Scavenger's Ascension [Post-Apo, Steampunk LitRPG]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Jayden wasn't content with his mediocre life; he didn't want to just scrape by every day. No, he wanted something…more.

But when his grand plans of escaping poverty fail miserably, he is left with nothing.

Now, burdened by a crippling debt and forced into servitude, he must embark on a daring expedition into the ancient tunnels beneath the city in search of a hidden treasure rumored to be there.

Yet, down in theRatways, things rarely go smoothly.

When a disaster strikes their small party, Jayden finds himself lost in the darkness. Abandoned and left to die by his fellows, he refuses to succumb to such fate and struggles with everything he has to find a way out.

In the end, he didn't find a way out. However, he found something else—something that had the potential to change his pitiful life forever.

What to expect:

-Weak to strong progression

-Shrewd anti-hero MC

-No harem

New chapters are released onMondayandFriday.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: CosmicQuill

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.1/ 5.0
Followers: 242
Views: 26,508

Chapters(21 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(5)

Busrob62Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Like my title states, this story had me continuing to read right from the start. The main character Jayden connected with me on a lot of levels, and that helped keep me going with the story.
Style:
I don’t use First person when I write, I use Third person past, but I really didn’t notice the difference much as I read which means to me that the Author did a really good job of stying in their style while at the same time not making it too pronounced. I also liked how they put in the status updates and the stat screens. It was done in such a way that let me know it was there, but not too bold or pronounced that it took me out of the story.
Story:
The story took me back to my own forays into RPG’s and RPG video games, but in a way that really made you understand what a level 1 character is like and what an encounter would feel like to them. You also learn a lot about the world and Jayden very early on which helps pull you further into the story. Great action scenes and also deep looks into Jayden’s feelings and thoughts. The Domain setting reminded me of the resource gathering games that I like a lot which was also a plus.
Grammar:
Im really not an expert or a hawk in this category, but I didn’t hit any speed bumps while reading and didn’t see anything off, it looked good to me.
Character:
I instantly connected with Jayden due to some similar occurrences and feelings in my life. He is a regular guy, which makes him easily relatable. He definitely has some scars on the inside, but he is a quick thinker and doesn’t give up, even when the odds are against him. This is another aspect that drew me to him.
Over all a great adventure that I will be continuing in.
CKJ5Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Disclaimer: This review is based on the first chapter and may not reflect the story as a whole.
“Scavenger's Ascension” is described as a steampunk/LitRPG with action and adventure elements and an anti-hero male lead.
The first chapter introduces a compelling setting, the Ratways, and a protagonist caught in a dire situation. The atmosphere of being trapped underground with looming dangers is effectively established, drawing the reader into a tense environment. The main character’s perspective on being used as "bait" adds an interesting layer of conflict, though there are areas where the narrative could benefit from refinement.
First, let’s look at what really clicked. The protagonist, Jayden, feels well-developed. Their internal monologue is engaging, capturing self-loathing and a sense of hopelessness. This emotional depth makes the character relatable and encourages the reader to invest in their journey. The raw inner conflict adds an important layer to their plight. The general atmosphere is also strong. The descriptions of the dark, claustrophobic tunnels and the eerie sense of isolation work well to build suspense. The flickering lanterns and the constant tension of being trapped underground contribute to a foreboding mood, setting the stage for the unfolding story.
Grammatically, there are a few minor issues that, once addressed, will make the reading experience much smoother. One area I’d suggest focusing on is ensuring quotation marks are used correctly. While these issues don’t detract from the enjoyment of the story, fixing them would help improve the overall experience. Additionally, while the protagonist is well fleshed out, some of the other characters felt a bit like props. The dialogue occasionally felt flat, especially during group interactions. Expanding the personalities of the other characters would help enhance the group dynamic.
Pacing also needs attention. Some of the repetitive themes slow the story down, particularly in the protagonist's sol
Ellen TaylorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This was a great read! I'll go through each section and explain my star rating.
Grammar is always a five star from me. I'm not a stickler for grammar, so as long as it doesn't pull me out of the story, it's an easy five.
Style is also great. It's a first person point of view, and it's a great way to reach into the character's mind. I was never confused, and it was written in a very straight forward manner.
The story, again, was great. I'm going to combine the story and the character together, since I think they are very intertwined. I really enjoyed both. There was a kind of desperation to Jayden's actions that drove the plot forward. And honestly, being poor is a pretty relatable thing to have. It was fascinating to see his drive for survival, his relief at getting it, and then the way there were those subtle hints there in the beginning about how nice it was to have things. To not have to worry. There is a lot going for the story in this early part, and it's got a great building block with a fascinating character.
Overall, it was a great read!
OliverBlairRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Based on the 10 chapters I read, I will say that I quite liked this. I don't normally read LitRPG and this is only my second foray into the genre, but I very much liked the progression of the story.
Style: The story is written in first person past tense, and I think it suits it and the protagonist as well. I very much liked the steampunk setting. There's not a lot of two-way dialogue and I found that to be my main issue.
Story: I liked the progression of the story. The majority of it was actually focused on our main character discovering the magic system, leveling etc, but I didn't mind so much as it's set against the a subplot of being stuck in (and consequently trying to get out of) a caved in mine. The couple of action scenes we had were good, however I will say that sometimes the pacing of the story felt off. The instances of this were rare, and didn't really work so much against the story.
Grammar: Not many issues with grammar.
Character: Seeing as this is 1st person, there is a lot of introspection by the main character, as it should be with this POV and being in Jayden's head was a good experience. He's neither boring nor uninteresting, and he's very self-deprecating in the beginning as well.
Overall, I found the story very engaging and interesting and I actually read further than agreed in the swap because I wanted to see what happens. Recommend.
BlareRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This story really reminds me a lot of a certain game whose story took place in some kind of sewer due to the post-apocalyptic circumstances that appear on the ground above. Its gameplay has been reviewed by a certain YouTuber whose presentation is schizophrenic in nature and quite funny. Still, Jayden is something else. The character is interesting, with a nice touch of things. Now, that gets out of the way, let's get to the review.
Style: I see nothing wrong with the style, some of the lines in the story (paragraph lines) are literally lines on the computer screen. Is it a bad thing? No, to be frank, no, it's showing the author's awareness of formatting on how the text would look like on the mobile application, and it already tells me the knowledge that the author has.
Story: Jayden is an interesting protagonist with its own struggles, it plays out in the typical LITRPG fashion in which he used his [Synthesis] skill on the things that he found on the dungeon and used it to his own advantage. I can feel the character's growth at the moment, and I hope the story continues in that direction.
Grammar: I see nothing out of the ordinary here, like, there's not that much to be concerned of. I saw no sentence structure shift, or improper usage of punctuation, or anything that will disrupt the flow of the story when not adressed immediately.
Character: With the style in the first-person, you can see from the character's eyes, with how he deal with the problem with his wit and survival thinking. Overall, I can recommend this story if you are looking for RPG.