Iron Blooded Hound - Chapter 195 - : The Archer’s Gambit

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!

If you transmigrate into a cultivation novel, you absolutely have to fight over opportunities with the protagonist! I can’t be Long Aotian, but I can be the female version of him!

Unfortunately, as beautiful of a thought that was, our protagonist was still killed off as a boss by the male lead! Luckily, she reincarnated again and returned to when the male lead was a child! Seeing the little thing, bone thin with a vague hint of domineering flashing on his face, she had two choices:

1. Kill him. See how he’s going to be so overpowered when he’s dead!

2. Take care of him and honorably ask for something in return in the future!

Thinking of the treasures only the male lead could get to, the money crazy her chose to take care of him.

But who would have known that she would accidentally raise this cute and upright little boy into a black-bellied wolf! After he grew up, he used his treasures to seduce her!

“Master, do you want it? Then why don’t you dual cultivate with your disciple?”

Master with tears streaming down her face: If I had known I could get treasures with s*x appeal, why would I have been a boss in my last life!

- Description from Novelupdates

What the hell? That menace who bullied me since I was six years old, actually became a pretty girl after three years of living apart? And she even ran to our agreed duel location to confess to me, hoping that I can become her boyfriend?!

Qin Xi crossed the prehistoric times, just in time for the first robbery of the Dragon and Han Dynasty!

In this era when the great Luo Jinxian is everywhere, he doesn’t know his own footsteps, so he chooses to live in seclusion and enjoy a leisurely life.

[Ding, welcome the new member ‘Honghuang Boss’ to join the dimensional chat skirt! 】

Wanhua Tongling: “What is the big boss in Honghuang, can you eat it?”

The unreliable god of ninja: “The new boss enters the skirt, the status of the skirt is reduced by one, and the front row asks…”

A girl who is always seventeen years old: “In the world of Honghuang, the newcomer is a super boss, get ready to hug your thighs in advance.”

Honghuang boss: “Well, I’m really not a Honghuang boss! Wait, my Jade Rabbit just caught a wild dragon girl and went into hiding for the time being.”

- Description from novelbuddy