Hero by Design: The Old God's Game [Intern to Hero Progression]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Whenyou're trying to save the world, the last place you want to be is behind a desk. Lunai’s planet is rotting. The Galactic Security Agency has a solution, but to her people, it is blasphemy. Her control over the roots within her body may be the key to forging a solution that preserves her world's soul; if she can master it. Luckily, that very same blasphemous agency is in the business of training new superheroes with special abilities like hers. Every hero starts at the bottom as an intern, buried in bureaucracy and violence alike. Lunai knows the work will be brutal, but her mentor assignment gives her pause: Bliss, the half-human prodigy and beloved face of the GSA. Working with Bliss attracts unwanted attention. An ancient god sees Lunai as a champion. A semi-omnipresent rock sees her as the path to his utopia. Bliss may not see her at all. Lunai joined the agency to save her world. She didn't expect the biggest threats to be her mentor's baggage and deadly office politics. What to expect: > Earned mid to GREEN GOO progression > Character-driven plot > Intern to hero arc > Childhood trauma and its mental repercussions > Superhero action with office slice of life > Multiple POVs with distinct voices > Lesbian, gay, and straight romance subplots > Super-mom in a mid-life crisis > Creative alien species with biological powersets > A long story with three volumes planned > Especially for fans ofDispatch,Invincible,andToBe Hero X New chapters release every Wednesday and Saturday, additional updates Monday when the stars align Cover by Aravi Studio Thank you to the amazing residents that helped to inspire this story, the time you take to help us students through our clerkships means the entire galaxy to us.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Lovely-Cosmic-Icicle

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 634
Views: 49,721

Chapters(79 total)

What readers say about Hero by Design: The Old God's Game [Intern to Hero Progression]

“I’m very interested in this world and the characters. The fight scenes could be better, they seem like they’re improving. The rest of the world is interesting enough that I don’t care too much about that. I really enjoy Lunai and Bliss dialogue and the char…”
JackCrackle.JackleRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“MASS EFFECT VIBES. One thing that I noticed the author does really well is dialogue usage. All the characters sound distinct and respond in what feels like an authentic way. An example of this is when a character is asked about whether his parent is in dang…”
BombeeRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

