Male Protagonist
This listing will feature a male character as the main protagonist. Will generally include one or more of the following:
- No (explicit) harem
- Little to no romance
- A lot of emphasis on action and adventure or personal growth
- Interesting setting
- Comedy
- Rational MC
They're a really nice read when you need a break from all the romance and relationship drama.
Check out these legends before you continue.
W = Webnovel (first 40-60 chapters are free, the rest of the chapters will need to be unlocked with passes or money, of course you can always try googling)
Note: Novel Updates doesn't accurately reflect the amount of chapters translated by Webnovel. You have to visit Webnovel to find out.
C = Completed translation
IP = In Progress translation
D = Dropped translation
MTL = No translation
Entertainment
Top Management – C
Jung Sunwoo was an average man. He had just taken his first job at W&U, a celebrity management company, as a manager. He could finally achieve his dream of being the manager of a world-famous actor or actress. On his way to work, he fell into what appeared to be a lucid dream about his future. As he went on with his day, he realized it may not have simply been a lucid dream.
Tags: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Seinen, Slice of Life, Supernatural, Management, Entertainment
Translated Chapters: 218/218
Something to Note:
A great novel focusing on the Korean Entertainment industry from the perspective of an agent/manager. It features a memorable cast of characters.
Unfortunately, the author has dropped the novel. 🙁 But there's still 200+ chapters to enjoy!
Fantasy
Lord of the Mysteries – W, C
With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?
Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts…
The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.
Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of "The Fool".
Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Mature, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural
Translated Chapters: 1414/1414 (as of 10/19/20)
Something to Note:
This novel does starts out slow and will do some build up. Things will start to pick up after around 60 chapters. Then you won't be able to put it down!
Horror&Thriller
My House of Horrors – W, IP
The hearse with the weird odor slowed to a stop before the entrance. The sound of pebbles could be heard bouncing on the ceiling. There were footsteps coming from the corridor, and there seemed to be someone sawing next door. The door knob to the room rattled slightly, and the faucet in the bathroom kept dripping even though it had been screwed shut. There was a rubber ball that rolled on its own underneath the bed. Wet footsteps started to surface one after another on the floor.
At 3 am, Chen Ge held a cleaver in his hand as he hid beside the room heater. The call he was trying to make was finally answered. "Landlord, is this what you meant by 'the house can be a little crowded at night'?!"
Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mature, Mystery, Psychological, Seinen, Supernatural
Translated Chapters: 1153/1210 (as of 10/19/20)
Something to Note:
Don't read this at night! Unless you really have a strong heart.
Primitive Life
Chronicles of Primordial Wars – IP
Shao Xuan joins a friend in his expedition to a recently discovered archaeological cave. After he picks up an ordinary looking stone he is teleported to a different world and wakes up in the body of a small orphan child.
The world he is in now is still in its stone age with primitive tools made of stone and the ways of the people are savage. Savage isn't the only thing special about the people though, because they have superhuman strength, jump higher than trees and punch stones.
In short, they are able to cultivate their bodies. Despite all this, it is a real struggle to survive because of the scarcity of food. Together with Caesar, his pet wolf, he tries to survive in this cruel world.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Survival, Seinen, Slice of life, Power, Tribe
Translated Chapters: 568/846 (as of 10/26/20)
Something to Note:
Great quality translation in the beginning, not so good in the middle, but I think the quality is picking back up now. It's cause this novel has passed through several translation groups.
But overall, amazing world building and interesting plot line with no annoying romance.
Magical Realism
Only I Level Up – W, C
10 years ago, after "the Gate" that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as "Hunters".
However, not all Hunters are powerful. My name is Sung Jin-Woo, an E-rank Hunter. I'm someone who has to risk his life in the lowliest of catacombs, the "World's Weakest".
Having no skills whatsoever to display, I barely earned the required money by fighting in low-leveled catacombs… at least until I found a hidden catacomb with the hardest difficulty within the D-rank catacombs!
