I used to be the greatest Earth Mage in my world. The head of the entire Order of Architects. But the older you get, the more you come to realize that at some point, you need to retire, so that you can have the chance to enjoy a peaceful life and to cede your place to the young, some of whom have already turned two thousand years old . . .So that's what I did. But I failed to account for one thing: during the course of my long life, I'd accumulated too many enemies, and they had decided to spoil my retirement. So they died along with me. And I hope their deaths were final. But mine was not!

I was a Hunter, and I honored the Code. For my services to humanity and for leading a "proper" life, I was to be rewarded. A new life after death, and a new world to give me some well-deserved rest. But something went wrong. Once again, I must fight. The Monsters that face me here are far more terrifying than those of my past life. They are cleverer, crueler, more unpredictable. And their name is.

I was once a mighty Paladin of Darkness, mother of all the Elements. The one and only of my kind. Some called me the chosen one, a savior destined to rescue the world; others insisted I would be its downfall. I never got the chance to discover who was right. Society conspired with the traitors to trap me in the deadly Element of Time. But a year later, I managed to break free . . . wait, how has it been 700 years?

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.

In my past life, I heeded the Blood Code: I rescued people, slaying monsters from the inner plane. For my trouble the Inquisition condemned me for blood lust and burned me at the stake. And in my current life my family is dishonored in the eyes of the emperor, there's a bounty on my head, and I'm the subject of a divine dispute. Well then, no better time than now to surprise them all. Give me but a drop of blood—and the hunter will become the prey.

The Integration didn’t just change the Earthen Union—it tore it apart. Monsters, mayhem, and madness turned civilization into a battlefield. Yet, while the world crumbled under the weight of despair, David felt something unexpected: he felt at home. Even after being forced into the [Cleric] Class, David refused to yield. He adapted, turning his unwanted gifts into tools of both healing and destruction, forging himself into a battle-hardened healer unlike any before.

I've traveled back twenty-two years to rewrite the future and stop the nightmare threatening Earth. An apocalypse looms, promising total annihilation. No one will be spared. Now the weight of the world rests on my shoulders; I'm the one tasked with changing everything. I have come back to the past, and in five days, on the twenty-sixth of April, the day of reckoning will arrive. The event that will happen will be known as the Eclipse in the future. It will divide the history of the Solar System into a before and after.

I led a quiet life, peacefully ruling the underworld until that mother of *** showed up with her people and angels. They destroyed everything I'd built with so much effort and nearly killed me. But I managed to return! Wait . . . My only disciple and candidate for a new body is a sick kid who's about to die? Are you serious?!

Orcs and elves come streaming out of portals. People lose their grip and are transformed into afflicted. If this is a zombie apocalypse, it's a pretty weird one. The rules are simple: kill an orc or anything else—gain life energy, reducing your chances of becoming a walking corpse. But fail—and become a zombie, AKA an afflicted.

So you died a horrific death in your own world? No problem! Maybe you are exactly what an dying old mage needs to resurrect the princely line of the Morozov family. An old maniac sliced a couple of people to bits right before your eyes? Relax! Now he's your teacher, and he's going to guide you along through life. What? You've actually seen real demons? Huge, ten-foot-tall monsters wielding axes? Take a chill pill! They appear pretty frequently in unexpected places all over the world and wreak destruction.

I had lain down in my crypt to rest for a few decades, but when I awoke, centuries had passed. My castle is in ruins, my clan is gone, and necromancers are considered just a fairy tale for children. They take me for a healer. That's because the world is sick. And it's time for strong medicine.

Maximilian is the last of the noble Valevsky lineage. His entire family was put to death for an alleged attempt on the powerful Duke of Odoevsky, who had his eye set on the Valevsky's land. The young man managed to avoid execution, but not punishment. From here on out, he's condemned to life as a doomed soldier. The front line in the fight against the dark god Skron's mutated creatures. "Do or die"—that's the doomer motto that has been drilled into the last of the Valevsky's head. The Duke took everything from him but his honor and a thirst for revenge.

Kay's life takes an unexpected turn when he is transported to a mysterious world brimming with unfamiliar skills, classes, and a system. As he struggles to comprehend his new reality, he discovers a unique class that’s never been seen before—a powerful new form of blood magic that allows him to shape and manipulate the life force coursing through his veins. But the powers that be view Kay as a threat to their authority and dominance and are more than happy to eliminate him to maintain the status quo.

It was a day like any other when suddenly the world changed. The universe reached a threshold humanity didn’t even know existed, and it was time to finally be integrated into the vast multiverse. A place where power is the only thing anyone can truly rely on.

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.

