Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Seven months passed since he was ordered to return to his home country after losing three of his precious comrades in a mission, Asriel, a teenager who is a now inactive elite military member, received an email from the developer of a VRMMO game, a game he played before with his military comrades. A closed beta test invitation for their new game Hollow Earth Online, filled with nostalgia Asriel participated in the test. To no surprise, Asriel managed to rank pretty high in the game leaderboard due to combat abilities plus in-game knowledge and received gifts after the beta test ended.

Days passed and Asriel fell asleep during one of his classes, a loud roar followed by a number of loud screams echoed in the classroom awakened him. As he peeked on the windows beside him, he saw an Ogre, a monster that can be only seen in the fantasy games he played savagely attacking and destroying everythings in its path. Without second thought, he instinctively opened his inventory and found the two of the gifts he received on the beta test, equipped with a unique sword and a black cloak Asriel rushed to the Ogre to prevent any casualties. Despite the large difference in the level, the Ogre didn’t stand a chance and was felled by Asriel's sword. The school dismissed them early after the incident.

On his way home, to Asriel horror things were just starting as screams fill the air followed by thousands of footsteps running aways from monsters that only in fantasy games existed. Suddenly the ground shook as an ancient pillar emerged from the ground in the eastern part of the town. Guided by an unknown voice, residents headed to the pillar while Asriel tried his best to assist the fleeing residents by defeating one monster after the other. Time passed eventually and most people that managed to arrive at the ancient pillar came to term that the old world ended and it’s up to them to survive the new world.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: chrisdnyx

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 21
Views: 18,801

Chapters(83 total)

What readers say about Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

“To preface this, I just want to speak out a general recommendation to read into the chapters. I will do so too later on but I wanted to leave a review after thoroughly reading the first five chapters. Characters: Asriel Sanchez is a really likeable characte…”
Chris_MiauRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“This story is about an entire city that seems to have been teleported to a game world. A game that the MC I a veteran beta tester for. The MC finds himself in this new world along side his friends, classmates, neighbors and even his family. The people strug…”
ZacheasRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(7)

