![The Dark Hand | Found Family Progression Fantasy [Full Volume 1 Available]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2F173017-the-dark-hand-dystopian-progression-fantasy.jpg%3Ftime%3D1784502953&w=640&q=75)
by M.B Gizmo
The law only reaches the light. The shadows rule the rest. Cade and Nandox are two orphaned siblings who grew up roughened by the slums. Together they plan to change their awful life into the better by searching for clues on the root cause of their suffering. That was until they found the cause stumbling straight into their open arms. The Ceterus—the one supreme syndicate controlling the underworld—sent one of their own employees deep into the confines of the slums and the siblings wouldn’t let this chance slip through their fingers. Relying on their fists, brilliant strategies, and a growing crew of misfits, they launch a full-scale war to change their lives. What happens when two orphans from the slums declare war on a planetary level syndicate? What to expect: ~2000 words per chapter Backlog of a full volume 1 Dual 1st-person POVs with both protagonists chasing the same goal Dark themes (not grimdark) with One Piece inspiration Found family Crew building (in later volumes) Bounties to quantify strength/progression Many fantasy species each with their own extensive power systems Strategist and brawler main characters No Harem | No RomanceChapters Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 12:22 PM EST! Check out my Patreon for 10 chapters in advance or chapters a day in advance!
No streak history
Rank updated 13 Aug 2026, 04:15 UTC
Entry forecast updated 13 Aug 2026, 04:15 UTC
Overall Rising Stars shadow rank
deep field · ~#497 of 7,531 · 447 below #50
By genre
beats 97% of similar stories
beats 58% of similar stories
beats 40% of similar stories
Mid-pack, room on both levers
Traffic and conversion both sit mid-field for a story this size. Growth here compounds from consistency: steady cadence feeds traffic, and a sharper hook lifts what each view is worth.
At this conversion, the Sci-fi Rising Stars bar (≈1 new followers/day) costs about 78 views/day — the story currently gets ~31.
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.
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