Path of Dragons - Chapter 20Book 9: : Journey Home

“Titus Zane, since you've done it, you have to bear the consequences!”At the engagement banquet of childhood sweethearts, Titus Zane is drunk.Sitting on the fourth-floor viewing platform, watching the man approaching step by step, she says, Nathan Moore, let's make a deal. If I jump from here and don't die, then let me go...Fine, his emotionless response was a single word, displaying his ruthlessness.Titus Zane smiled, the curve of her lips beautifully tragic and dazzling, slowly spreading her arms, her body leaning backward, leaving only an empty wine glass and a woman's shoe on the platform.Later, someone tells Titus Zane that the mother she trusted most was not her biological mother but a mistress who usurped the position, and the murderer of her biological mother... When the secret is revealed, Titus Zane discovers that her mother's kindness was merely a ploy to obtain her healthy heart...Note: The main characters in this story are emotionally and physically pure. It's a story of torment followed by love, feel free to dive in.

Mo Rao was born into a family of military doctors. Her parents had risked their lives to save Fu Ying’s grandmother, so the latter forced Fu Ying to take Mo Rao in as his wife. Mo Rao always knew that Fu Ying had a dream girl named Qu Ru. This girl failed to marry Fu Ying as she desired because Fu Ying’s grandmother stopped them. After their marriage, Fu Ying was very considerate of Mo Rao. They even had high compatibility especially in bed. Fu Ying would always find himself deeply immersed in Mo Rao’s tenderness.

Until one day, Fu Ying said, “Qu Ru has returned. Let’s divorce. I will transfer the property I promised you to your name.” Mo Rao said, “Can we not divorce? What if… I’m pregnant…?” Fu Ying answered heartlessly, “Abort it! I don’t want anymore obstacles to appear between me and Qu Ru. Also, Qu Ru has leukemia, and your bone marrow happens to be compatible with hers. If you’re willing to donate yours, I can promise you anything.” Mo Rao said, “What if my condition is that we don’t divorce?” Fu Ying’s eyes turned cold. “Mo Rao, don’t be too greedy. Even if I promise you for Qu Ru’s sake, you know full well that I don’t love you.” The words ‘I don’t love you’ stabbed at Mo Rao’s heart like a knife. Her smile suddenly became twisted and she was no longer the docile woman she used to be. “Fu Ying, this is the first time you repulse me so. You call me greedy, but aren’t you the same? You want me to divorce you so you can be with Qu Ru? Sure, I’ll agree to that. But you’re even dreaming that I’ll save her? Don’t forget, there’s no such thing as getting the best of both worlds in life, just like you and me.” Then Mo Rao left. Fu Ying actually felt suffocated, and this feeling drove him mad.

When Mo Rao appeared once more, she had become a dazzling star. When she appeared before Fu Ying, holding hands with her new beau, Fu Ying couldn’t care less and said, “Baby, didn’t you say you would only love me?” Mo Rao smiled faintly. “Sorry, ex-husband. I was mistaken back then. You were only a replacement. I actually love someone else.”

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!

Thea fell in love with Ryder who is her childhood best friend.She kept her feelings hidden.A deceitful third party involvement manipulated Ryder into believing that she had broken his trust.~Exceprt~Thea's voice trembled as she grasped Ryder's hand. “Ry...Ryder, please listen.” she begged, her eyes pleading for his attention.Ryder jerked his hand free from Thea's grasp, his expression hardening into ice. “I don't want to hear anything from you.You're no one to me from now on.”“You are going to believe her?”her eyes welled up with tears.“I don't want to believe you..” Ryder spat, his eyes flashing with anger. “From now on, don't dare show your face to me.” With those cutting words, he turned and walked away,leaving Thea shattered, her body racked with sobs as she collapsed to the ground.Years passed Thea returned to the city working as a waitress to support her life.But fate delivered a cruel blow when Ryder and his fiancee walked into the restaurant.“Didn't I say you better stay away from us?How dare you appear in front of us?”Thea's voice trembled as she spoke, her heart heavy with emotion.“Ry...Mr. Thompson,” she corrected herself, her eyes locking onto his, “I never thought our paths would cross again, especially not here.”“I made it clear previously that I never wanted to see you again..” he said, each word cutting through Thea like a knife, reopening old wounds and slicing through her fragile heart.Thea's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed into Ryder's, “I didn't mean to hurt you, Ryder...” she implored, her gaze clinging to his, desperate for him to see the sincerity in her eyes and believe her words.He scoffed,“Hurt?I hate you for what you did to her.How can you hurt my woman?”Thea looked at his eyes to find the glimmer of the boy she once knew.But that boy was gone replaced by a man consumed by rage and hatred for her.She knew she lost him forever.Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.Will Thea and Ryder ever find their way back to each other, or is their love lost forever, a casualty of misunderstandings and hurtful words? Will they be able to overcome the lies and betrayal that tore them apart, or will their hearts remain forever fractured?