Critical-meltdown1 | contemporary | Complete
This great witch will write some short stories from my life here. Updates will be irregular
7.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:09
RandomSyllables | drama | Complete
We are all bound. Whether it is in literal chains or metaphorical chains, we have oppressors, obligations, even love holding us in place. During a scientific expedition to the Blazing Crescent, the SS Serendipity discovers a mysterious woman adrift in the ocean. She is from a world beyond an impassable barrier; the world of Siperon. As she tells the tale of the life she left behind, she is also preparing herself for the future that awaits her in Lomany. There are two concurrent stories which unfold. The frame story that Trosyn "Red" Nytt tells of her history as a slave, and the present story of the relationships she develops aboard the SS Serendipity. Although there are romantic elements in the story, I do not consider this a romance. What you can expect: * Updates every Tuesday and Friday* Chapters ranging from 2500-5000 words.* A mix of third and first person narration.* Steampunk-ish setting (It takes place on a ship with a steam engine)* Lore vaguely inspired by Celtic/British Isles mythology* The odd spot of dry humour.* Main characters that aren't teenagers.* Mature themes without the crutch of gratuitous sex and graphic violence
33.35 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 15:57
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
Sim and virtu modder Joel is plucked from his outland life and throwninto ahyper-enhanced reality tournament.The stakes are the highest. Battles for survival in high-immersion virtual and augmented reailties against hardened opponents seem to befor life-and death stakes, but Joel suspects it could be worse than that. Joel’s fear growas he begins to guesswhat the ultimate purpose of the contest might be.
28.24 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 18:21
Detective Constable Walker is tasked with following the investigation of a recently deceased oxford academic. However as he unravels the mystery, he finds it to not be entirely human. *** Won the Short Story competition for my year, so I thought it would be worth sharing. If it seems rushed, there was a 1500 word limit. Thanks. And yes, I like the Weeknd if you couldn't tell.
0.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 11:57
NOT ACTUALLY COMPLETED Can't figure out how to remove the "Completed" tag :P Update 02/29/24: Working on chapter 12 Voracity - A low-fantasy romance steeped in pain, misery, and an internal hunger bent on consuming the most sane of us all. Thomas is a gentle person, too innocent for his own good. He's kind, thoughtful, and caring. Tragedy befalls the compassionate man and he's torn from his peace by the violent, strangling grip of anguish. Can he remain the kind-hearted man he's always been, or will he slip into dark depths occupied only by those with cracked minds and wicked thoughts as he embarks on the journey of a lifetime, or does he even have a choice? The story is a bit of a slow burn to start, but I promise you'll be rewarded for sticking around. I hope you enjoy Thomas's journey through the dark as he slips into madness.
28.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:23
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
On April 4th, in the year 2022, ten thousand people vanished from their homes on Earth, and found themselves in a strange place. It wasn't long until they found their reason for being summoned. This new world, Menora, was overrun with monsters. The people of this world couldn't do anything about it, and they needed help. In order to get back home, one person must reach a million points. You earn points by killing monsters. If you die, you lose half your points. Simple enough. But when other humans are involved, things can get a little messy. With a choice between Tek and Magik, a grand adventure awaits. And for the best of them all, a grand wish. Jerik Barr, a sniper with a preference for Tek, takes on this grand quest. Establishing himself quickly when he kills a tyrant, he soon finds himself with the weight of destiny on his shoulder. He is the best chance the world has to survive this monster apocalypse. But to win, he must build an army and kill the King of Monsters, Kan-Menora. Read Mech & Magic to discover the worst and best of humanity, and what it truly means to wear the expectations of others. A thrilling tale of loyalty, challenge, and courage during wartime awaits! This story is also available on ScribbleHub and Reddit.
49.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:32
gusdefrog | fantasy | Complete
Begun on a whim, to be written in fragments... [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] A mythical take on current events and old legends. When mankind retreats, the earth shifts, and the sleeping dragons awake.
52.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:15
24 hours. 10 bidders. 1 winner. A Princess from Earth is invited to an auction on a distant planetoid only to learn that she's the item on sale. Her foes include: a Chinese space pirate, a Russian duelist, a Japanese high-tech samurai, a Venusian mafiosi, two expert French poisoners, a floating Swiss banker, a German Baron with more ties to her family than she can imagine, and a British gentleman who also happens to be a pterodactyl. Her arsenal consists of: vague memories from classes she mostly slept through, a pile of gadgets for which she's never read the user manual, excellent table manners, and a ferret who's loyal to a fault. This will not be easy. Hey, so since the novel was published by WordFire press, I can't leave the whole thing online. You can get the whole thing here though. There's even an audiobook. If you read it on RR, a short Amazon review will be really appreciated. It helps a lot! Also, my second novel is here in full. It's a litRPG about a dwarf paladin who really, really wants to get a domain of her own...
