The richest and luckiest players of the video game "Thousand Tales" get their minds uploaded to its virtual paradise world, while Stan can barely buy a handheld console. Instead of sulking he plays, and grows, becoming a skilled craftsman and seafaring explorer. The game's ruling AI, Ludo, helps him find the hope and inspiration missing from his real life. When the AI starts asking for favors and having him reach out between the real and digital worlds, Stan has a chance to turn his life into an actual adventure. But first he needs to earn the most valuable prize of all: his freedom. "Crafter's Passion" is part of the emerging "LitRPG" or "GameLit" genre, combining science fiction with the world of gaming. ----- On Island East-2 stood Stan, in the dungeon, with the rickety raft. He dragged it out to the beach, scavenged more wood and some interesting shells, and paddled his way back west. The raft disintegrated just as he got within sight of East-1. He held onto a chunk of wood to help him float but couldn't carry the rest in his pack. All he could do was start swimming! A scary fish swerved into his path but he managed to detour until it lost interest. Finally he sprawled onto the beach with a bunch of stat penalties for being wet and tired. Belatedly he realized, "I probably ruined everything in my backpack." A note said, [Nearly everything you're carrying is safe, like coins and a sealed bottle, but that can be a problem with other items. There are several ways to get waterproofing.] That sounded reasonable. He'd assumed that jumping into the water with a load of items was harmless, but that was his own fault. "Fine." He headed west to Central Island across the bridge. So far he just had that crude backpack full of loot, and he couldn't carry much more without a better pack. He looked over the junky resources he'd scavenged, then the items he'd looted off his party members' bodies. None of the equipment was listed as magical, and the item descriptions were starting to give him more serious labels like [Crude Wooden Bow] for Alaya's weapon. Even he could probably make something better with a little practice. He could make something better! That could be fun. Besides, he'd swiped this gear from people he'd agreed to help, so maybe he could replace or upgrade the stuff by way of apology. Stan headed over to the Crown & Tail's workbench to give it a try. Along the way he jumped around for the fun of bounding up the sunny shore. He tapped the bench of tools and tried to fix up some items, but it buzzed at him. [Equipment repairs require access to improved crafting stations.] The bartender directed him to the "maker workshop" a ways inland from the beach. It looked like an old fort, a squat wooden cabin surrounded by a spiky wall of logs. Why not a giant golden palace? Probably it had been built by the players using the game's own physics. That was pretty neat. He walked right in through the open gate. Inside was a craftsman's playground. Saws, drills and other tools covered some of the tables. A whole corner was devoted to colorful glassware and bubbling fluids. A green-robed figure was busy at that alchemy station, pouring beakers one into another and making puffs of steam. The only other person here was a smith in a leather apron and goggles, making a pleasant rhythmic ringing of metal. Behind him loomed a forge where slabs of metal were glowing cherry-red. Stan looked around and asked, "Is this stuff open to the community?" The alchemist turned around.

    The things that are hidden inside change his life forever. He is suddenly heir to a barbaric and bloody history of brutal glory as magic slowly dies from the world. Now John is stalked by powerful and petty mages as he struggles to learn the rules of the game, endangering himself and those around him. Then there is the half naked Tribesman, that only John can see, following him around. Confronting his own failings and struggling with the world he has found himself in, John still has to find a way to pay his rent on time. He would also like to not lose the girl of his dreams in the process. This book is NOT Young Adult it contains some language inappropriate for children under 15.

    Heck, he doesn't know what he is. Despite his spotty memory, he's pretty sure he didn't used to be a floating ball of light. He's also certain that he's not originally from this dangerous fantasy world...maybe. Okay, fairly certain. To make things stranger, he seems to be involved in something big, something magical...a game. Who was he before? Will his memories come back? Why does he have an assistant explaining the game's rules to him? He can evolve? There's a countdown timer? One thing Steve does know is that he needs to figure out what's going on fast, and if he is playing a game, even a deadly one, he plans to win.

