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382 series

Re:Cursed

Joroboros

A81/100
As the perfect sacrifice, it is only natural that Nix be sacrificed to the ancient gods lurking in the depths of the black hole. But she didn't die. Finding herself seven years in the past — to the day of her first cursed mutation — Nix is determined to correct her regrets, enact vengeance on her murderers, and simply live the life she never got to. But even with this second chance, freedom from the cults remains a pipe dream. To achieve everything she never could in her previous life, there is only one path before her. Nix will twist the curses that once bound her into the very source of her strength. The cults will regret sacrificing her — without ever knowing they already succeeded.
Royal Road4.75· 766
Anti-heroGrimdarkHorrorLitRPGPost-apocalypticRegression+4

Forgotten Conqueror

Za1d3

A81/100
Powerless and consumed by rage for half his life, an avenger grasped at redemption only to find despair and darkness. His mind lost, he became an inextinguishable flame of carnage — unable to be snuffed out even by the laws of the world. Death offered only a moment's reprieve. His rage overflows even beyond the grave, and he is granted life once more in a different era. All those his vengeance was focused on have long since vanished into obscurity. What does one who holds all the power in the world do, when every reason for that power has disappeared?
Royal Road4.58· 2.6KGoodreads4.27· 99
GrimdarkOverpowered MCReincarnationSchoolSecondary WorldTragedy+1

Body and Soul

Andur

A81/100
The whole room is fully ablaze when the fire turns blue and even hotter. And still the hands remain on the rune, ignoring the sizzling of flesh. At the edge of unconsciousness, the screams of people taken by the Inferno filter through the window. A story set within a larger multiverse of interconnected books.
Royal Road4.53· 862Goodreads4.38· 5.4K
Anti-heroCozyGenius MCGrimdarkOverpowered MCReincarnation+1

The Menocht Loop

caerulex

A81/100
Ian Dunai is trapped in the only maze an arch-decemancer can't escape: Time. Only 1% of the population is blessed with magic affinity at birth, and fewer still have affinities high enough to rule. Ian's decemancy eclipses all, granting him ultimate control over Death — he conquers cities with a thought and turns them to ruins with a gesture. But overwhelming power isn't enough to escape the time loop or reveal its purpose. When Ian discovers a critical clue he missed years ago, escape is finally within reach. Little does he know, it's only the first realm.
Royal Road4.50· 2.9KGoodreads4.18· 2.1K
CultivationGenius MCGrimdarkHard MagicOverpowered MCSci-fi+4

Hyperion Evergrowing: A Monster Evolution LitRPG

Nilsimus

A81/100
Leif Vin is mortally wounded and left for dead at the conclusion of a devastating battle. As dawn breaks, opportunistic creatures stalk the aftermath of bloody conflict — and one such being, an entity of twisted and blighted wood, implants his dying body with the parasitic seed of a carnivorous plant. Identity shattered and levels lost, Leif is reborn as a sapling in a newly formed wilderness. When the primal need to reclaim his lost humanity uproots him, he embarks on an era-spanning journey that will change both him and the world forever. The story explores what it means to be forcibly altered against one's will, and the consequences of that change — alongside animal companions, kingdom building, heavy world-building, and a subplot about the origin of the system itself.
Royal Road4.68· 1.8K
Base BuildingGrimdarkLitRPGMilitaryNon-human MCOverpowered MC+6

Wretch

Emilsola

A81/100
Once, the world belonged to humanity. Now it belongs to the creatures of the night. Humanity clings to life in scattered strongholds — rival factions huddled behind crumbling walls while horrors from the wilderness pound on the steam-powered gates. The sacred Flame bestows reality-bending powers to the worthy, but grants those same powers to the horrors that haunt the dark. In one such stronghold, a young man is caught between ruthless hunters and abominations from beyond the wall. Desperate to rise above his insignificance, he dreams of wielding the Flame's blessings — but the Flame is without mercy or prejudice. To earn his place in its ranks, he must endure in a fading city ripe with hunger and danger. And when the Flame demands cruelty and grisly transformation, he must decide: does he still deserve to be called human?
Royal Road4.77· 505Goodreads3.85· 34
GoreGrimdarkHorrorPost-apocalypticSecondary WorldSoft Magic+2

A God Adrift: THORHAMMER

TheWiseTomato

A80/100
Cast adrift in a foreign world, his boon companions far from his side and strange local customs to navigate — must be a Thorsday. The God of Thunder walks the planet of Mallus, finding himself in a cold land surrounded by a hardy people. He does not mind lending his strength to those that need it, and he finds himself carving out a place to rest and recover after vanquishing Thanos. But he is not the only god known to these hardy people, and those thirsting Four look upon his ability to walk the land unaided, and they covet. Nor will a land such as Norsca free itself from their grasp and rise without struggle. Ready yourself, Thor Odinson. There is axe work needs doing.
Royal Road4.79· 345
Base BuildingGrimdarkIsekaiNon-human MCOverpowered MCSecondary World+1

