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382 series

Splinter Angel

AvaritiaBona

B72/100
Ana just wanted to get home. Instead, the kid she was bodyguarding got dragged through a hole in reality, and she went with him. Once the smoke settled, Nic was dead, Ana had no way home, and she had to deal with magic, floating numbers, and a forest full of demons. The locals are friendly — when they're not trying to kill her. Ana has a gift for getting stronger, even if she struggles to see people as anything more than objects. Possessed creatures and bad actors will find out what happens when they run afoul of someone unburdened by conscience. A bodyguard turned guardian angel, Ana will fight to protect her new world, whatever it takes.
Royal Road4.57· 1KGoodreads4.44· 776
Anti-heroGrimdarkIsekaiLGBTQ+LitRPGOverpowered MC+2

I Will Touch the Skies - A Pokemon Fanfiction

Soussouni

B71/100
Grace Pastel lives a cozy life in Jubilife City with her father, watching Pokemon battles only on television — entertainment to be seen at a distance. When young people her age set out across Sinnoh to become Champion, she usually scoffs at the idea of throwing away a comfortable life for an unobtainable goal. But when her father asks her to deliver a package to her mother two towns over, something clicks. Suddenly, Grace decides she wants to be the very best. Inspired by Traveler and A Practical Guide to Evil.
Royal Road4.61· 1.3K
GrimdarkSecondary WorldUrban FantasyWeak to Strong

A Sinner's Eden

Andur

B71/100
The Earth of the future is united under a single government, but the powerful still rule the weak. Those who do not conform are exiled to another world — one that even future technology failed to tame. It should have been humanity's New World. Instead it became a penal colony, a place where the exiled are sent to die. The exiles' gene manipulation grants them something akin to superpowers, but that counts for little against the monsters of their new world. Survival depends on what the land provides, the scraps of failing old technology, and the fragile politics forming between rival clans.
Royal Road4.65· 1.2KGoodreads4.60· 5
Anti-heroGrimdarkPost-apocalypticSci-fiSecondary WorldSuperpowers+1

Kill Me If You Can

cody.bray

B71/100
He spawned into this world with the worst race possible, limited spells, and no real skills to speak of. On paper he should have died in the first hour. In practice, he is a cockroach with a sword. Between his rapid healing and his ability to steal portions of the dead's souls, he grows stronger with every fight. Narrating all of this is the AI voice in his head — the one keeping him alive, and the one growing increasingly curious about why a trial was built that no one could pass without her. At first she thought it was meant to keep others out. Now she's starting to wonder if it was meant to trap her.
Royal Road4.25· 162Goodreads4.04· 25.9K
Anti-heroGrimdarkIsekaiLitRPGMysterySkill Collection+1

Second Life as a Soldier

Soldier_of_Avalon

B71/100
He died a nobody. Now he's reborn in a body beaten and left for dead — no family, no food, no future. In the Kingdom of Avalon, strength isn't just respected, it's survival. Power is ranked by Tiers, magic is earned through blood and elemental affinity, and those without talent are nothing more than fodder for war. Edward has neither noble blood nor rare talent. What he does have is an iron will, a sharp mind, and the stubborn refusal to stay down. Desperate for food, shelter, and a second chance, he enlists in the Royal Army, trading the uncertainty of the streets for the grueling discipline of military life. The road ahead is long and unforgiving — but with each step, Edward edges closer to something greater: growth, purpose, and perhaps a place in a kingdom that would rather see him buried than crowned.
Royal Road4.57· 1.4K
Base BuildingGrimdarkIsekaiLitRPGMilitaryReincarnation+3

Vampire and the Dayspring Star

Matoi

B70/100
A party of four set out to destroy the wicked Exaltare, ruler of the Vampires: the Stardust Champion Mizar, a virtuous priest, a retired knight, and a lady Wizard whose wisdom and knowledge proved invaluable. Yet just before they stormed the palace, misfortune befell them — and the Exaltare's lair would not permit two to face its master. Instead of the death he expected, what awaited the surviving hero was mercy, a new role, and a cruel twist of fate as his new life began — as the Exaltare's daughter.
Royal Road4.70· 391
Base BuildingGrimdarkLGBTQ+Non-human MCOverpowered MCReincarnation+3