In the end, as I was accepting death, I suddenly received a strange power, a quest log that only I could see, a secret to leveling up that only I know about! If I trained in accordance with my quests and hunted monsters, my level would rise.
Changing from the weakest Hunter to the strongest S-rank Hunter!
Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Shounen, Supernatural
Translated Chapters: 270/270
Something to Note:
One of the best Korean novels centered on dungeon theme. Actually, the only one I've finished so far 😅
Strange Life of a Cat – W, D
Zheng Tan somehow returns to the year 2003, turning into a black cat. Picked up from a rubbish heap by the Jiao family, he is given the name "Charcoal", and so begins the life inside Professor Jiao's family. Zheng Tan remembers that he was once a person, but currently his body is that of a cat. He has no way of speaking the human language, but can understand it, and even retains the thinking and IQ of a young 20 year old youth. Read along as he adapts to this new world, and somehow tumbles from a group brawl to catching a thief.
Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Slice of Life, Animal Protagonist, Time Travel, Warm Family
Translated Chapters: 166/419 (10/23/20)
Something to Note:
This is about a jerk MC who traveled to the past and into the body of a cat. There, he lived with a Professor's family and met many interesting people.
Unfortunately, this novel has been dropped by Webnovel. But you can always MTL it. I did and it was so worth losing my brain cells. But beware, the ending is kind of open ended 😡
The Rise of Otaku – W, IP
Zhou Yu, a reclusive otaku who did not like to go out of his house, was one day forced out of his house by a series of unexpected events.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Slice of Life, Farming, Otaku, Amusement Park
Translated Chapters: 233/600 (as of 10/27/20)
Something to Note:
The short synopsis doesn't do this novel justice.
In short, it's about an otaku who discovers that his glasses now let him see the ACG world that always exist alongside humans. But no one can see these ACG citizens (I picture them as small anime characters), except the MC.
Because of his interactions with them, he was forced out of his home and go on some hilarious adventures. He also ends up building an amusement park because…
Anyway, I totally recommend checking this one out if you're a fan of ACG.
Sci-Fi
48 Hours a Day – W, IP
Growing up with eccentric materialist parents, who left him in the care of his grandfather for a job overseas, Zhang Heng had learned to adapt and be unfettered by the oddities and challenges in life.
But he would soon learn the baffling truth about the world he thought he knew, when one day at midnight, time froze and he found himself in a world so quiet and still it was deafening.
That night, he discovered that he had 24 hours more than everybody else and thus, marked the beginning of his adventures. The mysteries surrounding his newfound ability only deepened when a strange old man claimed to have given Zhang Heng that 'gift of time' and recruited the young man to participate in a cryptic 'life-changing' game on his behalf.
Little did Zhang Heng know that accepting those terms meant embroiling himself in many versions of reality and exposing himself to the hidden secrets of the world—a decision he could never undo.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Martial Arts, Mystery, School Life, Sci-fi, Supernatural
Translated Chapters: 461/1041 ongoing chapters (as of 10/19/20)
Something to Note:
This novel starts out pretty boring, but it gets interesting after the first game arc. There's no instant leveling here for MC. He needs to spend months if not years to actually learn skills.
There's some harem feel in this? The MC meets a different female in almost every game world. Most of them, he's just friend with. So far he only slept with one girl.
Normally I hate anything with harem element, but the author here does a decent job of writing 3-D strong females. They're not the cookie cutter types you find in those wuxia or xianxia novels. Plus the novel plot is interesting, so I'm sticking here for now.
