In a deadly cultivation world, the only way to survive is to play dead! Trucked in the middle of faking his death, Xiao Hui finds himself transported to a cultivation world and quickly acquires a powerful master and a high rank in his sect. There's just one problem: it's a cultivation world, and only the strong survive. As a weakling who recognizes his place in the world, Xiao Hui faces certain death. So why fight it? A silly cultivation novel about a clever disciple desperately faking his own death all the way to the top of the world! -- old blurb -- A silly cultivation novel about an airheaded master putting his foot in his mouth and his poor, clever disciple ducking the fall. In the midst of faking his death, Xiao Hui finds himself trucked and summarily reincarnated into a cultivation world. With great hopes for what is to come, he gets himself taken in by a sect and chosen by a powerful master, but his master seems to have a hole in his brain! What's a poor disciple to do? What Hui does best, of course! A xianxia comedy in the vein of A Will Eternal and Spirit Blade Mountain! [Volume 1 - 7 Complete] -Cultivation/progression fantasy -Neither grimdark nor fluffy, but interwoven with both silly and intense moments -Not your typical cultivation protagonist [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
695.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:10
[completed the October 2022 and April 2023 Writathon ] In the town of Destiny, Florida (not to be confused with Destin, also in Florida), magic portals open and spew out undead horrors. A few lucky survivors discover that killing the invaders grants magic powers seemingly following popular game or comic book tropes. For Maya Wennefer that's only the beginning of her problems. Invaders from another world, normal people realizing there are easier paths to power, the government's reaction to the new reality; surviving all that is hard, let alone becoming a superhero. As chaos spreads and stronger monsters appear, human greed may yet prove to be more dangerous than any invader. What to expect:Man-eating monsters, unsupervised young adults, mistakes being made, exploration of superpowers, violence, superheroics, cheaty power combos, arrogance, struggle.
112.35 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:37
rubycona | historical | Complete
The timid daughter of some of the greatest spellcasters ever to have lived has found herself in another world, courtesy of magic gone awry. In Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1935, she finds some kind souls in a hard era. In the heart of the Great Depression, as war looms around the corner, she seeks to find her place, and must come to terms with both who she is and what she truly desires. Author's Notes: This story is only sort of complete. There are issues with it and I'm intending to do massive edits to the whole story. I think I'll fix them privately, and then update the RR version all at once. Once the rework is completed, I can start on the second book, though that might be a while. Audience: This story is not for young children - it contains some profanity, sexual content, violence, gore, and significant adult themes. Most of these are handled delicately enough not to upset teens or adults (hopefully), hence the lack of relevant tags, but it is nonetheless unsuitable for youth. It's fairly slow paced, and focused on the development of very human, very flawed individuals. Length / Completion Estimates: The outline currently involves two books. I expect to move on to the far-more-lighthearted Of Gods and Dungeons (currently in progress / on hiatus). Afterwards, I may decide to write Book 2, or actually start sharing the story most dear to me, that I've been working on for several years now. Draft 1:Please be aware that this is first draft material. I do intend to come back to do a second draft after the story is complete. If anyone notices any issues whatsoever with the story, please let me know (pm, etc) so that I can improve the second draft. Writer's Pledge:I've taken theWriter's Pledge, meaning I'm commiting to completing this story. I'm a proud member of WriTE, a group dedicated to finishing stories. I fulfilled the oath :) Behind the Scenes notes: This picture was commissioned from an inked artist by the name of DanP. Up until the time of the protagonist's arrival, history has proceeded as before. Some places andcharacters have been borrowed from wikipedia entries of interesting figures from the time. I will make note in the chapter comments when such things come up. Naturally, I'vetaken a great deal of liberty with them. In interest of respecting individuals, I've either attempted to portray them as accurately as possible, or modified them sufficiently enough that they're simply an inspiration, instead of a real portrayal. I've attempted to be as accurate to the era as possible, but I'm not a historian. If you're aware of inaccuracies, please, bring them to my attention so that I can correct them.
