The Arcane Spectrum: A Sci-Fi, LitRPG, Cultivation Story

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Directionless and without purpose. His path, uncertain and winding, takes an unexpected turn when an inexplicable force intervenes, stripping away everything he once knew. With the familiar world now a distant memory, Thorne is thrust into a realm where magic and mystery reign supreme, revealing not just one world but an endless tapestry of interconnected realms within the cosmos.

In this cosmic odyssey, Thorne, perpetually elusive of success, strength, and power, confronts the boundless wonders of the universe. The myriad layers of magic and energy unveil themselves, each holding secrets that transcend the limits of earthly comprehension. As Thorne descends deeper into this cosmic labyrinth, he grapples with the realization that the universe is not merely a backdrop for his escape but a living entity with its own rules.

The once solitary journey transforms into an exploration of existence itself, where choices resonate across the cosmic expanse. In this newfound reality, Thorne learns a profound truth about the universe: to navigate its infinite wonders, one must possess strength not just as a virtue but as an essential prerequisite. The cosmic currents beckon, challenging Thorne to redefine his understanding of power and embark on a journey beyond the boundaries of Earthly confines.

In the end the bound will become free.

****

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Note: The system is introduced later into the story.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: zoog1157

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 3.6/ 5.0
Followers: 348
Views: 121,359

Reviews

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Community Reviews(8)