    Governments have been abolished. Weapons have been systematically removed from society. Most diseases have been cured. Adam has a rare disease that will soon claim his life. Spending most of his remaining time in the VR world Asphodel, he's discovered something unbelievable. The ability to transfer human consciousness into the game. Upon choosing the Shifter Class, Adam becomes the first known character to obtain the transformative powers of a Wrathic, Asphodel's version of a Wyvern. When the word gets out to three billion users that he could be the key to living inside the game permanently, he'll need all the help he can get to survive.

     Waking up decades after the superpowered apocalypse would be bad enough if he still had a body. What can Solomon possibly do when he’s nothing more than a brain in a dusty old jar? Explore and upgrade the Facility, abandoned long ago by mysterious scientists, now run by a bored AI. Harness the power of mutated post-apocalyptic fauna for his own gain. Turn it all against the Survivors out there who want what he has. What he earned. Gain allies. Defeat foes. And then maybe rule this ravaged world … whatever he can salvage of it. All from inside the fortress of his monster-guarded, trap-ridden dungeon. Maybe he’ll need to create some soldiers to serve him. Only, all the other male brains have been destroyed, and the Facility can’t create full human bodies yet. Would it really be so bad to create powerful animal-human hybrids for his female brains? Does it help if they’re sexy as they are lethal? Well … it doesn’t hurt. *** BOOK TWO IS OUT NOW!

    Every player "avatar" is a living physical body with incredible survival traits. Once in this dreamscape, it would be unwise to not seize the moment! There are, however, a couple of catches.First of all, you don't remember your identity. Second, the "sandbox" of this inter-civilization game, "Universe ICS", is a dangerous place for beginners. Finally, character restoration is finite. Death in "ICS" may be irreversible.All the books in the series "the Universe ICS":1.Soulcatcher2.Keymaster3.Seeker4.Executioner5.DestroyerThe beginning of the book is here:royalroad.com/fiction/23162/universe-...Have a pleasant reading!

     In a world filled with heroes and villains, the most nefarious practitioner of The path of Darkness was ambushed by more than a thousand sorcerers of the Path of Light. after a thrilling battle that lasted for more than thirty days, the sorcerers of The path of Light triumphed in the end. At the moment of his death, a blinding grey object exited his body, before disappearing into the void. Ten thousand years later, a young boy from a war torn country is reincarnated into the body of a young sorcerer from the continent of Skyhaven. At that same moment, he suddenly heard a strange sound, followed by the words. -Ding- Welcome Earthling! Congratulations on inheriting the Necromancer System. Do you wish to begin your journey? -Ding- The MC is an evil protagonist/Anti hero.

    

    A day where boundaries between worlds were bent and nature’s most divine laws violated. To the humans remaining on Earth, it was the day where a million people vanished in an instant, carried away by columns of light descending from the heavens.To Isaac Stein, an ordinary 17-year-old boy, it was a fresh start. Isaac finds himself on an alternate version of Earth named Tautellus, an extraordinary world filled with magical beings thought to exist only in legend. Isaac struggles to establish new ties and harness his newfound mystical powers, but just as he begins to thrive in his new home, it is savagely ripped away by the invasion of a hostile nation.Driven to prevent others from meeting the same cruel fate, Isaac must brave the harsh wilderness, overcome betrayals, and wage war for his survival. In the meantime, he stumbles upon secrets of a long lost magitechnologically advanced civilization and their ancient enemy. An enemy that now seeds war and chaos throughout the land as they attempt to seize both Tautellus and Earth.

