darkocean (J. L. Salmonson)

Lucy isn't proud. She's simply confident in her own superiority. To the demon god, Pride though, that's basically the same thing. Lucy was taken from her mostly ordinary life on earth and told by Pride that she would become their incarnation in another world in order for Pride to win a game against the other Seven Deadly Sins. Lucy never wanted to participate, but the conditions aren't all that bad. She'll be going to a world with magic and monsters, and best of all a System, just like in the webnovels she likes to read. And she can return to her original world with no time passed when she's done. Besides, there's no point in going against a god. Better to go along willingly to make things easy. Now, all she has to do is defeat the other 6 incarnations, and return home...

After a little bit of a rocky start, I've finally got the story rolling, and it's picking up steam. The other incarnations have almost all been introduced, the side characters have more personality, and are less 'convenient' and Lucy is showing off her pride a lot more. Definitely check this story out if you're interested in a more character-focused LitRPG with a morally gray protagonist, and a touch of classical music influence. 

I have marked the story with all the content warnings, just in case, but there is nothing overly explicit here. Aside from the profanity, this story is firmly within the boundaries of a PG-13 rating.

Lucid dreaming is something that happens very rarely. Some people may never experience it in their entire lives. But for Lucid, it's a nightly occurrence. He plays around in his dreams, stretching his will over everything with the finest of controls. Manipulating his very environment has become second nature to him. So when he becomes a dungeon core without his knowing, he slides into the position comfortably.

Abby and Owyn are adventurers! Abby desires all the thrills that adventures bring, and Owyn is obsessed with dungeons. While they may not have much now, they're almost ready to finish their preparations. One more month, and they'll have saved enough to move to the big city and take on a real dungeon! That is, until a mysterious dungeon appears on the outskirts of their quiet town.

All this action garners the attention of people far more powerful than Setterton had ever encountered before. Tension builds, mysteries become discovered, and everyone discovers who they really are once the temptation of power forces both sides into a conflict that neither can avoid.

Updates Monday-Wednesday-Friday. I'm writing this with the intentions of learning how I might be able to become a better writer, so suggestions, advice and criticisms will always be welcome!

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.

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Updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. I'm aiming for quality over quantity at a sustainable rate.

Freedom is the idea that you have every path available to you.
But to achieve freedom, you only have one path, the path to power.
Rakisha, Mother of all Demons.

“This is a weeding. Only ten living souls are allowed to leave this hall. If by the end of the day there are more than ten souls left breathing, you'll all die!”

The half elf Marisha is alone in a harsh world ruled by cruel magicians. Five years ago she was an aristocrat, after war reached her home, she became a slave. 

It's about a struggle for freedom. It's about a struggle for power. But power and freedom come at a price. A price there's no going back from. 

Would you make a deal with an ancient malevolent being for power?

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To add a tag: [Progression Dark Fantasy] 

Author blabber: 

This is a high fantasy world.

Although I'm somewhat of a fan of litRPG stories, I can't bring myself to write one. Systems ruin my immersion and I highly value immersion in my fantasy. I did add something that's 'system-like' at the end of each chapters for litRPG fans. But it's not a system, just a way to keep track of things the MC knows.

This story and world are quite dark and dystopian. Expect characters deaths, even important characters. I kill by a dice throw, and I write by a dice throw. Expect gory scenes and the darker side of the human nature. Although, the sun does shine between the dark clouds at times. 

It's action packed but read for yourself.

The story pacing may be a little different than what you're used to. The dates are there for a reason. 

Edited* 5th February 2023 
As of now two chapters are uploaded each week until further notice. 
Saturday and Tuesday. (Day may be off with the time zones.) 

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The colors formatting is optional and can be turned off if it bothers you.

Simple instructions on how to do that in the first chapter's notes. 

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If you're not reading it on Royal Road, you're missing out. 

Discord server. 

Global warming.

Overpopulation.

Pandemic.

Supernovas and meteoric extinctions.

The universe is coming to an end, and the powers above have decided to pull the plug on this version. But not anytime soon.

Two young men and a young woman find themselves among the 500 humans recruited as Beta Testers for the next version of the Universal Code, the magitech workings that power reality. 

Updates for humanity include:

Patched Tongue Biting glitch

Decreased acne spawn rate

And Magic

Not all the changes are positive however. Monsters, foul magic, nobles, and politics all conspire the prey upon these new citizens. Asher, Elijah, and Li must gather their strength and prepare for humanities migration to this new reality, or witness their people cast into servitude.

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 servant—definitely not a daughter—who 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.

Book 1 available on Kindle, KU, and Audible!

Name: Paradox

Species: Snake, ?

Description: A tiny snake with great potential.

That was who I was. That was what I was. A tiny snake with great potential. The sole creation of the Great Core.

It was just us, the Great Core and I, tucked away in our little corner of the World Dungeon. Together, we hid from the bad-things and the Coreless of the world outside - safe from the horrors that would consume us.

Until, one day, the Coreless found us. Until they tried to steal away my creator. Until, with no other option, I swallowed the Great Core that had made me.

Only after that did I become what I was always meant to be.

At last, I became the Great Core's Paradox in more than name.

[The Endless Cycle] began.

Thus begins the story of a little snake zealot and his journey to greatness.

Cadence Lee thought she was a normal girl, perhaps a little well to do, but not exceptionally so.  She had her college classes, she had her job that her uncle gave her, and she had a nice boyfriend who was sweet if a little awkward.

Except, when a mugger accosts Cadence and her boyfriend attempts to wrestle a gun away from the criminal, Cadence ends up shot.  A normal girl, with the kind of wound Cadence had, would die.  Cadence managed to do that part.  But a normal girl wouldn't then open her eyes again and learn that death is not as permanant for her as it is for other people.  She can be reborn again, and again.  Each time stronger and with new abilities.

The catch?  Any world she is born into, she can never return to.  She has infinite lives, but only one life for each.

So begins The Many Lives of Cadence Lee.

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]

The world called out for a hero to purge it of a great evil. It received Broccoli Bunch, explorer, expert cleaner, occasional ghost-buster, and full time Cinnamon Bun. 

Features include:

Talking enemies into becoming friends
Hugging menu boxes
Awesome overpowered skills (such as Cleaning, and Gardening)
Wholesome litRPG mechanics
And more adventure than you could shake a stick at! 

 Follow Broccoli on her personal quest to make all the friends. All of them.

Updates: Monday, Wednesday, Friday!

Now Available in ebook and paperback formats here:

Volume One - Amazon

Volume Two - Amazon

Once upon a time, a Dark Knight abducts a beautiful Princess and carries her away to an enchanted garden, desperate to win her hand. He’s absolutely convinced that only the love of a good woman can save his poor, woebegotten soul.

Ha! What a tired cliché! Unfortunately for the Knight, the Princess is far from a helpless damsel in distress or easily beguiled maiden, and as the Knight attempts to woo her, she in turn, works her own agenda.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags. 

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Black-Red-Alex-Gilbert-ebook/dp/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

She became a dungeon core.

Everything pointed Delta to murdering her way to success. People were just mana farms, right?

No, that was wrong. Delta refused. Then everything became odd.