![Relic Hunter [Rags-to-Riches Treasure Hunter LitRPG]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2F184972-relic-hunter-rags-to-riches-treasure-hunter.jpg%3Ftime%3D1786524501&w=640&q=75)
by ZacHansen
Ordinary man finds a Unique Class, which turns him into Indiana Jones. There is a hidden ruin from a forgotten civilization below his city, and he explores it, and finds Relics and riches. He soon discovers that their civilization was built on (what is basically) Ancient Rome, and begins to rebuild the empire.He may, or may not, eventually become the Roman Emperor. Marek Vale earns three hundred florins a year examining the dead. There are fortunes buried beneath Varenza. Every winter, the Mandate auctions Classes, Skills, titles and estates to the highest bidder. Noble families purchase power. Merchant houses purchase influence. Relic hunters strip forgotten tombs to supply them—and men like Marek spend their lives watching wealth pass into worthier hands. Then a nameless beggar arrives at Marek’s mortuary with a black ring sewn beneath the skin of his arm. The Mandate cannot identify it. When Marek puts it on, he inherits a Unique Class that should not exist: [Relic Hunter] Now broken masks point toward sealed funerary chambers. Common stones reveal structures buried beneath the city. Objects dismissed as worthless become clues leading to lost vaults, forgotten streets and relics worth more than Marek could earn in a lifetime. For the first time, Marek possesses something Varenza’s richest families cannot buy: the ability to find what centuries of treasure hunters missed. But finding treasure and keeping it are very different professions. To rise from a rented room and a mortuary wage, Marek must follow each clue into the ruins beneath Varenza, survive what was left guarding them, and outwit the collectors, rival hunters and noble houses waiting to take his discoveries. The next fortune is down there. Marek only has to reach it first. What to Expect - Rags-to-riches progression driven by treasure hunting - Ruins, sealed vaults, hidden passages, traps and lost relics - A grounded LitRPG system with evolving Class abilities - An observant adult protagonist who wins through expertise and preparation - Rival relic hunters, auctions, merchant schemes and Renaissance city politics - A continuing rhythm of mysteries, expeditions and discoveries
#5
9/3/2026
Peak #30
19d
#4
9/2/2026
Peak #29
21d
#3
9/1/2026
Peak #30
22d
#2
9/1/2026
Peak #25
23d
Current
8/29/2026
Peak #1
33d
Observed Royal Road ranks are authoritative for lists where the story is active. Other eligible lists retain their Shadow RS ranks.
Overall Rising Stars Shadow RS rank
#66 of 12,407 · 16 below RS #50
By genre
beats 96% of similar stories
beats 28% of similar stories
beats 96% of similar stories
Firing on all cylinders
Traffic and conversion are both strong for a story this size. Readers are finding it and sticking — if Rising Stars is the goal, this is the moment to push.
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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