【Tales of Demons and Gods】妖神记 ( Mad Snail | 发飙的蜗牛) (wn)

[Arkeus]

So, a couple of questions:

a°) does the friends/ally/etc powering up ever matter? As in, I am like chapter 140 and it seems that they never ever do anything significant with their strength, just wait for Ni Lie to save them even when they are logically good enough to do stuff themselves.

b°) Does the author continue to make everyone super dumb in order to make Ni Lie's seems smarter? It's getting rather tiresome the way it regularly goes "Attack the obvious weak point" when other people are supposedly experienced and they are all listening to him, or "Here is this thing you know about, but you don't know this really really obvious side effect that no one can miss" being regularly used.

[Hiyono]

a) Kinda, a lot of it is that this early on, he doesn't really need their help. The reason he's training them all (aside from the fact that they're his friends) is because he needs their help in the final battle against his archnemesis, who defeated him in his past life because he was alone. That fight is a long, long way off. This stuff is all still small potatoes to him, even where we are in the raw right now is basically child's play to him.

b) It's not that everyone is dumb so much as that Nie Li is so out of the ordinary that even if you consider where the raws are now, the narrative literally can't even provide a description of how strong he was in his past life because of how drastically it exceeds the frame of reference we have so far. The people of Radiant City are really just ants basically, in the grand scheme of things, whereas in Nie Li's previous life, he had basically challenged God himself and even surpassed him, losing only because he was fighting by his lonesome. For context, to the people of Radiant City, a Legendary-rank fighter is basically, like the name suggests, a thing of myth, and yet from his perspective, Legendary-level cultivation is the beginning of the path of martial arts.

[Arkeus]

Originally Posted by Hiyono

a) Kinda, a lot of it is that this early on, he doesn't really need their help. The reason he's training them all (aside from the fact that they're his friends) is because he needs their help in the final battle against his archnemesis, who defeated him in his past life because he was alone. That fight is a long, long way off. This stuff is all still small potatoes to him, even where we are in the raw right now is basically child's play to him.

It's not about them helping him- It's about them being incapable of dealing with their own issues while they should be strong enough to. E.G, we know their strengh is at a certain level, and then for some reasons Nie Li is the one who 'save' them from something they would have no trouble taking care of.

Basically, I am asking if they are able to deal with their own issues when their strength is well above the threshold needed for it, or if they are somehow still unable to do anything without Nie Li handholding them.

b) It's not that everyone is dumb so much as that Nie Li is so out of the ordinary that even if you consider where the raws are now, the narrative literally can't even provide a description of how strong he was in his past life because of how drastically it exceeds the frame of reference we have so far. The people of Radiant City are really just ants basically, in the grand scheme of things, whereas in Nie Li's previous life, he had basically challenged God himself and even surpassed him, losing only because he was fighting by his lonesome. For context, to the people of Radiant City, a Legendary-rank fighter is basically, like the name suggests, a thing of myth, and yet from his perspective, Legendary-level cultivation is the beginning of the path of martial arts.

Again, it's not about strength: it's that he is saying stuff that are literally "the first thing anyone would think of", and more often than not it's taken as if it was important/insightful.

[Wurstorff]

No, they're still little more than means to praise the protagonist and make him seem even more awesome no matter what he does.

[itisjustme]

No you are correct in that this is the type of novel where NPCs, friends or foes, only serve to make the MC look better. Hence yes, friends are there to be saved by MC, and they becoming strong mostly serves to show the MC is the fount of all knowledge. They don't strike me as obviously dumb but of course they won't show any insight because they'd steal MC's thunder. Enemies are there to gape at how insightful MC is at perceiving their weakness and how he can pwn them with his awesome level 4 when they're super mega awesome level 9000. Women are there to fall under his crotch. It will always be that kind of story so drop it if you can't stand it.

Unfortunately almost all the popular translated CN WNs fall in that category. What makes it stand out is that it has a strong sense of direction and purpose from the get go, like in actual novels, instead of going from generic villain #7653 the MC kills for not giving him face to generic villain #7654 the MC kills for talking rude to him. It's also very very feel good, the MC is nowhere as obnoxious as in those other WNs, doesn't get in stupid situation only to be saved by plothax, the pacing is faster and there's less annoying repetitive character worship.