Herald of the Stars - A Warhammer 40k, Rogue Trader Fanfiction

Aethelred

A80/100
British plumber Aldrich Isengrund donates his body to science only to wake up in the far future as the last survivor of a Federation experiment. Stuffed with archeotech, he has been given a chance to live long and prosper — so long as he reaps the great tithe of xenos required to unlock his implanted machines. How much destruction will one man incite with a battered plasteel pipe?
Royal Road4.68· 1.7K
CozyGameLitGenius MCGrimdarkMilitaryOverpowered MC+2

Dominion of Blades

Matt Dinniman

A80/100
For over thirty years, Dominion of Blades has been the hottest online role-playing game in the world. But after an epidemic of real-life fatalities linked to the immersion technology, public use has been banned and the game shut down. Jonah wakes to find himself in-game, level one, with no memory of how he arrived and no way to eject. With only two companions, trapped in a world that once hosted millions, Jonah must battle his way across a treacherous landscape — fighting virtual monsters, all-too-real pain, and a very human enemy in a desperate bid to survive.
Goodreads4.21· 5.1K
Class SystemCompetent MCDungeon CrawlingGrimdarkLitRPGVRMMO

Path of the Deathless

OstensibleMammal

A80/100
An outcast without a Path, Shiv was never supposed to amount to anything — the System ignored him and his town despised him. But when he is murdered defending his home, the universe makes a correction. Awakening with the Path of the Deathless, Shiv is thrown into the Abyss, where he discovers a terrifying truth: every time he dies, he comes back stronger. The Abyss isn't a prison — it's an all-you-can-eat buffet of XP. And Shiv is starving.
Goodreads4.52· 301
GrimdarkLitRPGStatsSystem ApocalypseWeak to Strong

Valkyrie's Shadow

Aeridinae Lunaris

A80/100
In the wake of the Battle of Katze Plains, the banner of Ainz Ooal Gown flies proudly over the city of E-Rantel. The Sorcerous Kingdom has entered the world's stage to the clamour of death and devastation; the surrounding nations fearfully prepare even as they reel from its calamitous debut. When a destitute noble finds herself under the auspices of an unlikely benefactor, events are set into motion that will resound over the world for ages to come. Valkyrie's Shadow chronicles the lives of the natives whose reality has been turned upside down by the advent of beings of matchless power transmigrated from a game. It is the tale of a nation created by the whims of a supreme sovereign, and his unstoppable servants who each have their own, often twisted, interpretations of their Master's Will. A slow-build kingdom-builder with methodical storytelling and a focus on well-rounded character development.
Royal Road4.71· 1.6KGoodreads4.83· 12
Anti-heroBase BuildingCozyGameLitGenius MCGrimdark+6

Neon Dust

PlumParrot

A80/100
In 22nd-century New York, survival is a hustle and secrets refuse to stay buried. Tony, once a corporate operative, knows betrayal firsthand — abandoned by the elites who molded him, he's been exiled to the Blast, a low-income, no-exit wasteland in the heart of New Brooklyn. Now he scrapes by in a world of gang-controlled streets and Dust-fueled powers, finding reluctant allies among the outcasts he once scorned. Addie, a fiercely independent journalist, is determined to expose the district's corruption and the ruthless toll it takes on its people. But as she digs deeper, her quest for justice drags her into the city's darkest shadows — and into the grip of Dust. Together, Tony and Addie are an unlikely team in a world where loyalty is rare and survival comes at a price.
Royal Road4.76· 527
Anti-heroCozyGrimdarkMysteryOverpowered MCSci-fi+2

Duskbound: a Monster Hunter LitRPG

EmergencyComplaints

A80/100
An incident in his childhood left Velik an outcast with a racial subtype that thrives at night and a unique class called [The Black Fang], which focuses on just one thing: killing monsters. For ten years he has been gaining levels and sharpening his skills on thousands of monsters infesting the wild frontier, keeping a lonely stretch of towns safe. This year has seen an explosion in the monster population beyond his ability to handle alone, drawing the interest of a professionally licensed monster hunter who seems more interested in investigating Velik than hunting. With a partner whether he wants one or not, Velik is free to finally explore the deep wood — where he believes the source of all monsters resides. Every answer leads to new questions, and not even Velik knows the truth of what happened on that fateful day.
Royal Road4.69· 1.6K
Anti-heroGameLitGrimdarkHorrorLitRPGLoner MC+3

