Reborn As Papa Silva

Chapter 111 - End of Volume - Author's Note

This might very well be one long, immature rant, so for those who have zero patience for this yap-fest, I'll state the most important news upfront:

As of now, Reborn as Papa Silva (RPS) is going on an indefinite hiatus. What that means or entails—well, you'll have to read on to find out.

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Now... where to start...

First and foremost, I should say I'm tired.

Physically, emotionally, spiritually tired.

Five months, 105 Chapters, and around 670K words—and nothing to show for it—has drained me.

I really regret taking some moral high ground and not opening a Patreon. Maybe if I had profited off this, even just a little, I'd feel differently. But at the same time, I'm glad I didn't.

Because if I had, if I'd accepted your money, this hobby would've become a job—one I'd feel morally obligated to continue, even when the passion came and went.

And I suppose that was the ongoing theme of this work.

My passion—it came and went.

Sometimes I lost all interest while my readers wanted more. Sometimes I was so invested while my readers were sick of it. And sometimes, both me and my readers were losing interest.

There were times I loved this series. There were times even writing a single paragraph felt like running a marathon.

When this series first started, it was pure discovery writing—taking it one Chapter at a time—until, for some reason, it became a hit on WebNovel. So I tried to put more effort into it.

Switching to third-person POV. Reducing the AI. Stopping for a second to think about where I was going with it.

Unfortunately, by the time we reached the Secret Order ambush, it was clear to most that I was running out of ideas.

After the Sebastian vs. Mereoleona fistfight, I took a ten-day hiatus to focus on my finals. And for some reason, as I did, inspiration kept coming to me—one idea after another—until I was able to plot the story from that point to the end of the Dream Arc.

And I quite liked it.

I'm proud of it.

From Chapter 43 to 84, I feel like I was at my best.

The subtle foreshadowing, the overarching arc, the OCs and their development—showing Sebastian and Acier's relationship not just as some fact on paper but as something formed and grown over time—making people attached to it, making them hate Lucius even more.

I loved the Dream Arc. Most of my passion for this project went into that arc.

So, surprisingly, it didn't bug me when people asked me to drop it and move on.

I was determined to finish it. And I'm glad I did.

Those last couple of Chapters—from The Unlove to The End—made me emotional.

Especially The Death and Letting Go, Part 1. My eyes reddened. Teared up a little.

Because by then, I was invested in Sebastian and Acier's relationship. Watching them fall apart—even though I wrote it—fucked me up a bit.

Nathaniel's death hit me like a truck. Not once did I expect to get so attached to an OC.

And speaking of OCs—or characters in general—their relationships, their interactions... That has been my greatest strength in this work.

And what I'm most proud of.

People cried for Nathaniel.

People respected Alden and Vardy.

People hated Lux's guts.

People went from thinking Nicklaus was good—very early on—to despising his very essence.

People begrudgingly tolerated Amara.

People went from dismissing Aurelia along with her mother to loving her.

People respected Florian, Ignatius, and Amber.

People are conflicted on Alfred.

People are conflicted on Acier.

People went from not caring about the OG Sebastian to loving him just as much as Earth Sebastian—perhaps even more.

Some told me I made them hate Lucius more than they did in the original work.

Some told me they were impressed that I made Augustus, Damnatio, and Solid likable.

Some were impressed by how I fleshed out Dorothy's background—and Zara's.

I made these characters matter to you.

The ones meant to be hated were hated.

The ones meant to be loved were loved.

The ones meant to leave us conflicted did just that.

And that makes me proud.

This work isn't a failure—but as a Black Clover fanfic, it certainly is.

In my decision to not write a canon rehash—my complete dislike for such works—I lost the spirit of the very story it's based on.

This is no longer just a Black Clover fanfic. Some love it for that. Some find it unbearable for that.

Maybe I regretted writing a fanfic in the first place. But without the world and lore of Black Clover to start with, I wouldn't have been able to write something this good.

I once tried to write my own story—two or three years ago—but dropped it in the prologue because my writing skills were abysmal. I've improved a lot since then. Or at least, I'd like to think so.

So maybe—just maybe—I'll give it a second chance.

I don't know what I'll do from now on. It's finals season. I have exams to study for. Projects to work on.

Maybe I'll go back and rewrite Chapters 1–13.

Maybe I'll continue with the alternative story.

Maybe I'll explore the other routes or timelines of this series in the extra stories.

I'll definitely see the Astelle Prompts through to the end—just as I did this volume. Even when I felt like dropping it so many times.

If I never come back to this story, I'll leave some ideas for how it could go here:

Volume 2 would be Samyaza's volume, with him as the main antagonist.

Clover would be tasked with dealing with him—alongside Dante, Zenon, Heart, Diamond, the Witch's Forest, the elves, and Zagred—for added chaos.

The story would span about five years in-universe, taking a heavy toll on many, with a lot of losses.

There would be unexpected heroes in Richita and Augustus.

