Unsheathed - Chapter 25: Parting

Damien Crowell was just a regular high school student who took a regular tunnel on his way to school—until one day, that tunnel spit him out into a completely different world. Instead of his usual path, he finds himself in a dark forest that stretches on for days, running on nothing but sheer stubbornness and a tiny water bottle.Just when he thinks he's going to die, he stumbles upon a castle straight out of a fairy tale (or a theme park) and promptly passes out. When he wakes up, he's in a prison cell, surrounded by confusingly handsome men who speak gibberish—until a beautiful, horned beastman with perfect hair and a translator necklace finally lets him understand.Now, trapped in a fantasy world where every guy looks like they stepped out of a modeling agency, Damien’s biggest challenge isn’t just survival—it’s trying to figure out why *he* always looks like a mess in comparison. Can he make it back home, or will he end up staying just to admire all the beautiful faces?Join Damien as he navigates a strange new world, awkward introductions, and a whole lot of unexpected feels in this hilarious, fantasy adventure!

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!

Voice Actor gong x Musical Actor shou

This is a story about ‘learning how to fly again after the wings of your dreams are broken.’

This is also a story about ‘how to love others and also love yourself.’

- Description from Novelupdates

Pirate World, Before the Summit War.Sengoku: “In this war, the advantage is ours!”Vice Admiral Tsuru: “Can we really win?”Sengoku: “We will win.”As the Summit War begins, chaos erupts on the battlefield.Above Marineford.Suddenly, Will appears in the sky with his crew, overlooking the entire battlefield.Sengoku: “What exactly are you here for? Are you planning to help Whitebeard?”“Don’t misunderstand.”Will scans the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the powerful figures present. A hint of excitement lingers in his tone.“I’m only here for one reason—to kill all of you. That’s it.”Sabaody Archipelago.Will watches the Celestial Dragons strutting arrogantly through the streets, their eyes filled with disdain for the world. He can’t help but frown.“These are no ordinary Celestial Dragons… This calls for a heavy punch!”...Without hesitation, he throws a devastating punch, obliterating a Celestial Dragon on the spot, crushing the surrounding Marines and CP agents with overwhelming force.The survivors turn to a trembling communications officer clutching a Den Den Mushi and scream in terror:“Hurry! Notify Marine Headquarters! Call for an Admiral!”