THE DEFIANT MAGE - DEFENDER OF THE KINGDOM - A LITRPG PROGRESSION FANTASY

Aug 7, 2026

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A log-splitting day in a remote border village becomes the start of new direction for a rugged, self-described “retired” mage. Jack the Mountain keeps his life focused on harvest, raising children, and avoiding the wider world after witnessing war and violence. When two boys arrive seeking help with firewood in exchange for meals, their mission pulls Jack into community ties and hints at how his reputation travels beyond the Highlands and Midlands.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages420

Reading Time10 h 47 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Afterword

THE DEFIANT MAGE: DEFENDER OF THE KINGDOM A LITRPG PROGRESSION FANTASY ADVENTURE SHANE HAMMOND [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Copyright © 2026 by Royal Guard Publishing LLCAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Afterword Also by Shane Hammond/Landon Scott Check This Out! [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) CHAPTER ONE THERE WAS JUST something soothing about having an axe in your hands. I liked the simple nature of it. The long, smooth handle fit perfectly in my calloused grip and allowed more power than would be possible otherwise. It wasn’t a complex tool by any means, but it always performed the same way. Raising my arms, I paused with the axe above my head before bringing all my strength down on the upright log in front of me. It split right down the middle, starting with a cracking noise that echoed throughout the nearby woods. Any other man might have needed two or three swings to crack a log of this size, but not me. I’d always been different like that. Stronger than other men. Bigger too. Positioning the two split halves upright again, I chopped through them too, quartering the original piece. Once I was satisfied with the logs, I stacked them on my wagon, which was attached to a grumpy ox by the name of Stump. I didn’t name him. I would have come up with a better name than Stump, but he belonged to Old Sam, at whose request I was working. And despite the name, Stump was pretty reliable and usually friendly. After splitting the equivalent of two small trees, I paused to wipe the sweat from my brow. I glanced to the north, where I could just barely make out the distant mountains that separated the Midlands from the territory controlled by the Highland Clans. My adopted home, a small village on the border between both countries, was about as remote as it could possibly be. Here, there was no talk about the wider world, no discussion about politics or mana or demons. Only the harvest, raising children, and preparing for winter. And I preferred it that way. I’d seen enough war, enough destruction, and enough wanton violence to last five lifetimes. I wasn’t even that old, but I was fortunate enough to think of myself as retired from that life. Well, mostly fortunate. I was still lost in thought as I heard the sounds of chatter coming from behind me. I turned and lowered my axe, seeing two boys walking along the dirt road. They were familiar to me, being the teenage sons of Betsy the seamstress, who lived near the creek. Ben was eleven and already showing signs of being a tall adult. His younger brother, Russ, was more stout than tall, with arms that were already huge despite his age. And I could tell they were on a mission by the way they made a beeline for my location. Resting my weight on the axe, I nodded at them.“What are you two boys doing this far out of the village?” I used my “concerned adult” voice, but I couldn’t help adding a conspiratorial smile to the sentence, which helped to put them at ease. “We were looking for you,” announced Ben as they came closer, a prominent grin on his face.“Mom told us you might be found out here.” I chuckled and spread my arms apart.“Well, you found me. What can Ido for you boys?” Ben and Russ looked at each other

FAQs

What kind of life does Jack the Mountain try to maintain in the village?

Jack tries to stay focused on quiet survival duties—harvest work, raising children, and preparing for winter—while avoiding politics, mana, and the chaos of war.

Why do Ben and Russ come looking for Jack?

They come because Betsy, their mother, believes Jack can help bring in firewood, and she offers dinner for five nights as the reward.

What nickname does Ben use for Jack, and how does Jack respond?

Ben calls him “Jack the Mountain,” explaining that his mother says the whole world knows him by that name. Jack agrees to be called “Just Jack.”

Aug 7, 2026

Upload by Levi