MTL - The Stand-in Refuses to Become a Regular - Chapter 52

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!

“Hey, have you ever heard of the lunatic roaming around the tower?”“Are you kidding me? Who haven't heard of him yet!?”“Hey hey, are you talking about... that person?”Interesting news travels even faster than light, especially regarding the mysterious figure that everyone in the Ethereal Tower is curious about, the lunatic ascender whom thoughts and deeds are so off-place that even the greatest among them just couldn't grasp his intent, almost as if he is ascending a completely different tower than them.While everyone in the tower talks about the lunatic who lurks on each tower's floor more than he is supposed to, the person they are talking about just goes on his merry way to collecting treasures he wants, and while the world is talking about him.“Come on, give me some luck, maybe roll the hundred times multiplier again...”He's sitting while rubbing his palm together, gambling on something that will make everyone faint.

“The author wants to kill me! Why else would he plan so many insidious subplots centered around me, an Extra?”This was Han Xuhan's plight since he had transmigrated into a semi-familiar novel.The novel, written by a degenerate author, was truly messed up beyond description. All Han Xuhan had was a system that barely kept him alive from the dangers of this fictional world.But after he survived the introductory arc, the mad author even began influencing that system!Why else would the Quests issued by it be so difficult? Every time a new quest was issued, Han Xuhan could sense the author's killing intent through it!Ding![ Detected that host has met a child of destiny! Issuing Quest: Manipulate her for benefits! ][ Warning: She is a Regressor who knows your plan. And her hobby is skinning people alive. ]Ding![ Detected that host has met a legendary Ring-Grandpa. Issuing Quest: Trade him back and forth among your circle of friends to squeeze out all of his value! ][ Warning: This Grandpa can escape from the ring anytime! He'll refine your soul in hell when he figures out what's going on. ]Ding![ Detected that host has triggered an apocalypse by harvesting too much protagonist halo. Issuing Quest: Kill the harbinger of the apocalypse. ][Warning: His cultivation is three major realms above you. You're never beating him in a fight. ]As the quests grew more and more difficult, Han Xuhan finally decided that offence is the best defence; and so, to combat the author's murderous intentions, he attacked the main storyline itself!“Hahahaha! The author really loves this female lead, doesn't he? Let's see if he can save her from my evil influence! I will radicalize every precious character of his novel!”Soon, Han Xuhan discovered that this might not have been a great idea, because all the favorite characters of the author were crazy!Additional Tags: Time Travellers, Transmigrators, Reincarnators, Regressors, Machiavellian Characters, Ruthless Scheming, Villainous MC, Multiple Timelines, Paradoxes, Extensive Worldbuilding, System, Survival, Yanderes, Overpowered Female Leads, Enemies To Lovers, Villainesses, No NTR or Yuri, Mysterious Past, Bloodlines, Multiple Power Systems, Politics, Older Love Interests, Master-Disciple Relationship, Wholesome Relationships, Kingdom Building.

I was stuck in a dungeon explosion while working so hard that I actually died.

But when I opened my eyes, I was back to the time of 3 years ago!

Well, I will live differently in this life. Salary is goodbye to s*ave life. I quit immediately and set up a cafe in the store my grandmother left behind.

There are no customers because she is right in front of a dungeon, but it doesn’t matter. All I want is to work two days and play five days. But.

Also, the attractive regular customer who keeps bothering me is somehow unusual.

It doesn’t feel good. Isn’t it like the story of the main character of the RPG, who was just trying to run an errand, and ends up fighting the devil after getting caught up in something annoying?

Yes, I will not. I can not. I have no intention of playing more than the role of a novice innkeeper.”