25.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 15:17
Hokage of Literature | horror | Complete
When Calvin finds a knife walking home he is engrossed with its tempting powers and learns of its means of bringing back a loved oneat the cost of killing a human. He kills his brother, Nathan, in order to ressurrect his life's love, Yui. However, complications arise when his brother rises from the grave as a flesh-eating monster bent on gaining untold power. And what's worse is Yui seems to have memories of when she was deada mystery that could have bigger implications than humanity could understand.
29.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 11:54
The story of a girl who finds her life is not what she wanted. So she gets another one. Schedule:Story has been completed. Book One is available free on Amazon and EPUB. Books Two to Five are out now. Final Book out soon. Chapters will be around 500-1000 words. This will not change so if you don't like reading very short chapters wait till the end of the week or even end of the month. This many chapters a week isn't easy to pull off so please bear that in mind. This is a VRMMORPG story, but the ones I've read tend to use VR as an excuse to get into a fantasy world and then don't really play up the game aspect other than pulling up a status screen every now and then. To me, MMOs are about more than the fantasy setting. Bugs, exploits, devs who don't understand their own game, OP classes, over the top nerfs, p2w, ridiculous RNG, cash shop fiasco, lockboxes, raging players, broken mechanics, limited bag space, tedious crafting and above all that, a company trying to squeeze money out if its playerbase while pretending they're just in the business of having fun. Of course, then there's the orcs and elves. This story is about finding yourself in a completely immersive fantasy game, but it's also about what a game like that would really be like.
337.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:04
Writer of the Eternal Story | tragedy | Complete
A boy is thrown into a world of pain and fury. Of aliens and authority. Will he live? Or will he die?
8.45 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:52
Dreiki has a promise.His lowborn mother walks the path towards nobility as a Venator Knight. The day he turned ten, his mother was called upon to rejoin the battlefield. Before leaving, she warned Dreiki never to show anyone the brand on his shoulder especiallya noble.He promised he'd survive until she got back, but a shadowy pursuer has other plans.Kaara has a curse. Everyone sees Kaara as an energetic and helpful child. No one, not even Kaara, would've suspected she'd been cursed from birth. But one night, Kaara overheard the truth. Horrid monsters are drawn to her, bringing chaos and death with them.If she told anyone about her curse, would they see her differently?Amaro has a burden.The scar across his nose is lauded among other xiozians as a badge of honor. But to him, it's a reminder of the day his father stopped being his father to become 'Duke Xirxus'. As the eldest child, any sign of weakness means war for his family. Amaro's future is a path bathed in bloody conflict and sacrifice.And Amaro doesn't wish to walk it any farther.-----------------------------------------------------------New Chapters posted daily at 6:07PM CST!I also want to thank everyone for the support and kind words. Even if this book is incomplete in a lot of ways, I'm happy the story is resonating with everyone. If you guys wanna go above and beyond to help me out and support me, all I ask is that you share this book with other people and give it the rating you feel it deserves.Feedback is always welcome too. I plan on using the feedback to create a more finalized draft for a potential audiobook or EBook. I don't think anything so unfinished as this web novel should be paid for, but it would be a dream come true if I could eventually make a living off of my writing and share my story with the world. So in the end, your feedback and sharing this story with people helps me get closer to that goal.Thanks again for the support!
180.46 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:11
Within the Eternal Worm, a world slides inexorably beneath bioluminescent suns... In the steppelands of the Bolus lives Chicken, a scout of his people, the kobolds, who are a savage lizard-like race. When an orc girl named Penelope shows up half-dead out of the desert, he and his tribe are plunged into disaster. The orcish clans are uniting under an indestructible dark lord, who has some strange new ideas, and who intends to conquer the whole of the desert wastes. But all is not well among the elite of the new city of Hurraggh, as the former khans work to steer their eccentric new ruler. Could Chicken be the prophetic hero, as foretold by Amerigo, his aquatic herald and fish-out-of-water companion? Will the power Chicken unearths be enough to save his people and fulfill his destiny? What misadventures await these unlikely pawns of fate? A Helminverse Novel. Cover and chapter art courtesy of Elchaart.