Maximilian is the last of the noble Valevsky lineage. His entire family was put to death for an alleged attempt on the powerful Duke of Odoevsky, who had his eye set on the Valevsky's land. The young man managed to avoid execution, but not punishment. From here on out, he's condemned to life as a doomed soldier. The front line in the fight against the dark god Skron's mutated creatures. "Do or die"—that's the doomer motto that has been drilled into the last of the Valevsky's head. The Duke took everything from him but his honor and a thirst for revenge.

There are whole anthologies of stories out there about what humankind does when a game enters their world. But what about when they're living in one where a game arrived thousands of years before? What if they're the survivors of a bloody struggle, having fought for and earned their place on the planet? Tailyn Vlashich was a young nobody far away from all those grander issues. All he cared about was one thing: making his way through a harsh world where the emperor, evil foes, and an impartial god held sway.

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.

Death had only ever been a small misunderstanding for the high mage. After his seventh reincarnation, he'd begun thinking of it differently, viewing it as nothing more than a slight hiccup in his plans. But he'd forgotten one thing: When those plans get in the way of those higher up the ladder, punishment is soon to follow. And one more death brought faint consolation.

Barliona: a virtual world jam-packed with monsters, battles - and, predictably, players. Millions of them come to Barliona, looking forward to the things they can't get in real life: elves and magic, dragons and princesses, and unforgettable combat. The game has become so popular that players now choose to spend months online without returning home. In Barliona, anything goes: You can assault fellow players, level up, become a mythical hero, a wizard, or a legendary thief.

Verdan Blacke is an Imperial Wizard, a researcher by preference but soldier by necessity. Surviving an intense battle, Verdan is cursed by a hex witch in her final moments. Without any good options, Verdan escapes the ever-increasing pain the curse inflicts by performing a self-made stasis ritual.

When Sorin's parent's mysteriously die, he is starved for truth and thirsty for revenge. He begs the Eighth Evil, Hope, for assistance, and his prayers are answered...Though not in the way he ever expected. He is made a Poison Cultivator, a rare class who are shunned by high society. Unable to continue his medical practice, Sorin turns to adventuring to make ends meet.

When Yao Shen, Patriarch of the Heavenly Sky Sect, ascends and regains memories of his past life on Planet Earth, he realizes that he can no longer allow himself to accept the cruel and violent ways of Eliria, the realm of cultivation. So he decides to change it. It was time to found a new sect. One based on the values of honor and equality over senseless violence and discrimination. A sect where all, from the mortal farmer’s son to a sect elder's daughter, were held accountable to the same rules.

Plague and warfare have swept across the Orient, ravaging the ancient kingdom of Wa, devastating the royal line, and leaving a new dynasty on the throne—a new emperor, Akantsu, filled with fear of all who might seek to wrest the empire from his grasp. Among those out of favor with the new liege is the Order of the Botahist Monks, whose mystical powers have enabled them to hold positions as spiritual advisors to the imperial court for nearly ten centuries.

Is it easy to survive in the game world? You could say yes, if you didn't know what the additional conditions were. They are unusual: it's the real world in which you have lived all your life. The enemy, craving to destroy you. Your own class who couldn't care less about you. Are you still sure that survival is easy? Then welcome to The Game! It will prove you wrong.

Calron is turning eight soon... will he awaken as an accursed Lightning Cultivator or does fate have something else in store for him? Over a millennium ago, the Lightning Gods ruled Heaven and Earth with their destructive lightning magic. No other Elementalist or Martial Artist could contend against their overwhelming power. Until the fated day . . . when the seven Primordial Thrones broke their slumber.

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.

Dave has been wandering through life for a long time. His day job bores him, and he never seems to be able to meet his family's expectations. The only escape he's ever had is his love of MMORPGs. But when he becomes the subject of a test without even knowing it, he's transported into a game-world called Eloria with no escape.

I'm a pretty unique guy. I have golden blood flowing through my veins. There are only about thirty people like me in the entire world. Yes, golden blood is a real thing. Google it if you don't believe me. My blood has allowed me to join a group of test subjects, eventually becoming the proud owner of an AI neural chip best known as Alisa. My blood has allowed me to be reborn after death: reborn to a new life in a world governed by magic, a world where humans are locked in mortal combat with monsters. Reborn—into the body of a terminally ill young guy who has but two days left to live.

I was a Hunter, and I honored the Code. For my services to humanity and for leading a "proper" life, I was to be rewarded. A new life after death, and a new world to give me some well-deserved rest. But something went wrong. Once again, I must fight. The Monsters that face me here are far more terrifying than those of my past life. They are cleverer, crueler, more unpredictable. And their name is.