Crystal Core

Trapped in a slowly crystallizing body on Earth, Ryan's life was a slow hell. When a portal rips open, he's pulled into a new world where he's expected to be a hero. But Ryan isn't interested in saving anyone; he just wants freedom and to live life on his own terms. This brutal world is under siege by powerful cultivators, and he quickly realizes his only path to true independence is to become strong enough to forge his own destiny. Surprisingly, his mysterious disease manifests as a potent Crystal Core, granting him an unexpected advantage. As he navigates this LitRPG-framed cultivation world, Ryan will undergo immense personal growth, form unlikely alliances, and challenge common tropes, all while pursuing the power needed to finally be free and make his own path.

Ryan believes he's free, but his supposed liberation is riddled with insidious doubts. Incursions through the Divided Realms are escalating, threatening to consume all. While Ryan seems to have escaped the shadowy figures who summoned him, a chilling question persists: have they merely given him a longer leash? Even if he could truly sever ties with his mysterious masters, he faces an even greater threat from the monsters relentlessly spreading across the realms. Adding to his nightmare, Ryan’s own shadow is a sentient, possessive entity – a female filled with spidery horrors – that adamantly refuses to leave his side. In a world spiraling into chaos, can Ryan navigate these multiple layers of danger, or is his true freedom a monstrous impossibility?

Ryan and his loyal team—Elu, Kumo, and Lian—have finally arrived at the capital, only to find themselves embroiled in a new kind of war. After enduring relentless incursions, Ryan now faces the treacherous quagmire of political in-fighting, a struggle far more insidious than physical combat. Fortunately, Ryan's innate power is rapidly expanding, granting him the strength to forge his own destiny. Yet, to truly carve a path forward and stand against both the overwhelming politics of men and the mysterious forces of the heavens, Ryan must first uncover the hidden truths of his own past.

Ryan has discovered that far more than just a single realm is at stake. The deadly orc horde is a constant threat, but it's the shadowy hands pulling the strings that must be feared most. As his team grows, with new cultivators committing themselves to his cause, Ryan ensures they all grow stronger. His ultimate challenge lies in figuring out how to combine the innate psionics of his bloodline, the powerful human cultivation of his realm, and the ancient magic of glyphs. This unique fusion is crucial for him to unleash the most potent version of himself.

Join Ryan as he battles relentlessly for a home to call his own within the treacherous expanse of the Divided Realms.

The final book of the main series finds Ryan, the Hero who has literally been to hell and back, driven by an unyielding resolve to protect his expanding family and new home. With past political squabbles finally behind them, humanity unites under his leadership to face an unprecedented challenge: an orc horde far larger than anyone anticipated. However, Ryan is more than prepared. Standing firm with his wives by his side, he is ready to confront this overwhelming threat, determined that no foe will stand against him or the future he has fought so hard to build.