When Chuck dies and wakes up in a fantasy game world, he discovers that the secret to success isn’t heroics or clever tricks—it’s sheer grinding persistence. After spending four months hitting a practice dummy until he breaks the combat system, Chuck embarks on a methodical quest to obtain the most powerful gear possible through relentless optimization. Armed with his evolving practice sword and an unwavering commitment to making his numbers go up, he tackles elemental dungeons, goblin hordes, and the occasional social interaction with the same cold efficiency.

Hi, my name's Max and I'm one of the Selected. What's the first thing that pops into your head when you read those words? A great hero, chosen from among all the billions of people on Earth? A lucky man who has ended up on an unknown world and gained superpowers? An explorer of new worlds who has discovered his destiny? Well, that's all true, but there is one but . . . Actually, if I'm honest, there are a whole load of buts. And there are rules. And the first rule of the Selected is: "Try not to die. It is expensive and impractical."

Bernt might have graduated from the Mage Academy, but not everyone has the money or connections to launch a prestigious career as a mage. Bernt finds himself working in the city sewers as an Underkeeper among the other rejects of Halfbridge's magery. He may spend more time unclogging pipes than fighting monsters, but hey, it's a stable job, and that's what counts. With the help of his unregistered soul-devouring demonic familiar, he'll save enough to launch his career as an adventurer—just as soon as he can afford some proper gear.

Syl, an archmage who tirelessly fought the monsters spilling from the magical Gates and Towers, yearns for a life free from the chaos of battle. When he is assigned to an Aurian magic academy to guard an undercover princess, he is happy to be no more than an unremarkable class three student with dismal practical scores. Right up until people start trying to kill them both.

When you're the sole surviving noble of junior lineage, don't expect much of a future. That's what some might think. Not Gregor, though. The way he sees it, being last of a line means he can dispense with social niceties and do exactly what he wants. And if any unwelcome visitors have a problem with that, this guy's got one or two surprises for them.

Lily Red, known as "Little Red", has trained her entire life to become a system-acknowledged scout under her Grandmother's guidance. Hunting, tracking, and trap-making—she's a master of her craft. But her dreams of joining the elite Scout forces are repeatedly blocked by a leader of the Wyld with a grudge against Grandmother. When Lily uncovers an impending invasion by Wolf Warband, brutal raiders from the frozen north, a deadly challenge offered by their war leader sets her pulse racing.

The climb through the ranks often ends with a knife in the back. Slum-dwelling orphan Garrett Walker scrounges for scraps in the wildlands beyond the walls that guard society, salvaging valuables from the ruins of fallen civilization. Offered the opportunity to compete in the Warden Academy entrance trials, Garrett seizes the chance for a better life. However, the academy holds dangers a street rat is ill-equipped to handle and he’ll have to grow stronger while relying on his wits to survive.

Freddy Stern, a twenty-one-year-old cashier, has lived a plain, albeit harsh life. Having been orphaned—twice—he's spent the last ten years working and staying out of trouble. His only aspiration is to save enough money to become an archhuman. His dream gets the jump on him when he barely survives a near-death encounter and finds himself in possession of 1% Lifesteal, a bizarre talent with numerous contradictions and just as many uses.

When ninety-percent of the Universe's population suddenly turned into monsters, Leo has no time to grieve. He must push forward and find what is left of his family. If that means sacrificing what remains of his humanity and embracing his new reality where a mysterious System is his only true ally, then so be it. After all, in a world where almost everything wants to kill him, he has to decide if he can do what it takes. Adapt or Die. Kill or be killed.

The 42nd Merging arrives, mass-transporting every human to a hostile new world with a System. Everyone must choose a Class, and Quest directives compel them to climb the leaderboards for categories like highest level… and most kills of other people. Jordan isn’t anyone special before the Merging, but the new start equalizes the playing field. He must exploit his versatile class to overcome powerful monsters and opportunistic strangers who kill people as a quick path to power.

When Mira’s home is destroyed by gods, she makes two requests to the System that sends her to another world: to be sent to an isolated forest where she can avoid the violent path to godhood, and to gain magic that helps her live and thrive in the forest. She is granted both, though in the harshest way possible. The System strands her in a dangerous forest where half the plants are poisonous, the rivers teem with souls, and even the smallest beasts lay waste to experienced adventurers.

I was the most powerful healer in my world—the best, having devoted my entire life to mastering the art of healing. And yet, for whatever reason, my brother feared that I sought to claim his throne, and he marshaled his forces against me.

A simple farm boy in a mundane medieval world turned soldier after his home and family were destroyed. Mere steps from achieving his vengeance after years of fighting, a lucky sword strike ends his life. His soul is transferred against his will by one of the gods to another medieval world, one filled with magic, monsters, and races out of his childhood fairy tales. Our farm boy is now a Contender! Brought to Midgard to fight and kill other Contenders, to grow strong enough to ascend and become a Champion.

In the distant past, a time of magic and swordplay, there lived Harold, the mightiest lich of all, a master of arcane sciences, and a challenger of gods. After reaching the pinnacle of his power and finding it surprisingly bland, Harold waged a cataclysmic war against the gods, aiming to shatter the very system that confined him.

When I died and became a portal jumper, the system glitched. Did that bother me? Not a bit. After all, I'd dreamed of traveling to a different world all my life! The system malfunction turned out to only benefit me. I didn't just lose nothing; I also gained something really cool.

In rust-choked streets and hollowed-out cities, there is only one way out—Terra Mythica, a virtual world so immersive that time warps, hunger vanishes, and even the most broken can live like kings. Jace wasn't supposed to make it in. He cheated death, and now it's catching up to him. As the reluctant protégé of Hades, Jace finds himself thrust into Mount Olympus University, where gods manipulate Travelers, and the line between real and digital blurs with every step.

