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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 require a 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 meager aspirations 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.

A great race faces extinction and tries to leave a legacy for the future. Young races building on the ruins of the old. What happens when one of the old ones wakes up and finds the universe changed? Will she try to find new meaning? Will she try to help the younger races or will she punish the grave-robbers for their sacrilege? Or will the eternal servant of her people try and finally find some happiness of her own?

When the first derelict alien spacecraft fell to Earth, humanity took what was found in it and propelled themselves to new heights. In their new Golden Age, humanity developed technology that they had only dreamed about. The following years saw hundreds more ships crash into the planet, spurring even greater technological leaps.

An unassuming spacecraft, one of the dozens that fell yearly, descended on Siberia in 2021. The world took no particular notice of it. However, this one contained something beyond the miraculous technology that had made humans so prosperous.

Three years later, in a top-secret underground facility in eastern Colorado, the automated construction of an army of Paladin Mobile Infantry Suits was underway. With this new, state-of-the-art weaponry, the military would turn the tide against the alien incursion that was consuming the planet. Humanity fell before that could happen. Sam was an engineer responsible for overseeing the facility. Now alone, he lives in utter boredom and near insanity, his only company the base’s pseudo AI and an army of empty Paladins. With the world gone to hell around him, and the things that caused it still living above, he decides that he is much better off staying exactly where he is. Unfortunately for him, that is no longer an option.

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This is the first novel I've written. The first fifteen or so chapters are going to be a little slower. I want there to be time to get to know the characters before they start blowing stuff up. Also, though the MC will be strong relative to the world, he won't be OP, and won't win every fight. Not every fight will be physical either.

Currently, I'm aiming for something like 5 fairly short chapters a week, after the introduction part is done, but we'll see how that goes. Thanks for reading, and please let me know if I've made mistakes!

Arwyn has just bought Fantasia, the first fantasy-based VRMMORPG, with 99% realism that you can play while you sleep. In the game, she becomes Fey, a moon elf starting in the magical Elvenwood. Join her (and her snarky narrator who likes to interject sarcastic comments in parentheses) on her exciting, often hilarious adventures inside this magical world full of every fantasy creature you've ever encountered in books, games, and movies, and a few that you haven't.

Oh, and there's something strange about the NPCs in this game... See if you can figure it out before Fey does. (No, they are not self-aware AIs.)

-Cover art credit goes to A. Noviant

General Summary:

Sometimes, the multiverse needs expanding. That's where I come in. But, unfortunately, being a deity isn't all fun and games (and is incredibly complicated), as there are always things working against you. Not even the God of the Multiverses can change that. 

Another Summary:

Twelve souls were chosen to expand into the void surrounding the known universe(s), and were given a grace period in which they would experience a relatively safe expansion of their domains. Once that period is up, however, they are free to interact with each other...and what lurks in the depths of the Abyss, the Void, and the Primordial Chaos. I am one of those souls. And let me tell you, this shit ain't easy. Between trying to raise mortals into an immortal army, with which I can defend my domain, dealing with my children, and trying to maintain the balance between all realms of existance, I have my work cut out for me. Sigh. Now I know why, back on Earth, gods worked in mysterious, invisible ways. There's just too much to be done. 

Formerly called RE: Deity

Kragathor is the final guardian of the world’s deepest dungeon. He is an immortal pinnacle of existence that is otherwise known as an ancient dragon. And he is terribly bored. His sole source of amusement comes from scrying on the adventurer teams that are in the upper levels of his dungeon.

Through spying on adventurers, Kragathor hears of a new magic item, called a Virmo, that allows one to project their mind into a fictional world in some sort of grand-scale game.  Recognizing these Virmo games as a potential diversion for his endless boredom, he orders a minion to infiltrate the nearby town and acquire some of these games. Once the minion returns, he logs into a game set in a world that runs on the twin magics of ‘science’ and ‘technology’, and embarks on his new journey as Bob, the Level 1 Human with no class.

 

Release Schedule:  As I wrap up the end of the first major arc, I will publish the chapters as they're completed.  However, as I transition into the next arc, I will go with a two or three times a week release schedule, since I will be splitting time between this story and Chimera.

 Discord Server

For milennia, The Elders have gifted pre-technological civilizations with a piece of technology that allows them to transcend the bounds of what is normally possible: The Implant.

Altering reality on a quantum level, creatures with an Implant can gain extraordinary physical and mental abilities. In return, the Elders require wearers of the implant to pass through the Gauntlets - Entire worlds that have been hollowed out and turned into a training and testing ground for the wearers. Once their trial is complete, the wearers then are used by the Elders as their foot soldiers as they expand across the galaxy.

