Divine Apostasy Series by A.F. Kay

A new LitRPG world has arrived! It's Ruwen’s Ascension Day, and he finally dies for the first time. His newly revived body can learn Spells and Abilities for the Class given him by the Goddess Uru, and dying is no longer permanent. Ruwen’s high intelligence makes becoming a Mage inevitable. With his new powers, he will locate his parents and clear their family name... moreA new LitRPG world has arrived! It's Ruwen’s Ascension Day, and he finally dies for the first time. His newly revived body can learn Spells and Abilities for the Class given him by the Goddess Uru, and dying is no longer permanent. Ruwen’s high intelligence makes becoming a Mage inevitable. With his new powers, he will locate his parents and clear their family name. But nothing goes as Ruwen imagined, and when a rival God tries to kill Ruwen shortly after his disastrous Ascension, his focus turns from his future to just surviving. His choices place him in the middle of an ancient war, and he must overcome the limitations of his unexpected Class to reach level five. Only then will he have the tools needed to survive. But dying now comes with a terrible penalty, and failing Uru might not only cost him his life and loved ones but his entire world. It turns out dying on your Ascension Day is the easy part. ***** Hey, LitRPG readers! I've created an FAQ for Shade's First Rule to answer some of the common questions and to help you decide if this book is for you. It can be found at: afkauthor.com/faq less

Reaching level five has allowed Ruwen to stay hidden from the gods and their minions. He just needs to survive the new Ascendant orientation, and he can finally look for his parents.But a secret discovered during orientation rocks Ruwen’s understanding and forces him to face the power of his Cultivation. He finds answers in the Black Pyramid, along with dozens of new questions.With new knowledge, Ruwen works even harder to gain the Skills and Abilities to battle those who wish him harm... moreReaching level five has allowed Ruwen to stay hidden from the gods and their minions. He just needs to survive the new Ascendant orientation, and he can finally look for his parents.But a secret discovered during orientation rocks Ruwen’s understanding and forces him to face the power of his Cultivation. He finds answers in the Black Pyramid, along with dozens of new questions.With new knowledge, Ruwen works even harder to gain the Skills and Abilities to battle those who wish him harm. But a betrayal shatters his world, endangering him and his friends.Even if Ruwen survives the aftermath, he may never recover from the terrible truths that are revealed.Because the only thing worse than being betrayed is being betrayed twice. less

Ruwen’s life is inside out, literally. Trapped in the Spirit Realm by a hostile god’s magic, Ruwen’s spells, abilities, and skills no longer work. Worse, his secret Cultivation ability is now blindingly evident.A critical clue, given to Ruwen during the betrayal, makes him question the motives behind the treachery and offers a path home. But the Spirit Realm is dangerous, and with no other options, Ruwen must embrace his Cultivation, learn to harness his power, and create his Core... moreRuwen’s life is inside out, literally. Trapped in the Spirit Realm by a hostile god’s magic, Ruwen’s spells, abilities, and skills no longer work. Worse, his secret Cultivation ability is now blindingly evident.A critical clue, given to Ruwen during the betrayal, makes him question the motives behind the treachery and offers a path home. But the Spirit Realm is dangerous, and with no other options, Ruwen must embrace his Cultivation, learn to harness his power, and create his Core. Failure will leave him defenseless and guarantee an eternity of pain and suffering.And as Ruwen struggles to find a way forward, he is stunned to discover plans that span over ten thousand years. Secrets involving his missing parents, the gods, and himself.To face what’s coming, Ruwen must risk everything for the skills to survive. less

