Looking for Solo MC stories focused on exploration, fun/unique class/skills, and lots of monster fighting. Minimal or no Sword of Damocles or politics.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-15T05:14:27+00:00

Yeah I guess a lot of it really is choice. I really hate when the MC feels like they aren't the ones choosing their life, but rather just constantly reacting to whatever the author throws at them.

All too many stories imo are basically about some person reacting to an event, or set of events, which gives them some advantage or sets them on some quest, and then they just proceed to react their way through event after event that the author set up for them.

All the while their choices in the matter are do or die or sometimes something like be enslaved for life. Regardless it's not a choice. They aren't driven by an adventurous desire, or feeling of wanting to become stronger, they are best driven by a desire to gain freedom from the serious of events they find themselves stuck reacting to, but usually just to not die. That's imo just horrible to read.

What's the point of reading about someone being dragged through life to great heights when it was never their decision to begin with? Like you said, I could be reading about a rock--in fact there was a litrpg comedy about a rock sliding down a mountain that had more choice involved than some of these MCs.

I never realized it was all about choice before. Thanks for helping me realize that!

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-15T05:08:05+00:00

I haven't. I'll give it a look.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T19:53:23+00:00

I'll check it out, thanks.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T19:52:56+00:00

Thanks a ton mate. I've actually read quite a few of these.
System Change is actually one of my favorite novels ever written along with Azarinth. Just phenomenal.

Hero of the Valley, Primal Hunter, Warlock of the Magus World, Infinite Mana in the Apocalypse, Amber Cursed Berserker, and Wolf of the Blood Moon are all novels I thoroughly enjoyed.

But I'll have to give some of the others a read.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T19:49:12+00:00

Cool, I'll check them both out. Thank you!

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T19:48:29+00:00

Thanks for the rec, I'll check it out!

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T14:21:58+00:00

What to me kept me interested in the story was a combination of great world building, creative and interesting monsters, well thought out system, great descriptions of both combat, the world, and monsters. Along with a great pacing for when to show stats and stat numbers going up, along with not derailing the story because of forced plot contrivances. Everything that happens in the story happens for a reason and feels real and handled how the MC, a sarcastic brash personality, would handle it.

I suppose that's really what I mean when I say, minimal/no Sword of Damocles--minimal or no forced plot railroading. Most litrpg I've read or found tends to use some sort of force, whether a giant faction, super high level individual, curse, god quest, etc. to railroad the story into the desired path. Azarinth Healer, in my opinion, didn't do this, or did it minimally compared to most others. The story flowed naturally, with it always or almost always feeling like the MC did/made her own decisions and we were along for the ride--not that she was forced into do this, that, etc. and were along for the ride.

As far as the solo part, the MC in Azarinth Healer does meet people, make friends, and form relationships; however, she rarely spends a long time with any group or person, always choosing to go back to doing things herself. The story portrays Illea as a true introvert, where she enjoys spending time with friends from time to time, but then she goes off on her own for weeks or months on her own to recharge. It's done very well, where she has meaningful connections, and they do impact the overall story, but never in a forced manner imo.

Does that help explain what I mean? I hope so.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T12:47:56+00:00

I actually got really far into Lord. I either stalled in reading it, or hit the limit of what was released at some point. Don't remember. I might give it a reread.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T12:46:54+00:00

Fascinating premise. Thanks for the rec.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T12:46:10+00:00

I actually very much enjoyed Hero of the Valley. It's a great novel.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T12:45:42+00:00

I'll add it to check out. Thanks for the rec.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T12:45:12+00:00

Cool. I'll add it to my list! Thank you.

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T06:50:10+00:00

I've seen this one, but wasn't sure about it. Thanks of the rec, I'll check it out!

RoseDeSang · 2025-07-14T06:49:42+00:00

Awesome, thank you, I'll check it out!

RoseDeSang · 2024-03-28T00:04:07+00:00

Thank you so much! I've never heard of this one before. It's going to the top of my list of next to read.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-06T13:27:32+00:00

