Conquest Saga [VRMMO, Monster, Dystopian, GameLit]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Timur Demyan is an immortal villain who has used his ungodly powers to decimate countless empires. Today he stands as the CEO of CyberBolt, the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) company who developed the enhanced VRMMO NeuReality (Neurological Reality) gaming platform hosting the popular game Conquest. He is subject to the desires of an insatiable beast known as the Leviathan, a loathsome creature whose insatiable hunger until now has been fed by another world's few remaining souls. Gamers face a terrifying threat unlike anything they have ever encountered before when a rapture-like apocalyptic event transports players through a portal to an alien planet inhabited by this beast. They must rely on their Skills and have to Level Up to survive.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2022
Author: RMMulder

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 3.8/ 5.0
Followers: 232
Views: 134,421

Chapters(229 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

A. StargazerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Reviewed at chapter 15.
So, the key word for this story is definitely action. There's a lot of it, and it starts right away in the prologue. If that's your cup of tea and you like gamelit, then this story is definitely for you!
Aside from the action, the story seems to be well laid out and methodical. Two friends begin playing a recently released game together, with the MC quickly being outpaced by his friend. As things begin to go wrong for the MC in real life, he retreats further into the game to escape his troubles. My primary critique of the story so far is that I believe the mechanisms behind the augmented reality and entering the game should be explained earlier and better than they are at present. Whether the reader is familiar with gamelit or just picking up the genre, the mechanism in this story differs from many, and I feel like an explanation is something that belongs up front.
It's clear that the author is trying to draw the reader in by frontloading them with the action, which is great. I'm just one of those readers who wants to know how things work. Is the MC paralyzed while he's in game, or is he moving about in his apartment looking like a madman? For that matter, what is AR? Because a reader unfamiliar with the term might not know what the author means by it.
Character wise, I don't like the MC. I know exactly why, although I'm uncertain whether it was a conscious choice by the author to make him unlikeable or not. He's very well written, as are the rest of the characters. I suppose that's just part of him being a lawyer. Because he's well written, I'm giving full marks despite not liking him.
Full marks in grammar.
Regarding style; it's clear that the author knows how to write well. Paragraph, sentence structure, word choice, everything is excellent.
Overall, if you're into gamelit, then my first impression is that this story is excellent.
AngelusMaxiumusRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've read up to chapter 12. Even though I'm a slow reader by nature, I've been taken by this story. Allan is a very relatable character, which is a bonus for me. The gaming elements are just right, not too crunchy but enough that you know what is taking place. I must say Allan's friend is kind of a jerk but that's just my opinion and maybe their relationship will change. What also caught my attention was the different skills the MC learns simply by battling instead of passive or gaining ability from obtaining items. Also, there is a nice variety of enemies in the story.
The premium membership idea is a nice touch, although it reminds me of those games that have a premium currency that one needs to buy if one wants to play on a level playing field. The story reads just fine with little to no grammar issues. I only took a half-star out because Allan's friend is a jerk but once again that is only my opinion, please don't let this affect your desire to read.
So far this has been an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the rest. This story has plenty of promise so far. Well done, so far!
ArkeanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Right from the first chapter I was intrigued about the story and was left asking questions I wanted to find out. The story starts off strongly and seeing the struggles of our main character, Allan, is refreshing when he first starts out and showing his slow growth as he gets used to the game that he is in is on point for how games usually are. Feeling pain is an interesting mechanic, makes me wonder on the effects this could have on a person if they were to experience certain damage, what if he was covered in acid? A lot of potential!
The grammar and writing are very well done, little to no errors with word usage and grammar, everything was very well described and helped build that imaginative world inside of my mind. The writing during combat made it even more immersive, allowing me to image a much more detailed fight and the surroundings.
The characters are still fresh, but so far I'm loving the interactions between James and Allan. I look forward to reading more of the banter between them and hope to one day see Allan finally show James up. I'm also excited to see who this mysterious quiet girl is as well, looks like our MC will keep running into her in the near future as well!
Very worthwhile read, lighthearted for the most part and does contain a fair amount of descriptive violence, but overall very enjoyable!
OsiriumWritesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Summary: I have read it, would recommend it to my friends, my grandmother, my cat, friends of my cat as well. Not my dog. He’s into romantic novels.
