Ryan English | action | Complete
Elevator pitch: '300' meets 'Lone Wolf and Cub'. A retired veteran has to keepsome orphans from being eaten by horrible monsters. Androkles, son of Paramonos, spent twenty-five years in the world's greatest army trying to earn enough money to buy back his good name. He's battle-scarred, weary, and heartbroken after decades of watching dear friends die, but he survived. He's ready to retire and be welcomed as a hero, finally able to see the reward he sacrificed so much to achieve. There's only one problem: his wife just fled civilization with all his hard-won savings. Now he must pursue her north, through desperate bandits, ravening beasts, and worse. But after he rescues a pair of orphans from starvation, he is faced with his most difficult challenge yet: a question that goes to the very heart of honor. The consequences might be deeper than he realizes, and it's not just his life on the line& This fiction page contains the professionally-published novel Obstacles as well as the two complete sequels, Doubts and Burdens. Any time skips are deliberate. Book title is in the chapter heading. Chapter labelled "2.1, 2.2, etc" are chapters that were not posted all at once. Although the trilogy is complete, I'll return someday to write another book in this series, perhaps several. But for now, please take a look at my new fiction, The Land of Broken Roads. https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/69480/the-land-of-broken-roads Also, my brother Miles has joined Royal Road for the first time and is posting his 4th novel here. It's very good. Please take a look: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/69512/bog-standard-isekai
214.88 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 13:11
In an isolated valley, the last members of humanity scratch a living from what little nature remains. Life is hard, but peaceful, and Sky Memoriam's days are filled with preparations to assume the role of- Shades of Forever is an eldritch punk/horror comedy with some light progression elements, in that numbers will go up but they are not the main focus of the story. Our protagonist, Sky Memoriam, is one of the last surviving humans on an Earth ravaged by cataclysm thousands of years ago. At least, that's what Sky thinks. However, when a spaceship from the broader galactic community carrying a modified combat AI designed to serve as an interface between humans and Things That Are Better Off Not Thought Of crashes outside Sky's village, life starts getting weird. Also, violent. Release Schedule - Mon-Wed-Fri, with potential bonus chapters on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays Changelog SEVENTH UPDATE - Complete. So long, and thanks for all the fish! SIXTH UPDATE - New cover poll! FIFTH UPDATE - Working on adding music updates to chapters where it's been a defining influence. FOURTH UPDATE: Updated the update schedule. Updog. Backlog is a lie. Do not be tempted by its honeyed words. THIRD UPDATE: Changed the genre slightly and reformatted the boxes to not be as mind-melting on mobile thanks to advice from Macronomicon (go read Industrial Strength Magic!) SECOND UPDATE: Changed the blurb, still churning out words, restored the original MS Paint glory due to overwhelming poll demand from the one person who chose a valid vote option. Your actions have consequences, kids. UPDATE: Hit the 55k Writeathon goal, heck yeah! Also made a new cover to appease those of you permanently scarred by MS Paint. Will work on refining the blurb.
102.72 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 18:00
In pursuit of reunification with his love who died far away, the deathless Liu Xie makes a deal with the heavens to bring her orphaned daughter Idony to the First Palace where the Heavens meet the mortal land. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, even for him as the fate of others link to his and Idony's journey. Bo is a lost dog of a man, seeking vengeance. Rui Yifu is a false friend fleeing from his own face and past, and Li Baobao comes for penance. Yet something else may be pulling the strings, its own designs expanding like terrible roots in the soil. A slow burn. Uploads every Tuesday and Friday.
320.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 15:37
R.C. Joshua | comedy | Complete
Lots of people get Isekai'd, and Matt is no exception. After a quickly resolved misunderstanding with a truck-shaped system assistant, he's sent to Gaia, the garden planet. The truck assures him it's going to be a really good fit. And it would probably be right, too, if it wasn't for the fact that Gaia is a burned-out wasteland, completely devoid of life. Matt has all the system-granted advantages of a litRPG Isekai hero - it's just that he arrived a little late for them to do anyone any good. Now Matt is starving, wandering through a sterilized, featureless wasteland that doesn't much care about his improved stats, and trying to find a system-issued guardian that might not even exist. Can he survive a planet that didn't survive itself?
186.14 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:28
tenqui | contemporary | Complete
Normal over 30 science teacher is "abducted" and tested by the GREAT GAME as a beta trial inductee. The GREAT GAME will eventually be implemented and remake the world. Our protagonist however is the only one that actually passes the beta test, which was not designed to be survivable, through sheer dumb luck and thus has an extreme head start on all other citizens of Earth. Follow the journey of our hero as he tries to walk a thin line between preparing to save as much of his family and friends as possible while also trying to make sure that he will have enough power to make other people do most of the work while remaining safe and sound. Poor guy is just a proto-hermit who wants to be left alone but also realizes the importance of others and family. The new reality just complicates things.
