Dreadborne Harbinger: Ascension of the Black Sword (An Epic Fantasy Gamelit/Litrpg)

[Winner of the Royal Road Writathon 2024 Challenge] When Klaus' last hope shatters, he finally accepts the truth: the doctors have tried everything. Confined to a hospital room, his body weakened by an incurable disease, Klaus clings to life. In his final moments, a Shadow offers the chance of survival in exchange for a mysterious service. Years later, Klaus is now grown and working to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor; both the childhood bargain and the shadow are seen as a fever dream. With a loving family, close friends, and a goal worth devoting his life to, things seem to be working out for him. But the Fates have other plans. A run-in with organized crime seems to be the end, only for a mysterious stranger to save him from a horrible death. Claiming to come across the Multiverse on a mission from his true family, Klaus, now called Klarion, has been summoned to serve the House Blacksword by first enrolling in the Imperial Academy, and from there to serve the Treverorum Empire in its endless struggle for survival. Klarion will have no choice but to brave the prestigious Imperial Academy, where nobles are trained to harness the full potential of the System and attain the power to lead the next generations of the Empire. He finds himself ill-prepared for the deadly trials ahead, but prepare he must if he is to become strong enough to save the only home he has ever known. For the System is soon coming to Earth. What to expect in this story: -System gamelit/litrpg in a massive multiverse -Many varied races, monsters, and locales -A strong to OP MC that faces struggles due to not being able to do everything by himself -Progression that feels strong but is slow due to background of MC (no spoilers) -Supporting characters that will see development beyond just “I help the MC” -Dungeon diving, Kingdom building, combat/battles/wars, intrigue and politics -Unconventional relationships with romance AND purpose (slow burn) -A deep magic system with differences between magic accessible to all, skill, and abilities Update Schedule and Chapter Length Updates 3 chapters/week on MWF at 1:08 EST for now, with chapters mostly being 2.5k to 4.5k words in length. (As of Chapter 89, averaging 2.9k words per chapter) Currently have plans/notes in place for a very long series. Patreon and Support Read 10+ chapters ahead on Patreon, among other goodies (which you can check out here: Patreon) or if you are inclined to provide support without accessing advanced chapters, you can use Paypal or Ko-fi. Any and all support is greatly appreciated and will help me head towards being able to write more chapters per week, my goal being to get to 5+ new chapters a week if I can cut back on some of my work hours. Note: First 50 chapters a little slow due to set up needs, but after that things take off.