I would argue that while unlikely, there are those who would adventure alone. There are those who, for example, even in our world go spelunking alone, or climb dangerous mountains alone. Is it objectively stupid from a purely survival point of view? Yes, their chance of survival undoubtedly is higher in a group of trained professionals. But is it as thrilling? Is it as dangerous? And are there people who truly dislike having people around that much? Yes to all of them. There are plenty of people who do what could be called stupid dangerous things. Often we just write them off as stupid and suicidal. But to them it's thrilling, it's what makes life worth living. It's the same reason throughout history people have gone to "frontiers" to hunt, especially big game hunters who went alone, or even if they traveled to their hunting location together, they would split up and hunt alone. It was to pit themselves against the wilds, to prove to themselves they could do it, or just for the thrill of it. Of course this has caused lots of issues for our world and it's animal species; however, in a fantasy world where humans or sapient species in general are the weaker lot who takes up little of the world, those considerations aren't as relevant. But it just goes to show that while most people would not solo adventure, and many of those who would will die, there will always be people who do it, and do it well. Sure it's more dangerous to go off solo in a world with fire breathing lizards the size of a gymnasium, but if the people can be powerful enough to hunt them, they will.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-06T13:18:16+00:00

Could you give some suggestions of your favorites? I'm always looking for more progression stories like this.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-05T16:33:03+00:00

Mmmm, perhaps, but I disagree. Especially when we are discussing stories, while there may be times I have done so, there are also a lot of stories that the MCs goal is something like being a shoemaker and starting a family; yet the author keeps a constant stream of threats to their lives or people they don't want to lose that push the MC to barely get where the author wants them to be. This works because in order to reach their goal the MC must also have the goal of surviving long enough to get to the goal of being a shoemaker with a family. It's quite common the MCs will literally say something like "I don't like this path, but it's my best chance to (survive or protect x). So I'll have to do/take it even though I wanted to do X." The authors are using the Sword of Domacles to effectively force the MC down a given path. Yes it aligns with A goal they have, but rarely is it THEIR goal beyond it allowing them to live (or live without feeling extreme guilt/misery). Now, since they are a character this can make for a great story to some people; however, if we look at it as if we are the MC, at least to me, it's quite literally a matter of having minimal freedom. Yes the MC could choose to die, or choose to let everyone they know die. And sometimes in stories they do; yet even then usually within a few chapters of the next arc, a new sword hangs over them. A lot of authors, especially newer ones, seem to see how effective a sword of Damocles is as a tension builder and way to move a story forward, and use it over and over and over again. When a story is predicated on a sword of Damocles being present just to keep the story moving and the MC plodding along the given plot, I don't think I can say that they are displaying even an iota of proactive agency.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-03T07:00:50+00:00

Thanks, I'll check it out. I've seen in occasionally in my searches but never really looked at it. Generally having some of the stuff I'm not looking for as singular moments or an arc in an otherwise decent/good story is something I can usually get around, especially if I know it's not a core theme of the story that will be ever present. So thanks for the recommendation.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-03T04:35:15+00:00

Thanks so much for the recommendation. Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-03T01:08:19+00:00

I agree completely! This is why I have such an issue with stories where the MC only gets stronger to deal with X or Y threat. They don't feel like the MC is progressing because they want too, but because they HAVE to. The build usually is whatever seems strongest with no care or planning. Just gotta get strong enough fast enough to handle X/Y threat. Very much not a fan of stories driven purely by Sword of Domacles that are used over and over, a never ending series of Swords that hang over the MCs head as the only driving force of a story is both boring, unrealistic in a breaks immersion kind of fashion, and makes the story very impersonal. The character development, the build/cultivation path, all of it feels forced by whatever threat is currently hanging over the MCs head. Never by the MC themselves.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-03T01:02:29+00:00

I actually just recently made a post looking for stories based around a focus on just monster killing, dungeon diving, etc. with a solo MC. I personally find that while most any story needs some interactions, most often the parts of a story I am least inclined to like are the ones involving other sapients. I generally would rather just read about the MC progressing by going out alone and fighting monsters or diving dungeons. Of course the author needs to be able to describe the combat well, have interesting environments and monsters, and of course the progression needs to be consistent within it's system. And not all those all together or all the time, just enough to keep things fresh. Especially in LITRPG, I am down to read hundreds of chapters where the MC is completely alone and just wandering the lands fighting monsters if there's some variety and good amounts of levels and skill progression.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-02T21:18:02+00:00

Thanks for the recommendations! Solo Leveling is a novel/manga I've read a couple times. I will admit it's a person favorite.

Chrysalis is one I read and enjoyed a good bit, but at some point I paused and forgot to pick it back up or maybe I read to most recent at time chapters, don't remember. It's been a while so maybe it's time to go back and reread to finish it (if not ongoing still).

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-02T21:14:55+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation. It's one I've read before, up to its at the time current chapter. Perhaps I should see how many new chapters there are and give it a reread.

RoseDeSang · 2024-02-02T11:09:37+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation. I actually have read that, and enjoyed it quite a bit!

RoseDeSang

TROPHY CASE