Litrpg Fiction

This is the second volume collecting all of best-selling author Larry Correia's short stories, novelettes, and novellas. Correia's novels are known for their hard-hitting, no-holds-barred action sequences, in-depth worldbuilding, and vivid characterization. Now, Correia turns to the short form to deliver stories that take no prisoner.

I’ve always wanted to conquer the Big 5 dungeons ever since one of them took the life of my father nearly fifteen years ago. Nobody ever said the Path of Progression was easy, but my burning desire to dive can’t be quenched. I just never thought I’d be prohibited from getting a diving license just because I tried to help a bratty blonde girl get hers. Soon, we’re joined by a lovely brunette bookworm, and we start diving the dungeon on our own terms.

Mark Fields has achieved his dreams—once a dishwasher, he’s now one of the empowered, with superhuman abilities that just keep building. He’s got friends, a place in the Engineering Corps, and a new mission. Joining the Black Mountain Battalion, Mark is part of the team heading into the wilderness to recover a lost mine. But the battalion is massively understaffed, the Exlian are voracious and myriad, corruption awaits back in New Emery, and the aliens aren’t even the only enemy out there …

Savannah was unlike any city Derek had ever been to. For the first time since his arrival in Cydaria, Derek actually met a respectable city lord. Natalie Savannah and the city she ruled were much more than he’d imagined. With this combination, Derek made the decision to put down roots by building a shop from scratch and moving his people in. He was even able to get Silvi the beloved kitchen that she so desired, along with personally meeting Alanah Swan and learning new things about the new system he was thrown into—things that only someone who was truly strong would know.

For over 30 years, Dominion of Blades has been the hottest online role-playing game in the world. But the game is too real for some, and after an epidemic of real-life fatalities, public use of the immersion technology has been banned. Jonah wakes to find himself in-game, level one, with no memory of how he arrived and no way to eject. With only two companions, trapped in a world that once hosted millions, Jonah must battle his way across a treacherous landscape, fighting virtual monsters, all too real pain, and a very human enemy.

What would happen if a professional rock musician joined a virtual MMO in search of inspiration among its game world? What would happen if she decided to play as a biota bard, a brand-new race of humanoid flora as well as a new class? Whatever would happen, it would surely be fun....

Hall had played the VRMMORPG Sky Realms Online since beta. During one gaming session, a freak accident traps Hall and other players in the game. They awaken to find out their bodies are comatose and that they have been downloaded fully into the virtual world. Even worse, the rules have changed, they've been forced back to level one, and permadeath might be possible.

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.

Silas, now vastly more powerful than he ever anticipated, confronts a harsh truth: brute strength alone won't save his world. Beyond mere leveling up lies a complex path to salvation. Embarking on a rigorous training regimen under the guidance of a seasoned mentor, Silas hones his skills, spells, and crafting abilities alongside allies, old and new. Yet, as his prowess grows, so too does the scope of his challenges. Drawn into ancient feuds that span clans and corporations, Silas must navigate a treacherous web of alliances and enmities.

Randidly's Skills have grown at a rapid pace, keeping him far ahead of any individual on his home planet. Yet the System has continued its own methodical advance, meaning Randidly has no time to take the rest he needs. Zone 32 now hosts two Champions; individuals provided by the System who can teach unique Skills to their followers. In the one corner, wreathed in a green light, comes the Wild Rider. Opposite her stands the stark and intimidating Skeleton Knight. The previously isolated populations come together, clustering around these two figures.

With the Slosth and Devil Incursions taken care of, Drew Wright should be settling down for some well-deserved rest. But… the world is still in shambles, survivors are fighting over limited resources, and he no longer has access to magical, gun-wielding minions. So, rest will have to wait. Drew needs to find a new way to control hordes of undead minions without his brain leaking out through his ears. Becoming an undead Lich is certainly an option, but that involves losing certain… assets that he’d rather hold on to, especially with him and Amber considering the option of having children.

When a God of War barged into his apartment, Jake had no idea what to expect... but it wasn't being forced into a never-ending war against evil invaders, or that the battle would strangely resemble the MMORPG games he loved. Working hard and building himself up from almost nothing, Jake would need every bit of knowledge and preparation to master his new class of Summoner. Joined by a sly Demoness with an ancient past and a shy Valkyrie hoping to prove herself in battle, they'll find excitement and enjoyment as they level and grow in power.

Hal Mason's still going to find surviving the System Apocalypse challenging. While bringing in his latest fugitive, Hal's payday is interrupted by the translucent blue boxes that herald Earth's introduction to the System - a galaxy spanning wave of structured mystical energy that destroys all electronics and bestows game-like abilities upon mankind. With society breaking down and mutating wildlife rampaging through the city of Pittsburgh, those who remain will sacrifice anything for a chance at earning their next Level.

Enticed by the System, native forces vied for ownership of the realm. Heroes and tyrants rose from the masses. Generations came and went, and yet when the war raged on, the System decided to add a new player to the board. Keith Walker has just come of age when he learns what it feels like to be powerless. Forced by events beyond his control, Keith comes to terms with his family's true heritage and decides that from now on, he'd control his own fate.

Forged in the fires of the lawless wasteland, Clay, Alex, and Joe have finally earned the unimaginable power of Incants. All they want now is to settle down, drink a few beers, and carve out a new life west of the containment wall. Not everyone in the IZ has such noble goals at heart, however. When the Jaeger Squad learns that another group of magic-slinging Incants are enslaving homesteaders to farm gold and harvest enchanted items to sell on the black market, they can’t just turn a blind eye. Especially since Clay and the others are the only ones with the power to make things right.

Matt's in the prime of his life. So when his doctor tells him he only has months to live, he figures it's just really bad luck. But it's about to get a whole lot worse. When Matt's Earthly form finally expires, a truck-avatar system gives him the opportunity to become a hero on the paradise world of Gaia, a supposedly verdant, rich land teeming with plants and potential. What he finds instead is a place completely bereft of life. A literal dead planet. Thanks a lot, truck.

The only thing standing between Earth and certain destruction is its most powerful man, Zane Walker. To save his home, he’ll have to descend into the depths of the Superdungeon: an unfathomably vast dungeon composed of the ruins of lost realms—and the prison for the universe’s deadliest monsters.

After saving the Arcadian Confederate from certain destruction, Kevin's consciousness is cast back to Earth. Victory is sweet, but life on Earth is boring. It doesn't take long for him to start missing his galaxy-trotting adventures. But you should be careful what you wish for: when a Kregan operative bent on revenge shows up to hunt Kevin down, everything starts to unravel. The galaxy's in grave danger, and it looks like Kevin's the only one who can save it. Not to worry! The Arcadians have sent their best engineer...who happens to be a talking cat with a less than ideal attitude.

In The Land: Predators, the Mist Village has harnessed its power. With core buildings, professional fighters, and now their own dungeon, the settlement is primed to grow into a kingdom of true power and magic. The path to power has not been without risk, however. The MistVillage has been noticed. Evil nobles from the Kingdom of Law, bloodthirsty goblins from the Serrated Mountains, an undead lord with a penchant for human sacrifice, and fanatical kobolds from the Depths all plot the village's destruction.

Ominous obelisks land on Earth with a single message: Join the games to give humanity a fighting chance to survive... Or roll over and die. Too bad for them, Warren isn't the rolling-over type. Cancer may be kicking Warren's a$$, but he's not about to let aliens destroy his home and everything he loves (which is mostly just his dog, Buck). Besides, what does he have to lose? Better to die with sword in hand, bleeding out from a head wound than in some hospital bed...