The Apocalypse Grinder (LitRPG Apocalypse, Timeloop)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The tutorial proved a challenge too great for Ronan Steele. Fortunately for him, death was just the beginning. Ronan was in a meeting when the apocalypse struck. Now, rather than spending his day explaining optimised spreadsheets to rich old guys, Ronan now has to defeat hordes of angry goblins to complete the tutorial and make it back home. However, the Earth he left behind is no longer the same, relatively peaceful world. Merged with three other planets during the apocalyptic integration into the system, the planet he now calls home is filled with mutated, dangerous beasts and even more dangerous invaders from other worlds. In order to protect his peace and get revenge on the system which forced him into this mess, he must use his overpowered heritage to continue amassing strength. Because unlike other challengers, Ronan has an advantage that not even the system can fix—when he dies, he wakes up at the beginning of the tutorial once more. Not only does he get to return to the beginning, but he keeps his skills and gets an xp boost for his next life. The further he goes, the more powerful his heritage grows. Eventually he will be able to keep even his levels and items after death. Most people would crumble when faced with the prospect of an infinite apocalypse, but Ronan is a tenacious fellow. One goal drives him through his endless fights—to bring down the very system that forced this tragedy onto his world. The content warning tags are to allow me creative freedom. The fight scenes do get a little visceral as that is simply my writing style. The mc swears quite a bit, which is his personality. As for the sensitive content, I mostly don't write things like this but for the occasional scene to develop the mc I felt it was necessary since some readers won't want to read this. I will try to include warnings per chapter when there is such content. What to expect? MC starts out fairly average, but quickly grows in strength due to his heritage MC morals and perspective develop as he experiences the apocalypse through different lives MC is willing to kill, especially monsters, but is not cruel or inhumane. Story mostly revolves around the protagonist, but there are occasional POV shifts to develop the story The system is really crunchy. Expect a LOT of numbers going up. Average chapter length of 1500-2000 words

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Adventuresse

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.1/ 5.0
Followers: 5,478
Views: 3,444,012

Chapters(313 total)

What readers say about The Apocalypse Grinder (LitRPG Apocalypse, Timeloop)

“So this story is a typical time loop, the MC dies time restarts at beginning of tutorial. Yet there is a twist in that all tutorials are monitored, so will this make a difference?? Only time will tell... There are some errors in the grammar and pacing but a…”
Shades98Royal Road5.0 / 5
“This book offers a fascinating blend of Earth’s system integration, magic, and time-loop mechanics. The design of the system, especially the way the protagonist is sent back to a fixed point in time whenever he dies in the tutorial, is genuinely engaging an…”
sikijaxsonRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

Shades98Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So this story is a typical time loop, the MC dies time restarts at beginning of tutorial. Yet there is a twist in that all tutorials are monitored, so will this make a difference?? Only time will tell...
There are some errors in the grammar and pacing but a good editor will help clean it up. This doesn't detract from the story itself
sikijaxsonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This book offers a fascinating blend of Earth’s system integration, magic, and time-loop mechanics. The design of the system, especially the way the protagonist is sent back to a fixed point in time whenever he dies in the tutorial, is genuinely engaging and keeps you wanting to read more. I really like that the main character must achieve a certain level of mastery in each loop to carry the benefits forward. It adds a layer of strategy and depth that makes every attempt feel meaningful.
Even though the overall concept is familiar and often used, the author still manages to craft an interesting and compelling story. I’m currently in Ronan’s third loop of the tutorial, and I’m almost certain that he will increase the difficulty in later rounds. I’m also very curious to see how the author will combine cultivation elements with the system mechanics as the story progresses. And of course, the big question remains: what will everything look like after the tutorial, once Ronan finally reaches the new Earth?
Overall, it’s a well-written and intriguing read that builds excitement for what’s still to come.
great job!!!!
LordGilmoreRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Fast growth of the MC, with a good background storyline. Lots of fast paced action to ensure that the reader never gets complacent.The concept for why the enemies are enemies is creative and unique. Not youre cookie cutter rip off of every other rebirth or time loop.Good read...
DisapointedVoidRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Plenty of action, plenty of gore, plenty of punching. The numbers go up as the pummelling progresses. The longer term impact of the death and reset mechanic remain to be seen, but learning the best way to turn goblins into paste and applying it right from the start can only be a bloody good thing, surely?
TheOtterITGuyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm not usually into timeloops but this hits different. Very well written, regular chapters, relatable protagonist! What's not to love! It answers my questions about how office workers would handle a system integration. There's a character who almost everyone can relate to who you just love to hate, the redemption arc for them must come at some point and I live for it
Haremhater1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I like the way the loops are going, you're not focusing too much in repetative loops which keeps the story on a good pace. Im at chapter 159 and have liked that you have more focused on mcs growth. Would like to see some companions who stay relevant in the future tho.If you ever take a long break from writing then PLEASE INFORM US ABOUT IT!!
ISpeedrunExcelRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm a huge fan of all stories featuring time travel, especially those where the main character has a clear goal they're motivated to achieve. This story has that special something that hooked me and keeps me gripped... I'm ready for every new chapter released twice daily within half an hour to an hour of it dropping.The story vividly describes combat scenes, the characters' approaches to adversity, and all the characters present seem diverse and alive. As for the antagonists themselves, the goblins here just seem cut from cardboard – simply enemies to defeat that you're not meant to like. I'd gladly learn a bit more about the goblins, as I suspect they might be a playable race too.If anyone asks me if it's worth reading... Absolutely yes!Here's a concise explanation of how paint dries, within the requested word count (135 words):**How Paint Dries: It's Chemistry!**Paint drying isn't just water or solvent evaporating; it's a chemical transformation. The process depends heavily on the paint type:1. **Water-Based (Latex/Acrylic) Paints:** These dry primarily through **evaporation**. Water is the main carrier. As water molecules evaporate into the air, the closely packed polymer particles (plastic resins) are forced together. Once most water is gone, these particles undergo **coalescence** – they soften, fuse, and knit together into a continuous, flexible plastic film. Initial "dry to touch" happens quickly as water leaves, but full hardness/curing takes days or weeks as the film fully integrates.2. **Oil-Based (Alkyd) Paints:** These dry through a two-stage process. First, the **solvent** (mineral spirits, etc.) **evaporates**, leaving behind the binder (oils or alkyd resins) and pigments. Second, the binder undergoes a chemical reaction called **oxidative cross-linking**. Oxygen from the air reacts with the oil molecules, causing them to link together (polymerize) into a hard, durable network. This oxidation stage is crucial and takes significantly longer than solvent
DWWRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Enjoying the story so far. It's got all the elements your expect from the genre. It's well written, and the MC seems like a real human being. Fight scenes are well done.Looking forward to seeing where it goes and what the next few chapters bring.The regression seems to work well, and although it's only been one time. It'll be interesting to see if the author can pull off multiple ones without it getting old.
Justin MarksRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It has a slow start, with background information emerging gradually as the MC learns it himself. The building information is well organized, and the slow build is well earned and a good way to set things up. Now that the story is far enough along to start fleshing out what's going on, it's a good time to start reading. At this point, I'm pretty invested and looking forward to what's coming next.
GribRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall I enjoy this story. He is learning within each loop and is trying to use his abilities intelligently which is great. The way he interacts with people through each loop is showing his growth as a character and how his mentality is adapting to his current situation. The only issue I have is it feels like a slow burn story but the quality is great so it’s not a real issue. I’d definitely recommend if you like time loop content for sure.