Sitting hunchbacked in the pitch black room. His fingers moved furiously across the laptop keyboard. Only stopping occasionally to read some notes he had written down on a notepad. Sticky pads were glued all over on the white board in front of him, with numerous more pieces of paper with more notes and even a few sketches.
His legs were shaking in anticipation. Darting his eyes to the clock he could see the time was almost 3 in the morning.
"Heh heh, I'll have to skip breakfast again."
He uttered dryly to himself. This was not the first time something like like this had happened and it almost certainly wouldn't be the last.
Stopping again to read the notes. His eyes paused on the last few paragraphs he had written.
-standing triumphantly over the fallen corpse of the demon king, the Hero of Humanity Zachary Golde liffted his sword in the air. Shining with a bright golden Aura and declared outloud.
"The demon king has fallen! From today onwards, humanity shall rebuild itself and prosper more then ever before!"
His companions looked on. Noelle Asteria, the Dazzling Witch of the Stars. Ellen Grace, the World Crossing Arrow. Countless other heroes all stared at the one figure triumphantly standing.
many of them had grevious wounds, lost limbs and were covered in blood. Yet each one held something they had not for a long time.
Hope.
Just reading his notes made him feel a bit teary eyed already.
The novel that he had been writing for almost 2 years straight now. "The Hero Building System". A cliche system plot but he had believed in it and poured his heart and soul into the story. Taking little to no breaks in between.
The ending was the hardest part for him as always. Each paragraph each sentence each word felt too important to just be written wantonly.
But still he pushed on. Converting all of the scenes and emotions he wished to convey into words.
Click click click
It sounded as if a hundred crabs were in his room. Typing and typing. He saw the word count shoot up past 7000 words but he didn't care.
So what if the readers complain that the ending is long? Be grateful you even got one!
But Raymond would have completed the novel anyways even if it was bad. He was a perfectionist. He was lazy as well but when he started something he would see it through all the way.
To even think of abandoning it now that he was this far was akin to throwing your son off a cliff whom you had painstakingly raised for years!
Finally however, his typing soon slowed down. The words came out slower and he eventually stopped moving entirely.
It was done. With just a single push of the button. The 8 ending chapters would be uploaded and he would be done with this novel.
Maybe write a few epilogue chapters. Maybe even a few spin offs but definitely not a sequel. Writing a sequel was like giving his novel cancer. How was he supposed to suddenly fit in new characters, new villains, new powers and more? Cramming characters into an already established storyline was something only greedy authors did and while Raymond was a bit greedy. He wasn't going to ruin his novel with that.
Leaning back in his seat he stared at the last few words. Letting out a quiet sigh.
'The End.'
Just those two simple words alone made him feel countless emotions, throughout the two years of writing this novel he had experienced countless setbacks.
From failing health, to sudden electricity outings and yet each time he still persevered. Each time he would sit down however reluctantly and type away.
Even if half of his own readers cursed at him for killing off a few characters or when he wrote about that time the villain killed an innocent child seeing his own novel reach the top ten had been a memory he still held fondly.
Besides it wasn't even his fault all those characters died!
But that was the sad reality of authors, no matter what people would curse at you no matter what.
Finished with his reminiscing he quickly moved his mouse and uploaded the last few chapters with a few clicks.
Shutting off his laptop, he glanced at the time again. Still 3 in the morning. Feeling his stomach grumble a little, he stood up and grabbed his keys and wallet before leaving his apartment.
...
With the cold winter air in his eyes,the soft crunches of snow under his feet and a belly full of convenience store instant noodles.Raymond felt the emptiness more then ever before.
He savoured the last of his ice cream by sucking on the wooden spoon but even this didn't fill the void in his heart.
As much as he himself cursed at his own novel, he couldn't deny that he still loved it.
Something he had started as a mere side gig had gradually become something that took up most of his life.
'I could always start another novel, maybe a sci fi? But describing all the technology and how they would work would be a pain, the readers would probably complain that it's stupid anyways. '
His mind was so occupied to the point that it wasn't until he nearly walked into a street light that he remembered something important.
'Right... this is probably going to be my last time seeing them. I should at least say goodbye. '
After all, he had been using them for so long. Wouldnt it be rude if he didn't at least say goodbye and thank them?
Making up his mind, he looked around to make sure nobody was around him and with a resolute expression quietly uttered to himself.
"Open system"
[Unseal System? (Y/N) ]
Pressing the Y with his index he waited quietly for the loading bar to fill up. Each percent felt like an eternity now that he knew this would be his last visit.
[System unsealed, welcome back Rayleigh Von Mez]
Name:
Rayleigh Von Mez (LV 952)
Race:
Perfect Human
Classes:
-Prodigy Mage(LV MAX)
-Starter Dimension Magic Mage (LV MAX)
-Starter Time Magic Mage (LV MAX)
-Dimension Magic Savant(LV MAX)
-Time Magic Genius(LV MAX)
-Archmage of Dimension Magic(LV MAX)
-Archmage of Time Magic(LV MAX)
-Trailblazer of Knowledge(LV 127/500)
Title:
[The mage who stands at the top of two peaks]
Stats:
[press here to show]
Skills:
[press here to show]
Status:
[press here to show]
---
Ugh, seeing his own name nearly made him recoil in disgust. If anyone ever found out his real name was actually such a cringe worthy name fit in my for the most boring off protagonists instead of Raymond Vance he might never be able to show his face ever again.
Looking around once more to make sure no one was watching, he discreetly performed a hand motion and with a flash of light manifested a staff in his hands.
Feeling the familliar wood grip in hands, he ran his palms over the chiseled surface. Feeling every groove and corner off the staff, at the end of the staff was a single brilliant blue gem, held tightly in place by the wood to the point it was hard to differentiate where the wood started and where the gem ended.
Casting a spell to hide hinself, he pulled out a pink sticky note from the inside of his coat and looked at the series of numbers and letters on it.
How he missed the benefits of the system. With it he could easily memorize the coordinates needed with just a glance. Compared to when he had to seal it, it was like a prawn going up against a whale.
Focusing, he drew his mana and easily casted the dimensional portal spell. A spell he created years and years ago.
Maybe it was just the aftereffects of finishing his novel but the bittersweet feeling he had didn't seem to fade, instead intensifying as he flash backed to when he first created and used this spell.
Snapping out of his melancholy, he finished his casting and looking into the swirling blue portal quickly double and triple checked his magic. No harm in making sure.
Making sure it was correct, he stepped through. With the portal quickly dissapearing soon after.
In the soft white snow, a pair of footprints could be seen before abruptly stopping and then dissapearing.
As fresh new snow slowly covered up his prints. His last few traces in this world slowly dissapeared inch by inch.
Leaving only an empty apartment and a boss who will get very angry with him not showing up.
His colleagues might wonder where he went. Only to forget within the week.
Such was the life of Raymond.