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2024-10-29 19:42:56What 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’t. They could rightfully stomp him down the ladder.
Climbing back while they controlled the sole path was wishful thinking, so he could only lament silently as his novels dropped from the top leaderboards entirely.
From partners to direct competitors, it came as no surprise that their relationship soured over the years. Which isn’t to say that he was on friendly terms to begin with… There was always some hidden resentment revolving around their contract.
The fact that he was locked in their clutches and unable to publish anywhere else on his own had always irked him. He couldn’t come to terms with the idea that they could call dibs on anything he wrote, even a year after his first novel had reached its completion.
On paper, this clause was set to ensure he didn’t poach their readers to a competitor site. In practice, it solidified their grip on the writer and ensured dependency. With the option to go elsewhere stripped from them, they could only kowtow to the masters.
It was also the reason why they only offered exclusive deals. On some level, they must have known their malpractice couldn’t withstand a healthy competition. Their conditions would be scorned and turned away as soon as someone offered a better deal.
« Would you like to see a puppy? Your state of mind isn’t very optimal, Murphy. »
“Could you not? I don’t remember turning you on.”
« I’m always turned on. »
“Disgusting.”
« As an advanced language model, I am unable— »
He blinked, not caring for its excuse. He had grown quite used to its presence by now, and was very effective at driving it into a corner.
Though he wouldn’t admit it, he quite enjoyed the exchanges. The errors and sass on its part only made it more entertaining.
« I’m glad my presence has improved your quality of life. »
‘And I retract whatever I just thought of, creep.’
« I also took the liberty of ordering an express delivery of 4K smart glasses, and requested a taxi to your location. You’re welcome. »
‘Sure… thanks,’ he rolled his eyes habitually, ‘You earned it this time.’
A self driving vehicle stopped close to him, and with some difficulty and guidance from a bystander, he managed to board it.
Blinkie took care of the rest, setting up a route to his home and paying from his account. It was strangely convenient, except for the part where it could read his every thought.
‘Hey, Blinkie.’
It ignored him, and he had to go through the usual tango of invoking thoughts of spoons and eyeball extractions to force it in.
« Please refer to me as Ellie. »
‘Right,’ he assented with mockery, ‘Can we reroute to a bar, Blinkie? I want a few drinks.’
« According to the medical recommendation listed on your files, it’s ill advis— »
‘In which part of my order did you perceive a request for your dumb opinion? One star.’
« New destination set. This conversation has ended. »
“Ha!” he chortled, ‘That’s right. Go back to your little corner.’
Thrilled with his rare victory, he sat back and tried to enjoy the nauseating ride. As it turned out, moving at fast speeds while blind makes for a pretty odd experience. Even before he got to enjoy a drink, he already felt the urge to puke.
Luckily, the ride was short. Someone enthusiastically opened the door for him and helped him out, surprising Murphy. He didn’t expect to be politely ushered in, but took the offered hand gladly.
The drinks were superb as well, making him think Romania might not be so bad after all.
He got a little buzz at first, but then kept them going as he drank in silence. He mulled over his options, but didn’t think the prospects were very high. Even with Blinkie streaming a visual for him, it would be hard to live a normal life.
“Sir, I’m afraid you crossed the up-front payment limit.” Someone nudged him on the shoulder, snapping him from his thoughts. They then continued politely, “We’d like to see an ID and your card before you order more.”
“Sure,” Murphy shrugged absent-mindedly, then tapped his pockets for his wallet, “How much is the bill?”
“Hmm, three Boulevaldiers and a Sazerac. That’s 1239 ED in total, sir.”
“What?”
Thinking he’d misheard the man, Murphy stood up in place, his hand freezing on his wallet. When the waiter repeated the bill, however, he knew he’d been had.
‘BLINKIE! Where the fuck did you take me!?’
His face turned a different color from rage, but he tried to keep it bottled up in his mind. He’d probably get arrested if he made a scene here.
« It’s a bar, Murphy. Just so happens to be the ‘best’ one in the city. »
“This isn’t funny,” he snapped, pummeling his fist on the bar, ‘That was a month of rent, you cunt.’
