Holy shit, you beautiful people. We're climbing the Main Rising Stars list like Red chasing a cheese wheel, and I'm honestly floored by the response.

  First things first— we hit 5 reviews!

  Here's the plan:

  Daily chapters start September 3rd, 2025This same schedule applies to Patreon paid tiers, though I'll be doing my best to manually sync the free tier releases with Royal Road.

  Why manually? Because Patreon won't let me schedule tier changes, which is probably their most requested feature that they seem determined never to implement. It's like asking a Vildar to share their dessert—not really a big ask in theory, but don’t hold your breath.

  Okay, but what about Book 2?

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Great fucking question, me. I'm about halfway through the first draft, and while the opening chapters are up to snuff, the rest... well, let's just say they need some love.

  What does this mean for timelines? Who the fuck knows. I'm pushing hard to get Book 2 done, edited, and ready for Royal Road over the next few months, but I've got standards I want to maintain. Quality takes time, and I'd rather deliver something that doesn't make you want to throw your phone/tablet/Kindle across the room.

  For my Patreon:

  While I'm wrestling Book 2 into submission, paid tiers will get side stories, polls, and beta reading opportunities. Think of it as bonus content while we wait for Ben to get his ass kicked by more impossibly powerful opponents. I'm not waiting until Book 2 is completely finished before sharing it with you—that way lies madness and disappointment.

  But what does it all mean, Basil?

  You've all been incredible. The comments, the follows, the fact that people are actually reading this thing and enjoying Ben's continued suffering—it means the world. Seriously. Writing can be a lonely business, especially when you're trying to figure out how to make magical cultivation systems make sense while keeping the humor intact.

  So thank you. For reading, for commenting, for putting up with my occasional author notes that ramble. You're the reason I can justify spending hours figuring out exactly how a Ben would react to being trapped in a dark hallway surrounded by—whoops, spoilers!

  Stay tuned for more chaos, more character development, and definitely more of Red being the goodest boy in the multiverse.

  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go figure out how a "reward" is going to make Ben's life more complicated. Because that's what we're all here for, isn't it?

  Keep being awesome.

  M.S. Davidson