That Time I Learned Every Skill Imaginable so I Could Forge Armor So Good It Broke the System: A System Optimization LitRPG

by Kenny King

Minimal coverage. Maximum protection. Optimal performance.

When Mark Baker accidentally microwaves himself into a fantasy world, he brings only two things with a head for numbers and an unwillingness to accept “that’s just how it’s done.”

In a realm where magical protection means hauling around fifty pounds of clunky metal, Mark sees what no one else does, radical inefficiency. What if defense didn’t rely on material coverage at all? What if the real shield was magic itself, and the armor was just getting in the way?

Combining mathematical optimization, crafting theory, and advanced enchanting, Mark systematically dismantles centuries of magical convention to create something armor that prioritizes function over form, efficiency over tradition, and results over appearances.

The fact that his final design looks like magical lingerie? Just an unfortunate side effect of perfect enchantment geometry.

That Time I Learned Every Skill Imaginable So I Could Forge Armor So Good It Broke The System is a crafting and optimization adventure about one man's methodical journey from bewildered outsider to magical innovator. It’s about asking the right questions, solving problems no one else sees, and proving that sometimes the most powerful ideas start What if there’s a better way?

Minimal coverage. Maximum protection. Optimal performance.

462 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2025

Reviews

[Roberto Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is on point and just fun. a good collection of characters that work together wonderfully.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not get very far. Same phrases used over and over again as if for the first time suggest either the author does not proofread his work or it’s written by AI.

[Patrick Rochefort · Rating 1 out of 5]

A world that exists to serve the protagonist being The Special Boy

Almost a DNF, but at least the book had no notable spelling errors or other basic mistakes I caught. Some moments are essentially repeated twice with modest changes, feeling like the author missed realizing they had put a rewrite in a few pages down from the oriental section, etc.

One star because the world is so eye-rollingly protagonist-serving that, well:

1. He reinvents pizza and cheeseburgers and burritos and macaroni and cheese and ice cream for the world. Completely ignorant that pizza-like flatbreads are one of the very earliest culinary items we have evidence for in human civilization. Literally the (historically) most basic of foods but the MC is just such a special boy that the world couldn't possibly have invented these on its own despite somehow having all the ingredients for it.

2. Despite the setting being described as a small town, it just so happens to host an industrial and academic base that includes multiple doctorate-level hyperspecialities that align with the MCs needs.

3. The prose spends a lot of time rehashing and praising the main character, often quite fawningly.

Anyway. It is adequately written, but the glaring level of these three flaws, I found myself closing the ebook with groans of "Oh, come on..." repeatedly.

If this is reflective of the rest of Kenny King's work, I will avoid in the future.

[Tyler Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but way too much technical jargon and plot holes

This plot line isn’t too bad and keeps your interest but The author really needs and editor for this book. I’m only 45% into the book and have noticed numerous plot holes. For example; explicitly stating 2 between-worlders a year yet none of them have introduced basic modern food like pizza or cheeseburgers but the MC does? Or nearly identical lines of dialogue reused over and over. Plus, timelines stated but then disregarded like when character states something starts next week but then multiple weeks are said to go buy and then NOW we are doing what was suppose to happens weeks ago with no explanation.

[Cwsmythe · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - boring, confused and repetitive this book was not fun to read. Felt like it had been written a few pages at a time and then stacked up and declared finished rather than being written and edited as a whole novel. The premise is sloppy, and poorly executed. The MC develops an immediate obsession with “revolutionizing” enchanting in one very specific way without any explanation as to why they want to do that and then all the wild Isekai insights they are having turn out to already exist and they aren’t innovating so much as being exhausting.

I’ve read other books by the author that I enjoyed, this one I could not stand.

[Liz Prosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic story

Kenny strikes again and with another fantastic story from another world! I absolutely love all these recent releases of isekai stories with elaborate magic, weapons and armor. Some of the technical jargon can throw you off at times but it just makes an absolutely fictional tale seem more real in my opinion. Most definitely recommend.

