Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey - Chapter 53: Change

The mid-level boss of my company’s AAA-game.

A poor orphan, who lost both parents, stumbles upon a mysterious space and embarks on the path of cultivating immortality. From then on, he cultivates spiritual herbs, refines immortal pills, opens a shop, practices military formations, and establishes an immortal kingdom…This story is about cultivating immortality and farming, with a focus on ordinary people, not horses.

(My new book “Sweet Love in the Countryside: His Little Plum of the Mountains” is out now, please add it to your collection)The village leader's son bullied her too much — in order to break off their engagement, he pushed her into a large water tank.She defiantly declared in front of the village leader's son that she would rather marry the ugliest man in the village than marry him!That hunchbacked, ugly man, the so-called “freak,” actually approached her: “Does your declaration still stand?”“Uhm...”And so, while you hunt, I water the vegetables; while you farm, I do the embroidery. Together, we work hard, become prosperous, and live a colorful and thriving life.However, this man who can hunt in the mountains, farm on land, and ride the waves on a boat is not as simple as he seems... he is actually...

“Heroes killed my parents. Now I wear the mask of one. Until I can bury them all.”At seven years old, Hernan Vale watched his parents — two powerful heroes — brutally executed in their own home by the very people they trusted most: the legendary super-team known as the Zodiac 13.They thought he was dead.They made sure the world blamed villains.They covered their tracks.But Hernan survived — and never forgot.Ten years later, under a false name, Hernan enters the prestigious Hero Academy, hailed as a prodigy. To the world, he’s a rising star. To his classmates, he’s charming, calm, unstoppable.But inside?He’s a weapon. Waiting. Smiling. Counting names.As he trains to become a licensed hero, fights real villains, and rises through the ranks, Hernan plays the long game — earning the trust of the Zodiac, learning their routines, studying their weaknesses. One by one, he’ll bring them down.And this time, he won’t hide in the closet.But the deeper he goes, the more blood he spills — the more he wonders if he’s becoming worse than the monsters he’s hunting.And when love, loyalty, and lies collide, Hernan may have to decide:Will he save the world like they think he will...or finish burning it down?