Archive [LitRPG Sci-Fantasy]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Volume 1 is complete. Volume 2 in progress. Updates Mondays. What do you do when the Hundred Year Comet comes and steals you away? You roll with it. At least until you figure out how to take control, right? You’re offered an avatar—you pick one. Maybe something you weren’t before. Because why not? You choose something intimidating since you have no idea what you’re getting into. Dathai is a half-orc fighter in a virtually simulated world built by Archive, a DNA collection array. That’s all Dathai knows. And it’s enough. Enough to decide to break the whole damn thing. The only problem? Not everyone wants it broken. The System says: Survive. Dathai says: Watch me. Things you might care about that didn't fit in the tags: - Vol1.: Learning curves and social interactions. A cross between Slice-of-Life and Action- Vol2.: Arena battles and escalations.- Low spice, low-medium in Volume 2- No harems- Weak to strong- Medium crunch- First Person POV- Party and team-building elements- FMC chose male avatar, so genderbending, I guess?- Non-human characters, human characters, and human characters in non-human skins. It's a crazy, mixed-up world out there. If you read a few chapters and plan to continue, please like and follow. If you enjoy this story, give it a rating. Click the stars. Even better, take a moment and give me an advanced review. Thanks for coming along! To read 10 chapters ahead, check out my PatreonSmashing KeyboardsI can be found on Discord, indeLongchamp's author Discord, Immersive Ink, Crowe's Nest, and RRWG

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Ghostcat

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 297
Views: 51,132

Chapters(84 total)

What readers say about Archive [LitRPG Sci-Fantasy]

“So far I find the set up very fun, and I find the characters interesting so far! The rpg elements woven into the story seem sensible and I find some of the twists interesting, especially the twist at the end of chapter 3! I’m very much looking forward to re…”
CervineComedyRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“I keep forgetting to write this review. Here I come. I love the story especially the MC. I love the writing style, casual and direct. It feels like I'm Dathai himself. The writing's sleek. The MC's especially relatable. I haven't noticed any grammar errors.…”
CodeBreakerRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

CervineComedyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So far I find the set up very fun, and I find the characters interesting so far! The rpg elements woven into the story seem sensible and I find some of the twists interesting, especially the twist at the end of chapter 3! I’m very much looking forward to reading more as the chapters release! I admit I’m not a big LitRPG fan, but I’m enjoying where this is going.
CodeBreakerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I keep forgetting to write this review. Here I come. I love the story especially the MC. I love the writing style, casual and direct. It feels like I'm Dathai himself. The writing's sleek. The MC's especially relatable. I haven't noticed any grammar errors. No overpowered LitRPG characteristics. It flows and it's really good. The chapters don't overwhelm you and everything just sits right in my brain. Though I admit, I had to search up for some mythological creatures to have a proper visual for them. The author's clearly very learned. It just totally clicks for me. I'm not very big into LitRPG but I find myself reading a lot of them lately since I hope to write something similar and this is a truly inspiring story. It's an overall 5 for me.
DawnstriderRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I usually don't like the sort of system where the MC is loaded into a game, but this one has a twist that gives it real meaning: it's an alien system, and it wasn't voluntary. Dathai is abducted and set adrift in a new world, in a new body, with new rules and no instruction manual.
Navigating a new culture, making unusual friends, getting tangled up with the law... It's going to be a long, interesting ride to see if Dathai can actually break the System and get back home, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Faedin V.Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Okay, so first off, this story just flows. The narrator’s voice feels super natural, like someone you’d know from work who’s smart, tired of people’s nonsense, and somehow always makes you laugh with how blunt they are. It really helps ground everything, even when the setting gets weird, which happens a lot.
The worldbuilding? Honestly kind of awesome. It doesn’t dump lore on your head. You just walk into it and figure things out alongside the character. One moment you're dodging a cult on Earth, next thing you know you're an orc peeling potatoes with bloody hands in a fantasy cyber-RPG city. And it all makes sense, somehow.
I liked how each part of the city felt like it came from a completely different planet or time period. It’s chaotic, but in a way that works because the character is just as confused as we are.
Also, major props for not rushing things. The pacing gives the reader space to explore, think, and actually care about what’s going on. There’s no hurry, and that’s rare these days.
Overall, I liked it. It's chill, smart, kind of chaotic, but in a way that makes you want to keep reading just to see what weird thing happens next.
Good job, author!
Idiot MuffinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ever wondered what happened to those people who vanished after a comet hit their village?
Well, they were Gantz-ed into a VR MMORPG called ARCHIVE.
The story begins in a relaxed tone, with a chill main character exploring this strange new "game" in hopes of finding a way out and returning home. But the plot deepens quickly. What starts simple grows into a rich and layered narrative filled with LitRPG mechanics, deep lore, strong character arcs, and even traces of past players who have lived in this world for centuries.
And yes, there are a few gender-bender surprises thrown in too.
As you read, you begin to feel strangely close to the characters. Their interactions feel natural and emotionally grounded. Your curiosity to uncover more about the world keeps building, perhaps even more than the protagonist’s own.
The class systems, progression paths, and levelling mechanics are detailed and expansive, yet still easy to follow. They deliver that satisfying sense of growth that LitRPG fans crave, and they keep the momentum strong across many chapters.
This isn't a novel meant for a casual read. It's built for immersion. You can easily lose yourself in this world for hundreds of chapters and still be hungry for more.
The author's writing style is smooth and immersive, making every scene feel vivid and alive. The characters think and act with consistency and depth, and they feel like real people rather than just roles in a story.
I’m especially excited to see how Dathai comes to terms with her new body and what it means as she begins to realize this might be more than a game. It might be her new reality. (Yeah, it's pretty obvious that she is in denial).
So far, we've been introduced to one stable side character, Jake. He’s immature but full of potential, and he feels like the kind of character who will grow into someone readers care deeply about.
Keep writing. I’ll definitely keep reading. This world is worth exploring.
If you have enjoyed stories like Slime Datta Ken, I
KGHeathRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm not normally one for LitRPGs, but this one hit me harder than expected. The blend of vivid real-world descriptions and clever callbacks, combined with the accessible and thoughtful way in which Ghostcat unveils and explores the game mechanics of this RPG setting, really helped someone like me, who doesn’t usually dip into the genre, to feel fully immersed. It's written with care and a clear understanding of what makes this kind of story tick, without ever overwhelming the reader.
The prose is sharp, clean, and engaging. It's the kind of polished writing that, frankly, we could use a lot more of on this site. The tone is light and entertaining, yet never shallow. I’ve both read it and listened to it through the RR app, and the writing holds up beautifully in both formats, which is no small feat.
The characters are distinct, well-developed, and speak with believable, human voices. There’s an impressively grounded approach to portraying someone abruptly pulled from their own world into a virtual one. It feels honest, even moving at times.
I’m genuinely excited to see where the story goes next. With 100k words planned, it feels like we’re only at the beginning of what could be a classic in the making. Start reading. You won’t regret it.
RainyLiquidRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have read twenty chapters, and let me tell you, I don't regret it. This story has legit made me laugh a lot. The plot is also really cool. It's an isekai, but they get new bodies! I guess in that regard, it is like a transmigration story, but it did it in a very cool way. The setting itself is very heavily based on a video game, but not like other LitRPGs. When this thing says it's a video game story, it means that literally!
It's goofy at times but serious at others, and has a ton of interesting characters. The best is Jake, fight me, I dare you. A lot of my enjoyment didn't come from the story or plot itself. Don't get me wrong, it was good, with fun lore that explores the new world, but what really blew me away were the talks characters would have with each other.
Dathai as a main character is super cool. The story is first person and so we get to see a lot into their head, their thoughts, and the way they feel. Because of this it's very good that they are an amazing mc. They have sass but it isn't turned on 24/7 and they have this 'done with shit' way of speaking that always makes me chuckle when one of the other cast members does something dumb.
It also is interesting to see their terms with the body they have. She's a woman stuck in the body of a man. I don't usually read a lot of full on gender benders but this one was really nice. The plot itself doesn't fully focus on it, especially early on since the mc is mostly concerned with surviving, but at the story progresses you get to see how they react more and more.
A lot of the fun in the story also comes from exploring everything. Things don't work out for the main party because of just how screwed up the system they got is. There's good tension and action, and the characters always come off as likeable, at least to me. As I said earlier, the banter was some of my favorite moments in the story. Each chapter had a moment that stuck out to me and made me pause.
All in all, it's a very good story, and I'm looki
deLongchampRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Archive is exactly what I want in a story. Fun, Funny, introspective characters and a story that raises questions. I find myself thinking... How does the MC feel being in a male body? Will she keep it, given the chance to change? Does she see herself as a girl in a boy body, or a boy with a girl brain? Or perhaps neither, a whole new gender experience in this new life.
Does Archive know the system it's providing to past generations is all but useless to them? Does it care, is it capable of caring? Do racial tensions exist because of pre-archive events? Mysteries on mysteries, my favorite. The depth proves the author has spent time cooking this up, especially how older generations see the world. I couldn't imagine being Iseaki'd from BC. Give a caveman an interface, skills, and a class. What have you really done? They have no context for any of it!
The writing is engaging and easy to parse, I've never stopped to try to figure out what the author meant. Grammar is flawless. The characters are undeniably human and relatable, underneath their new skin. I'm intrigued by the story and can't wait to have more to read!
Nemo BlancRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Archivedrops you into a world that’s sleek, stylish, and just a little off in all the best ways. It’s cyberpunk without being too grungy, introspective without being slow, and full of characters who feel like they’ve got actual mileage on them.The story kicks off with a routine data grab that’s, shockingly, not routine at all and from there, things unravel fast. There’s a real sense of tension right from the start, but it’s not just action for the sake of it. There’s mystery, there’s worldbuilding baked into every scene, and there’s a narrator who knows how to keep things just vague enough to make you hungry for the next piece.Gotta be real here, this is something to go for.The writing is tight and confident. No wasted lines, no clunky exposition dumps. Dialogue flows naturally, and the tone walks that great line between cynical and curious. It feels like the story trusts you to keep up, which is refreshing. Also, grammar and formatting are on point.If you’re into slick, tech-heavy worlds with actual depth, fast-moving plots, and a lead who’s clever but clearly haunted,Archiveis a solid pick. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
KaelithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Archive is an exhilarating blend of science fiction and litRPG, bringing together smart character voice, immersive worldbuilding, and a thrilling, slow-burn narrative that will leave genre fans hungry for more. From the very first chapter, the story hooks you with its darkly humorous, grounded protagonist and an ominous premise: What happens when a celestial event yanks you out of your mundane life and drops you into a virtual system with no clear rules and no easy exit?
Dathai, our reluctant half-orc fighter, is one of the most compelling main characters I’ve encountered in a webnovel. Wry, self-aware, and emotionally resilient, she feels real. Her choices (starting with selecting an avatar that reflects power rather than comfort) speak volumes about the layered character development this story offers. The customization process is detailed and character-defining, yet never boring. In fact, it’s where Archive begins to show off its core strengths: character agency, subtle worldbuilding, and philosophical undertones about identity, control, and survival.
The world of Archive itself is stunningly constructed. A chaotic yet coherent mash-up of fantasy tropes, alien tech, and mystery, Convergent City bursts with strange life—from psychic baboons to cultist threats and confusing quest systems. The tension between freedom and manipulation is constant, and Dathai’s attempts to assert control, through character customization, negotiation with the system, and sheer grit,make every decision feel impactful.
What elevates Archive is the intelligence behind the writing. Dialogue is sharp, internal monologue is meaningful, and themes of autonomy, identity, and resistance resonate beneath the action. The humor is dry, the stakes are high, and even the slow moments are layered with psychological nuance.
If you’re looking for a webnovel that’s more than just stat sheets and monster grinding, Archive is a must-read. It’s thoughtful, bold, and refuses to dumb itself down. Readers who