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Refrain(Worm/DUNE)

Name: Refrain(Worm/DUNE)
Rating: 4.83 (143 reviews)
Author: Raven_Aelwood

Raven_Aelwood

4.83 143 Ratings

Ongoing Status

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Synopsis

In the hidden corridors of time and mind lies the great gamble. So it was that Paul Atreides—Muad’Dib, the one foretold as Kwisatz Haderach—steeped his soul in the Water of Life. Yet where he should have emerged to the familiar spice-laden dust of Arrakis, he instead awoke to the mocking giggles of a high-school classroom. His body not his own. His memories fleeting, borrowed from a boy named Greg Veder.

Cast into a strange universe where grim forces and towering powers clash, Paul’s once-certain vision falters. The lessons of the desert remain, but the path ahead is no longer lit by starlight and prophecy. Faced with impossible enemies and a cosmic tapestry woven from alien threads, Muad’Dib must glean anew what it means to stand at the nexus of fate—before he is swallowed by a future he cannot truly see.

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CyberGene [Volume 1 Complete! 500k+ Words] [LitRPG w/ cybernetics + mutations]

★ 4.65

Sixbees2

Chapters M-W-F 9AM.
Volume 1 Blood and Steel: All Three Acts Complete!
Volume 2 Thunder and Webs: Act Two Ongoing!

Discord - Patreon - Spotify Playlist

Upgrade. Consume. Evolve. Whether it’s cybernetics or mutations, this world demands you be more than human.

Every century, the MALswarm invades — adaptive aliens of blood and steel led by Titans that decimate billions and leave behind raw Warp Energy. Humanity seizes this power, transforming into beings of mutated flesh and cybernetic might. Yet the promised utopia remains a lie, and New California’s underworld schemes to profit from the impending Fifth Swarm.

Amidst the chaos, two destinies collide. Ripley — a cybernetics savant battling to save his dying mother — operates in the shadows of a gang-owned nightclub. Diana, engineered for perfection, fights as an officer of the law to forget her past. When a monster is unleashed, they steal its infinite potential to warp their futures with their newfound powers.

In a city where salvation and damnation are inseparable, Ripley reinvents himself from the wreckage of his enemies' cybernetics as a mercenary who will one day become an architect of ruin. Diana's mutated blood crackles with lightning as she purges corruption, igniting into a storm of change. Against a grand conspiracy of aliens, rogue AIs, shady corporations, organized crime and centuries of forgotten history, their alliance — and conflict — determines if the world will plunge into darkness or embrace the light.

Wrong City? Wrong People? No. This is the right city, and they're the only ones who can save this dystopian future.

In the Clash of Blood and Steel, The Eclipse rises — echoing in Thunderous Omens and Webs of Lies.

What happens when you mix GodClads, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Akira and a dash of Blade Runner into the mix? This novel.

What to expect?

- Two MCs on opposite sides of the law. Crime vs Police. Mercenary vs Investigator.

- Superhero/Supervillain Themes. How far will they go to achieve their goals?

- Two distinct Power Systems. Cybernetics vs Mutations.

- Adaptation-based Progression. Every Powerset is a story of survival.

- A medium-burn story. Fast-action; slow-burn drama.

- Slice-of-crime. Criminal hijinx, cybernetic crafting, conspiracy investigations, and asskicking.

- Both MCs have separate romantic lives... for now.

- Weak to strong to legendary. Power. Fame. Money - they'll get it all.

- A long Sci-Fi Epic. Three Acts Per Volume. Ten Volumes.

- Eventual alien invasion and Kaiju fights.

Author's Note: This story can be pretty heavy at times. T/W's include: Gore, death, profanity, sexual themes (no descriptions), drugs. Honestly, my novel might be a list of war crimes one day. This story was highly influenced by some downer moments in my life as the characters learn that they can accept the darkness in them and embrace the light. As tragic as elements of this story might be, it is about overcoming tragedy. I hope you'll enjoy it.

The Future That Never Was — The Rings Will Rise Again!

★ 4.64

Space Pickle

WELCOME TO THE RETROFUTURE!

