Fighting the Apocalypse with My Rewind Skill

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In a crumbling world, Ethan Maxwell Blackthorn stands alone. With his "rewind" skill proving useless, he survived like a coward for a decade. But as the monstrous Last Boss looms, Ethan knows it's all over.

“You weaklings! What sort of heroes are you, losing to the big guy just like that!”

Just when all hope seems lost, Ethan’s death triggers his Rewind skill, sending him 24 hours back in time. Although confused, he realized this godsent opportunity.

“Great, now I can survive!”

Yet no matter what he tries, the outcome is always the same. Day after day, he’s caught in a brutal cycle of death. Despair gnaws at him, but after countless failures, something snaps inside him. Fed up and desperate, Ethan vows to change the outcome.

“If they can’t do it, I will kill the boss myself!”

After millions of deaths, endless suffering, and relentless trial and error, Ethan finally conquers the Last Boss. His victory is hollow, however—there’s no one left to save, no world left to live in. And then, as if mocking his efforts, more Last Bosses appear over the horizon. Humanity’s last stand was in vain.

But just as all hope fades, a revelation strikes: "No Cost," the reward for his victory grants him unlimited use of his Rewind ability! With this, an idea popped in his weary mind.

“Can’t I just go back to before the apocalypse began?”

Armed with a chance to rewrite history, Ethan starts anew, determined to be more than just a survivor.

“And if I’m going to play hero,” he resolves, “I’ve got to do it thoroughly!”

Aim high! Zero Casualties in the Apocalypse!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Caffeinated_Seraph

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 15
Views: 4,651

Chapters(13 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

DesirRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story sets up a thrilling and intense narrative, combining a desperate battle against overwhelming odds with a unique take on the time-rewind trope. The story maintains a high level of tension and stakes throughout, particularly in its depiction of the "Final Boss" and the last remaining heroes' fight against it. However, the twist involving Ethan’s seemingly useless "Rewind" ability gives the plot a layer of intrigue, suggesting that his survival will have a larger purpose in the grander scheme. The world feels grim and brutal, and the tone emphasizes desperation, though it also leaves room for character growth and strategy in future chapters.
The grammar is solid overall, though there are minor issues with punctuation and sentence structure. The pacing in the narration feels intense and matches the overall tone of the story well.
The story establishes a strong, high-stakes setting right from the start, throwing the reader into a desperate battle. The concept of "Rewind" adds a fresh twist to the standard heroic battle formula, and Ethan's role as a self-loathing, reluctant survivor makes for a compelling protagonist. The central conflict is gripping, and the narrative hints at much larger world-building, such as the existence of "Final Bosses," fallen heroes, and the presence of mysterious powers. The overall tone is dark and gritty, leaning heavily into themes of survival, despair, and the burden of heroism.
Ethan is the focal point, and his characterization is intriguing. He’s not the traditional hero, which makes him stand out. His self-doubt, anger, and envy toward the other heroes show a more vulnerable side of a character living in a world of fantasy and horror. His journey of surviving through pure luck, mixed with guilt and frustration, is well-done. The side characters, like the mage and Arthur, serve their roles well.
The writing style is fast-paced and action-heavy, fitting the atmosphere of a battlefield. The descriptions of the monster, the envir
LordTCRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Great prologue. Will likely update this review later after seeing what the system is like. This is my favourite kind of story where someone rewinds an apocalypse and intends to solve it better. I like how his skill sets up for him to have multiple chances to take on each problem until perfection.
Ethan seems human in the right ways and has super human motivation in others which seems ideal for a protagonist. I like the portrayal of his frayed grasp on sanity needing him to force an ending even though he sacrifices Mary. It seems very human even if it is a dislikable path. I also really like when authors aren’t afraid of making their MC somewhat unliked. Although I really hope we avoid wuxia protagonist levels of unlikability.
I am very much looking forward to the rest of the story. I wanted to review it early to help promote it and let it build an audience so it is more likely that it continues. Really looking forward to how this develops. I think early chapters showing the system and how it all works will be crucial to how much I end up liking this overall. Best wishes for success.
Nanashi22Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The emotions are nicely done, I didn't realize I missed a good Tragedy introduction this much. Character interactions, particularly the grim ones, are life-realistic and not book-realistic, it feels like the author's writing is derived from wisdom and not from a pleasure-seeking hobby of binging novels.
It's so nice reading a story that keeps a few GameLit aspects and abandons the LitRPG ones. It's similar to a more grounded version of Stubborn Skill Grinder, more low fantasy. There is no System to act like a Deux ex Machina, effort doesn't reward skills, effort gives you what effort will. Although, naturally, the introduction of this effort trait will need more establishing in the main story, the prologue is just not long enough.
Very realistic MC. My only complaint is that you make such a good effort to make the characters realistic and the story grounded in reality(as much as you can with fantasy), but you don't address some aspects of the MC's psyche. It looks like mental duress and stress persist between Rewinds, but how the MC deals with them is glossed over. I'm talking about mental stamina, it takes away from the charming aspects of the story to think that he did not sleep at all during those years. At least try to clarify whether the rewinds are making mental stamina a non-issue, or have him sometimes pass out from the pain when rewinding to recover. That's my only complaint.
I really liked this Prologue and will be waiting eagerly for the main story in a few days.