The Way Ahead

NorskDaedalus | drama | Complete

Get The Way Ahead on Amazon! Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 What do you do when you don't fit in? Edwin never really felt many connections to other people, but as a physics student, that was fine. He didn't really need it, anyway. He was content to peel back the mysteries of the universe... not that there were many left to find. Modern-day research was just too well-established, too well-trodden for any single enthusiast to make any significant headway. But that doesn't apply to other worlds. Not ones where magic and Skills run rampant, where well-defined roles and Classes dominate much of society with little room for novel experimentation from its residents. That kind of world would be perfect for an overeager, newly-minted Alchemist to make his mark. Things are never that easy, though. The Way Ahead is a very slice-of-life story following the story of someone trying to find his place in a world that doesn't know what to do with him. Expect lots of science, lots of alchemy, a few sarcastic quips by the System, and lots of exploration involving the world, self-discovery, and above all, science. After all, further research is always required. Updates Wednesdays. Congratulations! For writing a story during the month of November, you have unlocked the Royal Road Writathon Participant path!

285.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:36

B-But I don't WANT to be a protagonist!

Panacea | historical | Complete

Yuri tried, really, but everything conspired against her. Now her peace finally reached an end, and it's up to her to try and get out of the roles the universe gave her."""From childhood friend promises, to beautiful foreign princes, to cute pets and shady items, I shall strike down all those plot flags!"When you hear voices in your head, gods troll you for their enjoyment, and your brother is a stalker, it's easier said than done.-Complete-

65.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:39

Hazardous Debugging: Reanimation

TzarNik | horror | Complete

Once upon a time, there lived an ordinary man. He lived among us, maybe some of you even knew him. And then he died. Explosive rounds shot to the chest aren't very good for your health. His body was buried, his brain preserved. Three centuries have passed. Our descendants discovered the old refrigerator with the brains of their ancestors, took our hero out of the ice, digitizing his persona, and implanting him into a videogame.Little did they know that they fulfilled the terms of a contract to their demise. Because Fillin doesn't intend to spend an eternity in this digital playground even if though there's no difference from the real world.But the only way he can return to reality is to become God in the game. And so our hero sets foot on the Path of the Gods, ignoring the facts that he is followed by a walking nightmare named FreakHead, that the skies mock his every step and that anyone who looks upon him sees the title "Bringer of Chaos."

7.96 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:52

Open Source

Aluicious | horror | Complete

A team of bioengineering specialists has been sent to a secret location managed by the mysterious political power known only as the Coalition to develop new technologies in the fields of biological and cybernetic warfare. Just when it seems like they are about to make the breakthrough of the century, the lab goes dark. Join the cleanup crew as they force their way back into the complex and investigate what went wrong, and uncover something that could change the way humans interact forever...

43.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:59

Fertilizer Wars

Krake | satire | Complete

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] The year is 2202. Pandemics, apocalypses, demons, and nuclear war have ravaged the planet. Climate change has become nearly random. Forests have become desert. Tundra has become rain forest. The Amazon is infested with monsters. The world is split in a super power dipole in name only. The ten billion humans left on Earth follow whoever is closest at hand that can feed them. Special Operative Iris Haber has become one of "America"s most important war assets : a human capable of entering radiation zones. The only organic parts of her left are her brain and her heart, easily shielded. The only land that matters anymore is farm land, and the only people who matter are the ones able to capture that farm land.

31.59 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 15:17

No Choice - [Dungeon Core Progression Litrpg]

Flamebeard | action | Complete

Warning: If you are not reading this story on Royal Road, it has been stolen, and this constitutes copyright infringement. Stella wakes as a Dungeon Core in a fantasy world with all the exuberance of an avid LitRPG consumer. Before she can properly acclimate, she is mortified to learn that something fundamental seems to have broken in her System. Without being able to choose her skills, Stella must resort to abusing her earth knowledge to figure out the inner workings of the system and expand her domain. Come along and choose the path Stella will take to build the dungeon of her dreams and thwart the avaricious adventurers looming on the horizon. This is a reader interactive fiction. At the end of each chapter, there will be an ability choice that will determine how the build will progress. This is a litrpg. There will be numbers. There is going to be plenty of monster experimentation, merging, and enhancing. Oh and one last thing. Beware the penguins. Chapters are around 4k words long

81.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 15:24

Life of a Lich

EldritchPotato | horror | Complete

My life was overtaken by one purpose that killed me, but I made peace with that. The problem was when I suddenly found myself in an alien fantasy world. To make matters worse I'm a walking corpse wielding unholy magic and enemy number one for the holy crusaders who guard the kingdom from creatures like me. Now I have to figure out how to survive in this world and what my purpose is now, well that part is easy at least, I'm going to rid this world of one piece of filth at a time. Who would have thought the heroes would be worse than the villains? Warning: This story contains explicit violence and content which some people may find offensive. Reader discretion is advised. Life of a Lich will be updated every Tuesday and Thursday. Chapters are released early on my patron.

