NOVEL NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: Act IV Arrives September 2nd, 2025
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ACT IV: RED PLANET RHAPSODY
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Coming September 2025
Hello, readers.
My apologies for the delayed Act 4 announcement. It's been a week of long working hours.
As of this post, I've completed a tentative version of Act 4's volume cover, along with artwork of the starships that our four main characters will be adventuring aboard in Act 4 (and quite likely Act 5 as well).
What You Can Expect:
• The largest act yet. We're looking at 40+ chapters focused dominantly on Mars.
• A familiar cast with fresh faces. While 1-2 new Martian characters will help push the main plot, everyone else you'll see has already been mentioned or shown in Acts 1-3. With over 50 characters established, we have quite the ensemble (less than A Song of Ice and Fire book 1, but hey, I'm not writing Game of Thrones in space...yet. Haha).
• Character growth and quality-of-life improvements for those who've earned them.
• Moments of peace amid chaos. Like the rest of Nucleus 1, there will be slice-of-life chapters where our heroes simply hang out and enjoy what small pleasures life offers. There's a 5-star hotel in a large human city on Mars's southern hemisphere where they'll spend substantial time. And you know what loving couples do in 5-star hotels (wink wink). I'm saying!—don't be surprised if Lorna, Xin and Håkon watch the sun and stars from a balcony, or if Jabari and Ume spend an evening picnicking, yeah?
• Stakes with consequences. Multiple characters will die. This is where our protagonists face Skarn himself, on Skarn's home turf. Things won't be easy. I promise each character's send-off will be done with proper justice, and those who survive will have learned and grown in meaningful ways.
The Vessels of War
Here are the starship artworks for you to feast your eyes upon:
Ironsides VII - the Aegis battlecruiser that will carry Lorna, Xin and Håkon alongside their SIMU teammates and Terra Alliance soldiers. I deliberately emphasized the Liberty Cannon at the front. It took several hours, but on a high level, I told the AI to draw me a ship that is 'in spirit the same as StarCraft Terran Battlecruiser but very different in form' then picked the variant I felt was most grounded, with the right degree of 'space industrial' vibe. If NASA ever made a battlecruiser, this might be it.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
In case you're curious, this artwork features the moment when Ironsides VII ascends through Earth's clouds with Osram (the Moon) vaguely visible in the distance—yeah, this is the last scene that Lorna, Xin and Håkon witnessed at the end of Chapter 90.
Osiris - one of many Constellation carriers at the Emerald Directorate's disposal. Jabari, Dilinur and Ume will board this ship.
I originally tried placing it above Mars, but the red planet's rough surface made the whole image look 'dirty and rusted' - it really didn't complement Osiris's dignified appearance. I also experimented with Jupiter (where Act 5 will take place) but wasn't satisfied. So I created a separate 'starry cosmos' background instead. I think it's more fitting this way.
And finally, Act 4's volume cover features Lorna in the foreground with Mars and the Sun as backdrop.
Until September
Act 4 arrives in September. Until then, expect:
• Multiple Lore Drops on our regular Tuesday and Friday schedule (and even Sundays) to show the history and characters of Nucleus from different angles. Some of this material wasn't previously available on the official site, so all readers will discover something new.
The first chapter of Act 4 launches September 2nd (Tuesday). Until then, I hope you find the upcoming Lore Drops entertaining and enlightening.
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