"We don't know where we are. Is it the past or an unimaginably distant future? A parallel reality or a virtual simulation so convincing it's indistinguishable from the real world?
Whatever the truth is, Unity is our home now, and we will fight for it.
Beneath Unity's sky, the golden sprout of the Ygg-Tree grows stronger, and its roots hide a secret.
The sinister eye of the Skythrone never strays far from the Earth freehold—the accretion disk that holds Eternity, which the natives believe to be the abode of gods and the afterlife for Ascendants.
We know its rulers study us, keep their vigil, and wait to reclaim what they lost countless cycles ago. We know they play cryptic games with us, and we'll have to stop being their pieces and learn to flip the spheres to our side. And now that we know that, we can act, gathering strength and forging new alliances to outwit those who command time itself.
The lords of Eternity are certain they cannot lose, but they have forgotten what those they summoned can do.
Those whose rank is unknown."
"The season of the Wild Hunt continues. We have little time left.
We know that the Worms will come to extinguish the golden light of the young Ygg-Tree, and we know that Earth technology won't stop them. Only Runes and Starblood can—but the White Devil is far away, and troubles keep piling up.
Capsules are falling from Helga, new enemies threaten the Earth freehold, and the Domain's core is guarded by mysterious beings from the Darklands. We must overcome countless ordeals to become stronger.
And the most dangerous of them are the sinister Hounds of Eternity smiling from the Coffins of Endless Sleep."
"The Earth freehold received a young Ygg-Tree, and I a golden prize and Petal-in-the-Wind, who is worth more than any gold. Now I am an Ascendant, the leader of a battle spear, and the freehold's first pilot.
I am also all but immortal. That secret was revealed to me by the ancient voice who had shared my body for a long time. But why? What had happened to make me like this? And why can't I remember anything?
Unity has others like me, called the True. Perhaps they can answer my questions.
I must find them while no longer relying on the all-powerful White Devil's help. But first, I need to deal with the legacy he has left me, the Runes and the Domains, and most importantly, locate the ancient knowledge of the Kel that will help me defend the freehold under the sign of the Wild Hunt."
"Earth is just a fleeting memory.
In the inhabited Circles of the Dyson Sphere the natives call Unity, everything is different. Time here is measured in cycles that change with the signs of the celestial calendar. The lords of the Skythrone set the new rules, and all Nations of the Circle gather for the moot to discuss how to live on.
The moot.
This is what the neurolinguistic system calls the gathering of representatives in the sacred place at the foot of the radiant Ygg-Tree. Here, new Ascendants are announced, disputes are resolved, alliances are forged, and wars are declared. Will I make it to the moot?
For me, it's a matter of life and death.
The future of the Earth freehold, the fate of my enemies and friends, my own destiny—all will be decided there.
But the hard part is over, and the White Devil did his job. I have become a true Ascendant who understands the most important thing: here, only Starblood matters!"
"The natives call the astroengineering contraption built around the black hole the Skythrone. Within it lies Eternity, an afterlife of sorts where chosen Ascendants travel after their death to gain immortality. Yet unlike the heaven and hell of Earth, it is absolutely real, and sometimes, guests who call themselves the emissaries of Eternity come down from there.
But are they guests or are they masters?
Legends say that the Kel civilization, the creators of the Dyson sphere, left for Eternity three galactic cycles ago to become almighty immortal gods. The passenger in my head claims that they are wretched cowards who doomed Unity and all of its inhabitants to save their own hides.
I . . . am about to learn who is right and what Eternity is truly hiding.
As long as I remember that only one thing matters to its ageless sovereigns. A single thread connecting the two worlds.
And it is Starblood!"
"I am back.
The Earth freehold has received a new Ascendant, pilot, and warrior, yet the colony is still in danger, as its enemies haven't abandoned their sinister plans. Everything will be decided at the big moot under the luminous Ygg-Tree, the gathering of the people of our Circle.
Another threat is looming—the one twinkling in the night sky, controlling the relativistic jets of the accretion disk, and overseeing the change of Signs in the celestial calendar. The lords of Eternity must not learn who shares my body with me.
But who is he, really? Why does he pose so much danger to them, immortal and omniscient? And why are the legends of the Thousand Brethren so grim?