138.32 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:09
Author's Comment: I was asked about reading my work on other sites. The answer is simple: Currently I am not active in any other networks than royalroadl.com. Only here, I correct mistakes and errors. If you read it anywhere else and have to pay for it, or have to deal with an annoying amount of advertisement, You Are Being Betrayed. You would do good if you make other people in that network aware of it. This is a free project of mine for the purpose of having fun. And if people try to make money with it you shouldn't bother visiting their website. The only one whom I actually allowed to have my work on his website is Armaell who invested the time to compile them into pdf. (http://armaell-library.net/author/andur) Reading Order of the Multiverse-Books Transcendence? is a novel about reincarnation, love, hate and war. And everything else that's included. It follows the main characters, as they climb to the top of their society. And lose their humanity in the process to become something beyond human. It's settled in the same universe as Until death?. It can be seen as a prequel. But I plan for it to be a stand alone book. Nobody has to read Until death? in order to enjoy Transcendence?. There will be cool chapters, sad chapters, romantic chapters and funny chapters. Of course there will be boring chapters too. I believe that some explanation is necessary in every novel. Though I hope that there will be more funny chapters. How a chapter turns out always depends on my mood.
103.85 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 16:23
kivrin_js | historical | Complete
A war between order and chaos has been waged for time eternal. The unlikely Enid is the last champion of order. She must overcome her past in order for the world to have a future. This a series of short stories and novella's exploring the past that Enid Aurelius must confront to save the world. The story begins in Medieval Rome, moving forward to Modern day Canada.
214.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:26
Humanity once ruled space, building an empire that stretched across hundreds of stars. Now Earth is a cold cinder in the void, its colonies and ships annihilated in an instant. For five thousand years the surviving races have huddled in the dying light of those few stations which avoided total destruction, eking out their existence in the shadow of the long-dead humans who built their homes. When a piece of that lost legacy resurfaces, the few who still remember humanity have one last opportunity to find the truth and avenge the fallen. Cover by Harry Rowland - https://www.instagram.com/rowl_art_/
111.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:22
HeWhoLooksSkyward | tragedy | Complete
In the future, Man has traveled the Cosmos. In the future, Man has discovered many other races. In the future...Man has no home. 200 years after the great war that destroyed Earth, humanity struggles to survive; fractured, divided, wanted by no one. Until Maggie, of the Tinker Clan, makes a discovery, setting in motion a chain of events that could change everything.
485.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 12:14
Razzmatazz | tragedy | Complete
[Every time I die, I respawn as a trash-mob at the very bottom of the dungeon. It's a rather troublesome existence, but honestly, I think I've managed to adapt, guy.] A lost soul is trapped at the bottom of what may be the world's deepest and darkest dungeon, constantly being reborn into the bodies of new monsters over and over again after every time it is forced to fight and die against the human incursion into the underbelly of the world, which is led by the unbeatable hero-party' who has never lost a single fight. However, unlike all of its other monster brethren, who suffer the same fate, this unnamed soul alone seems to remember each and every lost life and also each death in excruciating, painful detail. After an eternity of this cycle of violent reincarnation, something changes. The soul discovers a secret passage that it has never seen or heard of before in all of its hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. Making a desperate bid to fight against the crushing weight of continual death, it pushes out through this new way, climbing up to a higher floor of the dungeon for the first time, fostering hopes of an escape from this torture as it navigates the dungeon from the bottom up, using trickery, guile, and the capabilities of many wildly different bodies and repeating timelines to outsmart the dominating hero-party and the dungeon itself, which seems all too unwilling to let this trapped soul escape from its belly, deep in the underworld. What is the secret of the dungeon and the forced cycle of reincarnation? Will the soul be able to break free from this arduous, slow grind that is existence, or will it be crushed into madness from the pressure finally beginning to break its fragile mind? Find out in this ultra slow burning, litRPG inspired fantasy novel by renowned dark fantasy author D.M. Rhodes!
