An Unwavering Craftsman

cathfach | mystery | Complete

Given the hereditary nature of classes, everyone expects Damienthe child of two high-tiered adventurersto be granted a high-tier combat class of his own. Expectations are betrayed, however, when Damien finds himself instead saddled with a crafting class of the lowest possible tier: [Neophyte Tailor]. Left practically crippled compared to those with better classes, Damien wants to avoid becoming a pawn in the machinations of the nobility, desiring only to grind his level in peace while wondering why the usual rules of inheritance were broken. Was it his desire to excel by his own effort, rather than an unearned blessing from a god? Did the Five take offence at his opinions on the unfairness of hereditary classes? Or maybe it was something to do with the alien voice that intruded on his ceremony? A voice that offers great power, and freedom from the tyranny of the Five, but that never names its price. This story is litRPG-lite. While the class someone possesses controls most of their lives, people don't get dinged at for every level they gain, nor can they see their status without undergoing a special ritual. The MC has no romantic interest. Crafting is merely a way to game the system, and doesn't feature heavily in the story, aside from a few descriptions on how they're carrying out the system abuse. There is, on one unfortunate occasion, maths. The pace is quick. Published here, Scribble Hub and patreon. This was a participant in the Spring 2022 writathon. (i.e. it was posted as-written at high speed, with no pre-planning.)

67.60 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:49

Soulless (Apparently)

Illhark | mystery | Complete

When a serial killer emerges on the robot-populated planet of Zynima, a few machines form a group of vigilantes to end what seems like a simple open-and-shut case. Join Aural Automaton and Shock System as they uncover the ugly truth behind this string of murders. Also in the AUU-16 universe: Soulless (Apparently)  The Departure  Night Game  Ystets Lake

55.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 14:07

On Foreign Soils We Die

saithorthepyro | tragedy | Complete

Story is completed The Travelers. People from earth reincarnated in the country of Aetheria, powerful and skilled users of the System who have arrived in this early modern world just in time to aid Aetheria against the many foes and threats facing them. They can and will transcend all powers of this world in order to make their adoptive home country safe. This is not their story. This is the story of the Scaverians, a people at war with the expansionist power of Aetheria and the otherworldly people known as the Travelers, their grand superweapon. Ever since they refused to stop supplying the Aethereans with weapons and tools for their conquest, the Aethereans have been dedicated to driving them underground. Their deities and elder dragons are dead. Their last great fortress line has fallen. The only thing protecting them now is the gargantuan Malden river, and that they are considered an unimportant front by the Aethereians. Now, they have one final plan. A concerted blow with the remaining nations still fighting, targeting the one advantage the Aethereans have. For one scrapped-together regiment of Scaverians, their target is five Travelers, relatively weak, inexperienced, and on leave in the rural town of Halice. It is an operation few are expected to return from. Releasing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 AM MST

50.45 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:06

Pluto

MagusJosh | adventure | Complete

Talia Redowl, daughter of the goddess Athena, expected - and definitely wanted - to work for her mother when she graduated. In particular, she was hoping to be assigned as an aide to her older sister, Danae, their mother's Avatar. So when Talia's graduation assignment is to become the Avatar of Hades, the legendarily anti-social and brooding god of the Underworld, she protests&the position has gone unfilled for two thousand years. Why her? Why now? The Fates weave a tangled web, and more is at stake than Talia's plans for her own future.But before she can take up her new post, Talia Redowl must die.Death is just the beginning&

87.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:35

The girl named Seven

hyrdyr | drama | Complete

A girl, raised and trained to be a weapon. Now offered a chance fora better life, will she take it? Will the world let her? Trying to figure out her lot in life with noother skills than those of combat in a world where conflicts are becomming more frequent, what will become of her? Some names may have been taken from real life but everything else is fiction. Ratings and comments would be appreciated. I put the drama tag but i'm not sure if I actually manage that. Cover pic found via pintrest. If the owner of the art wants it removed, please contact me.

