The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era - Chapter 26 - Shen Mingzhu Brags Without Drafting

[Earthlings! You have been summoned to participate in the Universe's Armageddon...][The first batch of beta testers are now being issued!][A total of 10 million spots have been issued!][You have been selected!]“What the F***” Arthur, a teenager in the slums shouted as he heard the global announcement.[Talent Awakening!][System...Error!][SSS Talent: Primordial Summoner]I was meant to summon a powerful primordial beast that would carry me all the way.So... why?“I SUMMONED A CAT!” He shouted, looking at the cute cat in front of him.By the time the game had merged with reality, Arthur already has dozens of legendary summons to aid him against the forces of evil.[You have summoned the SSS-Level “Primordial Dragon”!][You have extracted the SSS-Level Skill “Berserk”!]

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!

Urano, a bookworm who had finally found a job as a librarian at a university, was sadly killed shortly after graduating from college. She was reborn as the daughter of a soldier in a world where the literacy rate is low and books were scarce. No matter how much she wanted to read, there were no books around. What is a bookworm to do without any books? Make them, of course. Her goal is to become a librarian! So that she may once again live surrounded by books, she must start by making them herself.

【Time Travel + Workplace Competition + No Lazing Around + Ambitious Female Lead】Overachiever Shen Wei traveled through time and found herself as the lowest-ranking maid in the grand residence of the Yan Prince.The Yan Prince held a prestigious position, but his consorts were all content to live dull lives. The noble-born princess consort was as tranquil as a chrysanthemum; the concubine sought a life of monogamy; the reincarnated woman was utterly disillusioned with the Yan Prince and had given up on striving for anything; and the other timid concubines dared not make a move…The queen of workplace competition, Shen Wei, declared: Don’t stop me! I’m going to outwork these unambitious slackers!…The Yan Prince had grown accustomed to the stagnant atmosphere in his harem, until a particularly skilled courtesan appeared.This concubine was stunningly beautiful, adept at both literature and dance, hardworking, and always brought him fresh excitement. The Prince couldn’t help but take a second, then a lifetime-long, look at her.Years later, Shen Wei became the all-powerful Imperial Noble Consort, with children and the emperor’s exclusive favor.Meanwhile, the princess consort remained as tranquil as ever; the concubine was aging and had yet to experience a monogamous life; and the reincarnated woman was still eating simple meals in her modest abode…After half a lifetime of striving, Shen Wei finally reached retirement and revealed her true nature, fully embracing a life of leisure. The retired emperor interjected: “You competed for favor just to retire?”Shen Wei snacked on melon seeds: “What else?”Living is all about retirement!The retired emperor was even more surprised to find, in midlife, that other men were vying for his wife’s affections!