The Forerunner Initiative - Completed - Stubbed

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2023

Author

Draith

• Magelord B1 On Kindle Unlimited and Audible
  Apr 13, 2026
• ANNOUNCEMENT - NEW STORY - Mage Lord Isekai
  Mar 7, 2025
• The Final Message: Start Playback.
  Jan 14, 2024
• Not-A-Chapter Art, Thanks & Upcoming Audiobook release, free epubs and stubbing for zon
  Jul 18, 2023
• The Story Continues
  Mar 20, 2023
• 1.01 Loading Please Wait
  Mar 20, 2023
• 1.00 One of those Days
  Mar 20, 2023
• 0.00 The Forerunner Initiative
  Mar 19, 2023

What readers say about The Forerunner Initiative - Completed - Stubbed

• “There are many things about the story that I enjoyed, including all of the standards (good writing quality, interesting characters, compelling story, world, and magic), but there's one thing that stands out above the rest for me: Its ability to continuously…”

  TheLuminaireRoyal Road5.0 / 5

• “It's been a journey. Almost every chapter is engaging. The descriptions invoking emotion and mirth. The constant movie references a joy to puzzle. The power scaling intriguing. In the end, I think the only thing that limits our lovable protagonist is knowle…”

  TheCourtShukaldesRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• TheLuminaireRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  There are many things about the story that I enjoyed, including all of the standards (good writing quality, interesting characters, compelling story, world, and magic), but there's one thing that stands out above the rest for me: Its ability to continuously interest me with a new angle on the story, always keeping it fresh.
  What do I mean by that? Many other (high-quality) stories I've read have a single plot running from beginning to end, plus some obligatory subplots. The main story will continuously share the same general theme / world / characters throughout the telling of the plot. This story doesn't; while it continuously tells the same story, it changes up the surroundings enough that it is always engaging and new. New environment, new characters, new relationships and challenges, all without straight up murdering all of our previously beloved side characters in the process.
  Props to the author, and I look forward to the next installments ASAP!
• TheCourtShukaldesRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  It's been a journey. Almost every chapter is engaging. The descriptions invoking emotion and mirth. The constant movie references a joy to puzzle. The power scaling intriguing. In the end, I think the only thing that limits our lovable protagonist is knowledge. The wrap up of the last novel is amazing but I wish Rufka and Alexis had kids(it would be so cute tho I get why not "all the time in infinity and then some) and we got to witness Uthica and Alexis reuniting.
• TaltosDreamerRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I came across this story by accident and found myself deeply engrossed. I feel the grammar, plot, and story are top notch, and I am having a lot of fun.
  The main character is engaging, and her friends have interesting stories so far too. I can hardly wait to find out more about the world and the System.
  Well worth the read!
• SynodRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Sooo, this was break-time read for the past few days and it succeeded in making my break-time into oh-my-god-I'm-procrastinating-but-I-can't-stop-time. Make of that what you will.
  Alexis is basically what happens if you give a hyperactive kid on a sugar high power over the primal forces of the universe(+ a bunny), and I am here for it.
  Style:
  First person POV, with a couple perspective shifts that change that, but they're few and far between. Not mention skippable, in my opinion.
  I'd say the tone remains pretty consistently upbeat, even when maybe it shouldn't be.
  Not offputting enough to dock even half a star.
  Story:
  I feel like the premise is familiar, and it takes quite a few things from other staples of the genre, but it's fresh enough that I couldn't point to something and say 'this, this is stale'. It's fun, relatively fast-paced with a good sprinkling of slice-of-life, and kept my attention and imagination bubbling throughout. My main gripe with the story is kind of a spoiler, that I can't really be vague about. You were warned.
  Forerunners are established as some kind of anti-system anarchist faction, right from the beginning. None of the cast should know this on arrival though (except maybe Beth?) so when hints start getting dropped, it felt like the reaction wasn't commensurate with the reveal. Where is the whole 'are we the baddies?' conversation?
  Forerunners being known antagonists to the system also doesn't really jive with them getting all this upper level system access/help. Like, at one point, in a notification, they are addressed as both Forerunner X and Citizen X. How does that fit? Hopefully this gets addressed later on in the book. I am and will remain skeptical/confused until then.
  Edit: This last point has been mostly addressed in the epilogue, so I'm amending my rating by half a star. 4 => 4.5
  Grammar:
  Less than 5 typos per chapter. If that. Utterly negligeable. Perfectly idiomatic English.
  Characters:
  Broadly speaking, incredibly fun to read.
• ShernyRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  DISCLAIMER I KNOW THIS IS A REWRITE,  JUST HAVEN'T READ THE ORIGINAL
  Gonna write this simple review cuz I think the author deserves it.
  So as a reader after some time I think you can tell what strengths/weaknesses an author has and I feel like worldbuilding is definitely a major strength of the author and he/she(idk) has done an absolutely amazing job at it, how the different species are described, the world the system, I love how spectacularly unique it is, especially with the orc-like race or the catgirls with the pusha'sha(hopefully I spelled that right) and the possibility of that conflict which could be unraveled like what if there's a secret catboy uprising and we discover the claims aren't as true as they may sem. I could go on about these possibilities for hours.
  Though I see that there are still improvements that could have been made(some characters could have been fleshed out a bit more but I feel like that's gonna happen eventually and there are already some hints for it)  As of right now it also feels like there are very little stakes to the action in the story, even with the fallen army it felt strangely passive as if it wasn't even a real threat and I know the author can do better than this, I sepecially loved the scene
  when Alexis was alone in the forest and got amushed by the wolfadillos
  It felt like there were actual stakes and I could feel the thrill because if she messed up she would have been dead and that same thrill somehow also missed when
  Ivicka tried to kill the group right before entering the destroyed sanctuary
