Bleak Setting

Conrad barely scraped through high school and ended up with grades too low to secure a college admission. And for a reject like him, a bleak future was already a possibility. So, he turned to the one thing he knew best, pickpocketing. A heist gone seemingly right thrusted him in the hidden world of assassins and magic. Now a Diviner Marked by the Arcane Master, The Devil, Conrad is blackmailed into working as an assassin in a world where fate is written in the cards.

Below the nine setting suns lies the remains of the Golden Crows. By chance, a young man arrives in the world of Journey to the West, attaining enlightenment using the bodies of nine Golden Crows, leading to a different journey. Summary for this book: "Living in the Journey to the West, I started off by roasting nine Golden Crows." Yet another summary is, "My days of collecting bodies in the Journey to the West. When it comes to body collection, no one's better than me. Three hundred years of professional body collection experience, skilled at cooking braised meat, and never adds sugar in it."

During a late-night emergency surgery, a young surgeon is struck by a mysterious system, setting him on a strange new path in life. “Dingdong! Reward: 3,000 cases of finger replantation!” “Dingdong! 5,000 cases of coronary artery bypass surgery, available at a half-price bundle!” “Brainstem tumor power-up package!” “Due to your recent outstanding performance, the system has evaluated you and is granting access to the system laboratory—” What? This broken system is so powerful? It can not only perform surgeries but also conduct research? Alright, then. Time to rise to the pinnacle of life.

Exuberance is a tale about the cursed maiden known as Salem, who wanders the bleak world of Peruvia in search of either meaning or a swift end to her miserable existence. Along the way she encounters a strange race of alien creatures and is flung into an ancient conflict once fought by her mysterious mother. Now struggling with a strange and oppressive parasite found within her, Salem begins her descent into villainy as she attempts to free the world from its misery. She will find love and family on her path, as well as many threatening foes. But above all else Salem is bound to her mission. She must uncover and destroy the mysterious evil that plagues the world, even if it means becoming a sinister queen.

Meet Alex Knight, a hardworking young man burdened by crushing debt and a bleak future. When his new boss turns his life into a waking nightmare, Alex finds himself trapped in a job he can't escape, his future held hostage by the whims of a tyrant. Just when he believes he has one anchor left—his girlfriend's love—a devastating betrayal leaves him utterly broken. But then the world changes. The system descends, dragging everyone into a chaotic new reality. Alex becomes the first to sync with it, earning a mysterious title: [Apocalypse Baby] [You have awakened the skill: Exploding Touch] [Anything you touch turns into a bomb.] Armed with a deadly gift, Alex rises from the ashes of his former life to become an unstoppable force in an urban fantasy world where power rules and vengeance drives him forward.

Prince Arthur Aethersworn of Tashran knows his place: powerless, caged by tradition, and haunted by his lack of magic in a family brimming with it. Under his father’s impassive yet critical eye, he’s forced into training for a throne he can never claim without true power. Just as he’s about to resign to a bleak fate, a mysterious figure with ties to forbidden magic offers Arthur a choice: break free and seek the fabled Dragon's Eyes, or remain bound by royal duty. On this quest, he risks everything: his loyalties, family ties, and deepest beliefs. As he uncovers hidden powers, he faces powerful forces determined to prevent him from changing his destiny. Embark on Arthur's journey, an adventure where casting aside one’s humanity becomes a path, not a barrier to untold power.

Growing up on the streets of New Pandora after the usurption of Earth, John never expected anything good from life. He survived just to survive, no purpose in mind and no hope. However, even he did not anticipate Awakening and becoming a successor of the Gray Family - an elite family at the peak of the world wielding unimaginable power and wealth. He was born without a Gift and a curse that painted his hair black and filled his eyes with a bleak darkness. Watch as he reaches for the apex of existence and uncovers the hidden plot behind his curse. "In this sixth life, I will have it all!"

'What is my purpose?' He thought as he gazed at the carnage that surrounded him. With every step he takes countless perish, with every action countless mourn. Behind him legions so vast they cover the horizon and blot out the heavens. His soldiers, servants, friends, children. 'That's right.' He remembered with a tinge of melancholy, 'This is my purpose.' Author's note: High fantasy setting, with a heavy emphasis on action, army tactics, political schemes and world building. No harem and very little romance.

