When the Empire fell, it signalled the end of an era of enlightened reason, peace, and prosperity for the Realms.

In its place, the fanatical godsworn zealots of the Grand Ascendancy arose to take the Prime Material in their dogmatic grip.

A Hero was needed. The System sought one across dimensions, across universes.

It found Alex Crosswood.

Dragged with brutal intensity from his above average, peaceful, and boring life in England, he must learn to navigate this new world quickly.

Undead, zealots, and ancient creatures of a magnitude he cannot fathom await him in the Realms.

If he is to succeed in the quest for which he was chosen, he must grow stronger. He must progress. He must level. He must cultivate.

More than anything, he must discover what it means to be a hero... and what it costs to protect what matters.

For in the Realms there are no shelters for the weak, no safe zones, and no second chances.

In a land of might and magic controlled by fickle gods, strength is the only currency that matters...

Unless Alex can Reclaim the Mantle, and bring back the dream that was Elysea.

Preface: I will update when I want to. Most likely Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but that is subject to change both based on my availability and my desire. I will not commit to a schedule. It puts too much pressure on me, and kills my love for writing.

This is a passion project. There is a lot more explained in the Foreword in Chapter 00, so please read that. I guarantee most if not all future 'complaints' can be addressed there before they're even made.

Please enjoy this story, and leave any constructive feedback you desire. It helps me to keep writing. I am neither a professional nor even that good at writing, so please be kind.

Discord link here!

Enjoy.

Series Recommendations:

Unbound by Nicoli Gonnella

A New World. A Thousand Threats. Welcome to The Continent.

Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate.

Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as 'The Continent'. Empowered by the 'System', he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication. To survive he'll have to push himself beyond his limits, or else fall to the monsters all around him.

Levels, stats, and magic. Death is the start of a terrible fate, but if he lives…no one knows what he will become.

Wraithblade by S. M. Boyce

Connor Magnuson is going to conquer Death itself.A penniless drifter, Connor has survived the last eight years alone in a cursed woodland teeming with monsters that eat grown men whole. Shunned, forgotten, and with nowhere else to go, he looks death in the eye every night and draws his sword to face it. The forest, after all, burned the fear out of him long ago.Still, it hasn't hardened the last shreds of his heart quite yet. When Connor hears a mysterious girl scream in the middle of nowhere, he ends up in a brutal battle that nearly costs him his life. His bravery does not go unrewarded, and in the aftermath of the fight, he finds himself bonded to the most infamous enchantment the world has ever seen: the Wraith King. The undead abomination grants him godlike power, but legendary magic always comes with a cost. Even as his fellow outcasts flock to him for help, Connor is branded as an outlaw. Kings and lords alike know where the wraith has gone, and they'll slit his throat to take it from him. To them, a peasant like Connor is unworthy. He's a mistake to be corrected, and nothing more.But Connor is no ordinary man, and he'll drag those hunters to hell with him if that's what it takes to protect what is his.

Disclaimer: If you don't like it, that's okay. I hope you enjoy it for what it is. All work is (c) Hannibal Forge 2022 onward.