In the city of Kholakel, the highlight of the year for the upper classes is the annual monster pacification of the misty woods. Ostensibly it's a culling of the monster population to prevent them encroaching on urban areas, but it's an open secret that it's actually treated as more of a blood sport, the participants competing to score the most kills. After all, why else would the politicians and elites of the city bother to attend personally? Given the intense competition and high-tech weapons and gear in use, one might wonder how the forest has not yet been completely depopulated. As this year's culling approaches, a group of unfortunate children are about to discover the answer first-hand, but thanks to an unexpected twist of fate, one of them will score the chance to play the role of the hunter instead of the prey. This was an attempt at writing something darker than my usual fare. The story I actually ended up with isn't as mean to the MC as I'd originally planned out, to the point that I'm not sure the story deserves the horror/grimdark tags anymore, but this is still an unfair world with unambiguously evil antagonists. Chapters are short to start with, but get longer once the first act is over. Published here and Scribble Hub.
34.37 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 16:03
Monsoon117 | horror | Complete
There once was a world formed by a god known as Gaia. She filled the seas and crafted the skies. She dominated her world with a fist of iron and ice. That is, until the Darkened One came. Born a mere man, The Darkened One traveled across the land like a plague, tearing Gaia's control away. In his legends, he stood tall and towering with skin gray as ash. If you defied him, he would eat your flesh from your bones, savoring your screams. He killed kings, brought nightmares to life, and devoured the remnants of Gaia. His legend will be told throughout time. Care to hear of it? Here is the sequel: Jehovah's Harmony Here is my other fiction: Biomancer: Songs of Sirens Proud initiate of The Order of Phantasmal Architects. A group of authors of quality original fiction. See link for other great works though not as good as mine...jk
115.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:33
drewhead118 | one_shot | Complete
Dr. Laura Brandie is ready to change the world. She's the lead researcher behind the KSE, a revolutionary cure for paralysis and neurodegenerative conditions. And now, by good fortune, she's found the perfect candidate for her first human trial: a man who suffers from locked-in syndrome. Brett Harmon's paralysis is total: he can't move his arms, legs, torso, neck, or face. To the outside world, he's little more than a statue that breathes... but Dr. Brandie's KSE might be the miracle that allows Brett to run again.
7.96 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:38
FrustratedEgo | tragedy | Complete
Follow Grant Legate's trials and tribulations through:Memories, Made, Realities, Crash, Together. Memories: A man broken by despair and depression, Grant Legate finds himself in a once-in-a-lifetime situation after receiving an Ultimate Edition copy of Continue Online. All hewishes foris a distraction from the thoughts plaguing his waking hours. He dives in headfirst, unknowing of the AIs intentions. They offer him the chance to play as one of their own, a NPC deserving of a proper send off. What he discovers during the journey shakes Grant to his very core. Made: No longer playing as a Local from the world of Continue Online, Grant Legate's adventure can begin.The Voices offer him a unique title along with a test and reward.To starthe'll have to survive underground horrors, old girlfriends, become a warrior.To winhe must become an imp familiar and kill another player, one with a dozen tricks up his sleeve. Realities: Worried for his sanity after poor in-game choices, Grant Legate's sister, Liz, blocks access to Continue Online. With no way around the restriction, he ventures into a new worlda VRMMO game based in spacecalled Advance Online. There he must help his companion AI, Hal Pal, overcome an identity crisis, race to the center of the universe to bring back his true love, and figure out where he stands on the scariest implication of all; AIs are bringing the dead to life. Crash: Grant's prior adventures tie together and he finds himself back in Continue Online, as Hermesin jail. He's forced to experience life as a digital convict and earn redemption points to gain his freedom. Each in-game death pushes his goal of helping his friends out of reach. The AIs Grant's grown to love, trustand sometimes fearare facing extinction, he holds the key to their survival. Together: The game is no longer about adventures in a new world or exploring fantasy lands. Grant's digital wife faces deletion, along with everyone else he cares for. He, and those who know this is more than a game event, search for clues to salvation left behind by the game's creators. Even if he finds them all, the Voices have one last task for their messenger. A sacrifice.
