Mark of the Hidden [Time Loop LitRPG System]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Inspired By The Last Orellen & Mother of Learning

According to the once-in-a-millennium prophecy, the Time God's end draws near. But with the power to see endless possibilities, he finds a future where there is a chance of survival. He splits his divine essence into seven beings across the countless realms in hopes of averting fate.

Darian, a young hunter in a small village, meets a gruesome end. But when he awakens 24 hours in the past, he realises that his life is not so simple. With gods in pursuit, Darian will do anything to protect his family, even if it means meddling with the space-time continuum itself.

The Mark of the Hidden is a long, character-focused epic fantasy progression webnovel. It's about a boy's journey to become a god.

What you can expect:

• smart protagonist

• slice of life, lots of it

• slow-burn and I mean really really slow

• multiple worlds & cultures

• different types of magic

• old-school epic fantasy

The story will have a system and stats but they appear in the later chapters (chapter 40)

Cover byDan_Morgen

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Kalzara

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 1,741
Views: 267,839

What readers say about Mark of the Hidden [Time Loop LitRPG System]

“This story is perfect. It is very character driven and the goals are very clear to the reader. The story is very engaging and I can see why people compare this story to the Last Orellen because both are incredibly good and charming with similar type of stor…”
XtraRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Hickory Dickory Dock, Darian befriended a clock. Time was his friend, he began it again. The loop he ran without stop. The grammar's near flawless. It won't cause you to shatter and return to the clock to correct the dark matter. The style is clear and easy…”
Samantha NelsonRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

XtraRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is perfect. It is very character driven and the goals are very clear to the reader. The story is very engaging and I can see why people compare this story to the Last Orellen because both are incredibly good and charming with similar type of story. You have a boy that holds incredible power and whose entire existence is not safe. This tension that is always looming adds complexity and mystery like in the Percy Jackson books where children of gods aren't safe because of their immense power.
Give this a read because it makes you connect and empathize with all the characters.
Samantha NelsonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hickory Dickory Dock, Darian befriended a clock.
Time was his friend, he began it again. The loop he ran without stop.
The grammar's near flawless. It won't cause you to shatter
and return to the clock to correct the dark matter.
The style is clear and easy to read.
No purple prose nightmares making you scream.
Still, I would love more moments in time
to see all the details and meaning we'd find.
The story like many who have crossed into view,
is focused on time, the protag does loop.
So far it is setup, things to correct.
We'll see if he chooses the paths that are best.
The Gods are all plotting to find this great power
while Darian learns in each looping hour.
Still it is early. Things are quite new.
I hope that we visit all within view.
The story's a new one. I pray it goes well.
The character viewpoints need time to tell.
So far, I know little which is a bit sad.
Still there is plenty of fun to be had.
So all you readers seeking riddles in time.
Go look inside, you'll like what you find.
Oh and a bonus for poets like me.
The author included his own poetry!
VaxduperinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Bad at writing reviews so might not make complete sense but here we go!
A great start to the story so far!
The main few characters that have been introduced so far are well written, especially the MC, Darian. He has actual emotion and common sense, which can be rare in some stories, and has genuine motivation for his actions in the first few chapters; his family.
His long term goal is also established quickly, which helps pull the story along in these early chapters.
There is a great mix between action, worldbuiling/description and some introspection. Right off the bat the story is shown to have a mix of serious but also some light-hearted aspects.
The grammar in the story, insofar as I've noticed, is flawless, and nothing I've seen has shattered the immersion of the story.
The time loop aspect of the story has had an important impact on the opening already, though there has only been one use so far. We're shown the possible consequences of Darian time-looping quite well, setting up avenues for the story to take in the future.
I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the future.
Thanks for writing it, Kalzara!
XKZRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Kalzara has done it again!
I've read up to chapter 36 (the patreon chapters).
Mark of the Hidden tells the story of a young boy who has to step up and be the "man of the house" and provide for his mother and sister. I love the village vibes that the beginning chapters give. Darian is a likeable MC - hard working, smart, emphatic, and innocent. When he is exposed to the horror of the world, he wishes he was in a position to change it and he may one day be. I'm excited to see if he succeeds.
Kalzara does a great job at making you feel for not only the MC but also the side characters (mara, Talia Breck etc). Thomas is one of my favourite characters, Kalzara really knows how to make us feel for a character. I like the bromance between them, they're basically brothers!
After Kalzara announced he changed the prologue, I had a read. I didn't have any problems with the previous prologue but this new one does set the right tone and expectations for the rest of the novel.
When Kalzara said the story is slow burn, he wasn't exaggerating, I feel like only now are we getting deep into it as Darian begins to learn magic.
Grammar is near perfect.
I don't know what else to say, if you're looking for a great epic fantasy time loop progression with some LitRPG (still not at the LitRPG part), this is it!
KnightTempestRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So far this is great. The author doesn't re-invent the wheel, but does it really need to be re-invented? It's a solid fantasy story. I can not wait to see what happens next each chapter, and even the short way into the epic it feels like it's become I'm already solidly invested in several of the characters.
KristiMadhuRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Another well written story by Kalzara. It has a different tone from DSECRD, as it is not a light hearted story and everything is taken a bit more seriously. Kalzara can write in both styles surprisingly well.
The main character is skilled, but he does fail multiple times in story, making it clear that he still has much to learn and improve. The promise of progression as it is inspired by MoL is starting off well.
I already care about Talia, and the reminisces Darian has are great in characterizing both of them. There is real grief when she dies and when he goes back in time to save her. (That's not a spoiler, anyone can also predict that he will most probably fail at the royal academy exam too.)
Speaking of the royal academy, I'm looking forward to see him exploit the hell out his time manipulation to learn all he can there. It's not cheating, it's advanced study.
I am hoping we get to get more of Arkanias' voice to tangle with Darian. And that he becomes less selfish and becomes more supportive with his other seven halves. Though that is because one of my own characters also possesses people, but seamlessly merges personalities, instead of one dominating the other. But struggles for control between them should also be interesting to see.
Edit: I'm stupid there is no mage academy, it's just the royal academy. Magic seems to be somewhat unaccepted. I jumped to conclusions.
PunpopeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The tension is palpable as Darian races against time and divine adversaries. The emotional depth of his quest to save his family adds a touching layer to the high-stakes adventure. This novel is a must-read for fans of fantasy and time-travel narratives, offering a compelling blend of action, suspense, and heartfelt moments.
MrGrassRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Summary: A young man finds himself over his head in a cosmic battle of the Gods, but first he must fight the mundane life of a villager.
Good & Greats:
- The characters seem fairly real, they have actually depth. It is easy for me to imagine the characters coming to life.
- Pacing is slightly slow, but it is layed out in a thoughtful and logical manner.
- Solid grammar, very little to complain about.
Gripes & Complaints:
- MC is learned scholar, who only knows how to hunt and trap. Despite studying the political and social spectrum, he is confused by the political and social strata he finds himself in? (How did the author think that makes sense?)
- MC gets emotionally attached to people he hardly knows and tries his best to save everyone he can, because he has bleeding heart.
‐ 33 Chapters in and still no magic?!?! How do you make a magic time regression story without magic! Ugh!
IDC-Royal Road
★★★ 3.0
Is the story complete?: NO
Did I drop the story?: YES
Is it hard to read?: NO
Did it do something to stand out?: YES
Would I recommend it?: YES
Thoughts:
I don't remember why I dropped this story but the premise for magical time loops is still fresh enough in fantasy to be interesting and so with that said I'd still recommend it even though I do not have any plans to go back and try reading it again.
How I format my review, keep in mind they are for the readers not the authors:
- The story starts with 5 stars.
- I remove 1 star if it is not complete.
- I remove 1 star if I dropped the story.
- I remove 1 star if it's hard to read (odd word choice, grammar, etc).
- I remove 1 star if it fails to do something that stands out. (Funny, Unique premise or perspective etc)
- I remove the 1 to 1/2 if I would not recommend it to read regardless of score.
Thought: A summary of my personal take.
AeternosRoyal Road
★★ 2.0
This is my first review. I have been lurking on RR for years now and yet it's the first story that I will be writing a review for. I went even as far as to create a new account. Truly something for ages to remem-!
Ahem, *cough* I'm getting sidetracked again.
Now where we we? Ah, yes. The review.
The world building is good and the story looks good too.
Looks, right.
Yes, it does look good with sound characters and a suspense on what'll unfold (except the obvious loop).
It has what I like, notably the time loop. Along side the previous quirks, it is what I should have savoured.
No, that's wrong, more like devourved.
You know, sum of parts making it greater or something. Sadly, it's not. It's like taking great ingredients to create a bland dish.
In the olden days, some might have called it soulless. I beg to differ. Stories don't have souls. Though, they do posess the blood, sweat and tears of the author (yucky! but with love).
I'm getting distracted again.
No doubt, I can see the effort. Just like I can appreciate the chef making the dish, I do appreciate someone who has done their homework incomplete as it may be.
However, it's like missing the spark. There's something that it needs to ascend, to be whole, to become something greator.
What is that, you ask?
I'll have to dissappoint you.
I know not.
I'm just a lowly reader. I wish, I knew what it was.
I don't.
I have never written, so it's a bit beyond me.
At times like these, I'll do what I did before, maybe it's not for me (that's a fallacy). It is for me, the time loop, the world building, the suspense and yet it can not hold my interest.
That's it. That is all I can offer for review. Until we meet again!
On a side-note, can anyone tell me what is the missing piece?
I'm all for mysteries but the suspense is killing me. Help!!!??