56.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:15

Black Iron & Cinder

Convictus | horror | Complete

Black Iron & Cinder is complete and will no longer be updated except for important announcements. If you're interested, consider purchasing the published version on Amazon, which is a brand new revision with error fixes and approximately 2000 more words in length. Also, please check out my newest fiction, The Wolf of Asano. Six months ago, a colorlessmiasma swept across the entire northern section of the continent of Yhordran, creating a vast army of undead that lurks within its boundaries. In an attempt to encourage citizens to help restore order, the crown creates a public organization called the "Mistwalkers", made of individuals who register to venture into the mysterious fog to discover and stop its source. A foreign knight in self-exile from his home is one of those Mistwalkers, and on a desperate journey for meaning, he steps into the grey abyss with the company of Yhordran natives to make his way 400 miles north to reach the plague's epicenter.

92.72 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:53

Clock Link: A Story of Magic and Murder

mataaitai | mystery | Complete

April 1st. For eight minutes, a section of downtown Portland and everyone in it comes to a complete and absolute standstill. During that time a bank is robbed... and a young girl is murdered.Three high school students, a shut in, a man involved in organized crime, and an amateur mage. The events of "the day the world stopped" start a chain reaction that will change the destinies of these six people, and the city, forever.

91.88 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:05

The Ill-Favoured Five: Children of Discordia (Grimdark Fantasy)

Sivios | mystery | Complete

Set in an alternative, dystopian future In 2017, two worlds, Earth and Lumina, seemingly merged. Entire countries were wiped off the face of the planet, tsunamis the size of mountains crashed into deserts, and monsters immune to gunfire rampaged through the survivors. This was known as the Great Merge. As millions were displaced across the new world, the kings from Lumina herded the survivors into enormous cities. This story begins 40 years after the Great Merge, following a mercenary team in New London tasked with intel gathering on a recruiter for a supposed terrorist organisation. However, all is not what it seems. Secrets are being withheld and a certain team member has a complex history. Join them as they butt heads with the Children of Discordia, a group hell-bent on creating chaos while unravelling a puzzling mystery. This story is not for those who are faint-hearted. You have been warned. Sivios.

70.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:08

A Kindness of Ravens

C.T. Yarrow | contemporary | Complete

A tale of sexy spies, Celtic deities, ancient magic and a little light Isekai. It's 2008. The Blanks are Britain's most valuable intelligence assets; dangerous, damaged people who sacrifice everything for a number, a code name and the chance to serve Queen and Country. Between them they can infiltrate anywhere, kill anyone and steal anything. But now someone is hunting them. Picking them off in ways that seem supernatural. Updates every second day. This novel is already complete. New content published every second day. If you want me to publish more often, or more stories with these characters, then you can always get my attention via Ko-Fi.

60.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:44

Harem Protagonist's Sidekick

LonMair399 | contemporary | Complete

Finally! I was finally free of all the drama surrounding Ethan and his harem from last year. Now, I just wanted to enjoy my new high schoolLakewood Academyand avoid the shenanigans of Ethan and his new group of infatuated girls. This proved difficult, however, when one of the girls approached me with a request that I was forced to accept. Damn my best friend and his meddling. Anyway, such a simple request somehow ended up with me being suckered into helping all of them grow closer to Ethan. It seemed like no matter what I did, I was destined to remain his sidekick. I guess my life was going to be a lot livelier than I imagined. Or annoying. Definitely one of the two.

50.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 16:59

Lolly

JoyceMatula | historical | Complete

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Lolly lives in time. It is where she has always lived...for now. Now is a peculiar state of existence because one now leads to another now. Lolly is not quite sure where the next now will take her, but it will take her somewhere.Now, Lolly lives in Texas. It is where she has always lived. It is 1975. She has her own quiet dreams and her own personal challenges, like we all do.