The Future That Never Was is a book series project featuring an alternate space age where the Soviets colonized the belt before David Bowie sang Life on Mars; where rogue AIs took over the web; where pizza came in cans. Humankind couldn’t dream of a more exciting future. Yet, as foolishness eventually turned Earth into a nuclear wasteland, shadows began to conspire from the heart of the Moon to beyond the mysterious Planet Nine…

This extended universe in progress includes numerous R-rated titles. All of them will be uploaded on Royal Road for free. Check the Index or the list/links below for the main stories.

🐈 KITTY KITTY - Completed - <READ>

Join sassy space cat Lee and his Desert Eagle-toting, soda-swigging human partner, Ali, in a future stuck in the late 80s/early 90s. Board the dynamic duo’s ship, the mythical Kitty, as they bounty-hunt their way through a dystopian solar system—so lock and load, and shout Cowabunga! because it’s crime-fightin’ time!

🪐 PACHINKO BLUES - <START READING>

Amid the chaos of the Rings Civil War, a disgraced pilot finds himself tangled in a vast vendetta involving a megacorporation, android mercenaries and data-cartels. From Saturn’s Plastic Fields to the fringes of Kuiper, his violent redemption is an 80s-esthetic space western filled with tears, blood and... ducks?

[Back in November 2023]

Other stories related to the first arc of The Future That Never Was:

• RADIO FREAK - Standalone biopunk short story featuring Ali Koviràn, the Data Maiden and Bill Murray

• STELLAR PATRIOTS - Short special with Braun Kamirov, linking KITTY KITTY and the book series

• DATA ONE & DATA ZERO - 2024

• CYBER MACHO - 2025

To support our work or simply read in better condition, visit our amazon shop and patreon!

Godclads

★ 4.66

OstensibleMammal

Professionally edited and published versions of volumes 1 and 2 can be found on Kindle and as audiobooks on Audible!

Avo was born to destroy New Vultun. In a twist of fate, he’ll become its only hope for salvation.

The gods were the enemy. The slaver. The chains. With dreams of paradise, humanity slaughtered them and stole their powers, opening the path to become more – to ascend.

Instead, they nearly destroyed the world.

Vast hive cities serve as the final bastions against the crumbling of reality. New Vultun is the greatest of them all, and within its borders, ascenders wage war to determine the laws of existence itself.

The world descends ever deeper into ruination.

Avo was born a weapon, a slave to his instincts and his masters. He and his brothers were made to burn New Vultun to ashes. Everything changes when Avo gains immortality and becomes heir to an impossible legacy.

He must ascend the megacity of New Vultun. He must challenge the very tyrants that usurped the gods.

He must finally free the world from chains.

Join the Discord and subscribe to the patreon here.

Chapters are usually around 2.5 to 3k words.

Disclaimer: Expect detailed descriptions of violence, cannibalism, and cursing.

Expect: Monster mc, magitech, cyberpunk, implants, atrocities, oppression, non-human protagonist, reality-warping powers, and combined arms warfare.

Do not expect: Smut, romance

If you develop a sudden outbreak of rash after reading Godclads, it's not the story. But go see a doctor. Just in case.

Tinea and Leah [Cyberpunk, Alien Incursions, Murder and Mayhem, Sapphic Romance (WLW)]

★ 4.67

Eleeyah

Tinea...had an ugly childhood full of pain and abuse. It taught her how to fight and survive, how to run and hide and cut ties. It didn't teach her much else.

So she'd ran.

Crossed an ocean, grown up, and discovered the world. She'd made her life her own. Soul-deep pain notwithstanding, she'd fought to be happy.

Until the rabid aliens invaded her neighborhood.

Smoking rifle in hand and still coming up short, she'd made a life-ending choice...and was rewarded beyond her wildest dreams. Or, perhaps exactly to her wildest dreams; dreams of a chrysalis, come to life through DNA-changing Vanguard science.

Reborn, a whole new journey awaits the warrior looking for connection, for togetherness.

It just so happens, an opportunity lies not far.

What to expect:

Plot is discovered, not designed. Consequences shape events, rather than scenes being designed to push plot. Characters, relationships, and setting are particularly strong, plot can get WILD in amazing, unexpected ways.

