Hello everyone! Author here!
First and foremost, I just want to take a moment to thank all of you — sincerely — for the love, support, and patience you've shown me throughout this volume. It really means a lot. I know updates haven't always been consistent, and I deeply appreciate everyone who's stuck around despite that. Life tends to get in the way sometimes, but your encouragement has kept me pushing forward and doing my best to deliver something worth your time.
Now, onto some of my thoughts as we close this volume.
When I first started planning this story, my initial outline for Volume 1 was meant to be fairly short — around five chapters, give or take. I even wrote a small breakdown of how I wanted the narrative to progress, and for transparency (and maybe a bit of fun), I'll share that rough note here, word for word:
"Main Volume 1 idea: Ideal length for this volume? Around 5 chapters. Chapter 1 will mainly ground the character, showing his ideals, and more. Chapter 2 will be about 'toughening' Anthony up, giving him a goal to follow, a 'lie' to believe in, something that pushes him forward and gives him a reason to survive. Chapter 3 will revolve around the Skills and his first level-up. Chapter 4 will show him caught in a loop of days, weeks, months, and years, exploring his mental state as he adapts to isolation. It will also reveal that consuming Pyre Dogs gradually alters him, granting sharper senses, improved reflexes, and small physical changes. The last chapter, after years of struggle and growth, will culminate in him defeating the Pyre Dog Lord. Then, as he finally thinks he can return to his family… a portal opens, leading him onto the Herta space station."
Looking back, it's interesting to see how much of that outline I followed — and how much I ended up changing along the way. Some scenes grew larger than expected, while others took on entirely new tones or directions once I got into the flow of writing.
With the end of this volume, you saw that I didn't go for the immediate Herta space station route, but went along with the Trailblazer route instead.
Now, I'll be honest — by the time I reached the end of the last chapter, I was getting pretty exhausted. I can admit there are definitely a few inconsistencies, maybe even some plot holes here and there. Writing can be a bit of a marathon, and as someone still new to crafting stories for others to read, I'm learning more with each chapter. So, if certain moments felt rough around the edges or slightly rushed, that's on me. I'll continue refining my process moving forward.
As for the world itself — Thelha Ra'tha — I wanted to talk about that a bit more. As mentioned in the story's description, this story is partially inspired by Survival of a Sword King in Another World. That story's sense of isolation and self-growth in a hostile environment really stuck with me, and I wanted to capture something similar while building my own spin on it.
The name Thelha Ra'tha carries a deeper meaning too. "Thelha" means to pour or to flow, and it has South African origins, stemming from the Xhosa language. "Ra'tha," on the other hand, can represent ideas like rhythm, wisdom, love, and individuality — in this story's context, it embodies individuality itself. What i was going for is that this world can create and build upon your character for the good or for the worse.
Onto pyre dogs.
Pyre Dogs are the native inhabitants of Thelha Ra'tha. Because of the unique nature of this world, time here is sped up significantly, particularly as it orbits the blue sun while remaining in the safe zone. Their name comes from the Greek word "pyre," meaning a pile or heap of wood or other combustible material used for burning a body. If you break it down, Pyre Dogs can be thought of as "Combustible Dogs." They have adapted to their environment in a deadly and fascinating way — their bodies store and process waste to produce embers along their backs and spines, allowing them to literally burn from within. This makes them both a resource and a threat, embodying the dangerous, transformative nature of Thelha Ra'tha itself.
That's all I really wanted to say. Please comment if you have any questions! I'll be glad to answer them!!