Vainglory
Plum Parrot
Ward Dyer, a seasoned Port Authority detective on the verge of retirement, tracks a kidnapper into the eerie, forgotten tunnels beneath Seattle and is thrown into another world with a devilish presence haunting his thoughts. Isekai'd and bonded to a spirit that makes him physically younger, Ward must survive the feared Vainglory Challenges — an ancient tower system that looms over the city, promising secrets, power, and peril to those who dare its trials. From Westview's desperate defense against Nevkin the Warlock to the tower's mirrored challenges and a bloodline curse that may hold salvation or doom, Ward's cop instincts, word-based magic, and slowly unfolding LitRPG skill system carry him through a western-flavored LitRPG where every choice matters and the good guys only seem to be winning.
Progression: Explicit LitRPG progression centered on the Vainglory Challenges — a perilous tower quest for power, riches, and advancement. Ward, isekai'd with a demon/spirit bond that reverses his age, gains a milder but ever-present LitRPG skill system with word-based magic (rare among LitRPGs per reviews: 'There are not a lot of word base systems'), quantified skills, and dungeon-like tower floors. Progression is measured through Challenge completions, rising power tiers, hidden enemies, bloodline curse mastery, and ally levels (Haley and new companions). Reviews confirm 'action-packed LitRPG Fantasy full of mystery, danger, and rising power' and 'milder skill system even if it's still very much there' with magic, dungeons, and western isekai stakes. Verified via Goodreads series 414157: 3 primary works with LitRPG, tower, word-magic labels (2025).
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