It was finished. This time, it was truly finished.
I cut away many minor details and a large number of side plots that had originally been meant to flesh out the story. I never expected it to end at three million words—more than I had imagined. But no matter what, it was finished at last. A complete and lengthy story; I had explained everything. As I sat before my computer writing this epilogue, I inexplicably felt that there was still more to say. Ending the three million words I had written over the past two years in this state of mind felt somewhat strange.
From posting the book on March 10, 2018, to ending it on January 31, 2020, it took a total of one year and eleven months to bring this long story to a close. Looking back now, from the flood of criticism when I first began to the growing number of readers who gathered and encouraged me... well, it felt strange. Back then, I said that I would definitely finish it, no matter what kind of mess I wrote, but I would absolutely finish it. Many people mocked me, saying that every author who said that ended up quitting halfway.
The result proved that this author was still a fully intact author.
The story of this book had ended, but Donnie's story continued. Perhaps in the future, we would have another chance to encounter that cunning fellow. As for what he would be like then, who knew?
This story had ended, and a new one was beginning. The new book was expected to be released in ten days, on February 10. Of course, that was assuming things went smoothly. Maybe I still would not have sorted out the detailed outline by then and would have to delay