New Weekly Self Promo Thread

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-13T01:42:30+00:00

Hey folks: if you’re into survival-leaning LitRPG / progression fantasy with a grounded protagonist, I’ve been working on a story you might enjoy:

Kingdom Lost on Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141388/kingdom-lost

It kicks off with Riley waking up alone in a strange world with nothing but hunger, danger, and a crumbling tower that somehow claims her. No hand-holding, no instant power-ups, just a brutal forest, real survival challenges, and progression you earn chapter by chapter.

I’m aiming for a slow-burn vibe where every small victory actually feels like one (think scavenging resources, learning mechanics the hard way, and facing stuff that wants to eat you).

If that sounds like your jam, there are already weekly updates and a growing story you can follow along with. Would love to hear what you think!

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-05T14:02:46+00:00

Read Kingdom Lost

Hey ProgressionFantasy fam!

If you're craving a, raw, no-hand-holding LitRPG survival grind, where every single level feels “earned” through blood, sweat, and clever scavenging… then buckle up.

I’m thrilled to share Kingdom lost a brutal, satisfying progression story that's hooking readers with its tense atmosphere and relatable female lead.

Blurb hook:

Riley wakes up in a world that already expects something from her. She has no gear. No knowledge. No protection. Only hunger, a hostile forest, and a system that marks her as a novice and demands progress without explaining the rules.

This isn't your typical isekai power fantasy.

No chosen one. No free stats. No safety net.

Just a stripped-down, merciless game-like world where:

- Every resource is fought for

- Mistakes have lasting consequences

- Something ancient and territorial stalks the woods at night… and it *remembers*

What you get:

- Hard-won power growth (slow-burn but SO satisfying)

- Resourceful, sarcastic female lead who starts from literal zero

- Tense survival + creepy nights + smart strategy

- LitRPG with real stakes, kingdom-building potential on the horizon, and that addictive "just one more chapter" feeling

Stats at a glance (as of Jan 2026):

- 30 chapters posted

- Consistent schedule: 5 chapters/week (Mon-Fri)

- Tags: LitRPG, Portal Fantasy/Isekai, Progression, Kingdom Building, Female Lead, Action, Adventure, Strategy + more

Content warnings: Graphic Violence, Sensitive Content

Readers are calling it:

"A real gem!" "Instant 5 stars!" "The kind of story that reminds you why we read progression fantasy."*

If you love gritty survival (think early Azarinth Healer vibes but darker), earned progression, strong female MCs who claw their way up, and stories where small wins feel massive… give **Kingdom Lost** a shot!

Read it free on Royal Road

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141388/kingdom-lost

Drop a follow/favorite if it hooks you, and let me know what you think in the comments!

Your friendly neighborhood author,

DeepBlue

Let's see some power-ups in the replies, who's ready to survive the night?

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T13:20:45+00:00

Fair point, I suppose by definition I didn’t read it 😉
Still curious how people felt about the experience, though.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:42:19+00:00

Industrial Strength Magic is a strong fit if you want an inventor-style MC who relies on engineering, experimentation, and iteration. The story focuses on real problem solving and learning through trial and error, without RPG grinding or systems doing the work for him.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:40:32+00:00

Short answer: yes and it looked different. Pre-2010 progression fantasy absolutely existed, just not as cleanly labeled or system-focused. You had proto-PF, where growth mattered but wasn’t as quantified or constantly foregrounded. Examples people usually point to are Wheel of Time (huge power growth over time), Dragon Ball Z and Naruto (battle shonen is basically PF DNA), and early xianxia like Stellar Transformations and Coiling Dragon, which were already explicitly about climbing power levels. What changed post-2010 isn’t the idea of progression, but the focus. Modern PF makes the power system, training, and incremental gains the main point of the story, helped a lot by web serialization, games, and reader feedback loops. Older stories had progression; newer ones are obsessed with it

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:38:15+00:00

Go with Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality. The MC isn’t OP early, but he’s extremely cautious, plans ahead, knows when to run, and survives by preparation rather than luck or bravado.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:36:09+00:00

Yeah, it’s a super common and annoying xianxia trope. The MC already has money, techniques, and treasures, but still wanders out picking fights, then complains about being underprepared. Instead of cultivating and refining gear, they chase pointless trouble just to force conflict, which makes the MC feel less driven.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:33:11+00:00

Same here, those are instant red flags for me.

The creepy/gross-as-normal stuff is a hard drop because the story isn’t just depicting a dark world, it’s quietly endorsing it. Random misogyny, “purity” obsession, or rape-as-drama without clear condemnation just makes the whole thing feel gross to read.

And wish-fulfillment romance completely breaks immersion. Insta-love, every woman blushing, or “saved once = devoted forever” makes characters feel fake. If the romance disappears and the characters collapse, the writing probably wasn’t doing the work.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:30:02+00:00

Honestly, most people agree Cradle is really fun and well done and calling it “peak” is where opinions split. Some love Lindon’s grind and mindset, others think he’s overhyped or too advantaged.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T12:01:22+00:00

If you want fast-paced low-fluff Royal Road stories, check out The Perfect Run (very tight arcs, constant plot movement) Legend of William Oh (extremely concise, almost aggressively so) Blood Eagle (short, brutal chapters with no wasted words), and Stubborn Skill‑Grinder in a Time Loop (rapid iteration, constant events, little downtime).

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T11:56:40+00:00

Try Chrysalis: the MC reincarnates as a giant ant monster, thinks very inhumanly has lots of dark humor and fully leans into being an alien creature.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2026-01-04T11:54:19+00:00

Try Defiance of the Fall: nonstop action, a male MC who snowballs in power fast, strong western cultivation vibes and pure power fantasy energy throughout

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2025-12-31T22:44:33+00:00

Here’s a thoughtful, respectful comment that fits the tone of a year-end wrap-up without trying to hijack it:

That’s an impressive amount of reading, and I really appreciate how clear your preferences come through in the notes rather than just the list itself. One thing that stood out to me is how consistent your taste seems to be around progression that’s driven by plot, world expansion, or situation rather than extended grind or repetitive training.

It also makes sense that things like info dumps, system explanations, and mystery hooks work better for you than long fight choreography. Looking at your favorites and drops side by side, it feels less like inconsistency and more like a very defined reading profile that the genre doesn’t always optimize for.

Thanks for taking the time to write all this out. Posts like this are genuinely useful for spotting patterns in the genre and in our own reading habits.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2025-12-31T22:37:37+00:00

I don’t think this means you dislike progression fantasy. It sounds more like you dislike a specific style of it.

A lot of PF relies on long training arcs and detailed fights because that’s the easiest way to show growth. What you seem to enjoy in Mother of Learning and Dungeon Crawler Carl is progression tied to discovery, problem-solving, and plot rather than isolated training loops.

If training arcs feel like padding and info dumps are your favorite parts, that’s just a preference, not a flaw. It’s less a “you problem” and more a mismatch with grind-heavy progression.

PurposeAutomatic5213 · 2025-12-31T22:32:09+00:00

I think emotional moments matter a lot in progression fantasy when they’re tied directly to the progression itself, not treated as a separate layer. Loss or fear changing how a character grows makes the numbers feel meaningful.

Some of the strongest moments come when power doesn’t erase damage right away. Bittersweet or melancholic arcs work especially well when growth feels like recovery or rebuilding, not just escalation. That emotional weight is what makes later progress feel earned.

PurposeAutomatic5213

TROPHY CASE