![Amberlin's Apprentice Is Secretly Strong (Arc 2 Complete) [OP MC, Archmage, Progression]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2Famberlins-apprentice-is-secretly-strong-aaaapjie3hg.jpg%3Ftime%3D1778829754&w=640&q=75)
by All Nine Cats
One party, four hidden identities. You should have an easy time when you find yourself in a game world that you helped create. But the game wasn't finished when Amberlin died, and so much has changed. That hasn't stopped her from making some new friends, though she's afraid she'll lose them if they ever find out she's an immortal otherworlder. And her friends aren't so normal themselves. Her apprentice might be better at magic than he lets on. Her cat always happens to be there first when they come across a dead dragon. And the young girl with the horns has more assassins coming after her than a typical orphan should. Everyone in this party has deep secrets, and they all believe they're the only one. There are also signs of sinister forces coming together to unseal the Demon Supreme. But why worry about something that's supposed to be impossible? What to expect: - Hidden identities and shenanigans out the wazoo - OP MC, archmage, and cat - Fallen princess goes from weak to strong (appears from Chapter 26) - Progression in fame and infamy - Only MC is exempt from the system - Multiple POVs (including the cat's sometimes) Inspirations from:- The Eminence in Shadow- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya- Wizardry 8- The Faraway Paladin Updates Mon-Wed-Fri Cover art by MA Sayurii. This story is only posted on Royal Road. If you find it anywhere else, it has been stolen. Arcs- Lorelark Arc (Chapter 1)- Ardark Arc (Chapter 26)- Ygg Latten Bay Arc (Chapter 58)
#23
8/13/2026
Peak #50
0d
#22
8/12/2026
Peak #50
0d
#21
8/12/2026
Peak #50
0d
#20
8/12/2026
Peak #50
0d
#19
8/11/2026
Peak #45
0d
One state-enhanced oracle order, filtered by each list. Observed Royal Road ranks remain separate ground truth.
Rank updated 3 Oct 2026, 16:48 UTC
Entry forecast updated 3 Oct 2026, 16:48 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.
Coupled 14-day outlook
rs-joint-entry-copula-v1
Any eligible RS entry
9%
Two or more lists
3%
Likely threshold order: Comedy → Drama → Adventure → Fantasy → Main.
Leading bundle: Comedy (6%).
Estimated from one fitted shared story path; category probabilities are not multiplied as if lists were independent.
Separate entry forecast; this probability does not enter the ranking score.
Overall Rising Stars Shadow RS rank
#5907 of 12,391 · 5857 below RS #50
By genre
beats 25% of similar stories
beats 10% of similar stories
beats 85% 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 50–149 chapters band, cohort of 2026-07-02. Conversion is measured as followers gained per 1,000 views over the recent window.