Superstars of Tomorrow – W, IP
Well-known Composer Fang Zhao was in the most glorious stage of his career, when the Apocalypse arrived; After finally experiencing the bitter difficulties of a thousand dangers, when the Apocalypse was simmering down to an end, he collapsed; When he opened his eyes, he was reborn in a New World, 500 years after the end of the apocalypse, in the body of a student who had been dumped barely after graduation, who had been cheated of his hardwork barely after he started working…
The World of the Future, Virtual Idols PK Real Idols
"Every time background music plays in my head, I feel like there is nothing to be afraid of." —Fang Zhao
Toward the end of the apocalyptic period, Fang Zhao lost his life. However, instead of dying, he found himself 500 years later in the body of a young and aspiring composer who shared the same name. Having received a second chance at life, Fang Zhao sets out to achieve the previous owner's dreams.
Armed with the experience of living through an apocalyptic age and his profession as a composer before that period, Fang Zhao uses his talent, wits, and knowledge to make his mark in the entertainment industry of the future.
Tags: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Mecha, Sci-fi, Slice of Life
Translated Chapters: 488/507 (as of 10/19/20)
Something to Note:
It's about an extremely OP MC who still manages to coexist peacefully in society and follow his dream from 500 years ago of being a music composer.
Games
Losing Money to Be a Tycoon – W, IP
I really just want to lose money! T_T
Best boss ever, prodigy of the business world, genius creator, visionary of the century.
These are the descriptions used for Pei Qian, President of Tengda Corporation.
Ever since his rebirth, Pei Qian finds himself in possession of a system that rewards him if he manages to lose money.
Instantly, a brilliant idea comes to mind — making crappy games!
"If the game flops, all my investment cost will be lost!"
"How difficult can it be to lose money?"
Indeed… how difficult can it be?
Tags: Action, Comedy, Business Management, Game Elements, Teamwork
Translated Chapters: 815/1422 ongoing chapters (as of 04/26/21)
Something to Note:
What kind of amazing achievements can a corporation make if it's not seeking to make profits?
Update 4/26/21
This novel is so amazing! It's a mixture of freshness and hilarity. My current favorite!
The King's Avatar – W, C
In the online game Glory, Ye Xiu is regarded as a textbook and a top-tier pro-player. However, due to a myriad reasons, he is kicked from the team. After leaving the professional scene, he finds work in an Internet Cafe as a manager. When Glory launches its tenth server, he who possesses ten years of gaming experience once again throws himself into the game. Bringing with him the memories of his past and an incomplete, self-made weapon, his return along the road to the summit begins!
After fighting and scheming, who snatched away my glory? Under the tossing of the wind and rain, my dreams shall still appear as though they had never been shattered. In all its splendor, the path shall never be lost. Before the gazes of millions, this is where I return!
*Under the Gaming category, The King's Avatar received the title for Best Work in 2013 and is the first and only 1000 Pledged Work (千盟作品). It has 23 million hits on Qidian and has the 2nd most recommendations in its category with 4.6 million recommendations.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Slice of Life, Sports
Translated Chapters: 1728/1728
Something to Note:
A really great novel about e-sport industry, and a man who never gives up on his dream. This is about a fallen god-tier gamer who fights his way back to the top with a rag tag bunch of teammates.
It's a must read for all CN novels lovers.
Dropped!!!!
Include novels that I previously recommend, but now I have dropped due to various reasons.
Mages Are Too OP – W, IP
As one of the first players to gain access to World of Falan—the first immersive game worldwide—Roland creates his character as a Mage.
However, playing as a Mage is not as fun and easy as he thought. His head even explodes after he casts the very first spell in the game.
Stubbornly sticking to his class when most Mages decide to create a new character, Roland gradually discovers tricks of the trade and his unusual talent. This allows him to change people's stereotypes on Mages and to explore the deeply-buried secrets of this game…
Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Virtual Reality
Translated Chapters: 380/596 ongoing chapters (as of 10/19/20)
Something to Note:
Not the typical boring game stories where players destroy everything and MC just grinds forever. Plus the NPCs here are basically real people with their own intelligence.
Update 4/12/21
No!!!! It turns into a harem!!! And the story went downhill after 600 chapters!!!
But I would still recommend reading it up to before it turns into a harem.
I will add more later! 🙂
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