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이 소설은, 어려운 환경에 처하여 아르바이트 등을 전전하던 소년가장 이현 이라는 사람이, 가상현실게임으로 돈을 벌며 여러가지 만남과 새로운 경험을 겪게되는 이야기를 서술한다.
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Harn Lee, a debt-ridden teenage orphan, puts up for auction his account of the top-level avatar in 'The Continent of Magick', once the most popular online RPG game in Korea. Once the news is spread nationwide, a fierce competition to win Harn's avatar breaks out, raising the auction price to $3.1M. However, when men in black show up before Harn to collect his debts, he ends up losing most of what he has earned overnight. Determined to send his little sister, Hayan, to college and make the loan sharks pay back, he joins an online RPG game named 'Royal Road' to prove that history repeats itself. Why not claim the top once again?
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Harn Lee, a debt-ridden teenage orphan, puts up for auction his account of the top-level avatar in 'The Continent of Magick', once the most popular online RPG game in Korea. Once the news is spread nationwide, a fierce competition to win Harn's avatar breaks out, raising the auction price to $3.1M. However, when men in black show up before Harn to collect his debts, he ends up losing most of what he has earned overnight. Determined to send his little sister, Hayan, to college and make the loan sharks pay back, he joins an online RPG game named 'Royal Road' to prove that history repeats itself. Why not claim the top once again?
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2007
121 people are currently reading
1893 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 11, 2013
Ok, I just read translations, but it doesn't seem the author writes VEEERY well... (in fact, the translations make the story seem very poorly-written!!!).
So... why 5 stars? Well, because, even with all the problems in these "books", it still gets my attention and makes me lose whole nights of sleep just reading shady translations... Oo
So... why 5 stars? Well, because, even with all the problems in these "books", it still gets my attention and makes me lose whole nights of sleep just reading shady translations... Oo
January 19, 2022
A Web LitRPG with a very unusual main character. Yes, he is the young man from a disadvantaged background and a ton of baggage from his childhood who through perseverance and utter bullheadedness keeps getting up when knocked down, and finds ways to survive and thrive. However, he is also isolated, mistrustful, quite frugal to the point of curmudgeonly, and his one focus is money!!! Not our regular hero, for sure. I am looking forward to the next volume 😊
June 2, 2016
Very slow world building. It is very detailed and will pull you in very quickly.
If you like litrpg genre, you will love this book.
If you like litrpg genre, you will love this book.
March 7, 2015
If I could marry a series, this would be the one. Even the unprofessional and mostly amateur translations are amazing!! First few chapters took a while getting into but by the 3-5 I was hooked. Once it has you, you'll stay up all night reading and pretty soon you'll have read all 20 free volumes ;( I want moreeeee but I can't read Korean...
December 9, 2016
Greatly enjoyed the first book and it succeeded in sucking me into the series.
The locations you can find translations are - The author has allowed free translation for the first 20 chapters so unfortunately the next 20+ are unavailable =(
- http://www.royalroadl.com/table-of-co...
- http://japtem.com/projects/moonlight-...
- https://sites.google.com/site/lmsroya...
- http://nlinkzone.blogspot.com.au/2014...
Unfortunately only the first 20 Volumes have been manually translated, you can find online the rest of the volumes translated using bing(BT) and google(GT) translation. However these translations leave a lot to be desired.
Update (Thanks Mike):
Volume 21-22 http://jawztranslations.blogspot.com....
Volume 23-25 http://clickyclicktranslation.blogspo...
Update Dec 2016:
Volume 1-39 https://arkmachinetranslations.com/le...
The locations you can find translations are - The author has allowed free translation for the first 20 chapters so unfortunately the next 20+ are unavailable =(
- http://www.royalroadl.com/table-of-co...
- http://japtem.com/projects/moonlight-...
- https://sites.google.com/site/lmsroya...
- http://nlinkzone.blogspot.com.au/2014...
Unfortunately only the first 20 Volumes have been manually translated, you can find online the rest of the volumes translated using bing(BT) and google(GT) translation. However these translations leave a lot to be desired.
Update (Thanks Mike):
Volume 21-22 http://jawztranslations.blogspot.com....
Volume 23-25 http://clickyclicktranslation.blogspo...
Update Dec 2016:
Volume 1-39 https://arkmachinetranslations.com/le...
October 14, 2015
I am reading the comic of this, but it's not on here for rating.
Read up to chapter 37.
Read up to chapter 37.
February 20, 2013
[I read the English translation on Royal Road Weed blog.]
Pembuka: The main actor is slyly amazing. Sialan. Novel ini bikin aku bilang sialan sambil senyum-senyum sendiri begitu baca chapter per chapter sampai abis.
