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I Refuse to Be the Dark Lord: A Cozy Farming LitRPG
The System wanted a Dark Lord. It got a Middle Manager.
Ethan Cole died the way he staring at a spreadsheet at 11:45 PM.
When he wakes up in the magical Kingdom of Aethelgard, he is offered a second chance. The System grants him the terrifying class of Necromancer and issues a legendary quest to defeat the Demon King.
Ethan’s response? "Per my last No."
After a decade of corporate burnout, Ethan has zero interest in saving the world. He finds a dilapidated cottage, ignores the System’s apocalyptic warnings, and decides to do the one thing he never had time for in his previous Start a farm.
But agriculture is hard labor, and Ethan’s back isn't what it used to be. Fortunately, his class comes with a unique set of "HR Solutions":
Raise Dead? No, that’s "Recruiting Unpaid Interns."
Dark Rituals? No, that’s "Aggressive Soil Fertilization."
Dungeon Crawling? No, that’s just "Inventory Management."
Armed with a shovel, a rusted bucket-wearing skeleton tank, and a frightening amount of caffeine, Ethan sets out to build the most efficient agricultural startup in the realm.
But peace is hard to monetize. Between mana-eating beetles, greedy tax collectors from the Merchant Guild, and a misunderstood mushroom monster living in the basement, Ethan will have to use every ounce of his corporate cunning to protect his assets.
The Demon King can wait. The harvest cannot.
About this Jump into a cozy, slice-of-life LitRPG adventure that blends farming simulation with RPG progression. Perfect for fans of Beware of Chicken and Legends & Lattes, but with more skeletons and spreadsheets.
What to 💀 Managerial Using undead minions for automated farming. 🌾 Base Upgrading a ruined cottage into a magical fortress. 📈 Corporate Fighting enemies with tax laws and hostile takeovers. ☕ Cozy Low stress, high satisfaction, and lots of coffee. 🚫 No Just good business partners.
Ethan Cole died the way he staring at a spreadsheet at 11:45 PM.
When he wakes up in the magical Kingdom of Aethelgard, he is offered a second chance. The System grants him the terrifying class of Necromancer and issues a legendary quest to defeat the Demon King.
Ethan’s response? "Per my last No."
After a decade of corporate burnout, Ethan has zero interest in saving the world. He finds a dilapidated cottage, ignores the System’s apocalyptic warnings, and decides to do the one thing he never had time for in his previous Start a farm.
But agriculture is hard labor, and Ethan’s back isn't what it used to be. Fortunately, his class comes with a unique set of "HR Solutions":
Raise Dead? No, that’s "Recruiting Unpaid Interns."
Dark Rituals? No, that’s "Aggressive Soil Fertilization."
Dungeon Crawling? No, that’s just "Inventory Management."
Armed with a shovel, a rusted bucket-wearing skeleton tank, and a frightening amount of caffeine, Ethan sets out to build the most efficient agricultural startup in the realm.
But peace is hard to monetize. Between mana-eating beetles, greedy tax collectors from the Merchant Guild, and a misunderstood mushroom monster living in the basement, Ethan will have to use every ounce of his corporate cunning to protect his assets.
The Demon King can wait. The harvest cannot.
About this Jump into a cozy, slice-of-life LitRPG adventure that blends farming simulation with RPG progression. Perfect for fans of Beware of Chicken and Legends & Lattes, but with more skeletons and spreadsheets.
What to 💀 Managerial Using undead minions for automated farming. 🌾 Base Upgrading a ruined cottage into a magical fortress. 📈 Corporate Fighting enemies with tax laws and hostile takeovers. ☕ Cozy Low stress, high satisfaction, and lots of coffee. 🚫 No Just good business partners.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2025
About the author
K.T. Black
10 books10 followersI’ve been writing fictions stories since I was able to hold a pen. Whether my (F/F or F/M) stories are filled with witches or regular people, they frequently include mystery/suspense, sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal elements. I never limit the direction my imagination takes me when telling a story.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going to movies, playing video games, cooking, traveling, and meeting interesting/eccentric people--many of whom help color the worlds I create while writing. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family and three very spoiled cats.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going to movies, playing video games, cooking, traveling, and meeting interesting/eccentric people--many of whom help color the worlds I create while writing. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family and three very spoiled cats.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 27, 2026
This is just fun. Corporate nonsense tied to slice of life that focuses on characters.