Overall score: 5/5. You can tell it is written by an experienced author that knows what he is doing.
Style: 5/5
Third person, past tense. Mostly written from the story of Allen, our MC.
The style is decent throughout the story. There are some chapters that really spring out and force you into the thick of it all. I mean, read the prologue! Don’t tell me that didn’t get you interested in reading further.
Some chapters suffer a bit because of the Litrpg aspect. The numbers and stats can scare off those less D&D inclined. I loved it, but I know others that might think it is a bit ‘much’.
In terms of style, these chapters can get a bit stale because it’s hard to bring much excitement to a stat screen.
Story: 5/5
Weird, but great. The fact that there are two other books wrapped around each other is giving me a headache. Still, book one is a solid piece of literature. I figured I’d do ten or so chapters and cast my judgement, yet binged everything the author had to give.
Without spoiling things: The MC starts with experimenting with a VR game with his friend, yet quickly gets swept up in a whirlwind of action, suspense and humor.
Grammar: 4.5/5
Only minor issues here. Mostly misplaced commas. Nothing that really stood out at first. One round with a professional editor would fix these up in a second.
Characters: 5/5
I won’t spoil things too much. The MC is Allan. Average Joe that isn’t immediately Chad Thunder-abs who has a black belt in pilates and can solo entire armies with his calves alone. He’s a loveable idiot in some scenes, yet determined and focused on others.
James, on the other hand…
So, read it! Or at least give it until chapter 10. Each chapter is between 1500-2200 words (Rough guess here).
TharsultRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The title wasn't long enough to finish "...promises of more."
This book is a VMMORPG story, but one that implies extremely heavy early on that actual magic exists. However, by the time of this review, most of the time has been spent in the VMMORPG world. There is some stuff after that dealing with the MC's personal life, but about 80% of the story is the game.
ALOT of fascinating situations and questions have been posed by the story in the prologue and in chapters 9 and 10. I don't want to give spoilers, but it presents a very fascinating cyber-punk style mystery question that might be considered a whodunit, although there isn't a "done it" yet, but I feel like its coming. Between the three chapters that I jsut mentioned, there is alot of very interesting material.
The remainder of the story if basically a narrated VMMORPG session. lots of fights--some chapters are almost exclusively fights. Lots of action. Lots of leveling and stats. Its well told, but I do think you need to understand that you'll be getting a leveling/combat story for a while before you start. I do very strongly feel their is ALOT more going on under the hood--I wish the author went back and forth more instead of the 1 - 8 - 2 chapter pattern of "interesting questions" "game" "interesting questions and MC character development". Its not bad, its just in big chunks, and I prefer to digest it in smaller, mixed chunks. That may be different for others however.
Its well written, the spelling errors, grammer, etc. extremely minor. I found a case where > should have read >/= and I think that was the only one. High quality for a royal road story especially.
Overall, this was a good story. Its apparently one of four stories following teh same events from different viewpoints, and i'm curious to see how that plays out. But I think anyone that likes combat focused VRMMORPG stories will like this one alot, and the outside mysteries/enemies hinted at seem extremely fascinating.
scarecrow.authorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
...and words can't hurt them!
The story starts with the MC, a lawyer, getting into a VR game along with a good friend of his. Unfortunately for him, he has to go from fighting with words in court to fighting with spears and swords in the game. He is having some--a lot of--trouble at first, but he is slowly gaining confidence and becoming able to stand on his own two feet
Style: 5/5. The author knows how to create sentences that flow smoothly and are pleasant to read. The imagery is vivid when reading the story. The prose is not overly complex, it has just the right amount of complex/different/purple words that make you appreciate the skill
Story: 5/5 Although there haven't been a lot of things mentioned regarding the plot yet, the author makes sure to leave bits and pieces here and there that makes you eager to see what is to come
Grammar: 5/5 No real issues here. Clean, smooth, nice.
Characters: 5/5 There is not too much interaction between characters so far, and yet you can still feel the difference in their personalities and you can feel their emotions. Also, both the MC and his friend add their own humor bits to the story wich is a nice breath of fresh air
overall, it seems like a great story that has lots of potential. Would definitely recommend.
