Comedy Dungeon Crawler Dystopia GameLit Grimdark Horror LitRPG Magic Male Lead Mystery Progression Fantasy Psychological Supernatural Urban Fantasy

Murder in the Temple (LitRPG | Progression Fantasy)

Name: Murder in the Temple (LitRPG | Progression Fantasy)
Rating: 4.74 (159 reviews)
Author: Malory

Malory

4.74 159 Ratings

Ongoing Status

360.8k Views

Start Reading

Synopsis

Welcome to Soar, where your Level, your Class, and your god decide how you live and how you die. Unless you’re Jana Lowe. Then you’re all kinds of screwed.

When a High Priestess turns up dead in her own temple, the city does what it always does; shrugs and keeps moving. Corruption’s just part of the landscape, and dead holy women aren’t rare enough to make the betting books. But this particular corpse has Jana’s name written all over it, and for once, that might not be a bad thing.

Once, he had a Class, a patron god, and a future. Now? He’s broke, suspended, and, worst of all, fresh out of divine favour. Just a low-Level Private Investigator with limited Skills and a very punchable face.

To crack the case, Jana has to find a way to level up without a god’s blessing, dodge the wrong kind of attention, and wade through a city where faith is currency and murder’s just part of the market. And if he lives long enough to find the killer? Maybe – just maybe – he’ll be allowed to get his job back.

He’s Classless. Broke. Out of luck. But murder in Soar? That’s his kind of trouble.

Books similar to Murder in the Temple (LitRPG | Progression Fantasy)

A Cosmic Weight

★ 4.69

PatrickSBooth

Decades ago, strange gateways to other worlds opened across Earth. With these came alien races, strange magic, and danger unlike any other. Reed is what most would call an everyday citizen, but when thrust into a broader universe filled with ancient civilizations, eldritch horrors, and godlike powers, it's only natural one must adapt in order to survive.

Silhouette

★ 4.55

GrimCat

WARNING: THIS STORY HAS A SLOW START. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

We all grew up hearing stories about heroes and villains, but what would we do if we were to be part of one?

One night, a bioweapon escaped from its laboratory in Zalcien, only to die in a dark alley.

One night, a young man lent a helping hand, only to die alone in the dark.

One night, a deity of death saw two lost souls and offered one a second chance in the other's body.

Now a strange creature made of darkness, James has to deal with his new form in a strange new world where superpowers, heroes and villains are commonplace, far away from his home. Watch as he learns how to use his powers, as he meets allies and enemies and how, when facing the paths of heroism and villainy, he chooses a third way somewhere in between.

Follow the story of James, a lost Earthling soul, as he becomes Silhouette, the mysterious power in the shadows.

Cover by TheWinterer.

Greetings fellow humans. This is my first story on Royal Road and my first long-term project written in English, so I do hope you will have some mercy in your heart when reading.

So, as you may have understood, this is a story with super-heroes - which is quite ironic for my first story considering all of the other ones planned are fantasy - and as such will take place in a modern-like setting.

Despite dark themes and gory scenes making their way into the story, it is still a super-hero world with the logic that matches, so expect characters to survive nuclear explosions without a scratch and yet to get defeated by a rubber ducky - as well as similar dark humor, thus the comedy part.

Ideworld Chronicles: The Art Mage

★ 4.7

OneDropRain

"Does the art ever dream of you?"

I never had a destiny.

Orphaned young and raised by a crime lord to be a daredevil thief in his image, I spent years trying to live a normal life, clinging to the rare moments of connection I could find. I was always searching for the truth of the world, and of myself.

But when my passion for art pulled me into a twisted reflection of Earth and awakened my power over Artistic Creation, I had to face a question I could no longer avoid:

Would I finally be able to paint my own fate?

My name is Alexandra May. I am the Archmage of the Domain of Artistic Creation. Eyes in the Sky. The Memory Weaver. The Angel Slayer. The Color Bender. Friend to Shadows. The Thief who stole the World.

And this is my story.

What to expect:

A sharp, flawed, and funny protagonist. A dangerous world split between modern Earth and a myth-twisted sister realm. Magic that’s inventive, unique, and deadly.

Alexa isn’t perfect. Far from it. She’s clever but burdened with trust issues, hubris, and greed. And she doesn’t start strong. She doesn’t gain her powers until a quarter into Act I, and even then, she fumbles more than she flourishes: building tools, not dominance. Her real magical growth doesn’t begin until midway through Act II, when the story’s pace and stakes surge.

The magic system is anything but ordinary. Forget fireballs. Think salt-armored warriors, flesh-twisting tentacles, or symphonies turned into weapons. Battles are fast, brutal, and surprising, with real consequences. Characters die. Sometimes even those you thought untouchable.

The world unfolds in layers: Earth as we know it, and Ideworld, where myths, dreams, and nightmares rule. The deeper introduction to Ideworld’s ruling powers and factions doesn’t fully arrive until Act II, but once it does, the scope widens dramatically.

What ties it all together is Alexa’s voice: humor laced with cynicism, keeping the story sharp even when the stakes turn deadly. The cast around her is just as layered: flawed, human, and compelling. No caricatures.

UPDATES:

New chapters on: Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Side stories: unscheduled

Read Ahead on Patreon!

Want to stay at least five chapters ahead in Ideworld Chronicles? Support the story and get exclusive early access over on Patreon:
patreon.com/IdeworldChronicles

Every bit of support helps keep the story alive and lets you dive deeper into Alexa May’s chaotic, magical world before anyone else.

*Ideworld Chronicles are posted exclusively on RoyalRoad and on Patreon. If you are reading it elsewhere, it is an unauthorized and stolen copy.