JackCrackle.JackleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I’m very interested in this world and the characters. The fight scenes could be better, they seem like they’re improving. The rest of the world is interesting enough that I don’t care too much about that. I really enjoy Lunai and Bliss dialogue and the character stories that are given in intriguing pieces. Character art is pretty. Not much else to say from me.
BombeeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
MASS EFFECT VIBES. One thing that I noticed the author does really well is dialogue usage. All the characters sound distinct and respond in what feels like an authentic way. An example of this is when a character is asked about whether his parent is in danger and instead of responding, he just gets mad and punches the air causing a ‘ripple’. It doesn’t have the basic back and forth question answer than can plague some stories.Style: This story is multiple POV, liking all the characters so far! I like that we both have alien characters and a human to root for as well. It helps make it feel both new and interesting while feeling somewhat grounded having a human as well. Bliss’ powers are so cool – being able to see cracks in the universe! Gawd dayum! Bonus part is the pictures of the characters are really cool, definitely helps me visualize what is happening.Grammar: no issues with grammar.Story: Intergalactic heroes fighting to save the day, multiple POV. If that is your jam, you will love this! Can't wait to see where it goes.Character: Bliss is super interesting you can tell there is more to him than meets the eye and a history he'd rather keep buried...Overall highly recommend if you are looking for a new, fun SCI-fi read!
BoodoovooRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hmmm. This is a kind of niche one, I will say, but I love it. I think the office-life aspect of hero work is very cool to explore. My itch for superhero stuff has been scratched thus far. The progression niche is kinda cool. It seems multi-level, a professional progression from someone starting with a background of training but with more to go. I can imagine more interesting developments with the aliens training.
I like the aspect of being in space and not focusing on solely human heroes, or aliens who look exactly like human heroes. I really like the mentorship between Bliss and Lunai, probably the main reason why I'm reading. This is quite clean to read, but very descriptive sometimes. Grammar is good. My only complaint is the story is somewhat slow-paced with the main plot. We haven't gotten much space opera yet, but the story is enjoyable enough that I'll stick around for more world lore. The worldbuilding of the GSA itself is quite strong, so I'm hoping this will continue throughout with the other space empires. Looking forward to watching the team explore more planets. Character dynamics are really key for keeping interest here.
You probably only need to read 2 chapters before knowing if this is your thing. If it is, you'll love it. If not, you'll know quite soon. It's not classic superhero stuff but it's got the characters to back it up.
167fiveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is so interesting, blending galactic organizations and superheroes.At the start, it felt a bit boring. It felt like it was going to be just an regular day at work story, until the reader suddenly starts to see all the mysteries and plots behind the scenes.The author masterfully weaves together a complex conspiracy that involves a villain that can destroy entire worlds, while giving us such great characters and one of the best worldbuilding ever.Overall, this is a great story. This world has so much potential and conflict, and the first few chapters are very strong. I'll be looking forward to see how it'll continue.
D.P. GurbalovRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
FIRST CHAPTER REVIEW ONLY:
Lunai’s energy is super readable. She feels like a real “new job” person trying to be helpful and not mess up. Bliss is easily the most interesting part for me, because you’re showing cracks under the surface without dumping the whole mystery. The black hole (note it's black hole, not blackhole, you may want to fix that in the chapter) in a cage is also a great visual, and the agency vibe works. It feels like a real place with boring systems, procedures, tours, shift coverage, which makes it grounded and real. I like it!
EmmaYYYRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The start of the book is a bit slow but I like the characters so far. My favorite part was the very beginning with Lunai and her dad. I was pretty attached to her immediately. The world is pretty cool though there’s a lot to digest. I love it as a fan of sci-fi. The setup for what seems like a greater conspiracy is not super subtle but it has me invested. Unfortunately I don’t have time to binge it, so I’ll have to be satisfied with those bits while I slowly continue.
Emu2thethirdRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
There's a lot of things that I really love about this story. I really wonder what goes on inside the mind of the writer and what led her to create something so unique. It's totally its own thing. I'm very happy to see something so original getting plenty of much needed attention.My favorite thing by far about this story are the characters. The story is split between two people (love multiple perspectives!) Lunia and Bliss. Lunia is a good person with a heart of gold. She is also very strong willed, without lacking kindness. Bliss is a very damaged person. He has been through a lot and is under a ton of pressure. His thoughts are layered and complex. He is deeply flawed but also very easy to root for. It takes a lot of skill to write people like that. I think the two heroes complement each other very well and each add a unique voice to the story.The world is whimsical and vivid. There are lots of unique alien creatures and it's a lot of fun to discover them. The pacing is well done and there's plenty of action and suspense. This story is worth a read!
EstantiaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Not my usual read as it's a Space Opera crossed with superheroes, but it promises a lot of interesting political intrigue between the factions, complex family drama and secrets slowly being revealed as the story progresses. I'm also a fan of worldbuilding and we've got stuff about that wider setting creeping in I'm looking forward to seeing more of. It's definitely got a lot of dark themes in, but from what I've seen it treats them with nuance, and I cannot wait for our friendly new superhero intern to finally get Bliss to trust them so he has someone to talk to about his pile of issues.
Not my usual kind of read, but definitely an interesting one!
Ayela ArcanaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
My favorite thing about The Old God’s Game is that it’s innovative: aliens and super heroes all in one.
Characters: Lunai is otherworldly, and yet, the way her reactions to the environment are written, I was identifying with her immediately, and I loved her internal monologue. She’s funny and slightly overwhelmed by what’s going on around her, and that pulled me into her orbit.
Reading the different species and all of the powers was fascinating, and I kept wanting more once the hero Bliss came in and met his adoring fans! Then what happens to Bliss is an exploration of the psyche so well done I say you really need to read chapter 2!
Story: This is a sci-fi with super heroes, so it’s a refreshing mix to read on Royal Road. New recruits join up with seasoned veteran heroes, and things seem different under the surface than what we’re being told. I had a creeping sense that something was off, and that instinct proved correct!
Grammar: I found a few missing commas, but nothing that interrupted the story, and the text is well edited.
Style: There’s audiovisual aids, and that adds a lot to the reader experience of the story: commissioned artwork and color-coded text give reference as you make your way through the chapters. The only recommendation I had for style was to break up some of the longer paragraphs, otherwise, this is a lovely AV presentation!
Overall: I recommend!
LobsterGodotRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Old God's Game: Galaxy follows members of an interstellar superhero organization. Mostly the story follows an intern (Lunai) who is new into the organization and their mentor (Bliss) who happens to be a very popular hero.
While learning the ropes, Lunai quickly discovers that there is much more to Bliss than meets the eye. She does her best to cover for her mentor while she vows to learn more about the enigma that surrounds him.
Bliss has a mysterious past, and a much closer connection to the biggest supervillain in the galaxy (Armageddon) that he would like to make public.
Style: 4/5
For the most part, the style is very strong. The only issue is the tendency for the narrative to shift from points of view, location, and time without much warning. While it isn't difficult to follow the narrative, it can sometimes be jarring to jump lightyears away for a few lines with no breaks to show the change in perspective.
Grammar: 5/5
The grammar is very strong. I did not see any issues with punctuation or word usage. Language feels natural and doesn't feel overly complex or simplistic. It makes for a relaxing read. With unusual names that are typical in sci-fi, it helps to not have the rest of the language distract from learning the unique words for the fiction's world.
Story: 5/5
Only 7 chapters in, the story has already taken a few twists and turns. It is clear that the author focused heavily on world building during the planning process. There are elements of personal, familial, occupational, political, and universal conflict throughout every element of the story. I am excited to see where it all goes.
Character: 5/5
Even though I have only read through chapter 7, there are quite a few characters introduced. Nearly all of them have been thoroughly fleshed out and are easy to differentiate. The few that haven't been expanded upon are either minor side characters or are characters that have had too little screen time to allow proper depth. The author is skilled at creati