MTL - Being an Author is a High Risk Occupation - Chapter 118

[Regressed successfully!]Zick lifted his eyelids, revealing two dull eyes. A grand room filled with medical appliances was reflected on his pupil.The piercing pain originating from the abdomen made Zick slowly accept the reality.He had returned 10 years back in the past!The very moment from when Zick began to lose everything.[Destiny system has been activated. Get closer to people with strong destiny and strengthen your own destiny!][Sub-function: shall be unlocked soon!]After taking a look at the interface, Zick closed his eyes.“First…I should repay that chick for this wonderful gift.” Zick looked at the bandages on his waist.......{Additional tags: Age regression, Evil protagonist, cold female leads, Academy, evil organizations, conquering, war.}

“Haunted by the Curse's relentless pursuit, one seeks solace in the arms of darkness...”-- -- --Hael Winterlock, the youngest and most beloved prince of the Winterlock dynasty, lived the typical luxurious prince life within the dynasty, with the thought of being just an ordinary rich royal member in the future.But when he awakened the never-before-seen Nine Magical Arcana Runes petals, the law of the Kingdom automatically dictates him as the next ruler of the throne, something that goes against his predetermined fate.And from thereon, life came crashing down for Hael, who had his father killed by his throne-obsessed brothers, and then he himself burnt to coal and flung into the icy depths to drown to death.Just when life seemed over, Hael found a portal and a moon fragment, a rumored source of controllable power at the depth of the sea, and the moon fragment fused with him as he disappeared into the strange portal.There was a new advanced world, a world where an ongoing war between humans who grew with cybernetic fusions, and the Eldritches, creatures of dark magic, raged on.Once more, he was given a chance to change things, a new chance at life.One day, he swore to return to back to Winterfall Dynasty to take what was rightfully his. But only if his dreams could be reality. The Forgotten Realms had another name:The Abyssal Realm of Ruins, a Place of No Return!

[WSA 2025 ENTRY]“Seriously? Of all the people I could’ve become, I get stuck as him?”Damien, a shut-in who spends his days cursing his favourite authors for every plot twist he didn’t like, meets his end at the hands of a mysterious woman.Just when he thinks his life is over, Damien wakes up as Alden Draven, an extra character inside his favourite novel.You know, the kind of character who shows up for one chapter, says nothing important, and dies tragically in the background to move the plot forward. Yeah, 'that' guy.And guess what? His death is scheduled to happen in the first few chapters.But just as he resolves to not die and change his fate, he notices something’s off. The plot is... wrong. The characters aren't acting as they were meant to be, and the plot is all messed up.“This wasn’t supposed to happen; the stupid hero was supposed to fail miserably right about now! Is it just me, or did the entire plot get hijacked?” He muttered as it hits him....“F*ck! ”Is there another transmigrator?”And if that wasn’t enough, there's a yandere girl, one of the characters he's meant to interact with, who’s developed an unnatural obsession with him.

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!