Your name is David Drake and you are a 10 year old slave to the Marsh Hag. You were bought from your parents when you were only a small child at two years old. You don't really remember your old family at all. That's a good thing, since you would hate them on sight for selling you to her. All you've know for your whole life is pain. You are usually quickly healed and receive a lot of training and experience as her unofficial apprentice.

It's unofficial because she would never pay to have you registered as an actual apprentice. To everyone else, you are just the boy she took pity on and brought into her home. What they don't know is that you are much more than that. So much more.

You are her food. She uses you as her own personal buffet and she indulges herself quite often. You even have the permanent scars to prove it. You have learned many things from her, mostly without her knowing, since you have been helping more and more with her spell work the last few years and her potion making. The only parts you can't do are the magic condensing rituals that her potions require and the mana infusions that a lot of her other creations need.

Do you wish to initiate the Main Storyline with these parameters?

Please Note: I publish daily.
Second Note: I changed this story to a fan fiction. It is based on Swamp Boy (https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/4342/swamp-boy). The old story (on another site) is about 4 years old and was dropped after 19 long chapters. The author hasn't been online since then, so I figured it was safe to do my own take on it.

Genre

ActionAdultFanfictionFantasyMaturePsychologicalSlice of LifeTragedy

Fandom

Bookworld Online

Tags

Body Tempering Character Growth Childish Protagonist Complex Family Relationships Disabilities Discrimination Disfigurement Distrustful Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fast Learner Harsh Training Interconnected Storylines Sadistic Characters Virtual Reality

Related Series

Bookworld Online: The Rogue Necromancer (Shared Universe)

Summoned Again? (Shared Universe)

Table of Contents 321

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320 EpilogueOct 21, 2021
319 The HagOct 21, 2021
318 The End Is HereOct 20, 2021
317 The End Is NighOct 19, 2021
316 Home Is Where the Heart IsOct 18, 2021
315 The Hunt Is OnOct 17, 2021
314 The Truth RevealedOct 16, 2021
313 The Start of SuppressionOct 15, 2021
312 If You Build It, You Will ConquerOct 14, 2021
311 My Old New SelfOct 13, 2021
310 To YumaOct 12, 2021
309 Helping HandsOct 11, 2021
308 Innovations Invite Destruction ConclusionOct 10, 2021
307 Innovations Invite Destruction Part TwoOct 9, 2021
306 Innovations Invite Destruction Part OneOct 8, 2021

Reviews 9

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New Coheed27

Status: 320 epilogue

Oct 21, 2021

There are so many things to say about this story. First, it’s a Great read. Second, it’s a journey. Betrayal is a constant and strong companion throughout this story. Betrayal of friendship, trust, friends, family, everything that could be betrayed was betrayed. Frustration for the MC and at the MC will exist in this story too. The MC is not a perfect person. He is strong willed and sure of the steps he takes in everything he does. However, his kindness towards people that show him kindness is often abused. He lashes out in anger to retaliate. The characters that are around the MC are all nuanced and flushed out enough to not feel 2D. You can understand the characters motivations and it’s never like “evil character will evil” because that’s what an evil character should do.

The MC was intentionally left ignorant by his master, his associates, his “friends”, his leaders for almost his whole life. The MC is a force but the story proves that even though the MC is strong, without knowledge and how things work in the society, he can and will get manipulated.

I recommend reading this story. There are painful parts, their are emotional parts, but the pay off is worth it.

1 Likes · Like

New SiliconWolf

Status: 318 the end is here

Oct 21, 2021

If you're not scared off by the synopsis, then you might enjoy this book. The grammar is excellent, the characters are interesting* and vibrant, the worldbuilding holds together, and the epilogue has a twisted ending that made me smile.

It doesn't say it, but this story revolves around the Choose Your Own Adventure book concept, or branching storyline plots in video games. Periodically, the person living through this VR story will be given choices to pick from. Some of which are silly, useless, or just plain bizarre. Which shouldn't be a surprise, as the weird choices are sometimes the most fun.

