Trial of Feasting Insects [LitRPG, Progression, System Apocalypse]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Earth was given a choice by the cryptic Coalition; to accept a trial with promises of death, or to decline that offer with unknown ramifications.

Jack, a 23-year-old wasting away from a terminal illness, embraced death as his final moments arrived. Until one harrowing day, he was reborn into a nightmare. Humans shrink to one inch in size, and the Coalition's trial reveals its cruel decree: exterminate 75% of all insects and clear a world dungeon or humanity will perish.

Jack thrives in this new world. With blood-soaked battles and putrid smells becoming a daily occurrence, he casts his frail mortality to the side. Death is around every corner as a new community is established and new threats emerge. Jack must make a decision; should he demonstrate the true power he holds, and maybe even gain a formidable ally in the process?

What to expect:

- Determined main character whose strength progresses and is (mostly) logical about his decision even if it's not specifically stated.

- Slow Burn!

- A main character to has a slight innate edge over other people, but one that doesn't make him utterly overpowered.

What not to expect:

- Very Overpowered Main Character who doesn't struggle or barely struggles.

Thank you for checking out Trial of Feasting Insects, I hope you enjoy!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Liam Blackwood

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 30
Views: 13,759

Chapters(39 total)

What readers say about Trial of Feasting Insects [LitRPG, Progression, System Apocalypse]

“Trial of Feasting Insects doesn’t hold your hand. It doesn’t care if you’re comfortable. It starts with a brutal premise and delivers on every inch of it—unapologetically raw, grounded, and survival-focused. This isn’t a story about power fantasy. It’s abou…”
ArshiaRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Came across this randomly when I was looking through latest updates. Read that the authors new, but the writing is pretty good and the plot got me captivated. Its not choppy or full of grammar errors and is pretty well done, unlike some of the newbie author…”
Cultivating AnonymityRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(9)

ArshiaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Trial of Feasting Insects doesn’t hold your hand. It doesn’t care if you’re comfortable. It starts with a brutal premise and delivers on every inch of it—unapologetically raw, grounded, and survival-focused. This isn’t a story about power fantasy. It’s about trauma, adaptation, and what people are willing to become when the rules are stripped away.
Stylistically, it’s tight and lean. The prose is clear without being sterile, occasionally dipping into lyricism at just the right moments. There’s no wasted exposition or bloated system dumps—everything is delivered with purpose, and the story expects you to keep up.
The world-building is one of the standouts. The “tutorial” zone isn’t just a sandbox—it’s a hostile ecosystem. The author uses systemic mechanics like a scalpel, revealing just enough to keep things tense while hinting at a much larger universe. Every environment Jack enters feels deliberate, and the alien aesthetic bleeds into every interaction without needing giant lore dumps.
Jack himself is excellent—smart, pragmatic, and quietly unhinged. He doesn't scream about fairness or destiny. He analyzes, adapts, and acts. His inner voice is sharp but never overdone, and the slow burn of his psychological state adds depth without melodrama.
If you're looking for something that blends survival horror, crisp writing, and a believable protagonist in a merciless world—this one's for you.
Cultivating AnonymityRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Came across this randomly when I was looking through latest updates. Read that the authors new, but the writing is pretty good and the plot got me captivated. Its not choppy or full of grammar errors and is pretty well done, unlike some of the newbie authors I read on here.
Please please more.🙏
QaosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The premise is uncompromisingly brutal, and each chapter layers new environmental horrors—from blood‑soaked forests to fungal dungeons—while Jack’s growing community fights tooth and nail for every scrap of territory.
Liam Blackwood employs tight, visceral prose that cuts to the bone without extraneous exposition. Descriptions of “putrid fungal spores” and “chitinous carapaces cracking under steel” paint a vivid tableau. On rare occasions, the lean style sacrifices atmospheric world‑building moments for pacing, but overall the tone remains immersive and urgent.
The high‑stakes premise never lets up: early chapters blend tutorial‑zone mechanics with true horror, and later arcs introduce political intrigue as Jack’s fledgling society confronts rival groups and monstrous bosses. Plot turns feel earned, though the slow‑burn community development sometimes stalls the relentless action.
Jack is a pragmatic anti‑hero whose moral compromises feel authentic against this merciless backdrop. Secondary figures—like the steely engineer Mira and the haunted scout Ori—offer glimpses of depth, but await fuller development to match Jack’s dimensionality.
The text is well‑edited, with no glaring typos and consistent formatting of RPG elements. Dialogue flows naturally, and system UI inserts never break immersion.
A relentless, imaginative progression fantasy that hooks with its brutal premise and strong prose, and promises even richer world‑building and character arcs as it continues.
RiddledSeekerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The characters and the plot so far are really interesting; keep up the good work! I can't wait to see what happens next and what you have planned for the story! The setup with the prologue and the setting switch that happens are engaging and kept me wanting to find out what happened next. Jack is a cool protagonist, and it will be awesome to see what he has to face going forward.
The King of GamesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I like the unique world the author has created. It's something refreshing in a genre that can sometimes feel generic. The MC feels grounded and is thrust into a deadly world that doesn't hold back. I especially liked the System the author created. While some might think it's too slow, this feels intentional on the author's part. I could see this story continue for many character arcs.
The story has a solid foundation to be great, the biggest thing the author needs to refine is the dialogue. Sometimes it can be awkward and feel wooden; however, that can be easily fixed with a good edit.
All in all, the story is good the characters are grounded and the story is great. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Novel HavenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This action scene is awesome! The author drops you right into the middle of an ant battle-crazy fray, and it's hard to put down. The characters are well-natured, the combat moves vary from one to another, and the action sequences are so well described that you can almost hear the mandible snap and the sting of ants burning. Although the pacing overall holds the reader, the long explanation of Jack's new "blood drain" ability, with its three curled red tendrils, slows the maniacal speed of the battle temporarily, losing readers at an already exciting climax.
What Works
- Immersive Action: The battle is so visceral. You're right there with Jack, feeling his exhaustion, his adrenaline high, and the sheer terror of fighting an army of gigantic ants. The sensory details are excellent—the sounds, the smells, the feel of the ants' bodies.
- Interesting Characters: All the characters have a personality that shines through their behavior. The brute strength of Jack, the elegance of Vester, the brains of Asher, and the weathered veteran skills of Frederick all coalesce into an interesting mix.
- Innovative Worldbuilding: The powers and special abilities are readable as an organic development of the narrative, bringing in an aspect of fantasy without ever being unconvincing. The giant ants are nice and creepy.
Recommendations to Create a More Organic Flow
- Trim the Combat: A couple of the combat descriptions, such as Jack's, are slightly too wordy. Instead of reciting all of the slashes and swings, focus on the most impactful points and let the reader imagine in between. Try to show the result of the battle more often than the individual action.
- Show, Don't Tell (Again): Instead of telling the reader that a character is "strategic," Asher's strategic mind ought to be revealed through his behaviors; for instance, explain how he uses his shield to counterattack and produce openings for subsequent attacks.
- Vary Sentence Structure: There is too much dependence on strings of s
Fisher00001Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I thought the premise was interesting, you know, take two parallel planet-wide civilizations and have one person from the other cross over into a new body. Throw them into an arena and have them have a survival of the fittest scenario. Giving Jack a second chance was also interesting. The fight scenes kind of became bogged down in stats and over-repetitive details. Maybe I am just not into LITRPGs. However, I grade material based on quality within genre. This book is quite good and I would recommend it for four of the following reasons:
Style:
The style is a four-star. The problem with the fight scenes and stats has already been mentioned. However, the use of descriptive language, sensory details, and the prose is quite poetic and paints a picture with a brush.
Grammar:
No problems. The grammar is solid as far as I could spot.
Story:
The story is unique. I certainly never read one like this before. I gave it a five-star rating for originality and creativity. Even though it wasn't for me, I still know plenty of people will enjoy it. Some people just want a good arena story with a lot of action. I think I know someone who might like it, to be honest.
Character:
I gave this a four-star rating because of logic errors in the characters. Like, how does someone with cancer and on an IV on their deathbed get down a multi-story building without assistance into the garden? Have you ever been in a hospice before? Do you know how many painkillers someone gets when on their deathbed? Sorry for my annoyance. That one really irked me. However, once the character got into his new body, it began picking up, and I liked how you made Jack curious about his new world. Sorry, but I have to knock one star for the beginning.
Max DanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Trial of Feasting Insects offers a refreshing take on the reincarnation genre, blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and a touch of mystery. The story follows Jack, a 23-year-old man with terminal cancer and mysterious brain afflictions, who unexpectedly finds himself reincarnated into the life of Ray, a depressed soul who took his own life on Earth. What follows is a journey of discovery in a new world, one strikingly similar to Earth but more advanced.
Jack’s transition from Ray’s troubled life to his own new beginning is emotionally satisfying. His gratitude for the second chance at life and his determination to make the most of it is a relatable and motivating theme. Jack’s exploration of the world around him feels grounded, as he’s constantly learning and trying to fit into his new life, making his evolution as a character both interesting and believable.
The most captivating element of Reincarnated in Earthen is its world-building. The author does an excellent job setting up Earthen, a parallel world that mirrors Earth in many ways but diverges sharply due to humanity's acceptance of alien technology.
While the pacing is generally good, the first few chapters can feel a bit slow. There is an absence of any major external conflict in the early chapters, which might leave some readers craving more action or tension.
Overall, Reincarnated in Earthen is an engaging and thought-provoking tale about starting over, societal advancement, and the impact of pivotal decisions. The blend of familiar reincarnation tropes with a unique, futuristic setting makes this a refreshing entry in the genre.
Night ScholarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This story starts with a mysterious alien artifact giving Earth a deadly choice—join their trial or face destruction. Ten years later, a dying man named Jack witnesses humanity’s annihilation, only to wake up reincarnated in a world where humans are shrunk to one inch tall and forced to fight monsters to survive.
The writing is fast-paced and intense, with cool sci-fi elements and a brutal system that keeps you hooked. Jack’s unique ability, All-Seeing Eyes of Knowledge, adds a fun twist, and the shrinking premise makes for creative survival challenges.
Some parts feel a bit rushed, but the action and mystery make up for it. If you like system apocalypse stories with a dark edge, this one’s worth checking out!" At least i really enjoyed it. Really good work.