Oke. Novel dibuka dengan kehidupan Harn Lee yang seorang orphanage dan miskin, suatu ketika jadi kaya raya dengan menjual avatar dari Continent of Magick, yg bernilai triliunan. eh pas udah ngedapetin duitnya, tiba2 ada rentenir datang dan nagih utang. And dar! duit triliunan itu lenyap seketika.
Harn kesal, tentu. Di saat yg sama ada game virtual reality Royal Road muncul di pasaran. Trus Harn mikir, kenapa ga nyoba jadi kaya kedua kalinya? And then, Harn ngabisin waktu setahun utk riset ttg Royal Road, n juga belajar martial art yg bisa ngebantu dia dlm game. Dan di Royal Road Harn mendaftarkan dirinya dengan nama "Weed"
***
Oke, awal-awal, Harn ngejual avatarnya dan dapet triliunan. Itu ga bikin aku terkesan, karena well, I thought that he's lucky since he's the main actor. Hidup miskin dan punya utang pun bukan sesuatu yang menggerakkan aku utk menyukai karakter Harn aka Weed ini.
Tapi pas udah nyampe chapter dua dan tiga... mulai deh kerasa serunya pas Weed ngejalanin quest ttg job Moonlight Sculptor.
Job sistem Royal Road terbagi dua: combat dan craft. Sculptor termasuk dalam kategori craft. Craft sendiri biasanya dipandang sebelah mata sama player lainnya, begitupun dengan Weed. Tapi pada akhirnya, Weed tanpa sadar mengubah jobnya jadi Legendary Moonlight Sculptor, si hidden job, sesuatu yang ngga dia pengen.
Di dalam cerita Weed digambarkan mendapatkan apa yang dia mau, ngedapetin secret quest, jadi bahan pembicaraan orang yang bagus-bagus, admired by NPCs and other players anywhere... yang bikin aku sebal. Kenapa? Kesannya terlalu mudah. Weed bisa mendapatkan semuanya dengan gampang, dengan begitu saja, hanya karena di amin actor.
Tapi anehnya, cerita ini bikin aku selalu penasaran apa yang terjadi di chapter berikutnya, lagi dan lagi... dan di setiap chapter aku selalu berakhir dengan senyum dan berkata 'sialan, nanggung endingnya' dan akhirnya ke chapter berikutnya.
And then, apa yang bikin aku bisa sampai kayak gitu? Dan jawabannya adalah....
... karakter Weed sebagai protagonis yang ternyata adalah anti-hero, alias bad guy in sheep clothing.
Yes, he's an anti hero!
Dengan kata-kata yang manis dia membujuk supaya NPC instructor di Training Hall ngasih dia makan siang gratis, saat melakukan party dengan NPC dalam satu quest, dia sengaja menggunakan weapon busur dan panah dan sengaja menyerang monster yang sudah sekarat dan hampir mati, yang padahal 'kesekaratan' monster itu adalah hasil jerih payah orang lain, dan Weed hanya mengambil untungnya dan hanya berusaha sedikit.
Yes, he's a selfish.
Dia ga mau ngasih diskonan ke seorang gadis yang ingin membeli patung yang ia pahat dengan alasan 'Aku ga setengah-setengah dalam membuat patung ini, tapi anda ingin membayar setengah?" yang akhirnya si gadis mau membayar sesuai harga asli.
Yes, he's money chaser.
Semua sifat tadi patut membuat Weed dibenci. Tapi, ada satu hal yang aku suka di sini dari Heesung Nam si author:
Heesung tidak membuat protagonis menjadi sesuatu yang disukai. Justru dia membuat protagonis menjadi bad guy yang cerdas dan licik. Tapi kelicikannya itu adalah hasil dari kerja keras Harn/Weed di dunia nyata melawan kejamnya dunia; jadi miskin dan terlibat hutang.
Ini nih yang aku suka. The main actor bukan seseorang yang sok baik, sok hipokrit, sok naif. Ada kan tuh tokoh utama dimana meskipun dia dapat kemalangan sana-sini, tapi tetap berusaha untuk jadi orang baik? Weed bukan karakter yang seperti itu. Justru sikapnya yang bad n sly guy adalah satu perwujudan yang logis dari karakter seseorang yang terbangun dari menghadapi kejamnya dunia. Psikologikal sangat main disini.
Dan ada satu hal yang bikin aku respek sama Harn/Weed meskipun dia itu bad guy: dia adalah orang yang rajin, dan selalu menyusun rencana dengan matang.
Coba dipikir: ada satu game virtual reality baru yang muncul di pasaran. Pastinya orang berbondong-bondong langsung daftar jadi pemain baru.
Tapi Weed menyusun rencana. Dia melakukan riset, menghapalkan katalog item Royal Road, belajar martial art di doujang (dojo), selama setahun, sebelum dia terjun ke Royal Road itu sendiri.