27.53 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:45

Sidonian Vigor

Nekomota | horror | Complete

The Sidonian Empire stands with pride to spite and take vengeance, in the name of its leader, the Lady Sidonia. Alisson Vi Nuam and Celistine Regadonia; the master and the apprentice, although meek, must push outside their boundaries if they wish to survive, and aid their fellow comrades in victory. Victory however, means victory against the entire world. Sidonian forces are of course higher quality than the rest of the human scum on the continent, but quality over quantity can only get you so far when you're outnumbered by such a large factor. Decrepit beasts roam the tunnels under the ground, and humans are all too happy to squash another subhuman nation such as Sidonia. With a sudden surprise attack launched on Sidonia, and war being declared, it's only a matter of time until the vastly larger human armies march down the continent and overwhelm the speck at the bottom of the map that is Sidonia. However, the orders Alisson receives one fateful day may be the key to his species survival, or an elaborate way of saying die'. Either way, orders are orders, and even if the Lady Sidonia did tell him to take his own life, he would do so in a heartbeat, as would any Sidonian as Alisson could imagine. This sentiment however, unbeknownst to Alisson, is subject to change, especially when he receives a brand-new apprentice to follow him everywhere. She may prove yet to be Alisson's first real friend. Because what's a better method of bonding than being hunted by both human and monster alike? Updates sparsely every couple weeks; this is a hobby, not my jobby :) Takes inspiration from everything from Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukovsky to the Spice and Wolf series by Isuna Hasekura. The main characters are not overly powerful, there is no cultivation, and there are no levels. The world isn't defined or spoonfed to the reader, and care has been taken to make sure every character seems human, no matter their importance to the plot. Please feel free to reach out to me about any grammar issues, questions, or critique, leave comments, or leave reviews, anything helps

373.24 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:00

Erased

alacroix | mystery | Complete

Macarthy. Black Hand of the Thieves Guild. Infamous and hated. Last night of the tournament, relaxing for a bit. Having some drinks to calm my nerves. Disguise ready to go, almost about time to start heading over. Sneak in while they're still fighting and get my hands on the grand prize. And, sure, the money's a factor, but money comes and money goes. Money ain't everything. The real reason for this? Revenge. Payback for them shutting down the guild, breaking us all up and carelessly wiping away all our years of sweat and blood. Looks like a good plan. Solid enough, at least. It shouldn't need to be said, but looks can be very deceiving. Even the best laid plans never really account for all of life's little twists. And afterwards? Kicked out, access revoked, but saved by a choice bit of foresight and managing to slink my way back in. And this, this absolutely doesn't need to be said, but they really didn't seem to like that. Not at all. So new face, new class, getting to start all over. At least a foot shorter and missing some important bits. No longer invisible, can't really do it, instead hiding in plain sight. Hopefully only a temporary situation, but the way things have been going? Not likely. ___ Draft done! Hope you enjoy.

196.71 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:10

A Haunted Flower [Completed]

GeorgieD | mystery | Complete

Why did no one ever say that the best way to recover from a deadly illness was by solving mysteries with a pretty ghost? Kayden Feronil, one of the empire's most promising cultivators, was supposed to be recovering from a deadly illness. Unfortunatelyor fortunately, since he's bored out of his mindthe remote village where he was supposed to be recuperating is afflicted with its own issues. Hauntings are driving the locals mad. Crooks are trying to take advantage of the fear. As an upstanding imperial citizen, Kayden sets out to unearth the truth. He just hadn't counted on the ghost tugging far too hard on his heartstrings, or the spiraling journey that the mystery would lead him on. NOTE: This will be a short novella for Royal Road Community Magazine purposes

14.74 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:03

Single Player

m_auctor48 | psychological | Complete

There are many games played on the world of Earth- some virtual, some board-bound, others much more real. For Grey Shor, the Apocalypse brings a game unlike any he's seen before- one that pits him against all manner of monsters, both human and otherwise. In this new reality, he has but a single goal: win. With the Apocalypse comes Evolutions- abilities that combine and level to transcend humanity. For Grey, this means Single Player, a power that allows him to play this new game by his own rules. After fighting through the hell known as the Apocalypse's Tutorial, Grey returns to Earth, finding it poorly prepared for the hell ahead. Armed with information regarding the future and powers ripped straight from myth, he begins a game that will not only find its way to the annals of history, but change them forever. The only way to save the world is to destroy it.  This is a story inspired by Death Note, the System Apocalypse sub genre, and stories like Solo Leveling and The Gamer. Will it appeal to fans of those stories? I can only hope.

