In a world where runes hold unimaginable power, mere mortal and gifted artisan Nate must harness arcane magic to navigate treacherous paths, reveal the hidden truths of his own past, and discover the workings of the illusive ‘System’. No big deal. Emboldened by only his penknife and a weirdly profound understanding of runic sorcery, Nate must uncover if the path he has been thrust upon may spare his earthly existence. After all, why only leave your mark on one world… when you might leave it on two?

Larek Holsten is different from most people, living in the Kingdom of Androthe where his 7-foot-tall frame is looked at with suspicion and anger from its shorter residents; but as long as it helps him become the best Logger he can be, he doesn’t let it bother him all that much. He and his best friend, an axe with a powerful Fusion that causes it to become sharper and stronger than a normal tool, are feared by the trees in the magical forest north of his home, as he can fell the quickly growing monoliths faster than anyone else in the community.

Alistair’s life is turned upside down when he is abruptly separated from his friends and family. As the universe slowly transforms and new laws take hold, everyone within his universe is cast into the trial—a crucible of survival and transformation. Before being set on his path, Alistair encounters a system avatar—a brief and enigmatic guide who offers little explanation, guidance, or aid before sending him and the rest of his universe into the unknown.

When the alien Exlian invade, humanity’s only hope lies with the empowered, those rare few granted supernatural abilities. Mark Fields isn’t one of them. He’s a dishwasher with broken dreams, no powers, and even less luck. Until a dying stranger changes everything. Suddenly, Mark has what he’s always wanted: the power to fight back. To prove himself. To rise. But as he joins the Defense Force and begins to level up, he quickly learns that the System hides secrets of its own—and that monsters aren’t always alien. Some wear human faces.

Before meeting his pathetic and all-too-predictable demise in the middle of a pie-eating contest, Zack was living the high life: schlubbing around his parents' basement, subsisting on pizza, video games, computer screens, and web novels. He had it all . . . while still being a big, fat nothing. But when he's forced to ditch his pudgy mortal corpse, Zack finds himself taking the place of a recently-killed demonic sect elder known as Slifer, who—even as an elderly man—is one serious badass.