The Author's POV Chapter 1: Prologue

'Efforts never betray you'

This saying enjoys immense respect and gets preached time and again all around the globe.

Countless individuals treat it as a lifelong personal motto to live by, yet plenty more just mock it like some silly gag.

Why bother with effort when a wealthy father hands you everything on a silver platter?

Big house?

'Hey dad, mind grabbing me a house?'

New car?

'Daddy~ I've got my eye on this awesome new car, so could you maybe…'

Then there are those basking in luxury purely from sheer luck, such as lottery winners.

How much effort goes into snagging a lottery jackpot anyway?

'Congrats, you've hit the 200 million jackpot!'

Where does 'efforts never betray you' fit into that scenario?

Putting those instances aside, plenty of situations do validate the quote's truth.

For instance, recall that film… uh, what's its name again?

Oh yeah! 'Pursuit of Happyness'.

It perfectly embodies 'Efforts never betray'.

The heartfelt tale follows a street-living homeless father with his son, who rises to millionaire status through unwavering love and commitment. Truly moving.

So where do I stand on 'Efforts never betray'?

Total nonsense. End of story.

'Efforts never betray?' I can only sneer at such an absurd idea. Sure, a bit of hard work beats being an average nobody, but is that the whole secret? The real path to victory?

Nope. Far from it.

True success hinges on 'Talent'.

No amount of effort lets you climb over the towering peak called talent.

Take football: tons train as fiercely as Messi or Ronaldo, yet they never near their heights. Endless drills, blood, sweat, tears—still can't even brush their heels.

What garbage is that?

Back to why I despise 'Efforts never betray' so much.

Easy. I was one of those fools who bought into it completely.

Picture this: my parents perished when I was 14. Some drunk idiot plowed into them. Countless nights I sobbed myself to sleep over it.

No aunts, uncles, or living grandparents on either side—leaving me a full orphan.

Fortune smiled with enough savings to carry me through school, so I hit the books like my survival hung in the balance. It pretty much did.

Endless study marathons, all to snag a spot at elite University A and land a solid job afterward.

But wait—how would an orphan like me cover university fees? They cost a fortune.

Bank loan? No parents, no collateral? I applied, but the government shut me down.

One option remained: a scholarship.

Land that, and university becomes free.

Thankfully, nearby University A ran an ideal scholarship setup. A teacher mentioned they granted just one yearly to my school. Perfect for me. Study like mad, ace the tests, and it's mine.

So I buckled down, studying so intensely that old friends drifted away. Didn't faze me. University meant new buddies… or so this naive kid believed. Now, I just chuckle at past stupidity.

My grind paid off with top 1% on national exams, but that coveted scholarship? Never materialized.

Ironically, the recipient ranked below me—thanks to his big-shot dad pulling strings.

That prize was rightfully mine! Sleepless nights and isolated days? All for nothing!

Worse, his family could easily foot the bill sans scholarship.

If you can pay, why snatch it from someone desperate?

I eyed other universities' scholarships, but they sat far away, and relocation was impossible.

By then, after draining every last bit of my family's savings, I was completely broke.

Part-time jobs barely kept me fed. How on earth could I afford to study in a far-off city with sky-high rents I couldn't touch?

With no options left, I abandoned my studies and stuck to those part-time gigs.

Depression crept in slowly, and I turned to food, manga, and web novels for escape.

As pounds piled on day by day, holding down jobs got tougher—after just ten minutes on my feet, I'd be gasping for air.

Luckily, a fresh pastime emerged: writing web novels. It began as a way to kill time, but when readers flocked to my story, a long-dormant spark reignited, driving me to keep at it.

And succeed I did.

My debut novel exploded in popularity, and cash began rolling in.

……

[Descent of the Hero]

Description : Sypher an orphan boy from a poor village hopes of one day becoming a hero and embarks on a tough journey to fight against all odds and become a hero.

Rating : 4.7 (513 reviews)

Views : 5.5M Words : 1.3M

……

Yeah, it was the classic Hero versus Demon King tale, but hey, if I enjoyed it and it paid the bills, why not?

That was my initial take, yet as my second and third books launched, my enthusiasm faded bit by bit.

Not from hating the act of writing—no, it stemmed from churning out what readers demanded. Catering to them pulled me away from stories I truly loved.

I forced myself to pen stuff I disliked. Fans craved fan service, but as a virgin writer, it felt awkward as hell. The internet saved me there, yet scenes like shoving a cucumber somewhere? No thanks—that killed my writing fire. Who'd want that?

Even following readers' wishes to the letter, only my first book ever cracked the rankings.

And now, here I sat, staring vacantly at my laptop screen.

click click click click click

The dull clatter of keys filled my room.

Another day trapped in the same dull routine.

Wake up

Type

Eat

Type

Repeat

With the final sentence done, I hit save in the top-right corner and clicked [Send].

Sigh

A heavy sigh escaped as I blankly gazed at the ceiling. How much longer must I endure this grind?

Shaking my head in bitterness, I checked my novel's comments.

……

Goodguy85 : Ugh Author-san I feel like your writing is becoming worse and worse……

--] Weeboo : Replying to Goodguy85, I totally agree with you. This novel had so much potential but I feel like lately the story started derailing.

