I had reservations about the novel, especially as it went premium so early. The limited available chapters didn’t provide enough insight into character, plot, and world development to make a commitment. Regardless, I gave it a shot and have read through the first two arcs of the story. I’m not a personal fan of how the author objectifies women and emphasizes certain stereotypes, but it’s not unusual with this particular genre. It felt more abrasive at the onset of the novel, but becomes mere background noise that one can just roll their eyes at and gloss over. In regards to the protagonist, he is arrogant, and although we’re told he’s brilliant (and at times acts in a scheming fashion), he doesn’t exploit his system or plot armor well. Even so, he’s not someone I hated, but maintained my curiosity on how he would develop. Honestly, the rune-based magic system is what hooked me, and although the MC could have just “downloaded” any rune he imaginable, he just settles for eight, which felt odd. There didn’t seem to be any restrictions that would limit him from downloading an infinite amount of runes, which would have been fine, as long as the author leaned into a more strategic usage of his OP-ness. In other words, I know it’s fantasy and logic and common-sense can be suspended to a degree, I had just hoped for more well-thought out and utilized magic-system. In light of this, I’m not surprised that when the school-arc started the author abandoned his run-based magic system and changed to beast-taming. The switch happened so fast that I continued reading for another 100 chapters refusing to believe that an author would do something so literarily ludicrous … but they did. Overall, despite the faults, it has been a fun read, but I just cannot continue reading the novel. It’s a bait-and-switch, which has annulled any trust I have in the author’s vision of their novel and the ability to finish it, let alone create a satisfying and coherent experience. It’s a genuine tragedy. Still, I hope the best for the author, that they might grow from this experience, develop their craft, and create a thrilling subsequent novel.