Sanctuary [Nobledark Fantasy Progression LitRPG+Cultivation]

At age 20, everyone dies.  Unless you were born a noble, the wasting disease allows for no exceptions. At 19, Matt is facing the end of his life. Determined to lend his final days purpose, he signs up to fight in a pointless war–at least his death can earn his family a few extra coin. But when he and a few of his comrades stumble into a place lost to time, they abruptly find the wasting disease cured. Not to mention, they can all suddenly wield ancient magic abilities.   Matt and his friends now have the ability to give power back to the lowborn, to seize the lives which should rightfully have been theirs from the start. But the nobles will stop at nothing to prevent the secret from getting out, and if their Sanctuary is discovered, their rebellion could end before it even begins.  Join Matt in his quest to forge a beacon of hope in a bleak world, confronting ancient powers determined to maintain the relentless cycle of death. Set against a somber world that has forgotten how to live, this is a tale that weaves a dash of city-building with a splash of magic. Blending LitRPG Progression and Cultivation, follow Matt and his friends as they rise to become the Champions the world has waited for. What can you expect from Sanctuary? - The main protagonist starts out like a normal person, and although his journey will take him to the pinnacle of power, he will not always be the strongest person around. Typical weak-to-strong. A central theme in the beginning is for Matt to find his Way (capital W intended!) in a world where he sees his friends gaining new and fantastical powers, but all he has is a weird pulsating sphere of power in his mind. The main concept that I want to explore more than anything else is how personal choices affect both the person making them, and the world around them. - Both the main protagonist and the people around him will experience not just progression growth, but emotional growth - The story mixes LitRPG progression with Cultivation progression. There is a reason behind, explained in the lore of the world, which will take some time to explore - There are some numbers, but these will fade more into the background as the story goes on. Overall the pace is on the slower side. - There are some pretty strong city building elements that will come to the fore in certain parts of the story, but they will also fade in and out - More than a "Numbers Go Up" story, Sanctuary is about exploration and uncovering ancient mysteries that dictate present life - It can get dark. But even as the world can get pretty dark, we will travel with people who will make it lighter Update schedule: Tuesdays and Saturdays, with chapters between 2000 and 3500, probably averaging around 2750 Lastly, I want to extend my appreciation for - My cover artist: Emma Rottersman: http://emmarillustrations.artstation.com/ - My typographer: Inorai: https://www.royalroad.com/profile/89274 They did an awesome job, don't you think?