Di dalam game pun dia tetap rajin. Ada aturan kalau Newbie ga boleh keluar dari kota selama sebulan pertama. Weed menghabiskan waktu 4 weeksnya itu dengan berlatih di Training Hall, terus dan terus. Training Hall adalah tempat yang biasanya dilewatkan oleh user lain. Tapi Weed percaya, meskipun dia ga dapet level apapun di tempat itu, tapi dia terus berlatih sampai kekuatannya melebihi orang yang udah dapet job.
Dia rela masak tiga x sehari utk teman timnya, mengobati luka, dan memperbaiki weapon yg rusak. Apa karena Weed itu orang baik? BUKAN. Itu karena Weed dengan liciknya berpikir, kalo dengan melakukan semua itu, skillnya akan naik level, dengan tambahan bonus friendship dengan semua yang dia bantu bisa meningkat, dan akhirnya di masa depan ia bisa menggunakan orang-orang itu utk kepentingan dirinya sendiri.
Bad, sly guy. Dengan setting dunia dan gaya penceritaan yang benar-benar bikin pembaca masuk, as if benar-benar ada didalam game itu sendiri. Tapi aku ga merekomendasikan ini pada ornag2 yang belum pernah bermain game, apalagi online. Ada istilah2 dalam game yang dipakai di novel ini dan ga dijelaskan oleh si pengarang.
This is simply amazing. Harn/Weed is slyly amazing. And I love him.
Pembuka: The main actor is slyly amazing. Sialan. Novel ini bikin aku bilang sialan sambil senyum-senyum sendiri begitu baca chapter per chapter sampai abis.
Oke. Novel dibuka dengan kehidupan Harn Lee yang seorang orphanage dan miskin, suatu ketika jadi kaya raya dengan menjual avatar dari Continent of Magick, yg bernilai triliunan. eh pas udah ngedapetin duitnya, tiba2 ada rentenir datang dan nagih utang. And dar! duit triliunan itu lenyap seketika.
Harn kesal, tentu. Di saat yg sama ada game virtual reality Royal Road muncul di pasaran. Trus Harn mikir, kenapa ga nyoba jadi kaya kedua kalinya? And then, Harn ngabisin waktu setahun utk riset ttg Royal Road, n juga belajar martial art yg bisa ngebantu dia dlm game. Dan di Royal Road Harn mendaftarkan dirinya dengan nama "Weed"
***
Oke, awal-awal, Harn ngejual avatarnya dan dapet triliunan. Itu ga bikin aku terkesan, karena well, I thought that he's lucky since he's the main actor. Hidup miskin dan punya utang pun bukan sesuatu yang menggerakkan aku utk menyukai karakter Harn aka Weed ini.
Tapi pas udah nyampe chapter dua dan tiga... mulai deh kerasa serunya pas Weed ngejalanin quest ttg job Moonlight Sculptor.
Job sistem Royal Road terbagi dua: combat dan craft. Sculptor termasuk dalam kategori craft. Craft sendiri biasanya dipandang sebelah mata sama player lainnya, begitupun dengan Weed. Tapi pada akhirnya, Weed tanpa sadar mengubah jobnya jadi Legendary Moonlight Sculptor, si hidden job, sesuatu yang ngga dia pengen.
Di dalam cerita Weed digambarkan mendapatkan apa yang dia mau, ngedapetin secret quest, jadi bahan pembicaraan orang yang bagus-bagus, admired by NPCs and other players anywhere... yang bikin aku sebal. Kenapa? Kesannya terlalu mudah. Weed bisa mendapatkan semuanya dengan gampang, dengan begitu saja, hanya karena di amin actor.
Tapi anehnya, cerita ini bikin aku selalu penasaran apa yang terjadi di chapter berikutnya, lagi dan lagi... dan di setiap chapter aku selalu berakhir dengan senyum dan berkata 'sialan, nanggung endingnya' dan akhirnya ke chapter berikutnya.
And then, apa yang bikin aku bisa sampai kayak gitu? Dan jawabannya adalah....
... karakter Weed sebagai protagonis yang ternyata adalah anti-hero, alias bad guy in sheep clothing.
Yes, he's an anti hero!
Dengan kata-kata yang manis dia membujuk supaya NPC instructor di Training Hall ngasih dia makan siang gratis, saat melakukan party dengan NPC dalam satu quest, dia sengaja menggunakan weapon busur dan panah dan sengaja menyerang monster yang sudah sekarat dan hampir mati, yang padahal 'kesekaratan' monster itu adalah hasil jerih payah orang lain, dan Weed hanya mengambil untungnya dan hanya berusaha sedikit.
Yes, he's a selfish.
Dia ga mau ngasih diskonan ke seorang gadis yang ingin membeli patung yang ia pahat dengan alasan 'Aku ga setengah-setengah dalam membuat patung ini, tapi anda ingin membayar setengah?" yang akhirnya si gadis mau membayar sesuai harga asli.
Yes, he's money chaser.
Semua sifat tadi patut membuat Weed dibenci. Tapi, ada satu hal yang aku suka di sini dari Heesung Nam si author:
Heesung tidak membuat protagonis menjadi sesuatu yang disukai. Justru dia membuat protagonis menjadi bad guy yang cerdas dan licik. Tapi kelicikannya itu adalah hasil dari kerja keras Harn/Weed di dunia nyata melawan kejamnya dunia; jadi miskin dan terlibat hutang.
Ini nih yang aku suka. The main actor bukan seseorang yang sok baik, sok hipokrit, sok naif. Ada kan tuh tokoh utama dimana meskipun dia dapat kemalangan sana-sini, tapi tetap berusaha untuk jadi orang baik? Weed bukan karakter yang seperti itu. Justru sikapnya yang bad n sly guy adalah satu perwujudan yang logis dari karakter seseorang yang terbangun dari menghadapi kejamnya dunia. Psikologikal sangat main disini.
Dan ada satu hal yang bikin aku respek sama Harn/Weed meskipun dia itu bad guy: dia adalah orang yang rajin, dan selalu menyusun rencana dengan matang.
Coba dipikir: ada satu game virtual reality baru yang muncul di pasaran. Pastinya orang berbondong-bondong langsung daftar jadi pemain baru.
Tapi Weed menyusun rencana. Dia melakukan riset, menghapalkan katalog item Royal Road, belajar martial art di doujang (dojo), selama setahun, sebelum dia terjun ke Royal Road itu sendiri.
Di dalam game pun dia tetap rajin. Ada aturan kalau Newbie ga boleh keluar dari kota selama sebulan pertama. Weed menghabiskan waktu 4 weeksnya itu dengan berlatih di Training Hall, terus dan terus. Training Hall adalah tempat yang biasanya dilewatkan oleh user lain. Tapi Weed percaya, meskipun dia ga dapet level apapun di tempat itu, tapi dia terus berlatih sampai kekuatannya melebihi orang yang udah dapet job.
Dia rela masak tiga x sehari utk teman timnya, mengobati luka, dan memperbaiki weapon yg rusak. Apa karena Weed itu orang baik? BUKAN. Itu karena Weed dengan liciknya berpikir, kalo dengan melakukan semua itu, skillnya akan naik level, dengan tambahan bonus friendship dengan semua yang dia bantu bisa meningkat, dan akhirnya di masa depan ia bisa menggunakan orang-orang itu utk kepentingan dirinya sendiri.
Bad, sly guy. Dengan setting dunia dan gaya penceritaan yang benar-benar bikin pembaca masuk, as if benar-benar ada didalam game itu sendiri. Tapi aku ga merekomendasikan ini pada ornag2 yang belum pernah bermain game, apalagi online. Ada istilah2 dalam game yang dipakai di novel ini dan ga dijelaskan oleh si pengarang.
This is simply amazing. Harn/Weed is slyly amazing. And I love him.
August 17, 2017
I am giving this 3 stars because, for some reason, I enjoyed reading it. The plot, characters and writing (although, some of that is probably the translation) would have put it at 1 star.
The numbers in this book are ridiculous. Unless the translation was wrong, it said that the VR units cost 10 million won (which roughly equals 10k USD). Yeah, right, like enough people are going to shell out $10,000 for a video game console to make it viable. Also, the party Weed joins occasionally is made up of college kids. How many college kids could afford to by such an expensive device just for video games?!
And who would buy a character from a outdated game and platform for 3 million USD?! Or even tens of thousands of dollars? No. Way.
Basically, Weed is the only characters, everyone else is a cardboard cut-out that shows up when needed, then disappears again. And I didn't really like Weed. He's playing the game to make money, so he plays differently and views the game differently, than someone who is playing it for fun, which is probably most of the other players. But then he looks down on players when they don't play as 'efficiently' as possible or make what he thinks are mistakes.
Also, lots of the small plot points are ridiculous; almost anything Weed does is unique and never thought of or done by another player. And when the author says that learning skills in the game carries over to real life (i.e. If you master the cooking skill in the game, you will become a fabulous chef IRL), he lost me. I continued to read (I got partway through volume 2 before I finally stopped) in the hope that it would improve but I couldn't get over that statement.
The numbers in this book are ridiculous. Unless the translation was wrong, it said that the VR units cost 10 million won (which roughly equals 10k USD). Yeah, right, like enough people are going to shell out $10,000 for a video game console to make it viable. Also, the party Weed joins occasionally is made up of college kids. How many college kids could afford to by such an expensive device just for video games?!
And who would buy a character from a outdated game and platform for 3 million USD?! Or even tens of thousands of dollars? No. Way.
Basically, Weed is the only characters, everyone else is a cardboard cut-out that shows up when needed, then disappears again. And I didn't really like Weed. He's playing the game to make money, so he plays differently and views the game differently, than someone who is playing it for fun, which is probably most of the other players. But then he looks down on players when they don't play as 'efficiently' as possible or make what he thinks are mistakes.
Also, lots of the small plot points are ridiculous; almost anything Weed does is unique and never thought of or done by another player. And when the author says that learning skills in the game carries over to real life (i.e. If you master the cooking skill in the game, you will become a fabulous chef IRL), he lost me. I continued to read (I got partway through volume 2 before I finally stopped) in the hope that it would improve but I couldn't get over that statement.
March 19, 2013
Somewhat similar to SAO (Sword Art Online - a Japanese light novel) except lighter, funnier, and with far more crowning moments of heartwarming... an excellent book with follow-ups that do not disappont either.
The protagonist somewhat reminds me of the Sun Knight from Legends of the Sun Knight, which is definitely a plus!
The protagonist somewhat reminds me of the Sun Knight from Legends of the Sun Knight, which is definitely a plus!
January 10, 2022
Notes:
- This will be my 2nd, Korean translated LitRPG light novel series that I've read.
- The writing/translation is a bit rough. That said, I really like the main character Lee Hyun and the trials of becoming the Legendary Moonlight Sculptor in the game. Lee Hyun's game handle is Weed. While he is not the nicest guy, I like the way he will make a plan and work his butt off to attain his goals. Due to circumstances, Hyun is socially stunted as a person. Between Korean cultural aspects and the dystopian spin for the story setting, he's rather clueless when it comes to interacting with people as friends, worked numerous jobs to take care of his family (grandmother & little sister), never dated and only played games for fun. Even in the game, he was a lone ranger. So, hearing his inner thoughts and the stuff he ends up doing in a vast virtual reality MMORPG is terrible & hilarious! 50% terrible humor mixed with regular hi-jinx that are funny within context.
I don't have much hope for the translation being awesome sauce, but I do hope the story potential blooms into a mass of ridiculous fun.
- This will be my 2nd, Korean translated LitRPG light novel series that I've read.
- The writing/translation is a bit rough. That said, I really like the main character Lee Hyun and the trials of becoming the Legendary Moonlight Sculptor in the game. Lee Hyun's game handle is Weed. While he is not the nicest guy, I like the way he will make a plan and work his butt off to attain his goals. Due to circumstances, Hyun is socially stunted as a person. Between Korean cultural aspects and the dystopian spin for the story setting, he's rather clueless when it comes to interacting with people as friends, worked numerous jobs to take care of his family (grandmother & little sister), never dated and only played games for fun. Even in the game, he was a lone ranger. So, hearing his inner thoughts and the stuff he ends up doing in a vast virtual reality MMORPG is terrible & hilarious! 50% terrible humor mixed with regular hi-jinx that are funny within context.
I don't have much hope for the translation being awesome sauce, but I do hope the story potential blooms into a mass of ridiculous fun.
September 25, 2016
I read this in a free translation, which you can find here. The first 20 volumes of Legendary Moonlight Sculptor have been translated by fans. The translation is not excellent, but it's good enough.
This is a light novel, called a ranobe (ラノベ) in Japan (though this one is Korean). These are short (novella-length) works that come out rapidly and are targeted at middle- and high-school students. I would call it the Asian analog of, eg, Goosebumps or Sweet Valley Twins. It's very similar to the Japanese LN Sword Art Online.
Legendary Moonlight Sculptor is the story of Hyun Lee, a young, impoverished man in Korea whose only escape is the MMORPG Continent of Magic, which he has been playing diligently for years, where he is known as Weed. When he decides he needs to give up his gaming time to spend more time working to make money for his family, he decides to sell his character off to make a few extra won. Hyun's dedication to his character pays off when the auction soars to hundreds of millions of won. When loan sharks come and take all his newfound wealth, he vows to do it all over again and starts playing the full-immersion VR MMORPG Royal Road with a plan to build the strongest possible character to sell off and get rich again.
This is one of the seminal works of the LitRPG genre and is a great introduction to this genre and to Asian light novels in general. The writing is not spectacular and the translation isn't helping it any, but if you like this type of novel the story is gripping enough that you won't notice the low-end translation after awhile. In spite of the pretty simple plot and storytelling, Weed is a surprisingly complex character: he's driven to acquire money by any means necessary to support his family, which makes him hardworking and dedicated almost to a fault -- but at the same time, he's often moved by compassion not only for his fellow players but even for NPCs.
Volume 1 is a quick read. If you're interested in litRPG or enjoyed SAO, give this a try.
This is a light novel, called a ranobe (ラノベ) in Japan (though this one is Korean). These are short (novella-length) works that come out rapidly and are targeted at middle- and high-school students. I would call it the Asian analog of, eg, Goosebumps or Sweet Valley Twins. It's very similar to the Japanese LN Sword Art Online.
Legendary Moonlight Sculptor is the story of Hyun Lee, a young, impoverished man in Korea whose only escape is the MMORPG Continent of Magic, which he has been playing diligently for years, where he is known as Weed. When he decides he needs to give up his gaming time to spend more time working to make money for his family, he decides to sell his character off to make a few extra won. Hyun's dedication to his character pays off when the auction soars to hundreds of millions of won. When loan sharks come and take all his newfound wealth, he vows to do it all over again and starts playing the full-immersion VR MMORPG Royal Road with a plan to build the strongest possible character to sell off and get rich again.
This is one of the seminal works of the LitRPG genre and is a great introduction to this genre and to Asian light novels in general. The writing is not spectacular and the translation isn't helping it any, but if you like this type of novel the story is gripping enough that you won't notice the low-end translation after awhile. In spite of the pretty simple plot and storytelling, Weed is a surprisingly complex character: he's driven to acquire money by any means necessary to support his family, which makes him hardworking and dedicated almost to a fault -- but at the same time, he's often moved by compassion not only for his fellow players but even for NPCs.
Volume 1 is a quick read. If you're interested in litRPG or enjoyed SAO, give this a try.
June 17, 2014
I can't read Korean so obviously I read it off translations from other fans of the book. I must say, I was duly impressed.
This is a MMORPG-based story of a virtual reality game called Royal Road. The point of the game is to become the Emperor, a position that allows you to gain immense influence in the world.
I love playing MMORPGs and love reading about it. This novel did not disappoint.
Our hero (who calls himself Weed in the game) is deceptive and enjoys swindling other players. However, he is a dedicated family man who wants to send his sister to University while also taking care of his grandmother. Because of his impoverished life, he tries and save as much money as possible. This is not one of your typical hero-archetype characters you often see in many books.
I think the character development was good not great. There are some instances where the actions of Weed did not really justify his goals of making money off the game. I enjoyed the little pop-ups that displayed skills and leveling. The other characters were also enjoyable as well.
Since this was mainly the background development of our hero, it wasn't the best starter. There is a lot of potential in the series that will probably make me enjoy this much more.
I would recommend this highly.
I am waiting for further volumes to be translated. However, the author said only up to Volume 20. Hoping he will change his mind and allow more fan-translations.
This is a MMORPG-based story of a virtual reality game called Royal Road. The point of the game is to become the Emperor, a position that allows you to gain immense influence in the world.
I love playing MMORPGs and love reading about it. This novel did not disappoint.
Our hero (who calls himself Weed in the game) is deceptive and enjoys swindling other players. However, he is a dedicated family man who wants to send his sister to University while also taking care of his grandmother. Because of his impoverished life, he tries and save as much money as possible. This is not one of your typical hero-archetype characters you often see in many books.
I think the character development was good not great. There are some instances where the actions of Weed did not really justify his goals of making money off the game. I enjoyed the little pop-ups that displayed skills and leveling. The other characters were also enjoyable as well.
Since this was mainly the background development of our hero, it wasn't the best starter. There is a lot of potential in the series that will probably make me enjoy this much more.
I would recommend this highly.
I am waiting for further volumes to be translated. However, the author said only up to Volume 20. Hoping he will change his mind and allow more fan-translations.
December 30, 2017
I've been looking for a translation of this after reading the first two Play To Live books from D. Rus, as a number of Amazon and goodreads commentators mentioned it as a likely inspiration. I can see where that thought came from - the story is set mostly in an RPG - but in this case, it is someone's job, someone who can still get to the real world. I found a translation via wattpad, and have been reading that, and I've really come to enjoy Weed as a character. I would like to find an official translation (not that wattpad is a bad one, though there are occasional grammatical issues in the first ten volumes) so as to provide money to the author.
I'm glad I found the litrpg genre this year, as it seems to be particularly popular with Korean and Russian authors. In a year where I was overwhelmed by a lot of other things, and reading was sounding an awful lot like work, it was not the best idea to also decide this was the year in which I'd avoid my mainstay white, native-english speaking scifi authors. I'm going to go ahead and add in the first ten volumes here, though it does feel a bit like cheating. They're "light novels", which I think translates into novella, and I read them on my phone. The first I guess makes it onto here sometimes - Every Heart A Doorway springs to mind - but as for the 2nd, I think this is the first thing I've read on my phone (where I read a lot) to make it into goodreads.
I'm glad I found the litrpg genre this year, as it seems to be particularly popular with Korean and Russian authors. In a year where I was overwhelmed by a lot of other things, and reading was sounding an awful lot like work, it was not the best idea to also decide this was the year in which I'd avoid my mainstay white, native-english speaking scifi authors. I'm going to go ahead and add in the first ten volumes here, though it does feel a bit like cheating. They're "light novels", which I think translates into novella, and I read them on my phone. The first I guess makes it onto here sometimes - Every Heart A Doorway springs to mind - but as for the 2nd, I think this is the first thing I've read on my phone (where I read a lot) to make it into goodreads.
June 13, 2015
I wanna rate this book higher because it is such an enjoyable read, but there really are glaring errors in it. I only give 5 stars if I can't find anything obvious and there are a few obvious problems with it. BUT, it doesn't hurt the book much at all. I don't think there is anyone I wouldn't recommend this book to because it's so damned awesome. Amazing concept.
The problems? Mainly the side characters. The side characters basically have carbon copy personalities, or in light of Lee Hyun's amazing personality, they're all overshadowed in it's towering glory. Seoyun's good, but the rest are throwaways.
Romance is a plus in this book. This is one of those few books that strikes a balance in the romance category where it's enjoyable for both men and woman to read. The romance is incredibly sweet and heartwarming, but it doesn't overshadow the main plot at all.
Weed's character I'd say is almost perfect. His character is just brilliant. This is the type of well-developed character that you see actors like Jack Nicholson shine in.
The story is exciting and a good way to unwind. It's not the type to put you on the edge of your seat, but it will keep you reading until you run out of volumes to read.
The problems? Mainly the side characters. The side characters basically have carbon copy personalities, or in light of Lee Hyun's amazing personality, they're all overshadowed in it's towering glory. Seoyun's good, but the rest are throwaways.
Romance is a plus in this book. This is one of those few books that strikes a balance in the romance category where it's enjoyable for both men and woman to read. The romance is incredibly sweet and heartwarming, but it doesn't overshadow the main plot at all.
Weed's character I'd say is almost perfect. His character is just brilliant. This is the type of well-developed character that you see actors like Jack Nicholson shine in.
The story is exciting and a good way to unwind. It's not the type to put you on the edge of your seat, but it will keep you reading until you run out of volumes to read.
March 1, 2021
Finished the first two volumes (<5 hours in)
Review of the series:
2.5 stars, I like some parts but other parts are just okay.
Characters: 2/5 okay
World: 3/5 i like it
Story: 1/5 did not like
Writing: 4.5/5 really liked it
Characters:
The characters are mostly bland and meaningless, with the only fleshed out character being the main character. Even then the story revolves more around how the mc plays the videogame rather than who the mc is as a person. All you can really tell about him is that he knows how to game the system and that he likes money and his family.
World:
The worldbuilding isn't the focus here. It is fine. It isn't outstanding, but there are no glaring flaws either. This book does a better job than most litrpgs in that we are not drowned in all sorts of useless information. However, the flip side of that is that things are always introduced in a suspiciously convenient way, reminiscent of deus ex machina, where you find out things about the world right when it would help the main character for things to be that way.
Story:
The story is lacking because it is aimless, and reads like a visit to the grocery store. It is a series of "go here, do that" events/quests, which is reminiscent of the grinding of a real videogame. It's almost ironic that this story does such a uniquely good job keeping the videogame aspect constant, but that also makes the story just as boring as a grindy videogame (WoW anyone?).
Writing:
The writing is really pleasing and smooth. Most books are annoying to read because things aren't explained fully or ideas aren't explored, but this book seems to do a good job with being easy to read and easy to follow.
Review of the series:
2.5 stars, I like some parts but other parts are just okay.
Characters: 2/5 okay
World: 3/5 i like it
Story: 1/5 did not like
Writing: 4.5/5 really liked it
Characters:
The characters are mostly bland and meaningless, with the only fleshed out character being the main character. Even then the story revolves more around how the mc plays the videogame rather than who the mc is as a person. All you can really tell about him is that he knows how to game the system and that he likes money and his family.
World:
The worldbuilding isn't the focus here. It is fine. It isn't outstanding, but there are no glaring flaws either. This book does a better job than most litrpgs in that we are not drowned in all sorts of useless information. However, the flip side of that is that things are always introduced in a suspiciously convenient way, reminiscent of deus ex machina, where you find out things about the world right when it would help the main character for things to be that way.
Story:
The story is lacking because it is aimless, and reads like a visit to the grocery store. It is a series of "go here, do that" events/quests, which is reminiscent of the grinding of a real videogame. It's almost ironic that this story does such a uniquely good job keeping the videogame aspect constant, but that also makes the story just as boring as a grindy videogame (WoW anyone?).
Writing:
The writing is really pleasing and smooth. Most books are annoying to read because things aren't explained fully or ideas aren't explored, but this book seems to do a good job with being easy to read and easy to follow.
