The Legend of William Oh
Macronomicon
William Oh was born on the hundredth floor of The Tower — the center of the world through which all magic flows — and is whispered to be an immortal who circles the dreams of mortal men. He is not a legend. Yet. An orphan whose dream is serving his absentee parents a knuckle-sandwich, he must climb The Tower to confront them. A betrayal, a bit of generosity, and a knack for surviving impossible odds sow the seeds of a legend that grows faster than the boy can outrun. Across The Tower's deadly floors, William and his party make enemies and friends, conquer the Third Floor, scramble for sponsors to survive the lethal Fourth Floor, and reach the City of Akul — the largest, richest city in the world — a powder keg of powerful Lords where a single spark engulfs the city in chaos. And William Oh is just the man for that job.
Progression: Explicit, central Tower-climbing LitRPG progression is the engine of the series, praised as 'satisfying crunchy progression' and 'one of the best at writing satisfying crunchy progression' (Reddit r/litrpg). (1) The Tower Floor Ladder: The Tower is the center of the world through which all magic flows; every floor is a gated tier with distinct dangers, sponsors, and survival thresholds. Book 1 establishes 100 floors with birth on the 100th floor; Book 2 verifies 'William Oh's Party has completed the Third Floor' and must beg sponsors to survive the 'deadly 4th Floor' to reach Akul — measurable, sequential advancement. (2) Party Level, Build & Sponsorship System: Macronomicon's signature system includes build-focused growth where protagonists 'succeed because you do something insane… that works' and 'Fighting up levels because your build is focused where your enemy is less capable' (Goodreads reviews 4.78/5). Lords, sponsors, and city patronage gate resources and gear, quantifiable through floor clears and city influence. (3) City & Lord Progression: From Tower wilderness to Akul's Lord politics and The Prophet's meta prophecy system, advancement is tracked via floor completions, sponsor tiers, Lord factions, and prophecy/tall-tale legend growth where stories about William 'grow and take on a life of their own.' Every chapter tracks floor progress, build optimization, and sponsorship, making structured advancement central.
Royal Road
Goodreads
