Practicing Death [Book 1 Complete!]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

What does it mean to learn from your own death? A stubborn, steppe-born slave calledSeventeenfails to escape his shackles and is brutally killed. Or he should have been. A tight-lipped spirit with a name he is not allowed to hear drags him back with magic. That single act of mercy cracks time. On the far side of his first death, Seventeen stands before a dying god, and strange, broken visions begin to bleed into his mind. Instead of staying dead, he wakes at the same starting line, no matter how many days he has spent fighting to live. Each loop lets him push a little farther, grow a little stronger, and test a System where skills blink on and off without warning. The visions do not fade. They stack. They point toward something he does not yet understand. To survive, he has to do more than grind through respawns. He has to treat every death as a lesson, find out why the world itself is starting to twist around him, and stop a hidden order from carrying out rituals this world will not survive. Along the way he meets people worth protecting, even though they never remember the lives he has already spent on them. His body is weak. His will is not. He turns failure into fuel. Pain is progress. Survival is homework. One day he will break out alive. When that happens, the men who bought and broke him, and the powers that played with his fate, will learn what it means to beg. Until then, he will die, learn, repeat. –What to Expect– - Slow-burn power progression. - A journey that grows from a frozen granary-fort into a continent of clashing cultures and forgotten gods. - A clever protagonist who actually changes from arc to arc. - Deep worldbuilding with a large supporting cast. - Xianxia-inspired cultivation with a low-number, high-impact System. - A strong-willed MC who enjoys the fight but isn’t a mindless murder machine. - Competent from the start, terrifying later. - Long-term progression into large-scale politics and eventual kingdom-building. Violence and darkness are present. This is fiction for adults. Practicing Death is planned as a very long series. Release Schedule: - 3× weekly — Monday, Wednesday, Friday Join the Discord

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2026
Author: Runewriter

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 1,172
Views: 110,146

What readers say about Practicing Death [Book 1 Complete!]

“I am not much of a critic but this was an interesting read so far, like one reviewer said it's like reading an already published novel the Litrpg elements are not the main focus and the MC is realy likeable. He works and earns everything he gets. Can't wait…”
PiustumRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“High quality writing, I forgot I was reading a web novel for a while there.I enjoy the blending of different cultures and mythologies especially. Hopefully it’s executed well in the long term!I might have to go and check out the authors other work while thi…”
AliebsRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

PiustumRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I am not much of a critic but this was an interesting read so far, like one reviewer said it's like reading an already published novel the Litrpg elements are not the main focus and the MC is realy likeable. He works and earns everything he gets. Can't wait for more
AliebsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
High quality writing, I forgot I was reading a web novel for a while there.I enjoy the blending of different cultures and mythologies especially. Hopefully it’s executed well in the long term!I might have to go and check out the authors other work while this book releases.But yeah, check it out. If you came here from the mind reading xianxia parody book like me it’s definitely a wildly different tone but just as well done.
Cmfc47Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm always hunting through this site for new stories to read. A lot of them I can tell right away that I'll like or they just aren't for me. This story caught my attention right away. It seemed like a traditional adventure story format. It dragged me into it with great characters and places with great detail. You were rooting for them to succeed. To grow stronger to be able to continue. I was thoroughly enjoying it. Then suddenly the twist hit. Not with a bang but an explosion. This fundamentally changed the entire story. Not in a bad way at all. Everything got turned on it's head and became way more detailed. Way more engaging. You learn more and more about the characters. I'm trying not to give anything away. Yes it's a time loop type story but done in a very clever way. It keeps you interested and even more invested as it goes along. You watch in great detail as the MC grows and learns. The writing is handled very well so you aren't bored by repeating events because for the most part the details aren't repeated just layered upon layers of well written story. As of writing this I'm not incredibly far into the story but I can tell there is a clear path forward. A plan that has been laid out. Everything read has a purpose. It's not filler just moving along the story. I can't wait to read on and see where it takes us.
GreenClericRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A very good story, good pacing and the protagonist isnt instantly a genius at using his power so there are actual struggles and adversity . my only complaint is that im caught up on chapters, more please...
Wolves protect their own.
that being said i need to make this 50 words long and this is filler text.
[email protected]Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is amazing. Read it. Yes there's some spots that can be confusing. But don't worry about that. Read it. The prose is poetic yet effortless. The plot has multiple mysteries. The MC is likeable, loyal, traumatized and damaged - and is getting more and more skilled, but not OP. You won't be dispointed.
JasakaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
First things first: Read until 1.34 for the first arc to conclude. The bad ratings feel like they were written by impatient readers. The story doesn't really lends itself to a serialized format, but reads really well if binged. If you have patience let the chapters build after finishing an arc.
I don't often write reviews but feel this story deserves it, especially because of the earlier reviews.
The prose is a cut above most stories on RR and the author has the ability to draw you in. Grammar and style have been impeccable.
The story is set in a place with resemblance to mongolia / turkey and includes part of their mythology. The setting feels well-researched.
The characters with whom we have spent the most time have been clearly defined and their interactions have been satisfying to read in such a way as to feel natural and personal. Some of the side characters have felt a bit flat, but its still fairly early in the story and I believe they will receive more characterisation now that we can see more of them.
I have loved the slightly different premises of this loop story and am happy for some trope subversion while it is also still delivering on most of the tropes payoff variants.
Give it a read, it's probably also going to pull you in too.
NakedReaderRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The writing is a step above most web novels I read on this sight. Very poetic prose. I love time looping stories and appreciate how this story is trying to stand out. I love the struggle and the subtleness of our protagonists growth. I’m truly rooting for him and can’t wait to see what he does next.
NasreenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm not all that familiar with the specific time-loop tropes as I haven't read that many, but this one seems to have an interesting twist. In his initial life, 17 lived two years and several long detailed chapters before he died & started a loop-on-death-and-sleep Groundhog Day loop within a bigger overarching loop (loopception). At first I (and he, it seems) thought escape was literally about escaping his captors. But since we discovered it resets on sleep, now there's the added puzzle of figuring out the unlock conditions which I guess have to do with getting his memories back. It kind of reminds me of an old school video game (pre - internet, when they actually published books & magazines strategy guides), where you spent a good chunk of time just running around jumping in random spots, thinking, "what do I need to do?!"
Author, one thing I'm missing (and It might be a me-problem), is why he's neglecting asking for the spirit's help again. Initially he did, when it switched to first person, and now it seems like he's reviewing previous attempts (in first person) or maybe he reviewed a couple but we're back to the "current" time? I can't figure it out so I'm ignoring the issue & assuming we're in the most current loop. Which brings more back to the spirit point. You might want to tighten that explanation up, or somehow get across the idea that we're not supposed to understand yet, if that's the case. As is, I feel like I'm missing something and it's making more feel dumb for doing so.
pentartRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Great story! At times a bit confusing and the pacing frustrating but the plot kept me reading!
I’m enjoying the nomadic background and the small world building aspect.
The characters feel alive and dynamic and the protagonist has the right balance between competent but not overpowered.
I’m really curious about the magic system as for now we only got glances of it.
At times part of chapter are too repetitive. I understand this is a time loop but I don’t think there is the need to repeat so much word for word.
In summary I think the author has a gem in his hands and I’m here for it!
AkiFeliSRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm only halfway through, and the story has definitely taken me for a rollercoaster.
It's very apparent that a lot to thought, time and effort has gone into this story. Because I can feel the way the author has setup this universe to gut punch us when they feel like it.
I'm happy to volunteer though, cause its very very good. It's definitely not a happy story, but something more introspective and in a weird way, full of hope. I hope the updates keep coming and I'll keep loving it as I read it.