Discussion USAW - Upgrade specialist in another world

Well, i find this novel a bit strange. In one chapter we see the MC as, somehow, indifferent to the faults of bandits but, then, at the next village/hamlet, suddenly, he becomes ruthless. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Personally i dislike that and it annoys me the most. For me, that isn't a good presentation, nor model of a hero. He's just another self-centered idiot who acts on his whims.

For now, we have two characters. One who is.. Drived by madness- red eyes and ,stuff, but doesn't act like a berserker/mad one with revenge and one.. Who jumpes from a kind of indifference to no mercy. Is that plausible? Does that depicts real life? Unfortunatelly, it does. But, it fails to show all the consequences of that.. Heck.. Even Robin Hood died, no? Maybe, the world building wasn't finished, nor the type of novel allows for a more complex presentation of the world but, i dislike plot armors or justifications that seemed forced.

But, as a writer you don't explain your characters actions after you've made him act, no? That's illogical. It's just an justification. If the Mc can't discern the effects of his acts, then he's just impulsive and/or takes some risks. So, if you, as a writer.. Use too much 'luck' then, for me, that's another minus.
...
Currently, i'm at chapter 17.. And i must ask.. Is this another CD type of novel?

 

it is.

 

Aw.. Mkay. Looks like i'll search for another story. Maybe a dark story, an anti hero story. I need some politics/intelligent mc..

 

tell me if u find something good =)

 

You have to read alteast 100 chapter to make rant. (Don't judge to quiclky)

 

I think he was indifferent about the bandits because at first, they are just training materials. He can get rid of bad guy and practice at the same time. But after witnessing what happened to that village, no mercy. As for luck, i agree that too much ruin a good story. So far, it is still acceptable to me. Luck and opportunity is important after all. So did preparation and hard work that mc had shown so far as of chapter 29.

 

I think its mostly a case of lacking proper detailed explanation on mentality evolution. For me it's obvious that the MC personality evolved when pressed by the events and watching what actually happend when similar people (to him or the old man) were being abused and killed just because they were weak... Seeing carnage is different from hearing about carnage...

Ignorance is bliss! But when it ends...

The author just doesn't present those mentality changes clearly enough!

Until now the series is mind and satisfactory! Not a masterpiece bun a slightly different approach on a usual topic. Lets see where it goes...

 

I feel that you are wrong. I am currently at chapter 29 and the way I see it is that you have to look at how the MC is. He is a kind hearted guy and only recently has he seen the truth of his world and how dirty it is. He is young, not some 30-40 year old protagonist with a lot of life experience. He starts working even harder after his grand dad dies, then shortly after that he gets some unknown power and f***s himself for accidentally bumping into the antagonists "woman" (at least he thinks she is his) this then leads to him being taken into the Colosseum and meeting Uncle Wu and finally seeing the way things are for the strong vs the weak. What happens after is him getting some help from random sect guy #1. Afterwards he is growing up and finding his mentality.

He goes out of the city and see's what is happening to the weak from the attacks from the strong bandits and thus starts discovering his meaning and goal. He starts to set on his path of cultivation, protecting the weak from the strong and going against their injustices (at least that's the way I see it.) When he sees the bandits attacking the hamlet, though it doesn't say it, he is reminded of Uncle Wu's grand daughter and her story, and doesn't want it to happen to anyone else. Again this is just what I pulled from it, And I do read a lot of Xianxia. So in conclusion the world building is just starting and the MC is still in his growing up phase, things may change a little in the future. The MC is still young and is finding his way in life along with his path of cultivation and setting his personality in stone. I believe this Novel is actually written well if you look into it instead of pretty much binging 17 chapters and not really reading into them and look through the eyes of the MC and not at the narrator.

 

honestly the main reason im still reading this right now is because im kind of a he-man fanboy. though it does seem like it has potential to get better iv never been a fan of mc who start unnecessary shit for "training" and im also not really into reveng plots but he-man introduced me to xanxia (was a long time fan of wuxia since i was a little kid) id probably still read MGA if he-man was the translator lol

 

I guess revenge is kind of norm is these world. That why some mc/bad guy goes overboard when killing. To stop revenge at the root. Of course, some just downright psychopath living their life at fullest in their own heaven.

 

You've got a point, but.. Why 100?

But, those are your assumptions, no? Meaning and goal? At some point of time, in world's history, our world history did exist the notion: debt slaves. Ok. Growth phase. But.. I still don't think that he took lifes too serious.. I know, i know.. Xianxia and stuff. But, do i have to make assumptions at every corner if the story? At some point the MC is 'innocent' and so on but.. Then he can corner the bandits and act like an veteran?

Because of he man i've tried, for my second time, to read it, but, the 'no mercy rule' adopted by the mc is just how any youth act, he just adopts one of the accesible idea that he knows and doesn't give an in depth tought: 'all bandits must die, no mercy and so on'. .. And i want to see a change, not to see an MC that acts as an hot potato for all the story.