The most important thing to remember is that he won't stop. Nothing matters to him. Only Starblood does!"
"Eternity consumed the local sun three galactic turns ago.
In its place is an accretion disk, people cast two shadows, and life can only exist in Circles formed by gigantic light-bearing Trees. Beyond them are icy chill and Darkness, and on the border between them, Shadow, the land of everlasting sunset.
It is the domain of strange creatures and unusual plants that have never seen light, a place teeming with Worms whose only purpose is to devour every living thing, while the few sentients only care about putting you into slave's shackles.
To return to the Earth freehold, I will have to brave the Shadowlands on my own. Well, not quite, but the White Devil who took over my body can do things that make even the locals' blood run cold.
But I think I'm starting to get it. Kill first, or you'll die first. Only dead men can keep secrets. Strike before speaking.
Oh, and there's one thing he keeps telling me over and over.
Only Starblood matters!"
"Turns out, I'm not on Earth.
Not on another planet, either.
Everything is much worse. We ended up in an inhabited Circle of an ancient Dyson sphere that replaced the Solar System six galactic turns ago. There is no moon and no stars, and giant Ygg-Trees play the role of the sun.
How can this be? Nobody knows.
The locals call this place Unity, and it's governed by strict laws. Here, there are ordinary people and Ascendants capable of performing miracles with the aid of Slates and Runes. There are Watchers and the legacy of the ancient Kel civilization, celestial islands and mysterious Domains.
But the most important thing here is Starblood!"
"The Bina Shea call us a 'Dead Swarm'. We may resemble a swarm, but we're not quite dead yet. We are very much alive. We're human. Always remain human, as Prometheus used to say. These words can have many meanings but right now, their message is perfectly clear to all of us Incarnators.
You who are reading these lines, remember: we're about to face death because we want to stay human.
Ave!
Guided by Prometheus's directive, Grey and his fellow Incarnators are heading for the Black Moon in order to complete Stellar's final mission.
Accompanied by the allied Swarm of the Bina Shea, they must transport the Nucleus into the hostile depths of the anomalous planetoid. But in order to do so, they must retrace the steps of the long-perished First Legion and discover the dark secrets of the Black Moon."
"This 4-in-1 audiobook box set includes books four through seven of the Rogue Merchant LitRPG series, following a trader named Cat on his journey to find the lost Keys to the Sphere of Words.
Book 4: Battle for the North
Pandorum is launching a massive offensive, aiming to destroy Cat and his clan. As they’re blazing through everything in their path, can Cat stay on the sidelines?
Book 5: The Devil Archetype
In the endless game of Sphere of Words, the trader named Cat continues searching for the Keys hidden by the dead creators of the virtual reality.
Book 6: The Dreamweaver
In their search for the Keys, Cat and Weldy set off for the Abyss, where Cat is about to play against the strongest of all the oracles: the legendary Demon King.
Book 7: The Starlight Fleet
Cat must brave the most dangerous place in all of Sphere: the Cloud of Bones. But his smarts, his cunning, his luck, and the Law of Balance are on his side."
"When the ark began emergency jettisoning the colonists, I got unlucky three times.
The first occurred when the runic defenses of the Kel shot down my capsule above a forbidden Circle.
The second was when it crashed next to the White Devil's tomb.
And the third time, when I climbed into a wounded noxwolf's lair and discovered Starblood. Other Ascendants would call it good fortune, but I'll put it this way: had I left it alone, I might have remained a normal person.
And now, I'm forced to sort things out: after all, someone with a Slate, Attributes, and Runes isn't a typical colonist from Earth in a world that's far from ordinary. Especially when he has a voice in his head . . ."
"This 3-in-1 audiobook box set includes books one through three of the Rogue Merchant LitRPG series, where a common trader named Cat uses his quick wit and trading talents to wriggle out of trouble.
Book 1: The Starlight Sword
In the first book of this classic might-and-magic-style LitRPG series, a common trader in the Sphere of the Worlds starts from scratch on the road to becoming a legend.
Book 2: The Gene of Ancients
The second book in the series finds Cat building his own trading empire—only to end up getting involved in an all-out economic war.
Book 3: Shadow Seer
In book three, Cat traverses the dangerous waters of an underground ocean to reach the Isle of Madness and prove himself worthy."
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