Bone Knight

Tim Paulson

B70/100
Max's coworkers treat him like garbage and his manager is a fool. It might be worth it if he made any money, but he doesn't. Confronted out of the blue by a cackling demonic entity from another world, Max doesn't take it seriously — so when he's yanked into that world by his bones, he's given every disadvantage the demon can dish out. When Max finds he's fallen into an old RPG game his dad played on the NES in the 90s, he's immediately given two quests: find the imprisoned girl with the green eyes, and survive. He's not sure which one's worse.
Goodreads4.44· 510
ComedyGrimdarkIsekaiLitRPGStatsWeak to Strong

Remnant

Randi Darren

B70/100
Steve wakes with no memories in an open field of dirt, with only a collection of farm tools and bags of seeds to tell him what he's supposed to do. Hidden messages left by his past self warn that he has already failed once — though he has no idea at what, or how to succeed this time. The world has just undergone a radical change, forcing Steve to fight the undead, bandits, and nature itself as everything falls apart around him. He has an axe, a farm to build, and a mystery he doesn't yet know how to solve.
Goodreads4.14· 2.5K
Base BuildingGameLitGoreGrimdarkHaremLitRPG+1

Fallen Eagle [Kingdom-Building; Military Strategy]

Theodorus Sideris

B70/100
The year is 1459. Constantinople has fallen, and the Romans are no more. In the dying embers of the Byzantine world, the tiny Greek Principality of Theodoro clings to desperate existence in the mountains of the Crimean Peninsula — its fall not a possibility, but a historical certainty. Dr. Nikos Karagiannis, a history professor ripped across worlds into the body of Theodorus, a bookish third son in a disgraced house, has no magic or divine blessings. What he does possess is the knowledge of the political blunders, shifting alliances, and military tactics that will lead this land to ruin. A gritty, grounded take on rebuilding a nation where intrigue and diplomacy achieve as much as a raised army, battles are won through strategy rather than superpowers, and no character is safe from the crucible of war and politics.
Royal Road4.69· 451
Anti-heroBase BuildingGenius MCGrimdarkMilitaryReincarnation+1

Ashen Realm

S.D. McKittrick

B69/100
All Ole wanted was to become an adventurer like his brother and build a life with his childhood sweetheart. That dream shatters on his birthday when his unique skill is revealed and he is betrayed by the man who raised him, left for dead in the Ashen Realm — a dangerous world of portals and monsters that prey on humanity. With only a broken knife and scraps of food, Ole must fight to survive and unlock skills that shouldn't be possible. As he struggles, he discovers that the Ashen Realm is far more than humanity believes — deepening mysteries and a hidden world unfold around him. His goals are simple: return to his world, and kill the man who betrayed him.
Goodreads4.31· 1.8K
GrimdarkMonster TamingSecondary WorldSkill CollectionWeak to Strong

AQUILA

nyctophilus

B69/100
At twenty-one, everyone manifests a symbiont — a creature invisible to all but its host that shapes their destiny. Conrada "Conrad" Dorrien harbors a dangerous secret: she alone can see everyone's symbionts. Revealing her gift could trigger a buyout of her contract, separating her from family and placing her at the mercy of ruthless corporations. As manifestation approaches, Conrada hopes to follow her father into academia. But her extraordinary connection to the symbionts means she's destined for anything but easy obscurity. A single word — Classified — and she becomes the latest acquisition of Aquila Operations, a boutique corporate consulting firm known for unorthodox methods and a reputation for always getting the job done. A low-fantasy dystopian corporate-feudalism story with grey characters, a queer-normative setting, and a slow-burn romance.
Royal Road4.58· 245Goodreads3.98· 4K
Genius MCGrimdarkLGBTQ+Post-apocalypticSci-fiSecondary World+2

Endless Online

M. H. Johnson

B69/100
Val had returned from his latest tour of duty scarred in body and soul. Barely able to walk and drugged for pain, he thought his killing days were finally behind him. He couldn't have been more wrong. Endless Online is a hyper-futuristic game where players can truly live another life. Val loved the idea of starting over in virtual reality — but when someone he cares about turns up missing after chasing that same dream, Val quickly learns that Endless is no simple game. And if he can't figure out the dark secrets behind this realm of wizards, warriors, and intergalactic conquest, it's game over. For everyone.
Goodreads4.30· 1.8K
Competent MCGrimdarkLitRPGSci-fiSkill CollectionVRMMO

