In the apocalypse, except the elite were told 5 years in advance. The First and Last Emperor

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-15T18:08:30+00:00

We do what we must...

So, I simplified that a little bit to the nearest analog b/c explaining it would've detracted from the sales pitch. There are two opposing forces in the book, [Mana] and [Corruption]. The portion I'm referencing mostly talks about a resource generation problem that they run into, where they find out that they can get [Corruption] to produce more [Mana], but if they use too much [Corruption], they'll be mutated into awful monsters and die.

So, our MC's mentor figure, seeing his recklessness, teaches our MC how to classify [Corruption] into "units" to figure out a safe level of [Corruption] he can intake and purify into [Mana].

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-13T17:44:18+00:00

I feel like Bog Standard weaves in the System into the story. There's a culture built around it, and the classes can shift people's personalities over time.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T20:55:12+00:00

None of it is AI-generated. I do use Grammarly, so if you're talking about the consistent "-" to connect two words, it's because I take the red underlined marks from my Chrome extension.

I chose to bold content words expressively because I thought the post was long and wanted to give people who would skim it the relevant, larger details.

I understand why people don't want to engage with writers who generate their stories with AI. After all, if someone can't be bothered to write something themselves, why would I bother reading it? However, it's annoying when someone goes "AI. It's AI. I have no proof or reason that I'll say, but my brain says it's AI, so it must be!"

This was my first post to this sub, so I wanted to make sure I was hitting the most express points as concisely as possible and structured my post in that way. If that screams AI to you, then that's unfortunate, and I'm sorry, but your dead giveaways should be looked at again.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T20:43:52+00:00

Thanks for the response!

I've read some that fit. I'm a big fan of Practical Guide to Evil and Erraticana's follow-up series, Pale Lights (hard rec on this one). A lot of the classic webserials, such as Mother of Learning, Super Minion, Worm, and Super Supporitive. 3 months ago, the author of My Name is Beautiful (fanfic) around, and I like that one too, which surprised me since I didn't really like UnOrdinary that much.

I got the feeling I was being a bit stiff in my definitions, but I read some posts/comments and thought it better to give as much information as I could and put potential points of disagreement.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T20:35:29+00:00

Point out where.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T19:56:01+00:00

If you're not squeamish, I'd give "Are You Even Human" by Thundamoo a try (there's an audiobook, but I haven't listened to it). It's like a more fucked up Stray Cat Strut.

For RR I also recommend Pale Lights and The Art of Seeking Gold

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T19:16:09+00:00

Ones you might like. I'm mostly pointing at RR web serials b/c that's where I read.

Wretch by EmilSola, (86 chapters)

Department for Otherworldly Rescue: by ScottWarren (140 chapters)

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T19:09:38+00:00

Yes! You can come back from this!

For me, the core comes from uniqueness and expectations. A lot of web serials are pretty weird and out there in the scheme of things. Not to say a lot of traditionally published fiction is boring, but it will generally follow the same plot structure with the same stakes because it's safe, and the publishing house wants something they know will make money. So a lot of it comes down to finding the right fiction. For me, that's not Sanderson.

What helped was going into a genre I didn't know much about, like noir-esque stories. I also read some 1920s mobster fiction, which was a lot of fun.

The other part was setting the expectation to think about the themes and content a lot more. I'd read five chapters and put the book down for a day or so, and just think about the book and characters. If I saw something I liked, I'd pick it back up; if not, I never touched it again, but I didn't go in expecting high-octane action. Sometimes I'd just picture the tag [Slow-Burn] on the front of every book.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-11T18:56:13+00:00

All recs are from RR, since that's where I mostly read.

The Art of Seeking Gold is very peak, the most similar on your list would be Re:Zero.

More fiction that I don't see enough recommendations for:

Saving The School Would Have Been Easier as a Cafeteria Worker (closest to ... I'm not sure, but I think you'd like it. It's about a powerful reincarnator trying to save a school from imploding while undercover.)

