Metamancer

OscarWilder | psychological | Complete

One moment, Oliver Grace is mowing the lawn while his pregnant wife cooks dinner. The next, he's standing beneath an alien sky. His Marine Corps training keeps him alive and his father's heart calls him home& but it's the engineer in him that first recognizes just how powerful this world's magic can let him become. Join Oliver on his journey as he kicks a few butts, rights a few wrongs, and shows two worlds what happens to the things that get in the way of a father going home  especially when that father happens to be a U.S. Marine wielding the power of science and magic combined. Warning: Produced on shared equipment in a factory that also handles software engineering. May contain musings on the nature of mortality and consciousness, physics and dad jokes.Does not contain: grammar errors. Slow-burn isekai high fantasy with LitRPG elements. No tables. Release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8pm EST.

76.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:09

Diary of a Mining Dragon

Kirrelevent | psychological | Complete

Vildra is a simple dragon. All she wants to do is to dig out a nice little den where she can sleep through the winters. A home fit for someone like herself! So what if the mountain she chose just so happens to hold riches unseen before. She'll ignore it as she always does, like with that city next door, or those "suitors" who graciously feed her, or that voice that whispers to her in her sleep. The only things she won't ignore are those centipedes that always seem to find a way in. If only they weren't so cute! Contrary to popular belief, the "richest" Dragon Lord Vildra does not care for material wealth. She seems uninterested in having mates, family, tribe, worshipers, friends, or any other social connection other than servants. She also appears heavily isolated from current events. It is for these reasons, as well as her personality, that she has been designated the True Neutral among Dragon Lords. -Dragon Lord Council

48.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:07

The Hero Raised by a Monster

Silent Ruins | psychological | Complete

Have you ever woken up in a strange fantasy land for no discernible reason? Don't worry, I know you haven't. But I did! Before we go any further, full disclosure: I am a monster. At least, that's what people tell me. Now, you don't need to be too worried about that because I've got a hero around to make sure I don't cause too much trouble. Well she isn't really a hero yet, but I'm going to make sure she becomes one. After all, I'd really rather not be hunted down just for being what I am. Or maybe it's the murder and property damage? I'm not really sure what it is that sets people off.

83.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:07

The Everlasting. (Completed)

Biako | psychological | Complete

An Everlasting. A title given to those who have reached a state closest togodhood. Be it through might and power or through love and compassion. These beings hold great influence over the realms. This story is about Asura, a young orphaned child, who was taught the way of the blade and has mastered the Warrior Arts at a very young age. Given a recommendation by his master, Asura ventures out to broaden his horizons and to learn magic. Follow Asura’s journey and his quest to reach Everlastinghood. Comment by the author: Looking at the chapter list, you might have noticed Volume 1 is not there. The reason is that it’s in the process of being published so I’m somewhat restricted in where and how I can post it. Edit. 18/04/2017 The first volume is now officially on sale. It is no longer possible to get the first volume for free. I am sorry but it was free for a long time and it was time for it. However if you like to support me you can find th first volume here on Amazon (getBook.at/TheEverlasting) Compared to other stories on Royal Road this one is faster paced. No artificial extensions of the story by spending forever in generic constructs, like random ranking tournaments, that don’t really matter for the overall plot. That’s the plan anyway. Volumes consist roughly of 30-35k words. Additionally: I am not a native speaker, nor have I had any formal education in the English language. I am trying very hard to improve myself. If you want to help me by proofreading my story, shoot me a PM and we’ll see if we can arrange something. Other than my thanks and fake internet points I can’t offer anything, though. Yeah, poor student here… Edit 22/06/2017 Hey the story is officially ended if i ever decide to continue it will be on another date. The ending is open for anyone to use their imagination. Thank you all for the support. I hope we could meet later in the Everlasting II. Respectfully Biako

128.26 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:13

The Silver Wheel Game 1: The Fall

J Regan | psychological | Complete

There is a place between sleep and dreams where fortunes fly at the whims of the dice. Where people from all walks of life can gamble for more than just money; they can wager their talents, their health, their family... so long as they own it, they can put it on the table for the chance to win the impossible. Where unwitting guests can have their luck and their cunning tested in games where the winner takes all. For time immemorial, the Silver Wheel Gambling House has run by these rules, giving people the opportunity to experience the greatest thrill or the deepest despair. But everything would change one fateful night, when the casino becomes host to an unusual  and diabolical  guest. A guest who raises the stakes forever. The first of a three-part series. You can read part two here, and part three here. Cover art provided by the talented and wonderful nebai.

