MTL - No. 8 Pawnshop - Chapter 45 Reality

Number 23 had it all.A warrior of unmatched power, a Transcendent capable of annihilating armies single-handedly, he was revered as a god among men. He seemed to have everything with wealth, fame, and influence at his fingertips. Yet beneath his cold, ruthless exterior lay an unfulfilled yearning—an elusive desire he couldn’t quite grasp...He wanted to be a hero.Despite his monumental achievements, Number 23’s quest for heroism remained unfulfilled. His life took an unexpected turn when he discovered a book titled [Bright]—a bestselling epic depicting a true hero's journey. Enchanted by its tale, Number 23 became obsessed, devouring every word in search of the heroism he craved. But his journey was cut short when he fell victim to a deadly ambush orchestrated by rival Transcendents, leading to his untimely execution.In his final moments, a single regret lingered in his mind.“I never got to see the ending of [Bright]...”As if answering his unspoken wish, Number 23 was reborn into the world of Bright—not as its celebrated protagonist or a key figure, but as an insignificant extra. Stripped of his former identity, he now inhabited the role of Amon Solaris, a character barely noticed in the grand tapestry of the story.Undeterred by his diminished status, Amon Solaris is determined to learn what it truly means to be a hero. But in this new world, he’s about to encounter a revelation that will change everything he thought he knew…Four chapters a week. New chapters every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Let go of the need to help others and respect the fate of others!

Those protagonists don’t need help.

It’s not easy to travel through time once, except for some uneasy feelings, the rest is to experience some famous scenes, eat melons, watch movies and complain.

And of course…

Famous sword, fine wine, and a peerless beauty!

- Description from novelbuddy

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!