Clover - A Litrpg Apocalypse

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Clover had one week left to live.

In the dead of night, the System violently appeared, fundamentally changing the rules of reality forever. Now, governed by a game-like system, monsters roam the streets, and hidden dangers lurk behind every corner.

For Clover, who was wheelchair-bound and terminally ill, despite the extreme danger it posed, the System held his only hope of survival. Amidst the chaos, he has only one goal: Raise his Level high enough to fix all the problems his failing body was plagued with before he ran out of time.

The only problem with that plan, if it could even be called such, was the tiny question of how someone like him could kill a monster. The answer, it turned out, was quite simple: Magic.

..........

What to expect from this story:

-Clover starts out very "weak" at the beginning of the series, and as such, his abilities are limited. Once he gains his Class, that paradigm flips, and he becomes much more powerful and varied in his abilities.

-General magic tinkering, crafting, and golemmaking are a major part of the story.

-Bad things happen. Characters lose fights, and some even die, but in the end, things will ultimately trend in a positive direction. I'm not trying to write a depressing story, though I am trying to write one with real challenges.

-This is a rewrite of an earlier work. It diverges from the source material early on.

Well, that's it for my spiel; hopefully it convinced you to give the story a shot - I think it's pretty good, and maybe you will too.

Oh, one last thing: Please point out any spelling or grammar errors if you come across them. I appreciate the help. Thanks!

If you are reading this anywhere other than Royal Road, you are reading a stolen version. Please report them to me if you come across them.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: J. T. Smith

