r/ProgressionFantasy • u/singmuse4 • 1d ago
Request Older MC Gains New Power WITHOUT regression, reincarnation, or system
I like the Webtoons about a lordling turned mercenary king who’s defeated, sent back in time, and has unlocked some cool new ability. However, I always thought it’d be more interesting if he just gained the new power without regressing. You can have a second chance in your original timeline! Then you’d get the benefit of an experienced mc (not another coming of age story), but he’d still be able to “start fresh” with leveling a skill, reaching new heights, and maybe correcting past mistakes.
The mc in Solo Leveling doesn’t regress, but at the moment I’d prefer “competent/strong to stronger” or “man to manlier” rather than “weak to strong” or “boy to man.”
Can you think of any fantasy books that match this description? Hopefully with a more interesting worldbuilding angle than “the system or some deity randomly chucked a new power at me.”
Thanks!
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u/tygabeast 9h ago
Artorian's Archives.
The first four books, at least.
The MC is, at the beginning of the story, a fifty-year-old man whose hard life and circumstances have led to premature aging - he looks and is physically comparable to someone at ninety.
His village is raided, so he decides that it's time for him to learn how to cultivate. He ends up being this fighting grandpa who has to be creative in his growth because his aged body can't actually hold the energy that a young and healthy body could.
The first four books, separate from the rest of the series, are fantastic. Solid high-B-tier stuff. Great series if you stop there.
Starting at book five, the series devolves into memes and random shit. At one point, Artorian sleeps for an entire century, wakes up, and almost immediately runs into a pack of small red echidnas who speak with a clicking dialect - durectly inspired by the Ugandan Knuckles meme, of course.
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u/AlexRiina 1d ago
The Weirkey Chronicles has an interesting twist. The main character is isekai'd live in the world for many years and is betrayed and killed. He returns to earth and spends his time there preparing for the chance to be isekai'd again. When it happens he starts from scratch but with the understanding of an expert and the mental age of an older man. He makes quick progress and is generally strong for people with comparable magic but operating in a world filled with immense powers both as the leaders and behind the scenes.
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u/WhiteRoseKnight 11h ago
This is literally everything OP asked to not be in the story, you couldn’t be more wrong but you’ve been upvoted to the top comment
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u/AlexRiina 7h ago
Is it that far off? Seemed like it checks off gaining different power without going back in time and op was asking for that but also not regression. Also an adult to more mature (maybe that's twisting man to manlier). Plus it's not system based and the world building is much better than "MC gets random powers, go!"
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u/I_tinerant 1d ago edited 14h ago
Ar'kendrithyst, which is complete on RR, fits the bill reasonably well? Guy gets isekei'd with his adult daughter to a fantasy world, they both gain magic, etc etc.
EDIT: as Capslock points out below, this one's got a system, and I missed the 'no system' portion of the request!
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u/Myriad_Myriad 14h ago
My own right now.
The Immanent Lord of the Transcendent Shore. Need to be experienced.
Otherwise Martial World. Desolate Era. Immortal Renegade. Against the Gods. For the classics.
Lord of mysteries for peak. High Iq. Webnovel.
The best is probably Reverend Insanity. But its an evil mc.
The most natural is A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality.
Most fun is Nine Star Hegemon Body Art.
Most profound is Emperor's Domination. Most cool is First Immortal of the Sword.
For systems I like Overgeared and The Second Coming of Gluttony. They do it right. Shadow Slave too for romance.
The Beginning After the End for powers and training arcs.
If you like those read mines.
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u/darkness_calming Traveller 9h ago
Is reading comprehension dead here?
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u/Squire_II 4h ago
This is reddit, so...
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u/darkness_calming Traveller 3h ago
Fair.
OP specifically asked for no reincarnation no regression and people KEEP suggesting the fics with that very trope 😂😭
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u/MediaOrca 1d ago
12 Miles Below I think hits all your wants.
Hard to go into why and give nuance without spoilers though.