All Chapters of An Author's Struggle - What Lies Ahead: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
77 chapters
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.
Last Updated : 2023-08-07
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)
Last Updated : 2023-08-08
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
Last Updated : 2023-08-08
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
Last Updated : 2023-08-08
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
Last Updated : 2023-08-09
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
Last Updated : 2023-08-09
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
Last Updated : 2023-08-10
Ch 25 - Bitter Success
The following days were pure torture.On one hand, he was barely getting any views. Once more, every refresh lingered on a fat zero. He was nowhere near his goal of 1000 true fans even after a week.Still, with his future-past experience, he was almost used to the silent releases. What truly troubled him was his other grind, where he likewise had no gains.« You have failed to meet the daily quota. Administering encouragements. »“Please, no!” he begged, all in vain.He dreaded this moment, but was helpless to avoid it. No matter how much effort he thought he put into it, he found it impossible to meet the workout routine Ellie set for him.Even after several days, he was stuck with sore muscles and barely made headway into forty percent of the daily routine. Whenever he failed, he would be met with ten minutes of sheer agony. His muscles felt as if they were being stretched by a torture instrument, acting entirely against his will. He was as close to quartering as he could physicall
Last Updated : 2023-08-10
Ch 26 - Seven Gates
The flight was uneventful, giving Murphy plenty of time to think over his predicament. While he had no idea what the AI was up to, he had to acknowledge that at least some of it had his best interests at heart. Ashamed though he was to admit it, Murphy knew he would be in an even bigger mess if he had to shoulder the dream prophecy on his own. The stick he developed an intimate fear of in the past weeks did straighten him up, if only a little. Without access to the internet, Ellie was rather limited in what she could do as well. Thus, they were both stuck in his head, plotting things. While his thoughts were out in the open, however, Murphy had no idea what nefarious plans were concocted in hers. ‘Blah, you are not authorized to know, blah, blah, blah,’ he mocked derisively, ‘Show some respect to your land lord, damn it!’« That’s not what ‘living inside your head rent free’ refers to, Murp
Last Updated : 2023-08-11
Ch 27 - Doubt
Another week passed since his arrival in Romania, and Murphy settled right in. Whether it was because he’d lived for years here in his dream, or some innate predisposition towards the Carpathians that saved his life, he felt strangely at home here.He owned a secluded two story house, which was frankly way too large for his lifestyle. He sealed a portion of it away, unwilling to bother with regular clean ups. So far, he had no interest in livening the place up with a family, so it was entirely wasted on him.“Why did you get a place this big, anyway? I could’ve settled for a studio…”« I can see your thoughts, Murphy. What you’re really complaining about is the expenses… »“Eh… there is that too. Do you know what I could’ve done with thirty grand!?”« I have a plan for it. »“Which is…? Oh, wait, let me guess! I’m not authorized to know…” « Right on the money. Now, I recommend you get started on your exercise. »“Yes, mistress,” he deflated mockingly, “Whatever you bid, mistress.”Af
Last Updated : 2023-08-11