96.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:38
T. A. Cambel | contemporary | Complete
Keep Breathing follows lung cancer survivor Eury as she returns to her sleepy hometown, dreading coming home to her parents and the complicated past that still haunts her. Even with every amenity afforded to her by modern society, Eury has a hard time staying alive. But when the townspeople are driven insane and begin attacking one another at random, Eury is cut off from everything and everyone she holds dear, and left with a dwindling supply of oxygen. Hardships and heartaches, bloodshed and violence, once she's through it all, will Eury be able to Keep Breathing?
53.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:25
Angry Spider | comedy | Complete
Argus was a dungeon, sprawling for miles under the cities of man above all the way until a human, angry at the death of one of his companions, murdered him. When he discovered where he was, he found that he had come back to life as nothing more or less than a human being, complete with its own nervous system, organs, and brain. Worst of all, his precious System is gone, and he has to actuallygrow up. How disgusting.
30.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:11
The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Oathbreaker stirs from hisicy prison, calling upon his servants both past and present. The wolf howls, the dragon roars and the serpent thrashes as the world unravels. Heroes will rise, for this will be the age to end all ages. The spirited girl escapes the shackles of tradition, searching for adventure, finding much more. The craven boy goes after her in the name of love. The man with no hand seeks an old friend, and the dragon searches for that which will restore her race. The hero-turned-blacksmith leaves his family to save the world. His friend the King wishes him dead. The blacksmith's son goes after his father, questioning what it means to be a hero. Their paths intertwine. They guide the Winds of Fate, weaving the song of our salvation. The Twilight of the World approaches. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Old Synopsis: The first of the chain of events prophesied to end the world has begun. The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Tree that protects Faengard crumbles, and only those with the blood of kings can restore it. As a boy on the cusp of adulthood, Ein Thoren's concerns were largely limited to which of the village girls he would marrybut when a mysterious man calls upon his father to save the world, Ein finds himself leaving behind his quiet village life to bring his father back. Along with his childhood friends and abumbling storyteller, they face a path filled with monsters and myth, swords and sorcerers, dragons and princesses, and a demon wolf that seeks to swallow the sun, all while the world unravels around them in what will be the age to end all ages. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Release Schedule: I aim to release a minimum of one chapter a week, though sometimes I might release more. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the cover image in any way. Full credit goes to the original artist.
134.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:54
Blackbird0 | drama | Complete
To Zuko's great relief, his new family were not part of a cult. Instead they seemed to be rather normal people they were well-mannered, cultured, fire breathing people who were very assured of their own superiority, and had a family history of insanity. Zuko had never felt more at home. AU Zuko-is-Itachi.
13.92 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 16:00
KaiserDracon | romance | Complete
"As the Era of Asgard crumbles, the sins of the past stand poised to consume the world. Despair and Salvation must join together to forge a new road, or all shall be lost. What possibilities will such a union bring?" Experience the original story of "Tales of Berseria" as Avernus Diphda; the self-exiled Shepherd of the far-continent and Alisha Diphda's fabled ancestor. Strap in for a new journey as he fights on the right side of the wrong against "reason" to save Velvet Crowe from the dark path of vengeance. What happens when the Shepherd wears the wolfskin and hunts with the pack? Tags: New male main protag, OCxVelvetCrowe, slow-burn romance, a new ending, some characters get new fate, epic conclusion, more lore explanation, more plotholes fixed, some Zestiria characters appear in Berseria timeline.Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Action/Adventure The story is based on 'Tales of Berseria', 'Tales of Zestiria', and 'Tales of Zestiria The X' video games and anime created by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
223.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:07
Space Pickle | action | Complete
WELCOME TO THE RETROFUTURE! The Future That Never Was is a book series project featuring an alternate space age where the Soviets colonized the belt before David Bowie sang Life on Mars; where rogue AIs took over the web; where pizza came in cans. Humankind couldn't dream of a more exciting future. Yet, as foolishness eventually turned Earth into a nuclear wasteland, shadows began to conspire from the heart of the Moon to beyond the mysterious Planet Nine& This extended universe in progress includes numerous R-rated titles. All of them will be uploaded on Royal Road for free. Check the Index or the list/links below for the main stories. = KITTY KITTY - Completed - Join sassy space cat Lee and his Desert Eagle-toting, soda-swigging human partner, Ali, in a future stuck in the late 80s/early 90s. Board the dynamic duo's ship, the mythical Kitty, as they bounty-hunt their way through a dystopian solar systemso lock and load, and shout Cowabunga! because it's crime-fightin' time! >� PACHINKO BLUES - Amid the chaos of the Rings Civil War, a disgraced pilot finds himself tangled in a vast vendetta involving a megacorporation, android mercenaries and data-cartels. From Saturn's Plastic Fields to the fringes of Kuiper, his violent redemption is an 80s-esthetic space western filled with tears, blood and... ducks? [Back in November 2023] Other stories related to the first arc ofThe Future That Never Was: " RADIO FREAK - Standalone biopunk short story featuring Ali Kovir鄋, the Data Maiden and Bill Murray " STELLAR PATRIOTS - Short special with Braun Kamirov, linking KITTY KITTY and the book series " DATA ONE & DATA ZERO - 2024 " CYBER MACHO - 2025 To support our work or simply read in better condition, visit ouramazon shopandpatreon!
