No description.

I’m someone who dislikes romance and harem—it's not because I'm forever single xD, but because WOMEN ARE SO DAMN HARD TO KILL!!! OMG come on....!!!... more>>

I know this clashes with reality since most readers love female characters, but that’s exactly why I avoid romance. At
the very least, if killing women is too difficult, then keep them far away from the MC!

That’s why this list only includes manhwa/manhua with ZERO romance by the final chapter. How do I know? By using AI, of course :V—you think I’ve got no life to read every novel? :V The criteria? The criteria? CHECK AROUND THE NOVEL'S ENDING CHAPTERS!. Why? Because if there’s a girl close to the MC (romance), IT SHOULD SHOW UP BY THE
END RIGHT ??!!!! DUH :))))))**

If not, are women really this lowly :( ? Why do so many of them always
need to be saved or helped?, etc. :(

Zero romance = no wives, no marriage, MC has zero interest in anyone. List may not be perfect, but close enough!

OH AND LET'S DO MANHWA FIRST IN THIS LIST, MANHUA CAN COME LATER :) Because at least manhwa somewhat respects female characters, unlike manhua :)

AND I'M ALSO OPEN TO CRITICISM OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS LIST, OKAY :) <<less

All of this are novel that I like and I'll try to rank them base on happiness that I get.

First 10-15 novels are placed as actual ranking, everything lower is placed based on adding date so you can ignore actual rank.... more>>

Novels which cannot be found in NU are in one of my comments to this list.

Would be nice if you have any suggestions. <<less

These novels that is tolerable with male protagonist in it. A good world-building without harem; it abides reasons with deep world setting.

No description.

List that I already read or dropped for some reason 

As i have read too many kingdom building novel, i believe i my list will summarise all the good kingdom building novels that are in... more>> NU and will rank it accordingly. <<less

No description.

i don't know if it's worth reading only you'll know it's worth your time

Pretty covers regardless of its contents (part3)... more>>

And also how I got scammed into reading some boring stuff because I got hooked by their beautiful exterior. But sometimes beautiful exterior does reflect what’s inside 

Still adding some pretty covers with good content and also adding my sad conned novel reading experience  <<less

Any kind of influence building like kingdom, clan ,buisness, gang,  secret organisation, etc, is considered.... more>>

Novels aren't ranked, so ignore the ranking.

Novels outside Novelupdates-

Chosen of the Endless One [Kingdom Building]

Horizon of War [Kingdom Building | No LIT | No Harem]

Fodder

Castle Kingside (Rewrite)

Enlightened Empire

Last Life by Alexey Osadchuk

Destiny's Crucible

I Became The Pope, Now What? - Misterimmortal

Legend of the Arch Magus Series by Michael Sisa

The Innkeeper - Lifesketcher <<less

I like sane, smart and scheming characters. ... more>>

My Royalroad recommendations ~

-Fodder

-Castle Kingside

-Arrogant Young Master Template A Variation 4

-Ave Xia Rem Y

-Beware of Chicken

-Chrysalis

-The Red Lands

-The Rise of Lord <<less

No description.

I will only include the one's that made me stick through thick and thin. Mostly no romance, if it's harem then you should expect that the MC is just using them for greater benefits. I don't like DUmb characters so you should also expect that most of the Male leads here or Female leads are smart or sharp. half of my list also include survival and teaches you some bitter reality lesson unlike those cliche novels that makes you scared or dream about nonsense fantasy stuffs.... more>>

I JUST RANDOMLY PLACE THE NOVELS AND I WON'T RANK IT. ( for me, they're all the best on their own way and techniques) 

[disclaimer: as I said, ‘mostly’ no romance- what I meant is in the survival stories, and if the protagonist is a man. But if the protagonist is a girl, they’ll be really romance. Book like that (top tier books with Female Mc w/ no romance) are very rare. I myself having some troubles finding them.] <<less

Chinese novels with MLs that are well-received in the Chinese community, meets at least one:... more>>

1. Rank highly on novels websites like Qidian and Zongheng (mostly QI)

2. Are strongly recommended on novel recommendation websites (eg at least 1k recommendation upvotes or at least 7.8/10 or 4/5 ratings with 1k reviews)

3. Commonly recommended on forums, search engines and blog posts (eg zhihu, sohu)

Notes:

There are novels that meet the criteria but not included like Lord of the Mysteries and Perfect World. May add them in later.

I picked the novels according to what caught my eyes (mostly comedy) or have more well known donghua adaptations (eg soul land, btth) so there may be many novels not mentioned

*Well received may not always mean good or well written, they may just be wish-fulfilment, OP-MC novels that generally cater to many, therefore, highly ranked. (eg popular 'junk food' novels).

This list is used as a compilation for me to ‘try out’. I will update my reviews if I’ve read something here. While I may not have read the novels, I may have read/ watched the dongman adaptations. <<less

A few hidden gems ... others not so much but all of them totally worth the read. List spans quite a few genre such as Fantasy, sci-fi, cultivation, management, mystery.... more>>

Not all novels in the list will have top ratings. In my opinion the best novels are rated around 3.2 - 4.5. Anything over is mostly BL or FL with some exceptions. Anything below is mostly tr*sh with minor exceptions of novels for people with very specific taste. 

