Exterminatus | adventure | Complete
It is an undeniable fact that good things come in small packages. More often than not, it is necessary to trim the fat in order to bring what really matters to the forefront. Having extra bulk may seem like a good idea, but in reality it is merely a crutch that will one day become a hindrance, as it is no substitute for personality nor ability. Indeed, often times it is the small things in life that brighten up our daily lives and constantly remind us exactly why we do the things we do. However, it is important to keep an open mind, for while bigger is not always better, there are also times when it is. This holds especially true when it comes to hopes and dreams, which have been known to requirea suitably large container from time to time. And while dreaming big could potentially lead to massive dissapointment, one will never truly reach fulfilment if they think too small. A truth that one small woman with meageraspirations is about to find out. DISCLAIMER: This is a spin-off/side story of my main series,Everybody Loves Large Chests, which is also mandatory reading to understand this one. It runs parallel to the main plot, branching off from the chapter titled Upheaval 2, so there will be spoilers for anyone who hasn't reached that point.
185.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:31
cathfach | adventure | Complete
Oh great hero! The evil Demon Lord has once again arisen to terrorise our lands, and we have summoned you to save our people! No, we don't want you to fight the demon lord! Of course not; we're the good guys! What sort of good guys kidnap people from other worlds and force them to take part in wars that have nothing to do with them? That would just be plain evil! We'd be no better than the demons! Katie, after her summoning by an excessively loud mage suddenly takes an unexpected twist, is sent off on a simple fetch quest, with a promise that she'll be back home in five minutes at most. She doesn't even need to leave the building. Alas, when a goddess' blessing causes her wish for an actual adventure to be taken rather more literally than she expected, she finds herself lost in a dark cave, far away from the sword she was supposed to acquire and far too close to a population of giant bugs. Still, at least she wished her life wasn't in any danger. Among other things. Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it. This is a dark litRPG adventure, both in terms of Katie accidentally wishing all the lights out, and also in that she loses as often as she wins, often with horrific and disturbing consequences. Luckily, Katie isn't the sort of person to let a mere grizzly death or two get her down, and is prepared to try, try and try again to get her hands on the holy sword and finally complete her simple' fetch quest. Or perhapswith a few resistance skills under her nightieshe might even come to enjoy losing. Not that she'd ever consider forgoing revenge, even if she did. I've ticked all the content warning checkboxes for this one. Dark things happen to the MC, and she does dark things right back to everything else. There's no explicit sexual content, but there are more than enough references to justify the warning, including to rape. Profanity happens rarely, but Katie isn't averse to swearing when she gets particularly angry. As for gore/trauma, it doesn't get much worse than the first few chapters, but there will be occasional chapters that have extra content warnings. There will be mind control. Published here, Scribble Hub, patreon and Amazon.
163.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:34
alstonsleet | action | Complete
For Joshua Still, Skills were the lifeblood of his business. He wanted to understand them, collect many of them, and teach a few of them. Which was a problem because while his profession of a Skill Trainer was perfectly legal, it was frowned upon by most of the kingdom. After all, it wouldn't do for a non-tailor to teach Tailoring. Or, so says the Tailors Guild. The same could be said by the Blacksmiths, the Bakers, the Butchers, the Candlestick Makers, the Mages, and every other Guild with enough money and clout to complain. But still, Skill Trainers provide a valuable service, and so he has managed to start his business and keep it under the table. To a degree. With many a bribe. But his quiet anonymous life of research, practice, and training was about to change. When the Baron demands you pay him a visit, you have little choice.
101.35 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:30
The tear in reality led to a new world, one that promised fortune, prestige and a deeper understanding of the universe. Those that entered found only death. Four survivors are stranded in a strange and hostile world, at the mercy of forces they cannot understand. Their only path forward is to travel among the ashes of a broken and dying land searching for a way to survive, to endure - and to make their way back home. Cover art by Harry Rowland.
168.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:24
GLBertrand | historical | Complete
(WARNING: This book contains graphic descriptions of body horror, blood, gore, violence, and trauma based heavily on real-life medicine. There is occasional profanity, alcohol, and drug use at various points. This is not a story for the easily squeamish, pursue at your own risk!) When a deadly plague arises in a metropolitan desert trading post called Ash, a healer is summoned by the city's oligarchical ruling class to uncover its cause and nature. The healer, Appo Ilonnorot, is an intelligent and highly skilled practitioner of the burgeoning field of medicine, though he is challenged both by the almost supernatural nature of the plague and the town's absence of medical literacy. With the help of Jere, a laconic mercenary with a mysterious past, Appo is forced to navigate local politics, ancient superstitions, and even the harsh desert environment in order to contain the plague before it becomes an epidemic. __________________________ Author's Note: This is a slow-burn fantasy horror story I have been writing since 2020. While there are magic and supernatural elements scattered throughout, much of this story is inspired by actual historical medicine, in a foreign world where development is somewhere between Sumerian and Roman times. Update 3/15/2024: That's a wrap, folks. Full story is here to read. Hope you enjoyed, and for future readers, I hope you enjoy. -B
109.51 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:23
RejectHumanity | contemporary | Complete
The threat: the destruction of all life on Earth. The agents: a young man with a system, and a military woman in charge of Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Albert woke up and saw a Quest waiting for him, from a [System] that had not come without reason. Its purpose was to give him power to fight an invasion of Earth at the hands of an unknown species. One day, one step at a time. First, he must become strong. And he is not alone. There is another: a woman of pure steel and resolve working against all odds to save humanity. Slow start, then the pace picks up. Stakes are real. Choices matter. Characters make mistakes. Progression makes sense and no power creep. No dumb villains. No plot armor.
