Forged by the Elements [System Apocalypse LitRPG]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

When others fight with swords, bows, and magic, only a fool chooses his fists.Leo is that fool. When the System rewrites reality, humanity is bound to elemental Essences tied to their very souls. Most awaken one. Leo awakens six. Given the freedom to choose his path, Leo embraces a class built around close-range combat. A style that demands commitment, control, and a bit of stupid courage. Dropped into a vast tutorial city, survival comes without safety nets. Monsters stalk the streets, danger hides behind friendly faces, and every decision carries weight. Leo isn't driven by dominance. When violence breaks out, he's the one who steps in. Surviving the tutorial is only the first step. What comes after will demand even more. This is a long road, shaped by choices that don't stay simple.And Leo has a long way to walk it. What to expect: - Competent, proactive MC- Melee-first combat with elemental layering- Steady, visible progression- Detailed combat scenes- Group dynamics under pressure- No harem, no coward MC, no endless angst Release schedule:Monday / Wednesday / Friday70~ Chapter backlog Patreon: Read ahead or support here up to 20 chapters ahead

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Rohano

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 1,461
Views: 191,995

Chapters(135 total)

What readers say about Forged by the Elements [System Apocalypse LitRPG]

“Wow, what a captivating storyline!! I genuinely can’t put it down. I’m always looking forward to the next chapter upload to see what Leo and the others get up to next. I’m really intrigued to see how the characters continue to develop. You know it’s good wr…”
MomoliciousRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“The author is still refining their style, but the story is already very readable and easy to binge. The pacing keeps things moving and each chapter leaves you wanting to continue. The characters have distinct voices and clear personalities, which makes thei…”
Rhombo4Royal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

MomoliciousRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Wow, what a captivating storyline!! I genuinely can’t put it down. I’m always looking forward to the next chapter upload to see what Leo and the others get up to next. I’m really intrigued to see how the characters continue to develop. You know it’s good writing when you feel different emotions toward different characters.
Rhombo4Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The author is still refining their style, but the story is already very readable and easy to binge. The pacing keeps things moving and each chapter leaves you wanting to continue.
The characters have distinct voices and clear personalities, which makes their interactions feel natural. I'm genuinely interested in seeing how they develop as the story progresses.
While the setting follows familiar foundations, it's executed well, with satisfying progression that's detailed and solid combat scenes. This feels like the start of a long-running series worth keeping an eye on.
Shard WitchRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The cover drew me in first—it’s striking and immediately sets the tone—and I’m glad I didn’t stop there. The story itself is genuinely good, with a main character who feels human rather than like a power fantasy template. Leo doesn’t just drop into a System-apocalypse and start winning. He struggles, hesitates, doubts himself, and sometimes fails, which makes his progress feel earned. The worldbuilding is solid and consistent, and even smaller details (like the creatures and encounters) feel thought through. The grammar is good, and the dialogue sounds natural instead of stiff or forced. Overall, this is a strong LitRPG with a grounded, believable MC and a satisfying sense of progression.
LilybloomRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I was drawn in to begin with, the character stood out from the norm by focusing on unarmed combat as a means of power.
The grammar was decent and had a good flow to it, not causing any break in thoughts because of the grammar, but instead lending itself to the story which is ideal in my opinion.
The characters were a little flat, but it was not something I noticed until later in the story and when specifically pointed out. That said, there is time for the characters to continue to develop so its not a big deal right now.
My biggest issue is more a personal itch, which was the inner thoughts of the MC, in particular his hero complex and strong need to be accepted. It felt a little unrealistic that the mc with the age and experience he had so far such as college, a job, and responsibilities would still act rather naive and innocent in his interactions with the people around him and the possible motivations they have that influence how they treat him.
In addition the mc's strong desire to save everyone even complete strangers in a do or die situation seems unrealistic based on the background the character has.
All of the issues I mentioned could and probably will be easily explained in further chapters with further backstory and as the characters grow and learn to deal with personal trauma. I personally choose a story based on interest and connection to the mc and this character did not do that for me.
Overall though the story has a lot going for it and the unique approach to littpg through unarmed combat is a bit plus. It has a lot of potential and I hope the sorry continues to improve.
MightyLeeSinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I really loved this series. Aside from one or two minor flaws, it’s genuinely very strong. There are just a few things that keep it from being a full 5/5. If I were rating with decimals, I’d honestly give it around a 4.8.
I got really attached to the characters, and it’s easily one of my favorites now. But those small imperfections are what stop it from being a true masterpiece. Let me break everything down in detail.
Grammar: Overall, the writing is very clean and fluid. The action scenes are especially clear and easy to follow. There are occasional repeated phrases or slight dips in rhythm, but it’s very close to a professional level.
Style: The author’s style really shines during combat. The fights feel dynamic, fast-paced, and visually engaging. System messages are integrated naturally into the narrative. At times, Leo’s internal monologues can feel slightly repetitive, but the overall tone is immersive and the atmosphere is conveyed effectively.
Story: At first glance, it seems like a classic System Apocalypse setup, but the PvP elements and moral gray areas elevate the story. The fact that humans are just as dangerous as the monsters significantly increases the tension. The worldbuilding elements (the dome, the towers, the abyss) are intriguing and hint at strong long-term potential.
Characters: Leo isn’t an unchecked power fantasy protagonist; his guilt and inner conflicts make him feel more grounded. Bjorn is a reassuring presence, Ron has that quiet, dependable charisma, and Cecelia carries an intriguing aura. Some side characters (especially Jasper) feel slightly one-dimensional, but the overall group dynamics work well.
aigerRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
The novel starts off with a premise that feels familiar, but still engaging enough to pull you in quickly. The power system and overall setup aren’t groundbreaking, yet they work well within the story and occasionally introduce enough variation to keep things interesting, especially during combat scenes where the pacing feels the strongest.
The main character is a bit of a mixed bag. He’s driven and intense, but his personality—particularly his reliance on anger—sometimes feels more like a convenient tool than a genuine flaw. At times it adds to his presence, but other times it removes tension since things tend to work out in his favor regardless. The supporting cast shows some promise, with moments of growth and interaction that add depth, though not all characters are explored equally.
One noticeable weakness is in the dialogue and antagonists. Conversations can feel stiff or exaggerated, and many of the opposing characters fall into predictable roles, which makes conflicts less compelling than they could be. That said, there are hints of more interesting developments, particularly with the larger threats being set up.
Overall, it’s an easy and entertaining read if you enjoy action-heavy stories with a team dynamic and steady progression. While it doesn’t fully escape common tropes, it still manages to hold attention, especially if you’re curious to see how the characters and world evolve beyond the early stages.
SilverYunaRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
I've really enjoyed the banter between the protagonist and secondary characters, as well as the character development for them all in overcoming weakness (though the protagonist is stubbornly headstrong) and highliting different character strengths!
Though with the current story remaining in the tutorial so far, I wonder what awaits the protagonist and his crew once they get out of this stage as it seems a lot of advancements have been made so far in this starting zone...
Personally I did not understand the depictions of rage early on, but I think this has developed recently as something integrated with their unique abilities.
The combat also flows well, and though there are a couple of villain characters which seem a little generic, the current overarching enemy does have my interest!
Overall, I am curious on how the story will develop and how certain players will influence this game. A story to read if you enjoy a cast of characters with some depth making it through the world together.
MadHat3rRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
I burned through the first 19 chapters pretty quick because in theory I enjoy this. The system and power sets are a bit generic but perfectly functional within the story and have enough of a twist to keep things from turning boring. The MC is, fine? His traits and background aren't bad but I can promise you've seen it before done better. Other characters are almost entirely one dimensional but they would at least be functional if the dialog wasn't soooooo bad. The dialog is worst with the antagonistic characters who are comically evil while supposedly charismatic or comically pathetic with a hard labor background that implies you aren't going to be dealing with a reddit mod. That said, while the dialog is absolutely worst with the antagonists, its not much better elsewhere. Which leaves the story read its best prettyuch solely in combat.
TreeKnightRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
The main character just has a little to much going right for them all the time. Theres a fine line between writing a cool mc, and a cringey one, and unfortunately its been crossed here. at least for me. From a rage that scares everyone around him that he cant control sometimes (and appears to arouse women) to a possibly literal storm inside him that fuels him and upgrades his abilities randomly anytime hes about to die, and some ancient being watching him because hes just that special, I just find it hard to read. Which is unfortunate because outside the mc im liking the basic framework of the system weve seen so far and the fights outside of random plot armor upgrades is snappy and fun to read. Everything outside the mc and his plot armor makes me want to give this 5 stars, and the mc makes me want to give 1, so ill settle on 3.
QuinticoJuniorRoyal Road
★ 1.0
Style and Grammar: Pretty good and one of the strong points of the story. Every scene is articulated well enough and interactions aren't shoved down your throat. Internal monologs and thoughts are well integrated and system boxes aren't too long or a frequent distraction
Story and Characters: The idea must have been cooler than it appears in execution. The Story heavily suffers from how forced the Characters and how selectively stupid they become.
MC is a rage Boi, whose anger issues are rarely negative or mostly positive as plot device needed, who keeps using his rage and bloodline to keep asspulling while the team keeps following him, forming around him to exclude any dissidents against him. Author also takes the hard decisions off their hands by ensuring every guy against MC is just evil hiding under incompetence.
Overall, solid idea in the beginning with more holes than sense that the story keeps insisting are great points. I guess if you don't mind MCs who get it all, with selective disabilities and gets along with all girls and brow beats all the bad guys with rage coursing through his veins, you can find this fun. Like typical low level Xianxia story.