235.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:15
GhostImageArt | horror | Complete
Betty Jewel, A simple artist taking a tour of the Highlands takes a wrong turn and finds herself in a new world. Now she's lost, alone, and surrounded by aliens. Oh, and she just got the Slasher class. That can't be good... right? I will be publishing this work on Amazon under the name C.J. Danvers
26.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:54
TEZofAllTrades | mystery | Complete
A brand-new story set in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Find out how the magical world and fan-favourite characters have changed since Voldemort's defeat, in this modern-day tale of magic, family and friendship. British-Style spelling, punctuation, grammar. As a baby, Gideon was found at the centre of a mysterious magical accident, and the Ministry of Magic took drastic action. Ten years later, Gideon is finally leaving his Muggle primary school and looking forward to attending Hogwarts with other magical children. However, when his acceptance letter doesn't arrive, his life begins to unravel, and so do the secrets surrounding his past. When faced with the shocking truth, can Gideon withstand the looming darkness? Or will it consume him? INFORMATIONGenre: Fantasy/Mystery. Word count: 2.5-3.5K (10-15mins) per chapter, ~160K (~13hrs) total. Publishing dates: Started 6/20, completed 5/21, posted to RR: 12/21, edited 1/23. Style: Novel format, single POV, third-person limited perspective,British-Style English.
92.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:44
Weavervale | satire | Complete
In the wake of an attack by a divine beast, the world blinked and transported Jessica Kim from Denver and her life as an accountant into the Sect of Coldsteel, replacing the now dead leadership. Can she get the support together to build the school back up and running while providing support to the refugees left by the divine beast? Will she be able to use her knowledge of the scientific method to improve the sects standing with local clans? Sect Leader came out on Mondays and Thursdays.
52.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 17:28
Suzannaslanderz | historical | Complete
(This story will not be written in a third-person descriptor, it will be written using First Person Pronouns.) Sorry if this is not your cup of tea. When referring to oneself in ancient China, people avoided first-person pronouns ("I", "me", "we", and "us"). Instead, a third-person descriptor was used, which varied according to the situation. Lu Tian Qu is an extremely fickle person. She is so fickle it took her 11 years to graduate from college because she changed her major four times. (And that doesn't include the breaks she took in between.) She went to sleep, the same as any other night. However, when she woke up she was in the body of a 13 years old girl who was also named Lu Tian Qu. The original body owner had reincarnated back to the age of 13 after being exiled in the furthest corner of the Lu compound and forgotten for 29 silent sad years. She died falling to her death trying to escape by climbing over the wall after her reincarnation. Come join Lu Tian Qu on an escape as she to figure out what to do with her life all over again. T/N: I am a new writer with horrible grammar and spelling. English is not my first language. So please excuse the horrible grammar spelling, plot holes, etc. Thank you for showing interest.
