Search Worlds Without End

When our protagonist Andrei discovers that his girlfriend has cheated on him, he finds himself with an unexpected choice to make: a quick death, or a new life in another world he knows absolutely nothing about. Andrei chooses life, and sets off alongside his pet, a ginger cat with a limp, for a primeval world fraught with danger. The trouble is... who is whose pet becomes entirely unclear; the man's consciousness is split between both creatures, and the little cat gets a far greater share of intelligence and wit than his hulking master. What do you do as a weak little kitty? Abandon the clumsy human who always seems to get into trouble, go in search of a new master? Or protect your human body in the hope of one day returning to it?

The adventures of Sergeant and his cat continue! The human Beast Catcher has been forcibly separated from his furry girlfriend Shelly, but our hero's character level is too low to follow her into the wider world or take proper vengeance. All he can do now is gain strength, level up his character and skills, and add to his ever growing list of enemies to one day be punished... or leave that to his ginger kitten Whiskers, fast becoming an expert in curse magic.

In the meantime, a terrible storm is brewing in the sandbox for beginner players. The humans and the sherkhs are on the brink of war for domination of this land fenced off from the rest of the world. The sherkhs are choosing a general for their army, and one of the candidates is an old acquaintance of our hero. The main task for Sergeant and his cat now is to avoid falling into the grip of a bloody conflict.

The small, weak League of Losers has truly lived up to its name -- after all, it managed to make a slew of powerful, very dangerous enemies right from the start. It is now time for Sergeant and Whiskers, his ginger kitten, to leave the sandbox for the big world. The players have leveled up enough to pass through the barrier enclosing the sandbox, but, as luck would have it, it isn't the best time to make their escape. A bitterly cold winter is drawing near, and nobody is ready for it. Worse still, none of the primary combat units -- the huge arachnoscorps, creeping crocodiles, nor the reptilian fighters and mounts are adapted to surviving in the cold.

Sergeant and his friends are going to have to use all of their ingenuity and skills to contend with the dangers they'll inevitably encounter in the big world, and to also build a shelter for themselves as fast as possible to withstand the freezing conditions in the harsh, new, primordial world.

A strange unyielding body that used to belong to Crown Prince George; a weird game you can't quit until your contract expires; a world teeming with powerful and very real enemies. The game in which your reputation and faction relationship are the only things that matter.

Ruslan - a young ambitious gamer - agrees to these terms without hesitation. All that he knows is that he's been contracted to command a space fleet in a brand new game he knows nothing about. Objective: to survive for six months. He can't tell anyone about the swap. After having made some inevitable newb mistakes, Ruslan has to rethink his strategy, dropping traditional gaming conventions.

Very soon Ruslan starts playing the part of the Crown Prince by his own rules. He replaces his quarrelsome Great House allies with sentient insects and chameleons; he even ignores the Prince's wife, preferring the company of a friendly droid and a young artless princess. The aristocratic Empire is in shock, scheming against Ruslan and even trying to bring him before the Royal court. Still, Ruslan can do very much what he wants as long as he does what he signed up for: lead his victorious Sector Eight Fleet to new triumphs.

Playing by the book? That's not good enough for Crown Prince Georg! In his attempt to delay his appearance at the Emperor's court, he triggers an alien invasion of his own star system. The whole of the Empire watches the live broadcast with bated breath as his fleet battles the awesome invaders. The Iseyeks - gigantic sentient praying mantises - are suitably impressed too, so they promptly remind the Crown Prince of his allied duties. The Sector Eight Fleet hurries to the Swarm's aid... but sadly disregards the insects' hive mentality.

Desperate to prolong their own existence for a few extra months, the insects unflinchingly sacrifice the human fleet. What is Georg supposed to do? He can't turn back - not with a doomed fleet in his wake! So he battles through armadas of alien starships, ignoring the "Victory impossible!" system messages and laying an elusive path to freedom across yet unexplored star systems. Georg is bent on breaking free - and no amount of enemy can stop him!

The enemy's at the gate, busy seizing Terran and allied star systems. The situation is getting worse by the second. The star system Unatari - the seat of Crown Prince George - is under threat from the Aliens. It's high time Ruslan came back in order to rescue everything he holds dear from imminent destruction and save Perimeter Defense - the game that has become his life.

Realizing he can't stop the enemy with brute force, Ruslan asks the Swarm to send some of their starships to attack the Aliens' home planets, thus forcing them to turn back in order to protect them.The problem is, the Swarm Queen doesn't like the plan: this sentient insect refuses to believe that Ruslan can win. Which leaves our hero with only one option: to prove his ability to command a united fleet of galactic races, then face the Alien armadas in one decisive battle.