What happens when a human accidentally receives an implant instead?

Real Fantasy Online. The flagship product for the latest generation neural-interface headset. Touting: "The Best NPC AIs", "Better than Life Realism" and "Total Immersion", RFO promises to be a virtual world like no other. But when the line between one's real self and one's digital identity becomes blurred, and the "Gods" have their own agenda, who is the player, and which is the game?

 

Marcus has played any number of VR games, beta-tested dangerous and unstable systems and lived to tell the tale. He even has a certain amount of fame and influence within...certain circles. He usually disdains the idea of pre-orders and their respective "perks" as blatent commerical exploitation, but this time the bonus is too tempting to pass up. The ability to craft your character's backstory and have it integrated into the game's lore is enough for him to sign up for the Early Access program. He isn't interested in being all-powerful. Frankly, he's been there and done that enough to be bored of the whole thing. Instead, he opts to make a character purely for the purpose of having fun. Things aren't quite what they seem however, and his "backstory" and character class have implications he never would have imagined.

 

Author Note: First time posting a story online, and I'd appreciate any feedback. Updates may be slow, as each "chapter" will likely be in the 10,000 word range and I tend to revise several times before being (tentatively) satisfied. If people seem to like this I'll try to establish a regular post schedule.

WARNING - This story is moving to Amazon slowly but surely. The later chapters are remaining so up-to-date readers can continue to enjoy new chapters. There are 5 chapters, 10,000 words, at the start to inform a reader whether they want to take the plunge. After that, the reader will need to go to Amazon to access the rest of book one. This will also happen with book two soon.

 Amazon Book One

Daedalus encompasses Etana Daedo's early years and his first steps within the Fortescue Military Academy where he forges friendships and alliances which will last a lifetime. The story takes place within a futuristic, dystopian earth in the year 2142 and explores concepts such as the rise and impact of robot labour and artificial intelligence.

The story follows him, his friends and enemies while they attend Fortescue Military Academy where they learn to build and fight with exos at the first year cadet level. The young cadets are primarily concerned with their academic and competition success within the academy.

Each squadmate is special in some way, it's up to Cadet Daedo to unlock their potential in order to facilitate the success of their squad.

The Squad will evolve as they age and progress through year levels at the Academy, they have the potential to be the best mech engineers and pilots the world has ever seen but will they be ready to defend planet earth by the time they graduate?

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Advance chapters available on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/skullysln
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Promise: NEVER DROPPED.
This work is a life goal for the Author.
Even if I have overlong breaks. I will return!

Humanity has finally taken the next step into space. Governments run research stations throughout the solar system while private enterprises mine asteroids for rare metals and exotic minerals. However, space remains beyond the reach of the everyday person. In contrast, virtual reality technology has led to an explosion of full immersion entertainment for the average consumer, and many people turned to VR for the thrill of spaceflight.

One game, Parallax Gate, lets its players experience living in an interstellar civilization. For maximum realism, its developers created a world solely defined by the players' personal skills and ability.

Mark Asami, a student of aerospace engineering at MIT, dreams of bringing spaceflight to the masses. To his disappointment, his first year courses barely relate to his interests, so he passes time as Aero Rayne in Parallax Gate with his roommate and their organization, the Temple Wraiths. Before they realized, a chain of in-game events drew them deeper into the game's world and politics than they ever intended to go.

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)

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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!?

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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.

Arael is an otherworldly being from the upper plane, a place similar to Heaven, full of Light. He now dwells on Earth, touched by Darkness, unable to return. When he rescues Sariel, an innocent angel from the clutches of Dark mages, he is no longer alone for the first time in centuries, but knows that he must return her home before she is also stranded on Earth.

The question is, does she wish to go?

(Pure fantasy romance)

 

 

- Cover art credit goes to Cassandra DenHartog (www.cassandradenhartog.com)

Temporary Synopsis: In a world where the invasions of fantastical monsters and people with abilities to kill them have become commonplace, a certain young man with an "illness" which causes him to obsess over death will discover its a gift rather than a burden. 

 

The king is dead; his heir is too young to assume the throne. Jarl Vale wants to become Lord Protector, spurred by his ambitious brother Konstans. Jarl Isarn likewise seeks this power; he is aided – or thwarted – by the return of his brother, the knight and war hero Athelstan, whose squire, Brand, hopes to restore his family’s fortunes, cost what it may. Through all of this, an enigmatic traveller makes plans with jarls, scribes, and priests for his own purpose. Abroad, powerful forces sense division in the realms of Adalmearc and make their own plans. It is only a matter of time before schemes clash, plots collide, and conflict erupts. War is on the horizon.