167.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:48
TG Parsons | tragedy | Complete
Caledon was in ruins. The dukedom had fallen, pillaged by its enemies and the incompetence of the former Duke. Kal, inheriting a world left in shambles, struggles to regain what was lost. To return to the halcyon days of his past. Artwork by Tan Ho Sim www.Patreon.com/TGParsons for additionalcontent.
164.14 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:55
Lise Eclaire | sci_fi | Complete
Decades ago, Elcy was a battleship, until her recklessness on the front brought her to forced retirement in a human body. Now back in the fleet, as a common cadet, she must volunteer for a mission she knows nothing about, while fighting to unlock the hidden memories of her past. Listed on Top Web Fiction HERE The story is a continuation of Quod Olim Erat Continued in The Cassandrian Theory
160.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 16:04
[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
Lise Eclaire | sci_fi | Complete
Decades ago, Elcy was a battleship. Her recklessness on the front led her to forced retirement in a human body. Fallen from favor after her last mission, she's now stuck on Virgo station as a cadet instructor. Eager to return to the front, Elcy accepts a bureaucratic mission that no one else wants to take on. On the way there, an unexpected party approaches her with an offer that is too bizarre to be true. Listed on Top Web Fiction HERE The story is a continuation of Quod Olim Erat and The Scuu Paradox
128.09 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:35
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
MISTAKES WERE MADE Obi Imsi enjoyed his life as an overpowered paladin tryhard filled to the brim with beautiful women who loved him unconditionally for all the wrong reasons. Everything was going great until he tried to woo the wrong one and was polymorphed into a literal trash can. Starting back at level 1, he must find someway to regain his power and hopefully return to his real body. He soon finds that his new life won't be easy, and he embarks a fantastic fantasy adventure that's so bad, it's good (terrible). Formerly known as Harem Trash, renamed due to disturbing lack of harem (crow harems don't count). Updates on weekends. Once the story is complete, it'll stay up for a few weeks until I take it off to put it on market.
132.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:17
When evil kings summon kids from Earth to be used and abused as fast-leveling soldiers in their petty wars, the Isekai Police will be there to stop them. A group of ex-isekai protagonists in their own right, they utilize their collective skills to fight for the end of summoning abuse. Artyom Choi, cynical ex-hero and founding member of the organization, is sent to investigate the presence of an Earther on an innocently idyllic World where no summoning has supposedly taken place. His mission: rescue the Earther and figure out how he got there. Dark secrets lie beneath the surface of paradise, however. Will he be able to find this new hero and get out before whatever malicious forces brought them there doom them both? Book 1 has been finished! You can read Book 2 here in parallel or even before Book 1 if you want more TOAL than Artyom! https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47708/the-isekai-police-hero-summonings-are-overrated This story is meant to be a deconstruction of the isekai genre that references and sometimes pokes fun at various tropes. Artyom isn't some kid whose goal is to amass Levels or a harem. In fact, all he cares about is protecting other Earthers, and won't let anything like that get in the way! So expect to see: -A mature main character who still has some flaws. -Character development over the course of the story. -No harems! (see last point) -A vibrant world full of interesting people, deep culture, and mysterious lore that gets uncovered as the story goes on. -Plenty of funny moments along the way! -The presence of a few cliched tropes and stereotypes only for the sake of poking fun at them. So step in, take the first leap, and uncover the next hot take on this expansive genre! My discord here: https://discord.gg/Zc8CHSrxVr
124.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:10
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
The whole room is fully ablaze when the fire turns blue and even hotter. And I still keep my hands on the rune, ignoring the sizzling of my flesh. After a while I notice the blue, roaring flames on the other side of the window. At the edge of unconsciousness, I listen to the screams of people as they are taken by the Inferno. Reading Order of the Multiverse-Books Author's Comment: If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes. Author's Comment: 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. Books: Until Death? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/629 Transcendence? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/1587 Beyond? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/2850 Coeus? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/4745 Court of Souls? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/6545 Agent of the Realm? http://royalroadl.com/fiction/7707 Law of Shadows http://royalroadl.com/fiction/9766
153.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:05
MDW | psychological | Complete
[A failed Participant in the January 2023 Community Contest: I forgot to fill the form] The world ended. Bam! The Apocalypse opened the gates of Hell, demons killed everyone. Including me. But I got a second chance of life. Though it was as an apple. Which was eaten by a starving survivor, not that I fault them. But to toss my half-eaten core into a landfill? To add insult to injury, an earthquake brought the landfill and everything in it a mile underneath the earth. I guess I'm not in uncharted waters, because good luck finding any nearby. Not that it would matter. I am pretty sure the apple I was reincarnated as was a GMO hybrid whose potential to germinate was as stunted as the empathy of a corporation CEO. So there's that. Also, no sunlight. ** DING **SYSTEM INITIATION!Oh, for the love of all
120.15 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:57
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
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
[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
The dead have never been so alive. After a deadly contagion reduced the world's population into mindless, undead cannibals, the ruins of America still teem with activity, as some of the dead have regained their intelligence and created their own society; one free from the living's touch. Now, more than a decade later, survivalist extraordinaire Liam Fenix seeks to reunite with his family after undertaking a harrowing escape from the uninhabited island that has been his prison, only to discover that he is the sole survivor of the civilization he left behind. He is not alone, however, as undead bounty hunter Leah believes that Liam holds the key to reversing the pandemic that created her race. Armed with their survivalist expertise and following traces of the past, the two must traverse the wastelands together and bring back life to an otherwise dead world, even as they are pursued by a tyrant who does not want this plague to end. **This series is tagged as Multiple Leads because it contains multiple POVs throughout. **These stories are styled as if they were a set of paperback novels being released concurrently as opposed to a weekly web serial. Some sections may have wonky pacing as a result.
150.17 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 16:35