The Empire is splitting at the seams. The Great Houses refuse to obey the Throne World and have begun to conduct increasingly independent politics. Sensing the weakness of the central government, even the most loyal star systems of the Imperial Core are refusing to take orders from above.

Is this just a string of coincidences, or a coordinated campaign? Can a disjointed humanity rally around a strong leader to deflect an alien invasion? Who of the many figures in intergalactic politics can rise to this challenge? And is there a basis to the creeping rumors that some influential aristocrats have joined forces with the enemy and allied with the aliens?

This book will be the last in the series and will give the readers the answers to all their questions, including the most important of all: "What is Perimeter Defense?"

At long last, an extraterrestrial civilization reached out and made the First Contact. However, no one on Earth took their communique for the genuine article. In a similar vein, very few people appreciated just how little time our new suzerains had promised to keep our planet safe. Regardless, the end of their message showed humankind how to access a mysterious game.

The objective of this game is unclear. No one can say where its servers are located, and its inner workings are beyond comprehension. But the game slowly gained momentum, pulling in more and more players. Soon enough, it became impossible to ignore the fact that things that happened in the game had a direct impact on our reality. And not only ours... But as people figure out this mysterious game, the countdown timer ticks away. And no one can say exactly what will happen when Earth's safety is no longer guaranteed.

The countdown timer continues to tick, but Earth is still not ready to repel an invasion from space. Gnat is on his voyage with the Shiamiru, all the while trying to find backup for humanity among the great spacefaring races. After all, based on what he's already seen, he knows not to count on the good sense of his own kind. Even facing an external threat, the people of our Earth cannot see past their internal squabbles and come together to fight as one. Gnat does not expect gratitude from his leaders for taking such matters into his own hands, but when have laws and rules ever stopped our intrepid hero before?!

A war has broken out in the Galaxy! The great spacefaring races are all entangled in the fight and, even at the very edge of the known Universe, humanity can hear the echoes of its distant bloody battles. Our suzerains and defenders the Geckho are also caught up in this all-encompassing conflict. Is that a good thing for humanity or not? The answer is up for debate. On the one hand, the Geckho will no longer take the trouble to defend a planet inhabited by people, which is worrying. But on the other, might humanity have the chance to make a name for themselves and take a more active role in interstellar politics? Gnat is with the Shiamiru crew on the front lines. He's just changed class to Listener and his friends find themselves right in the thick of this grand interstellar war...

Ceasefires have one big downside: they eventually come to an end. And when they do, once again game nodes are set ablaze, and platoons of Dark Faction soldiers threaten our customary world with destruction. The enemy has grown stronger and more numerous. To make matters worse, they also got their hands on even deadlier weaponry. They have learned painful lessons from previous encounters and adjusted their tactics accordingly. What's more, the vast hordes of enemies are led by the greatest strategist of modern times, and his mage advisors can see all possible futures so they always know just what to do.

How can our world possibly stand up against such an enemy? Our only hope is the bravery and tenacity of our best fighters, those who'd rather die than surrender. Well, that and a starship captained by one lone mage.

We put an end to the war with the Dark Faction, but still humanity's problems are far from over. More than half of the game's promised time of safety has elapsed, and yet humankind is no closer to forming a unified front. We've just begun building one of the twelve planetary shield generators necessary to give Earth complete protection, but we don't have enough construction materials, players or time. Should we ask the parallel magocratic world for help? After all, an invasion from outer space would hurt them just as bad. The mages, though, have plenty of problems of their own.

What options does Gnat even have here? All he can truly count on are his own strength and his personal Relict faction. Should we put all our eggs in one basket and look for help in deep space? Might technology from ancient, long vanished races allow humanity to grow strong enough to turn back the onslaught before it's too late?

To be on a starship that's just sustained serious damage in a space battle including losing its thrusters and find yourself in a totally different galaxy... You might think that would be cause for panic or, at the very least, despondency, right? Not at all! Gnat maintains optimism, gradually gets his space frigate back in working order and even finds upsides to what happened.

On top of that, there's never a dull moment - both in the virtual game and the real world Gnat finds himself at the very epicenter of the great space-faring races' interests, though he does not understand why they're paying him such close attention. And add to that the fact that humanity's Geckho suzerains are also in a tight spot and demanding all their vassals institute a military draft then send their assembled forces out to fight a distant space war.

Will Gnat be able to play his part in this complicated diplomatic party with the future of the entire human race at stake?

The Army of Earth is being sent on its first tour of duty. Its fifty thousand proud and valiant troopers are the best of the best, full of hope for brilliant victories and spoils of war that can help Earth's humanity along in its development.

