Urban Litrpg

The Age of Rifts began thirteen years ago when the first black sphere appeared on Earth, teleporting everyone within its radius to an alien realm where they fell prey to otherworldly creatures. Those who survived and returned home found white crystal shards grafted onto their chests. Imbued with energy, these Riftshards grant people supernatural abilities. Known as Rifters, they have become Earth's first line of defense against this unpredictable invasion, able to enter the spheres and fight the monsters and evolving with greater powers after every battle.

This is the second volume collecting all of best-selling author Larry Correia's short stories, novelettes, and novellas. Correia's novels are known for their hard-hitting, no-holds-barred action sequences, in-depth worldbuilding, and vivid characterization. Now, Correia turns to the short form to deliver stories that take no prisoner.

You might think a month away from fighting sentient cubical supplies in a threatening alt-reality office would mean a break for James Lyle. But . . . you'd be wrong. Even though James has taken a beat from adventuring into the dungeon hidden within the stairwell of his workplace, he's been dealing with plenty of stress-inducing issues, from raising a recently corporeal infomorph to navigating his newly minted relationship with his best friends, fighting his own depression, and wrestling with the moral implications of his burgeoning powers.

Juniper Smith is trapped in a prison that seems to be of his own design. Everywhere he looks are bits and pieces of the game worlds he used to make back on Earth. Now, he finds himself on the run from the law and helping out criminals, looking for magical solutions to centuries-old magical spirits trapped in bottles. Can he trust an elf that's been locked away since the bad old days of the Second Empire? Danger lurks around every corner, and trust is hard to come by, even within the party that grows more like family with every passing day.

Boyd Knight found his calling when he joined the Marines and qualified for the elite Force Recon. He'd found a tribe and a family, so when a hand grenade landed near his team, he jumped on it without thought or regret. But instead of winding up dead, he wakes up butt-naked in a cave full of monsters with a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other. He's been chosen by Raguel, the Five-Faced God of Justice, and entrusted with the power of the Vigil Bound.

The apocalyptic event known as the Reset took place five years ago... In the span of a few seconds, ninety percent of the world's population was killed by a mysterious alien force. The ten percent left had their memories wiped. They were given incredible superpowers and a LitRPG stat system that allowed them to advance their skills. But they lost a lot of technology in the process. Many lost their humanity. Sterling Monedero was one of these survivors.

After witnessing the devastation of the end of the world, Salvos returns to the Netherworld stronger than ever. She is still resolved to find her first companion, but the threat of corruption still weighs on her mind. Because she knows she has to speak to the one responsible for the Apocalypse. She knows she has to speak to her father—the Devil himself.

The Netherworld. It is a hellish landscape inhabited only by Demons: creatures born from the dark abyss. But it is also the home of Salvos, and she is finally back. It is no different than she remembered it. A terrible place where only the strongest survive. Can she navigate through Revelation and find her first companion? Or will she get lost in the secrets her father has been hiding?

One day, six towers appear on Earth. Each one stands hundreds of stories tall, and are invulnerable to all attacks. At the base of each tower is a portal, welcoming in all who dare enter it. All sorts of magical monsters can be found inside the towers. Even treasure, magic, and superhuman strength can be acquired. The problem is that the towers aren't a friendly place. Even worse, the towers sometimes release waves of monsters to attack Earth. In the year 2083, there are only a hundred survivors. In one last attempt, they challenge the final floor without regard for their lives.

Ash’s life is anything but normal these days. Having discovered his Dao, he’s grown in power. Grown to the point that others are now aware of him and that he could be a danger. In this world of martial arts, only the strong and the ruthless survive. Everyone else is merely a stepping stone on their path of Cultivation or an obstacle to be overcome—or knocked down. It’s a world where the strong rule and the weak die.

A week ago, all Gabriel wanted was to graduate and settle into a boring but safe job. Last night he tore a man's soul out to save a gorgon. He's never felt more alive. But their victory over his longtime bully provides only a short reprieve. There are darker threats than greedy adventurers hidden deep beneath Lostbarrow, and more enemies await in the city above.

Enemies in both the mortal realm and amongst the gods are coming out. Rob's family has come together, though, and will stand together against all challengers. Now, it's time to show them the final law. Even gods must face the consequences of their actions—and who better to show them than the Sheriff?

Despite the best efforts of her enemies, Cari Dix is alive and well. Now she’s ready to come out of hiding and bring the missing heir back to the imperial capital. Together this group of swashbuckling rogues must travel across the entire continent and brave undermountain tunnels with fairy-tale witches and an entire army on the hunt for them. The fate of the Empire of Fantasma hangs in the balance.

Juniper Smith is finally starting to feel at home in this new world. Everywhere he looks are familiar pieces of the game worlds he used to make back on Earth. The last druid has died, and with her, a rare and precious magic is slowly seeping its way out of the world. The ritual to bring her back as an infant only requires a little messing around with devils and simply hacking the game system on his soul, which is practically routine, but to speed the process along will be another matter entirely.

After an explosive attack by his former sect master Dea leaves many of Lars's companions dead and Yumi captured, Lars is forced to return to the sect only to find that some of his closest and most precious allies have also been taken hostage and imprisoned by the schemes of vicious, vengeful elders. As Lars scrambles to rescue them, he quickly learns that the sect is even more dangerous and corrupt than he remembered, with power struggles and violence lurking around every corner.

After the death of Mori Gladius, the champion of the human lands, humankind is still reeling. Belzu is on the run, and Levithus has the Sword of Alexander. With Salvos finally reunited with her companions, perhaps... this is the perfect chance to deal with one of her problems once and for all.

At the mercy of an unknown entity, Clyde gets tossed into the anime world. Yes, it exists, we just don't know it. There, he's declared the Stone, the anime main character. One day, he must kill the Viper, or else it's good-bye, Earth. This is the comedic tale of a young man vs. cliche anime tropes.

Geltheriel's Cleansing Quest is an impossible task, one set by a treacherous elven elder who wants Aranos to fail. To complete it, he has to travel to the lands of humans and dwarves, where he'll find new enemies and have to build new alliances, all while rediscovering powers lost for centuries. His enemies aren't idle, though, and now the dark god Morx has taken a hand in the Sorcerer Ascendant's defeat. Restoring the Arcane Doors is impossible. Freeing the lands of Darkness is impossible. Facing the Lord of Nightmares is impossible. But Aranos is determined to do the impossible.

The Greek Gods are dead, but their legacy remains. Kairos, pirate lord of Histria, is concerned. A dungeon on his island turns out to be the last entrance to the Underworld, full of wealth and dangers; while beyond the sea the Poison King Mithridates builds up his forces. Enemies old and new prepare for a new war that will determine who shall replace the fallen Olympians. And Kairos is determined to be on the winning side.

Shari is a med student, months away from being a doctor. Mace is a coder on his first day of an exciting new job. When the world comes to a sudden and horrifying end, none would have expected them to be among the few survivors. Hyper-aggressive undead zombie creatures hunt anything living on the surface, where even the grass and trees can kill you. Hiding underground is safe, but not much of a life. Their only escape is a virtual world of magic and monsters where Shari can use her healing skills, and Mace can focus on something other than his fears.