The Writer MeaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's a great story with great potential. It would be better for the author to focus a bit more on grammar. It is a story that has potential in its fiction and has not yet been fully opened, but I believe that it will be a great success in the next chapters. The characters are colorful and diverse. I believe you will not regret if you give it a chance.
TheMadProfessorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Prose: I like how the prose adds a nice bit of texture to the story, but not overladen the narrative with information that can be provided in a more natural manner. I appreciate that the action in the story is shown and not simply told, which can really take my out of the moment when I’m a reading a story.
Characters: I love Graald! This guy just speaks to me on so many different levels. The way he approaches situations with a blunt perspective is usually one I love in these stories. I also like Throne’s main objective is simple, clean and to the point. Nothing too over the top. I know I’ve said this before, but I really do like it when the MC of the story isn’t someone who’s almost actively trying to be a derp in the story. Thorne, given his situation, does try to make the best decision from the information given to him.
I also like how Thorne relies on his willpower and resilience to overcome obstacles, he’s not just winning because the story needs him to win. He struggles through stuff, he has to work to get what he earns and it makes the accomplishments meaningful.
World-Building: I really like how the world building is built on bit by bit and not just dog piled onto your lap. It also has some nice elements, like the spectrum system, that sets it apart from other works along similar lines. Plus, it’s not a Hogwarts 2.0, which I personally appreciate.
Spelling & Grammar: I didn’t stop anything here that was of major issue. The story reads smoothly and the language isn’t jerky at all, which is makes the experience an enjoyable one.
Regolith42Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I enjoyed the story. Cultivation story with technologically advanced civilization. They have tablets and maglev trains and other 'physical' technology, which isn't something you often see in these type of stories. While the academy certainly isn't safe, it presents less danger than most cutthroat sects you see often in cultivation stories. So far no young masters have showed up to bully Thorne, even if people are mean to him occasionally. The system aspect hasn't entered the story so far.
Style: Speech patterns and phrasing is similar between characters. I think that as long as things are internally consistent, then style is something that should be unique to each author.
Story: Earth is destroyed and Thorne is brought to Zupu academy where he is to be taught how to use the 'Spectrum' of twenty six colors with each representing a concept. Such as red representing destruction. As a dual cultivator of two 'colors' representing hardiness and destruction, Thorne must begin to learn to develop his powers. So far he has attended a few of his first few classes, so mostly character introductions and worldbuilding as he navigates the new world he finds himself in.
Character: Earth is destroyed and Thorne frankly doesn't care. He has a small burst of melancholy at one point, but quickly moves on to eagerly dive in to increase his power. He viewed himself as powerless on earth, and wants to feel himself improve. I feel this could be an integral part of his characterization, but without knowing much about his past on earth it is hard to know why he is so single minded in learning magic. There is no contrast to know if this is how he always had been, or if the introduction of magic was some kind of inspiration that caused this dedication. But his motivation feels based on an internal drive to improve rather than from outside factors like earth's destruction or the more powerful cultivators floating around that could squash him.
Grammar: No mistakes I could see. Five stars
SvanetiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm thoroughly enjoying this story. It immediately draws you in with its novel and fascinating concept and surprising evolution. The characters are intriguing, and the writer does a good job describing their moods and thoughts. I really enjoy the descriptive language. I am looking forward to exploring the characters and this universe further! Keep the chapters coming!
NickKiddRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this magic system. It's complex and allows characters to shine in very unique ways. The characters are plenty, yet it's really easy to tell them apart. Thorne is a fun MC and comical at certain points. He isn't your average representation of humans. While most would be running and screaming after their planet is destroyed, he's more... inconvenienced. Making this story hard to predict and a fun ride.
Some suggestions:
The characters are interesting, but because of the worldbuilding their motivations often fall to the wayside. Like why is Thorne so driven not to back down in the beginning? Why does he care how he does in the Academy? Just a little more elaboration into Thorne's mindset could really help in the beginning. His personality definitely takes shape in the later chapters, especially once Zal enters.
The other thing I'd recommend is spreading out the exposition. I know there is a lot to explain like spectrums and grades, and all of that. But you don't have to explain it all at once. Sometimes it's more fun when you learn it as it becomes relevant. Leave the reader in the dark to build tension. Then let Thorne discover more about the world at the same time as the reader.
BUT all of that can be added once the story is completed. Nice work!
DeikonRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
The beginning is very shallow.
And I think the MC is sociopathic.
As I continued to read the story, I just couldn't get past the fact that, after a super major change about the Earth and all the living beings..... The MC is fine?!??!?
I read up to about chapter 25 the first time and now to about chapter 10 the second time and this story just isn't for me.
Thank you very much.
RoyaleTRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Ok so quite a few things. The main thing is the pacing. A lot of information feels rushed or glossed over. Some things feel like they should have more explanation and immersion like the auction where the mc was bought at first. This continues throughout a lot of the novel and a lot of it feels a bit rushed.
Another thing is the dialogue, it's a bit rough around the edges. Characters don't fully match their dialogue. With the HM saying blah blah blah or the MC's teacher or the one who bought him choice of words and manner of speaking. I would expect him to speak less, as a higher alien being he might also feel like he's above the earthling.
Lastly is the world building and cultivation system. It definitely feels overwhelming and should be broken up into pieces for readers to easily digest. Even before the big info dump around ch10 it felt like a lot.
The MC's internal dialogue could also use some work. He feels too eager and out of place for someone in his situation. Furthermore the slurry thoughts at the beginning should probably be rephrased it also messes up the flow of the story. Since he's thinking and not speaking I also imagine he would think words and his thoughts would merely be slow, voicing them would make the slurrs.
The Grammar is also a problem but nothing a few revision reads won't fix.
All in all rough around the edges but has good potential. I could see this doing well after a few touches and some character development.
aubbobRoyal Road
★★ 2.0
This is a good draft of a story, but there are many aspects that need some serious work. I'll discuss the two I feel are the most important.
Firstly, there are many grammatical and spelling errors in the text. This isn't a be-all end-all to the story, but it does make it very difficult at times to read the story. A good read-through by the author or an editor to clear out most of the obvious mistakes would do wonders for the story and the readability of the chapters.
Secondly, the MC's character is barely defined at all. I'm unaware whether the author has an idea what kind of main character they want to write or not, but in the story the MC will be the most cold-blooded, calculative, logical person one moment, and then become an erratic mess whose thoughts follow no logic at all the next. I understand that there's this idea of your personality being affected by your energies in this story, but the whole point of his dual-affinity is they complement each other. Sometimes MC is aloof, and then sometimes he puts a world of weight on some character's words. The inconsistency in the main character has made me decide to drop the story.
In closing, if the author ends up doing a rework or a heavy edit, I would pick it up in a heartbeat. I think the setting is really interesting, and it's not a terrible overall story, there are just some major flaws that I personally can't deal with.