Today, I have uploaded the final chapter of Cog Cultivator book 1 and its epilogue.

I would like to thank everyone who has read, enjoyed, and supported Cog Cultivator. This story was a deeply personal one for me and I put a lot of myself into both it and its characters. Writing the book was somewhat of a cathartic process, and I'm content with where XJ-V and the Cultivators of Ramor-Tai have come in terms of their character development.

That being said, coming to the end of these last chapters felt...draining to be honest. I had to go for a long hike after writing those final words. This book took a lot more out of me than I thought, and because of that I'm going to need a break from Cog Cultivator for a while.

I started writing this book as a companion piece to my other novels, Reborn as a Fantasy General and Averix: Call of the Everloft. Both of these books deal with war, pain, and some pretty specific traumas. Cog Cultivator, however, is a book I conceptualized as one concerned with peace, and finding a place in the world. In a way, the book represents something I've struggled with for a long time, and only now do I realize just how important it was for me to write. Turns out it took a robot to make me realize that I had been living like one for a long time.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Moving from one book to another takes a lot of work - especially in this case as it means saying goodbye to characters I've grown personally attached to. For a writer, these characters are more than just words on the page. I want to move on only when I'm ready. as to do otherwise wouldn't feel authentic - which is very important to me and the writing I do. This is the reason for this note to you.

XJ-V's story will continue in the future. Until then, let me thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for going on this journey with me. If you'd like to see more from me in the meantime, consider checking out my other stories, 'Reborn as a Demon Hat' and 'Reborn as a Fantasy General'.

If you enjoyed reading Cog Cultivator's first book, I would love to see a review from you.

Seize the fire.

-IronLung