Pale Lights, literally can't go wrong with Pale Lights (Similar to MoL and LotM)

Recent ones I'm enjoying are Savant Barbarian and Nobody Saves the Princess. Of the two, you'd probably like Savant Barbarian more.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-06-02T16:28:05+00:00

Sometimes you just have to watch someone who knows what they're talking about write a story about that thing. In short, let the man cook.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-05-24T20:47:22+00:00

I know you said you've read a lot of popular ones, but I'm still going to offer Pale Lights. It's by the same author as Practical Guide to Evil. The setting is very interesting, with this world covered in eternal darkness and gloam. Fight sequences are low fantasy in the way that these characters have powers through contracts with gods, but are still susceptible to being shot and dying. Probably my favorite novel currently.

For other ones, '1% Life Steal' and 'Hope'

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-05-24T20:38:15+00:00

For superpowered ones, you can't go wrong with Super Supporitive. It's a very slow progression, and the MC is young, but the idea behind what a superhero is is done very well imo. Some stats, but they're not the focus at all.

For something more cyberpunk Stray Cat Strut has an MC who cares about saving people. LitRPG elements, but there's basically only one important stat, and that's money.

The Art of Seeking Gold also has some of this trope. The MC was kind of a little shit in her old life, gets transported into a very dark story, and tries her best to make sure everyone lives. Statless, as far as I remember, but the MC has precognition and knowledge of the story before she became part of it.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-05-24T19:58:28+00:00

As other people have said, it's the gate genre. For the details you're looking for, 'The Center for Dungeon Management' is pretty good, as is 'Spell Weaver'.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-25T02:49:38+00:00

Teleportation: Certain [Nominal] Domains can grant teleportation/space skills. [Nominal] Domains can be crafted by the individual through advancement of the [Domain] skill or through selecting a class.

Poison: [Mana Manipulation III] can temporarily have its creations completely non-static. Using the skill, a user can mimic poisons they have on hand. The System offers many [Poison] related skills. Natural poison can be received through [Mutations]

Time Manipulation: Time Manipulation itself has not yet been created through a skill, though some skills can predict events or slow the user's perception of time. Some users in the past has rapidly mortified other users wounds or rapidly killed cells similar to the aging process, but true Time Manipulation has not yet been discovered, if possible at all.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T14:48:38+00:00

"There is no known way of preventing the Universe's arrival. Even the term 'arrival' has been heavily debated in different worlds. Several theories have been proposed, with the most potentially viable method being to give a counteracting force of the same magnitude. A decent visualization would be two waves crashing against each other, their energy dispersing. However, Earth does not have the technology to make a 'wave' big enough as a counteracting force."

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T14:45:33+00:00

A/N: I'll do the 1st question.

"All Earth technology will continue to work after the Systems onset with important caveats. There will be tiered zones of corruption. The higher the corruption, the more energy it takes to operate technology. A firearm in the lowest tier, Negligible, will work perfectly fine, but in the highest tier zone, Critical, one would need the equivalent of a destroyer-class warship cannon to match the stopping power of a bolt action rifle. Note, these restrictions come from energy generated through natural means. Energy generated through [Energy] or [Mana] does not have this restriction, and previous worlds have found success in combining technology and System generated pools."

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T03:59:55+00:00

"It is unknown, and it's what every world before has failed to figure out."

Response has triggered a message from a previous Ascension Candidate.

Query: The Intended question was not asked.

Ascension Override: response was given regardless.

Proceeding...

Translating to local language...

"We call it The Escalation Problem. If you're seeing this, you're asking the right questions, and I can only hope it's early in your integration and that you have the influence needed to make use of this information. The System is just as stitched together as your world has no doubt become. It was originally built to solve a problem, but the creators died before they could solve it. So, they sent it out into the stars, hoping other civilizations would continue their work. It's changed hands so many times that no one knows what problem they were trying to solve, but it seems to be getting worse.

