They shouldn't have pissed off a virtual world top player by erasing his character for a highly questionable "violation of game rules"—and taking away his valuable in-game possessions. After returning to the virtual world under a different nickname, an unknown newb puts everything on the line by selecting the most difficult Hardcore mode: a single life that's so easy to lose in the dangerous game world.

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!

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.

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?!

I have been reborn from an advanced techno-magic world into a world where magic is still in its infancy. In this new world I have the body of a young baron and my entire worldly possessions are one village—a village surrounded by monsters and hostile aristocrats on the fringes of a young, rapidly expanding empire. The other thing I have, though, is knowledge beyond what this world has dreamt of, and nothing will stop me from building my own magic empire!

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.

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.

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."

Get this: you wake up in the hospital. You're not feeling so hot—to put it mildly—and also, you're surrounded by hordes of zombies! After trying to run away, you eventually find a map of the building, but guess what? It's in French! Why? 'Cuz you're in France! You've got nothing on you but a baseball bat, and the zombies are just one step away from biting you on your bare backside. But don't worry, there's still hope, because you've got your own personal shelter in spacetime.

Are you a sociopath and dissatisfied with your life? Don't know what to do about it or where to begin? In that case, we have the solution.

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.

When Nick Barnette is pulled through a mysterious portal into the Kingdom of Lhasa, his life becomes a fight for survival. Separated from his friends and hunted by powerful forces, Nick discovers he’s been gifted a strange ability—the power to slow time. But mastering it is no simple task, and to stand a chance of reuniting with his friends and returning home, he must walk the ancient Way of the Immortals.

Hi there! I'm Magical Girl Crystal Genocide, one of the twelve magical girls, and sworn protectors of Earth! We were like a superhero squad, but with more sparkles! We fought day and night to keep the baddies at bay and the Earth safe. But, one day, our best wasn't good enough. So, we huddled up for a superhero brainstorm and decided to pool our powers for this mega, super-duper save-the-day plan. We kinda goofed. Big time. Instead of saving the day, we accidentally wiped out a quarter of the Milky Way.

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.

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.

Veos has quickly proved to be far more capable than your average Dungeon Core. In the eyes of his challengers, at least. He's instinctive and motivated, with a drive to craft an intricate story and create obstacles for all those who seek to explore what lies beneath Nerian-Silex. Though Veos is certainly an unusual dungeon, what truly sets him apart is unknown to most—even himself. But now he's stumbled upon intel about the realm's dark history that, if tampered with, could reawaken a horrific enemy.

In a universe where a being’s very existence is a game and its players tussle for power, Earth is the latest battleground, but for Titus and his friends, the stakes are very real. Earth’s future hangs in the balance and power beyond imagining waits to be seized. When the System came, it ravaged Earth, destroying everything Humankind had built and killing billions in a matter of days. For those few that survived, like Titus, it was like living in a hellscape.

Jenny Huang's day starts out stressful enough. Between an argument with her overbearing mom and a surprise pop quiz in first-period English, she's counting down the weeks until she can escape to college. To top it all off, she's working up the nerve to ask her best-friend-slash-crush to prom. But when an earthquake rips her high school into another realm, Jenny suddenly has much bigger problems to contend with. The Survival Challenge is in effect, trapping Jenny and her classmates in a hellish battle royale.

When professional magician Max is guided through a portal by a mysterious book from his past, it makes sense that he's classed as a Magician in this game-like fantasy world. As a workaholic and a loner, his career has been his life thus far, so why wouldn't it continue to be? But then his Soul Merge fails, and the System decides to find a compromise, classing him as something weirder: a Demonic Magician. Armed with a card deck of new tricks, his showmanship skills, and the power to summon demons, Max is ready to fight his way through this realm of pink slimes, monsters and opposing Players.

A single slip is all it takes. But the consequences of falling from a rock wall are usually broken bones and bruises . . . not waking up in the body of a dragon. So when a young bouldering instructor finds herself suddenly transported to a strange new world—and into a powerful black-scaled frame— she must rethink all the rules as well as her own expectations in order to survive.

When Mason wakes up naked and alone in a whole new world, everything changes. Lying there with blades of blue grass stabbing him in his ass, he has no idea just how chaotic his life is about to become. His new world is crammed full of monsters, magic, and worse. But first things first. He's arrived buck-naked in a strange land—should he pick a weapon or clothes first?

Thea is a washed-up mimic exterminator who expected more out of life, not some hero from stories. Aven is an impulsive wandering adventurer whose personal goddess is constantly getting her into trouble. Neither of them has the slightest interest in getting involved in world-shaking historical events. History doesn't care what they want, unfortunately. It's fallen right into their laps in the shape of a god-slaying weapon from a fallen civilization. Thrown together out of chance, Thea and Aven will have to learn to work together if they want to survive their pursuers.

Zed is a washed-up MMA fighter that is starting to realize that there isn't much of a future ahead of him. While hitting the bar with friends to forget his sorrows for a while, he meets an attractive woman who has an interesting story for him—aliens are going to take over the solar system in two years. Thinking that she is either crazy or he's had a few too many, Zed writes her off—until she shows him things that aren't possible, including healing his chronic injuries and showing him what she actually looks like (hint, not human).

Simon, one of the last of his kind, seeks otherworldly treasures to change the card fate has dealt him. When he discovers Penumbra Springs, a secret haven for mythics, he's determined to join. But the haven hides more than just a community of strange beings.

Throughout history, Death has made few mortal friends. Wiess Fagan just happens to be one of these mortals. due to circumstances beyond his understanding and his childhood being shrouded by the deaths of his family, he spent the majority of his life on earth. Living in self-imposed solitude.

Sam Levine knows what it means to struggle. After several missed opportunities, he's been forced to turn his talents to freelance work, picking up whatever dirty job he can find only to make ends meet. But there's an end in sight. An opportunity to change everything. And when a dangerous, high-profile job comes his way, he sees light at the end of the tunnel. Hope has been in rare supply, but even with the dangers inherent in his decision, he puts his life on the line for a chance to elevate his situation.

For 200 years, monsters have terrorized the wilds. The only thing keeping humanity safe: Monster Tamers. Orphaned during a wild monster attack when he was young, Dirk has always wanted to join the Monster Tamer Academy. Becoming a Tamer involves bonding with a monster to unlock one’s access to magic. As a Tamer raises their bond, both the Tamer and their monster grow stronger.

In Sidus, notoriety comes with danger, and every enhancement is a double-edged sword. Betrayed by his species, his family dissolved, Carter Riley is the quintessential underdog turned unwilling pioneer. As the first human to interface with the legacy of an ancient race, he is thrust into the heart of the Sidus system—a game-like reality where his every move is monitored, and every level gained draws him deeper into a labyrinth of intrigue. Carter has the power to level humanity up by deciphering the legacy of an ancient civilization.

Eric was as shocked as everyone else when the apocalypse struck, but unlike his mother's movie, there were no chosen heroes destined to fight the beast hordes now overrunning the planet. Just people trying desperately to survive. Yet there was a glimmer of hope that humanity could hold on to. A chosen few really could level up in this brave new world, and embrace magic, adventure, and the potential for limitless power!

In a world where family secrets unravel and identities shatter, Troy’s life takes an unexpected turn. His home is no longer a sanctuary, and his family’s truths are nothing but a web of lies. Cast adrift with only a battered ship, a cryptic name, and a distant destination, Troy embarks on a perilous journey to unravel the mysteries of his past.