Thank you for playing and the feedback!
I've definitely been iterating on the initial player experience and should have a few fixes in the next build that will help players avoid the slow start that you describe from your play-through. Thank you for the specifics on that stage of the game so that I can attempt to target balance better.
I'm sorry about the lack of messaging right now about how the prestige system specifically works, but that's a high priority in near future builds as others have also been upset by a similar experience.
The "mini lore info" should be more reinforced by other elements in the game once they're put in, but I'm glad that you found that interesting for a theme/context.