We also have our own Discord!

The Last Human

★ 4.58

PSHoffman

Thousands of years ago, HUMANKIND was destroyed ...

… but the xenos still worship them as GODS.

Now, xenos build cities among the majestic ruins scattered across the worlds. Though these alien people are surrounded by ancient wonders and relics, few understand their true powers. One Empire has learned to harness the remains of humanity's forgotten technology to reconnect the distant worlds ... and dominate them.

Eolh is a jaded, avian thief who was raised in the dark underbelly of Gaiam, a city full of winged xenos and soaring temples. When the Empire first stormed through the Gate, Eolh and his friends fought and bled to defend their home.

But the resistance died a long time ago.

No one dreams of fighting back, because only the Empire knows how to wield Humanity's forgotten weapons: warships that fly, robotic constructs that hunt, and rare mysteries scavenged from the tombs of the gods.

Instead, Eolh lives a half-life: thieving, running jobs, and selling his services as a freelance listener for the last gangs of Lowtown. He trusts no one, and only looks out for himself.

But when an unusual heist takes a deadly turn, Eolh must bargain with an overzealous android who carries an impossible secret—one that will shake the foundations of the universe.

There is one last hope for salvation.

Read if you love:

- Extremely powerful human MCs

- Space Opera inspired by the prophecies of Dune

- Aliens and machines found in Star Wars

- The long-forgotten ruins from The Elder Scrolls

2 Books Now Published!

Get The Last Human, Book 1 of the Human Gods here.

Get The Lord of Change, Book 2 of the Human Gods here.

... or keep reading right here on RR :)

No stubs!!!

I'm now posting the 4th and final book as of Sept 2025, so you can read the whole thing right here.

Darkhelm (Grimdark Progression Fantasy)

★ 4.56

BardLyre

You are a brief candle in a long night. You pass through, and we are grateful, but the blackness will take you.

As a Knight of the Road, Daine Darkhelm is charged with keeping the King’s peace. For thirty years she has travelled the cities of the West, and done what she can to push back the shadows.

But when she is charged with protecting a stableboy, things spiral out of control. The eyes of those in the dark are fixed on this boy.

The realm needs heroes, and Daine Darkhelm may not be enough...

Book One: Darkhelm (Stub - read on KU)

Book Two: Stonehand (Stub - read on KU)

Book Three: Shadowbound

For more information on LitRPG books and stories, check out the LitRPG Facebook group. As well as LitRPG Books and GameLitRPGsociety

Double-Blind: A Modern LITRPG

★ 4.54

Eligos

Choosing a college when your family is struggling can be difficult, but it isn’t supposed to be world ending. And the falling meteor is seriously limiting Matt’s options.

Now in the aftermath, his home city is locked down by a mysterious dome, corporations are looking to monopolize a wealth of new untapped resources, and people are suddenly developing powers via a system that seems to have borderline sinister intentions. In the chaos, he decides to stick to what he knows: stay out of the spotlight, grind, and survive.

Watch as Matt is dragged into a dark LITRPG set in the real world, where the price of failure is death, and the prize for winning is beyond his wildest dreams.

++++++++++++++++++

There’s a couple big influences here: Solo-Leveling, Squid Game, and Code Geass. If you enjoy LITRPG stories with morally gray characters, high stakes, and smart protagonists who start weak and eventually become powerful in a unique way, you’ll probably find something to like. But be forewarned. It won’t be easy.

Find book one on Kindle Unlimited & Audible.

Myth//OS

★ 4.84

Lost Rain

What’s left when it all falls apart? Where do I go when the path forward is blocked? How do people just move on like nothing ever happened? A change in location certainly helped me.

Bastion, the last hope of civilization. It's bright. It’s flashy. It’s dangerous. There was nowhere else in the world, or any world, like it. With heroic Wardens protecting the city from monsters, rifts, and villainous Anarchs, there’s always something happening within the walls of Bastion. Not to mention the corporations bickering like children even during the end-times.

The existential threats that sought the destruction of the last city were just another Tuesday. The Wardens, with their system-granted powers, kept them in the back of people’s minds. Forged from broken myths, shattered stars, and fractured hope, they're the only thing between the city and total devastation. They were just out of reach for me.

They were. Until the OS picked a wayward Stray who happened to be in the right place at the right time. One rift, job, and monster at a time, I’d claw my way back to the top... just as soon as I found the drive to actually get out there. Picking up the pieces was just too tiring.

— — —

This is going to be quite a long story.

If you like superheroes vs villains, cyberpunk, and system progression, then you might like Myth//OS? Check it out?

Echoes of the Tribulation: An Historical Apocalypse LitRPG Series.

★ 4.69

Carl Dehal

What you can expect:

The year is 1329, and the Horns of the Apocalypse are about to sound.

In a small Scottish town, a young boy begins a journey from a carpenter's apprentice to one of the most powerful forces in the Host of the Heavens.

His Journey: A path of adversity lies before him, spanning from the Scottish Borders to the Spanish Reconquista, the Holy Land, and Realms beyond.

His Ascension: An unceasing trial, where one misstep may condemn his soul. Our hero must discover a path of progress and conquest over mythical beasts, hordes of demons, and the other fell beings created by the System for the Tribulation of Mankind.

His Tribulation: Will he live by the Words of God, be guided by his own intent, or will other forces claim him for their own ends?

His Fate: ...

Is yet to be determined.

Discover the wonder of the Tribulation Apocalypse in Chapter one of the Echoes of the Tribulation: an Historical Apocalypse LitRPG Series.

Current Schedule : Weekly - ish.

Updates expected to begin again in late October.

Thanks for reading!