March 3, 2026
Such a Joy to read! You don't wanna miss out so grab the book!
Ohhhh! Man! This novella was a Joy to read! Clocking in at seventy pages and just perfect for a quite afternoon. There's nothin I like better than readin' a cozy, especially when the MC, Ethan is a mite unconventional. Ethan is a Necromancer and all he wants to do is farm the land. To do that he'll need workers a staff helping him.
Here's a couple three quotes:
"But they aren't evil skeletons." "They'
re... staff." "Staff?" the girl blinked. "Yes. Unpaid interns, actually," Ethan lied smoothly. "I'm a... uh... magical agricultural consultant. This is a new farming technique from the capital. Very cutting edge. It's called... Osteo-Farming." "Osteo-Farming?" the girl repeated, confused.
"The air was filled with a scent that was more powerful than necromancy, more holy than a priest’s blessing, and more valuable than gold. Coffee."
Ohhhh! Man! This novella was a Joy to read! Clocking in at seventy pages and just perfect for a quite afternoon. There's nothin I like better than readin' a cozy, especially when the MC, Ethan is a mite unconventional. Ethan is a Necromancer and all he wants to do is farm the land. To do that he'll need workers a staff helping him.
Here's a couple three quotes:
"But they aren't evil skeletons." "They'
re... staff." "Staff?" the girl blinked. "Yes. Unpaid interns, actually," Ethan lied smoothly. "I'm a... uh... magical agricultural consultant. This is a new farming technique from the capital. Very cutting edge. It's called... Osteo-Farming." "Osteo-Farming?" the girl repeated, confused.
"The air was filled with a scent that was more powerful than necromancy, more holy than a priest’s blessing, and more valuable than gold. Coffee."
February 11, 2026
This series is hysterically funny. It gets more and more wacky as the series progresses. However, you need to understand basic corporation financial and political maneuvers. I've read enough Wall Street Journal and more lightweight reading material that I understood many of the jokes. In addition to knowledge of internal corporate behavior, it really helps if you have a smattering of Unix or indeed any of the underlying OS for Windows or Mac to understand what is going on with the "operating system" of this Universe.
The first three books don't require heavy duty knowledge but the fourth is definitely higher level. On the other hand the fourth is the most fun with the author throwing a barrage of every trick he knows at the audience.
This writer clearly has an MBA with at least some basic knowledge of the guts of computer operations.
The first three books don't require heavy duty knowledge but the fourth is definitely higher level. On the other hand the fourth is the most fun with the author throwing a barrage of every trick he knows at the audience.
This writer clearly has an MBA with at least some basic knowledge of the guts of computer operations.
June 12, 2026
Well…
What looks promising at first sight was marred with some questionable choices.
1st: The length. 70 pages, really!? This isn't a book for me (didn't see it before ordering because, who would think that somebody would publish a “book” so short?). Read it in 1 hour 15 minutes. Lucky for me that I wasn’t on a vacation on the beach! I do not consider that a novel should be less than 250-300 pages to call it a proper book.
2nd: for me, it looks a way more like a rough draft for a project of a book than a finished story in itself. Really short chapters, no characters development, looks like vignettes more than a continuous story. It really look unfinished.
That's too bad. I really tried but stopped at the end of book three. The idea was genial and really different of what you're used to see in litRPG. But the finished product is way too rushed and raw. There are a lot of keywords coming from businesses management that the author seemed eager to integrate but it cruelly lacks of finition.
That would be a good series if the author would re-work it as a finished product instead of what looks to me as a “beta” pre-version. I'm sorry to be the party-pooper, here, but that is my honest opinion. You have something, here, that could be really great if it wasn't so rushed.
Maybe a collaboration with somebody who knows how to build a good story but lacks the imagination that you seems to have…?
What looks promising at first sight was marred with some questionable choices.
