Showing results by author "Vasily Mahanenko" in All Categories

Zul'var's altar is no more. In one fell swoop, it was destroyed, Leg Ondo lost his shot at becoming a full-fledged wizard, and Liara Slick disappeared without a trace. The emperor is doing everything he can to impede the upstart clan's growth. A mysterious wizard following Bashorg is filling Brown Bear lands with terrifying demons. And then there's the academy and final exams.

The Game is in turmoil. All the players' strength and resources are invested in preparing for Restart: only 20 percent of the players will make it to the next era. Murders are becoming commonplace; bribes and nepotism are at their height. Betrayal is becoming an inherent part of everyday interactions. The Game has spread its perfidious influence to the farthest corners of the Universe, affecting every sentient being. Will the Dark Judge reach the right verdict? Will he follow the ideals of his class to the end or will he reject them, becoming an ordinary player?

What are you supposed to do when the whole world joins forces against you? Give up, find some hole to duck into, and beg for your life to be spared? But even despite how obvious the answer to that question might be, many an adult had been dashed on the rocks 12-year-old Tailyn Vlashich was supposed to climb. Ahead of him lay a secret laboratory belonging to the ancients; behind was a horde headed by his sworn enemy. But through it all, Tailyn had those who loved him, those who believed in him, and that support was enough to carry him to the ends of the Earth.

The Magic Academy...an institution shrouded in mystery and secrets. People from all over the different empires want nothing more than to enroll, get their hands on the knowledge stored there, become those most respected in the world - mages. Tailyn Vlashich was one of the lucky few admitted without going through the entrance exams.

Max, formerly Maximilian Valevsky, begins to understand what it means to exist in a dark world dominated by light. People hate him, exploit him, fear him, and try to kill him the first chance they get. But our hero is willing to endure all trials and tribulations in pursuit of his goal: killing Duke Odoevsky and avenging his family. And he'll let nothing stand in his way.

Twelve players set off through the online world of Galactogon, lured by the game owners' promise of an enormous payoff. The question is, who will survive to tell the tale? Which of the 12 is a potential hero - or a traitor in the making? Which of them will defend the weak, and who will become the ultimate evil overlord? A knight or a coward? Each of the 12 will have to choose his or her path.

These were dark times for Tailyn Vlashich, the 12-year-old alchemist. He'd been banished from the empire. The academy had summarily dismissed him. A deadly killer had been dispatched to hunt him. He'd been dropped all the way down to level one. But while there weren't many adults who would have been able to cope with the litany of problems Tailyn was facing, they weren't him. And he had help - two mentors, his girl, and a friend.

Is there anything better than a quiet life? Well, there's a quiet life surrounded by people you care about, people who love you in return, of course. But Tailyn Vlashich knew nothing of the kind. His parents had died years before, the townspeople stayed well away from the god's favorite, and his guardian just wanted to be rid of him. That was the setting when Tailyn was again placed on the road to uncertainty, beset by terrifying lixes, and hounded by a harsh trainer it was impossible to please.

Reality is cruel. The rising level of technological development has led to a rising level of unemployment. They're laying off everybody, from teachers to technical servicemen. What's the point of holding onto a person if they can be replaced by an advanced mechanism? But what are the people to do? How are they to live? Where are they to get money from? There is only one answer - Barliona. The official government project is gathering steam, luring more and more people into its net.

A check for a billion credits. The prize seemed lost forever, and here it glittered again with all its colors, drawing the couple like a magnet. The pirates, the Uldans, the Zatrathi - none of it mattered now. The final goal was so close. All they had to do was reach out and grasp it. Alas, fortune refuses to land in Surgeon's hand just like that, without a fight. Fortune only comes to those who can prove themselves. Will Alexis and Eunice find their inner strength and go to the end - or will the obstacles in their way force them to give up their search?

What could be better than space adventures? Captain Surgeon knows the answer to this question - space piracy! Loot, pillage, plunder, and sell all the lucre - that's the motto of the Galactogon pirates, and Surgeon is doing his best to join their number. But what is to be done when the enigmatic Uldans do not want to leave our swashbuckler in peace and keep laying new mysteries in his path, distracting him from his main goal?

The law of the jungle declares: it's every man for himself! This principle applies not only to the human world, but also the domain of their greatest adversaries—the demons. Their world's Tier Zero differs little from the Tier Zero of the human world. The resources are just as scarce, the creatures just as vicious, and the absence of law just as blatant. Yet the Heavens show no mercy when the push comes to shove. When it's time to conquer the Tier Zero of an alien world, retreat is not an option. For the privilege of ascending to immortality is reserved only for the strong.

The Law of the Jungle is clear about one thing—if you cross the high and mighty, you're courting disaster. But even when the Grim Reaper comes knocking for Vyllea of the Urbangos tribe, Seeker Zander isn't going to surrender her without a fight! And for someone prepared to do anything for the one you love, no law in the world can stop you from saving their life. Thus, our Seekers are back in action, facing the First Tier ahead—alluring, brimming with energy, and rife with cultists and ascension schools.

The dark "doomed soldier" Max, formerly Baron Maximilian Valevsky, has committed an act of heroism. The emperor wants to personally reward him, and a meeting with the leader of the empire means only one thing: Max will regain his former name. But the mysterious forces circling the throne of the Zarask Empire have their own opinions about how best to utilize Max and his abilities. Their task is simple: bend our hero to their will and force him to do their bidding. But will Max agree to dance like a marionette with someone else pulling the strings?

Maximillian has been given the chance to avenge his family's death: the Duke of Odoevsky has conspired in a plot against the emperor, and if Max plays his cards right, he'll be able to destroy the man who read out his family's execution order with such ecstasy. But one small mistake topples his plans, and now thousands of people caught in the clutches of terrible monsters are counting on him to save them. What choice must he make? Revenge or salvation?

What could possibly go wrong at a Tier Zero school of ascension when all the powerful foes have been vanquished and a bonded pair of Seekers can handle any adversary-not just at their current stage of ascension, but also from the initial ranks of the next one?

The World of the Changed, still going strong! A sister kidnapped, a powerful enemy right around the corner, and Earth under the thumb of the monsters. What else is it going to take to become a true hero and save humanity? The only problem is that Mark Derwin has bigger problems, focused as he is on finding Squirrel, his sister. And he has to make sure she's still the same person she always was rather than a chunk of noa. He's prepared to do anything, go to any lengths to make that happen, including working with the game.

What would happen if a professional rock musician joined a virtual MMO in search of inspiration among its game world? What would happen if she decided to play as a biota bard, a brand-new race of humanoid flora as well as a new class? Whatever would happen, it would surely be fun....

This fast-paced collection of novellas and short stories from leading Russian LitRPG authors sheds new light on their signature worlds. You're in Game! features works by Vasily Mahanenko, Andrei Livadny, Alexey Osadchuk, Michael Atamanov, Pavel Kornev, and Andrew Novak. Expect your favorite heroes to play second fiddle to an array of new main characters, once-minor plot lines to lead you in unexpected directions, and familiar story events to take surprising new turns.

The whole world is falling apart. Bashorg, the demon, and the Beast, a dragon, are summoning all their power to rage against the Abyss, the prison their divine essences have been trapped in. Leg Ondo and his team must pull off the impossible once again. But how are they going to save the planet with Beatrice Shiv, a beautiful young girl, causing problems for Liara Slick, Leg's betrothed? How are they going to save the world if they can't even get along? The time has come for Leg Ondo to remember his true past as a valg.