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2024-10-29 19:42:56Fire — the hallmark of humanity’s rise.
Across the streets of Paris, flames burned as well. Not as a celebration of civilization, but a requiem for its downfall.
Roars borne of deep angst, the voice of a million people — united as one. Their blood aboil — hotter than the scattered pyres — the crowds chanted with every fiber of their being. Even so, they were unheard.
The largest protest ever, unseen by their sworn leaders. The fires they lit could very well be seen from space, yet the world’s elite pretended all was normal.
But, it wasn’t.
The sudden upsurge in use of artificial intelligence across every economical sector resulted in the elimination of hundreds of thousands of jobs, all but overnight.
What was meant to be the next step in uplifting humanity had all but resulted in its imminent collapse. The economy crumbled, setting the timer for a great reset.
No one had an answer.
Not the politicians, not your everyday people, and certainly not Murphy.
He too joined in the riots, his sign waving like a flag towards the sky that scorned him with its neon flash. Swarms of drones recorded every face present, and every crime committed, but the people didn’t care.
They have had enough, and no longer feared the government.
That was the folly of the men in the big chairs. They had forgotten that once the masses are no longer kept busy by their jobs, they would have enough time to think.
No politician likes a populace that thinks for themselves. They especially didn’t like when so many of them gathered together, that there weren’t enough prisons in the entire world to contain them.
“DELETE AI! Give us back our lives!”
Pyres lit up, one after the other, and whole cities burned.
“Murph’, they’re heading for the palace! Let’s join in!”
A girl yelled into his ear, the only way she could ensure he heard her. Without trying to confirm if her message came across well, she yanked his hand and dragged him to the side.
He shouted something back, but the crowd overshadowed his voice. Shrugging with a wry smile, he could only clasp the guiding hand tighter and follow along.
Despite being lithe and small, the frail figure still managed to part the crowd and lead them into the adjacent boulevard.
He took to retrieve his hand, but she tightened her grip and smiled at him. He could only comply and grin in response. Together, they melded into the crowd and joined the chant.
In the midst of their march towards the Elysee Palace, Murphy noticed something odd flashing in the sky. He squinted his eyes, but failed to grasp any details.
“Hey, Nella. What’s that?” he mumbled, his voice obviously unheard.
Just as he removed his glasses to wipe the layer of ash coating them…
Boom!
The earth shook beneath his feet, and the palace they were headed towards burst like a cracked egg. Before the smoke even cleared, and he made sense of his damaged ear drums ringing with a monotone screech, rubble fell like meteors into the crowd.
Entire pillars were upturned into the sky by the explosion, the generated lift sending them like catapulted stones into the crowded masses.
His glasses dropped out of his hands and cracked, but he had no time to worry for them. Just off to the side, a crumbling statue turned a person into mincemeat, showering him in blood.
The blast pushed him away, but he couldn’t fly far before bumping into someone. Still shell shocked, he climbed up to his feet in a daze, disregarding the chunks of gravel biting deep into his skin.
“Nella..?” he voiced somewhat dubiously, looking around for his friend.
As his hand regained feeling, he felt the warmth of clasped fingers and was all but ready to sigh in relief. Turning sideways, however, he did not see Nella.
Torn from the elbow, only a lithe arm still lingered hand in hand with him.
He froze.
His throat moved, but it was useless. Nothing made it through as he stared in utter shock. He could neither breathe in, nor bawl out to express the keg of emotions bubbling in his chest.
Time moved at a crawling pace. Only when someone screamed and bumped into him did he snap out of it, the urge to vomit acting as a reminder that woke him from his daze.
He recoiled, but had nowhere to move. The crowd surged like an ocean in the storm and pushed back against him. In the chaos, he could neither see nor hear.
Only the mutilated limb remained, as if to give him some twisted sense of comfort. Alas, it was no longer warm.
Panic ensued, setting a maelstrom no amount of police could ever contain.
The explosion killed but a few dozen, yet the stampede claimed thousands more.
That night, the residency palace of the president was bombed. The news sent the world into an uproar, and the protests saw crackdowns like never before.
