126 – Epilogue
Hello. This is Linyar.
With either a short or long 125th chapter, this work has now come to an end.
As always mentioned in the author’s note, I would like to express my gratitude for always reading.
At the same time, I would like to apologize to those who were not satisfied with the content or coherence of the story.
Although it may sound like a cliché after reaching completion… truth be told, I had intended to end this novel prematurely.
Roughly around episode 50, I had planned to kill Asmodeus and swiftly conclude by having the protagonist undergo rapid growth, even facing Mashin.
You might say it was too abrupt, but honestly, during episode 8, in other words, while writing the Volcano Territory part, I was so exhausted that I truly wanted to quit.
It took precisely 12 hours and 54 minutes to write that part.
Originally, it would take me 4 to 5 hours to write one episode, but it wasn’t coming out well, and I began to wonder if this was my limit.
After crossing episode 8, my writing speed slowed down so much that I even lost all my stored-up drafts.
Perhaps it was inevitable; I started serialization recklessly without much thought.
Before becoming a writer, I was a reader, lying in bed before sleep, wondering how the next episode would unfold.
Who among the heroines would end up with the protagonist? That was how the main villain, who the heroines would be fixated on, was created.
Before forgetting, I would jot down the plot on a notepad, and coincidentally, when NovelPia announced a challenge event, I started serializing on NovelPia to earn some money and fulfill the long-standing thought of serializing on NovelPia.
I started recklessly, so naturally, as I didn’t have a clear idea of how things would unfold in the latter part, I bumped into limitations as I continued the serialization without grasping the thread properly.
If there were talented writers, they could have written a smoother and more enjoyable story.
I knew I didn’t have the talent to offer readers a satisfying story. But since I had started… I just thought, “Let’s go all the way since running away in the middle isn’t an option!”
At the time of serialization, the work I often saw had come to an end. Seeing comments from readers saying it would be okay to end early, I felt ashamed of myself for wanting to run away just because it was tough.
So, instead of posting a notice of discontinuation, I gritted my teeth, pressed the back button, and reluctantly wrote the next episode.
I ran persistently like that, and I am truly grateful that I can now post this conclusion.
I’ve rambled on for too long. As this is a postscript, I would like to address some memorable questions I received during serialization and apologize by sharing some points.
1. Why mix military with an academy?
In fact, I received this question a lot, and it was one of the biggest reasons that made me realize my shortcomings as a writer and contemplate discontinuing the serialization.
The decisive reason is simple: lack of input. The lack of exposure to academy-themed works was the stumbling block.
Although I wanted to write a fusion of academy and hero genres, I couldn’t figure out how to develop the story in an academy setting.
Therefore, I made a disastrous decision to mix the military, which I was most familiar with as a reserve in South Korea, into the academy, creating a mess, which resulted in criticism from many people.
I apologize. I will make sure not to mix in random, out-of-place elements without proper consideration in the future.
2. Why do heroes go to an academy for a hero party? Isn’t the balance off when they’re supposed to defeat the Demon King?
In a way, this also reflects my inadequacy.
I wanted to blend heroes and academies. The initial concept of this work was about protagonists who had failed in their first attack going to an academy to improve their skills, build relationships with heroines, and then attempt another attack.
Looking back, it does seem odd. I now regret not drawing a story about entering an academy and becoming a growth-type chicken.
However, one thing I am certain of… Even if I may lack in some aspects, I do not regret setting it up that way.
My primary goal was to write the story I wanted. Since I didn’t plan to write for money after failing the Challenge Quest conditions, I wanted to do it my way.
If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize, and I will strive to improve based on this experience.
3. Characterization of figures like Kwon Wang Bernogia and the current Emperor Isaac.
The reason for the decision to discontinue the serialization as mentioned above lies here.
The original plan was for Lucifer to not be the final boss but for the Outer Gods to be Ian’s ultimate enemies.
Naturally, the novel was supposed to be much longer.
My plan was to have around 300 episodes for completion, with Lucifer gradually revealing himself around the 200th episode.
However, I deviated from the plan midway, and, naturally, the length of the novel decreased.
In this process, characters like the Baron Kwon Wang Bernogia, who were supposed to be significant allies, were marginalized, and other storylines such as Ian’s struggles with Emperor Isaac, the Pope of Edenria, and the involvement of elves in Dasurim were skipped.
I am aware that this decision harmed the completeness of the work, and I will reflect on it.
4. Ian’s behavior is frustrating. Why did you choose a cider tagline?
The reason for the cider tagline was that I thought of the structure where the protagonist defeats enemies without any failures and receives rewards was too simplistic.
However, as the protagonist’s process of dealing with enemies lacked complexity, a problem arose where the rewards seemed too meager, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction. I cautiously consider that this may have given a sense of frustration.
Alternatively, you might have felt frustrated because of the situation Ian was in when he was first possessed.
I believe that labeling oneself as unhappy due to the Stamp Stone could also be perceived as frustrating.
At that time, I thought that the rewards being somewhat inadequate could be an issue, but I didn’t think that dissatisfaction could arise from other aspects.
I will strive to learn from this and become a better writer.
5. The pattern seems too repetitive.
Around the climax, someone pointed out that the pattern had become too repetitive, starting from Ian’s birthday.
There was a situation where a so-called “one pattern” phenomenon, where Ian achieves something, gains a reward, and is amazed because it’s a good item, began to repeat excessively.
If I were to offer an explanation rather than an excuse, the reason for this occurrence was that when I was writing about being the main villain pursued by heroines, the novel I saw most frequently at the time was an old Hunter work, which may have caused this issue.
It seems that I shouldn’t mention the title of the work as it belongs to another platform.
I’ve seen many works by authors who write hunter stories with fortunate protagonists.
As I continuously read those works, I unintentionally incorporated a similar pattern into my own work.
After reading the comments you pointed out, I hurriedly serialized the novel in a different way from the original pattern. However, it seems that leaving the already published chapters unmodified will take quite some time.
I will be more careful from now on.
I believe I have somewhat addressed the most common criticisms and questions that have been raised.
Regarding the side story, I haven’t prepared as much content as you might expect. It will likely focus on Bianca, Reyna, Celia, and finally, Haley’s story, with each likely to be released as two combined parts or three separate ones.
Of course, there will also be a side story about Nathalion. Nathalion will probably appear in a side story involving Ian’s children.
Ideally, I should have included all these in the main story and concluded it. Unfortunately, I had to show the heroines’ resolutions in the side story, for which I am deeply sorry.
Additionally, though I’m being cautious, the side story will likely be irregularly serialized.
During the serialization, I suffered from severe insomnia and felt the need for some rest after pushing myself too hard, leading me to make this decision.
However, I plan to upload at least one episode per day, and if unavoidable circumstances arise, I may take a break, but I won’t be posting one episode per week.
I understand that readers may not like irregular serialization, but having completed the story against all odds, I would be grateful if you could trust me just this once.
As for the next work, it will not be a fantasy but a sports genre, likely focusing on soccer and the story of a protagonist rebuilding a fallen Manchester United.
Although I would like to serialize it on NovelPia to showcase a different side, considering the nature of sports stories, I might also consider serializing it on another platform.
This concludes the post.
Although it was lengthy, I sincerely thank all of you for reading it through.
Thank you for watching until the end.
See you in the side story.