Story updates every second Wednesday with a new chapter from the second book of the series. The first book can be downloaded as an ebook from my site, where a map of the world can be viewed. The site also contains other background information such as history of the realms, pantheon and religion, calendar etc.

Emmet Laghaz loved puzzles.

All day, all night, puzzles. Ever since he was a child, Emmet could turn anything into a puzzle.

[participant in the NaNoWriMo Royal Road challenge]

Chase Berrymore dreams of adventure, excitement, and getting the heck out of her pastoral halven village.

But when adventure finds her, she'll be scrambling to save everyone of her family and friends from a decades-old conspiracy. Outmatched in almost every way, she'll have to use her wits, charisma, and a bit of divine favor to figure out the path to victory. But the odds are bad, and even with an Oracle's foresight, she can't save everyone. 

Even worse, she'll have to figure out ways to deal with the weird and nigh-immortal beings that call themselves "playas..."

A litrpg romp with a very non-standard protagonist, set in the same world as the "Threadbare" books.

 

Superhero Litrpg
Skills, level-ups, powers, crafting, and base-building.

Releasing a chaplet daily, ~1,200 words.

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It is 2054 and unemployment is at an all-time high. In the era of the quantum computer, autonomous systems have taken over as the backbone of the workforce. Justin, 20 years old and unemployed, has nothing holding him back, and since his government stipend will cover the expense, he signs up to play Imagitech's brand new game: A Time of Heroes.

Justin has never been that into multiplayer games, but for a full-immersion virtual reality where he can play a Superhero, Justin is definitely in.

'Superheroes and Villains are on the rise in an alternate America of 2020. Forces of good and evil must band together to control the future'.

Justin plays Artisan, an alien AI trapped on Earth.
Inventor, hacker, and gadgeteer to a team of heroes.

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Hope you enjoy.

Please feel free to leave reviews and comments.

Mercs are causing trouble in my city. They are hunting someone, whatever the cost. It’s not like I care that some lowly humans died, but if I don’t act now it would set a bad example. So what would the hero do? Probably he would save the victims and protect them while the enemies keep coming…

Yeah, as if I would ever do something so troublesome! They aren’t calling me the demon lord for no reason. I suppose I’ll just shoot the victim and be done with it.

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[window]Author's Comment:

If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.[/window]

[window]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.

I have no problem with translation and reposting of the story, as long as the person in question isn't doing it for money or stealing my identity.

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)

[/window]

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Peter V. Kastell is taken from the cycle of reincarnation and given a purpose.
His purpose can be fulfilled in nearly any way he chooses.

BUT

His soul is damaged. And because of that, he will be disadvantaged in an unforeseen way.
Thanks to a benevolent Goddess he will gain different advantages to compensate.

Along the way, his story will be uncovered, and he will gain powers beyond what he ever thought possible.

A unique Lit-RPG series.

Is mana really all that important anyway???

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Currently on hiatus until further notice.

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A very special thank you to: 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

My name is Nicolas

Nicolas "Nick" Siegel.

People say I’m weird.

I don’t know why, and the voice in my head won’t tell me.

Oh well, never mind…

You want a cookie? I baked them myself. With love~💕

...You're ridiculous.

Oh, shush.

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[Sexual Content] only shows up in side-chapters, entirely skippable if you are put off by or not interested in this kind of things.

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Author's note:

This is a story about an atypical player in a typical VR fantasy game, (re)written by an author—that's me—who still sucks at delivering synopsises.

Follow the adventures of Nicolas "Nick" Siegel, alias Elric Walker, alias the Wandering Knight, alias the Reckless Imbecile, alias...Victoria—Wait, what? Okay...err...Follow Nick Siegel, a young...man(?) afflicted with mild sociopathy and a worsening case of split personality, as he tries to make sense of the world around him and travels the virtual reality of Untold Tales, battling against undead butterflies, strange curses, and himself, and maybe find love. 

I swear this is a romance!

(Previously: “Tales of the Blood Princess”)

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Real reader's comment:

"World War Chicken has been fought. The area is destroyed, blood has been spilled, and the wrecks of the machines of war lay scattered. Mothers have cried, children have been traumatized, and only holy fire can burn away the foul creations spawned in its wake. 

Oh, and a grown man made a complete fool of himself."

 – by Dosahder, at chapter B0-C07.1

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 – by ErgoPhobia, on the 13th Dec. 2017