than relying on the mercy of the Lord of the Feathers. The protagonist is a transcendent being, and perhaps due to early character development, the reader expects him to be handsome and strong. Despite being on the path of transcendence, a scholar of great sin's advancement, the story lacks the essence of transcendence and feels like a mere sideshow. The plausibility is sufficient, but the story becomes uninteresting. It feels like transcendence should be about madness and ruthlessness. The Star Ladder arc, with its depiction of the protagonist's inner weaknesses, detracts from the overall experience. Logically, there are no problems. The protagonist is human and can indeed be vulnerable. However, stories about monsters might be more appealing because the power of the strong inspires aspiration.

I read over 150 chapters before I couldn't keep going. It's not that the writing is terrible, but there's nothing compelling enough to keep me reading; it just doesn't resonate with me. Similar works to this novel are Japanese light novels that love piling up settings, like *A Certain Magical Index*. They're characterized by complex settings and slow plot progression. The story's foundation is a "Kohaku" formula—the protagonist is transported to a game world with a game interface. The characters are a combination of a highly intelligent, sickly, beautiful young man and a cunning old fox. The aesthetic style is based on a cult simulator and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds rules. The setting is medieval aristocratic civilization combined with European warfare. At first glance, it seems promising, but almost every idea is overused, and even this patchwork isn't original. As for the plot, does this book even have a plot? Ask any readers who've been following along: were there any plot twists or surprises? Were there any unexpected foreshadowing elements? Were there any ups and downs? I didn't see any by chapter 150. All the foreshadowing is so obvious even a fool could guess it; the whole story unfolds along a single, straightforward line. The epic feel, so crucial to the Amber series, is completely lost. Take, for example, a few books from a few years ago: *Lord of Mysteries*, *The Sorcerer's Handbook*, and *Above the Heavens*, all managed to write compelling stories while maintaining novel and grand settings. But recent books like *Player's Super Justice* and this one, *The Shepherd's Secret*, are pure speculative hype. Sometimes an entire chapter is just a quick addition of a world-building element, which is then completely useless. It's like making a game where you randomly pick up an apple with thousands of words of background story, but the only purpose of the apple is to eat it. Is that interesting? For readers who like this book, I suggest you play Genshin Impact or Star Iron. At least in Genshin Impact, the item description text is free, and sometimes connecting the background stories is quite enjoyable. Why pay to read a book?