Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith - Chapter 312: The Lure

Zhao Du'an, a government official leading a cautious life, finds himself transported to another world where he becomes the favored 'pretty face' of a female emperor and an oppressive, power-abusing villain. Before he can relish the moment, he faces mortal danger for releasing a national criminal. Cornered and desperate, he plans to soothe the female emperor to seek mercy, only to discover his 'leading gigolo' role is a sham.Worse still, his notorious reputation prompts officials and heroes alike to impeach and eliminate him; and martial artists and clerical magicians consider him a disgrace. Overwhelmed, Zhao Du'an decides it's better to stop being human to survive.Starting by betraying his allies, he becomes the Emperor's top lackey. Years later, amidst heavy snowfall in the capital, the female emperor Xu Zhen Guan sighs atop the city tower, 'It was supposed to be a pretend companionship, how did it turn real...'Also known as 'Deceiving and Flattering at the Court of Great Yu', 'The Record of a Villain Going White'.

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!

[Universal Invincible super first favorite text, face slap, scumbag, double strong! 】

Abandoned by her parents since childhood, Song Hua, who grew up in the countryside, was suddenly taken home by wealthy parents one day.

Her father told her: “You and your sister are not from the same world. Her future is limitless. She is a phoenix soaring nine days. Of course you can’t marry a disabled person! It’s cheaper for you!”

The mother warned: “The Yu family has a great career, and being able to marry your sister in place of your sister is a blessing that you have cultivated in eight lifetimes! Don’t know what’s wrong!”

Yu Tingzhi, a genius who is famous in Jiangcheng.

After a car accident, the genius Yu Tingzhi not only lost his legs, but also lost his talent.

One is a little village girl from the countryside;

One is a well-known waste;

These two people are a perfect match.

For a time, everyone was waiting to see the joke of Miss Song family.

..

One day, the little village girl and the trash in the eyes of everyone appeared at the same time at a reception where big bosses gathered.

Song Hua said:

“I’m here to carry the dishes as a part-time job.”

The latter is unhurried:

“It’s a coincidence, I’m also here to do a part-time job.”

As a result, everyone witnessed the two big bosses serving a night’s plate at the reception in order to conceal their identities.

..

On the wedding day, the big bosses in the capital gathered.

Big Brother No. 1: “The third master is getting married, I’ll wait to make way for the third master!”

Big Brother No. 2: “Welcome Miss Song back to Beijing!”

Big Brother No. 3: “…”

Big Brother No. 4: “…”

Looking at these big guys who can only be seen in the news column on weekdays, the Song family was stupid, and Song Baoyi cried and said that he regretted it.

- Description from novelbuddy

People say, follow the destiny.

Traveling through time to become the despised descendant of the Shen family, the royal family gave him the proud daughter of heaven.

The proud daughter of heaven is pleased with the son of the Shen family, and the Shen family does not want to marry such a fairy.

Everyone said that this down-and-out young man should accept his fate, how could he climb up to heaven’s pride.

But even though it is called the destiny, it is not a human matter!

- Description from novelbuddy