Frostbound
PenguinKills
Everyone dreams of gaining magical powers — flying through the air or throwing fireballs. When mana finally arrives on Earth, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Transported into a tutorial with his family, 30-year-old kitchen worker Christopher has to fight to survive while trying to keep his family alive with only his knives and wits. After three grueling months inside a tutorial where tragedy and death follow him, Chris struggles for power and the chance for revenge. When survivors return to a changed Earth thrust into a deadly multiverse labyrinth, various players vie for power and influence while Chris tries to carve out a place for himself and his family. Others aren't keen on sharing what they think should be theirs.
Progression: Central LitRPG apocalypse/system progression. Mana arrival triggers System integration: tutorial labyrinth with explicit levels, stats, skills, classes and multiverse labyrinth floors. Progression is structured via System governs power advancement — kitchen worker to survivor to leader, with tutorial completion, labyrinth delving, stat/skill growth and influence expansion. Inspired by Primal Hunter, Path of Ascension, Unchosen Champion and Path of Dragons — all benchmark progression fantasy — Frostbound treats System ranks/levels as the engine for Earth-apocalypse advancement, with weekday updates tracking Chris's climb from tutorial to post-tutorial Earth and multiverse labyrinth.
Royal Road