  Though these flaws may seem pretty big I feel like that isn't something I'd worry too much about since this could also just have been a deliberate decision by the author to prepare for a much more impactful scene though I'd still recommend adding some unknown elements to the story like there being a really strong enemy which the group didn't expect where it is either fight or die, something like some super strong system boss who cam
• EldarrinRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Very much enjoying the story so far, has fun characters and an engaging world; and fire bunnies ;)
  Definitely recommend it and I rarely review unless I truly like it.
  need to get a pink fluffy robe of flowery doom now, don't want to add much more because, you know, spoilers.
• Plus1Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Let me preface this by saying that this is a rewrite, and I have not read the original. However, it can be clealy felt that this story has been graced by the touch of a thorough editing pass. The grammar is close to flawless, the style is crisp and concise yet flows naturally, the conversations feel natural, too--excuse my redundancy--and the plot is rich and interesting, though sometimes just a tad complicated.
  The System is fresh, somehow complex and simple at the same time, managing to seem powerful yet possessing clear boundaries and limitations, (smallish spoiler):
  which makes sense, given it was made by an advanced race, seemingly, instead of some all-powerful god.
  The characters are all fleshed out and three dimensional, and behave consistently to their personalities. The MC is especially fascinating--beyond her rather monstruous magical talent, that is.
  I can't say much about the plot without spoilers, but reading a couple chapters should be enough to decide whetherr to keep going or not. Just keep in mind--the cast is not limited to the initial party.
  I am also rather fond of the story's... realism, for lack of a better words. There are no random, out-of-the-blue life or death scenarios that feel contrived and written just for the sake of creating tension. Every fight makes sense, and they're not all just on the limit of what the MC and her party can defeat. Sometimes there are easy fights, and sometimes their only option is to run away. And I love that.
  I do have some very small gripes here and there, but they're just personal preference and kinda spoilery besides, so I'll keep them to myself. Scoll down to the comments if you're curious haha.
• KristroffRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Let me just preface this by saying that i havent read the original, so this review will only be based on this story alone.
  Well i don't  write reviews unless  i really like the story, and after having binged this in like 3days all i can say is that i really REALLY like this story. Lemme just fastfire the best things about this story:
  The characters are amazing and have a real sense of logical progression throughout the story. This for me is the major selling point of the story.
  The litrpg/system is well thought out and having the statblocks hidden as default is a  nice touch since they are a bit dense. Some of the math behind it is convoluted as heck but its also very skippable as the exact numbers rarely matters.
  The overall plot is a little confusing but in the sense that the author is purposely hidding information untill later. Otherwise  the pacing is good and the mc and gang have tangible goals, so while they sometimes get derailed there isnt that pesky sense of aimless wandering that tend to plaugue the genre.
  Now for the negatives:
  mc is a total pushover at the beginning, this gets better trust me on this, the payoff is huge and well earned.
  Dont love the villains in the story. The have depth but its kinda shallow and not super interesting. (Speaking here mostly about the 1st major antagonist)
  Tl;dr go read it, one of my favorites in the genre.
• MDWRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The ability to stop time is nothing compared to the power of the onesie.
  I enjoyed very much the first run. I believe this rewrite is well worth the time to read again and comparing them side-by-side shows how much love and dedication went to this masterwork.
  A unique magical theory. Oppressive Alien overlords. A progression system that makes sense. The ability to stop time. But a gal tossed on another world needs her magical onesie. Ask Yuna and she'll tell you why.
  If this story wasn't narrated in the first person, I would have trouble telling who the MC was. All the main characters have a deep and relatable personality. They have a unique skillset and develpment. The support cast and antagonists have clear and understandable motivations. You'll find no third-rate mustache-twirling villains here.
  The worldbuilding is superb. Everything makes sense when put into perspective. The cultures of the new world have depth and solid foundations. It's not just cardboard cutouts that won't support the first deep analysis.
  The blend of magic and technology makes sense. Arthur C. Clarke quotes aside, there's still mistery and wonder to the magic to make them distinct.
  Let's play with magic. And maybe save the world.
• Youngish OldsterRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The Forerunner Initiative is a real treat to read.  It's 'V2' of To Play with Magic, which was already a lot of fun. Everything in the story has been polished, streamlined, and taken up a notch.
  The story is a system apocalypse tale that features Lex as a main character.  She's a typical game-loving, smart-ass, let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may recent high school graduate trying to become an adult, but with a seriously messed up family situation holding her back.  So, when she gets an invite to be a play tester for a new magical fantasy VR game, she's all in.
  Little does she know that an apocalyptic system integration event is bearing down on earth, and that becoming a play tester means she's one of a small team who may be able to hold it off.  Or at least make it a little less apocalyptic.  But wait.  There's more.  Which becomes clear as the story unfolds.
  Style.  Super tight, mostly character-driven story telling.  Largely narrated by Lex, but with plenty of mini-scenes from the rest of the character ensemble.  Occasional world-building & back-story expositions make the story pacing breathe organically, and usually add darker, bittersweet but relatable tones to the story.  Gotta remind us that some serious stuff is at stake behind all the adventuring, progression, mysteries, snark & shenanigans that move the story forward.
  Story. Lex & team end up transmigrated to a system-dominated world where they must puzzle out how to gain enough knowledge & power to return to earth & prevent the looming apocalypse.  Crisp, fast-moving, narration-driven adventuring, magical experimentation, mystery solving, and character growth & progression is complemented with plenty of moments where things slow down to let the story consolidate in the reader's mind.
  The story features litRPG elements that are used effectively and don't get in the way.  Eventually, the litRPG gets at least as snarky as Lex, which is fun.
  Grammar.  Yes.
  Characters.  Lex is a great MC and narrator.  She's a b