225: To every reader who has accompanied this book throughout its entire journey

When I typed the final period, the sky outside the window had already darkened. The moment my fingertips glided across the keyboard, the emotions surging within me were both complex and vivid—there was the relief of finishing the book, but even more so, a sense of gratitude and a touch of guilt toward the readers who had accompanied me all the way.

You who are reading this text right now must be a loyal reader who followed this book from start to finish. To me, you are no longer just unfamiliar "readers," but more like companions who have journeyed with me. This bond is something I will always keep in my heart.

I still remember when I was conceiving this book; I held great enthusiasm. From the core settings to the story outline, and then to the detailed outline for each volume, I spent nearly two months polishing it back and forth.

In those days, the subway during my commute, the office desk during my lunch break, and even the lamp light before sleep were all filled with notes on character trajectories and plot turning points.

I always thought about writing every character to be vivid and three-dimensional, making every plot segment stand up to scrutiny, so as not to let down the readers who might click on this book. When I first released the initial chapters, seeing the encouragement and requests for updates in the comment section—even just a simple "Go for it"—could make me excited for a long time, and it became my biggest motivation to keep updating at the time.

But regrettably, this enthusiasm could not last until the end. By the middle and later stages, the qualification exam I signed up for entered its final sprint phase. Every day after work, my time was almost entirely occupied by textbooks and practice exercises, and the energy left for writing was severely squeezed.

At first, I tried to grit my teeth and balance both, but I gradually realized that under such exhaustion, I simply couldn't calm down to polish the content—the originally planned side plots were hastily glossed over, the growth arcs of several supporting characters could not be fully displayed, and even the logic of some plots had loopholes.

Looking back now, the later content was less "creation" and more "completing a task." Sacrificing quality to rush the schedule is the area I, as an author, should reflect on the most, and I feel especially sorry for the readers who had been looking forward to it.

Besides that, the low level of attention the work received was also one of the reasons I ultimately chose to finish it in a hurry. Watching the decreasing number of readers following the updates, combined with the pressure of exam preparation, I truly had thoughts of giving up during that time.

But every time I opened the backend and saw that a few new friends had started reading the book, I felt I couldn't just give up halfway. Ultimately, deciding to speed up the pacing to wrap things up was also out of a hope to give the story a complete ending; even if it wasn't perfect, I didn't want to leave any regrets for those of you who have accompanied me until now.

Honestly, you who have managed to read up to this point really make me feel both moved and guilty. You may have laughed or felt anxious over the plot in the book, and you may have also felt disappointed by the shortcomings in the later stages, but even so, you chose to stay with this book until the very end.

I have carefully read every single piece of advice and expression of understanding you left in the comment section. These words were like a faint light in the dark night, supporting me to complete the final updates.

Here, I want to solemnly say to you: Thank you, my "teachers." It is your tolerance that gave me a sense of confidence along this not-so-perfect creative journey.

I will keep the regrets of this time firmly in my heart. If there is a chance to pick up the pen again in the future, I will definitely plan ahead, balance life and creation well, and use more mature works to repay your trust.

Finally, thank you again to every reader who has accompanied this book. Thank you for every click, every comment, and every bit of support. May you all be successful and happy in your lives, and may we meet again in a better story.