Military convoys surrounded the city as if it were a warzone, and camps were built in the suburbs to contain the rebels. It was no longer a protest for human rights, but an act of terrorism.
Up on an obscure Web 3 site, a starling announcement was posted, claiming responsibility for the strike. By the end of the hour, it made the rounds across the world, spreading like an uncontainable virus.
[We are Physis Nomos — Heralds of Order]
“Tonight, we took down a crooked agent of chaos that watched idly as his cities burned.
“If the world leaders refuse to take action against the agents undermining order in society, then we will step in with immediate action.
“Our methods are brutal, not because we are evil, but because it is the only language they speak.
“Unless AI is regulated into stillness, we will not stop.
“Your greed pushed you into unveiling Pandora. Blood and fear will seal the box back.
“We will wash away your mistake, no matter the cost.
“For Order!”
Watching the video play on a loop on the hijacked hospital monitors, Murphy seethed with rage.
A nurse plucked chunks of bone and gravel from his disfigured face, but he paid no heed to the external pain. His flesh burned, but his wrath burned with even greater intensity.
He felt endless hatred.
For the government… for the terrorists… and most of all, for AI.
It was all a waste, however. He had no outlet for the anger. Like the million people protesting along that night, he was merely a helpless victim. A plea of desperation was all it was, worthless.
Walking home in a daze, it was only when he came across his apartment door that he remembered he forgot to even thank the nurse.
Retrieving his keys, he breathed with labor but still failed to prevent his hand from shaking. He almost felt it even now… her warm touch between his fingers, fleeing like phantom silk.
Finally forcing the lock open, he rushed to the bathroom and let it all out. A flood of tears gushed uncontrollably, mixed with forcefully retched puke. Everything he bottled up that night came out at last.
His anger exploded, disregarding that it was barely the crack of dawn. He bellowed out with power, every iota of pain making itself known at once. The echo of his pained heart resounded throughout the building like an alarm.
Someone slammed a fist into the wall, but he ignored his neighbors. They were pissed, but he was desperate. The toilet was the only place he could vent.
When his lungs lost their valor, he sat and bawled silently on the floor. Only the tears maintained their current, keeping the forlorn ode going.
Staring at his open palm, still shivering, he felt his humanity crumble.
He lost enough…
No more.
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An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 12 - Struggles
A sealed biodegradable container. That’s all his friend amounted to. A bored employee handed him the package and some papers over the counter. That was all there was to Nella’s departure. No different from picking up a package from the postal office, he signed off the cremated remains and went home. “Is this the value of life?” Holding the container in one hand, he found it shaking again. The ashes themselves were almost weightless, but the guilt was heavy like lead. He had to use the other hand to steady it, but there was nothing he could do about his broken heart. He wept. This time in the open, unashamed at the quizzical glances directed his way. He was so done with the world, he didn’t even bother to want to hide in that instant. It was only when his ride arrived that he snapped out of it, and in another dazed flash found himself home again. Ascending the stairs with weak limbs, he sighed, but found no relief in that either. Just as he came up to the door, he stumbled on
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Author's Note
Welcome everyone. I felt compelled to add some info on where I intend to take this novel. Half a dozen tags and a 70 word synopsis may not accurately capture what this book strives to represent. Let me preface this by saying this book is somewhat loosely inspired from real life events =) If you already intend to read the book in its entirety -- feel free to skip this. > Novel Structure:I intend the novel to be short, so it will likely end around 80,000 words ~ 75 chapters. (Free) Arc I (1-8) will cover Murphy's start as a webnovelist, culminating in him signing a contract with a certain very popular website ;) (Free) Arc II (9-20b) depicts a society crumbling into a cyberpunk-ish dystopia. AI plays a pivotal role in undermining civilization, and Murphy is caught at the forefront of it all. (Paid) Arc III (Ch 21 onwards) is where the MC reincarnates. He unveils his inherent magical abilities and goes back in time along with his system. There are 7 arcs planned in total as of th
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 13 - A New Hope
After spending the afternoon together, Murphy got to know Nella better than he did when she was alive. Though they were friends, he tended to keep a boundary around him at all times. The old man was on the brink, and Murphy didn’t have the heart to let him deal with it alone. So, despite very unwilling to deal with the understated awkwardness, he could only grit his teeth and comfort the man. A few drinks in, and they were sharing fond memories of her. Another few drinks later, and both men had to stifle their tears to avoid making the situation even more unbearable. By the time he was out, the old man was passed out, and Murphy had decided to stay in Romania. He couldn’t pin down a logical reason for it. Granted, it was very cheap and picturesque in the mountains, but there were a hundred other places just as good. Booking the cheapest cabin hotel, Morpheus felt his dreams stir that night. For the first time in what felt like decades, the doors leading to the ethereal realm he
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 14 - NeuraBlink
NeuraBlink was a tantalizing offer, one he couldn’t afford to turn down if he ever wanted to make it. At the time, even with the risks carried by its beta release, it promised to offer him the perfect solution to all of his problems. The most significant advantage LACIE had over him was speed. It could unravel thousands of chapters in an instant. What held it back was the fact that it still needed a cursory review from editors before it could be pushed out. If Morpheus could employ his mere thoughts to construct his dreams, then it wouldn’t be impossible to overtake the AI and reclaim his top spot. Even without a supercomputer, he had his mind. The human psyche remained largely unexplored, even as they made huge advances in the technological fields. That unknown and unused potential gave him hope for humanity. That was the dream shared by the creators of the implant as well. Seeing the downfall of humanity as imminent, they sought to meld technology a
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 15 - Surgery
Time passed fleetingly at first, but then the wait became excruciating. The day of the surgery approached, one slow hour at a time. He lingered around Cluj in the meanwhile, relaxing in nature’s embrace. He trekked through the woods that became less and less welcoming to humans, and marveled at the rebellious Carpathian peaks piercing towards the occluded sky. Without a laptop, Murphy couldn’t publish anything new, so he had ample time to roam and explore. He considered writing in a cafe or from his phone, but couldn’t really get into it. His vacation was awe inspiring at first, but got seriously tedious after a few days. He became anxious in his steps, and no longer had eyes to admire Gaia’s figure. His pre-scheduled chapters were dwindling down one at a time, and before long he’d lose his publishing streak. That would be an unimaginable setback for his career. It wasn’t dubbed a slave contract for nothing, after all. Writers were incentivize
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 16 - Darkness
A tremor rocked through the chair, one he felt even with the anesthesia in full effect.He couldn’t see or feel much of anything, but the scrappy ringing in his ears surely meant something had exploded.He tried to open his mouth and ask, but choked on dust and ash instead.His vision black, his restricted touch dulled to the extreme and his ear drums blown, he found himself deprived of all his senses.Panic ensued.His breathing grew labored and his lungs moved with force, but it did little to alleviate the mounting stress.The dust in the room made it hard to breathe, but he had no option but to fill his lungs with it if he wanted to live.Time passed at a crawling pace, but eventually he felt his senses return to him. He felt a thick layer of dust caked on his face like cement, no doubt mixed in with his sweat.He moved a thumb at first, and then his whole hand, but the shackles woul
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“Alright, your condition is stable. You can check out at noon.”A nurse smiled amiably, her efforts wasted entirely on Murphy. He was still blind as a bat, his eyes closed and still.The only way to tell if he was awake or not was by his breathing, and the occasional maniacal fit of laughter. No one quite knew what he was scoffing or laughing at, so the hospital staff pitied him as insane.“Thanks, please arrange that.”In truth, he was coping quite well with his new condition. His AI made the transition somewhat bearable, its constant bugged responses proving to be a nice distraction.« Murphy, you have an internal message from NeuraBlink. »‘Alright, print out the summary for me.’« NeuraBlink rejected your refund request. Furthermore, they deny any damage claims and refuse to offer any compensations for your injury. They invited you to read the beta agreement again,
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 18 - Resentment
What he feared most happened — his reserves of content ran dry. He missed a few days of publishing while he was hospitalized, and thus forfeited his monthly bonus.The implications seemed very small, but they were merely the start of his downwards spiral towards obscurity.Setting aside the nice monetary bonus, without their front page exposition, it would be very difficult for him to score new readers.As for old ones, they would find new books to subscribe to during his absence. He expected nothing less, and was right to fear it.Within a short week, hundreds of readers slipped away silently, right into LACIE’s welcoming maw. A few hundred here, another dozen there, and before long she would be the sole publisher needed.The company for their part was more than happy to save a few pennies at his expense, and gave him the cold shoulder when he explained his plight. They didn’t care why he didn’t post, only that he hadn&rsqu
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- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Final Words
Thank you to whoever made it this far :) I'll revise this at a later date, after I proof read and edit the book once or twice.At that point, it will be marked as complete and I will bid farewell to the site. Though I am glad to have accrued some readers, and met many peers among authors, it has been a tad underwhelming. Unable and unwilling to say anything more, I'll simply address some gratitude to Helen Bold.She's an excellent editor and author on the site, and has been the reason I delivered this book to you.Consider checking out her books. As for myself, I do have other book(s) published.I can't share links, but you can search for my name and they should appear. Alternatively, just add me on Discord, and I'll help you find your way. Thank you again to everyone who's given this a chance,As always, your attention has been a blessing.~Raven
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 73 - Epilogue
- — ✎ — - The five year anniversary of Murphy’s vow was finally upon him, but he had long since completed his promise. No later than a year after the final battle, he successfully unsealed his seventh gate. That came largely as a result of his success in that battle, and the fruits he claimed in its aftermath. Specifically, he salvaged Erebus’ consciousness. Once it was in his dream realm, he had all the time he needed to crack it. Other than being the de facto leader of Physis Nomos, the old man had dipped his toes in all kinds of criminal enterprises over the years. His psychic powers made him the perfect assassin. Lethal, traceless, silent. By reliving through his memories, Murphy salvaged hundreds of interesting connections, and tasked the Chainbreakers to follow up and unearth those leads. The cases they unveiled had all but quaked the world. From businessmen in Asia, to politicians in the deep state of the US, people from all over the world were incriminated. Proof w
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Ch 72 - Final Battle
Murphy had no time to curse as the earth dragged him back to its hard embrace. He was strangely familiar with this sensation, and knew exactly what the outcome of such a fall was. Alas, now was not the time to reminisce about his jump from the bridge…Erebus and his goons expected him to splatter across the ground, and even took steps to avoid the impact area. Yet, they were in for a surprise of their own, because despite appearing panicked and flailing his arms like a desperate duck, Murphy was anything but.When he was merely a second from impact, Murphy suddenly spread his psyche and willed himself to slow down.A sudden force shrouded the area, allowing Murphy to veer directly towards the bodyguards accompanying Erebus. Before those two could react, and too busy managing the hostages, Murphy made landfall next to them.His fists coated in fire struck the first one in the chest, eviscerating organs and bone alike. The other panicked, hand reaching for his gun, yet a mere glance ha
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Ch 71 - Erebus
Murphy paid no heed to the retinal text, and was far more preoccupied with Eleanor falling. His stretched out hand clasped, guiding his intent and will from afar.His psyche took form, his psychokinesis pushed to its next step, and she was suspended mid-air! He had achieved similar things with immaterial objects like a pen, but never a human.Luckily, her psyche was sapped by the curse and couldn’t resist. This allowed him to control her easily, or he would have been doomed to fail.She flew in the air, eyes squinted in horror once she realized what might befall her. The sensation of flying around eventually stopped, and she tentatively opened her eyes once she felt Murphy’s arms wind tightly around her.Murphy hugged her, bottling up a dozen curses and reproaches that could only wait for later. He was angry, but he was terrified even more.“Y-you’re crazy—” he bit his lips, leaving the rest of the accusation unsaid. “I’m sorry,” she offered plainly, before bursting into tears of her
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 70 - Sixth Gate
When Murphy snuck back on the ship, he was surprised to see Eleanor awake. Hands on her waist, she waited by the docking area and made sure he saw her pout.“Not even halfway through our honeymoon, and you’re already tired of me?” she joked and huffed, “I didn’t expect you to find someone else so quickly…”“Guilty as charged,” he grinned in response, “I figured since I scored the most beautiful woman on the planet, I might be lucky enough with the second…”“Compliments won’t get you out of this one, darling.” Ellie turned serious, “What were you up to?”“Kind of a long story… I didn’t want to sour our happiness, but it seems there’s no rest for the wicked.”“Sure, I’ll make some coffee. Tell me all about it.”“Tea for me,” he interjected as he reattached the boat to the yacht and trailed along to the lounge.A few minutes later, Eleanor sat in her rightful place, serving him tea while she drank coffee on his lap. They indulged the warm drinks in silence, but eventually Murphy gathere
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 69 - System Embryo
Murphy tried to focus on Erebus, but his visions didn’t become any clearer. He could not see past the darkness, try as he might to muster his power.Eventually, the revelations shattered as a whole, his psychic reserves almost exhausted. He could only cut his losses and sigh in regret.‘I was this close!’ Murphy struck the edge of his marble throne, shattering the armrest to pieces. It was only then that he was reminded it was a mere dream, and a terrified child was staring at him in fear.“Fear not, Asen,” he tried to comfort, but the fire in his eyes didn’t make him sound very convincing.It was only when the boy outright started crying that Murphy realized his folly and doused the inner flame, regaining a more calm demeanor. “I’m sorry,” he lifted the boy off the ground, and brought him someplace nicer in that same instant, “Don’t cry any longer… I won’t hurt you. I promise.”“I know,” the sniveling boy replied amidst tears, “That’s… not… why I’m crying…”“Then?”“I just… don’t wa
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 68 - Horrid Revelations
“What is this? Why can’t I see their faces?” the boy asked, clutching at the hem of Morpheus’ robe. “You don’t seem them because they don’t exist, not in this reality. Now watch, young Asen.”A scene played out before them like a three dimensional movie, and the two of them relived the hospital encounter. A teenager walked in, his face redacted and replaced by a simplified smug emoji. Their words were clear, however, as was the part where he mind controlled Eleanor to explode in a crowd. He shuffled backwards afterwards, depicting the woman strapped to a chair while a family of three watched.“Why are you showing me these evil people?” Asen questioned, his adorable young mind clearly perceiving things in black and white.“So you don’t become like them.”“I would never!” the boy denied vehemently, “My mother says bad people can’t go to heaven.”“What if there was no hell, young Asen?” Murphy questioned rhetorically, “If there was no heaven to yearn for, and no judgement in an afterli
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 67 - Asen
Murphy grabbed the phone and looked closely at the picture, his frown deepening. That boy was the same psychic who mind controlled Eleanor in the future, but right now he was merely a prepubescent pup. “How old is he now?” Murphy asked, his voice showing some conflict as he indicated the photo. “He’s only 13!” the nurse replied and fell to the ground as well, clinging to life with her whole being, “Please, our son is still young… We’ll stop doing this… Just—““Silence!” Murphy boomed, sending a telekinetic blast that flipped the woman over and sent her careening against the wall.The doctor winced, but didn’t dare move to help his wife. They just stared at the ground and hoped someone would come save them. As for the monster, he continued to stare at the picture, flames dancing in his eyes.‘Should I kill him now?’ he asked himself repeatedly, unsure how to proceed. On one hand, he burned with righteous indignation, having been blinded and robbed of his life. Ellie had it even wors
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
Ch 66 - Dilemma
A black SUV stopped at the side of a small family clinic in Burgas. The city CCTVs monitoring the streets tracked the vehicle all the way from the suburbs. A single driver got out, opened the trunk and retrieved a duffel bag, then walked to the rear doors of the clinic. The surveillance cut off at that point, a sudden glitch in the system causing the camera to malfunction and stop recording. By the time it was turned back on, the vehicle was long gone. Coincidentally, it had been reported as stolen that same night.Murphy blinked, dismissing the latest retinal message from the system, then waltzed in towards the emergency doors. His hand pushed against the lock, searing the metal and turning it into a worthless puddle that gave in to his push.The building plans appeared in his right eye like a 3D map, and he conveniently followed them down the stairs. The clinic was small, and only saw high-end clients, so its security was top of the art. Cameras lingered at just about every othe