[Arkeus]

Originally Posted by itisjustme

No you are correct in that this is the type of novel where NPCs, friends or foes, only serve to make the MC look better. Hence yes, friends are there to be saved by MC, and they becoming strong mostly serves to show the MC is the fount of all knowledge. They don't strike me as obviously dumb but of course they won't show any insight because they'd steal MC's thunder. Enemies are there to gape at how insightful MC is at perceiving their weakness and how he can pwn them with his awesome level 4 when they're super mega awesome level 9000. Women are there to fall under his crotch. It will always be that kind of story so drop it if you can't stand it.

Mmmh I see a pity.

It's kind of sadder when a story gives occasions where there secondary characters could shine and don't, compared to stories where it's obvious they'll never shine. Making me hopeful and all that.

Unfortunately almost all the popular translated CN WNs fall in that category. What makes it stand out is that it has a strong sense of direction and purpose from the get go, like in actual novels, instead of going from generic villain #7653 the MC kills for not giving him face to generic villain #7654 the MC kills for talking rude to him. It's also very very feel good, the MC is nowhere as obnoxious as in those other WNs, the pacing is faster and there's less annoying repetitive character worship.

There is a lot of character worship, though I guess it's definitely not as repetite as ATG/MGA, but those are pretty low bars.

I guess on the worship, it's ISSTH-level.

Originally Posted by Wurstorff

No, they're still little more than means to praise the protagonist and make him seem even more awesome no matter what he does.

I'd have wanted to refute your words because you also seem to think the same for DKC, which is basically the only Xanxia I know of where the MC constantly is humiliated and lose significantly with long-term crippling, but it seems you are right

[Mahesvara]

Originally Posted by itisjustme

Women are there to fall under his crotch. It will always be that kind of story so drop it if you can't stand it.

I kind of agree to other parts but this is kinda exaggeration don't you think? This is not a mega harem like Mars Gravity novels. Heck we are not even sure if this will end with harem or not(altough it's %90+ harem ending but it won't be more than 3-4 wives imo).

[human6861]

I kind of hope that the author make Xiao Yu in to Otoko no ko , it more interest this way .
The author ready throw in many gals so he should stop at this point.
We have tsundere , deredere , and masochist tsundere . Next should be yandere

[Hiyono]

Originally Posted by Arkeus

Basically, I am asking if they are able to deal with their own issues when their strength is well above the threshold needed for it, or if they are somehow still unable to do anything without Nie Li handholding them.

Well, they do all split up later on and have to take care of themselves. Still, this is altogether the wrong genre if you want a series where the protagonist doesn't do everything. This is a very niche genre, and this happens to be one of its defining characteristics. This aspect of the writing that you find unappealing is actually one of the things others intentionally read this genre for.

Originally Posted by Arkeus

Again, it's not about strength: it's that he is saying stuff that are literally "the first thing anyone would think of", and more often than not it's taken as if it was important/insightful.

Uh... That's because he's a character in a fictional story and he can only say things that the author can actually think up. If the author was capable of the kinds of things the story suggests Nie Li could do, then he wouldn't need to be a WN author writing for pennies, now would he?

(Either way, I'm not sure I agree with the sentiment that what he says is "literally 'the first thing anyone would think of' ", but that's a separate matter.)

[itisjustme]

Originally Posted by Mahesvara

I kind of agree to other parts but this is kinda exaggeration don't you think? This is not a mega harem like Mars Gravity novels. Heck we are not even sure if this will end with harem or not(altough it's %90+ harem ending but it won't be more than 3-4 wives imo).

Hrmm, I was talking about the story stereotype but all the good looking women end up wanting him/having a thing for him though even if he's not interested in them. For sure it's not as bad as say Long Live Summons where his girls help him nail other girls. >_>

Originally Posted by Hiyono

Uh... That's because he's a character in a fictional story and he can only say things that the author can actually think up. If the author was capable of the kinds of things the story suggests Nie Li could do, then he wouldn't need to be a WN author writing for pennies, now would he?