Hardworking Protagonist: Yes! Overpowered Growth: Yes! Mythical Creatures and World-Building: Yes! Vengeance-Driven Journey: Yes! Unique System Mechanics: Yes! Ryuk’s life in the forsaken Grade E city was bleak, but it truly shattered when a Knull raid took his last family and left him for dead. On the brink of despair: [System Activation Complete.] [Congratulations, Host has awakened the Draconic Pets Evolution System!] [Welcome host, to the path of domination.] Thrust into Endearth, a shattered mirror of Earth teeming with mythical creatures—vampires, werewolves, cosmic gods—and the unstoppable Knulls, Ryuk sets out on a journey of relentless growth, vengeance, and discovery. But power comes with a price, and the dual nature of his gift could either save humanity or destroy everything. This is a story of evolution, redemption, and defiance. Join Ryuk as he rises from nothing, building unshakable bonds with allies and carving his path in a world where strength is the only currency. --- A/N 1. Hardworking protagonist. Ryuk doesn’t rely solely on his system; he earns his power. 2. Overpowered potential. Growth takes effort, but Ryuk will become a force to be reckoned with. 3. No hiding strength. He plays smart, but when it’s time to fight, Ryuk doesn’t hold back. 4. Dark and morally complex. Ryuk is vengeful and will cross any line to protect what matters. 5. No harem. Relationships are meaningful, not shallow. 6. Lastly, if this novel stirs even the faintest flicker of interest in your soul, pour your undying devotion into it! Haha, just kidding… or am I? But seriously, please shower this story with power stones and drop some reviews. Your support fuels Ryuk’s journey (and keeps me caffeinated while writing). Thank you! ... Join the Discord for character arts and talk with the author: https://discord.gg/gTkMp93wxW

Just try it, i'm sure you will love it :). Update Daily at around 9 AM PST ------------------------- “Wait a minute… why does this truck have no driver-” An average man was hit by two trucks and was suddenly reincarnated in another world with the help of Rher, the God of Fate; but it seemed like this new world he was in had magic, classes, and even a very game-like approach to it? Your class is decided at your birth with no way to change or choose it, and yet here he was, with the [Chosen One] talent and the [Class Wheel] skill, which allowed him to spin the wheel to gain a class every time. And so the first time he spanned the wheel during a fight... "What the fuck is the SSS-ranked 'Domination' class? Never heard of it!" Follow the story of Stark as he faces all the challenges of this world and tries to survive everything and anything that comes at him. ------------------------- WSA 2024 ENTRY! Please show support and gift powerstones if you like the story! 150 Powerstones: 1 bonus chapter 250 Powerstones: 2 bonus chapters 500 Powerstones: 3 bonus chapters Thank you :)

A thunderstorm and heavy rain woke up Danny Sage from his final rest in bleak dead of night. Shattered memories assaulted his mind of the final battle he had met his end at the hands of two women but he was alive again reborn with a different name and destiny.

Its the tale of a young man who sets out on the journey of evolution . With the aid of Multiverse System he will cross various dungeons, animes, movies and set his path for unending evolution.

A sixteen-year-old student, burdened by a gloomy and solitary life, finds himself thrust into a world beyond his wildest dreams. Enrolled in an elite school thanks to his parents’ financial sacrifices, his first day begins in chaos. Awakened late by his frantic mother, he rushes to his new school only to find himself overwhelmed by a sea of dazzling, confident students flaunting their wealth and charisma. Feeling out of place, he navigates the intimidating crowd, his head down and his heart heavy—until fate intervenes. A sudden collision with a woman radiating charm and flamboyance leaves him stunned. As he looks up, their eyes meet, and in that fleeting moment, his bleak world seems to shatter and rebuild all at once. She is more than just a stranger; she feels like a fragment of a lost love—someone he had been searching for without even knowing it. His life will never be the same again.

Discord Link for those interested [https://discord.gg/TGc9yymDJP] One may think that in order to be a Hero you must have a pure soul, and untainted heart, but in reality such a thing is impossible; now one's soul is pure, nor is anyone's heart untainted, Gods aren't even exempt from this rule. No, a True Hero is someone who knows they have an impure soul and tainted heart, yet they embrace it, instead of attempting to deny their very nature; however, not all True Heros are the same, some have different beliefs and/or ideals. Yet at the end of the day, no matter how terrible or bleak the situation looks, you can always count on a True Hero to act as a beacon of light that'll show you the correct path, but for you to take, you must embark on it yourself.