With the third temple restored, Ruwen must now prevent an imminent invasion of the southern border.But Ruwen’s new city is in shambles. If he doesn’t quickly fortify the walls and revive an army capable of stopping his enemies, he has no chance of surviving the coming onslaught.Running out of time and facing a lack of resources, Ruwen is forced to bargain for allies and take an unwanted new class... moreWith the third temple restored, Ruwen must now prevent an imminent invasion of the southern border.But Ruwen’s new city is in shambles. If he doesn’t quickly fortify the walls and revive an army capable of stopping his enemies, he has no chance of surviving the coming onslaught.Running out of time and facing a lack of resources, Ruwen is forced to bargain for allies and take an unwanted new class. He fears the dire situation makes these preparations pointless, and his failure will doom the entire country.As the war begins, he learns a devastating lesson: Uru isn’t the only god peering into the future, and his grim circumstances turn hopeless.Overshadowing everything is the fourth secret, and the dreadful fact it reveals makes Ruwen consider forsaking his destiny.Because with a future this bleak, dying now might be his best option. less

Ruwen survived Legion’s Fifth Vault with devastating consequences. His escape flung him far from home, severing his connection to Uru. Even his Void Band, with its link to the Black Pyramid, no longer works. Isolated, with no obvious path back, he must learn new skills or die here.For the first time, Ruwen can access his Core without worrying about discovery, and the work started in the Spirit Realm creating spells can finally continue... moreRuwen survived Legion’s Fifth Vault with devastating consequences. His escape flung him far from home, severing his connection to Uru. Even his Void Band, with its link to the Black Pyramid, no longer works. Isolated, with no obvious path back, he must learn new skills or die here.For the first time, Ruwen can access his Core without worrying about discovery, and the work started in the Spirit Realm creating spells can finally continue. But that alone will not be enough, and he carefully explores the power of the mysterious Architect Role passed to him by the Goddess Uru.The solitude also provides Ruwen time to perfect his Bamboo Viper Steps and investigate the hidden layers the forms contain. Pushing himself physically, mentally, and spiritually momentarily lets him forget his grim existence.But as the seclusion persists, Overlord, the mental construct given life by the trap Rami triggered at Malth’s Library, continues to evolve, altering Ruwen’s mind, and causing Ruwen to doubt his sanity.Underlying the isolation, loneliness, and harsh conditions lives the fear that one mistake will result in permanent death.But if Ruwen doesn’t overcome that fear, and push himself to his limits, he will never leave this place. And the consequences to himself, his friends, and the Universe will be nothing short of catastrophic. less

Ruwen wants nothing more than to relax in the Third Secret and recover from the terrible damage to his core. Escaping the ambush in the Infernal Realm had come at a steep cost—one that means no Spirit use until he heals.Unfortunately, rest is one more thing that needs to wait, because the Bamboo Viper Master’s trial started days ago, and not participating results in the purging of his Step knowledge. Not something he wants to risk... moreRuwen wants nothing more than to relax in the Third Secret and recover from the terrible damage to his core. Escaping the ambush in the Infernal Realm had come at a steep cost—one that means no Spirit use until he heals.Unfortunately, rest is one more thing that needs to wait, because the Bamboo Viper Master’s trial started days ago, and not participating results in the purging of his Step knowledge. Not something he wants to risk.Joining the trial holds extra danger for Ruwen because fighting the Infernal God forced him to use forbidden Shadow Clan knowledge, breaking an oath, and the Founders will certainly punish him. But he’s spent the last eighteen months intensely training for the worst, so the peril doesn’t frighten him.What does make Ruwen pause is the chaos back home, because attending the Master’s trial will delay his return. But the Steps hold no more secrets from him, and finishing the testing quickly will be trivial. His homecoming will barely notice the delay.Entering the Master’s trial, Ruwen learns there are seven secrets, not six, and his assumptions quickly fall apart. The Founders deliver additional troubles, as the consequences of his broken oath spread further than he thought possible.Ruwen's seemingly straightforward trial may prove a trap, and instead of leaving a Master of the Bamboo Viper Step Clan, he may fail to unravel the mystery of the seventh step and spend eternity in the shadow’s darkness. Even if he survives it, the terrible judgment of the Founders awaits, and amid all this uncertainty an ancient relic delivers a misfortunate prophecy that if left unheeded, declares death will surely find him. less