Ascension Bound: The Shattered System

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

When Kael Drayth awakens in a broken world governed by a glitching System, survival becomes his only priority. He doesn’t remember how he got here, but one thing is clear: this isn’t just a game—it’s a death trap where the rules are fragmenting as fast as the reality around him.

Assigned the hybrid classEdgeweaver, Kael discovers his abilities are as unstable as the System itself. Shadow-based powers grant him versatility but at a cost: every skill he uses chips away at his health, and every choice pushes him deeper into danger.

The System is failing. Nodes, the anchors of this world, are shattering, spawning corrupted creatures, and unleashing chaos across the land. Kael’s only chance of survival is to restore the Nodes while navigating treacherous dungeons, unlocking powerful skills, and forming fragile alliances with sentient NPCs and players—each with their own hidden agendas.

But the deeper Kael delves into this broken reality, the more questions arise. Why was he brought here? What is causing the System’s collapse? And who—or what—is the shadowy force pulling the strings behind the scenes?

In a world where progress isn’t just survival but the key to reality itself, Kael must outwit deadly foes, master his unstable powers, and rise through the chaos of a fractured system. But every victory comes at a cost, and the line between savior and destroyer is razor-thin.

Level up. Adapt. Ascend. Or be consumed by the collapse.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Mark Julian

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 13
Views: 5,076

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

CHallowRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story is a compelling LitRPG adventure that immerses readers in a fractured world where the very system meant to govern reality is failing. Mark's storytelling is both engaging and humorous, featuring a rational MC and well-developed side characters who contribute meaningfully to the narrative.
The novel's episodic structure and vivid descriptions make it a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a fresh take on the LitRPG experience.
BadmarchRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I've been following it for a few days, and only recently I've delved into the starter chapters. The story so far has a futuristic, glitched-tech vibe, and I'm all for it! I'll keep following it to see where it goes.
For critiques:
Chapter 1 has normal text, while on chapters 2→11 the text is italic. Maybe it's a story thing, but I didn't get it.
For the environmental details—I like how it breaks the reader's silence. Things like 'boots crunching on loose gravel' or 'uneven stone floor' really adds to the immersion.
I really liked the early game slime. Unique slimes are super cool in fiction and get easily popular if written well. (A certain slime anime can prove this).
Few words are overused, like the word hum, when [noise, buzz, murmur] could fit just as well. There's also an overuse of the character names as well. Many Kaels can easily be replaced by [He, Him, His, the male proceeded to]. I'm the type that reads each sentence twice, so the repetitiveness doubles.
In future, I hope I'll read some items or abilities that have minimal drawbacks/side effects or, preferably, none at all. There is beauty in fairness and struggle, but being too fair or struggling too much has an opposite effect.
Overall, you've got good stuff going on!
benjamin_birneyRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
The LitRPG genre is a curious beast, but when evaluating its entries, we must take them in their own context. Ascension Bound: The Shattered System is an entry worthy of the genre, with a detailed examination of the world's mechanics and a commitment to action.
Our hero, Kael, awakens in The System, and the reader has little more understanding of his environment than he does. The rules of the game reveal themselves early, as do several mysteries to be unlocked later. The stakes are less clear, other than survival. After the first few chapters we are left wondering, perhaps, why Kael deserves to survive.
Nonetheless, Kael sets to the task with workmanlike energy, defeating a slime and unlocking a female elf companion. (Just once, I'd like to see the companion be a middle-aged, overweight dad whose contributions to the action include punny jokes and a mid-life crisis. Self-Aware LitRPG Comedy, where art thou?) Kael is promptly awarded a class--Edgeweaver--which, we learn, is a choice he may come to regret later. Art History majors of the world will empathize.
There are some technical issues that I hope the author takes the time to fix. After the first chapter, all text is in italics, which is difficult to read en masse. The technical readouts of monsters, abilities, and actions begin to wear, though I understand it is staple of the genre. I would love to see more character development between the hero and his companion, or at least to understand better why I should care about Kael--or why he cares about himself. The best LitRPG can balance the mechanics of self-aware game characters with genuine commitment to those characters. I didn't feel we got that from Kael.
Nonetheless, Ascension is well worth a read, and a solid entry in the action LitRPG genre. The author has a readable voice and a solid grip on language. I got a couple of smiles out of the one-liners, though I'm still hankering for Kael to throw up his hands, dump the elf, and run off with a te