How many years would one get for using less-than-holy means to rob a nun of her purity? That’s the exact question plaguing Ronan as he finds himself in a rather compromising situation with a bound and helpless nun, Aurelia—the future Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Dawn. As a former player of the notoriously dark and chaotic game Goddess X Dark Beasts, Ronan realizes he's transmigrated into the body of a minor villain doomed to meet a grisly end. His body is drugged, the room is full of ominous shadows, and his would-be captors expect him to commit unspeakable acts to secure his place in their depraved cult. But Ron has no intention of following the game’s bleak script. With Aurelia glaring daggers at him and her fiancé, Herman, leading an army of knights to storm the cult’s hideout, Ronan is given a choice by a sudden system: Succumb to fate, destroy Aurelia’s spirit, and die as an unsung hero. Or... Defy destiny, survive the impossible, and forge a new path.

In the ravaged expanse of a fallen Earth, humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. The once blue skies are now a toxic haze, and the landscape is scarred by the remnants of civilization. Amidst this desolate backdrop, a few scattered survivors cling to life, their existence a daily struggle against the harsh environment and the ever-present threat of violence. In this bleak world, hope is a luxury few can afford.

Paradox, a boy forged in the crucible of adversity, found himself unwillingly relocated to the desolate reaches of Mars. The year 2045, a time of great upheaval and loss. Earth, once a vibrant tapestry of life, was now a scarred planet, ravaged by a devastating civil war. The once-beloved faces of family and friends, now distant memories, haunted his dreams. A prodigy, yet a prisoner of his own brilliance, Paradox had always been a pawn in the grand game of human ambition. His childhood, stolen by relentless expectations, had left him yearning for a life of simplicity and peace. Now, on this bleak world, he sought solace in the pursuit of knowledge, hoping to find meaning in the vast expanse of the cosmos. Yet, he stumbled upon an extraordinary force, a cosmic aberration defying all known laws of probability. A choice, a stark and a moral decision, presented itself. A choice that would test the very core of his being, a choice that would alter the very course of fate itself. As the weight of his decision bores down upon him, Paradox would be forced to undergo a revelation.

Following the world's greatest catastrophe—which nearly led to the apocalypse—the revelation of the skills to utilize magic and supernatural powers were brought to light. They, who were chosen by the stones were called the Ability Holders. With the globe entering a new era, an Academy specializing and entirely dictated for ability users was established. At this academy, abilities are evaluated and ranked based on how they influence the world. Gleren Stasis, a F-rank student at this academy—due to a certain circumstances—was forced to covertly work for an organization that preserves global harmony and balance; a pacifist and a nonchalant boy who would rather idle his days watching anime and play games than to do anything bothersome. However, one day with the arrival of Maria, the vampire princess—his wishful and peaceful days came crashing down. Maria as the Last Vampire was a special existence for which she was constantly sought after by her enemies. With such danger always lurking about the Vampire Princess, Gleren Stasis—a F-ranked student at Saint Stella Academy—was tasked with protecting her at all costs without disclosing the truth about himself(?). Will his life thoroughly change—or will he be the one to change the life of the vampire princess? This story revolves around the life of an underwhelming boy and the one's he had sworn to protect.

In a world ravaged by a mysterious, natural disaster, clouds pass over the Earth, transforming everything they touch into a bleak, black-and-white wasteland. Anyone caught in this monochrome zone vanishes, disintegrating into bluish-silver dust. Humanity becomes chaotic as the sky darkens and the clouds approach without warning. Amidst this disaster, a young girl must fight to survive and protect her loved ones. Racing against time, she struggles to outrun the clouds and keep her family and friends from disappearing into nothingness. With every passing moment, the world around her becomes less recognizable, and the only certainty is the ever-present threat of the vanishing point.

Setting: Modern-day New York City Plot Idea: Aurora "Rory" Thompson, a 25-year-old freelance journalist, stumbles upon a cryptic message that leads her to investigate a string of mysterious disappearances in New York City. As she delves deeper into the case, she meets enigmatic and handsome billionaire, Julian Blackwood, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own.

In a monstrous post-apocalyptic setting, this is a story of how a lowly Inventor, Lance, conquered a nation governed by immoral group of Scientists called The Corporation. He grew and climbed up to the highest rank possible as a Scientist with his inventions and side businesses. Eventually, he became a weapons inventor, building weapons to two opposing sides. In doing so, Lance always crossed a dilemma. How could a nobody topple the most powerful government? How could one overcome circumstances beyond his grasp, especially in a world filled with monstrous mutations called the Abominants?