42.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:06

Manaseared (COMPLETED)

JurassicClark | romance | Complete

Manaseared is a long-term character study on what it might really be like to form an adventuring party, learn spells, and go on epic quests. By the end, its protagonists--a chaotic evil sorceress, a charismatic young warrior, and many others--will have mastered their abilities and earned great power. But it's a long road to get there. And along the way, they're sure to learn why normal, sane people try to avoid dungeons--and don't run straight into them. COMPLETED; 512k words. THE CROW, set five years after Manaseared's climax, is now available on RR!

290.28 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 16:24

The Potion Shop

Mircea Florea | satire | Complete

"I am Sir Agandir of the house of Paltrinon, and I seek your aid in performing my quest.""What quest will that be, my lord, Sir Agandir?""Slaying the cursed beast that roams the skies of Wellos.""I would gladly assist you, sir, but I am afraid slaying dragons was one of my weakest talents and it has decreased with age.""Don't play with me, old man!" The knight leaned over the counter and grinned through his thick scruffy black beard. "I NEED POTIONS!"

0.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15

The Family

TheImperial | historical | Complete

A Short Story about a family that gets together over the holiday season. Even after they drift apart, the children off to live their lot own way in a tough world, they will never stop being family. A tribute/gift I wrote for my whole family.

1.31 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:11

Diamond In The Rough (Complete)

TLCsDestiny | historical | Complete

A reverse type of Aladdin' Story.(Book 2 of TLCsDestiny Fairy tale books) Rangcew, the capital of Commorda, might be flustering about with the upcoming marriage of Cid and Princess Bethany but that doesn't mean everything is going according to plan for Prince Elton.Prince Elton, the next in line for the throne, has serious plans to disrupt and force his own father to abandon the title of King'. With this, Prince Elton finds what he needs to make this goal to finally happen!&The Little Pillager' knows and has evidence that he needs! He must obtain it without fail!But to woo the woman, he is in the unknown and feels like he's the one being wooed instead! Alison, a thief with a cause, ends up in trouble, only to be caught in a web from the very same person that had brought her family down. Suddenly, she's become a daughter to another family, with nice dresses and yummy food&This was all to tame' someone&It is all to woo the Prince&With reason to play along', Alison finally finds evidence to reclaim her family's innocence but&Never thought that she'd stupidly' fall for the son of that man!It all just seems so impossible and wrong to go down a certain path, it's a romance that can't even be thought of, yet alone acted upon! Then&Why is she so easily lying and pretending like she does want this? Sometimes she even forgets who's she's supposed to be entirely and gets swept away by the idiot who claims himself to be a Prince! Without knowing, they help the other. Without knowing they both become greedy for a certain person's presence and affection&Can a thief strive for the position of Queen? Can the Prince speak the words that need to be said?

17.16 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:31

August Wind

JoyceMatula | historical | Complete

On an August night in 1976, a single phone call pulls Maggie Peter's into a reality she never expected to face. The tragic death of her childhood friend, Daniel, leaves her caught between his two remaining brothers. One is her best friend and the other is her crush. Hard questions are asked, only a few are answered. How strong is love? How much does it cost?

18.23 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:35

Other world ice cream shop

ChJees | satire | Complete

When a cynical shut-in is summoned over to another world is everything not as it seems. He is a reluctant hero but finally finds a reason play his part. He would rather stay inside all day long reading novels meanwhile gorging himself on ice cream. This is a short one-shot story.

0.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 09:35

Was it Worth It?

noctelibri | contemporary | Complete

Is love worth the risk? This is for every person who has ever loved a pet. (Inspired by our own loss yesterday.) cover vectorDesigned by Freepik

0.69 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 11:27

Other-Terrestrial Episode 6 - "Diplomatic Maneuvers"

NolanConrey | horror | Complete

A small group of aliens have begged the Sapient Union for aid, and the Union will answer. Faced with imminent destruction at the hand of a vicious warlord who has sworn to destroy them to the last being, Captain Brooks must maneuver carefully. While he is empowered to negotiate and seek peace, the Craton alone cannot hope to match the enemy's overwhelming numbers. But peace - and the lives of the beings in jeopardy - hang by a hair. And if the mad warlord decides to strike, it may mean a total war that could lead to the deaths of trillions.

38.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 11:52

Twisted destiny (prequel)

manwX | tragedy | Complete

In the wake of a fatal accident, Aiden loses his life tragically. His father, determined to bring him back, resorts to cloning and remarkably succeeds in using an artifact of unknown origin. However, their newfound joy is short-lived as they now find themselves entangled in the clutches of a secret organization, the Alpha Project. Dr. Hector, wholeheartedly committed to helping his son, embarks on a series of events to escape the organization's relentless pursuit. Prequel to Tranmigrated as the villain's older Brother -------------------------------------------------------------------. This is a concise story just spanning a few chapters. This is the prologue for my novel. It was too long so I just made it a separate thing. Any feedback is appreciated. please be respectful. My grammar and English usage are a little lacking. Please point out any mistakes or issues you find. That would be very helpful and I can correct them. Thanks for reading.

7.25 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:34