Of Men and Dragons, Book 1

DrBlackJack21 | drama | On going

Book 1 is now available on Kindle, or in paperback/hardcover! You can buy it here! Jack crash-landed on a planet where the natives are seven-foot-tall carnivorous cat-lizards currently somewhere between stone and bronze age. The good news is the natives think the ship that crashed into their mountain is a dragon and are steering clear of it. The bad news is they just left one of their own as a sacrifice to appease the beast. No matter what Jack and his AI co-pilot decide, his life just got a lot more complicated... ATTENTION: This is soft sci-fi rather than hard sci-fi, hence why I chose that tag. For those of you unfamiliar with the distinction, here's what Wikipedia had to say. 1. It explores the"soft" sciences, and especially the social sciences (for example, anthropology, sociology, or psychology), rather than engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry). 2. It is not scientifically accurate or plausible; the opposite ofhard science fiction. Soft science fiction of either type is often more concerned with character and speculative societies, rather than speculative science or engineering.The term first appeared in the late 1970s and is attributed to Australian literary scholarPeter Nicholls.

100.77 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-02 15:00

The Girl from the Mountain

Starsail Nightmare | horror | Complete

Alexandra Bedford is a weapon, a young woman with telekinetic powers capable of leveling entire cities, born to fight in the desolate remains of post-apocalyptic North America. There is only one problem: she may be losing control of her abilities. Sixteen years after a global pandemic devastated the earth's population, the lines in the old United States have been drawn between the Cheyenne Directorate in Colorado and the New England Alliance on the East Coast. The Directorate, of which Alexandra is a part, is a small but powerful organization dedicated to returning the country to its former glory. However, when a diplomatic mission to the New England Alliance goes wrong, Alexandra finds herself at the center of a bloody civil war. Battles are fought on the old highways and in dilapidated towns and once-great cities. And as the conflict escalates, all of North America faces the threat of being burnt away by nuclear fire. Against this backdrop of war, Alexandra tries to uncover the long-hidden secrets behind the plague, her abilities, and the two men fighting to decide the fate of the United States - Henry Bedford, Alexandra's father and leader of the Directorate, and John Martin, the mysterious figure at the heart of the New England Alliance who may hold the key to everything she seeks. None of this will matter, however, unless Alexandra can prevent the power growing inside her from taking over and consuming the very world she is fighting to save. Author's Notes: I appreciate you taking a look at my novel, The Girl from the Mountain. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, military thrillers, and/or cosmic horror, I think you'll enjoy this story. I completed the novel's first draft back in 2011 and made significant changes in 2016. Since then, I've more-or-less sat on the manuscript while working on other projects. Thanks to a bit of prodding, I've decided to send this story out into the wild with some touch-ups and additional revisions. I welcome any comments or criticisms, and I hope you enjoy The Girl from the Mountain!

137.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-19 15:30

A Travelling Mage's Almanac

Loaka Of The Wind | adventure | Complete

Yenna Bookbinder loves learning magic. As a teacher of the Arcane, she has helped countless students to become magesyet the world outside her classroom beckons to her. When a band of adventurers comes through town as part of a grand expedition to parts unknown, she finds herself offered a position on the crew as the party's mage. Leaving behind her old life for exciting days on the road, Yenna travels with new allies to uncover all manner of magical mysteries. Between uneasy alliances, ancient dark magic and a plot that threatens to swallow the expedition whole, Yenna Bookbinder's discoveries may shape the future of magic irrevocablybut will she live to see her findings published? My first serious attempt at a novel! Based loosely on a much older work of mine, this has been a story that's been swimming around in my head for a long time. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! A huge shoutout to all my friends who have supported me so much through the writing, editing and panicking processes! Updates are Monday and Wednesday (~7PM UTC+0) for the foreseeable future. Cover art by Eneli Dolinaek.

