Back Then, I Adored You - Chapter 7

Hua Rong never expected to find herself in Blackthorn Academy, a notorious school created by the government to reform the most troublesome, undisciplined, and delinquent students. A place where chaos rules, fights break out daily, and the teachers have long given up.But Hua Rong doesn’t belong here. She’s determined to escape and return to her prestigious former school—by playing their game. The only way out? Earn enough points through perfect discipline. No fights. No trouble. No mistakes.Sounds easy, right?Except her new classmates are ruthless, the rules are stacked against her, and one particularly dangerous, devil-may-care boy seems hell-bent on making sure she never gets out. Xu Lingwei, whom she once rejected without a second thought. The boy who now stands at the top of Blackthorn’s unspoken hierarchy— holding a grudge.Under the second moon of fate, is this her second chance to make things right? Or will he be the reason she never escapes?.

It was understood that this was a capitalist country, where the possession of the greatest amount of capital determined to whom the nation effectively belonged.The smile that had been resting on William Sheffield’s face was abruptly erased as his expression turned cold. In a tone laced with determination, it was demanded by him that the police be contacted immediately so that they could crush those who stood in their way. The reasoning behind his words seemed clear: if such actions had been taken before by someone like Rockefeller, then why should it not also be possible for Sheffield?A sense of irony hung in the air as the sentiment was expressed—this was America, where each day seemed to unfold as though it were part of an ongoing shootout, with battles fought not just with guns but with power, influence, and wealth.

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!

Pirate World, Before the Summit War.Sengoku: “In this war, the advantage is ours!”Vice Admiral Tsuru: “Can we really win?”Sengoku: “We will win.”As the Summit War begins, chaos erupts on the battlefield.Above Marineford.Suddenly, Will appears in the sky with his crew, overlooking the entire battlefield.Sengoku: “What exactly are you here for? Are you planning to help Whitebeard?”“Don’t misunderstand.”Will scans the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the powerful figures present. A hint of excitement lingers in his tone.“I’m only here for one reason—to kill all of you. That’s it.”Sabaody Archipelago.Will watches the Celestial Dragons strutting arrogantly through the streets, their eyes filled with disdain for the world. He can’t help but frown.“These are no ordinary Celestial Dragons… This calls for a heavy punch!”...Without hesitation, he throws a devastating punch, obliterating a Celestial Dragon on the spot, crushing the surrounding Marines and CP agents with overwhelming force.The survivors turn to a trembling communications officer clutching a Den Den Mushi and scream in terror:“Hurry! Notify Marine Headquarters! Call for an Admiral!”