Ascendant Trials (Hiatus)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

When the auroras lit the sky, we thought it was a miracle—until monsters poured through the rifts and reality splintered before our eyes.

Ethan Scott never signed up to be a hero. He’s got sarcasm for days, a questionable sense of humor, and a stubborn streak that might be his only lifeline. As mana engulfs Earth, everyday life shatters into an otherworldly battlefield where Trials decide who evolves—and who ends up monster chow.

The System’s challenges are brutal, pitting humans against twisted creatures and even deadlier revelations. Failure isn’t just lethal—it’s a one-way ticket to feeding the cosmic food chain. Survival demands wit, grit, and a willingness to adapt… or die trying. Luckily, Ethan’s sarcasm doubles as a coping mechanism, and he’ll need every ounce of it when the Trials reveal just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Ascendant Trials fuses dark humor, fast-paced action, and progression mechanics into a mana-infused apocalypse. Dive in if you enjoy leveling systems, high-stakes battles, and a protagonist who’s more snark than savior. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you—ascension often demands a hefty blood price.

(Contains occasional strong language and violence.)

[Participant of the 2024 Writathon]

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Stardust Nexus

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 26
Views: 3,349

Chapters(13 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(5)

Celt ComstockRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Well, the notes of the book promised snark and action, and it certainly delivers so far.
The story is fast-moving, as corporate co-workers go from a standard meeting to battle against the creatures that come with the end of the world. The co-workers range from useful to useless in the fight, and the author quickly establishes each with their own relatable personality. He conveys a vivid picture of the meeting room turned quickly into a battleground.
What really stands out is that the prose is excellent. The author clearly put a lot of thought and work into the book – the words flow wonderfully and, so much so that the end of the world sounds inspiring.
Lot’s of snark does indeed come through, just as promised. If you like snark, and I do, then this is a good book for you.
A few of my favorite snarky lines include:
“The kind of abyss that doesn't just stare back – it charges admission”
“A spreadsheet of doom dominated the projector screen, detailing efficiency metrics no one cared about. The air carried the stale tang of reheated coffee and the ghost of microwaved fish. Corporate despair at its finest.”
Or, my favorite character description: “His pale face gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights, which only enhanced his I’ve-seen-ghosts-and-they-hated-me aesthetic. Ned: the human embodiment of a browser with twenty tabs open, all frozen.”
Or the MC’s thought upon receiving loot:
“Coins. Cool. If this apocalypse comes with vending machines, I’m ready.“
MaloryRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ascendent Trials is a compelling, tense, and well-constructed piece that obviously has been carefully build. The grammar is clean and precise, with no glaring errors to distract from the narrative. Sentences flow naturally, striking a good balance between action and exposition. There are minor moments where pacing feels slightly rushed, especially during dialogue-heavy sequences, but they don’t detract significantly from the overall quality.
The characters, though, are the standout strength. Barry’s stoicism and leadership feel grounded and reassuring amidst the chaos, while Claire’s pragmatic, no-nonsense approach provides a solid backbone for the group. Trevor’s humour is balanced, breaking the tension without undermining the stakes, and Ethan (can't ever see this name without thinking of Cradle) is relatable as an everyman thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Gerald’s abrasive attitude contrasts sharply with the others, adding conflict that feels organic to the situation. Izzy and Ned’s fragility is handled with care, showing potential for growth without making them liabilities.
Stylistically, the System notifications are an excellent narrative device. They inject a clinical detachment that heightens the horror of the Trials while maintaining a consistent voice. The action scenes are well-paced, descriptive without bogging down in detail, and the tension escalates effectively.
Overall, this is a strong piece with engaging characters, sharp dialogue, and a distinctive style. Slight adjustments to pacing and scene transitions could elevate it even further, but as it stands, it’s a gripping read.
ManaSeekerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
As someone lucky enough to know the author personally, it’s been a treat to see their creativity shine through in this story. After reading the first four chapters, I’m impressed by how well the tension ramps up with each scene. The world-building is vivid, and the characters are distinct, each adding their unique dynamic to the survival narrative. The pacing mostly hits the mark, though some transitions could be smoother. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into crafting this universe, and I can already see how it’s setting up for something epic.
Looking forward to seeing where this goes next—keep it up, my friend!
Mr MoreporkRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have often wished my work meeting would be interrupted by the apocalypse, it hasn't happened yet but this story allows me a bit of escapism.
The story starts with a hook of a cataclysmic event and then very accurately describes the tedium of corporate meetings. Luckily for the characters involved, they get a distraction in the form of a litRPG system and a bug spewing portal.
Although it is early in the story, the characters introduced so far all feel fully fleshed out and have distinct personalities with consistent reactions to the crazy circumstances that they find themselves in.
The interactions between the characters delivers on tension and humor. The description of the system and they way it is portrayed shows that it was created with great care by the author and it becomes an additional character in the story as well as a sometimes challenge to overcome.
At some points I felt that this got a bit overwhelmed with description and metaphor at expense of pacing. But that is a personal preferences and I understand the authors decision to use those tools to heighten the drama or certain scenes.
I will be following along and you should too.
Evelyn AdelbergRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Ah, a good old system apocalypse! Creepy monsters, tentacle portals, a killer mop (yes, the ones you wipe the floors with), everything is there!
The story follows a group of colleagues whose boring trimestrial meeting suddenly gets more exciting when *drumroll* the world ends!
It's fun to see how these people, who have known eachother for years, synergise and work together to overcome this threat. It's clear from how they interact that they aren't strangers, and there isn't that awkward phase of "who do we follow, how can we trust x" that's so often seen at the start of these types of system apocalypse stories.
The other really fun thing is what I named my review after: the Sassy System. If you've ever played High on Life, in the tutorial your gun tells you to try right-clicking to aim, and this System very much had that same evergy. It's a very sharp contrast to the gravity and horror of the situation, but the author pulls it off really well.
That being said, I never understood how the system worked. I gave the story 4 stars because I found that a bit distracting. I never figured out if notifications appeared just for Ethan, if he could see everyone's notifications, or if it was a single notification in the middle of the room. Knowing these things can help me figure out where characters stand with regards to eachother, especially in terms of stats and individual skills.
I don't think Claire would have approved of Ethan putting all his points into his luck stat XD
Last, the style is great for most of it. The environmental descriptions are very vivid, and the individual personalities of each of the characters really shine though. However, there are times when the author repeats certain descriptions. It might be good for readers who read the chapters on release, but binge-reading it like I did, those instances stood out.
TLDR: Get your broom and your bugspray, you'll need it to survive the apocalypse 🪲🪙🧹