THE FOOL - Chapter 44: Embrace of a Nightmare

“My name is Zeon, and my weapon is the entire desert.”

The Earth underwent terraforming. As a result, the oceans evaporated, and the land transformed into sand.

On the desertified Earth, Zeon became the sole Sand Mage.

The world named him the Sand Ghost.

WARNING: The MC is NOT a demon! For an explanation of the title, please see the post we made specifically addressing this matter.

Ling Xiao was an orphan fighting for survival in a dog eat dog world. There were some who had the power to enjoy a life of comfort, unconcerned with worldly matters, while most struggled to survive. He was of the second kind.

When he celebrated his sixth birthday, his father left him to the wolves with only a token to defend himself. He struggled to earn a living, scrambling together whatever scraps he could gather; fighting with the dogs for food and fighting with the homeless for shelter.

But that all changed on a fortuitous day, when a demon invaded his home. In a world of deception and plotting, one tasked with seeking revenge for the man who gave him a second lease on life, how would Ling Xiao fare?

- Description from Novelupdates

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, an alienation took place in the world.

The last object you touch will be strengthened and become part of your body. What will you touch?

The day has come.

Someone finally touched a cow. His bones turned into beasts, his body was tall and straight, with horns on his head, and he became the world-shaking cow demon king;

Someone finally touched a stone, and his skin could be petrified at will, making him invulnerable;

Someone finally touched a hair, and his body grew strange hairs, becoming a long-haired monster;

Someone finally touched…

In the end, Li Qingshan became a cultivator.

Just when Li Qingshan thought everything was on the right track, strange things happened to him…

When the alienation ends, the earth turns into a planet after a brief period of tranquility, crashing into a continent full of opportunities.

After being reborn, Li Qingshan has assumed the responsibility of protecting all human beings invisibly…

This is a chance, but also a disaster, if it were you, what would you touch?

- Description from novelbuddy