Ch.0The 1943rd Try, Ending #46.

There are countless subcultures in the world.

No matter how much reason humans possess, they are still animals that pursue pleasure.

As times advance, entertainment culture advances as well.

People seek fun.

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

I was no different.

“Stay calm… don’t get excited…”

Animation, genre novels, comics, and so on.

There were various forms of entertainment, but among them, what I chose was ‘games’.

There wasn’t any special reason.

I just liked that I could take the lead in driving the story.

“Here I’ll parry once to break their stance, then switch characters… and apply the binding curse.”

An action RPG game notorious for its extreme difficulty.

‘The World as Seen by the Little Prince’

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

The total number of endings discovered so far was 45.

The percentage of bad endings among them was 100%. That means all 45.

A truly perverse game concept.

Despite designing so many branching paths and conclusions, they didn’t include a single happy ending.

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

Did they all get shot in the head as a group?

They were incomprehensible bastards.

I chewed over a few curses directed at the developers, then focused on the monitor again.

Beyond the screen stands a blonde boy.

Half-closed eyelids. Lips curled in a mischievous smile. A tongue that seems to flicker.

He had the appearance commonly known as a ‘slit-eyed character’.

“…Finally back again.”

With a tense breath, I opened my eyes wide.

The mastermind who plays the final boss in every route of this game. Simultaneously, the deceiver who betrays the protagonist’s party in every route.

With a sinister smile, he opened his mouth.

[So you’ve finally made it this far.]

[I’d like to praise your courage, but unfortunately, I don’t have time.]

[Soon, that person will be resurrected.]

Short dialogue boxes flash by.

Then, the dark surroundings brighten as the real battle begins.

Shadows so black it gives me chills. Watching him approach while spewing those shadows in all directions, I gripped my mouse tightly.

“Alright… let’s see what you’ve got.”

A boss theoretically impossible to defeat.

Even after an insane 1,942 attempts, it was impossible to kill him.

[Please die now.]

[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 single thought in mind, I moved my hand.

Click, with the sound of clicking, the screen recording begins.

“Recording start. 1,943rd attempt.”

I calmly move my lips.

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

“This time I’m going to get you, you bastard.”

I glare at the slit-eyed character beyond the screen.

This time, I’ll kill that guy and create a new ending.

***

I shouldn’t have done that.

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

Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.

“I shouldn’t have tried to see the ending.”

I’ve been possessed.

Shit.