Chris_MiauRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
To preface this, I just want to speak out a general recommendation to read into the chapters. I will do so too later on but I wanted to leave a review after thoroughly reading the first five chapters.
Characters: Asriel Sanchez is a really likeable character. Not in a sense of being a just a nice person overall but he appears to have nuances that the reader can gradually experience over the course of time. He doesn't appear to want attention - it's more that he genuinely wants to help others to survive in this hellish world. Without spoiling anything, I just hope some certain characters (looking at you Lucas) will be... kindly told to play with the monsters.
Story: The story really reminds me of a mix of SAO IRL and The Eminence In Shadow. This works really well and I think the author brainstormed a lot to flesh out the world, the skills and the general story elements. This is one of the best points this novel has to offer, as its story is just outright fun to read.
Grammar: I didn't notice anything bad, the syntax also flowed really well. The author used a lot of really fitting words that are not easy to spell correct and I haven't seen a single error - despite two missing quotation marks. But honestly, if that's the whole amount of errors then that's pretty darn good.
Style: Due to the author's style, we get to read some high octane fights. While they could try to show a bit more instead of telling, the general style is really nice to follow and appears to not have any issues whatsoever. I liked it a lot :)
Overall: Read it! Give it a try, follow it and keep up to date with it :)
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is about an entire city that seems to have been teleported to a game world. A game that the MC I a veteran beta tester for. The MC finds himself in this new world along side his friends, classmates, neighbors and even his family. The people struggle to adapt to their new reality and try to discover how, and why they are there while trying to survive the brutal reality of living in a world of monsters and magic.
The story is very similar in concept to log horizons. It's a interesting concept with lots of potential for where the story could go. The grammar and spelling are on point.
The MC and his allies are interesting characters that I want to learn more about.
The only issue with the story which is very fixable is the pace. A lot happens in very chapter. So much so that each chapter could be 4 chapters long. The story feels abridged like the author is in a rush to get the story on paper. The downside to going to fast is that you lose opportunities for chapter development and world building. Just in life you need to take moments to slow down and smell the roses.
Overall I think it is a good story that could be a lot better. The author said they plan to refine the story in the future and look forward to reading this again when they do.
LubjubRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style
Super strong LitRPG style writing with an old school approach. Multiple classes, ranks skills and abilities this story is chock full of the addictive stuff we love to read about. To me it has a strong 90/2000s VRMMO story approach and that’s a good thing the nostalgia I had for games and books of this sort of thing was something I thought I forgot about, and this practically shoved it’s hand deep in my brain and flicked on a ton of switches. It’s a fast-paced style with more emphasis on action than dialogue heavy moments but for me that’s not an issue. If I could have a slight nitpick, showing some sort of table or stats of Asriel abilities and attributes etc would be useful as the story progresses. It would paint a clearer picture of his potential and things like that. This is the only bit of major criticism I have but it’s not essential, just a preference.
Story
The story is told through Asriel in a first-person format. This new world is full of dangerous monsters and dungeons and armed with rare weapons that he must hide having in his possession he navigates his new life the best way he can without raising suspicions. There’s a serious tone throughout the story which is reflective of the many battles Asriel is involved in. There’s a strong show don’t tell element to the story, but it never feels over whelming.
Grammar
No issues here.
Character
Asriel is the MC, and we read about his thoughts, his feelings and how he tries to approach those above his rank during the story. He’s thrown into a new world; one he is sort of familiar with, but not quite. He cares for his friends and family and is trying to uncover the mystery of why the world has gone the way it has. His classmates Ash is brave and occasionally reckless. Claire is the quiet one with ranged attacking skills. Her twin Neil is the mage of the party and Rain is the insecure healer. Providing that traditional MMO style Tank/healer/DD or DPS trinity.
Overall
A well-crafted love letter to those VRMM
Apollo149Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall This book is just great. It tells a really engaging story that smoothly blends action, adventure, and those fun RPG elements. The world-building is impressive, the pacing keeps you hooked, and the stakes feel real, which makes you care about what happens. While it uses some familiar ideas from "game worlds becoming real" stories, it adds enough fresh twists – like the Ancient Pillar’s mechanics and the class system – to keep things interesting.
Story The plot is very well put together, with a clear journey and growing tension that feels right. The way it handles the world changing from normal to monster-filled is done smoothly, and the game stuff (like HP bars, skills, and loot drops) feels natural, not forced. Events like the Monster Siege and the politics around adventurer ranks really add to the world's depth. A strong point is how the story balances personal stuff (like Asriel’s family and friends) with the bigger problems, such as guild politics and fighting for survival against monsters. It's handled really well.
Style The writing is clear and exciting, especially during the action scenes. Battles are easy to picture in your head, and the game-like skill names (Phoenix Slash, Chain Lightning) add a nice touch without being too much. The writing flows nicely, making it easy to read. The dialogue is generally good, with characters like Earl (who's smart and funny) and Old Man Gray (gruff but wise) having distinct voices.
Grammar The grammar is really solid, with very few errors. The sentences are varied, and the way paragraphs are put together keeps the reading smooth. Any small issues like awkward phrasing or missing commas are rare and don't stop you from understanding the story.
Characters Asriel is a compelling main character – he's skilled but not unbeatable, smart with his plans, and you can feel his emotions. His relationships with Earl, Claire, and Ash feel authentic and real. His internal struggle about keeping his strength a secret adds a good
Shin95CloudRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I read your novel before on Honeyfeed, GRID 25 and find it interesting. Glad I looked at your bio and found another one of your work. Hope you continue writing 😁👍. I enjoy reading your novels especially this one since it's an VRMMO genre. I don't know but the idea of making a military personnel and a game veteran MC is kinda unique and interesting on it's own. I myself played a lot of MMO's but just a casual player and your novel is like watchings someone's playthrough while knowing their thoughts. I really hope you continue this.
I read the new chapters, and it got me really excited for the next ones!
Night ScholarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall
This is a highly engaging and immersive story that blends action, adventure, and RPG elements seamlessly. The world-building is rich, the pacing keeps you invested, and the stakes feel real. While it follows some familiar tropes of the "game world becoming reality" genre, it adds enough unique twists—such as the Ancient Pillar’s mechanics and the class system—to keep things fresh.
Story
The plot is well-structured, with a clear sense of progression and escalating tension. The transition from a normal world to one overrun by monsters is handled smoothly, and the integration of game mechanics (like HP bars, skills, and loot drops) feels natural rather than forced. The Monster Siege event and the political intrigue involving adventurer ranks add depth to the world.
One of the strongest aspects is how the story balances personal stakes (Asriel’s family, his friendships) with larger conflicts (guild politics, survival against monsters).
Style
The writing is descriptive and dynamic, especially during action sequences. Battles are easy to visualize, and the use of game-like skill names (Phoenix Slash, Chain Lightning) adds flavor without feeling overdone. The prose flows well.
Dialogue is generally strong, with distinct voices for characters like Earl (playful and strategic) and Old Man Gray (gruff but wise).
Grammar
The grammar is solid, with very few noticeable errors. Sentence structure is varied, and the pacing within paragraphs keeps the reading experience smooth. There are occasional minor issues (awkward phrasing, missing commas), but nothing that disrupts comprehension.
Characters
Asriel is a compelling protagonist—skilled but not overpowered, strategic yet emotionally grounded. His relationships (with Earl, Claire, and Ash) feel authentic, and his internal conflict about hiding his strength adds depth.
Side characters are well-developed, particularly Earl (whose intelligence and humor make him stand out) and Claire (whose growth from a hesitant healer to a
The Writer MeaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Although it is not really my style, I read the story and I must say that it is above average despite not being my style. This probably shows that it is much better for those who like character designs and story flow in this genre. In short, it is useful to give it a chance.
The story structure is based on a good dynamic. I am in favor of going a little more on the characters. It makes you develop a sense of curiosity about where the story will go. Despite this, there are areas where it can progress even more. Separation of characters, depth and variety. It remained a very good level as a novel in every way, but I had to lower my score because there were still obvious points where it could go further.
I did not see any glaring errors in terms of grammar, but my native language is not English and therefore I may not have seen the small errors. Or it may not have caught my attention. Still, considering what I read, I can easily say that there is no problem in this regard. Although there are things that need to be worked on in terms of style, it is still a great story and should be the priority of gamelitRPG lovers.