by quilldj
100K+ words published. Daily chapter releases. Book I scheduled through Chapter 45. Book II incoming! The river fed Dunmere long before Cael Vey was born, and it would keep feeding it long after he was gone. Most people in the frontier town survived by keeping their heads low and ambitions smaller still. Cael expected to do the same. He was poor, a useful woodcutter, and entirely forgettable. Then he crossed the marker stones. Beyond them, he witnesses a Crimson Elf performing a ritual no commoner was meant to see and survives a violence that should have ended him. When he returns to Dunmere, the corpse is not the only thing carried back from the forest. Now the town whispers his name for the first time in his life. As suspicion grows and war closes around the frontier, Cael is dragged into a brutal climb through a world where strength decides worth, advancement must be earned, and every step toward power leaves permanent marks behind. Starting as a frightened commoner with little more than an axe and a willingness to work, he must survive beasts, winter, rival powers, ancient mysteries, and the consequences of whatever awakened beyond the marker stones. What to expect: - Dark survival LitRPG with earned progression- A weak protagonist who earns every gain- Skill evolution, ability merging, and meaningful advancement- Frontier towns, blackpine forests, ruined roads, and dangerous wilderness- Slow-burn power growth with lasting consequences- Atmospheric fantasy inspired by rain, mud, snow, smoke, and dying frontiers- Long-term progression planned across multiple books Dark worlds. Slow burns. Lasting marks. Want to read faster? Bound Before I is on Patreon, and even Iron rank folk get access a week ahead of schedule. Book 2 will begin on Patreon on 25 June and from 2 July on Royal Road.