March 17, 2021
Other than the typical childish Asian tendency to constantly pat himself on the back because he has no self-esteem, the story progress at a good pace. There is a serious lack of characters, and I'm assuming the rest of the series will be just like "I'm a Spider, so what?" Filled with little action and hundreds of hours of self gratifying monologue contemplations. But for the most part, there is not only some progression to fuel to dopamine, but also a bit of plot. Which is to say, already 100x better than most of the Asian Light Novels out there that strictly targets 12 year olds and micropenises that desperately needs the boost in ego.
May 8, 2022
Okay, I didn't actually finish it - I got to the middle of volume 2. But, give me a break - there's like 20 volumes. It's a little like Ready Player One, only set in Korea. I wish I was able to read it as a graphic novel I could hold in my hands, not on my computer. It's pretty good though.
You can read it like a novel (http://royalroadweed.blogspot.com/201...) or as a graphic novel (https://manhuazone.com/manga/20-the-l...). I recommend that you read a chapter of the narrative first, then a chapter of the graphic novel second. Go back and forth between the two. The artwork is incredible!
You can read it like a novel (http://royalroadweed.blogspot.com/201...) or as a graphic novel (https://manhuazone.com/manga/20-the-l...). I recommend that you read a chapter of the narrative first, then a chapter of the graphic novel second. Go back and forth between the two. The artwork is incredible!
February 25, 2019
Currently caught up to the 53rd volume, the series as a whole is quite good, the worldbuilding is enjoyable, a high amount of hype for many of the parts youd expect. Never really gets boring even though a bit formulaic. The unexpected twists are very creative. Some criticisms, at times its difficult to visualize the proportions/scale of the setting since a lot of hyperbolic numbers seem to be thrown into the climactic events, certain mechanics of the game are unexplained, somewhat formulaic with how the protagonist proceeds in overcoming obstacles.
August 31, 2017
خوب. یکم شروع کندی داره ، فکر کنم ۱ سالفقط تو جلد دوم گیر کرده بودم و جلو نمی رفتم ولی بعد از مدتی. ذخیره ام تموم شده بود و شروع به خوندن کردم و واو. سوپرایز ... داستان اعتیاد اور جذاب پر هیجان و غیر قابل پیش بینی. یه چیزی بین حماسه شاه کش پاتریک ریفوس و لاگ هورایزن تازه ۴۹ جلد ترجمه شده به اینگلیسی🤤
واقعا عالیه و در عین حال اعتیاد اوره البته خوب بعضی جاها از دست نویسنده یه چیز هایی در میره ولی در کل میشه چشم پوشی کرد.
واقعا عالیه و در عین حال اعتیاد اوره البته خوب بعضی جاها از دست نویسنده یه چیز هایی در میره ولی در کل میشه چشم پوشی کرد.
February 27, 2019
This was a page turner for me. I continued reading all the way until volume 22 in one go and didn't want to stop even then. However, this was when the novel was fan translated and the author just released plans to have it officially translated so they stopped. I'm currently waiting for the English version to come out so I can continue... I've been waiting for more than 3 years now and am starting to lose hope.
But anyhow, 5/5 would recommend and read again
But anyhow, 5/5 would recommend and read again
June 5, 2020
.... I started reading it and didnt stop for so long. It was like playing a game but being good at it. Also so funny, my first introduction to Korean humor. Everything was so good and the thing about it was that it never really turned bad, the only reason I stopped was because I caught up with the translator and just never returned. I was about to read it again but so much has piled up that I need to concentrate to read it plus I have so many other things to read.
July 20, 2017
Not a bad drawing style, rather simplistic, but I enjoyed the dynamic fight scenes and the focus on artistic ability that makes for a stronger person overall, as well as a person's movements affecting their online avatar. Entertaining and a sympathetic main character. Supporting cast is not focused on that much, as Weed is really trying to simply make money rather than have a fun MMO experience.
February 16, 2020
Good series. It's a shame the translations isn't up to scratch. Makes it difficult at times to know what's actually been said or what the author intended. Still good enough to entertain.
I think it would have been a lot funnier if I could have read it in it's original language. Almost deadpan humour which has been lost in translation.
I think it would have been a lot funnier if I could have read it in it's original language. Almost deadpan humour which has been lost in translation.
January 9, 2017
(Review for Volumes 1 - 20)
Interesting adventure of a "sculptor" in a fantasy game world. Part of the story takes place outside of the game and both sides come together to drive the main character's motivation.
Interesting adventure of a "sculptor" in a fantasy game world. Part of the story takes place outside of the game and both sides come together to drive the main character's motivation.
May 20, 2017
Extremely good plot and development.
April 9, 2018
Best Litrpg ever...
April 8, 2020
Novel is so good but manga is also as good as novel.
May 9, 2020
baca versi komiknya tapi sayangnya gak ada digoodreads
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February 21, 2023I actually read tyhis online first and recently read this using KU at Amazon. It is still a fun read.
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