The Max Level Hero Has Returned! - Chapter 17

~•No Escape•~“Are you running away from me, my sweet girl” spoke a voice in the hallway that made her stop in her tracks. The hallway had turned dark with only the wall lamps that burned brightly casting the shadow of the man on the floor as he slowly emerged from the other end.“What are you doing here, your majesty,” She said and bowed immediately as she saw him approach her with slow but steady steps.“You haven't answered me, sweet” The man said with a sweet smile that made her wary and he heard the way her heart skipped a beat. He stood before her and used his index finger to raise her chin. He tilted his head as he gazed into her green eyes that looked back at him with fear.He took a step forward closing the distance between them and his eyes narrowed when she took a step back, but that didn't stop him from cornering her.“Did you think you can escape from me?” He continued to question and she didn't miss the mockery behind his words.“I…I” she felt her words tied to her tongue because of the man's daunting aura. She felt him trace her forehead with his finger down to her jaw. He continued moving his hand down to her neck and to the top of her swell and her thudding heart hitched when his hand continued to stay there.“Did you think you can escape from me?” He bent towards her as he spoke. His breath fell on her neck which sent a jolt that traveled down her body.“I told you, you're tied to me and me to you”_______________________Perdita Kartar was a winsome yet strange young lady. She had an appealing beauty with her green eyes that invoked and impelled anyone who gazed into them.She had fooled her villagers so she could live and protect herself and her remaining family from the night creatures and also humans.But what was bizarre of all, was that Perdita had a secret she shared with no one.She had lived in the village since she was little, and over the years, she had been discreet with each move she made. Unfortunately, things didn't go as she planned.Despite her cautious decorum and fight to stay out of sight, a pair of glacial red eyes falls on her, which followed and refused to leave her out of sight.

In a world where power is hidden behind corporate empires and ancient martial legacies, John Lopez lives a double life. Known publicly as a carefree young man, he secretly bears the terrifying title of the King of Horizon, a supreme martial expert feared across the continent.When his beloved sister Queenie becomes the target of a brutal smear campaign threatening to destroy her company and reputation, John is forced to confront the shadows lurking in the high towers of business and politics. As conspiracies deepen and enemies rise—ranging from corrupt business moguls to deadly assassins—John’s wrath becomes unstoppable. But danger isn't only around him—it strikes home when his eldest sister, Alice, falls victim to a rare and deadly poison. With time running out, John must defy the odds, wield ancient techniques, and unleash the full fury of Horizon’s might to protect his family.

From the day Qin Luo acquired the system, he set his sights on the aloof school beauty.The first time, Qin Luo brought milk tea to confess his feelings and was rejected.The 12th time, Qin Luo brought breakfast to confess his feelings and was rejected.The 48th time, Qin Luo brought roses to confess his feelings and was rejected.The 99th time, Qin Luo stood outside the dormitory loudly confessing his feelings and was rejected.Inside the girls’ dormitory, the school beauty waited and waited, but Qin Luo’s 100th confession never came.She took the initiative to find Qin Luo and asked, “Why didn’t you come to confess?”Qin Luo responded, “Miss, do we know each other?”The school beauty: “???”The next day, the school beauty appeared holding milk tea.Classmates exclaimed, “She broke character! The aloof school beauty broke character!”

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!