Lack of PoochlineRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Score would be more like a 4.75 if i could give it in smaller increments, because the only problem I spotted is with the story. It lacks a good hook past the prologue, its pure progression for progressions sake for a while. We are seeing a dude playiung a vr game with no stakes whatsoever, learning how to play as it goes, and, to be honest, i feel it like I am watching a boring twitch stream as this all is played straight and with an impartial narrator. So if seeing people progress in a game without any reason to do so but plqay the game, yeah, you may like it. I still think the long span of stakeless, aimless vr adventures would be better served by adding a bit of the villain (the one we see in the prologue) chapters in between, or any other plot thread to keep those of us that need more than numbers going up and monsters slain hooked.
Grammar: Minimal typos cna be found scattered, but, otherwise, it's good and the author proactive in fixing it.
Style: I am not a fan of it, but it is well done. It serves its purporse: it's quick, understandable, dry, it's there to tell the story and nothing more. It's not a comedy, it's not horror, the work can get away with this kind of "robotic style" that is straighforward and functional without aspiring for more.
Character: Again, they are functional, a bit archetypical so far but, they are readable, consistent, i see no glaring issues with them, and they are distinct enough.
So the story is an inciting incident on the prologue (murder) and then several chapters of cozy vr progression(Yah, the game is bloody, the pain feels real, but at the begining none of it matters when Allan takes the headset off). If that is your cup of tea, you will love this story. If it isn't, that may be your main complain.
H.A. DelurrRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Straight from the get-go, this story hooks you in with an air of mystery. What more is going on behind the scenes, you wonder. Then we're dropped into this beautifully designed virtual world with grotesque, fascinating monsters and complex subsystems, complete with a premium membership that's a little all too realistic (in a good way). The combat's so exhilarating that you forget how low the stakes are, for now anyway [only ten chapters have been posted at the time of reviewing this].
With all that out of the way, I will point out that many of the characters we're introduced to are either rude, playful, or stoic, which can make both worlds feel a little depressing (maybe that's intentional?) This game seems like the Dark Souls of this world's AR gaming, though, so it wouldn't surprise me if players are a bit frustrated. Even the protagonist isn't safe from this, he can be pretty immature and easily irritated for a guy that keeps getting beat for wearing nothing but a loincloth. Still, he's a total beast when it comes to fighting, and it's nice to learn about this world's fictional game from the eyes of someone who isn't really a gamer. It's pretty relatable that he couldn't find the time to play many games because he has to work a lot.
Overall, a great time if you're into GameLit/LitRPG stories with intriguing mechanics, intense action, and of course, horrific game over screens. Seriously, I wish this game were real.
WilliamGabriel10Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This story is a virtual reality, MMO story, but with elements of an espionage thriller if the beginning is any indication. While reading it, I found that the story went along at a satisfying pace and that the characters were well rounded and likable. There are some points where the narrative begin to drag, and sometimes the action scenes get a little tiresome.
Even so, it is a lighthearted read so far as I've gone, with plenty of humor and action. I do feel the plot takes a while to start, though.
Some of the descriptions of physical locations are a little thin, I've noticed.
Even so, I recommend it for anyone interested in the Virtual Reality MMO genre. Check it out.
M.J. MarkgrafRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This is one of those stories that dumps you right into the action. It's quick paced and the MC is kind of a goof, but it works so far.
The writing is top-notch, which is no surprise given the author's years behind the keyboard. The character interactions seem genuine and not forced. The grammar is immaculate.
One thing I think the story lacks is a bit of description. You really don’t get a good picture of what is going on around the MC as most of the story is focused on the action and not the surroundings.
The game system seems unique, but a bit simple so far. This could change in later chapters.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of gamelit. I think it lacks a certain sense of urgency and danger. It's hard to get readers invested in something that isn’t even real stakes for the MC. I have an idea of how this could be resolved, and for all I know, the author has already taken the story to that point. Dakota Krout handles this issue very well in the Completionist Chronicles.
The biggest complaint I have about this story, isn’t the writing, characters, or setting. Those are all very well done. It’s the system itself. Or more accurately how the author portrays it in the story. It is a bit distracting when every other line is a combat notification. It breaks the flow of reading quite a bit and I find myself just skipping over those sections without care. I ran into a similar issue when I first wrote my LitRPG story. Eventually, I completely did away with damage notices. There really is no need to have the damage notices. Give a kill notice if you must at the end of a fight.