1st: The length. 70 pages, really!? This isn't a book for me (didn't see it before ordering because, who would think that somebody would publish a “book” so short?). Read it in 1 hour 15 minutes. Lucky for me that I wasn’t on a vacation on the beach! I do not consider that a novel should be less than 250-300 pages to call it a proper book.
2nd: for me, it looks a way more like a rough draft for a project of a book than a finished story in itself. Really short chapters, no characters development, looks like vignettes more than a continuous story. It really look unfinished.
That's too bad. I really tried but stopped at the end of book three. The idea was genial and really different of what you're used to see in litRPG. But the finished product is way too rushed and raw. There are a lot of keywords coming from businesses management that the author seemed eager to integrate but it cruelly lacks of finition.
That would be a good series if the author would re-work it as a finished product instead of what looks to me as a “beta” pre-version. I'm sorry to be the party-pooper, here, but that is my honest opinion. You have something, here, that could be really great if it wasn't so rushed.
Maybe a collaboration with somebody who knows how to build a good story but lacks the imagination that you seems to have…?
February 17, 2026
This had humorous moments (see: Ribs), but was lead by the Patrick Bateman type, who's a little too egotistical for his own good. Perhaps I read it with a bit more snark than was intended (which is very possible). It was entertaining and fast-paced, getting to the point quickly.
While not a blockbuster of a book, it served its purpose and I exhaled forcefully more than once while reading. A solid addition to the genre, but nothing to go out of your way to read.
3.25 out of 5 severed thumbs-up.
While not a blockbuster of a book, it served its purpose and I exhaled forcefully more than once while reading. A solid addition to the genre, but nothing to go out of your way to read.
3.25 out of 5 severed thumbs-up.
June 3, 2026
Surprisingly lighthearted
This was a short adventure, but it was fun. You can feel the bone weariness of the main character when he tells the System "No". It was funny and took a different direction than other stories in the genre. My only complaint is the lack of details that are skipped and left for you to assume happened at some point. Did he buy food? How did he get parchment, or cloth to weave with, what does the inside of his cottage look like? Small details left out leaves the story a little flat.
This was a short adventure, but it was fun. You can feel the bone weariness of the main character when he tells the System "No". It was funny and took a different direction than other stories in the genre. My only complaint is the lack of details that are skipped and left for you to assume happened at some point. Did he buy food? How did he get parchment, or cloth to weave with, what does the inside of his cottage look like? Small details left out leaves the story a little flat.
April 26, 2026
Reads like an AI created it.
The premise sounded good.
Halfway through the first chapter I began sensing AI fingerprints.
By the time I was finished with chapter two, I couldn’t enjoy the story because of them.
If this was not 100% created by AI, it was corrected by AI which left the prose as bland as oatmeal and full of AI fingerprints.
I don’t mind AI assisted writing, but insist that it be labelled as such so I can lower my expectations.
The premise sounded good.
Halfway through the first chapter I began sensing AI fingerprints.
By the time I was finished with chapter two, I couldn’t enjoy the story because of them.
If this was not 100% created by AI, it was corrected by AI which left the prose as bland as oatmeal and full of AI fingerprints.
I don’t mind AI assisted writing, but insist that it be labelled as such so I can lower my expectations.
April 13, 2026
AI dribble.
The book comes off as if the author put the best parts of other famous books into an AI bot and said write a book for me. it tries really hard to be funny and lighthearted, but really just becomes tedious with the overdone middle management theme.
Unless you’re super bored skip this one
The book comes off as if the author put the best parts of other famous books into an AI bot and said write a book for me. it tries really hard to be funny and lighthearted, but really just becomes tedious with the overdone middle management theme.
Unless you’re super bored skip this one
April 28, 2026
Hilarious, but very short
The book is funny, but shortcuts a lot of the plot that is included. It’s only 70 pages long, but to their credit, the author did not take up pages with leveling info bloat. For me, it lost a star because it’s so short and lacks plot development. Still, it is entertaining if you are bored and need to fill half an hour.
The book is funny, but shortcuts a lot of the plot that is included. It’s only 70 pages long, but to their credit, the author did not take up pages with leveling info bloat. For me, it lost a star because it’s so short and lacks plot development. Still, it is entertaining if you are bored and need to fill half an hour.