359.92 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 17:59
After Dr. Hawthorne Crenshaw's university experiences a terrorist attack, he undertakes a titanic effort to colonize a new planet in an effort to rescue some small part of humanity from what he suspects is an unstoppable spiral into a Dark Age on Earth. Subjecting himself to tens of thousands of years of repeated cycles of cryogenic freezing and unfreezing to monitor his passengers, he and his AI T.I.A. shepherd Earth's first, and perhaps only effort into colonizing a new planet. Cover by Ana Ristovska
125.13 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 15:43
Cho | historical | Complete
Tsunoda Naoki is a ghost expert! Maybe. Okay, not really. He just pretends to be one, scraping a living by putting the easily-spooked at ease. But his luck seems to run out when he's suddenly got a real ghost to deal with. He can't even see this spirit, let alone exorcise her—and to complicate matters further she apparently seems to like Naoki… a lot. Is this ghost hunt a romantic comedy or a tragic horror? Artwork by hachikuro.
45.03 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:01
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
Sharkerbob | contemporary | Complete
In 2029, thirteen unearthly structures called Doorways appeared across the world. Any human that entered immediately disappeared. Thousands were never seen again, but every once in a while, someone would come back out after a few days, garbed in strange clothing and possessing superhuman powers. Despite the odds, many of the desperate, ambitious, and hopeful surged through the Doorways in search of personal power.Eleven years have passed, and the world has undergone catastrophic changes as the result of superhuman conflict. Entire continents and civilizations have been lost, a supervillain epidemic threatens those societies that remain, and the world's greatest superhero team has just been destroyed. In the wake of this latest tragedy, a band of powerful superhuman bounty hunters comes together to track down the source of these disasters, and perhaps save what remains of the falling world.
65.96 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:54
mialbowy | historical | Complete
Ellie is excited to go to university and finally make friends after a difficult time at high school. However, she's a little worried when the book club has her read a really awful historical-fantasy story about what sixteen-year-old Eleanor gets up to at a "prep school" for the children of nobility. Still, she's hopeful since the other girls seem nice, and they surely want to make fun of the story, so she's in high spirits on her way to the meeting. Then she dies. Eleanor de Kent, beloved second daughter of a duke, slowly comes to terms with her memories of her past life as Ellieincluding that she's apparently the lead character from that book. Her childhood has its ups and downs, and loneliness seems to be inescapable. Now sixteen years old and attending the very school from the book Ellie had read, can she finally escape her fate and make friends?
196.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:16
someguynamedted | horror | Complete
On his way home from the conclusion of a devastating civil war, monster hunter Blake Campbell encounters dark entities who have made their home in a sleepy mountain town. Big Iron is a short novel set in Alternate Reality America with folk magic, superstition, and Lovecraftian horror throughout.
39.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:51
zechamp | adventure | Complete
By a stroke of fate, a stone gains sentience and sets out on a grand quest to touch grass. However, the system forgot to change its stats from their [Metric] values to the appropriate [Str, Int, Dex] values. Things escalate. Fast. Features:- Cultivation- Jade Beauties- Numbers go up (Ridiculously up. All of them)- Most balanced protagonist of all time (is round, so is balanced) Thank you Sininenblue for making this cool cover for me! You a legend. Previously titledDMG=MA
20.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:51
If he had to be reborn in a fictional world, then he would prefer that world to not be violent.Instead, he was reborn in Azeroth.If he had to be reborn in Azeroth, then he would prefer to be born in a society in which he could live in peace.Instead, he was reborn in a kingdom fated to be destroyed by an evil necromancer intent on creating an army of the undead.If he had to be reborn in a kingdom fated to be destroyed by an evil necromancer intent on creating an army of the undead, then he would prefer to be reborn as a human in Lordaeron.Instead, he was reborn as a nerubian in Azjol-Nerub.Join an unfortunate nerubian on his journey as he tries to live in a world that would very much prefer him to die. Crossposting from SB/SV/FF. If you like this story, then don't forget to drop a follow or a review to help me out.
304.58 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:13
Kira Hawthorne was just another teenage girl until the day a 'god' told the world their 'realm' was getting assimilated, since they lost some War no one on Earth even knew about. A System is installed on the whim of a very old and capricious god. Kira immediately gets trapped in a pocket dimension, and emerges to find a once familiar world turned foreign... And very hostile.
87.82 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:43