Redacle is the cold, unforgiving setting for Chronicles of Destiny, Bernard, Kehinde, and Cádo's successful grimdark novel. But when the coauthors find themselves its three newest adventurers—trapped in the perilous landscape of their own creation—they realize that not all is as they intended. With their story gone rogue and filling in plot holes the authors couldn't have imagined, the three must learn how to level up, allocate skill points, and use their class abilities to endure a world filled with deadly foes.

Will wasn't supposed to be eaten by a space zombie. The goddess responsible for this extra-dimensional mishap promised him a second life in a fantasy world, complete with powers inspired by his favorite computer game, Maincraft. But there's a problem. Will's new world has a Dark Lord, and his System doesn't come with instructions.

When eighth-grader Martin Kilborne moves to the quiet town of Saint Mary, he's sure there's something wrong with the family in the old Gothic cathedral next door, with its strange lights and deep rumbling sounds emanating from within. And then there's his new classmate, Alexa Terranova—or Terror Nova, as she's better known—a self-proclaimed supervillain looking for a team to do her bidding. Which is awkward for Martin, whose parents are both superheroes and whose sister, Ember, has just gotten her hero license.

Victor Sandoval—now hailed as the legendary Lord Victor—has leveled up his rank and skills like no other Sojourner in memory. He now has thriving lands, ever-increasing power, and a new love, the warrior woman Valla. That is, until she decides she needs a bit of space—away from Victor's, shall we say, expansive shadow—to discover herself. But when you may live for millennia, you don't want to rush into a romantic commitment anyway, right?

When a Hero goes bad, it's up to a thief to stop him, in this big-hearted and witty fantasy adventure that's perfect for fans of role-playing games. Working-class thief Styk thought heroes were to be admired. Then one tried to kill him, and the attempt on his life left the town of Plainside burned to the ground, hundreds dead. Given a chance at a new life by a mysterious stolen artifact, Styk sets his sights on justice. OK, more like revenge.

Betrayed by his guild and left for dead, Benjamin Jewel's aspirations to triumph in the Ragnarök Tournament seemed shattered—until Chuck, his mother's enthusiastic boyfriend—secures him a last-minute entry. His luck is turning around. Ben's relief morphs into horror when he discovers that his "noob" family has also joined for a bit of fun, making his challenging quest downright nightmarish. Now, not only must he navigate a treacherous world teeming with monsters, vengeful gods, and sinister spirits, but he must also contend with his new guildmates: his own dysfunctional family.

Each day, Owen rises with the sun. Creatures cheer as he shovels food into the trough. Enchanted plants dance and sway while he waters their stalks. This is a strange, wild world. A place where mushrooms can sprout sentience. A place where forest slimes make the best pets. It’s cozy. Simple. But that’s the tip of the monster-farming iceberg. The more his creatures work, the stronger they become. They grow and grow, morphing into unbelievable, frightening beasts.

The world has been remade. Transformed by the touch of the World Tree, Earth has regressed to a pretechnological age. Machines no longer function, nations have fallen, and the remnants of humanity struggle to survive in a world brimming with danger . . . and power. But from the ashes of civilization, Ethera—a mystical energy that grants supernatural abilities through a game-like system of stats, spells, and magical evolutions—has emerged.

Planet Earth's greatest artist, Marcus Korol, crashes on the surface of Grimworld, a planet with a base-building system, which Marcus has to master in order to survive and prosper. Even if he can cope with the monsters there are slavers and cannibals nearby. Staying alive, let alone prospering, is a daunting challenge that even a battle-hardened general would find difficult. Yet perhaps art can succeed where warfare would fail.

Before meeting his pathetic and all-too-predictable demise in the middle of a pie-eating contest, Zack was living the high life: schlubbing around his parents' basement, subsisting on pizza, video games, computer screens, and web novels. He had it all . . . while still being a big, fat nothing. But when he's forced to ditch his pudgy mortal corpse, Zack finds himself taking the place of a recently-killed demonic sect elder known as Slifer, who—even as an elderly man—is one serious badass.

A simple farm boy in a mundane medieval world turned soldier after his home and family were destroyed. Mere steps from achieving his vengeance after years of fighting, a lucky sword strike ends his life. His soul is transferred against his will by one of the gods to another medieval world, one filled with magic, monsters, and races out of his childhood fairy tales. Our farm boy is now a Contender! Brought to Midgard to fight and kill other Contenders, to grow strong enough to ascend and become a Champion.

Thomas Lowe was destined for a life of mediocrity, working a dead-end job in rural America. But fate seemed to have other plans for him. One card changes everything. While he's gifted a power beyond imagination, he also unlocks a prophecy that puts him in the crosshairs of Ancient Clans and Noble Houses that have existed since the dawn of the first era.

Death is just the first step on his path to ultimate power. Ostracized by his fellow villagers, hunted by bandits, and watched by the Royal Guard's least elite squad, Jerry is called to balance creating a lovely home with practicing his craft and unleashing death and destruction on his enemies. Unfortunately, taking it slow is not an option. Wizard supremacists tour the Kingdom, Archmages enact devious plans, and the world needs Jerry more than his village does. Adventure calls — death is overrated, anyway.

The stronger his opponent, the harder he hits. Saving an innocent from a drug-crazed superhuman should've left Nil broken. Instead, it wins him the Nexus' attention. Nil is done feeling small and watching his family scrape by. He now has the opportunity to make a difference. Apocalypse Arena holds the key; where the multiverse's champions battle and keep the Scourge at bay. Pain, death, and heartbreak await all who run the gauntlets, but Nil has what it takes to grapple his way to the top.