[Scottt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of the book, but the second half was much weaker. The MC's progress and increased levels felt meaningless, and the sexualization of the "pasties" was so overdone that it took away from the story. It wasn't just an aspect of the armor, it became the main focus of the whole book.

The writing was high quality, though, and I think the author has a lot of potential. I'm going to try some of their other books next.

[Jacob Andrew Carlsgaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

Wonderful book! It has a lot of Slice of Life which I found added to the story immensely. It mixed in some good humor - and completely believable thought exercises for the main character to go down. I loved the idea of bikini armor being a real thing for actual practical reasons.

Hoping the author continues the series!

[Rodney M Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible fun and intellectually stimulating

Now that was a fun book to read. I never would have expected this much fun in a LitRPG book. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting an enjoyable time reading smart entertainment. Finally an author who doesn’t treat their readers like they’re idiots! How refreshing!!!

[Alex Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the book That Time I Learned Every Skill Imaginable so I Could Forge Armor So Good It Broke the System, the main character Mark Baker gets transported to a fantasy world with limit technological knowledge. As a person that only has a chemistry teacher's knowledge, and is very good at numbers, I liked that he refused to accept the horrible methods of magical protection that currently exist in the world. But something I disliked was the fact that the book was stilted and not very logical in the way it was ordered and did not make a lot of sense. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes romance-fantasy.
Kenny King in my opinion is a very bad writer, but he does a good job exemplifying the world of fantasy and system-optimization. He makes great characters that each have a growth and challenges along the way. There was a great meaning at the end you got to realize, but the overall story could have been a lot better. But as a book, it is great to read if you are feeling bored of the current book you are reading and then you are ready to hop back in after finishing this one.

[Jim Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun

Really enjoying Mr. Kings style of writing. I was surprised that with no bad guy this was still mostly interesting. I say mostly because in my world 2+2=5 so the math was way over my head and slightly boring in spots. But this was a great read with a fantastic epilogue.

[James Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun

This was one of the most fun books I've read in a long time. It gets dangerously close to being silly at times, but it never takes the final leap. Do yourself a favor and give this book a chance.

Highly recommended.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mathematical terminology paired with humor results in a fantastic good time. So many books like this focus on the combat aspect of becoming the strongest, but this one followed the academic. Super enjoyable read!

[David Harriss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate

This story is a long joke about the practical reason for inventing bikini armor. I found it to be less than expected, and less than it could be, but sufficient to read during a release drought.

[Oliver Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't see this one coming!

Entertaining, hilarious, mind boggling. Trust me when I say the author took a trope and ran with it, in the process explaining how said trope could exist and why.
What trope? I ain't telling, read and find out!

[Jan Gable · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book

A true reading for entertainment. Awesome characters, fun, unique situations. Equal an enjoyable story that pulls you in keeps you reading long after you should go to bed.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced funny and OP

The MC remains relatable even as he transitions from an under appreciated teacher to a new world innovator. His transition is an entertaining litrpg adventure you will enjoy.

[Robin Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read!

I wasn't sure of what to expect, but I could not be more pleased. What an excellent book.

Truly great characters. The main, his love interest, and his friends and colleagues are all delightful characters.

Stunning setting. Excellent plot. This book delivers.

[Steven Ragsdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid but could be smoother

This had a good arc and enjoyable characters but there were points where the prose repeated in a way that was unclear if it was intentional or a continuity/editing error.

It didn't stop me from enjoying it or from checking other works by the author.

[Johnie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.

[David G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and innovative.

A very unique magic system with melding math and magic. I enjoyed the story and writing. I recommend it to readers of sci-fi and fantasy books.

[Patrick Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ridiculously absurdly entertaining

If you Combine back to the future, the adams family, hogwarts professors and some anime , and you have this book.

[David W. Burhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story

This author somehow made math a fun and key element of the story.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Two thumbs up.

[Dichotomy Girl]

dnf @ 69%

[christopher kishel · Rating 5 out of 5]

so much fun

Very cool, interesting read that approaches the genre from a new direction. Loved the characters and the development. I actually remember the characters!

[jayson lathrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

This book was great, turned the cliche chainmail bikini and made a ridiculous explanation of why it made sense. Hope I hear more from this author.