Ark - Volume 16 Chapter 6

Warning This fiction contains:

Graphic Violence Profanity Sensitive Content

Summary – Level 1:

Delve is an isekai litrpg that follows an average guy who just happened to wake up in a forest one day. He wasn’t summoned to defeat the demon lord or to save the world or anything like that, at least as far as he can tell. The only creature there to greet him was a regular old squirrel.

Soon enough, he meets other people, only to discover that he can’t speak the language, and that not everybody immediately trusts random pajama-wearing strangers they met in the middle of the wilderness. Things generally go downhill from there, at least until the blue boxes start appearing.

Delve is a story about finding your way in a new, strange, and dangerous world. It’s about avoiding death, figuring out what the heck is going on, and trying to make some friends along the way. It’s not about getting home, so much as finding a new one.

Did I mention that there will be math?

Summary – Level 2:

Okay, but what are you in for, really?

Well, this story is supposed to be realistic, or at least, as realistic as a fantasy litrpg can be. The main character doesn’t instantly become an all-powerful god and murder-hobo his way across the universe. Delve is, at its heart, a progression fantasy, but that progression is meant to feel earned. The numbers in this story actually mean something. Everything is calculated, and if you find a rounding error, I expect you to tell me about it. That said, if math isn’t your cup of tea, there is plenty more that the story has to offer. Characters are meant to feel real, and progression isn’t only about personal power; it’s also about allies, connections, and above all, knowledge. Figuring out how the system works is a significant theme.

...

What, you want more details? Okay, fine, but this is going to get a bit spoiler-y. Are you sure?

Yes!

Really sure? I mean, this summary is practically half as long as the first chap–

Now!

Okay, okay!

The main character becomes a magic user, but he takes a route that is not very popular in adventurer culture, namely that of a support. There is a full magic system with various spells, skills, and abilities, but our MC decides that aura magic is the way to go, and that the only stat worth investing in is mana regeneration. Most people at the Adventurer’s Guild think that this makes him a bit of a dumbass, but he’s playing the long game. We’ll see how that works out for him, won’t we?

Because of his build, the MC levels up fast, at least compared to normal people. There are no cheats, though, and he is limited in other ways. There are some clear and pretty obvious downsides to his build. That’s what makes it fun, no?

Morals? Our MC has them. Again, we’ll see how that works out for him. Realism, remember? Would you be okay with killing someone and looting their body? I sure hope not.

POV? The focus is on the main character, but there will be occasional varying perspectives from people around him, or involved in the events related to the main plot. It isn’t going to jump all over the place.

Tech is standard medieval stasis. No smartphones, but the MC does have a technical background. Computers and their programming might be involved. There might even be a bit of uplifting down the road, who knows? Anyway, it isn’t the focus. He isn’t going to invent the gun in chapter 1 and change the face of warfare.

Romance is not a major focus. Friendships are more the name of the game, though there will be some characters in romantic relationships.

There is exploration, though not as much of the geographical nature as you might expect. It is more about exploration of the system and the culture.

The pace is slow and detailed, sometimes verging on slice-of-life. The action is meant to be realistic and grounded in the numbers, and it is intended to have meaning beyond simply punching things until they stop moving.

The general tone of the story is grey, and some parts can get quite dark. People die. Sometimes, people with names, but not anywhere near GoT level. There is plenty of light, too, though, to balance the darkness. The world is dangerous, but overcoming that danger is why we’re all here, isn’t it?

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far through the summary, you clearly like words. I hope you enjoy the story!

Qin Ran was kidnapped and sold by a human trafficker to the countryside at the age of three. The Qin family found her back half a year ago, but because they had taken a liking to their foster daughter, Qin Xue, and refused to let her suffer grievance just because Qin Ran had returned, they continued to let Qin Xue occupy the main bedroom, learn the piano, etc. Meanwhile, the real daughter, Qin Ran, could only sleep in the maid’s room on the first floor. Because Qin Ran refused to accept Qin Xue’s out-of-season clothes and wore a second-hand bag, she was labeled as being insensible. Since then, her mother never bought her another piece of clothing. The Qin family even strictly warned Qin Ran not to harbor any thoughts for Qin Xue’s fiance, Fu Li.

Later on, Fu Li was involved in a car accident that resulted in high paraplegia… Qin Ran’s mother said, “Xiao Ran, our family has a collaboration with the Fu family, so we can’t turn on them at a time like this. Although the engagement was for Qin Xue, you’re the real daughter of the Qin family. Madam Fu has been understanding and agreed to let you marry into their family.” Her mother even said, “Why aren’t you happy? The Fu family is rich, so if you marry into their family, you can be a young madam and enjoy life. Isn’t that great? Regardless, we’re trying our best to give you a better life than before!” But Qin Ran said, “I’m pregnant. Also, I’m severing ties with all of you from today on.” The Qin family was enraged, but they refused to believe that a brat like Qin Ran would really give up the Qin family fortune and sever ties with them.

No one expected Qin Ran to leave the Qin family with such a resolution. She then found her baby’s father and became the wife of the legendary bigshot, Mo Chi. The top-class bigshot thought he had married an inexperienced and pitiful girl with a sad past, but then… She defused bombs with her bare hands, possessed miraculous medical skills, and was highly trained in martial arts… Mo Chi was baffled. “What else don’t I know about you?”

There’s nothing that Yu Wan has in common with her new neighbor– whether it’s charisma, personality, or cooking skills– other than that they both own dogs. Their two cute pets get along well (a bit far too well) and start what seems like a rocky friendship between the two; however, Yu Wan has more important things to worry about. Her wildly popular novel is about to take off into a drama adaptation, but the handsome, mysterious, and callous neighbor- is the director?!

Shen Qingzhou (as he thinks of someone): I’d say three. ]

- Description from Novelupdates

In the end of the world, the fittest survive.

Come back from rebirth, seize the opportunity, just want to survive in the hopeless end times.

Three months before Mu Nan returned to the apocalypse, he sold all his savings to accumulate supplies, hoarded everything he could hoard like a hamster, and then huddled in his own house and lived a low-key life, carefully waiting for the apocalypse to come step by step…

- Description from Novelupdates