NBA: Rising Superstar! - Chapter 19, Aim to Break into the Rotation!

Fear breaks the boundaries between dreams and reality, and it is impossible to tell which is reality and which is illusory. When the nightmare really comes, no one can be alone.

This is both a danger and an opportunity.

- Description from novelbuddy

“If the world stands in my way, if people threaten me or those who are dear to me, then I shall become the true darkness, the fear in their hearts that haunts them forever!”Lee Gaon was a professional gamer until one day she was framed as a cheater by a big gaming company and betrayed by those she held dear. Now she is known as Death Eater, a powerful dark entity in the game system world, slicing her enemies in half if they dare mess with her. Her path is now filled with blood and adventure as she desperately tries to find all who were dragged with her into this world—those who destroyed her life. She has only one goal now... “Revenge!”Content Warning:This work contains scenes of gore, violence, and strong language. Reader discretion is advised.

In a world of constant competition, one man aims for the top. In this new genre VRMMORPG, he plans on becoming the strongest at all costs.The classes, the races, the starting zones, everything is a mystery in 'New Eden'. This game is coming out without a shred of details. The only thing that was promoted was the freedom of skill choosing.Our protagonist Alexander, gamer tag Astaroth, has always dreamt of becoming an E-Sports athlete. His parents supported his dream, but they are no longer of this world. He fully intends on making it in this new game, if not for him, then at least to honor their memory.With no idea how he wants to play his character, Alexander chooses the most mysterious starting race. Will this be his road to success or his downfall? The game assistant certainly thought the latter.“Do as you wish, young adventurer. I only wish to add this. Do not come back with complaints when you realize you have made the wrong choice. ” The elf said, looking at him with clear hatred.“We will see about that.” Alexander flatly replied. “I love challenges.” He added.“Very well!” The elf harrumphed. “Have the adventure of your lifetime, as short as it will last.” He sarcastically added.Ahead of him lies an uncertain path, filled with trials and hardships.But one thing is clear in his eyes. He will become the strongest player in the game, even if he must step over mountains of corpses to do so.Over are his days of working hard for nothing, it's make or break now!

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!