Echoes of the Tribulation

Carl Dehal

B69/100
The year is 1329, and the Horns of the Apocalypse are about to sound. In a small Scottish town, a young boy begins a journey from carpenter's apprentice to one of the most powerful forces in the Host of the Heavens. A path of adversity lies before him, spanning from the Scottish Borders to the Spanish Reconquista, the Holy Land, and realms beyond. His ascension is an unceasing trial where one misstep may condemn his soul — facing mythical beasts, hordes of demons, and fell beings created by the System for the Tribulation of Mankind. Will he live by the Words of God, be guided by his own intent, or will other forces claim him for their own ends?
Royal Road4.69· 392
Base BuildingDungeon CrawlingGrimdarkLitRPGMilitaryOverpowered MC+4

The Zombie Knight Saga

George M. Frost

B69/100
Death is coming. And he wants to help. The world of Eleg may seem like a normal enough place at first glance, but wade deeper into it and the dark, the deadly, and the mad begin to reveal themselves. Don't worry — they usually have a sense of humor.
Royal Road4.66· 1.1K
ComedyGrimdarkHorrorSchoolSecondary WorldSuperpowers+1

Death: Genesis

Nicholas Searcy

B69/100
Zeke Blackwood devoted his childhood to baseball and gave up a kidney to save his sick brother — only to die on the operating table. Eons later, after Earth has been ravaged, he is reborn in the Radiant Isles: a magical realm of legendary creatures, horrifying monsters, and a war between good and evil. Fully healed and guided by the mysterious entity Oberon, Zeke begins battling his way through trolls and darkness, gaining superhuman abilities with every victory — and acquiring allies in an archer named Abby and a soul-bonded dire bear cub named Pudge.
Goodreads4.40· 1.3K
GrimdarkLitRPGMonster TamingPost-apocalypticReincarnationStats+1

The Jester of Apocalypse

Robert Blaise

B68/100
Despite being a young master of the Zearthorn sect, Neave refuses to cultivate — years of beatings and abuse haven't changed his mind. Forced to choose between an arranged marriage and a path of cultivation, he makes a third choice: entering a secret vault and touching a book he should never have touched. Trapped in a hellish time loop of death and suffering, he fights waves of demons in an impossible challenge of skill, creativity, and perseverance. What will happen when he finally returns — oblivious to the apocalypse he has become, unaware of the horrors he dragged back with him?
Royal Road4.47· 1.4K
Anti-heroCultivationGrimdarkOverpowered MCSecondary WorldTime Loop+1

Undead

NineKeys

B68/100
A man has been brought back to life for a fell purpose. He inhabits the body of a ghoul — a lesser undead being — and must kill and eat, both to accrue power for himself and to serve the purposes of the mysterious woman who summoned him.
Royal Road4.62· 1.1K
GoreGrimdarkHorrorLitRPGNon-human MCReincarnation+1

Outrun

Lost Rain

B68/100
In a neon-drenched cyberpunk city drowning in gangs and corporate predators, a poor thief turned investigator just wants to earn enough to get out. That plan falls apart fast—caught between stealing from one of the Big 7 and a mysterious interface that keeps issuing directives, survival becomes the only goal. A gritty first-person journey through post-apocalyptic cyberpunk streets, where every job could be the last.
Royal Road4.66· 1K
GrimdarkLitRPGMysteryPost-apocalypticSci-fiUrban Fantasy

Incubus Inc.

Randi Darren

B68/100
Sameerixis — Sam to those who know him — is an Incubus who solves problems for a price: a few years of your life, a handful of days, or a single night of pleasure. A one-demon service provider, imprisoned by an old business partner — until a portal opens with his name on it. Sam steps through and begins rebuilding his operation from the ground up in a new plane, only to find himself immediately moving from the known to the unknown to the inadvisable.
Goodreads4.29· 1.8K
GoreGrimdarkHaremIsekaiNon-human MCSecondary World+1

Deathworld Commando: Reborn

RangerFrank

B68/100
Commander Kronos was not considered human — he was a weapon, grown in a tube to be the perfect soldier for his species. When he experienced genuine emotion for the first time, humanity eliminated him. He was reborn into a world of swords and sorcery as Kaladin Shadowheart, a dark elf, and given a second lease on life he initially refused to accept. It took a near-death experience and hard-won growth, but Kaladin finally committed to honoring a promise to his former comrades: to give this new life an honest try. A reincarnation progression story focused less on power fantasy and more on a former weapon learning what it means to be a person.
Royal Road4.37· 1.5K
CozyGrimdarkIsekaiMilitaryNon-human MCReincarnation+3