The Curse of Desire - Chapter 111. Roommates (21) Next time I’m itchy, can you please scratch it like that again?

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.

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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!

I always had a question...“If an author created the world with words, but it came alive in the reader's mind, who truly owned the story–the one who built it, or the one who believed in it?”Will I finally get the answer?...A world that wasn't supposed to exist.A life that held no meaning.Why was I here?Inside a novel, inside the body of someone I wasn't supposed to be in, and... A world that made me question my existence at every step I took.What was my destiny?

(Warning: Mature Content After Chapter 70)Is this one of your typical teen fantasy romance novels? Well if you think that then you better read further!Her family disliked her. Her tendency to turn feral scared her grandfather.But that was exactly what Dmitri was looking for!Her tendency to turn feral, could it be any good? Entering into a forced union with him was something she would never do. She had built a castle around her heart, not letting anyone approach it. Witty, sharp, intelligent and fun-loving, Adrianna did not trust anyone.What happens in werewolf romance books, when an alpha who is calm, in control, merciless, extremely handsome and someone all werewolves feared, comes into the picture?Unfortunately, Dmitri doesn’t have many options open.The fights, the secret glances from across the room and the heated blushes.It is difficult to accept him.---She was conflicted between herself and her wolf. Her wolf dragged her to him while she thought that Dmitri was wrong. If he was so wrong, why was she attracted to him?As she was struggling with her emotions, she heard a menacing growl and a threat. “Back off,” he warned Pryce. Adrianna looked at his face. He looked so dangerous , but she found it natural when her hand went up to his face to cup his cheek. She brushed her fingers across his cheek as though to calm him. Dmitri leaned his face onto her hand and closed his eyes. The two of them looked like two perfectly fitted puzzle pieces. What was she doing, comforting the man who wanted to snatch away her freedom for a lifetime? Her thoughts stopped as her heart took over when she saw him leaning his face ontoin her hands. For Dmitri, this was the first time she had shown her affection for him and he was savoring every second. He squeezed her tighter just to check that she was really there, body and soul. She felt right in his arms and he wanted the world around them to melt forever.

Terrence suddenly found himself back in the past, just moments before countless monsters were about to eat him.He got a second chance in life, but there was one problem.Unlike his peers, who had overwhelming talent, he was just an ordinary soldier with below-average skills.However, there was one thing he could count on that didn’t require talent.He knew the future.And with that knowledge, he could secure his survival, amass wealth, and build the ultimate sanctuary before the first wave hit.“I will be the one to shape the new era.”