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 3,229
Views: 631,327

Chapters(49 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

yohmmRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
At first, I thought it would just be another "rewrite", even if I found the first version good and appealing.
Then it evolved.
It started almost at the same stage, MC being who he is, how his life is a fucked up way down.
Then, the world building took an entire way around. And that's when this story really picked my interest again. Making me eager for a next chapter, waiting impatiently. The first skills aren't so easy to get. I could feel the first monsters breath on the neck of the MC.
Thanks for this rewriting and keep up this good work !
Khan of KhansRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A great story with great characters that are interesting and relatable. A plot that is intriguing and keeps you hooked. A world that feels alive. Pacing that is great it is neither rushed or stretched.
If you want to read something that is worthwhile read this. Overall its a 5 out of 5 would highly recommend.
KydoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This... this is finally a good golemancy story on rr.
I've read this since before the rewrite, and I have to say, pragmatically this is what a golemancer should be. Keep doing what you are doing and give us moooore.
Great job and continue doing what you're doing, we want more
Thank you.
Terry25888Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a redo of an original idea and has all the potential of the original and more. A system that’s unique in design and open enough In functionality to still make the story somewhat realistic.
I can’t wait to see what happens when classes actually become a thing hope the author is participating in the writathon
Wisp of the WillowRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is likely one of the most interesting LitRPG protagonists on the site. One with obvious motivation and detriments set so high it gets him in more trouble than its worth early on. A strong start so far for where I have read up to so far.
Overall a great read I can only recommend!
AdracksRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
First of all, I would like to clarify that the fact that I consider the story to be classic is not a criticism but rather a recognition of the author's mastery of the genre. Indeed, on the one hand although not particularly innovative in the story or the characters (I will come back to this later), the story remains very pleasant to read. On the other hand, I feel the inspirations of other stories like "The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound", "The New World" and, "The Silver Mana", which I consider (for the most part) as archetypes and references of the kind.
Now let's move on to specific points :
The style :
As for the style, I find that the author is rather fluid in his writing and in the rhythm of the narration. He is neither too nor too little stingy with details and descriptions, even if I sometimes find that an idea is a little too repeated (but maybe that's just me).
The grammar :
For this one the less said the better. I don't see any errors, nothing bothered me about my immersion, but I can't guarantee anything, English is not my mother tongue.
The story :
For the story I will divide it into two points.
- first, the system which is similar to the works previously cited, namely that it works like arborescent paths, where an action or a capacity can lead to a path which leads to another and so on. Alongside this, there is a classic panel with statistics, the person's name, their skills etc...
- Secondly, for the introduction of the story, it is an apocalypse with the arrival of the system which is accompanied by monsters, magic and all that... There is for the moment a lack of plot, which is I think a plot and a development voluntarily slow by the author, and that this will be filled with time.
Characters :
For the characters, first of all the MC, he is a disabled person (that's what made me think of the book "The Silver Mana") in a wheelchair who is well written and lively but who I sometimes find a somewhat inconsistent, he is confident in dangerous situations,
hivibRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This story has a rather unique take on the normal system apocalypse story. Instead of an immediately OP main character the author gives the opposite. A MC that is crippled and should have died on the first day. What I really like about the MC is his goal, he doesn’t have a big goal for domination or being the strongest. All that he wants is a chance to live however he wants to because he was never able to do so before the system. That is my favorite type of MC.
Pros: It is a unique story that is a breath of fresh air for the veteran readers that read the same story over and over again. Very few if any grammar mistakes. An intricate power system. A very hands on protagonist that has a lot of depth in character.
Cons: Not much development of other characters as of yet. Power system is a little confusing at first because we learn with the characters and have no teacher. A little slow paced in leveling.
noah hoffmanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Not to bad so far. I like the skill points and path system; it seems like a system that could work pretty well. It just feels a bit unfocused to me so far. Now, this might be a me problem. I always prefer it when characters have very specific powers or abilities. That is part of the reason why I love LitRPGs so much. The characters have all their abilities listed right there on a blue screen. I am just a bit worried this book will just give its main character a bunch of vague powers with vague and ominous sounding descriptions that really do anything the author wants. Maybe I will be wrong, maybe it will get really good, but I have seen more than a few LitRPGs flounder from a lack of focus and give their characters a class like, Celestial Seed of Change or something that doesn't really mean anything.
TalickkRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Updating review -
Unfortunately Clover is quickly turning into an unenjoyable story due to the lack of, well, story. Chapter after chapter of the MC ruminating on his skill paths, inspecting his golem's traits, theorizing future synergies, etc. I don't feel the danger that comes with the setting. I barely can feel the growth. It's a continuous monologue of a character in his own head who sometimes interacts with the outside world.
To provide an example of the above and my biggest gripe - there is something of a deadline that we're given in chapter one. One week until this deadline is finished. That one week has not yet passed by my current chapter. I feel like I've read so much and yet so little has happened.
Minor gripes -
The side characters are very much side characters. They only get a few lines of dialogue each chapter if that and its of little consequence. They're one-dimensional and unfortunately already way behind the MC in terms of power.
While the MC can handle multiple enemies at once due to his powerset his teammates struggle with one enemy at a time and he is usually there to help finish it off it seems. I don't hate this by the way, I dislike how self sufficient the MC is in comparison.
I salute the author for giving the MC a real disability and finding a way for him to contribute but I do fear he will soon eclipse anyone else that is not set up solely as an obstacle for him to surpass.
impRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
Standard system apocalypse type story in the skill path style. The twist in this one is the pov character is in a wheelchair.
We have a character to follow that is different enough from typical to allow for interesting directions for the story unfold in. There is also a reason for the character to progress beyond typical apocalypse tropes, although that is treated with such little urgency that it doesn't really matter.
Where the story struggles is with direction. The system, while familiar, doesn't have the usual element of increasing pressure and introducing game-like challenges or quests. That is actually good because that story has been done to death, unfortunately it hasn't been replaced with much of anything. Character motivations are vague and the majority of chapters consist of either grinding monsters or spending skill/path points with little else happening.
There are some dreams and premonitions, but they are awkward and shoehorned. In general, I find that sort of thing unsatisfying and often a sign that a story can't find a to move forward more naturally.
The cast so far is okay. There is some variety of backgrounds and motivations, although the actual character voices need work as they all talk the same way and have similar references and touchstones. One issue with the cast is a lack of antagonists or foils for the main character and companions to bounce off of.
Now let's talk System. This is one has characters receiving points each time they level up a skill. Those points are spent to progress along Paths, which are unlocked by character actions or skills. If you've read much LitRPG you have probably seen something similar before.
The trouble with this incarnation of system is that it feels incomplete. Numbers mean little and experience and other elements are eemingly arbitrary. Skills and abilities level up constantly for little effort. The paths are cryptic and likely an attempt to foreshadow things, but, like the dreams mentioned earlier, this doesn'