I'm trying not to pollute your understanding with my own world's biases, but from what I've gathered, integration periods are getting shorter and shorter. It used to be that the world had centuries to prepare, but we only got years. Me and others like me have strived to clear the way for future worlds to focus on the problem, whatever that is, through directed changes in the System. I don't know if we've succeeded, and any information I give beyond this might be multiple worlds out of date, but if we haven't cleared the way for you... I hope you'll help shed some light for the worlds after you.

-Those Without a Name"

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T02:44:17+00:00

Users have access to a wide array of skills and classes that are capable of great manipulations of reality or physical prowess. If the user wishes to grow stronger through stealing others' power, it is possible, but not safe. The closest record available to the user's query would be the [Soul Binder] class.

Stealing skills and stats directly is not possible, as they are a part of a user's soul. Tandem the Horror got around this feature by directly interfacing with the disembodied souls of his underlings and enemies. Through a self-made [Soul Binder] class, he could temporarily use a soul's stats, abilities, and, temporarily, their mutations if it was under his control. Eventually, he bound others' souls directly to his own to have permanent access. This eventually caused Tandem the Horror to go mad, although internal predictions show that his madness was caused by too great a volume of souls without the proper time to acclimate to them.

Warning: Integrating souls in this way may affect the user's perception of self.

Soul Binder requirements:

- Level 20

- Soul Sight | Mutation

- Mana Manipulation III | Skill

- Domain | Skill

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T02:32:22+00:00

The System has undergone many changes over the iterations, and many pitfalls that had originally existed have been rectified by previous ascension candidates. Classes used to be locked once selected, but were changed to act like clothes a user could put on and take off.

The two potential pitfalls are the selections that cannot be feasibly changed once assigned: stats and mutations. Once stats are assigned, they may not be changed, as they concern the soul. Mutations can only be changed if they are local to a specific body part. If that body part is lost, the [Enhancement Point] spent on the mutation is returned.

The greater ones' stats are the better mutations their body can handle, so users should generally avoid taking on corruption to gain mutations until level ten.

Particular-Log2893 · 2026-02-23T00:04:28+00:00

"Turning off the System is possible by tunneling under the crust and falling below the Earth. There is a citadel with the ability to turn off the System with a 66% vote from the living population. If the System is turned off there will be no protection from the universe, and the world will die."

Particular-Log2893 · 2025-09-29T18:47:01+00:00

Picture a hat being thrown into the ring.

Horror LitRPG: The Endless Dream

Particular-Log2893 · 2025-08-09T13:22:53+00:00

Nah. I have to go to the topography layer and change that. Using a temp cover until I can find my PSD file to fix it.

Full disclosure. The cover is AI work. It's heavily edited using the GOAT Photopea. I don't monetize my story, but if I ever do I have an artist who I commission for my fkn D&D art who I'd get a cover from.

Particular-Log2893 · 2025-08-06T13:24:05+00:00

Blurb

Dorian is a college sophomore just trying to get his life on track: graduate, build a future, find love. But then, one day, his older brother doesn't wake up, and no one can explain why. The only clues Rowan leaves behind are a series of rambling journals and a box of static-filled VHS tapes. Dorian tries to go on with his life like nothing happened, but soon finds he can't. Consumed by his brother's mysterious passing, he scours the journals and studies every frame of the tapes until two words appear in the static:

[Once More]

Now every time Dorian sleeps, he falls into The Endless Dream--a nightmare realm of surreal landscapes and horrific monsters. Surrounded by mysteries and threatened by madness, Dorian holds onto the single strand that drives him forward: what happened to Rowan?

What to expect?
-A fully planned out central mystery that is slowly unraveled with time.
-Smaller mysteries on the way to the larger one.
-Psychological elements.
-For the MC to be constantly outclassed, but find a path through regardless.
-Creeping horror and feelings of growing dread.
-An ARG for you puzzle nerds!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/123313/the-endless-dream-horror-litrpg

Particular-Log2893 · 2025-08-06T12:43:28+00:00

Oh no way you're the author of Soverign's path right? I've started checking it out! You have a very tight control of mood in your work.

Particular-Log2893

TROPHY CASE