132.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:56

RE:WRITE

WhoCares | psychological | Complete

Fed up with a world where science has made every fantasy a reality and people just don't care about stories anymore, a young video game developer named Kai uses ancient black magic to transport himself into one of his games, titled: Choices. Disturbed by his powerlessness on Earth, Kai makes sure to give himself the ability to change this new world as he sees fit, literally. If you were ridiculously powerful, would you throw away all your morals and do whatever you wanted?Would you find happiness? Would you find love? Or would you end up realizing that& Absolute power is pretty depressing. Note: The format for chapter titles is: "Overall_chapter_number POV_chapter_number: Chapter_title." Look at the POV chapter number to see who is narrating. Thanks to Ia-shub niggurath and peacefulcatastrophe for editing. Also thanks peacefulcatastrophe for the idea for the new cover image: John Martin, 17891854. The Deluge. 1834. (Public Domain) You can read it on my website too!Please vote for my story on TopWebFictions! No sign up, just click on the link and vote for as many stories as you like. Signed and fulfilled the Pledge. ~~A Proud Member of Writers to The End; we finish our fictions!~~

120.15 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:27

Master of the System

Virlyce | comedy | Complete

Leveling systems create overpowered main characters. Cooking systems create master chefs capable of conquering any stomach. Founder systems create monstrous sects from nothing. However, who creates the systems? This is a completely serious story written by the author of The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons. Now available on Amazon.

142.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-19 15:31

It's a Reincarnation of the Reincarnator (Book I)

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

The Explorer Saga

KestenH | drama | Complete

The Explorer Saga is also available on Amazon. A race of violent aliens known as the Aggressive Intellectuals have been at war with humanity for over 400 years, but Wander Locke's never given the conflict much thought. Not until it claimed his parents. His sister's body was never recovered, leaving him to believe that she's still out there somewhere. He's made it his personal mission to find her and bring her home. A mission supported by the President of the First Division, who tasks him with retrieving an experimental shield generator from a mysterious group of rebels. What was meant to be a simple task evolves into a life-changing fight as Wander discovers that the galaxy has as many secrets as it does stars. He's not just searching for his sister anymore, he's looking for answers about his family, his enemies, and himself.

182.10 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:06

Skadi's Saga (A Norse-Inspired Progression Fantasy)

pwtucker | action | Complete

An obscure jarl's daughter will rise to wield the power of the gods. The old order is collapsing. The Archean Empire devours all in its path, toppling kings, razing cities, and massacring any that oppose it. Sweeping into the north, a land of brutal cold, ragged mountains, and dark myths, they believe their infamous discipline will crush the white-hot rage of its sea reavers and dreaded berserkers. And at first they are right. But their invasion dislodges a pebble that is destined to become an avalanche. When Skadi Styrbj鰎nsd髏tir is forced into exile to escape the Archeans, she begins a journey that will bring her to the attention of the gods, arm her with legendary weapons, and set her against immortal foes. Wielding the power of her ever-growing wyrd, Skadi seeks to avenge her people, and in doing so defy the world-devouring Archean Empireand one day destroy it. Content Warnings are selected to give me artistic freedom down the road.Release Schedule: 5 chapters per week, Mon-Fri.This web novel is only posted on Royal Road.See my Amazon author page for other works of epic and progression fantasy. World Map

155.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:11

The Hollowing: A Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

mneue | horror | Complete

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

Champion of Small Gods [A Slow-Burn Fantasy Epic]

PeterRoberts | comedy | Complete

Konrad's brother was the hero of the valleys when he was chosen as the champion of the Father. Now Konrad has been chosen too, only his gods are slightly smaller, the smallest in fact. He's already got three gifts, two quests and he owes a favour to an old hermit. As soon as he buys his freedom he can set off adventuring - if he can find a sword. More Info about the book: CoSG is a slow-burn epic fantasy. The story starts off slowly, more like a slice of life than action-adventure, but it gets there. In this book you'll find magic, arcanists, witches, faelen realms, and champions of the gods (clerics) who maintain the power and status of their deities. The world is mostly light but there are touches of darkness our MC will have to wade through. Expect the MC to progress up from being low powered as he receives new abilities and skills from his gods in return for completing quests. He'll soon be swept up by forces beyond his control, but for now he's wide eyed and stepping out into the world. Update: book complete and ready to be enjoyed!

