As a villain for hire I followed those rules, facing down heroes in scripted fights to make them look good for the press and brand deals. Sure, losing every time was a pain, but the money was good. Well, decent. And it kept real heroes off my back. Well, usually.

Dorian Hawke's daily routine was pretty straightforward. Wake up, pull his weight around the village, eat potatoes, go to bed. Not too shabby. Not very interesting, maybe, but it was honest work. Then a boat falls like a meteor from the sky. Next thing he knows, a gorgeous elf and stunning faun tell him that magical blood runs through his veins, and they need him to navigate their ship through space.

The world changed the day the rifts happened. Trolls, elves, and other races from fantasy and myth emerged into a modern world, bringing magic with them. The world governments worked to segregate these new arrivals into refugee camps, which eventually became the nation of De’Vas. A nation of paranormals.

The F-Rank Foot Soldier Became An S-Rank Monster Rancher is a light-hearted story of new beginnings and new potentials. Follow Riven as he makes the best of his forced retirement, tames monsters, finds friends, and uncovers the mysteries surrounding the world.

After years of clearing out the initial floors of dungeons so that famous teams could take the real prizes, I was around about ready to call it quits. But after getting myself dragged into the final floors of a legendary dungeon by a team of equally-legendary morons, I found myself as the only survivor – and the only one to claim the legendary prize on the dungeon’s final floor.

Ward Moreno never wanted to become a soldier. But after a foreign nation blew up his hometown, he enlisted in a corporate army, endured agonizing human experiments, and became the most powerful psionic soldier on the planet... only to learn he was fighting for the wrong side.

I thought I was destined for an early grave. Apparently, fate had other plans for me. My name is Jake. After twenty-three years of life, all I have to my name is a dead-end job and an undiagnosed metabolic disorder that has the doctors baffled. Everything changed on my birthday when I found a magical key that followed me home. It led me to the Halls of Magic, a multiversal repository of arcane knowledge that will allow me the chance to cure my broken body and unlock arcane power.

Gregory met Truck-kun during a fated encounter. He wasn't exactly thrilled to receive the kiss of steel, knowing perils awaited. Awakened in as Dungeon Lord, he can access a system interface that rewards excellence. Years of training never prepared him for a challenge so daunting, but he's not alone. With each successful defense, his power grows and one thing is certain, Gregory has no problem defending his dungeon and those in it he holds dear.

Supers are spreading across the globe with no rhyme or reason. The governments declare war to keep the SuperVillains suppressed, but they don't stop there, fearing even those with good souls. Devon is a dentist with some quirks who saves a mother and her daughters, only to have the military betray him. He awakes in the future, confined to Vault 12 with nineteen of his peers. The mysteries confound those around him, but Devon is not an ordinary Super. No, he's special and with Olivia—a lovely Super with a troubled past—at his side, they'll figure out their true purpose.

The local wolffolk mafia longs for their glory days, and their alluring don, Alessia Lionetti, wants a powerful enforcer to bring them back. That's Vince. This is his big break from his days as a hired thug. Working for the mafia has a short life expectancy, though. Especially in a world where the masquerade shattered long ago. Demons run banks, birdfolk ferry people across town, and the police possess crack teams of sorcerers to keep the peace. Bad news for Vince and his dreams of mafia wealth.

Garth had been the favorite for the number-one draft pick in the next season of the USA's top sport. His college career was supposed to end on a high note… but it didn't. Sabotaged in his final game, he found himself shut out of the Dungeon League of America, forced to retire his jersey in shame. With no other options, he leaned on his university degree and became a licensed psychiatrist and therapist. That should have been the end of his dungeon-crawling days. But then, a new dungeon appeared in his city.

Thrust into a realm of seductive demons and dangerous adversaries, Brian must navigate this treacherous landscape, unsure whether his new reality will ultimately bring fortune or ruin. One thing was certain—life would never be the same again.

My name is Brent, and I'm the proud, new owner of Rootwood Manor. Sure, it's a rundown mansion in the middle of nowhere... but that makes it the perfect place for my magical lair. Ever since the System came to Earth I've aspired to be a powerful wizard! Of course, difficulties crop up. I’ve got to learn to master my new magic, pay down my mortgage, and raise money for the manor’s repair. There’s also dealing with my creepy neighbors, escaping murderous ghosts, and preventing a blood ritual that could spell the end of the world.

Mark wanted to clock out of work, like an average guy to have an average night. After a dust storm envelops him, Mark awakes in the mythical land of Lathinia where adventure awaits. Armed with a legendary sword and a very unique mount, he learns there's a skill point system that rules the land.

Logan Morrison always fought for everything he had, but it never was much. Growing up truly alone did that to you. One day, when taking on an extra tutoring gig to help out a cute chick with a quirky name, she ends up bringing him back to her place. Cool, right? Well, the next morning, Logan wakes up in chains and comes to learn that Cherry Cola is one beautiful and unhinged monster girl member out of three in a small Fresco City witch coven. Their plans for him? Servitude.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.

Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.

Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.

As a villain for hire I followed those rules, facing down heroes in scripted fights to make them look good for the press and brand deals. Sure, losing every time was a pain, but the money was good. Well, decent. And it kept real heroes off my back. Well, usually.

Gregory met Truck-kun during a fated encounter. He wasn't exactly thrilled to receive the kiss of steel, knowing perils awaited. Awakened in as Dungeon Lord, he can access a system interface that rewards excellence. Years of training never prepared him for a challenge so daunting, but he's not alone. With each successful defense, his power grows and one thing is certain, Gregory has no problem defending his dungeon and those in it he holds dear.

Dorian Hawke's daily routine was pretty straightforward. Wake up, pull his weight around the village, eat potatoes, go to bed. Not too shabby. Not very interesting, maybe, but it was honest work. Then a boat falls like a meteor from the sky. Next thing he knows, a gorgeous elf and stunning faun tell him that magical blood runs through his veins, and they need him to navigate their ship through space.

In a world like ours—except there's elves and goblins, so way better—Michael is dealing with some very human problems. He just fired his useless nephew as his tomb-raiding assistant. On top of that, his uncle's fallen ill, so he's got to uproot his life to look after the business, an antique shop in the city. It's full of artifacts from the age of heroes. Swords, gems, and helmets galore.

Gage, an orphan, has been battling his way through life. No one sees him as anything but a lowly commoner until a gentleman offers him an opportunity that he can't refuse.

Garth had been the favorite for the number-one draft pick in the next season of the USA's top sport. His college career was supposed to end on a high note… but it didn't. Sabotaged in his final game, he found himself shut out of the Dungeon League of America, forced to retire his jersey in shame. With no other options, he leaned on his university degree and became a licensed psychiatrist and therapist. That should have been the end of his dungeon-crawling days. But then, a new dungeon appeared in his city.

Logan Morrison always fought for everything he had, but it never was much. Growing up truly alone did that to you. One day, when taking on an extra tutoring gig to help out a cute chick with a quirky name, she ends up bringing him back to her place. Cool, right? Well, the next morning, Logan wakes up in chains and comes to learn that Cherry Cola is one beautiful and unhinged monster girl member out of three in a small Fresco City witch coven. Their plans for him? Servitude.

Lucan is the son of a landed knight in a kingdom that is surrounded by diverse threats. As he comes of age, he must make peace with both the tasteful and distasteful of his responsibilities. Most important of all, he must find a way to either tame or accept his own ambitions.

The Hero of Humanity—the man summoned to slay the Demon King—he went and destroyed all who wronged him, humans and gods included. At the end of his bloody campaign, he had nothing left. He retired to a humble cottage built from the divine, wood of the World Tree that he chopped down. All was well until, one day, the world shook. The Hero wanted nothing to do with it and went to sleep. The next day, he went outside and saw that his property had been transferred to yet another world.

Moments after he hatched, he was thrown into a sack. His pride as a dragon raged against the indignity and he fought back. The wounds he gave his captors earned him the name Nemesis, and the kindness offered at the hand of a half-elf slave earned him a partner. With Harper on his side, the pair set out to earn their freedom. They're determined to never be slaves again.

Ethan's got a cushy job and an empty apartment to prove he's mastered monotony. But a mysterious talisman sends him tumbling into a whole new world—quite literally. He says goodbye to spreadsheets and hello to becoming the first-ever human Goblin King. Rivals? The ex-King’s ticked-off offspring are itching to overthrow him. Duels? They’re on his calendar next to ‘avoid rebellion.’ Wives? He’s required to have at least two.

Titan wakes up in chains with a damsel to save and he’s somehow already at level two. Turns out, Titan made a pact with the Goddess of Time. With her time-stopping magic at his disposal, Titan frees Zelara, a deadly swordswoman with a magical parasite. He quickly learns that he can use Zelara’s parasite to cast spells... so if Titan wants to get stronger and discover the secrets of this world, he'll need more partners like Zelara.

Gavric Restweary, the Nephilim Reborn, has vanquished a legion of Hell singlehandedly. At the end of his quest, a gleaming jewel awaits him—the Duke of Terror's Soulstone. But it was never intended as a reward. Now forced by the Heavens to bear the Soulstone himself, Gavric must find a measure of peace by taking over his mother's bakery, lest Diabolicus escape his prison and corrupt the land anew. A heavy burden for one man to bear, but doing so gives him hope that he may live to find some reprieve from his trauma.

Collected for the first and only time, are these three stories by Kirk Mason! Devour the two interconnected books A Tale of Tail Brushing and Big City Goth GF, and then chase with the standalone, Knight's Bane!

I was hanging out with some buddies, doing a little caving, when everything went south. When I woke up, I was in some kind of medieval dungeon. Totally naked and in the dark. Luckily, I had a neighbor in a cell near me. One with a decidedly sexy feminine voice. When she explained to me that she was due to be executed and I was in line to be brainwashed, there was only one thing to do. We had to escape.