170.31 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:32
MichaelJSullivan | one_shot | Complete
TWO ROGUES | FOUR SHORT STORIES | ONE CLASSIC FANTASY OF UNLIKELY HEROES The Riyria novels featuring Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary) have been enthralling fantasy readers for more than 15 years. Now for the first time four short stories and two full-length novels are available for free on Royal Road. You can read these shorts in any order, but if you haven't read any of my books, I suggest starting with The Thieves. The Thieves:THEY ATTACKED TWO RIDERS. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY. THEY WERE WRONG.A band of thieves set upon two lonely riders in the middle of the night. They had a larger party. They had the element of surprise. There was no reason to be concerned. But they didn't realize who they were dealing with. The Viscount and the Witch: WHO WILL BE SCHOOLED?A desperate woman seeks help to rid her barn of a drunkard. Hadrian agrees to help, and Royce goes along only to teach his idealistic partner that no good deed goes unpunished. What they find isn't what they expected, and maybe it'll be Royce's opinion that will be changed. Professional Integrity: YOU WANT US TO STEAL WHAT?Several years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire organization, better known as Riyria. Things have gone well enough for the team as they perform tasks for nobles throughout Elan. Usually, that means stealing something, but when a young heiress asks them to steal her . . . well, that's a first for the pair. The Jester: WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH?Stop me if you've heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap . . . and what happens is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester's treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end, those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive. If you enjoy these Riyria short stories, you'll be happy to know there are another 10 full-length novels (2 are available for free on Royal Road) featuring these rogues-for-hire and a total of 19 novels in an epic series that spans 3,000 years. The novels are spread across four collections as seen here. The Riyria Revelations:Theft of Swords(containsThe Crown Conspiracy&Avempartha).". Rise of Empire(containsNyphron Rising&The Emerald Storm) "Heir of Novron(containsWintertide&Percepliquis) The Riyria Chronicles:The Crown Tower " The Rose and the Thorn " The Death of Dulgath ". The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter Legends of the First Empire:Age of Myth " Age of Swords " Age of War " Age of Legend " Age of Death " Age of Empyre The Rise and Fall:Nolyn "Farilane " Esrahaddon
22.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:36
CorinnaTaylor | drama | Complete
A retelling of Persephone's journey to the underworld.
4.03 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 13:45
Jade Dragon | horror | Complete
The betrayal and murder of a wise king chosen by the gods condemns all of mankind in the world of Althos to pending extinction at the hands of a terrible curse. Abandoned by the Gods, Fate and Hope, humanity descends into madness and immorality. Now, with most of humanity living as slaves of other races and the great human kingdom but a memory in legend, the scattered remains of the free humans cling desperately to a life worse then death. Prophecy spoke of their redemption and salvation, but as the years grind past, and humanity fades away, no sign of salvation appears. Unable to wait any longer, the last dregs of a once great people attempt to ignite prophecy on their own by summoning a young man against his will from modern day earth. Their goal is to coerced the young man into a fight for the survival of mankind in a fantasy world which is not his home. Unable to speak the language, not trained in the ways of combat, will he put his life on the line for these people who kidnapped him, or will he leave them to their fate? Surrounded by a human race warped by crushing poverty, desperation, and immorality, can he survive without losing his dignity and morality? With prophecy involved does he have a choice? Warning: Tagged 18+-this work contains mature scenes involving sexual content, torture, foul language, death, slavery, rape, cannibalism and horror. I apologize beforehand and suggest that you not read if you are offended by any of these topics. ***THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK IN A TRILOGY, THIS BOOK IS DONE AS OF 11/6/16; THE SECOND BOOK WILL BE POSTED IN JAN OR FEB 2017***
62.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:12
Author's Comment: I was asked about reading my work on other sites. The answer is simple: Currently I am not active in any other networks than royalroadl.com. Only here, I correct mistakes and errors. If you read it anywhere else and have to pay for it, or have to deal with an annoying amount of advertisement, You Are Being Betrayed. You would do good if you make other people in that network aware of it. This is a free project of mine for the purpose of having fun. And if people try to make money with it you shouldn't bother visiting their website. The only one whom I actually allowed to have my work on his website is Armaell who invested the time to compile them into pdf. (http://armaell-library.net/author/andur) Reading Order of the Multiverse-Books What do we talk about tonight? ~"How about a story?"~ Fine by me. Which story? Hopefully a good one. ~"There was once a lonely child in a world filled with myths, gods and demons. Only power counted there and the weak were worse than cattle. A world where survival of the fittest ruled."~ Was it strong then? ~"No, but the child had a power. One that made him stand between light and darkness. Nothing could escape him, so he was shunned by his people."~ What did he do? Did he fight his fate? Did he hide his power? What was it? ~"Oh, he fought. He fought a lot. And no thing could escape his power. It was something that everyone had to live with."~ So he became a hero and changed the world? ~"&"~ Tell me. ~"Nooo, that's not how the story goes. This isn't a story of a noble man, doing good amidst a sea of monsters. This is a story of a demon who was... kinder than the rest."~ A kind demon? How boring. ~"I think it would be better if I tell the story, so you can judge for yourself."~ So tell the story!
