MTL - Approach - Chapter 8

This world is not only as the public knows it; there is an underworld that ordinary people don't encounter.Government agents handle troubles in the shadows, while corporate assassins privately deal with issues.Assassins, mercenaries, arms dealers, and spies exist, along with a dark web that ties this world together, and tycoons who attempt to control everything with money.Gao Yi entered the underworld, unbeatable in close combat, carving out his own domain.But there are guns in this world. Beyond seven steps (close combats), guns are faster.Within seven steps, guns are both accurate and quick.Only within three steps does Gao Yi's punch become faster.Unable to beat them, he chose to join them, aiming to rule them all.To rule everything, become the king of killers in the eyes of mercenaries, the king of spies in the eyes of assassins, the king of killers in the eyes of spies, and the king of intelligence in the eyes of arms dealers.Until he is crowned king by the entire underworld, Gao Yi is the ultimate firepower.

Outer yard disciple of the Tiansang Spirit Palace, Xu Xiaoshou, had average talent. However, after coming out of his death seclusion, he realized that everything had changed. He had received a Passive System with many strange, miraculous passive skills: He would become stronger with every breath. He would become stronger when he got attacked. He would become stronger when he got mocked… Xu Xiaoshou was forced to shout, “Oh God, I don’t want to be like this either. Everything I did was because I was being forced to! I am so passive!”

Following an untimely death, Kin is reborn in a world completely different from our own. A world of Magic, Monsters, and fearsome Beasts.‘No way…’ Kin thought to himself upon noticing his skin color.He had been Reborn on the other side, on the Monster side, as a Goblin.‘Am I going to have to leave my life in this cave? Surrounded by other Goblins?’Thankfully, he wasn’t just any normal Goblin.[System initializing…][Congratulations!][You have been Blessed with an SSS-Rank Skill!][You have been Blessed with the SSS-Rank Skill “Palm of the Devourer”!][You have been Blessed with a Legendary-Grade Title!][You have been Blessed with the Legendary-Grade Title “Evolving Monster”!]With a palm that can devour, absorb, and assimilate dead creatures, the Rise of the Evolving Monster starts!‘The Goblins that left earlier are back. They captured a woman. Wait… Those ears… And a tail?’A life of blood-pumping adventure, unimaginable riches, unmatched strength, and heavenly beauties starts!

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.

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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!