For the most part, I found this story to be a 5 star book. But a couple things jumped out at me that dropped my rating.

1. For a significant chunk of the story, no story options are given. It very much could have been on purpose, but it reads as if the author simply forgot he had this world mechanic.

*2. The last 50 or so chapters contain a lot of

Spoiler

meaningless and damaging s*x. The main character doesn't even TRY to say no, but is disgusted by nearly every woman he has s*x with. He also blames them for not considering his wants and needs, but never makes any attempt to stop them or inform them of those needs until AFTER he is pissed off with them and is punishing them.

3. I will admit that all of these particular women in the story are in the wrong. They should have asked. They should have learned from their mistakes when he points them out. And when he sends them away, they definitely do make decisions that make things worse for them. But so many of them? All at once? And none of them learn? It feels like the author is just blatantly dumping a bunch of side characters.

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For anyone who didn't read the spoiler, #2 and #3 (hidden by the spoiler tag) hold together from a character design standpoint, but only just barely. I understand that there are people out there like that and I understand that those decisions can and do happen. But when a section of the story is little more than just a solid mass of this happening multiple times, it is immersion-breaking. It no longer feels real.

0 Likes · Like

FIEND

Status: c120

Jul 31, 2020

Its aight. Better than most novels on this site. Lets start with MC. The character MC is easy to like. He is intelligent, but naive. Incredibly fast at learning, but also slow at other things. He grows as a person and realizes no matter how smart he is, there is always smarter more apex predators out there in the world.
The style was unique, well done.
Grammar - flawless
As for the story, it is well mixed and seasoned with adventure, action, drama and cringy romance. It's understandable, not everyone can write respectable romance with strong ml. You will find yourself journeying with the MC from his origins at the swamplands with his fostermother/abuser/ to the army and eventually the cliche Magical Academy Arc (hit or miss troupe, miss on this one, but its not too bad when you watch MC smart mouth and take a literal piss outta everyone and get away with it)
Plot armor thicker than mc's foreskin, but it's explained well.
Abuse was done very realistically, it wasn't downplayed or over exaggerated, and the effects of PTSD were shown, and not brushed off like some novels do

There should be one thing to be warned of. This is a borderline harem. It isn't harem by dictionary definition, but it teases the troupe. Every women you will meet in the story, practically bend over and beg the MC to f**k her w either actions or intentions. The women in this story are clearly just for fanservice, and are parodies of actual women. They are just made to boost his image. Bend over bitches.

Below is just a general rant on the women of this story. Feel free to skip

His first s*xual experience was with his abuser. The author justifies it by saying it was consensual but I think there are far more darker undertones to when your abuser f**ks you, consensual or not. If author wanted to go abuse route, it would have been reasonable to say MC should have been somewhat traumatized by the act.

But in anycase, his first real s*xual interest he has is with this 30 yo stank milf. It was repulsive and sugarcoated to say the least that the only women in the sh*tty village that sympathized with the abused MC had watched him grow up from age 10, chooses to be his lover over all the f**king things she could have been to him. Like this women could have chosen to be the mother figure he never had, an older sister, a trusted friend. But no. She chooses to f**k him in her desperation over the lack of a real man in her life. Overall just very slimy vibes from all those s*x scenes with her. Later on we see a really unrealistically written army scene where women share the same barracks and dorms as men. (Imagine how many women get knocked up in that barrack alone). Ofc there is another shameless uncalled for fanservice where yet again another women bends over for MC. Well, its not as bad as with Deane the milf, but the army chick and MC have this weird s*xual tension.

Another convenient fan service is when the farewell present from the Commander is a goodbye kiss. Conveniently the commender is a female, but imagine they were a dude instead. A respectable women, once again s*xualized, MC practically bones her over a kiss and its brushed off with an apology out. Imagine the amount of herpes in that camp tho.

He later gets engaged to a descent women, but his fiances friend/relative Selena fights over MC. Idk if its a joke or not, but we get yet another thirsty whore after MC d*ck just to show how amazing MC already is, in case we didnt realize yet.