58.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:39

Tome of the Mind

C_P_Tuck | mystery | Complete

SPOILER WARNING: This is a sequel to Tome of the Body. If you have not read it, please do before reading this story, otherwise, a lot of things will not make sense. It can be found here. ~SYNOPSIS~ Every great story needs an author. Samuel Bragg, now the chosen champion of Arcana, has returned to the world of Ahya after one hundred years of being presumed dead. He awakes in his old home village, tended to by his last living friend, now an old woman. He spends some time enjoying the peace he finds but finds that his time away from the world has weakened him. Struggling with his new purpose in life and the returned boredom of village life, Samuel sets out on a nostalgic trip back to the capital city of Milagre. He is surprised to see that much of the world remains unchanged in the past hundred years, with a few exceptions. Accepted back at the Mage's College with high honors, Samuel is offered the chance to teach his own class and educate future mages, but declines, deciding he needs more experience. Desperate to learn more about the mysteries of magic, he takes an apprentice and travels to the distant land of Zaban, where it is rumored that mages skilled in unique magic live. He is given a new title and permission to travel from the Royal Family of Gorteau and sets out for the natural nation of Zaban. On his journey, he learns new skills and discovers his talent for teaching. Powered by Arcana and guided by his influence, Samuel returns to the capital city Milagre, to find those small parts of his life that were lost. He encounters his old friends Shigeru and Grimr, each now well-known for their services to the world. But upon connecting with the world as he knows it, he also learns of a terrible war brewing beneath the surface, filling everyone with unease. With a god behind him and a new ally at his side, Samuel steps once more into the unknown. Can he continue to grow as a mage and find triumph again? Read Tome of the Mind, the second book in the Tomes of Ahya series, to witness the truly thrilling tale of a growing legend and the challenges he will face. This story is also available on Scribblehub.

50.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:04

A Dance of Poison and Curses

CrystalSquirrel | romance | Complete

For Liliana Rose her family is absolute. Her loyalty is absolute, and if her mother or father demanded anything of her she'd give it to them without a thought. Yet in the end she realized how little she'd given to her family, and how she was nothing in comparison to her parents. To that end Liliana chose to leave her family behind, setting out on a journey to find her own value, and a way to help cement her own legacy. What she found was something beyond her imagination, and it would eventually lead to her discovering her own place within the Empire.

73.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:11

The Long and Exciting Life of Kreet the Kobold (Life 2)

Blue Draggy | romance | Complete

Kreet was originally a D&D character. Life 1 was essentially her backstory. Life 2 picks up just after the events of the D&D campaign in the Underdark. At first you won't recognize the characters, but bear with it for a couple chapters and the few important points will be revealed. Also I stole a player's character (with his permission!) in the form of Sigmundurr. Also, unlike Life 1, I'll be posting this slowly over time. Right now I'm writing around chapter 20 and I suspect I'm only halfway. Tone may be a little different. ( Cover art by KuroNeko I'm pretty sure!)

51.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:16

Seeking Direction: Revised Edition(RWBY/OC)

Elbowsnapper | romance | Complete

When Lima Morta, a graduating student of the Sanctum Combat School, finds out that his guardian will become the first-year combat instructor for Haven Academy, he quickly crafts an exit plan. OC Main Character. OC Team. Revised, restructured and rebuilt, Seeking Direction gets a new coat of paint.

90.10 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:12

Chosen by the Zealots [Sci-Fi Post-Apocalypse LitRPG]

Salt Blossom | sci_fi | Complete

All Adam wanted was to join the US Marines and escape the ghetto. The omnipotent Goddess of the space colony Astraea decided otherwise. Marked as Her Chosen, Adam is loaded up with futuristic tech and shunted into an alternate world, where the skies bleed red and corruption seeps into the land. His task is to travel this world, hunting, fighting and saving the Goddess's lost War Maidens, who have succumbed to corruption and transformed into monsters. The more War Maidens he saves, the smoother the taskin theory. However, the War Maidens are a zealous sort. Adam, as their Goddess's Chosen, is precious to them. He is to be defended at all costs, and may the Goddess have mercy on anyone that dares to threaten him& Updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (UTC time). Support the series on Patreon or Ko-Fi!