91.42 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:03
Razzmatazz | horror | Complete
In the dark and treacherous abyss of Oratoria, Esper lives a solitary existence among the dead. Trapped in a lifeless prison, she makes a desperate bid for freedom as she sets out on a journey to the surface, guided by an ancient whisper carried by the winds. But the path ahead is fraught with danger, as strange and unseen forces conspire to stop her at every turn. As she battles to overcome the grim machinations coming into motion, Esper discovers that her journey is not just about physical escape but also a quest for the truth about her past, her true identity, and the reason for her confinement in the abyss. Along the way, she will encounter a host of fascinating and mysterious characters, some of whom will aid her and others who will seek to impede her progress. With her courage and determination, Esper must overcome the obstacles in her path as she races against time to reach the ever distant surface, which she so desperately dreams to see. Will she finally escape the abyss and see the light of day, or will she be doomed to live out her days in the depths of Oratoria? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure! (Complete!) (Neuro-Divergant Protagonist) (Classic Fantasy) (Dark)
57.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:37
Vowron Prime | satire | Complete
"Don't worry. Nothing could possibly go wrong," said Dick as an enormous Christmas tree fell on him, killing him instantly. Freshly reincarnated, Dick must face a world where blue boxes define one's worth, and where the only game in town is 'number go up'. Dick's reaction: What in Tarnation!?- - CONTENT WARNING: This work is a piece of supremely based fiction. Don't get traumatized. If you do get traumatized, double it and give it to the next person.Join us on the discord, where much merriness may happen: https://discord.gg/tPGzvWK6
20.24 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 17:07
Vihyungrang | sci_fi | Complete
A great race faces extinction and tries to leave a legacy for the future. Young races building on the ruins of the old. What happens when one of the old ones wakes up and finds the universe changed? Will she try to find new meaning? Will she try to help the younger races or will she punish the grave-robbers for their sacrilege? Or will the eternal servant of her people try and finally find some happiness of her own?
222.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:31
It is the final days after the end of the world and you only have one month left before the last sanctuary erupts into chaos. There's a dead body hanging from a tree and cadaverous giants watch you sleep at night. The end is already here, you just don't know it yet. Now rated in the top 3% of all novels on Royal Road! Palus Somni (Marsh of Sleep') is a worldbuilding webnovel about what happens when your God forsakes you. Inspired by gothic horror and mingled with British myth and folklore, join the Alucinari nuns as they struggle with day-to-day life after the world has ended. Every night when the sun sets the monstrous Gol, colossal beings with too many teeth, awaken and roam the marshlands. Only those with a faithful heart will be spared. Young acolyte Wille has never seen the walls fail, but when a fellow nun is murdered within their sanctum the very safety of the monastery is thrown into question. Did the Gol find a way to breach their defences, or is there a human traitor amongst them? The answer lies both far in the past and deep beneath the earth, through the maze of ancient catacombs. With a cast of over thirty different characters, watch as your friends and enemies spiral into inevitable madness at the hands of a callous and unforgiving world. Discover the secrets of Palus Somni through letters, diary entries and notes found scattered across the monastery. Uncover the mystery of the grotesque giants that stalk the night and bring your challenge to the Gods themselves. Each character has their own handmade pixel art, and every update includes a music recommendation for a dark atmospheric dungeon synth album that you can listen to while you read. Slice of life meets cosmic abomination: Palus Somni is a collection of intertwining stories, some chapters are stand-alone tales while others feed into the overarching narrative. It is an exploration into a community, and rather than focusing on any one character the story meanders through the convent, exposing the hopes and fears of its inhabitants. Story updates every full moon.
83.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 10:57
