Book Recap
System Universe
Book 1 Recap· Released
TL;DR
Derek Hunt is a loner who has survived years of monsters and alien Invaders after the System came to Earth. He agrees to join a seemingly simple mission, regrets it, and ends up trapped and then reborn on a new world under a different System. He keeps his stats but restarts at level 0 and slowly forms bonds with the people of a rural village.
As an Amazon Associate, Progression Time earns from qualifying purchases.
Spoiler-Free · Before You Read
Before You Dive In
The Hook & Setting
Setting: Earth after System Integration, then a rural village on a new world with a different System.
Tone: Power-fantasy LitRPG with a gruff loner who softens, mixing apocalypse survival with slice-of-life and found family.
System premise: A System rewrites Earth, turning animals into killers and bringing alien Invaders; the protagonist is moved to a second System where he keeps his stats but resets to level 0.
The Magic System at a Glance
A classic LitRPG system of levels, stats, classes and skills. System Integration is the event that imposed it on Earth, and a different System governs the new world.
- Levels and stats that partly carry between Systems
- Classes such as the epic class Champion of the Void
- Skills granted on class selection
- Free stat points awarded at class choice
Commitment & Pacing
- Status: Ongoing, with 8 volumes published and Book 9 pending.
- Total volumes: 8 published (Goodreads and Audible, checked 2026-10-18); Book 9, System Origin, is listed for 2026-11-03.
- Pacing: Goodreads averages run 4.32 to 4.61 across Books 1-8 with Book 8, System Clash, highest at 4.61, and Audible ratings of 4.6 to 4.8 for the audiobooks.
Start the series
As an Amazon Associate, Progression Time earns from qualifying purchases.
I · The Main Plot
Where We Start
Earth, a few years after System Integration. The System has turned harmless creatures into killers and alien Invaders have arrived to claim the planet. Derek lives alone by the creed 'Fight, survive, adapt, and rely only on yourself.'
Major Plot Points & Spoilers
- Derek agrees against his usual instincts to help on a mission that looks simple. It escalates and he regrets leaving his solitude (publisher blurb on sunrisecv.com and Aethon).
- Per the Goodreads edition description, the mission goes badly, he is trapped, and he is reborn on a new world with a different System. He keeps his powerful stats but starts again at level 0.
- In a rural village he meets Thomas, an orphaned boy who becomes his apprentice, and gradually bonds with the villagers. Both come from a templated summary site, so treat the order as approximate.
- He is described as receiving a 'Champion of the Void' class, a growth-type epic class that grants two skills on selection and 20 free stat points, per the same summary site.
- Monsters and Invaders threaten the village and Derek defends it. A Goodreads reviewer says he moves on to the city at the end of the book.
Where the Book Leaves Off
Derek has gone from lone survivor to reluctant protector and moves on toward the city, with threads left for Book 2 (Torith). The specific outcome of the final battle is not verified in our sources.
II · Characters & Personal Progression
Romantic & Personal Status
No romance is confirmed in our sources. The book is described as mixing isekai, apocalypse LitRPG and slice-of-life, and the character focus is on Derek learning to bond with others.
Inner Circle Check-In
- Derek Hunt: The protagonist, a self-reliant survivor who a Goodreads reviewer calls a bit of a jerk who grows on you because he cares about the people around him.
- Thomas: An orphaned boy who becomes Derek's apprentice (from a templated summary site, single source).
- A loyal bunny: One of the harmless-looking creatures turned lethal by the System follows Derek as an ally (same summary site, single source; name not given).
Key New Faces & Factions
Alien forces that arrived with System Integration to conquer Earth. Their structure and abilities are not described in our sources.
Named only in a quoted excerpt on a summary site; Leon appears to lead Derek's group and Rayna is a village figure. Not verified further.
The rural community on the new world that Derek comes to protect. Individual names beyond Thomas are not verified.
III · End-of-Book Stats & Power Gains
Current Rank / Grade
Not verified. Derek restarts at level 0 on the new world with his earlier stats intact. No end-of-book level is recorded in our sources.
Dao / Path / Class Evolution
A System-integration LitRPG. After crossing to the new world Derek loses his previous class and levels but keeps his stats, and later takes the 'Champion of the Void' epic class (single-source summary).
Major Skill & Body Gains
- Class: Champion of the Void, with two skills on selection and 20 free stat points (single source).
- Retained stats from years of survival on Earth, carried to the new System.
IV · Extras: Empire, Gear & World State
Territory & Faction Upgrades
None as a holding. Derek ends the book tied to a rural village and heading to the city.
Ticking Clocks
- The Invaders, still active on Earth and on the new world.
- The cause and rules of the transition between Systems, which the book leaves as loose threads.
Community
Discussion · Book 1
Loading discussion…