Elydes
Drew Wells
Dying at a young age after a disappointing life, Mat thought he hit the jackpot when he reincarnated on a tropical island in the world of Elydes. Where exploring mysterious lands and learning magic are tangible realities. But Elydes is as wild and savage as it is beautiful and magical. The mysterious Guide offers opportunities for power to all, but Mat has the lowest starting point possible — humans occupy the weakest strata of a world dominated by stronger species. To survive and rise, he must leverage the Guide's System, endure slavery, poverty and war, and progress steadily through levels, classes, evolutions and magic to unlock Elydes' mysteries. An isekai LitRPG progression fantasy with detailed System, slice-of-life, crafting and xianxia elements, originally serialized on Royal Road (fiction/67742) and now published via Kindle Unlimited.
Progression: Elydes is explicitly structured around a detailed LitRPG System central to every arc: (1) Levels & Experience — continuous XP gain through combat, crafting and exploration drives level-ups that grant stat points and directly increase power; (2) Classes & Evolutions — Guide-assigned classes (e.g., starter classes for low-tier humans) evolve into rarer, stronger tiers at thresholds, gating abilities and narrative advancement; (3) Skills & Magic — tiered skill acquisition, spell lists and crafting professions that must be learned, leveled and combined; magic theory and mana control progress with System rank; (4) Species & Realm Hierarchy — humans start at the bottom of Elydes' racial power ladder; progression means climbing the geopolitical and biological hierarchy occupied by stronger native species, with territory, resources and Guide-guided dungeons as progression gates; (5) Guide Metrics & Achievements — the impartial Guide tracks progression, offers quests and rare evolutions, and measures advancement through stat sheets and System notifications. Every volume is framed as steady growth: Book 1 (A New Dawn) covers reincarnation to first class evolution and escape from slavery; Book 2 (Tides of Change) expands to maritime, guild and war progression with higher-tier evolutions. Growth is described as 'slow and steady' but constant, earning the ass-kicking MC through setbacks and determination.
Royal Road
Goodreads