Some of the main matchups would be:

Julius, Conrad, and Acier vs. Samyaza

Draven vs. Samyaza

Sebastian vs. Samyaza

Dorothy, Nozel, Fuegoleon, Morgen, Nacht, Yami, Gueldre, Jack, Damnatio, Charlotte, and William vs. Isolde

Mereoleona, Ignatius, Kaiser, Lovilia, Ellenor, Augustus, and Aga vs. Edelstein

Aga vs. Edelstein

Mereoleona vs. Edelstein

Sebastian and a certain revived Wizard Queen vs. Edelstein

Sebastian vs. Witch Queen

Draven and Lillith vs. Zenon

Ciel and Loyce vs. Dante

Licht and Lemiel vs. Zagred

Sawyer vs. Heaven

The volume would trace Samyaza's influence on this world—stretching back over two millennia.

It would cover how he brought magic into this world, his history with the elves, and how he bestowed the Heavenly Arcana upon their first leader—Solomon, just like in Solomonic lore from Judaism.

It would explore how the elves became connected to the Sefirot and became its apostles, while also diving into its inverse—the Qlippoth.

The elves, in a way, would parallel the Jewish people—chosen and beloved by mana (God's chosen), only to be abandoned, persecuted, and nearly wiped out.

The story would also expand on Leviathan—his history with Samyaza and his children (Nephilim), as referenced in the Book of Giants.

It would delve into Samyaza's relationship with Metatron—and why he hates him so much—drawing from the Book of Enoch.

Volume Three would focus on the progress of civilization—introducing magic schools and institutions, ushering in an era of development and research aimed at breaking away from grimoires and the current magical systems.

Instead of gaining spells through their grimoires, people would learn to design and invent spells through Trap Magic—slowly creating spells that anyone could use.

By mastering Ki and Zetten—the control of their inner lifeforce—they would no longer need grimoires to access their magic fully.

With the addition of Mana Method, True Magic, Ultimate Magic, Mana Zone, and Magical Tools, humanity would become less dependent on external systems and more reliant on themselves.

Volume Four would deal with the Three Beasts of Revelation and other creatures, such as Behemoth, while also uncovering the past of Saint Luminous.

Volume Five would follow humanity's invasion of the Underworld through the Shadow Palace—wiping out the devils level by level or bringing them under control.

This would primarily be Lucifero's and Beelzebub's story—expanding on how they rebelled against God's plan for humanity and fell from grace.

It would also introduce Astaroth and explore his unique origins compared to the other two Dukes of Hell.

This is where Lucius would finally reveal his true identity—casting off his disguise as Julius, stealing Lucifero's heart, and disappearing into hiding

Volume Six would explore several other pantheons, such as the Greek/Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies.

Volume Seven would be a Hino Arc, delving into the land's connection to Hell, the Five-Headed Dragon, the Priestess, Shinto, Buddhism, and the origins of the Tengetsu.

Volume 8 would be the final divine war against Heaven.

The main matchups would be:

Michael vs. Everybody

Seraphiel vs. Metatron

Michael vs. Metatron

Second Wizard King vs. Metatron

Second Wizard King vs. Michael

Lucius vs. Michael

Sebastian and Acier vs. Azrael

Yuno and Asta vs. Gabriel and Uriel

Noelle, Dorothy, Nozel, Yami, and Mereoleona vs. Raphael

Damnatio, Fuegoleon, and William vs. Raguel

Yami and Ichika vs. Remiel

Licht and Lemiel vs. Sariel

Edward vs. Zadkiel

Conrad vs. Cassiel

Princia vs. Jophiel

Terran vs. Sahaquiel

Alden vs. Eistibus

Jester vs. Raziel

Jack vs. Simikiel

Charlotte, William, and Rill vs. Zachriel

Nacht and Morgen vs. Leliel

Other Wizard Kings, the Ryuzen Seven, Spirit Guardians, Leopold, Lolopechka, Langris, and more vs. the rest of the Divine Army

Asta, Yuno, and Michael vs. Metatron

Everyone vs. Metatron

Sebastian and Acier vs. Lucius

This arc would prove that humanity was capable of everything Heaven could do—though through much longer and more complex methods.

It would be a battle for humanity's worth—their independence from Heaven and the Divine.

And it would culminate in humanity finally being seen as equals in their eyes—just as That One finally awakens.

Through all eight volumes, there would be many love stories—some ending well, others not. Families made and destroyed. Friends turned family. Family turned enemies. Enemies turned friends. And more.

We would explore the importance of the Primordial World and other key plot points.

Whether I ever write this or not... who knows?

Maybe I'm done with fanfiction after the Astelle Prompts.

Maybe I'll write something completely different—like a certain Black Clover x Fairy Tail fanfic I can't bring myself to start because it's so dark.

Everyone dies.

Like, seriously, pretty much everyone—Happy, Natsu, Lucy, Makarov, Fuegoleon, Mereoleona, Yuno, Yami, etc. And deaths on that scale would eventually make people numb to it, stripping away its emotional weight.

But that's a topic for another time.

Right now, I need to focus on school and work.

Till next time—if there is a next time.

Sincerely, HMak