To be honest, i don't expect too much of this novel. I don't have the time, nor the will to 'cultivate' the dao of stupid revenge or to explore a world with mindless killings with the help of an mc that will be just another fool. Now, even an bandit is a human. Even an bandit has its own parents. Even an bandit.. Isn't from the start bad, i can't believe that he's borned as a bad apple. Even an bandit can be forced to be an bandit. Even an bandit can change and become, if not a good person, at least one who doesn't /kill/rape. No, the fact that everyone does the same is not an argument. If the mc sees how the villagers suffer .. Just by killing the bandits will help them? Will he protect them all the time? Of course, he can't ignore what happened, but.. There are many ways to improve a story..and i don't expect to see something more 'in depth'. At most, the mc will destroy the villains and everything will go haywire.

I'll put on hold this novel, maybe when there will be more chapters i will give it another try.

 

...Do those intelligent MC's exist?
Apart from some Japanese novels, most action novels just have an MC with a strong fist.

 

I don't think so, the MC received only a fragment of soul, no conscience involved. But, maybe you'll see your wish become true.

 

Ok. Now.. I'll come back later with few original fictions... Wait for me.
webfictionguide.com/listings/a-practical-guide-to-evil/

And you can find others here: topwebfiction.com/

Beside that, World of cultivation, Issth and few others don't have a mc that acts just with an iron fist. Action, action and again action, like in DBZ became tiresome.

 

that's how chinese web novels work. Especially new authors. They need the first 100 chapters to gain the attention of readers and thus there will be much more action and exciting events.

That's what the author of USAW wrote himself in a commentary. (unfortunately, these commentary are never translated). You know USAW is the first book of the author?

The bandits are normal humans. Only a few are spirit users. And even then, they don't have spirit tools. This novel will make it very clear that on the same spirit level rank, a spirit tool can be a win for the wielder. A strong spirit tool can allow a wielder fight a class higher than him.

This MC will remain nice and inexperienced for a long time. The upcoming events will give him a lot of experience points though. And the way he acts, including the instinct to "cornering bandits" as you said will be explained

Spoiler

the soul fragment from the world traveller influences him. Allowing him to make decent decisions like the guerrilla techniques he's using now. I believe it's even shown already in the translated parts, where he actually has the thought of the girl "give herself as a reward" for him saving her. The MC couldn't understand where these ideas suddenly comes from.

With your attitude and if you would keep it, you would not have survived this current arc if you were our MC....
In this current translated chapter, the MC let the hoodlums live. He will regret this act of kindness very soon, and he will regret it very, very hard.... and from then on, it's an easy decision for our MC... Even in the last few arc, the event that will occur soon, will help our MC make the correct decision for him.

It's always made clear in all xianxia stories, that it's a "strong eats weak"-society. Our MC remains pure, but will certainly not be naive. This growth will be made clear in the event after the next one. But he will remain humble even after becoming the most famous person in the world with quite some astounding status.

Sorry to break it to you. World Of Cultivation's MC will be

Spoiler

much, much more ruthless than USAW's MC

I like USAW because it's not constant action. That's only this current arc to attract the readers. The coming events will be focused more on character growth.

 

Sorry, i've saw my own share of 'help'. The hell is paved with good intentions..

I'm not the type to search for hoodloms to improve my fighting skills. Beside that, i'm the type who sees its own bussiness. I'm no hero. If i can help, i'll help. But, don't ask me for things that aren't in my power or i can't predict/afford.

Hm. He'll regret? What? That he didn't have power? That he coudn't predict the course of it's own actions? Things don't have an innerent value. Value is a concept used by humans for humans and it's meaning varies from human to human. so, i want to see something.

From what you've posted ... The mc has 4 moments when he has to face a decision: first episode- he lets's that kid do his job (killing spree); then no mercy rule; then he leaves survivors and then.. He's stabbed in the back? Really? But, poor little hero was so saddened by the lose of the villagers life that he was marked by it, no? But, still, he affords mercy? It's hard to believe that a traumatising episode can be so fast brushed aside. Resolve? What's that? Another set of personal values. So, i really can't believe that incongruency. You can call it personal dislike.

Ok. So, autopilot mode? Bandit? Yep, kill him. Reason? What reason, he's a bandit. He'll kill innocents. He'll rape boys. Pff. No. I don't like that. He just takes the easy way. And i dislike good boys that are never hit by what they did and stops somewhere, at the first answers.

What do you understand by pure? What do you understand by humble? You know. An criminal can kill directly by using his own arms, by using a mean (dogs/animal) or by his lack of action when he has the obligation to act (a medic that refuses yo give emergency help). I think that some country from Asia used to say: if you save the life of someone, you're responsible for him, did he do that? Dunno.

Of course, it's a novel. It's another universe. But.. Dunno, i don't like that after taste.

I appreciate your effort but, for now, i'll put this novel on hold.

Well, i don't know what's in that spoiler but.. It was an interesting description of a mc in the caee of WOC.

 

Your loss. I'd recommend this novel, the MC might be more of your taste

 

Why doesn't he give no mercy to the bandits? At first, he was indifferent because he's still young and probably didn't know what crimes they do, only that they're bad. Then, he learns what they do and sees what happens firsthand. Who wouldn't be mad? Who wouldn't want to kill them? Nothing can be justified about the bandits. As this is a harsh world (the story) letting them live? STUPID! They will always do it again...No one's personality can change that fast. I'm just saying it isn't that strange for our MC to suddenly turn ruthless towards the bandits.