I think the worst of all these cases was this random mage. She gets so f**king wet when MC shows off his boat magic that she throws her panties at him before she steps off. Lastly we get this old ass mofo librarian who tries seducing him. When that doesn't work, she takes him onto her f**king lap and cooes this man like a child and kisses him like some mother bird while they bond over slavery. Its disgusting. Idk, call me crazy but it's a shame that women are just portrayed as nothing more than fan service and not as respectable individuals. I guess I expected too much when the author sets the bar high with his story telling. But do be warned when I say that the s*xualization and "romance" is just as cringe as your average Japanese dense isekai harem plot.

22 Likes · Like

WakaMetalbelly

Status: c270

Aug 2, 2021

I *highly* suggest anyone that reads this story pay very close attention to the "Tragedy" tag. 'Cause this story *earns* that tag. Over and over and over again to the point of outright Grimderp. It's got an interesting plot, no lie, but yea. Be ready for this to *start* dark, and *stay* dark. Guro warnings as well.

2 Likes · Like

YBone

Status: 318 the end is here

Oct 21, 2021

"Marsh Man" is a very well written "realistic" fantasy novel. "Realistic" because the author may write anything he so desires to fit in a fantasy build enviroment that doesnt fit in our real life or known form of community or society but still made it so that the protagonists way of life feels so real. The protagonist starts with nothing as he slowly starts to earn everything he has to his person as the story progresses. If the author reads this review, please remove the name of the protagonist from this novels summary and prologue chapter. It would be in the spirit of your story as your protagonist realy starts with nothing.

The story itself has been written in such a way that you can feel with the protagonist as he stumbles through his life. As the years flow and he gets older we as the readers see what choices he makes and what consequences can follow in all their glory. The painful ones and the beatifull ones. Grammar and choice of words lets you read every chapter from start to finish without feeling a weird pause. Story elements the author wrote and left open are slowly being reintroduced and explained as the time in the story flows. Some you see coming, some are not good or fully explained but most are very well integrated and beautifully used. This novel earned his tags and I would recommend to first read the first 10 to 20 chapters as they represent the "tone" of this story before deciding to read further or droping it.

I personally read from chapter 0 to now and I was hooked. It was something else to read after so many other novels that felt dumbed down for a wider audience. I would like to thank the author for his work and im looking forward to how you finish your work of art.

1 Likes · Like

Kuroblitz

Status: 287 settling back in

Sep 1, 2021

This will probably the last chapter I will read on this novel or maybe continue it if I get my emotions sort out... Reading this has been an emotional Rollercoaster of a journey, once you start to settle it suddenly turns around. With all the sh*t that happened with the MC I just couldn't keep up with it

Spoiler

especially since all ships leads to doom... It's still a novel I would recommend especially since it has a great character building

Ps: I will probably read some generic slice of life webnovel after this to sort out myself

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1 Likes · Like

Mr.MooFace

Status: C244

Nov 5, 2020

Absolutely flawless and captivating writing.

1 Likes · Like

EternalFortune

Status: 149 academy antics part seventeen – the...

Jul 31, 2020

It's a dark grim story, written based on a a medieval swords and magic where there's pretty much dumb politics and racism along with slavery which give you more dark nuances within.

It's a game, but it's more offline game with VN like setting in a virtual realistic way of things and reincarnated person role playing game.

Hey, it's fun. If you've read the author other's series called morbis, then you'd understand thr character is like that one with more emotions within and less cold blooded.

The MC is smart, but dumb at the same time. A diamond within a scrap dumb where the slave owner might be better than most of the wizard he met...

I can only say just read them, I'm still reading them myself so I can't say much about it, but it'd potential. Hope the author ahine those potential so I can enjoy them more than I do now...

Don't give virtual cookie bokuboy, give a real one lol ??

1 Likes · Like

vurlix

Status: 160 academy antics part twenty eight –...

Oct 18, 2021

The first 15 chapters are a little difficult to stomach because of the story content, but it gets better and better past that point, and is all-around very well written.

0 Likes · Like