Showing results by author "Vasily Mahanenko" in All Categories

Is there anything better than a quiet life? Well, there's a quiet life surrounded by people you care about, people who love you in return, of course. But Tailyn Vlashich knew nothing of the kind. His parents had died years before, the townspeople stayed well away from the god's favorite, and his guardian just wanted to be rid of him. That was the setting when Tailyn was again placed on the road to uncertainty, beset by terrifying lixes, and hounded by a harsh trainer it was impossible to please.

Reality is cruel. The rising level of technological development has led to a rising level of unemployment. They're laying off everybody, from teachers to technical servicemen. What's the point of holding onto a person if they can be replaced by an advanced mechanism? But what are the people to do? How are they to live? Where are they to get money from? There is only one answer - Barliona. The official government project is gathering steam, luring more and more people into its net.

His initiation complete, Leg knew he had to prove himself worthy of the gift his totem had given him. The boy was facing a long and difficult journey to dangerous lands. Meanwhile, those with eyes set on ruling the Northern Empire were also making their move. But what was most important to Leg? His personal advancement or the integrity of the empire? Of course, it was possible the two priorities were inseparable, especially since a true wizard had been introduced to the world.

Earth was never the same after World of the Changed. Humanity was reduced to two camps: monsters thirsting to kill, and players doing everything they could to survive. The squabbles people had spent their time on before? Gone. If you wanted to live to see another sunrise, you had to work with everyone you could, from other players to game functions.

I hope that by now you've lost any illusions you had about the Selected being some kind of elite force of intelligent civilization, chosen to fight against Universal Evil. So far, the only evil I've seen is the buggy System and the lack of basic sanitary facilities while we're adventuring. Also, it would be a real stretch to describe my companions as "elite". As for all the problems that come with being Selected—well, we can handle them!

Surviving in a tough situation is not always the best option; sometimes dying is much better than staying alive. The Academy showed Paladin Yaropolk what makes the world go round: pragmatism and personal gain. Restart was set in motion, but it only makes players more frantic. Now everyone plays only for themselves. Yaropolk faces the same dilemma: be like all of them, or keep his humanity and be known as an odd duck. Because there is only one rule in this world: kill or be killed....

To make a clan does not necessarily mean to make it successful. First you have to walk the hard path from the foundations of your castle to victory in interclan conflicts. Only then will you be recognized. Only then can you be listed among the location's top clans. Your adversaries, however, will not be sitting around twiddling their thumbs. No dominant clan needs yet another wannabe competitor. Or its two founders. Which is why Kvalen and Eradani are being hunted down. Bugles sound as players sharpen swords and draw arrows. Bring on the show!

Modern times. Genius physicist Artyom Kuchaev found himself facing the darker side of the world we live in. Integrity is met with a laugh, the rat race instead full of people out to grab whatever they can. Where big money is on the line, no betrayal, even of loved ones, is a bridge too far. But Artyom couldn't bring himself to conform. Instead, he decided to make a change in himself if not in the world around him. His work, surroundings, country....

Death is not the end. Maximilian Valevsky was slain, but rune magic has returned him to this reality. There are still enemies to destroy and evil forces to expel from this world. The only question is: what will he do with the person who finally did him in? Will he forgive and forget, or take action to ensure his killer can never pull of such a trick again?

The God of the Querancy Cult has been defeated. The School of Spirit Power in the First Tier has begun to recover, demons have been driven away, traitors found, and criminals punished. The First Tier of the human world has achieved an idyllic state of peace for the first time in over a thousand years! But does idyll suit Seekers? The Second Tier of the human world remains closed to Zander and Vyllea, so the Seekers' attention turns to the demon world.

Max, formerly Maximilian Valevsky, begins to understand what it means to exist in a dark world dominated by light. People hate him, exploit him, fear him, and try to kill him the first chance they get. But our hero is willing to endure all trials and tribulations in pursuit of his goal: killing Duke Odoevsky and avenging his family. And he'll let nothing stand in his way.

There are whole anthologies of stories out there about what humankind does when a game enters their world. But what about when they're living in one where a game arrived thousands of years before? What if they're the survivors of a bloody struggle, having fought for and earned their place on the planet? Tailyn Vlashich was a young nobody far away from all those grander issues. All he cared about was one thing: making his way through a harsh world where the emperor, evil foes, and an impartial god held sway.

Not long ago, Daniel Mahan, known to everyone as Shaman Mahan, thought that he had taken his sixth and final step in the Barliona gameworld. Yet life has other ideas. The Corporation decides to resurrect the Lord of Shadow and his entire host. The Corporation's CEO personally pushes the reset button. Geranika and his Dragon of Shadow spring back to life as, meanwhile, the Corporation makes an offer the Shaman can't refuse.

The whole world is falling apart. Bashorg, the demon, and the Beast, a dragon, are summoning all their power to rage against the Abyss, the prison their divine essences have been trapped in. Leg Ondo and his team must pull off the impossible once again. But how are they going to save the planet with Beatrice Shiv, a beautiful young girl, causing problems for Liara Slick, Leg's betrothed? How are they going to save the world if they can't even get along? The time has come for Leg Ondo to remember his true past as a valg.

A tournament to name the best mage in the empire. What could go wrong when everything is carefully planned down to the last detail, and only the best of the best are invited to participate? The answer is obvious: everything! Once again, Maximilian Valevsky will have to save everyone to preserve the integrity of the empire. This time, however, forces far more powerful than anything he has encountered before have taken an interest in his affairs.

A school of ascension once again. But now, instead of the energy-starved Tier Zero, the Seekers have taken on the First Tier, so this school's a whole different beast. It's massive. It's majestic. It strikes awe into the hearts of the students and nips any thoughts of breaking the rules in the bud. The Seekers are unwelcome here, for they don't play by anyone's rules. But aren't rules there to be broken?

The Law of the Jungle is clear about one thing—if you cross the high and mighty, you're courting disaster. But even when the Grim Reaper comes knocking for Vyllea of the Urbangos tribe, Seeker Zander isn't going to surrender her without a fight! And for someone prepared to do anything for the one you love, no law in the world can stop you from saving their life. Thus, our Seekers are back in action, facing the First Tier ahead—alluring, brimming with energy, and rife with cultists and ascension schools.

What could possibly go wrong at a Tier Zero school of ascension when all the powerful foes have been vanquished and a bonded pair of Seekers can handle any adversary-not just at their current stage of ascension, but also from the initial ranks of the next one?

Maximillian has been given the chance to avenge his family's death: the Duke of Odoevsky has conspired in a plot against the emperor, and if Max plays his cards right, he'll be able to destroy the man who read out his family's execution order with such ecstasy. But one small mistake topples his plans, and now thousands of people caught in the clutches of terrible monsters are counting on him to save them. What choice must he make? Revenge or salvation?

Maximilian Valevsky quite unexpectedly finds himself with spare time on his hands-time he can even devote to studying. Learning all the intricacies of runecraft, becoming Magister Meram's best pupil, and making his statement to the world! It all sounds like a dream, but reality is quick to put him in his place. Padishah Bayazid the Third wants to personally meet with Maximilian and our hero will have to do unprecedented things just to survive. But could a former doomed soldier do it any other way?