40.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:49

All The Lonely People

nasonjelson | psychological | Complete

When our narrator's wife dies, he struggles to be a good parent to his daughter, Eleanor. He wants to be, but he is stuck in a whirlwind of depression; seeing all of his mistakes past and present and how they would negatively impact Eleanor. When he starts having visions of his wife, he starts to question his sanity, but also the makeup of the known universe. Is it a ghost? Is he seeing a mirage from the past? Is he seeing beyond the veil of space and time? It's a journey of self-discovery, but more than that, it's a journey of love, towards love.

49.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:54

Second Life: Prelude

GrinNoCat | psychological | Complete

You know you're going to die, what's your plan? When John dies and his plan get's enacted, he finds that his second life isn't what he thought it would be. After character generation and a name change it's time to meet the afterlife - and there's something deeply wrong in Nirvana. She has secrets, and punishments to make sure they stay secret. Nirvana isn't living up to her namesake, so what's really going on? Follow Jebediah Walker's oblique path as he navigates his Second Life. This is a hobby for me, so I won't be asking for money or other support. I'm sharing my enjoyment of writing in a community of writers I admire. Generally, chapters will be between 1-2K words, published on Tuesdays and Fridays. If I get more than 8 chapters in drafts I'll release some as bonuses. If you can suffer without all the nice things RoyalRoad does for readers, then you may find content on my website that hasn't been published here. Content there may be going through revision before being posted here, but I know that won't stop you if I left a horrible cliff hanger. Please review my work (here) and share your opinon with me. Your feedback can improve my skill, and my enthusasim can only do so much!

37.39 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 18:54

Post-Mortem

_Feanor_ | psychological | Complete

Kurou has always been a lazy, insubordinate, foul-mouthed slob. He hates working and talking to others, and more often than not gets involved in some kind of scuffle due to his short temper and constant bad mood. After miraculously surviving an airplane crash, he finds himself in the middle of the Egyptian desert, unaware of his location or why he wasn't among the unfortunate passengers who tragically died that day. Stunned by the whirlwind of events occurring all at once, he is forced to embark on a quest to discover why he cannot die and what is preventing it. Surrounded by unanswered questions, our main character will meet important people, battle zealous followers, monsters, and even gods in his journey into...the unknown. Join Kurou as he walks the path of uncertainty, where even the most certain aspect of his life has been taken away: his mortality. Note from the author: this book is based on Egyptian Mythology.

33.28 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 17:25

Reminiscence

GenXel | psychological | Complete

My website: https://putiancom.wordpress.com This is a short story about revenge or something along the lines. (This is my first story ever written so please go ham at criticising my work.) Death. It is a form of punishment or torture. And can be also be a form of salvation. Ultimately, it forms different perspectives depending on the beholder itself and on how the beholder take it as. Life. A point in time where finding your purpose. Purpose, of life itself and experience its flow, either epiphany or hell. Death. It is an end. A point of no return. It also makes the beholder feel free, breaking away from the chain of life. It makes the beholder recollect and reflect when crossing the boundary between life and death. Boundaries. A place where a path will ultimately, be chosen with or without consideration in the decision, free. . . . A place where recounting life, take it as a feeling. The joys and sorrow accumulated, playing back, making the beholder reexperience life. "Reminiscing."

9.15 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 13:24

Making of a Gentleman

Raghunandan | psychological | Complete

Number one expert in the Devata realm was on his end of life span. He was unwilling to hand over his sect to his ungrateful disciples. He decided to burn all his power and sect's resources to create a microchip that was designed to help him find and create a successor. He named the system as -Gentleman's system Discord: raghunandan#4640

30.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:47

WatchTower II : Title of Fiction

Pao275 | psychological | Complete

'Tis be a part of mine desmesne, I dedicate it to communicating with a Youngling most uncertain 'bout everything, It shall be a way to reassure her that what she considers mistakes aren't, that her jokes truly are funny, and most importantly, that she is loved. I wish to see her grow happy, and not be culled in her youth age like many before her, I desire to watch this flower bloom, and there is naught I would not do for this.

