Collateral Power

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Earth is remade. Humanity has ten years to grow their strength and prepare for the Ulm invasion.

Barry had been merrily hopping down the street after dance practice, when he was suddenly dropped into a desert. While another group gets to go through a Tutorial and start in a rabbit-filled green zone, he's thrown in with highly deadly creatures. After barely surviving a life-threatening encounter, he's forced to deal with a rude old man and a confusing power system.

Will his knowledge of biology help him survive long enough to reunite with his family?

What to expect:

- Weak to OP male MC

- Multiple POV

- Rational, mature characters

- Power system anchored in science

Updates weekly.

patreon.com/Perruche

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Perruche

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 214
Views: 54,045

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(7)

UnkleJellyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a good read. The author does a good job of introducing Barry's relationships in a way that make then feel like they have history. Explanations of the new world have an aire of scientific understanding which end up making my mental images vivid. This story has been great and I'd recommend giving it a read for sure.
O.C. WandererRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is one of those stories that just grabs you and takes you along for the ride. One minute, Barry's (the main character) in school, a dancer, enjoying his life on Earth, and the next, he's in some crazy, dangerous place, fighting for survival. I mean, talk about a change of scenery! The transition is as jarring for us as it is for Barry, and I think that's what makes it so compelling.
The author really shines when it comes to describing action. Seriously, the fight scenes in this story are brutal. You can practically feel every blow, every wound. The way Barry battles that monstrous "Roid-Bull" and then that weird, teleporting wolf?
Barry's character is another high point. He's not your typical hero. He's got some serious anger issues, and he's clearly struggling to adapt to this new, dangerous world. But he's also incredibly determined. The fact that he's a dancer, of all things, just adds another layer of intrigue. It's such an unexpected detail, and it makes you wonder how those skills will come into play in this new world.
Now, the pacing is... fast, the story keeps moving, and that's refreshing. Too many stories, like my own, maybe, are a bit slow. While this keeps things exciting, it can also be a bit overwhelming. A few more moments of quiet reflection, where the reader can process what's happening, would do wonders for the story. It would give us a chance to connect with Barry on a deeper level and understand the emotional toll of his situation.
And the story itself? It's a wild ride. There are so many unanswered questions that I'm desperate to see resolved. What's the deal with these aliens? What's their plan? How does the empowerment system work? The author has created a fascinating world, and I look forward to following it and see what happens.
dogfartRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story offers a slightly different take on LitRPG apocalypse type stories. Instead of focusing only on the MC (who does seem to be on his way to becoming OP, or at least very strong), we also follow a group of characters who react mostly like normal people might. Though there is plenty of combat, there is much emphasis on the human, ethical and even logistical consequences of a 'system integration'.
I like the simple approach the author has taken with the power system; people are given Value for killing monsters and can invest that however they like, be it in items or Stats or Abilities. The Abilities are more scifi than magic in nature, all of them relating to some form of energy manipulation. It keeps combat interesting as tactics are more important than power levels.
So far the story suffers a bit from pacing issues in the middle. Also the MC lacks a bit of character. Some of the side characters are more compelling. I do like that they're all reasonably smart and competent. Nobody has made any really stupid decisions (though some of the drug addict's decisions may be questionable, that's obviously within character)
The author also still seems to be finding their own style, switching often between perspectives and sometimes jumping around between tones.
Grammar and prose are good. I like the story overall and am honestly curious where it's heading.
millieVRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story is developing nicely and I have to say the quality is much better than most stories posted here. You can see that it’s well thought through and the story line caught me early on. Looking forward to the next chapters, I hope the author will continue to post here regularly.
WadRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story features strong, gritty world-building where the lives of its people are far from cakewalks, and survival is never guaranteed for our main character, Barry.
Unlike other LitRPGs, this novel delves into the finer details of combat, with the author having a deep understanding of biology, which Barry uses to great effect to outmaneuver the animal-like creatures scattered throughout.
While masterfully incorporating familiar tropes from other popular stories, it primarily offers a slower-paced and more nuanced experience, making it a standout in the LitRPG genre.
Take your time with it and I promise you will find it has a unique charm hidden within.
AttieMelkertRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
Too many POV's, of which too many are uninteresting and/or have no added value to the story.
Too much emotional garbage and childish rage from MC.
Too much non rational thoughts from MC.
Too much whining from MC.
Too many walls of uninteresting text.
The story almost always went in the exact opposite direction I wanted it to go.
So much wasted potential, almost makes me want to rewrite this story myself.
I bashed my head too many times against the wall out of frustration from reading this.
Sir FuenteRoyal Road
★★★ 2.5
The story has potential but I think could probably use another pass at editing. My main issue with this story is also it's potential strength: the main character.
The good: The Main character is a biologist and uses his knowledge of anatomy to analyze the strange alien monsters and predict how they move. That's really cool
The bad: The main character pushes a little too far in rejecting the call to adventure. It's to the point that he comes off as whiney. In the first few chapters: he's alone in the desert (except for monsters that want to kill him) while injured without any tools, skills, food, or shelter. He spends a long time refusing to engage with the System because he's upset about being Isekai'd. It's frustrating to read.
The MC's thoughts frame his inaction and anger as and him being worried that his family is about to die and desperately wanting to go home. The issue is that the mc is explicitly told that his people are safe and his home is gone. I think I get what the author is going for, but as it is right now the main character just comes off as obstinate.
I decided to step away from this story but I think with a little editing it could have some real potential.