57.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 15:49
RaccoonMage | mystery | Complete
Skeletal Minions aren't supposed to be sentient, but when a Spirit Mage called Azwold bends game rules to complete step 4/11 of his epic questline, he summons the only talking player pet in the game. Join the Eld, his player 'master', and a cast of unforgettable party members as they explore Realms of Lore and work their way through "Gnarlroot the Eld's Stolen Bones" questline.Can they thwart a mounting, game-breaking threat from the cult-like Telemoon guild? Will they discover how the Eld ended up stuck in the role of a video game player's skeletal minion? Or will the Eld remain trapped, forever hungering for answers?***Book One is complete. Finishing 2nd book Summer 2022***Thanks for reading!***Cover art by the lovely and talented Oona Machina***
71.74 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:05
ArDeeBurger | historical | On going
This story is a tale classic in its tragedy, about the foibles of Man and how he destroys the things he loves, all to prove himself superior over the Universe. In a quest to defeat Hilter during Wold War II, Winston Churchill and Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt barter with a race of serpents who come from outer space. There are a few inconveniences for the leaders of the West when dealing with these creatures. For one, they can't even talk to them, for the aliens 'speak' by manipulating light. But in exchange for the knowledge of how to build an atomic bomb, all the monsters want from us is to live in peace at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. What could go wrong with that? * * * This story is my entry in The Royal Road Community Magazine Contest * * *
5.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-02 14:59
Phillip Rayne | comedy | Complete
New Dive Assignment: 0B5 Personnel: Citizen of Gamma G-037-072 Jonathan Kelly World Designation: Epsilon H-037-072-030-010 Classification: Pre-industrial Exotic World, significant outliers in biosphere including atypical flora and fauna. Quarantine protocol in effect pending more data and acclimation testing. Further anomalies include populations of morphologically distinct humanoids, and aberrations in otherwise normative physics laws. Causal chain appears provisionally stable. For the purposes of delaying onset of collapse as well as above mentioned factors, only one subject is cleared to Dive. Initial mandates shall proceed with scouting and surveillance. Further details are classified. Warning: All other qualifying personnel are currently dispatched. Refusal will result in deployment delays and possible unsupervised causal decay. Do you wish to accept this assignment? Note to Readers: This is not MC isolated in a new world. This is new world joins the multiverse. What I'm tentatively coining Subverted Isekai (Formerly I used 'reversed' but, as pointed out, that would be fantasy MC goes to the modern world. Hey, there'sidea! Not this book though.). There is plenty of scientific and philosophical stuff; I know that can be a turn off for some. It has a strong bearing on the story, but is mainly covered in the 'Comments & Calculations' section (optional reading of course). If you are looking for an extreme suspension of natural laws with no technical considerations, you will not find it here. Formatting Notes: Audio chatter from characters that are not currently in the scene I format in "inverted commas and italics". Given the layered nature of modern communication, I thought this distinction was best denoted visually in my prose. Critique is welcome. Language Notes Jon is a South African ex-pat. As such he will use some Afrikaans colloquialisms plus a dash of Japanese. Most importantly he says "Ja" meaning "Yes". Pronounced with a J sound like "yo" and an A sound like "bar". As in: "Yo, let's go to the strip bar." "Ja." And not the Rastafarian /jya/. Other words: Nee - /niya/ : no Juffrou - /yif-row/ : Miss Lekker - /lacker/ : nice, good, delicious Nooit - /noit/: never The rest is mostly swear words. Indisputably the most useful words in any language and simultaneously holding the least innate meaning. Fok - "fork" without the "r": fuck Bliksem - /Bluksim/: darn, damn. Also common noun meaning damn person or thing. Donner - "Dorner" without the "r": originally meaning thunder, can also mean darn or damn. It is often used as a verb meaning: to hit hard' Kak - /kuck/: shit Voetsek - /foot-sack/: go away
69.93 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:38
fully_harmless | tragedy | Complete
Yuri's mission is to be the first of the Collective Union to make contact with the Sol Alliance after 1500 years. His home ship has barely lasted through the long exile in a lifeless solar system, and the only hope for the Collective is to surrender and return to humanity's home system. But no one knows what's been happening on the other side of the wormhole. He's about to find out.
5.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 14:43
Ash thirumuru 25 | tragedy | Complete
Arjun, once a diligent student from a loving middle-class family, takes a fateful plunge into the world of online gambling, guided by his charismatic friend Raj. The story unfolds as Arjun experiences the highs of early victories, the thrill of virtual games, and the camaraderie that ensues. However, the narrative takes a darker turn as Arjun succumbs to the addictive allure, neglecting his studies, relationships, and responsibilities. The downward spiral intensifies, leading to missed classes, strained friendships, and financial losses. As Arjun battles the consequences, the shadows of his choices seep into his dreams, blurring the lines between the virtual and the real. The tale explores the perils of online gambling, the impact on personal and academic life, and the struggle to regain control. Amidst the chaos, Arjun's journey raises questions about temptation, responsibility, and the fragile balance between the virtual and tangible realms.
6.08 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 11:55
