
by RainHarlow
*** Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, & Audible available HERE! *** Monsters overrun Earth like a plague, and System powers for a chosen few aren't enough to take it back. Humanity needs more. As a former military transport pilot, Jack Laker once met the terrors on the borders and survived the impossible. A few years later, Jack bumps into a strange, alien woman on the run from some goons, and predictably gets himself in over his head. But the power within the alien, and the clandestine access she heralds, will change everything. Ushered into a whole new world of powers, government super-agents, and shifty avatars, Jack is in for one hell of an adventure he didn't sign up for, but is determined to finish. Meta pitch: Intimate, slow-burn evolution of an average Joe into a badass, in a world where monsters plaguing the Earth need to die. Put on the jacket and get to work for humanity, son — we're behind schedule. Expect: — Powers choices/tinkering/training, step by step— Slice of life, deep characterization— Unique setting of a surviving, functional, Post-Apoc civilization — System as an enhancer++ to reality, not a replacement, not omnipotent— Octogirl Inspired by such works as Super Supportive, Worm, Industrial Strength Magic, and old Marvel Comics such as The Uncanny X-Men (favorite: Magneto). Not campy or forcing in tropes. You don't need to know any of these to enjoy it. Focused on progression and powerhouse team-fighting in the long term. Won't ignore living life and getting to know people. No smut or 'harem' stylings, but attractive people exist and sexuality isn't neutered. The first four chapters are oversized 5k+ on average, and beyond this, they'll be 3k+, aiming for 3200 - 3500 with some exceptions. Posting on Thursdays plus some Mondays in a month. Discord Link
No streak history
One state-enhanced oracle order, filtered by each list. Observed Royal Road ranks remain separate ground truth.
Rank updated 2 Oct 2026, 04:26 UTC
Entry forecast updated 2 Oct 2026, 04:26 UTC
Ranking model: rs-public-oracle-state-v1
Forecast model: rs-model-entry-v1
Chart history contains only this ranking model's runs; legacy points are not spliced in.
A confirmed Rising Stars eligibility removal excludes this story from the Shadow queue.
beats 2% of similar stories
beats 72% of similar stories
beats 91% of similar stories
Readers arrive, few stick
Traffic is strong, but conversion trails comparable stories. The usual suspects are the blurb, the cover and the opening chapters — fixing the hook multiplies everything the existing traffic brings.
Benchmarks: 8,060 active Royal Road stories, percentiles within the 20–49 chapters band, cohort of 2026-07-02. Conversion is measured as followers gained per 1,000 views over the recent window.