PS: All my recommendations are based on MTL. I rarely read human translated versions ..  <<less

As the title says Intelligent MC.... more>>

I dislike hot blooded, overly emotional and dumb MCs, so this list won't contain any such novels. 

On the other hand i like scheming MCs, so expect such novels.

P. S- This is another list from my previous account (which i lost) 

https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/4489/ <<less

WARNING!!! I reAlly bad in english... Please ignore my bad english..... more>>

This list is the list of CN and KN novel that i really enjoy in tag of apocalypse... and there are not harem genre. I really, really, really can't push myself to keep read any novel with harem tag.

NOTE: Some of novel in the list below has bad review. But to me those novel not really that bad just like the review stated. My advice to u, dont read the review but judge the novel itself after reading either the novel good or bad. But if u want to read the review just go on, it ur right. No forcement here, just suggestion.

BTW happy reading. <<less

This is for transmigration, not:
- Second chances in fantasy (https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/10749/)
- Transmigrated as a monster (https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/10686/)
- Transmigrated as a dungeon core/master (https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/10742/)
- Traditional fantasy (drafting this one)... more>>

Great EN transmigration novels:
- Metaworld Chronicles
- Castle Kingside
- The Calamity of a Reborn Witch
- Memoirs of your local small-time villainess
- Rebirth as a wind cultivator
- Surviving the Succession
- Jackal Among Thieves
- The Essence of Cultivation
- Elydes
- Borne of Caution/Desire (Pokemon)
- Dreaming of sunshine (Naruto ff)
- Delve
- Beneath the Dragoneye Moons
- Beware of chicken
- Deathworld Commando Reborn
- Mark of the Crijik
- Eight (discontinued)
- Victor of Tucson
- The Calamitous Bob
- The Last Orellen
- He Who Fights with Monsters
- Unbound
- Savage Divinity
- Worth the Candle
- The Many Lives of Cadence Lee
- Way of the Shaman (translated from Russian, published, with VRMMO elements)
- How to avoid death on a daily basis
- Azarinth Healer
- Wandering Inn
- Ar'Kendrithyst
- The Arcane Emperor
- Cursed Era <<less

How would you bring technology into a fantasy world? Make sense of the magics? Feed people and get rid of the corrupt nobles? This is specifically on developing a city or territory, not:
- Developing a dungeon/core (see my other list: https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/10742/)... more>>

First, a few worthy mentions that aren't on NU:
1. The iron teeth - although territory development comes late in the story, it's well done and exotic, being based on a goblin kingdom
2. Castle Kingside (rewrite) - a lot of inspiration from Release that Witch, imo improved! Warning: it's slow. Kingdom only begins around c60ish.
3. Chosen of the Endless One
4. The Eagle's Flight - highly intricate fantasy webnovel
5. 1632 (published book) - an American village goes back to the 30 years war. It's much less fantastical, but has a lot of similar elements to other kingdom building novels.
6. Defiance of the fall
7. Randidly Ghosthound - neither Randidly nor Defiance of the Fall focus on kingdom building, but they both have elements related to setting up a post-apocalypse system city - complete the quest to get the village crystal/coin!
8. The Expansion (Legend of the Arch Magus) - [have not yet read] - recommendation from Hitexh in the comments
9. Enlightened Empire - weaker than the others <<less

I am really really picky reader and I hate young masters and the usual cliche stuff in novels. Plus I dislike the cliche isekai novels that are made out of a cookie cutter.... more>>

Generic novels are my nemesis, so here are the not so generic novels. <<less

Personal favourites, in no particular order.... more>>

Idk if I'm allowed to put this here but anything QI in this list? Aggregators lmao

More recommendations (this list is non-exhaustive): [The Menocht Loop][Azarinth Healer][Deathworlders][Mother of Learning][Delve][There is no epic loot here, only puns.][Spellgun][The Abyssal Dungeon][Daedalus][Those who aspired to become gods][Apex Predator][I am going to die (in this game-like dimension)][Metaworld Chronicles][The last angel: Ascension][Unbound][Vainqueur the Dragon][Deeper Darker][Mud's Mission][Empire of Salt][Gaia Awakens][The Gam3][Never Die Twice][The Forgotten Conqueror][Tallrock][The Only Real Cultivator][Seabound][Worm][Vaudevillain][A Hermit's Life for Me][Shade Touched][Just A Bystander][Sylver Seeker][Magic-smithing][The House Witch][Apocalypse: Generic System][Rebirth in a Magical World][The Oscillation][Fork this Life][Beware of Chicken][The House Witch][Valkyrie's Shadow][Salvos][First Contact][A Sense for Magic][Romantically Apocalyptic][The Stars Have Eyes]

Extras:[I don't  want this kind of Hero][Weak Hero][Jigokuraku][World Trigger][Hunter x Hunter][Eleceed] <<less

These novels have not disappointed me yet. These may be subject to change as I further read them. ... more>>

Rhese are arranged in no particular order. <<less

Here is a list of novels that helped me overcome many mental and physical obstacles in real life. I consider most of these reads as immersive, thought-provoking and fun to read. ... more>>

As I continue to read more novels, the rankings would [mostly] not matter anymore.

Sincerely, dreannhirt <<less