They earn a pretty penny nowadays (like last 2-3 years) though, like last year the top 20 were all millionaire in USD iirc and Tang San probably earned more than that Nobel Prize winner 2 years ago. :P

Mad Snail's pretty popular IIRC he probably earns way more than a common engineer or something. >.>

[Hiyono]

Originally Posted by itisjustme

They earn a pretty penny nowadays (like last 2-3 years) though, like last year the top 20 were all millionaire in USD iirc and Tang San probably earned more than that Nobel Prize winner 2 years ago. :P

Mad Snail's pretty popular IIRC he probably earns way more than a common engineer or something. >.>

It's like any other profession where earnings are popularity based - the very top earners make a ton, and others barely squeak by. I'm pretty sure he doesn't make that much. He's even said in other chapters that he's reinvested all his earnings into the manhua, which he views as helping some friends realize their dreams. (Explains why it sucks and its art is a blatant Naruto ripoff >_>)

[Daike1234]

If any of you guys are having some problems connecting http://thyaeriatranslations.com/ website. He gave up changing the server and moved to Wuxia World.

just to let you guys know if you haven't heard it.

[senjiro]

Originally Posted by Daike1234

If any of you guys are having some problems connecting http://thyaeriatranslations.com/ website. He gave up changing the server and moved to Wuxia World.

just to let you guys know if you haven't heard it.

i read last couple of chapters at wuxiaworld....
meh in some post thyateria was saying so. he moved to wuxiaworld while fix server issues. but at least you can read all tl chapters in wuxiaworld....
go nie lo troll... who will be the next person be trolled? stay tunned......

[Daike1234]

Originally Posted by senjiro

i read last couple of chapters at wuxiaworld....
meh in some post thyateria was saying so. he moved to wuxiaworld while fix server issues. but at least you can read all tl chapters in wuxiaworld....
go nie lo troll... who will be the next person be trolled? stay tunned......

I'm the type of guy who stacked the chapters then read them all. so i mostly missed the announcements/news or notifications. I knew that some guys are the same so they might have the same problems.

[dniv]

Originally Posted by senjiro

i read last couple of chapters at wuxiaworld....
meh in some post thyateria was saying so. he moved to wuxiaworld while fix server issues. but at least you can read all tl chapters in wuxiaworld....
go nie lo troll... who will be the next person be trolled? stay tunned......

He permanently moved to Wuxiaworld lol. He also changed the pricing of donations and made it so that there'd be 3 regular guaranteed chapters every week like other things on WW.

Anyway, this series is definitely better than other people make it out to be when they just call it blatant fan-service (not in terms of romance/sex but in terms of wish-fulfillment and people calling the MC so smart).

Also, the whole, the MC is literally dealing with people who are like ants before his final enemy in his past life, explains a lot and to why he is dicking around so goddamn much. I can see why it is hard for him to take literally anything seriously.

Does he ever explain things about his past life to his friends or not? I understand that if it hasn't happened yet in the raws, then it probably won't happen for a really long time right... because otherwise it could either help him make or break his relationship with Ziyun...

[triopsate]

So this is pretty much my impression of Nie Li after the latest chapter... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-SfsRFf7Vw

Spoiler:

I mean for crying out loud, he's already rich as fk and just to slap everyone else in the face some more, his painting is able to amplify the effects of the money printing press (aka the 神池) as well as his other ancient divine gears or w/e they get translated into

[Akiraa]

Nie Li is a minmax hack, of course he would have numerous ways of making money.

[Hiyono]

Originally Posted by triopsate

So this is pretty much my impression of Nie Li after the latest chapter... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-SfsRFf7Vw

Spoiler:

I mean for crying out loud, he's already rich as fk and just to slap everyone else in the face some more, his painting is able to amplify the effects of the money printing press (aka the 神池) as well as his other ancient divine gears or w/e they get translated into

Well, yeah. That's because while the narrative is constantly focusing on these tiny antagonists that are appropriate to his current level, Nie Li has never once forgotten who his true enemy is, and he needs every advantage he can get against that guy.

[human6861]

Well , he just got himself crystal printer in the latest chapter . Time to PM the sage emperor to ban this cheater .

[rickiminato]

Who is the actual antagonist?