READ FOR FREE ON ROYAL ROAD

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/189088/soul-craft-the-hollows-trial

Audio book chapter 1: https://www.paper2audio.com/d/j9qmWDsR

Audio book chapter 2: https://www.paper2audio.com/d/k9aVlZEc

Audio book chapter 3: https://www.paper2audio.com/d/NzGww2So

Audio book chapter 4: https://www.paper2audio.com/d/DlUbnCP9

A Free LitRPG Adventure

THE HOLLOW’S TRIAL

He died in a world he never belonged to. Now he must survive a realm that wants to break him.

Ren was just another soul lost to the void—a young woman who died in a world she never quite fit into. But death wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of something far stranger.

She awakens in the Gray Suburbs, an endless neighborhood of identical houses and empty streets. The sky is the color of wet concrete. There is no sound, no wind, no life. And then a blue window appears before her eyes:

[SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
[WELCOME TO THE GAUNTLET]
[YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR TRIAL]

Her class: Tactician. Her allies: none. Her only guide: a flickering system interface that tells her the rules but not the cost.

To survive, Ren must face the Dullthings, the Desk Jockeys, and the Mirror Mall. She must learn to craft, to fight, and to think her way through the first three levels of the Gauntlet. She must face not only the monsters of this realm, but the monsters within herself.

This is her story. The story of the Hollow’s Trial.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is The Hollow’s Trial free?
Yes! The Hollow’s Trial is completely free to read on Royal Road. No subscription or payment required.

Do I need to read Book 1 first?
Not at all. The Hollow’s Trial is a standalone introduction to the Soul Craft universe. It’s designed for readers who are new to the series.

Is this a LitRPG?
Yes! The Hollow’s Trial features clear LitRPG elements—a system interface, class progression, crafting, titles, and skills. The system is soft and narrative-driven, focusing on character growth rather than numbers.

How long is the story?
~6,000 words across 4 chapters. It’s designed to be read in one sitting.

How does this connect to Book 1?
The Hollow’s Trial is set in the same universe as the Soul Craft series, featuring the same LitRPG system and exploring similar themes. It’s a perfect entry point for new readers.

Before there was light, there was darkness. Before there was hope, there was despair. Before there was the void, there was the one who created it.

He was the first being in existence. The first consciousness. The first soul. Born from the primordial darkness that existed before the universe, he was alone for eons beyond counting—content in his solitude, accepting of his emptiness.

Then the gods emerged.

They filled the void with light and life and meaning. They created stars and planets, oceans and mountains, mortals who could love and laugh and hope. And when the first being asked to be part of their creation, they rejected him.

“You are not like us,” they said. “You are a void. You cannot create—you can only consume.”

Broken by loneliness, consumed by despair, the being retreated into the darkness. He fed on the suffering of mortals. He became the shadow that waits. He became the darkness that consumes. He became the Desolate One—and he swore to destroy everything the gods had built.

The gods imprisoned him in the Gauntlet, a prison of eighteen levels designed to contain his power. For millennia, he waited. For millennia, he grew stronger. And then, a hollow man arrived—a man named Cain Martin.

Cain healed the void. Cain broke the prison. And the Desolate One was freed.

This is his story.

The story of the first being, the first rejection, and the first fall. The story of the shadow that has haunted the Gauntlet since the beginning. The story of the Desolate One.

Link to read: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/189425/soul-craft-the-desolate-one-a-soul-craft-prequel

Audio Book link: https://www.paper2audio.com/d/8gVOv3Mq