380.09 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:22
XKARNATION | horror | Complete
Book one of this novel is being reuploaded after a round of professional editing: Here Victor awakens in a new world with a body taller than the trees, composed of pure darkness and far too many eyes. He had become a Netherborne, a legendary creature from the void that does not tire nor die. Instead, they consume all that lives until there is no more. Legends say when a Netherborne is summoned to the mortal plane, civilizations that stood for centuries are toppled overnight while their nobles evacuate to the seas. As a being from the void, the world fights his existence. However, resistance is futilethe prey can only run. But what happens when a human mind inhabits such a creature? Does only destruction await, or will there be a new age of civilization? Victor is about to find out. [Kingdom Building] [OP Undead MC] [Isekai] [Strong to Stronger]
69.53 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:39
Queenofthefuzzybugs | one_shot | Complete
That night, she was bored and illegally downloaded and installed "Life is but a Rose", the most cheesy and terribly rated otome game of 2001. Just as promised, it was laughably bad. She heckled the game the entire night, finishing it at dawn. As she fell asleep she thought, "Did monkeys write this? How could they let the characters be so dumb, if it were me I wouldn't be that stupid..." And then she woke up in the body of a child "Camilla Florentine." The dumbest character of them all: the villainess. Bad ends and death flags are all that await the arrogant and proud Daughter of the Duke. But only if she went according to the script! As long as she makes her own "Escape Route", surely nothing could go wrong... "Huh? I activated a hidden route? Who cares about that! Love flags or whatever, I've got a great job lined up and can live how I want, screw the game's fate and capture targets! I'M FREEEEEEE!" Runs out the door. Years later: "Why did a Capture Target follow me to a completely different country??????" *** A sweet, silly story written over three days. Lincensed under: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
19.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:37
CloverCloverClover | horror | Complete
BOOK 1 COMPLETED A young wizard journeys west, through dark forests and dangerous lands, searching for something. Accompanied by a wild witch who has secrets of her own, they come across terrible creatures, hauntings, cursed villages, and memories from their past. Who else will they meet along their journey, and to find what he is looking for, how far will the wizard have to wander west? NOTE: The above synopsis is intentionally written to be as spoiler-free as possible. If you would like a more in-detail synopsis, one that contains minor spoilers, please check out the "Synopsis" chapter at the beginning of this fiction. If you read and enjoy, please leave a rating or review! FORMERLY TITLED: THE GLIMMERLING This story was formerly titled "The Glimmerling", because the first part was a short story of that title; it has since been expanded upon, thus the title change. Chapters 1-8 (30k words) are the first 'arc', if you want to get a feel for the story. To give some context on the setting: Magic is a bit weaker in this story than you might be used to, and we start off following some relatively new magic users. For some perspective, being able to light a campfire with magic is considered relatively advanced for someone who is the age of the main character. Magic can become very powerful - and there are some examples of powerful wizards within this story - but it's not where the main characters are yet. Part of the story is about following them as they learn more about magic. Enemies are also very dangerous, and running, hiding, or trying to talk their way out of a dangerous situation is often a better choice than fighting for the characters. While I have added tags for traumatizing content, sexuality, violence, swearing, etc. I try to avoid super-explicit descriptions of these things. But they are part of the story.
228.03 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:26
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
In a world of sky islands orbiting around a core of mist, humanity is besieged with countless threats. When a young girl from the slums unwittingly becomes one of those threats, she finds herself capable of horrific things that she can't help but learn to love... Vigor Mortis is a lighthearted story about existential terror. Come for the horror, stay for the hope. Updates Fridays. Enjoy the read!
456.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:39
When a new dungeon is born, it wants nothing more than to have the most vicious monsters, the most cunning traps and the most shiny of loot. There is only one problem, but it's a rather big one; it finished its first floor years ago, but it still hasn't been visited by any adventurers! In order to find someone or something to explore its floors, or perhaps just to find someone to talk to, this dungeon will have to go way off script. But it soon discovers that going off script brings problems of its own, and that adventurers are not the only thing this world is missing. A shortish story about a dungeon's journey of exploration and self-discovery in a devastated world. Cover made (poorly) with POV-Ray. Prequel to An Unbound Soul Published here, scribblehub and amazon.
