The Whispering Crystals Series by H.C. Mills

There’s a lot to gain in this new Realm... for the survivors.Slinging hotdogs may not be the most glorious side gig, but hey, if it paid for college, that’s all Emma could ask for. And let’s be real, of all the crowds in the world, what were the odds that Comic-Con would get Portalled next?Emma really should’ve known better. Once again, the universe conspires against her, and now she’s stuck in a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply, and even the grass is trying to kill her... moreThere’s a lot to gain in this new Realm... for the survivors.Slinging hotdogs may not be the most glorious side gig, but hey, if it paid for college, that’s all Emma could ask for. And let’s be real, of all the crowds in the world, what were the odds that Comic-Con would get Portalled next?Emma really should’ve known better. Once again, the universe conspires against her, and now she’s stuck in a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply, and even the grass is trying to kill her. She better pay close heed to the Artificial Intelligence guiding her and make some new friends fast, because out here, it’s thrive or die.And no amount of videogames prepared her for a world where you can actually gain Skills and level up. Or to face a series of trials that seem designed to kill her rather than teach her how to survive... What could possibly be the real goal of the mysterious ‘predecessors’ that built them?What other people have to say:"This story has one of the most interesting and intricate settings I have ever encountered. Rather than simply adding magic, super-tech, or a game system to pre-existent reality, Mr Mills has elected to build from scratch starting with basic physical law. To build from the ground up and have it work is a truly outstanding feat." (Review on RoyalRoad, 5 stars)"This is one of the most unique takes on portal fantasy or Isekai I have found to date. Unlike in most LitRPGs, the main character doesn't progress easily or rapidly through gaining experience and instead progresses levels and stats through actual physical achievements or milestones. I highly recommend it and look forward to the author's future work." (Review on RoyalRoad, 5 stars) less

Teamwork ain’t easy. Especially with your life on the line.Emma made it out of Hub Two, but now she’s faced with the next set of Trials. And this time, they will ‘involve’ combat.Whatever that’s supposed to mean.Thankfully, she’s not going in alone. Instead, she’ll be facing the Trials together with her little gang of misfits, relying on them to pull their weight in life-or-death situations.. moreTeamwork ain’t easy. Especially with your life on the line.Emma made it out of Hub Two, but now she’s faced with the next set of Trials. And this time, they will ‘involve’ combat.Whatever that’s supposed to mean.Thankfully, she’s not going in alone. Instead, she’ll be facing the Trials together with her little gang of misfits, relying on them to pull their weight in life-or-death situations...At least maybe they’ll keep her from taking any more stupid risks, right?Not like they’re lacking in trouble as it is. After all, there are still many unanswered questions about the Realm of Crystals. All they have to go by is sparse information provided by the mysterious Artificial Intelligences linked to their eye-crystals.But can those really be trusted to tell the truth? less