74.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:21

The Dark Between the Trees

KSNixon | horror | Complete

Balance is everything. Where the village ends, the rainforest begins, and while children whisper legends of impossible places and heroes, the villagers know there is nothing outside except the trees and what creeps between them. The dark and the creatures it hides have never entered the village, not while sacred spirits, the anki, protect it. With his father's body wrapped and laid in the funeral clearing, Talon wants only to get back to his crops, his wife and two children, Sosa and Halo  but the bronze spear hidden in his father's hut is a complication he could do without. Metal is rare, and hoarding it forbidden, but that's the least of Talon's worries. The appearance of a young boy, stained with red dye, who crashes from the trees and collapses at Sosa's feet, could threaten the delicate balance, and Talon's decision to protect him will have consequences for his family; perhaps the whole village. Talon and Sosa are about to be drawn into an adventure which, like many others, is full of heroes and claws and teeth. What those legends rarely say is how much those claws can hurt. Talon and Sosa's legend does. Warning: There is some gore and violence in this book but not an excessive amount. It's carefully placed, but it is there, just so you know!

74.39 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:42

My New Life As A Kid Goddess: Book 1 - New Goddess

infinityisfree | drama | Complete

Awoken as if from oblivion by a mysterious voice a young girl finds herself in a new world of medieval fantasy. Now a massive giantess with otherworldly magical abilities she learns she has been reborn as a goddess. Although she remembers brief glimpses of a previous life she recalls little about it besides the bits and pieces she gets at random. Now she must slowly build her memories back up while adapting to her growing godly powers. Can she learn how to be a benevolent deity? [BOOK 2 HERE!]

91.42 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 11:37

The Destroyer

michaelscottearle | action | Complete

After untold centuries of absence, the evil Ancients have returned. Their magic appears unstoppable and their hunger for conquest is insatiable. To protect the country of Nia, Duchess Nadea and Scholar Paug make a desperate journey to find a human legend: A man known to have destroyed these Ancient foes with a powerful army.But legends can lie.When Paug and Nadea revive their hero from sleep, his virtue is far from clear. Is he really their Savior or their Destroyer? Visit my website MichaelScottEarle.com to pick up Destroyer in eBook or Paperback (PST... The Destroyer Book 1 eBook is FREE)

72.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:55

Saga of Fallen Kings, Book I: The Revenant Prince

AFlawedKing | drama | Complete

The Philosopher King once conquered the known world, his power seemingly unlimited and his armies inexhaustible. Since that time his might has slowly unravelled, and his once steadfast empire has begun to crack, splinter and devour itself. In the isolated Southern Realms, where even magic has abandoned them, none of that matters. For years it has been filled with warring kingdoms, where as many kings die to the blade as to old age, and constant battles tear apart the land. When one such kingdom invades its old enemy, the King and his heir, Prince Caden, are killed. Unable to accept the loss of his family Prince Arian is broken, and when the Philosopher King stretches out his hand in aid, Arian takes it without a second thought. When Caden wakes from death, he's different. His eyes and soul have changed, and he finds a world filled with friends who no longer trust he's even human. Suddenly thrust onto the throne and indebted to the Philosopher King, Caden has no choice but to keep going - he must finish what his father started, and try to survive the machinations of the figure who now owns his fealty. Meanwhile something beyond death stirs for him, desiring nothing more than to drag him back into its embrace. Author's Note: This story used to be known as "A King of his Own", but after some consideration I have decided to rebrand it. The first reason is that I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with the title. The second is that I have come increasingly to view this story as a 'saga' containing multiple 'books' rather than one long, continuous publication, and as I did so I realized that as I was quickly getting to a point in the story where I wanted the first 'book' to end. This doesn't mean I'm going back on the things I said below - they're just going to continue in the next book of the Saga of Fallen Kings. :) Also, be aware that I do plan to edit this at some point. Though I take care to squash out any obvious errors when I proof-read, and do simple edits in that process, at some point I'm almost certainly going to do large edits that might significantly change parts of the story. Old author's notes: This started as a completely random writing session. There was no purpose or direction, but as I kept typing an entire world began to form in my mind that I knew I had to write about. My plan is to turn this story into a veritable medieval fantasy epic that spans an entire world, follows multiple character and storylines, and takes place over many years. The story has quite a grounded, almost 'realistic' start, but many more fantastical elements will be introduced, expanded upon and become central to the narrative. I have ideas for this story that make me genuinely excited and I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy writing it, and join me on what will hopefully become a truly massive fantasy epic. If you do enjoy this story please consider following, rating and leaving a review. I'm also happy to answer any questions or comments you have. (Cover image is an edited version of free stock art found: here.)

58.29 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:33