36.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:37
Mad Sadie | contemporary | Complete
There is a button. It is red. It will be pushed. Semi-CYOA type story. Volumes are standalone. New ones appear like magic for every writathon.
61.70 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:09
This is book 2 of the series! If you haven't read book 1 (which you can find here https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/34776/new-game-reborn-as-a-reluctant-demon-lord-book) then you should probably do that first to avoid spoiling yourself in the synopsis. But that's just a suggestion. If you want to be confused, go ahead. Have I used enough space so that you can't see this in the preview yet? Okay, good. ----- For a [Demon Lord], not even death is the end. So, after death, I found myself revived once again in the world of Placeholder as a grotesque monstrosity. That was my first reincarnation, but it would not be anywhere near my last. Disillusioned with the admins and their quests, and wanting nothing more than to fix the mistakes of my past, I set out with a new goal in mind. To bring back the woman I loved. Or maybe... to ensure that she never died in the first place.
248.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:06
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
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
Cocop (Cale Plamann) | psychological | Complete
Threedak is a simple Dhajtel. Every night she scavenges and hunts for her tribe in the great desert, relying upon her skill and ancestral memories to avoid the night's many dangers. Her life remains largely the same until one night, one of the gleaming angels that hangs in the night sky falls into her desert. Deciding to investigate, she happens upon a scene far beyond her limited understanding. The Dhajtel aren't alone. The galaxy is far vaster and more hostile than Threedak's people can even begin to comprehend. Entrusted with the knowledge and memories of a dead race, it will be up to her to forge Dhajtel society into something that can survive the storm that is to come. - - -(This novel is heavy on Kingdom/Empire Building and is an attempt at fairly hard (grounded in real science) Science Fiction) Cover credit to DrakonStorm - - - A couple authors with reptile MC's have started a discord, feel free to hang out with us.
32.31 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:51
Freya Stone | contemporary | Complete
Remdia, a once peaceful country, sends an army towards the unprepared nation of Caledorn. This single action sets off a chain of events that will uproot the lives of everyone involved. A recent graduate suddenly finds himself in enemy territory, struggling to shield his birthplace from angered citizens. A news broadcaster must present a horrifying report while maintaining her perfected poise. A doctor steals an ambulance in an attempt to aid the injured. A student is evacuated from school, while a father tries desperately to escape a prison. Watch the war unfold through the eyes of those most impacted while the bloodshed increases. A relay of short stories where each chapter follows the perspective of one person through a difficult time.A massive shoutout to the brilliant cover artist as well, Snooki.
20.14 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:08
[This is a reimagining of the story The Tutorial is Too Hard by Gandara.] On New Year's Eve, Lee Ho-Jae decides that he wants to die. The universe seems to hear him for the first time in his entire life, and just as the clock hits 00:00, a message pops up inviting him to the Tutorial. Lee Ho-Jae accepts. But at the prompt to choose the difficulty level, is there anything the former pro gamer can do but pick the very hardest--appropriately titled Hell? And so begins Ho-Jae's true descent into Hell in every conceivable form, thrusting him into a world where pain is the currency needed to gain power, and the only ally he has is his own flesh and blood. It doesn't take much for the human mind to crack and crumble, but to build it up again is even harder. In the spiral of white madness that Ho-Jae finds himself tumbling into, will a hand reach towards him and pull him out, or will he just drag them down with them? [This version of the story has now been concluded; the story continues in "A Gamer's Guide to Beating the Tutorial" from the same chapter as it ended from] This story is loosely based on the concept and story by Gandara, but is apart from the setting and name of the main character different on almost every conceivable level. You do not need to read the original story to read this, and doing so will change very little of your experience with the story. It is almost recommended not to read the original if you enjoyed this one since the original has a vastly more lighthearted tone in comparison. Thank you, and I hope you'll enjoy the story!
138.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:40
Few people are purely evil or good. Everyone has their own desires and their own principles guiding what they are prepared to do to achieve those desires. A duke who wants to expand the influence of his house, his wife who is fiercely loyal to her friends, and their child who just wants some comfortable clothes. The queen who wants what's best for the kingdom, the king who wants what's best for his family and a prince with an inferiority complex. Even if everyone acts in a way they deem 'correct', sometimes people can still get hurt. This was the first story I finished writing, although not the first I posted. It's a very short (11k word) story about a 'villainess' who just wants to get away from it all. Only posted on scribblehub and royalroad. Cover image is from the graphics fairy.
6.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:39
Dosei | historical | Complete
ARC 1 'THE FORLORN KINGDOM' done.ARC 2 'THE FIELDS OF RED' done.ARC 3 'THE WANDERING FOREST' undergoing extensive editing. Trapped in a foreign realm, where reality and the supernatural are blended into a game-like trial all for the amusement of some absurd Deity, Aomori Aiko has to battle with her missing memories and the many previous lives she has lived within this strange realm. She struggles greatly to come to terms with being well-known and renowned under the moniker "Raven-Black", despite having zero memories of what actions led to this. Aiko quickly finds herself facing a sadistically-designed trial that punishes its 'players' in countless ways, such as robbing memories and abilities if they are gravely injured, but she has to continue to rise and rise again, because only by progressing can she regain her past and figure out how to escape the Exiled Realm. As she advances through the Stages of the first World, The Forlorn Kingdom, and uncovers its story, she encounters people who idolise the person she was in the past, but also people who wish to harm her for simply trying to progress. Despite her lone-wolf nature, she makes some friends along the way, who teach her about her past self and her famous exploits. I have been writing on this story for about 4� years, and thus have roughly 1400 pages' worth of material (though most of it needs proofing).This story is my baby that I have been raising for many years and is what originally brought me to RoyalRoad in the first place. It took the release and success of my other story Father of Monstrosity to make me finally decide to put this story out on here. I have tried for all of 2021 and 2022 to find a publisher for this story, and, though I got far with a few publishers, it was deemed "too dark" to be released by them, so, I thought, "Oh well, I'll do it myself". Given that FoM is waaaay darker than Exiled Realm, my hope is that the audience here will enjoy it and prove the publishers mistaken about the following such a story can garner. I use Footnotes extensively in this story to convey a fourth-wall-breaking commentary by Aiko, as well as explanations of many elements in the story that require explanations (such as the extensive segments about language, culture, and weapons). I wish I could add more genre tags, as the story has elements of Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Psychological, a sprinkling of Romance, and, lastly, Tragedy. For now, I believe "Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, and Psychological" play the biggest roles, but I may change it later if I come to a different conclusion. The cover was made by the amazing @panjoool (please look him up on DeviantArt and other art-sites: he's very talented and his style and method of 3d-render mixed with traditional painting is really fascinating). I commissioned the cover from him back in 2021, as a treat to myself for sticking to the story despite some setbacks with publishers (treats are important!) and it depicts the The Forlorn Kingdom, which is the first World in Exiled Realm. I have plans to get covers for the other Worlds, as they are all visually distinct, but this is what I have for now. I have a Discord group where you can connect with other readers of my stories.
89.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:16
B. A. Baker (Thedude3445) | mystery | Complete
In a future of robots and CRTs, Atlanta is the most powerful city in the world. And in that city, twentysomething slacker Morgan Harding dreams of being able to live a normal, peaceful life... until they're given cybernetic superpowers and forced to become a hero. Together with a mysterious sentient robot and an overworked college student, they must keep Atlanta safe from the technological threats that arise... pretty much constantly... Sigh. ATL is divided into several novel or novella-sized stories, and the entire first season is online on Royal Road for you to gobble up like a robot filling up at a power socket. And if you're itching for more, always know you can read the story at its official website too. Please vote onTop Web Fiction!You can vote once a week on each device for this story (and any others you enjoy!).
185.72 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:02