In a world where farting do not exist. The man will become The one Who Farts. This story will become boring, maybe. The enemys are not yet decided. That world not need, but that world gets. *NOT Recommended for people* *Irregular Publish* *BORING STORY* *DUMB AUTHOR* *DUMB NAMES* *TRASH STORYTELLING* *BULLSHIT SETTING* *BULLSHIT ROMANCE*(IF there is maybe a romance) *BULLSHIT CONFLICTS* *ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS*

Is the universe real? Is the earth real? Is everything around us real? Are we... real? Are we... truly alive? Every evening, the setting sun will set in the west. Just as every morning, the rising sun will rise in the east. Time always flows towards the future minute by minute, and what we experience will always become history minute by minute. ... Whether we are willing or not, everything in life, on the earth, and in the universe will always evolve towards the future regularly. But is the future an unknown evolution or has it already been set? Are people or things just moving along the set path? Even, at the moment when the big bang of the universe started from a singularity 13.8 billion years ago, was its ending already doomed? ... Seeing is believing. Perhaps the so-called truth in front of us is just a pre-set truth! Every minute and every second may just be countless fixed time-space slices, just spliced together under the operation of a pre-set logic. We, every person, every thing, or perhaps just countless code fragments under this extremely complex grand logic...

Outcasted after having been accused of a crime he never committed, Solstice already had a bleak outlook on life and people as a whole. Now, after being chosen by the Wyrd, a force that submits people to harrowing fates and forces them to be a part of a chaotic story of its choosing, Solstice's outlook on life had significantly changed afterwards. Solstice now faced with impending doom, finally realized how desperately he wanted to live and have a life of his own although, that is easier said then done. Facing a seemingly omnipresent force, frightening monsters, and worst of all, other people succumbed to the madness, all possessing fantastical powers, he continues to struggle against it all.

'Nameless' was an ordinary man, toiling at a laborious job in the biting cold of his snowy village. Though life was bleak and unremarkable, he pushed on for his family. But everything changed on a fateful day when he stumbled upon an unholy sight—something so profoundly unbelievable that his mind exploded and his very soul was wrenched from his body, which then endlessly fell through the earth. As he plummeted, he caught glimpses of ancient murals, forgotten fossils, underground rivers, and civilizations long lost to time. When the descent ended, 'Nameless' found himself in an entirely different world, inhabiting the body of a young student named Abhi. At first, he believed Abhi was just a generic student, but he soon discovered that Abhi was anything but ordinary. Abhi himself was not from this world either. The soul of two transmigrators was trapped in a single body. Whose soul will take control, and whose shall perish? *** [Written by OverlyZero on Royal Road, Webnovel and Scribble Hub] Discord: https://discord.gg/vPxQZfVNXb

This is the Brainrot series, which has no serious lore or anything that truly matters. This series is essentially the Dark Souls of Original Web Novels (ORV), and there isn't a real message to convey, except in the smut chapters. However, the world-building doesn't align with the current setting, and there are various power systems present in this world.

"To be in control of destiny is to understand the laws of nature and the course of human consciousness. To lose sight of consciousness is to fall into the absence of self-awareness and stray from the path of universal equilibrium." "Did you get that, Ultrix? Or are you too busy setting the workshop on fire again?!" -------------------------------------------------- This novel is for the Writing Contest 104.

In the year 2097, God abandoned the Divine Throne, leaving creation vulnerable. The Council of the Seven-Headed Serpent, the seven Demon Kings of Hell, seized the opportunity to invade the Silver City, defeating the angels and shattering Heaven's defenses. With pieces of the divine realm in their grasp, they unleashed Hell on Earth. Decades later, in this bleak world, a nameless boy survives in the shadows of a ruined city. Marked by tragedy and driven by a strange yearning, he crosses paths with a dying devil. Desperate to escape death, the devil, offers the boy immense power in exchange for sharing his body. But the ritual goes awry. Instead of possession, the devil’s soul fuses with the boy’s, awakening a mysterious holy power within him. Now harboring the soul of a devil, the boy must navigate the perils of a shattered Earth and the Nine Circles of Hell. Caught between the remnants of his humanity and his new demonic nature. Will he become a savior, a conqueror, or a greater demon than those he opposes? Hell is no longer a place beneath the Earth—it’s here. And humanity’s only hope may be found in the most unlikely of vessels.

Yoshihiro Takagi is a shut in who inherited his grandfather’s home and money. He loves to write a novel to pass his time, a novel called Grinfall. The novel takes place in the same world created by his grandfather, he was a novelist and manga author. One day when starting a new volume set after a time gap of 1000 years after his original setting, he writes a rather interesting line and somehow gets transported into another world. That world is none other than the one titled in front of his novels.

The infamous White Clan robbed A-rank investigator James Ross's happiness by setting his house on fire, and—! Ross wants to get revenge on them after that event, but he must overcome obstacles to reach the leader of the White Clan with his allies.