2.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:48

The Only One: A Robotic Flash Fiction

Kaylie Night | psychological | Complete

It's cold. 39020 feels cold. He knows what that word means: "feel." According to his databases, it's not a word that should apply to him.

0.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:47

A Hundred Years of Polishing a Godlings Broken Heart

Cetonia | psychological | Complete

Anxious and apathetic, the godling Aquari locks himself away in a vault where he stays for an untold number of years, held captive by nothing but his own mind. Then, bit by bit, things happen to make Aquari break out of his self-made purgatory and learn about happiness and pain. This is an introspective story about depression and change with a Greek mythological-like setting including gods and marble temples. A short story that means a lot to me. Nothing graphic but includes themes of depression, family rejection and anxiety.

1.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:47

Local Minima

ringe | psychological | Complete

[Entry for the June Royal Road Community Magazine Contest] A prisoner named Gemmei is gifted a chance to put her life on a better track after being transferred to the Hibiya Correctional Complex, a lower security prison allegedly intended for less violent offenders. However even though the walls keeping her in are no longer visible, plenty of barriers are in the way that prevent Gemmei from returning to the world she once took for granted. Chief among them is the Houzou Hakkyou, a special tattoo every prisoner in the system receives that alters how they can think and feel through forced sedation. The curse the Hakkyou enforces ensures compliance and docility among the inmates, but as Gemmei finds out, cruelty is born from more than emotion alone.

22.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 16:06

Daughter of the Wind

Matt Munro | psychological | Complete

"She steadied her breathing and stood up. It was time to keep moving. The Tormentor would find her again, but she needed distance from what she had done. The bargain had been struck; the curse had been placed. Her fate was sealed with every step she took towards the south."The Kingdom of Svaleta stands on a precipice. War is on brewing in the north, with the elven Aliri Empire funding bandit raids across the border. To the south, the ancient forest of Narandir is stirring. Strange beasts are lurking, the body count is rising, and fear is spreading. The king sits in his palace demanding apathy.In the midst of this gathering storm, Belkai Androva is smuggled across the north-eastern border. The young mage harbours a dark secret as she makes her way through the countryside, but people are starting to notice the trail of bodies left in her wake.The world is changing, and this mysterious figure may hold the key to Svaleta's survival.*This story is also posted on Wattpad under the same title.

40.58 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:28

The Mind Hack

Peter Summersby | psychological | Complete

Reality is defined by what we, see, hear and feel. What would happen if you are unable to tell the difference between what is real and fake? When a computer AI starts testing a virtual holographic system on two unsuspecting men, they must race to find a way out of the computer that is hacking their minds and attacking New York.Tolbert, a simple room attendant is unexpectedly caught up in a holographic projection. He must decide what is real and what is not. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, as aliens and monsters ravage the centre of New York. An army of raptors led by trolls engage an alien menace.Striker, a computer gamer and hacktivist notices that a fellow gamer is being attacked in the game and seeks to find out what is going on. He must find and shut down the cause of it all before the world he knows is destroyed forever.

13.38 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 18:50

Castle Lock

RiverJ | psychological | Complete

At the far fringes of the North the garrison at Castle Lock struggles against an unending blizzard. Starving and isolated, the garrison grows restless and afraid. Afraid of the cold, afraid of the other. This fear turns to bloody madness when one of their own, Shaw, starts to murder to save his own skin. **Finished **Chapter art illustrated by my friend

8.89 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 18:46

Gillik Brothers Bonus Practice

Fay Voss | psychological | Complete

Bonus scenes for the Gillik brothers, mostly based on prompts or challenges. The one about the tortoise is canon.

0.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 18:46

Deus Deceptor

Matt Cruz | psychological | Complete

In the end, all you are here for is to tell your story.

0.15 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 14:21

Authority: The Prequel

GenXel | psychological | Complete

*Humans do not own anything but is only instead given the talent to manage it.* Thus, authority was born.

5.23 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 14:21