Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Author's Afterword

I just typed in the final words of the series. Bros... I can’t believe it’s over. Road to Mastery has been my project for the past two years, my continued obsession and companion. It not only pushed my skills to a new level, but also my life, financially and in a bunch of other fields.

Throughout these two years, despite the success and reader satisfaction that Road to Mastery received, I never allowed myself to experience it fully. It was incomplete. Anything could go wrong. That is no longer the case. The completion of Road to Mastery means I can finally stop obsessing over it, and it will always be there, never becoming worse no matter what. I cannot describe the relief that brings me. It also marks me as a true author, in my mind, in a more impactful way than anything so far. I feel so proud of what I have accomplished. So satisfied with myself. The positive feelings inside me are so many they fight to come out first.

That doesn’t mean I won’t miss Road to Mastery. I realize now, as I’m writing these words, that I will never write about Jack and Brock again. All the characters of this series are people I’ll leave behind, despite everything I’ve shared with them. It is almost grief. However, life is change, and embracing it is the secret to happiness. Good and bad. This is the good kind of loss, and I hope that, after sharing this adventure with me and Jack—as well as our excellent narrator, Jeremy Frazier, who has my heartfelt thanks—you will embrace the ending of this series as a maturing opportunity. I know I do.

I might be getting emotional now.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

That’s about all for now. Thank you very, very much for being part of this journey for the past two years. Your presence and comments meant the world to me. You gave me a bunch of great ideas and feedback, as well as motivation to keep going when things got rough—that goes especially for the people who messaged me about how my story helped them improve their lives, or gave them something to rely on during hard times. Writing is a tough gig, but you guys are the reason it’s worth it.

See you soon, bros.

To new words, to new worlds,

With love,

Valerios