103.57 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:43

The Immortalizer

Wagenar | action | Complete

Edwin is a tall, strong, handsome young man from a remote but otherwise unspecified village in the faraway countryside, who is not at all secretly an undead mage in disguise. The completely normal Edwin wishes to join the Adventurer's Guild, an association of government-funded mercenaries that protect the citizens from dangerous monsters that lurk in the wilds. Edwin's journey will be a perilous one as he learns to fight, makes new friends, and slowly begins to realize that even the best-laid plans don't survive contact with the enemy  which, often enough, is none other than he himself. DISCLAIMER: This is not one of those regular OP MC hidden master stories. Edwin won't suddenly start slinging spells and murdering everyone like he's in a bad anime. While magic plays a major role in the world and the story, the actual fighting contains very little magic, at least in the beginning. If you're interested in a realism-focused world where people don't just shrug off hits, with a unique, hard magic system, where the main character doesn't have the power to change the course of history but gets impacted by politics and intrigue just like everyone else, maybe have a look. You might like it.

183.14 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:50

Draconic Karma Dungeon

Luna BigCat | adventure | Complete

Story is completed and going through edits. A sapient Dungeon Core appears in a world overseen by a divine System and its slumbering god. The god had originally created Dungeon Cores with the intent of having them rid the world of evil while empowering good people by aiding them in fast leveling. But Dungeon Cores aren't as effective when controlled by algorithms and randomness as they could be if controlled by a conscious mind. Determined to follow the divine Mission to rid the world of evil while helping good people, the only sapient Dungeon Core in the world will use the power of dragons and karma to better the world! Even if it means having to go up against slavery, speciesism, and mind control.

147.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:52

Shades Of Forever

Loate | action | Complete

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

Heart of Dorkness

RavensDagger | adventure | Complete

When an accident causes the early death of two young women, one is chosen to become a hero, a saviour, and a servant of the God of Heroes! This is not her story. This is the story of Valeria, whose soul clung to her friend's, and who was dragged into a new world where her wandering spirit was claimed by the Goddess of Darkness. And so, one who doesn't belong grows to become the servant of the Dark Goddess, a servantdefinitely not a daughterwho will usher in a new age of despair and disgust. The only problem is, she's really bad at the whole "evil" thing, not that she's unwilling to do her best to please her adoptive mom, the Dark Goddess Luciana.

132.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:10

Coeus?

Andur | comedy | Complete

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  About a boy who isn't quite normal and doesn't see himself as a human being, but is taught differently as he finds out about the world's secrets. Though not everyone is happy about his existence. This is inteded to evolve into a full blown space opera with elements of magic thrown into it.  The OneShot goes FullStory. Trying to go a little more SciFi and alternate reality this time. I am not entirely sure how this fiction will turn out. And I am not sure on the tags either. They may change. Bear with it. As always, how chapters turn out is up to my mood.

120.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:30

Beyond?

Andur | comedy | Complete

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  My world faced its end, but I refused to perish with it! So I intercepted a summoning ceremony from another world. One moment!? My summoner tried to summon a demon? Fuck it, I think it's better to break the contract and do my own thing... or not? Why is Mrs. Sacrifice hugging me? And why am I suddenly a child!? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am not entirely sure how this fiction will turn out. And I am not sure on the tags either. They may change. Bear with it. As always, how chapters turn out is up to my mood.

139.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:24

Nora and the Search for Friendship

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

The Isekai Police (aka "Earth's Advocates")

Vnator | satire | Complete

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

Trash Knight: System Recycler: A litRPG Satire that No One Asked For

Foxatal | satire | Complete

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

A (Not So) Simple Fetch Quest

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