--] TruckDriver : I totally agree with you man. There are too many plot holes and Deux Machina. It's getting ridiculous.

Boywonder : ~Thanks for the new chapter!

TwilightStar : Dropped

BoobMonster : hey hey hey, where the ecchi scenes?

Roosterboy65 : Dude is married to mary sue.

……

BAM!

"Fuck! What do you mean my writing is getting worse!"

My fist crashed onto the table as I yelled at the screen.

"I'm tired of this sh*t!"

Snapping the laptop shut, I fought to steady my nerves. Rage wasn't worth the blood pressure spike.

Truth was, I loved this latest novel. Born from my frustrations and craving for novelty, it aimed to fan those dying embers in my chest.

A standard weak-to-strong arc, but set in a modern futuristic world unlike my past works.

The tale kicks off in 1980 with the 'Great Cataclysm'—a three-part apocalypse that reshaped the planet.

First wave of the 'Great Cataclysm': Tectonic plates shifted worldwide, relocating nations and unleashing tsunamis and quakes that claimed millions of lives. The globe's map transformed forever, leaving one vast continent ringed by oceans.

Second wave of the 'Great Cataclysm': Massive portals ripped open, spilling demons and alien races. They seemed peaceful at first, but once they saw humans as easy prey, chaos erupted everywhere.

Yet amid these massive calamities, great chances emerged. As gateways materialized across the globe, humans unlocked the power of mana—a mystical energy drifting through the air from distant realms. It empowered people to achieve feats they once only imagined, such as hurling fireballs or slicing through steel with ease.

Finally, the third stage of the 'Great Cataclysm' unfolded toward the novel's close, precisely when forces from the Demon world unleashed a complete invasion upon Earth.

Ten years following the Second Cataclysm, three major powers dominated the planet: the demon faction, the human faction, and the Fantasia faction, made up of Orcs, elves, and Dwarves.

The Fantasia faction formed a reluctant alliance among elves, dwarves, and orcs, essentially coerced into unity.

Demons embodied pure 'greed'. Born solely to consume entire worlds, they infiltrated a planet first, then multiplied rapidly over time, building strength until they could fully devour it.

Elves, orcs, and dwarves were mere refugees and survivors, fleeing demons that had already ravaged their original homeworld.

Upon arriving on Earth, elves, orcs, and dwarves initially watched from afar. They sought to determine if humans merited joining their coalition against the demons. Early hopes of a new partner thrilled them, but that enthusiasm soon faded to letdown, then outright revulsion.

The haughty elves witnessed humanity's selfish plots and betrayals in its darkest hours, erasing any alliance ideas and filling them with total contempt.

Orcs found humans' fragile and feeble physiques deeply underwhelming, rendering them worthless.

Dwarves viewed humans' crude tools as proof of mindless savagery, like apes strutting about with empty boasts of might and smarts.

Ultimately, demons and the Fantasia faction seized 3/8 of Earth each, leaving humans with just 2/8 and the status of a lesser force.

The tale kicks off with the protagonist joining the 'Lock', an elite academy forged by united human efforts to train fighters guarding borders from assaults by both rival factions.

He embodied the classic MC bearing a heartbreaking backstory.

- Parents slain in wartime by demons

- Burning revenge toward demons

…and the rest

This was standard fare for any MC.

My crowning achievement—or so I believed—until the comment section review ignited my fury.

How would anyone react to their prized creation getting trashed?

Outrageous, isn't it?

Exhaling deeply, I fought to steady my nerves once more.

Recently, my temper flared at the tiniest provocations, highlighting the severity of my rage problems.

Understandable, though. Given my wretched existence, a warped mindset was inevitable.

"Guh…Aaah!"

Right as I moved to shut my laptop, sharp agony pierced my chest—straight into my heart.

Gripping my chest tightly, I dropped to my knees. Gasping heavily, I dragged myself toward the desk.

"I need my medicine…"

Due to my dismal circumstances, I relied on numerous pills: ones for blood pressure, asthma, and depression.

And at this moment, I hunted for the blood pressure ones.

My earlier flare-up had spiked my pressure, triggering this crisis.

Just get the pills, and relief would come…

"Gaahh!"

Crashing back to my knees, my sight grew hazy.

Breathing turned brutally difficult.

"Ahhh, so this is how my miserable life concludes…"

Those final words slipped from my lips before darkness swallowed everything.

……

Chirp chirp chirp

The serene chirps of birds roused me from sleep.

A soft, warming sunlight bathed my body, invigorating my weary form with fresh vigor.

Upon opening my eyes, I discovered myself in a modest one-bedroom apartment.

Rubbing my eyes to confirm I wasn't dreaming, I blinked repeatedly and scanned the unfamiliar room again.

'Aren't I supposed to be…dead?'

That was my initial thought, yet feeling my breath steady and vision clear proved otherwise. Maybe aid arrived just in time, landing me in a medical ward.

But seconds ticked by, shattering that notion.

Why?

Obvious reason: a massive screen popped up before me, jolting me wide awake.

===Status===

Name : Ren Dover

Rank : G

Strength: G

Agility: G

Stamina: G-

Intelligence: G

Mana capacity: G

Luck: E

Charm: G-

Profession: [Swordsmanship lvl.1]

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