- A serious approach to transforming male to female, using sci-fi DNA morphing. Tinea starts out as Aden, but quickly gains his wishes.
- Maturity from both leads
- WLW/GL/Sapphic: from the soft and cuddly, to the (clearly marked) explicit
- Gratuitous violence against unthinking aliens
- Get points, buy gear
- Cybernetic upgrades
- Organic augmentations
- Occasional slowburn sections
- Many, many chapters

This work is set in the universe of RavensDagger's Stray Cat Strut, but it ISN'T necessary to read that first. Further, Tinea and Leah has been recognized officially as canon by master Raven himself. Cheers!

I develop my own plot and characters. Thank you for reading. :)

The cover art was drawn for me by Jero, who can be found on my Discord server - links in each chapter.

Royalroad staff has designated this story as Original so that I may post my Ko-Fi link in the chapters. TnL is still a fanfiction-slash-extended-universe-slash-canon-thing for Stray Cat Strut, regardless of the "Original" tag. :)

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!

Getting Warhammerred [WH 40k Fanfic]

★ 4.6

Arawn Frostguard

In the forgotten annals of the Dark Age of Technology, a dormant bioweapon waits, its existence buried in the shadows of mankind's once-glorious past.

A sinister ritual, shrouded in darkness, now threatens to merge this enigmatic weapon with a soul plucked from a higher dimension and unleash Chaos upon the grimdark future of the 41st millennium.

But can it succeed? Or how soon will it go off the rails on the off chance that it does succeed?

The fate of this perilous venture hinges upon the awakening of the soul, reincarnated into an eldritch form, stranded upon a desolate world where the guiding light of the Astronomican no longer shines, surrounded by naught but the lifeless husk of the planet that stands as the memorial to all those that died to birth this being into existence.

What choices will it make when those who seek the bioweapon within its very being draw near? Will it fall prey to the myriads of predators stalking the stars or will those very same predators tremble in fear at the sight of this monster?

The future teeters on a knife's edge, awaiting the awakening of the unexpected.

At least that's what everyone else is thinking. Everyone who is not the long-dead soul of an average girl from 21st-century Earth obsessed with sci-fi as she had the dubious fortune of being yanked out of her boring afterlife and reincarnated into the body of the previously said bioweapon.

Follow along as she has to wrestle with both her body and soul while the dark undercurrents of the grimdark future threaten to drown this newborn Eldritch monster with a penchant for admiring herself in the mirror.

Extra Tags or something:

- The first bunch of chapters are rather rough around the edges. Might rewrite them sometime, but for now, the sub-arc dubbed 'wandering in the city' leaves some things to be desired.

-This is far from what I'd call a literary masterpiece, I'm trying to keep it from being fully wish fulfillment and power fantasy but balancing that and my MC not being a ragdoll for everyone in the setting is surprisingly challenging.

I do not own Warhammer, everything aside from my Original characters belongs to Games Workshop.

S.P.E.C.T.O.R – [A Sci-fi space adventure with fantasy elements]

★ 4.5

Sweeper

Adam was having a great time camping in the woods with his girlfriend until they were suddenly attacked. During the attack, his girlfriend was shot while he was thrown from a cliff.
Unconscious and on the verge of death, an android appeared before taking him to a place called Spector, where they healed him.
Now this Spector wants him to be its operator, whatever that means, but before that, he needs to settle the grudge he has against those who attacked him and killed his girlfriend.
Armed with advanced technology, Adam hunts them down before heading out to explore the universe.
Strangely, though, he has to do all this and more while livestreaming to the whole universe.
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First novel in a long time, so bear with me as I may be a bit rough, I hope you enjoy.

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Release Schedule: Daily
This story is also available on RoyalRoad, Webnovel and Patreon.
Access 40+ chapters on Patreon.com/Sweeps083
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Discord: https://discord.gg/D2FWBPA3yc
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I plan to use the usernames of readers who leave comments as some of the livestream viewers in the novel, so if you want to be included, leave a comment.
Also, add what planet you would like to be from and if you would rather your viewer be pro MC or against the MC, or maybe you just want to see the universe burn.
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Sexual content, while not the primary focus of this novel, is a part of it. The warnings listed below are in the chapter titles that have sexual content.
* = Minor sexual content.
** = Around 1/2 of the chapter has sexual content.
*** = Over 3/4 of the chapter has sexual content.
This novel also contains Yuri elements.

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?