    Young or old. Each has their own path to power.Delve into the world of the Divine Dungeon with new and old cultivators alike. Discover the Lion Kingdom’s beginning, learn the origin of Odin and his ravens, and take a philosophical approach to cultivation. These stories and more are included in the first short story anthology set in Dakota Krout’s Divine Dungeon universe.Eight incredible new tales told by eight amazing authors.Check out this LitRPG and GameLit fantasy anthology today! Lion Start by Rohan HublikarJoin Garron and Andros as they flee an oppressive Noble house and begin learning the secrets of cultivation while evading capture. Perhaps their methods will even create a legacy of its own? Legacy of Thunder by Steven WilldenLearn the origin of Odin and his ravens, back when they were all simple cultivators in Azguardia. How did a child eventually become one of the most powerful and well-known lightning users of all time? Flight of the Glitterflit by Ryan BallTest both the dangers and joys of surpassing your personal limits with Jack, as he learns what it really means to determine your own destiny. A person’s fate is never what you would suspect. Splat! by Raymond JohnsonA simple Dungeon Goblin has been killed in the same way over and over, constantly revived by the dungeon it has bound itself to. Is there more to the deaths than simply fighting adventurers? The Spirit Dungeon by Alexis KeaneAn infernal cultivator is driven from his home by true necromancers. During his escape, he finds a secret that could allow him to live nearly forever. Will he be able to control it? Hidden Lantern by James AuwaerterThe Inquisition has arrived. At least, one of the members has. It is up to him to determine if this area is worth saving… or should be purged by fire. Butcher Boy by Dakota KroutFollow the saga of Ramset as he learns what it means to be a cultivator in a city where men are only allowed to be mere mortals. Axiom by Dennis VanderkerkenWhat is cultivation? How is it possible? Philosophy to the rescue! When an old man loses everything, he decides that age is not going to be what stops him from rescuing the young ones that have been ‘recruited’ by the raiders that took them.

    As the son of one of the most prominent Voicemen in the Collected Provinces, he lived a controlled and sheltered existence. He would never be a duelist or a soldier, and he hated the future that was expected for him as much as any young man could. And then everything changed. Carried off to an unknown land filled with magic, maidens, and monsters, he’s given a chance to be who he wants through the cruelest twist of fate. Hal’s prepared to do anything for revenge, including becoming the apprentice of an alluring female sword master, and learning to use the magic of hot emotion, passion and lust. One life ends and another begins. WARNING: This is an erotic fantasy novel. It contains a significant amount of explicit sexual content and some adult emotional situations. Reader discretion is advised.

    He’s still a slave of those that betrayed him all those years ago. If he ever wants vengeance, he needs to figure out how he can grow without being found out, and free himself before he can pursue vengeance.If he’s caught, it’s either back to slavery, or oblivion. His eternal soul is on the line.Warning: This book contains adult situations and just a few explicit sex scenes. This is the first book of a trilogy.

    These collected stories cover well known and loved characters, as well as some lesser seen NPCs. Into the Deadlands: Alistern, Grimgar, Almira, Stewart, and Flora take their first trip into the sands. The longest story in the anthology, and a harrowing tale of heroics. Lilith’s History: How did Lilith come to be with Alistern and raise five wonderful daughters? Bob’s Tale: Everyone’s favorite Imp is featured in this story. Stewart’s Upbringing: How does a Half-blood Infernal grow up in a city that despises his kind? Erin’s Story: How does the barmaid come to love a noble’s son? A story of love and acceptance. Deirdre’s Story: What is one to do when her sister’s are finding love? Find her own, of course. Marian’s Story: With the other three sisters having found love, Marian yearns to find her own soulmate. Demon Lord’s Armor: The tale of how the infamous Demon Lord Armor set was created. Skippy’s Tale: Simmer down, we know most people hate him. Understand him so you can hate him even more. Bob’s Tale Part two: Bob is back with more story to dig into. Magiblood: The story of Rolland and Kim, never before seen anywhere. I hope you will enjoy reading these stories as much as I did writing them.

    Edmond was born to village idiots who put all his skill points into Luck. They knew an opportunity to win the lottery when they saw it.Edmond doesn’t want to be a winning ticket. He dreams of becoming a great hero and scholar. Impossible goals when your Intelligence and Wisdom stats couldn’t be lower.Is Edmond nothing but a walking rabbit’s foot? Will his parents’ dreams of easy fortune come true? It’s all just a lucky roll away.

    This isn't a fade to black kind of book, so be ready for a wild time.