Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 515

517

It took me a year and a half to complete Perfect World. A whopping 516 chapters, roughly 3.5 million characters. In terms of published volumes, that’s about 24 to 25 books. Even I, the writer, felt dizzy, but you, who have supported me until now, are truly amazing.

Hahaha. But the even more amazing fact is that the keyboard that allowed me to complete Perfect World in King of Fantasy World is still holding up. It’s a keyboard made by Hyundai Electronics, and although the letters are all worn off, it still functions perfectly. Maybe that’s why Hyundai Electronics disappeared.

I think I heard that it was acquired by someone during the IMF crisis [International Monetary Fund crisis, a period of financial instability in the late 1990s]. If you make products like this, you can’t make a profit. I’ve been using it for at least 15 years, after all. LOL. That’s why I’ve grown attached to my keyboard. It’s been with me for so long. I’ll probably continue to use this keyboard even if I buy a new PC in the future. (But the connection jack has changed a long time ago, so I’m not sure if it’s possible. These days, everything is USB. ㅠㅠ. I guess I can find an adapter in Yongsan [a large electronics market in Seoul]?)

Anyway, enough with the rambling. When I started writing Perfect World, I made a commitment to consistent updates. I had many hiatuses in my previous work, so I set this principle. But as it is with everything in life, unavoidable circumstances arose. So, I couldn’t update for about two days.

Looking back now that it’s finished, I feel considerable regret.

Still, it was a truly fun and joyful time for me. The reason I write is that I found my own hobby here.

Expressing what’s in your head in writing is difficult, but it’s a truly rewarding experience. But on the other hand, there are many regrets. Countless ideas flashed through my mind, but I couldn’t put them into words due to my limitations.

This is really unavoidable. ㅠㅠ. I get inspiration from store signs while walking down the street, and from the emotions I feel while watching anime, movies, and dramas… Everything in the world is material, so it’s impossible to put everything into words. Sigh~ But in this process, I recently set another principle. It’s about discovering material. When looking for material, it’s good to look high, but it’s not bad to look low either.

Sounds confusing, right? To explain with a simple example, a grand and splendid worldview that dominates an era is good, but a worldview that agonizes while living through an era is also quite useful material.

That’s how ‘Dogfight in the Sky’ was born. The reason I started writing this was the projection of a few people who lived through World War II.

Specifically, Erich Hartmann, who boasts the highest number of aerial victories in the world, and Hans-Joachim Marseille, an unprecedented genius fighter pilot. Erich Hartmann is a legendary figure who shot down 352 Allied aircraft during World War II, and Hans-Joachim Marseille is the best genius ace on the Western Front who shot down 158 aircraft. The interesting fact is that the personalities of these two aces who represent World War II are completely different.

The only thing they have in common is that they were both German soldiers.

Erich Hartmann used stable and universal combat strategies to carry out battles and was loved by superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. And he was one of the few German pilots who survived to the end and witnessed the defeat of Nazi Germany with his own eyes.

And Hans-Joachim Marseille was, in a word, an arrogant jerk who only cared about women. Moreover, he was hated by his superiors for carrying out dangerous battles and flights to find his own combat method. He’s the kind of guy who leaves his own squadron and jumps into the enemy squadron alone when the battle starts, so what more can you expect? To sum up my assessment of this guy… What should I say? He’s like Mozart from the movie ‘Amadeus’? The reason why he is remembered in the history of the world’s air forces is that he is a genius of aerial combat comparable to Mozart and the strongest player.

He shot down 17 aircraft in a day’s battle, 8 aircraft in 10 minutes of battle, and 38 aircraft in a week. The reason for these achievements is that he developed his own combat method through dangerous battles and flights, and he was a master of fraudulent deflection shooting. He shot down Allied fighters with only 15-20 rounds, so that says it all. But unfortunately, there is always a word attached to the icon of genius.

That is a short life, and Hans also dies during the war. What’s even more unfortunate is that he didn’t die fighting the enemy, but because the new plane he boarded was defective.

I doubt there was anyone who could have defeated this Hans in aerial combat, except for being ganged up on.

But you’re probably wondering why I’m mentioning these two, right? The protagonist, Franz Müller, and his life story were created in the process of combining the personalities of these two people. Erich Hartmann, with his humane and comfortable personality. And Hans-Joachim Marseille, who is called a genius but also an arrogant jerk. It was really difficult to combine them.

Thanks to that, I killed his parents and siblings, and caused a civil war in the Kroit Empire. Because in order to change a person’s personality in an instant, you need a valid reason, and there’s nothing like trauma. Thanks to that, the character Franz Müller was created, who becomes Hans-Joachim Marseille when he recalls trauma, or Erich Hartmann.

Ah, I’m rambling again. That’s my writing flaw. ^^;;;;;;;;,.

I really enjoyed writing Perfect World. I sincerely thank the readers who have watched over me with affection during the 516 chapters. And I will continue to see you with ‘Dogfight in the Sky’, so please continue to give me lots of love.

Then, I would like to express my gratitude once again for your love, and I will say goodbye. Goodbye.

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

This is the afterword.