Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory - Chapter 16: I’m flying! I’m actually flying!

Twelve zodiac animals represented the months of the Lunar calendar. No one was aware,however, that these twelve representations were Guardian Gods. These twelve positions were passed down the twelve patron bloodlines. They possessed the ability of the zodiac guardians and silently protected the East.

In the East, the auspicious Qilin, possessing royal blood, descended, reigning over the Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods, who devote all of their power into protecting the East.

A ruffian Qilin, an Earth that transcends all expectations, a legendary city, and the patronage of the Zodiac animals together create an unforgettable novel.

(Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig)

- Description from Novelupdates

Carlos Valois thought dying once was enough—until he woke up as a 10-year-old in the world of “The Dark Era,” a game he'd mastered in his previous life.Born as the last heir of a fallen noble house, Carlos discovers he's destined for a tragic fate: in six years, he'll be manipulated into joining the dark forces and killed by his own childhood friend. But this time, he has the ultimate cheat code—memories of the future.While other kids play with toys, Carlos hunts for divine legacies. Using his game knowledge, he performs an ancient ritual and steals a Demigod Mark from the thousand-year Sacred Oak—a power that should have remained hidden for decades.At 15, Carlos awakens as a Death Herald with broken stats that shouldn't be possible. Most Death Heralds are fragile summoners hiding behind weak skeletons. But Carlos combines his necromancy with stolen divine abilities, creating a hybrid build that turns him into an unstoppable force......[Skeleton Warrior has successfully evolved into Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guard!][Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guard has activated Bond: Glory of the Purple Thornblades!][Twelve Purple Thornblade Guards have formed an Undead Armored Knight Legion!].....His skeleton warriors aren't cannon fodder—they're elite undead legions enhanced beyond normal limits through secret evolution paths that took thousands of players years to discover.Every “coincidental” encounter is actually Carlos farming legendary opportunities. While his sister thinks he's just a lucky genius, Carlos systematically raids every hidden treasure, secret technique, and forgotten legacy he remembers from the game. Ancient bloodlines, divine artifacts, mystical cultivation methods—if it exists, he's taking it.With his infinitely evolving undead legion, Carlos set out on a path to rewrite destiny and become the supreme Death Herald legend.

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!

Eight Thousand Years after the Glassing of Earth, Terran Descent Humanity has largely become a post-scarcity society based on consent and enjoying life. With the discovery of another ancient race beyond the “Great Gulf”, events and history collide to draw the Terran Confederacy into war against a hundred million year old empire that has always won and believes it always will. With allies and enemies of multiple species, the Orion Galactic Arm Spur will be wracked by warfare the likes of which have not been seen. Cracked, harried, wounded, and damaged, Terran Descent Humanity willfully throws itself against the universe itself. “The universe hates you and will take away everything you love, laughing while it does so.” - Terran belief.