There's just one little problem though. The operation's Geckho commanders view their human vassals as mere cannon fodder, good only for plugging up holes in their defensive line and shipping out to the space war's most punishing hotspots where the chance of surviving is practically nil.

How should the Kung of Earth behave in this situation? Disobey the suzerains' orders, draw their ire and put his home planet under threat of complete annihilation? Or make a play for the freedom of humanity in a game of his own?

The aggressive invaders from another galaxy cannot be stopped. The Composite keeps capturing system after system wiping out everything in its path, and there is no sign of a force capable of standing up to it.

In the search for allies, Gnat embarks on a long journey aimed at uniting the various branches of the human race. And though the potential for alliance is there, how can he convince them to set off to fight a suicidal war with such a disastrous balance of forces?

Beyond that, things aren't as easy as they initially seemed with the humans from the far-off Empire, and they have a compelling reason not to enter this war which does not concern them. There's also the status of sole ruler of humanity at stake, which is not the kind of achievement that can be shared.

And that means one of the human leaders will have to back down.

Gnat the Devourer is becoming a more prominent figure in grand space politics. Sure, he may not be totally independent yet, but he has enough leeway to be able to differentiate Earth's interests from those of its Geckho suzerains and act exclusively for the good of his own kind.

Gnat must balance obligations to his almighty suzerains against a desire to advance humanity's position in space, and his home planet's search for ever more allies. Although Earth's masters are not big fans of his independent ways, the great war has shifted the historic balance of forces, and the Geckho are no longer as powerful as they once were, leaving them with no choice but to abide the Kung of Earth's antics.

So, will Earth be able to take this chance and free itself from alien control completely? And if so, is it even a good idea?

And that means one of the human leaders will have to back down.

Space is a dangerous place. Here, you're either a predator or soon to fall prey to a ruthless neighbor. And if you aren't tough enough to make it on your own, you'll need the backing of a formidable power to keep you safe from bigger fish.

Earth used to have such protection -- the great Geckho race. But unfortunately, the Geckho fell to an enemy onslaught, leaving planet Earth to fend for itself. And now, Earth humanity has precious little time to prove to their galactic neighbors that they are not to be trifled with.

Thankfully though, they have not only the mighty Army of Earth and a capable space fleet, but also something unique of which no other race can boast -- Gnat and his ancient cruiser, which can travel instantly to any point in the Universe, breaking all conventional strictures and laws of war.

Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you - and this person already lives a virtual life? Knowing all this, would you consider the mysterious future bonus worth your while? I dare you to try it!

When Timothy finally found work as a tester for a popular online MMORPG, his lifelong dream was fulfilled. And now, he earns money (and pretty good money, at that) just for doing what he loves - playing a beautiful and realistic computer game. But he isn't some typical run-of-the-mill player, like the millions of others. Timothy is truly capable and talented, and stands out from the crowd. In fact, the faceless masses consider him far too lucky and successful. Many players dislike him for his achievements and hunt him down ruthlessly just because they feel envious or because he looks different. So, what is he to do now when the whole world is against him, and his only allies are his beloved sister and a few trusted friends? Make peace? Sink down to their level? Or just fly ever higher on the wings of success? It's all up to Timothy!

The great hunt is over. In the end, Timothy managed to keep his invaluable prize. A victory? Perhaps. But glory and adrenaline are very powerful narcotics, and tolerance builds quickly. Once deprived of them, life immediately becomes gray and bleak. What's more, his beautiful lover (to be more accurate, both of them) is beginning to transparently hint that she could find herself a more interesting beau. What is a talented player to do in this case?

The solution suggests itself: rush headlong into the most dangerous adventures, taking risks and walking the blade of a knife. Timothy must do everything in his power to survive in places where making a clean escape is entirely impossible, delighting the viewers with his utterly unique playing style and proving decisively to his lady (to be more accurate both of them), that his previous success was no mere coincidence.Will it be hard? Very! But old reliable friends are still by his side, and that means victory is possible!

What is it like for a small flap-eared goblin herbalist to play the role of the Dark Sovereign, the main antagonist for Boundless Realm's hundreds of millions of players? What is it like to find one's self the standard bearer for an army of man-eating giants, cyclopes, skeletons, ghosts and other hellspawn, who don't give a damn about their modest little ruler?

Our hero didn't desire such an unenviable fate, but there is no way back now. He'll just have to tighten the straps and play the ghastly overlord to the innumerable hordes that now threaten all Boundless Realm. But the longer our hero plays, the better he understands that this world is much more complicated than it seems at first glance and he is just a pawn in someone else's game. And lots of things depend on whether he can figure all of it out in the short time he has left, including his own life.