External Threat

LitRPG Series

Reality Benders is a new series by Michael Atamanov written in a rather rare genre blend of LitRPG, global MMORPG strategy and space adventure creating a seamless picture which unfolds simultaneously in four worlds. One is the Earth with all its political problems and confrontations; the second one a virtual projection of our planet divided into a series of “nodes”; the third one the vast expanse of deep space teeming with civilizations so unlike our own; and finally, a parallel Earth where magic is mundane.

Unbeknown to the majority of the Earth’s inhabitants, humanity has been taking part in a game brought to our planet by a highly developed and powerful Geckho civilization. Participating in it can reap considerable rewards as the technologies learned can positively affect both science and everyday life, advancing them decades. Which is why the participant countries aren’t in a hurry to share their discoveries, preferring to act on their own. The game’s events affect the real world - which is why humanity’s potential defeat might have some disastrous consequences for our planet.

Gnat is a twenty-year-old gamer and university dropout expelled for organizing online gambling tournaments. He is then offered the choice of either being prosecuted or joining a “research institute studying the effects of virtual reality” as part of a group of fellow gamer dropouts. That’s how Gnat finds himself in the Dome: a classified facility for the Russian faction of players taking part in the reality-bending game.

The story is told through Gnat’s eyes as he gradually explores the virtual world and its rules, learning more about players, NPCs and various space races. He’s about to embark on perilous travels through new uncharted lands, meeting our virtual neighbors and learning to find common ground with them; he’s soon to cross swords with space pirates and take part in epic battles which put humanity’s very existence at stake.