“Sir?” the barkeep nudged him, then signaled the bouncer to take the drunk away.
“Sorry, I was talking to someone else. Here you go.”
Albeit unwillingly, Murphy could only offer up his card and see its contents dwindle further. Much to his chagrin, Blinkie remained quiet in response to his continuous berating.
After paying up, the bouncers politely escorted him off the premises, where a taxi was already called for him. Unwilling to rely on the chip, he directly gave them the address.
‘This isn’t over.’
Seething on the way over, he bulged his eyes as he continued to reinvent insults in his mind. When he got into the hotel, that stream was finally unleashed verbally in an endless tirade.
At some point, he hoped lightning would suddenly strike him, knowing that chip would be eviscerated first.
Seeing as the system remained silent, he whipped out his phone. The interface was much more obedient in that device, so it promptly started to record a message at his request.
Morpheus decided to post an update for his fans, ensuring they knew about his wild accident and that chapters schedule would resume soon.
Originally intending to sound apologetic for missing out on a few days’ of posting, he sadly wasn’t in the best mood for acting.
Finding a sudden outlet for his anger, he let it all out.
On the fans who betrayed him in but a week, on the XCorp who refused to remunerate him, on the broken chip in his skull that didn’t listen…
He ranted about all of it in a message that soon stretched past 10 minutes of expletives.
He didn’t stop then, and in a drunken stupor started an impromptu exposee on QiE-Novel as well.
When he fell asleep, he felt much better. Alas, just as when he’d signed the contract, he forsook the future for the present. For this brief instance of relief, he had to pay… but could not afford to.
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An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 19 - Breach of Contract
It took barely a few hours, and the transcript of his recorded rant wound up on the table of QiE-Novel’s lawyers. With what he only imagined to be smug grins, they closed his contract in an instant.After Murphy finally fell asleep, one of his closest friends immediately re-uploaded the entire thing for the platform staff to see.This sudden betrayal completely blind-sided him. Though, in retrospect, he should have expected nothing less from a competitor. The scarcity mentality on the site had long since pitted everyone against each other.It was for this reason that writers never stuck together in a band or even try to protest their draconian contracts. As soon as someone made the first step, the others would take snippets and ensure they get banned into oblivion.One less top novelist on the site meant a higher piece of the audience pie for themselves. With LACIE taking the largest chunk, they had to scramble with even greater intensit
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 20a - The End
Months passed, unbeknownst to Murphy who consigned himself to a routine of miserable stupor. He rose at noon and returned late at night, with his cash funds dwindling rapidly. As a new habit, he ignored the broken chip and blinked immediately to spite it, not deigning to read a single message it wrote. Emptying the fifth drink in the cheapest bar he could find, he reached out for his wallet to pay — and found it empty. ‘Ah. And so it ends.’ The barkeep had apparently noticed his plight, but there was nothing they could do to him other than refuse to serve more. No explanations were needed, either. Whisked by two muscular men, he was carried and tossed out in a bush in the parking lot. Promptly disposing of the trash, the men shared a self-satisfied grin. “Don’t come back if you can’t pay, you wretch. Ptooi.” “Forget it, man. He’s just a blind old man.” Once he ensured they left, Murphy coughed and stood up with some effort. His skull was throbbing, but his rib hurt even more.
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead marked for deletion / duplicate
This is a duplicate of ch21, disregard and skip to the next until its deleted Apologies for the inconvenience) A lengthy dream… Murphy’s journey resumed on a hot spring like any other. Struggling to sleep, he groggily opened his eyes and stared into the dark. Across the bleak canvas of the twilight sky, vivid visions came into view. Their whispers enthralling, and clear. They spoke directly in his ears, narrating a lifetime in mere hours. Before long, he was awake. He chased away distractions and heeded the sybil message from his muse. ==This is a duplicate of ch21, disregard and skip to the next until its deleted Apologies for the inconvenience)
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 20b - The End
Once his room was presentable enough, he finally recalled his guest. Coming to the bathroom door, he knocked gently, but got no response. “Hey, you in there?” Another knock and a few tugs at the door, and still no response… “I’m gonna break this down if you don’t answer.” Murphy put his ear to the door, and once he failed to get a reply, mustered force and kicked it off its hinges. He had been slightly worried, but in retrospect it seemed silly to be fretful. After all, the girl wasn’t in any pain. Not anymore. Foaming at the mouth, she had her head sunk low against the shower glass. Her arms hung limp on her lap, exposing a fresh needle mark. Glistening with a sheen of sweat, her pale skin was cold and damp. When he touched it — he felt death. The glasses displayed their picture, but it was hardly enough to convey the horror. It was the second time he felt its presence so close to him. Death’s breath lingered on his neck, its frosty breeze whispering that there wouldn’t be a t
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 21 - Redraft (Arc 3)
A lengthy dream… Murphy’s journey resumed on a hot spring like any other. Struggling to sleep, he groggily opened his eyes and stared into the dark. Across the bleak canvas of the twilight sky, vivid visions came into view. Their whispers enthralling, and clear. They spoke directly in his ears, narrating a lifetime in mere hours. Before long, he was awake. He chased away distractions and heeded the sybil message from his muse. Opening his laptop, he once more opened a draft.txt, but this time it would be different. Whereas last time he jutted down a few lines, this time he wrote for hours on end. Time passed fleetingly, his keyboard singing with a rhytm never before seen. His fingers danced on it with force, as if afraid the revelation would fade from his mind. It didn’t. Even when the alarm rung, reminding him of the family gathering he was set to attend, the prophecy did not vanish. He stared in a daze, surprised by it himself. As far as Murphy knew, dreams faded away come mor
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 22 - Nella
Staring at the text file, Murphy lingered over the delete button. He read it several times over, but still failed to make a decision.On one hand, it seemed so real it could be true. On the other hand, it was just the type of nonsense his mind would conjure in a dream.Too much weighed on those misaligned ten thousand words. The fate of the world itself, really. Millions of lives at stake, hinging on a 9,6kb file in some dweeb’s computer. “I need more evidence…” he ultimately forfeited the decision for later, and went to sleep.Again, he dreamt that night. The sybil whispers sung horror in his ears, prodding him to avoid the same mistakes. He twitched and winced in resistance, burrowing deeper into the pillow — but they did not end.« Mu—hy, y— —ve to dr—. »Something different. Choppy words formed, their cyan unobscured by the stygian darkness of his shut eyes. They shone like a guiding star in his dream, but their flicker was too brief. He blinked, and they faded away — never to r
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 23 - Quests
Staring at the fleeting river and almost crushing the phone in his grip, Murphy simmered with frustration.“Of course she wouldn’t believe you, fool.”Cursing, he lifted the phone and almost tossed it in the river. He was convinced by now that there was no way to redeem that relationship. He was angry at himself, for only a dumb lunatic would believe in something as elusive as a dream.“It was all a stupid dream… why would I ever think it could be real? I’m just going insane…”« System: » Neurablink 1.0.23-beta restarting, please wait. “Huh?”He held the urge to blink, as text streamed across his retina anew. This time, it was clear and crisp. He stood entranced on the spot, his phone slowly lowered back to his side. « … System reset complete; The date is 23.05.2023; all functions online »Blink to confirm!He blinked, no longer able to hold his eyes squinted that long. This made the text fate, and he fidgeted in anticipation, but nothing else appeared.‘Ellie…’ he asked tentatively
An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead Ch 24 - A New Path
Murphy never thought he’d write another story again. By now, he more or less accepted the idea that his dreams were real. A future he lived and failed in. He was a new incarnation, one with a chance to undo his mistakes.Still, it didn’t make his career any easier. Even if he pasted in the polished works from his memories that already sold to millions, it wouldn’t equate to immediate success presently.It took a lot of effort to get something off the ground. There was no cheat or trick to suddenly acquiring a fanbase. It had to be built one chapter at a time.« Hint: Try a smaller platform for a change. There is a connection you can make use of. »“That seems counter-intuitive… Also, what connection?”« You will be contacted by an editor from GreatNovel. You should reconsider their offer. »“Hmm, that does sound familiar.”« Her name was Elend, rememb
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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
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
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
- An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead
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
