Step Family Parody - Chapter 1: Games People Play

I transmigrated and went through numerous hardships to become an official, but unexpectedly, I was falsely accused by my superior and thrown into prison.Then, I awakened the Eternity Mirror and began the cycle of cultivation. I could solidify my fate with [Dao Fruit], ensuring eternal enlightenment about Tao.Using parallel worlds as a way to avoid calamities, I sought blessings in the real world...In the first life, I joined the Heaven and Earth Society as an important mission to resist the Qing Dynasty. I condensed the fate of [Righteous Thief], performing righteous deeds, striving to conquer my destiny. Faced with threats from the imperial court, there was a chance to seek good luck and avoid misfortune. I also became a disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect's Daoist, learning the art of the Corpse Immortal.I condensed the fate of [Underground Lord], a third-class wandering ghost in the underworld without a ghost register or duties, the beginning of Corpse Immortals...What about the second life? I haven't decided yet...

When Yuan Zhi met Song Jiyun for the first time, Song Jiyun was conspiring with her brother-in-law to take over the family business;

When Yuan Zhi met Song Jiyun for the second time, Song Jiyun was planting and framing others with her breast brother;

When Yuanzhi met Song Jiyun for the third time, Song Jiyun’s breast brother was no longer by her side, but she was winking at his good brother…

Scholars can bear it, but he can’t bear it. Yuan Zhi decided… to feed the tiger with his body, and took Song Jiyun, a demon girl!

- Description from novelbuddy

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!

One day, Saijō Haruto was forced by the Evil God of another world into reincarnation, and his soul was cursed.He was reborn into a world of swords and magic.In this world, one can become stronger by raising the level of their combat occupations.Unfortunately, Haruto cannot raise his level because of the curse.Haruto felt hopeless.However, because of the Evil God’s miscalculation, Haruto obtained an inexhaustible supply of magical power.This is the tale of how a Sage—cursed to have a “Locked” Status—managed to reach the pinnacle of strength by the effect of the curse.