Building the World Behind I Regress if the Villainess Dies
Hello, everyone.
Since Chapter 41 was recently released, I thought this would be a good time to share my first proper development update for I Regress if the Villainess Dies.
The main story is still actively being written, and I currently expect Volume One to conclude at approximately Chapter 70. That number may shift slightly depending on how certain scenes develop, but the destination of the volume has already been decided.
Rather than rushing directly toward that conclusion, I want the remaining academy chapters to properly establish the characters, relationships, rivalries, and different parts of Rozenfall that will matter later.
The academy is not simply an introduction before the "real story" begins. Since the world is based on the fictional dating game Rozenfall: Romance and Ruin, the academy forms the foundation of its original story, heroine routes, and many of the consequences that follow after graduation.
The Hidden Side of the Story
Alongside writing the main chapters, I have been developing the systems and worldbuilding supporting the events readers will eventually encounter.
This includes:
The foundations of Aura and Magic
Character-specific abilities and progression
The history and structure of the world
The wider purpose of Rozenfall Academy
Nations, religions, organizations, and humanity's strongest figures
The Twenty World Wonders
The deeper cosmology behind Agrinds, humanity, and the beings worshipped as gods
The power system is being designed so that abilities are not simply random techniques acquired whenever the story requires them.
A character's strength will gradually reflect their experiences, beliefs, personality, and the path they have chosen to pursue. Aura and Magic follow different philosophies, and those differences will become increasingly important as the characters grow. Surprisingly, I was also able to create clear progression paths for individual characters such as Xian, Fahna, Caesar, Astor, and even Adrian. Magic remains magic, but there is now a clear explanation for why spells occur, why certain forms of magic become unique to a particular mage, and why other spells can be learned and used by many different people.
The worldbuilding has also expanded far beyond the academy.
One part I have been developing is the Twenty World Wonders: extraordinary locations, structures, beings, and natural phenomena recognized throughout the world. The complete group of twenty has now been established, although their individual histories, discoveries, and effects on the cultures surrounding them are still being refined. Some may remain distant legends for a long time, while others will eventually become important locations within the wider story.
The world now also contains other races with their own distinct traits, histories, and characteristics rather than simply following their usual fantasy counterparts.
One thing I did not expect was for the cosmology to become much larger than it currently appears in the novel. Agrinds are not merely monsters, and the beings at the core of the world, what we might call gods, are not as simple as benevolent or malicious divinities.
At first, I began writing the novel with the mindset of, "This is the topic I understand best and would find easiest to write, so let's do this." Before I knew it, the story had developed into something much deeper, perhaps even as deep as some of the novels that originally inspired me.
However, most of those truths belong much deeper in the story, so I will leave them as a tease for now.
The Heroines of Rozenfall: Romance and Ruin
The original game contains seven main heroines and one hidden heroine.
Several have already appeared in the novel, while others will be introduced gradually as the story reaches new locations, conflicts, and parts of the original game that Xian either barely explored or completely avoided.
All eight now have an established role within the broader story, although some are naturally further along in development than others.
They are not intended to be interchangeable romantic targets. Each possesses her own life, history, relationships, and personal route extending beyond her connection with the protagonist.
Some remain closely connected to academy life. Others will gradually open parts of the story involving the wider world and aspects of Rozenfall that have barely been seen.
There are also supporting characters and sub-heroines who will receive meaningful roles of their own. I do not want the world to feel as though every character only exists while Xian is looking in her direction.
The original game heavily punishes players who recklessly pursue multiple heroines. Its Ruin Ends can emerge from betrayal, damaged relationships, jealousy, or the consequences of treating people like collectible routes.
Xian, naturally, refuses to accept the idea that he must choose only one. Whether he can pursue the ending he wants without creating another form of Ruin remains one of the story's central questions.
Volume One and the Long-Term Story
Volume One now has a defined conclusion.
I will not reveal what happens, but its ending will mark a major turning point for Xian and establish the direction of what follows. Several details that may currently seem minor will also become more meaningful as the story progresses.
The overall ending of the novel has also been established. There is still an enormous distance between the current academy chapters and the final conflict, especially because the story will eventually continue into post-academy arcs. Those later portions will explore parts of the world and character stories that the original game normally separated into individual routes after the player selected a heroine.
Xian has no intention of respecting that structure.
Knowing the destination does not mean every scene between here and there has been rigidly fixed. Characters and individual arcs will continue to develop while I write them, however, I am no longer writing toward an undefined conclusion. The principal destination and the conflict surrounding it have already been decided.
What I Am Working on Next
My immediate priority is continuing Volume One and strengthening the academy portion of the story. The upcoming chapters will spend more time developing the class, the academy's systems, Xian's reputation, and the characters whose relationships with him will become increasingly important as the volume progresses.
At the same time, I will continue refining the worldbuilding, power system, cosmology, and heroine-route documents behind the scenes so that future developments are supported by foundations established much earlier. This is also what I have spent most of the past week working on rather than progressing the main chapters. I apologize for the temporary slowdown, but I believe establishing these foundations now will help me write the upcoming chapters with greater consistency and direction.
Thank you to everyone who has read the novel so far.
There may not be many of you yet, but knowing that even a few people have followed Xian this far means a great deal to me. This is my first long-term novel project that I genuinely intend to complete, and I hope the scale of what I am building becomes clearer as the story continues.
Volume One still has a long road ahead.
But its destination is waiting.