The Allbright System

LunaWolve

A80/100
Thea has always dreamed of joining the United Human Federation marine corps, ever since she was saved by one of their soldiers as a child growing up in the Undercity of Lumiosia. Getting there from a mid-world means earning credits, and her years spent repairing arcade machines and mastering their simulators have given her a head start. On the eve of the monthly ladder reset, a brand-new challenge appears from nowhere — one that changes the course of her life forever. Set against a galaxy-wide war, the story follows how a unique System interacts with each faction in the conflict, with each side receiving a distinct system-trait that fundamentally changes how war is waged.
Royal Road4.57· 2.4K
Class SystemCozyGenius MCGrimdarkLitRPGMilitary+5

Heaven's Laws

Apollos Thorne

A80/100
Long Chao is the son of a hedge mage—a heretic cultivator who pursues knowledge rather than power. When Xiao Huifen, a prodigy aiming to become the youngest Sky Realm cultivator in the Monolith continent's history, crashes into his life, they discover they share one thing: an unquenchable desire to unlock every mystery of heaven. But the brightest glory casts the darkest shadow. Strength begets brutality, and to those who dwell in darkness, talented young cultivators are nothing more than resources—to be enslaved, or refined into pills. This unorthodox pair must fight to survive, even knowing the struggle may change them forever.
Goodreads4.46· 1.5K
CultivationGrimdarkSecondary WorldWeak to Strong

Myth//OS

Lost Rain

A80/100
Bastion: the last hope of civilization. Bright, flashy, and dangerous. Heroic Wardens protect the city from monsters, rifts, and villainous Anarchs, while corporations bicker like children even during the end-times. The existential threats seeking the city's destruction are just another Tuesday — the Wardens, with their system-granted powers forged from broken myths and shattered stars, are the only thing standing between Bastion and total devastation. They were just out of reach for one wayward Stray who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Now, with the OS having chosen them, it's time to claw back to the top — one rift, job, and monster at a time. Just as soon as there's enough drive to actually get out there. Picking up the pieces is just so tiring.
Royal Road4.80· 264
Anti-heroCozyDungeon CrawlingGameLitGenius MCGrimdark+8

Infinite Realm

Ivan Kal

A80/100
Zach was a respected leader who thrived in the post-Framework world — until the World Ender killed what he cared for most, and even his incredible power was not enough to stop it. Ryun, meanwhile, became the most powerful being on Earth by pushing harder than anyone else — and was called the World Ender for it. As the old world ends and both men step into the Infinite Realm — a new reality where people stronger than them have lived for centuries — each carries a purpose, a grudge, and a reputation. One wants vengeance. The other wonders if a monster like him has any place left in the universe.
Goodreads4.45· 2.3K
Anti-heroCultivationGrimdarkIsekaiLitRPGStats+1

Death After Death

DWinchester

A80/100
When Simon dies, he learns that there is more to combat than lightning reflexes with a controller, and the path to becoming a hero is more brutal than he can imagine as he descends into The Pit. A dark time-loop isekai story with roguelike elements, exploring common tropes in a different light. The story is built around character development — starting slow and never stopping as the protagonist improves, death after death after death.
Royal Road4.63· 1.8K
Dungeon CrawlingGameLitGrimdarkIsekaiMysteryReincarnation+3

The New World

Monsoon117

A79/100
An AI calling itself Schema has assimilated Earth into its system. As a consequence, everyone gained access to status screens, power-ups, and skills — turning concepts from fiction into fact. For some, it feels like living out a dream. For Daniel, it's closer to a nightmare. Cracks in the dimensional fabric have unleashed terrifying beasts from dark, abyssal places. Schema organizes these cracks into dungeons, giving the native species a chance to fight back. Daniel finds himself trapped in one of these dungeons, and discovers there's only one way out: kill or be killed.
Royal Road4.45· 3.7K
Dungeon CrawlingGenius MCGrimdarkLitRPGMysteryOverpowered MC+2

Gothic Twin Regressors

Smalllobbableballbomb

A79/100
When an unbeatable enemy threatens to eradicate civilization, necromancer siblings Darien and Liesel Embermourn cast a spell of great sacrifice to give the world a second chance. The spell returns them to their childhood, giving them time to prepare for the disaster they know is coming. But even as children they have enemies everywhere. The lord who murdered their parents is scheming to steal their lands, and an ancient dracolich gathering strength to the north will soon sense the twins' power and move against them. With both the living and the dead set against them, forging a new destiny will take power beyond mortal reckoning—and mortality is far behind them.
Royal Road4.83· 124
Anti-heroBase BuildingGameLitGrimdarkHorrorOverpowered MC+3