The Butcher of Gadobhra - Chapter 22: Lost and Found

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!

Anna Watson’s life was far from easy. A battle with cancer left her frail, defeated, and questioning her life’s meaning. Her final moments were filled with regret for dreams unrealized and paths untaken. But when death embraced her, it wasn’t the end—she awakened in an entirely new world: the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Yet, this wasn’t the familiar era of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She found herself in the time of the Marauders, a generation before the golden trio.Even more shocking, Anna had a new identity: Petunia Evans, the famously non-magical, bitter sister of Lily Potter. But this Petunia is different. Born as Lily's twin, Anna retains her memories of her past life and discovers she has magic—a shocking divergence from the character she once read about. Her magical abilities open up opportunities and challenges, not only for her but for her relationship with Lily, her new family, and the unfolding story of the wizarding world.As Anna navigates Hogwarts alongside the Marauders, Severus Snape, and her own twin, she realizes that the story she once knew is shifting. Her choices ripple across timelines, altering destinies and alliances. Struggling to reconcile her knowledge of the future with her growing affection for this new life, Anna must decide: should she preserve the world’s fate or carve out a new destiny for herself and those she loves?In this thrilling twist on the Harry Potter universe, the story explores themes of second chances, sibling bonds, and the weight of choice, painting a vivid and detailed picture of what might have been if Petunia Evans had the magic to change it all.

After being reincarnated as the youngest son of Emperor Wu of Zhou, Zhao Yao was not favored much. In order to survive the bloody power struggle for the throne, he had to bide his time. Finally, he grew up and was granted a title of nobility, only to be exiled to the distant region of Lingnan by his dear father.It was said that Lingnan was incredibly poor, but Zhao Yao was not afraid. He focused on infrastructure and production. Under Zhao Yao's management, Lingnan transformed from a place of exile into a prosperous land.Just when Zhao Yao was happily living his carefree life in Lingnan, the ministers traveled a thousand miles to beg him to ascend the throne.Zhao Yao was baffled. Had these ministers lost their minds?

Hugo Fernandez, a short, skinny virgin with zero charm, was a young man with grand dreams. He had just started college and was brimming with hope for a bright future, but a rather unfortunate food poisoning ’incident’ soon turned his life from bad to worse. He experienced a social death! Out of the blue, a mysterious girl’s voice echoed in his head: [Ding! Fate has aligned, and your woeful destiny with women has reached the heavens! You have been granted the Ultimate Harem System!!!] Hugo’s listless eyes widened. Had he finally received his own cheat code? Was it time for him to ascend to the heavens in a single leap and start attracting women left and right? The mysterious voice spoke again: [Ding! Initialising Death mission... Seduce a 7+ woman within one month or die!] Hugo blinked, his jaw dropping. “Wait, what? Seduce a 7+ woman or die? What kind of medieval torture is this? I can’t even seduce my reflection!” After taking a minute to calm down, he realised it wasn’t as bad as he thought. “In the worst case, I can burrow some money and get a pro-” [No pay pigging] Hugo realised he was soon going to experience a real death! This system was out for his blood! [Tick tock, Romeo. Time’s wasting…] “I’m gonna die!” Join Hugo on a captivating, deadly journey filled with debauchery, womanising, and thrilling level-ups as he rises above all and becomes a Supreme Casanova! If he doesn’t die first, that is…