May 3, 2026
so incredibly cute!
I dont normally read LitRPGS but this one appealed to me for reasons I haven’t quite figured out yet….anyway, other than a bit of violence and so BUSINESS this is clean and very funny. The hero is just doing business and his staff is revamped villains. Great start on a good story. Watch out for Lily, she’s a plant!
I dont normally read LitRPGS but this one appealed to me for reasons I haven’t quite figured out yet….anyway, other than a bit of violence and so BUSINESS this is clean and very funny. The hero is just doing business and his staff is revamped villains. Great start on a good story. Watch out for Lily, she’s a plant!
April 13, 2026
Awesome Fun
First, this is a VERY short book, but fun and uplifting. I really enjoyed the premise, the world is easy to imagine. I also enjoyed the Skeletons can’t wait to read more.
First, this is a VERY short book, but fun and uplifting. I really enjoyed the premise, the world is easy to imagine. I also enjoyed the Skeletons can’t wait to read more.
May 21, 2026
Well done!
Exactly as advertised. No sex, the plot is interesting, and the writing is as professional.
I liked the way the reader filled in the details without any prompting. Most writers want to influence perceptions, this book enhances the reading experience instead
Exactly as advertised. No sex, the plot is interesting, and the writing is as professional.
I liked the way the reader filled in the details without any prompting. Most writers want to influence perceptions, this book enhances the reading experience instead
June 15, 2026
Failed Concept
The concept sounded fun and interesting but the constant corporate jargon every 8 words got incredibly annoying. It was fine the first few times but I found it very tiresome very quickly.
The concept sounded fun and interesting but the constant corporate jargon every 8 words got incredibly annoying. It was fine the first few times but I found it very tiresome very quickly.
June 16, 2026
Fun read.
Great story and set up. Love the character set up, for minor characters. Very easy read. I love LitRPG. This one, does just enough to keep it fun, without being overbearing.
Great story and set up. Love the character set up, for minor characters. Very easy read. I love LitRPG. This one, does just enough to keep it fun, without being overbearing.
March 15, 2026
Fun
Either that was short or it was a really fun read. I'm going with fun. Very enjoyable, well written and a good epilogue.
Either that was short or it was a really fun read. I'm going with fun. Very enjoyable, well written and a good epilogue.
May 10, 2026
Rating this one was hard. The story and writing might not be 4-star worthy, but I appreciated it very much for what it was - short, action-packed, and highly entertaining. Already downloaded book 2.
May 26, 2026
This feels like a outline rather than a novel. The created characters are very interesting and have a lot of area to explore, BUT, there is no elaboration on the magic/LitRPG system, He gains mysterious growth/skills/knowledge but NO explanation or hinting of to how he suddenly becomes adept in the world's legal and financial system. Book feels very rushed, MC is OP for no obvious reason, villain is cookie cutter trope. Not really interested in the rest of the series. MAYBE it gets better, but not really resonating with it after book 1.
June 2, 2026
Read dates: May 23 - Jun 1, 2026
April 13, 2026
AI
This whole series is AI generated. Don’t buy it. It is not worth the brain power. It could have had a great concept. But it’s just brain rot
This whole series is AI generated. Don’t buy it. It is not worth the brain power. It could have had a great concept. But it’s just brain rot
April 24, 2026
Truly a low-key farming game - that's so much fun to read. Humor, strange situations and even some laugh out loud moments.
Give it a try, you might surprise yourself!
Give it a try, you might surprise yourself!
June 18, 2026
Borrow Don’t Buy
If the main character were more fleshed out rather than seeming to exist only as a humorous device, this could be a really solid novella. But as someone who’s worked in environments saturated with corporate buzzwords like those the necromancer (sometimes humorously sometimes cringe-inducingly) spews, it gives me an ick that I couldn’t quite get past. I might read on to see if it gets better, but only maybe.
If the main character were more fleshed out rather than seeming to exist only as a humorous device, this could be a really solid novella. But as someone who’s worked in environments saturated with corporate buzzwords like those the necromancer (sometimes humorously sometimes cringe-inducingly) spews, it gives me an ick that I couldn’t quite get past. I might read on to see if it gets better, but only maybe.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews