A lot (if not all) the webnovels I'm reading or have read feel hollow to me. I think it has to do with problems having quick resolutions or the mc not having good challenges. Met enemy = win against them in the same episode, met heroine = saved her and +1 to harem, not strong enough = training montage, some revelation of a moment of insight and mc gets +1 skill (or whatever they need). The mc doesn't struggle enough, doesn't suffer enough, doesn't curse fate for ever being born enough. So, give me recs where mc needs go really work to get things to go their way. Met enemy = get totally rekt, barely escape with life. Met heroine = saved heroine but she just grateful, not on love like an easy girl. Need to get stronger = ran into a wall and grinded away, no training montage. And no bullshit like: I will win, I won't give up. More of: fuuudge, when is this hell going to end?! Mama, I'm being bullied, wawawa... Cause it makes it feel like the mc actually pushes against their limits. I would put other requirements like no harem and such but I believe that finding a novel we ith what I wanted to get is already hard enough so fire away with all you got~
Renegade Immortal, Pursuit of the Truth,the suffering are real in those series, Goblin Slayer,Kuro no Maou, oh the the pain of Kuro no Maou,
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/yahari-ore-no-seishun-love-come-wa-machigatte-iru/ Fits your description
The Tutorial Is Too Hard for a guy that grows, at least early on, in the most painful way possible. And gets trapped behind walls he can't overcome. I stopped reading it, so I'm actually not sure if he ever did.
I would love to hear you rant more on the flaws of the webnovels you're reading. Such creativity in cursing a story! I think that most of your points are answered by the short word: "montage". The author didn't put his emotions into the character, there was no attachment, no real effort to flesh out and let the character grow. So, yeah, an author that can put emotions into a character that readers can feel, truly rare. I'm writing a fantasy story and every chapter I'm going through adolescence again, countless emotions flutter around as I ask myself, would I dare to write this, like this, how about this and add that. It's a consuming process, both in energy and time (cause you have to think long and hard). So I don't think it suits Chinese webnovels who are mostly created for money, in a run against time (and the publisher nagging). Better look outside the webnovel's box for fleshed-out characters that can experience realistic emotions and traumas.
I'll add https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-second-coming-of-gluttony/ to that list. Its Harem, and the MC IS someone who finds a way out of problems, BUT: 01. The 'Harem' is quite realistically done. The girls arent 2D, but fully fleshed out characters, and aren't at the beck and call of the MC (rather hes the one who has to be careful around them. Youll get it if you read it) 02. The way he finds the 'way' is a proper story mechanic, but even that has its limitations, based on plain Human logic. Also, word of warning, the MC is a full blown jerk in the first few chapters, but turns around later. Rather, one of the main points of the story is his journey to be a better person. And why he does is pretty interesting in itself.
I don't know what genre of novels you like but I will recommend to you the novels that didn't feel hollow for me The Second Coming of Gluttony Throne of Magical Arcana My House of Horrors Lord of the Mysteries Cultivation Chat Group Trafford's Trading Club Mother of Learning (on RR)