AE: After Episode

**AE: After Episode** are the short stories Sehoon Kim will use to reinforce the storyline of Part 1 before starting Part 2.

## Overview

The **Line Webtoon AE 1** for both the English and French translations did not include the Author's notes that were in the original **Naver Webtoon AE 1** , which led to a lot of confusion amongst the Western fans with regards to the status of the series.

There are 7 **AE** Episodes in total before Part 2 begins.

## Author's Notes Translation

The author's notes have been translated below.
**Panel 1**

Author writes: 1st season (part) finished

**Panel 2**

Author: I'm finished!!!!

**Panel 3**

Author: Sobbing...3 years and 5 months..Finally, Part 1(first season) is over...

Yeah..I'll take a few months off to rest, play games and go on a trip...

I have to live like a madman doing everything I have not been able to do!!

**Panel 4**

Author:...oh, right...!!!

**Panel 5**

Author: .......Ah right...!!! Let's drop a 2nd season (part) right after I take a break! In that way we can create some tension! Yahahaha!

Person in-charge (담당자): Se... Sehun-ah, do you mean you're gonna make a 2nd season right after your break? You don't mind if I take a break too?

**Panel 6**

**Panel 7**

Readers (독자): Wow~ Part 2? While we're at it, let's lock him up in the basement and give him tuna crackers so he can make 2 chapters in a week

**Panel 8**

\*Sehun Kim running constantly between House and workshop\*

**Text**: Infinitely confined to House and Studio

Author: I cannot leave until it's finished - Room of Pain (Workroom)

Author: I'm...I'm already...trapped

Reader: ...

Outside Panel Text: Even If I am trapped, one's time is limited

**Panel 9**

Reader: You want to eat this cookie don't you?

Author: I love cookies!!!

**Panel 10**

Reader: Do you want to eat this cookie, do you?

**Panel 11**

Author: yes...Cookie!!

This comic is a great way to pop up and build a gold tower with cookies..

I'm going to add a Gangnam Building made up of cookies to the comic!! If that's what you want.!!!

Fact: You cannot serialize it for 50 years anyway.

**Panel 12**

Hello. I am Kim Sehun, the artist of The Hardcore Leveling Warrior.

It is not over, but I am going to write something similar to the latter.

**Panel 13**

Author: It's already been 3 years and a few more months since I started on my work called 'The 'Hardcore Leveling Warrior'.

It's been some journey. Thank you for walking along this road with me.

**Panel 14**

Author: In the comments window, you are fighting one another (Please do not fight ㅠ.ㅠ)

The work called 'Hardcore Leveling Warrior' will have 3 Parts in total (Trilogy)

**Panel 15**

Author: There are some people who think that story progression method is fast and they like it, but there were others with the opinion that it is too fast and not easy to keep up with.

I was disappointed because of this. So...before I start Part 2, I'll take time to reinforce the story by drawing a few AE.

**Panel 16**

Author: I really like Yang Young-soon's Denma link. AE is a concept that is derived from it.

The stories that will be told will be short stories that are short in length, but I am going to try and put the stories in AE that are important with regards to the overall story.

'**AE: After Episode'** (Written outside panel)

**Panel 17**

Author hovering above Dark Land

Author: The second part of the story will be two years after the Combat Tournament, and there will be a lot of new rules and settings, so if you enjoy the AE, Part 2 will be a lot more fun.

**Panel 18**

Author: Naver Webtoon officials! My Jong-seok Lee! The studio members who gave us strength in many ways when we were in need! My friends! My parents and sister who are always worried about me!

And my wife and my beloved daughter who are suffering beside me! I love you and thank you all!

**Panel 19**

Author: Especially in hell with the weekly deadlines.

Thank you very much for all the assistants who saved me!

**Panel 20**

Author: I'm going to go back and draw part 2 (second season)

AE, I hope you enjoy it!

## Notes & Trivia

* As noted, **AE** was inspired by the Naver Webtoon series, Denma link, but in the Hardcore Leveling Warrior series, **AE** means **After Episodes**. In Denma, it means **Additional Edition.** Korean, English
	+ The Line Webtoon English translation for Denma can be found here.
* Some fans wrongly believed that **AE** stood for '**After Ethan**'. This is incorrect as Hardcore Leveling Warrior's actual name in the original Korean version is '**공원호**' which literally means '**Gong Won-ho**' (Westernised format: **Won-ho Gong**. Line Webtoon translated his name as '**Ethan Gong**', perhaps to make the names easier to remember for Western audiences.
* The Episodes are listed slightly differnt in the Korean and English versions.
	+ For example, the first AE is called '**AE 1화**' in Naver Webtoon which literally means '**AE Episode 1**'. It's simply called '**AE 1**' by Line Webtoon.