SSS Ranked Merchant: Rebuilding a Broken Kingdom With Unlimited Wealth - Chapter 19: An Invitation

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!

Who said that Hollywood is the six gangsters in the world?

Who said that big stars are high above?

Who said that independent filmmakers can only survive in the cracks?

Dunn Walker, who likes to wear sunglasses, declares war on Hollywood!

“I want to single out Hollywood!”

Dunn raised Gal Gadot’s white chin with one hand, his eyes like torches.

- Description from novelbuddy

What?! The sticking to her daily, eating her tofu (taking advantage of her ) is a cross-dresser?

Not to mention that he is the Evil Highness!! She had slept beside him, and was touched by him, what a big loss!

Ah–!

Softly on his chest, listening to his pounding, strong heartbeat, her face turned red. Her greatest desire was to be in his arms.

She never dared to dream before, dared not wish for, and thought that in this life there was no such chance. This had been in her most secret heart of hearts, she longed for his warmth, longed for his love.

Even though he had hurt her before, he had given her more tenderness than others.

Being teased, loved, laughed at… had infiltrated into her bloodstream. Love, she did not know when it had taken root, for when she discovered it, it had grown into a towering tree, no longer able to be split open or cut off.

His hug, his warmth, she would not allow him to give it to others. If they were not only for her, she would rather not have them.

- Description from Novelupdates

She reincarnated, she died when she was twenty, the murderer pushed her to the road in the glare of public eye. However, within the people ——

Her respectful father said to the murderer: Don’t take it to your heart, this is not your fault.

Her loving-kindness mother said to the murderer: Don’t worry, I still got you, you’re much better than my real daughter.

Her lovely brother said to the murderer: Tsk, this kind of woman should have just die earlier, her existence embarrasses me.

Her beloved man said to the murderer: You’re the only one I loved from the start.

The murderer was moved to tears, as if she was the only pure white lotus that remains in this world, nobody notices her vicious and scarcely smile.

Hence ——

When everything resets, she swears she will take everything back and make her pay twice the price, she desires to become the princess where everyone comforts her for murdering a person too. She’ll definitely make that person who stole everything from her to experience the deepest agony in her soul.

//

Before he was in love with her, he calmly said: “I can sense the smell of crime on her.”

After he was in love with her, his face was cold but his heart was warm: “I can sense the smell that turns me into a crime on her.”

She said: “Can I keep your corpse into my collection when you die?”

He said: “Are you going to r*pe me day and night?”

She said: “I just want to make you into a mummy.”

He said: “I didn’t know you were so hardcore, using this kind of method to make me stay by your side forever.”

- Description from Novelupdates