episode_0000

There are countless subcultures in the world.

Even with reason, humans are still clearly animals that pursue pleasure.

As times progress, so too does entertainment culture.

People seek fun.

They enjoy pleasures that suit their individual tastes, alleviating the boredom of life.

I was no different.

“Calmly… don’t get excited…”

Anime, genre novels, comics, and so on.

There were many different forms of entertainment, but the one I chose was ‘games’.

There wasn’t any special reason.

I simply liked the fact that I could proactively lead the story.

“Parry once here, then character switch… and a binding curse.”

An action RPG game infamous for its extremely high difficulty.

‘The World Seen by the Little Prince’

Contrary to its hopeful title, it was a crazy game where every route led to a bad ending.

The total number of endings discovered so far was 45.

Among them, the proportion of bad endings was 100%. In other words, exactly 45.

Truly a game with a perverted concept.

To have conceived so many branching points and conclusions, yet not include a single happy ending.

‘No matter how I think about it, they’re crazy bastards.’

Did they all collectively get shot in the head?

They were incomprehensible bastards.

I mulled over a slight curse directed at the developers, then refocused on the monitor.

On the other side of the screen stood a blond boy.

Half-closed eyelids. Playfully upturned lips. A tongue that seemed to flick out.

He was a character with an appearance commonly known as a ‘slit-eyed character’ in popular culture.

“……Finally, I’m back.”

With a tense breath, I opened my eyes wide.

The mastermind who serves as the final boss in all routes of this game. Simultaneously, a deceiver who betrays the protagonist’s party in every route.

He opened his mouth with a chilling smile.

[You’ve finally made it this far.]

[I truly want to commend your courage, but unfortunately, there’s no time.]

[Because soon, that person will be resurrected.]

A short dialogue box flashed by.

Soon, the dark surroundings brightened, and the full-scale battle began.

Seeing the figure approaching, spewing out pitch-black shadows that sent shivers down my spine, I gripped the mouse tightly.

“Alright… let’s do this.”

A boss that was theoretically impossible to clear.

A character impossible to kill, even amidst the insane 1942nd attempt.

[Now, please die.]

[My beloved traveler. My utterly foolish friend.]

But I didn’t give up.

Because I desperately wanted to see this world reach a happy ending.

With that sole determination, I moved my hands.

*Click*, with a clicking sound, screen recording began.

“Recording start. 1943rd try.”

I calmly moved my lips.

A struggle solely to find the hidden 46th ending. I wanted a happy ending.

“Just you wait, you bastard.”

I glared at the slit-eyed character on the screen.

This time, I will kill that bastard and create a new ending.

***

I shouldn’t have.

The game called life was far more spectacular than I had imagined.

Yes. You guessed it right.

“I shouldn’t have seen an ending like that.”

I was transmigrated.

Dammit.