Chapter 1
"Dizzy..."
I scratched my neck and yawned.
Lately, RPG games seem to be missing... that thing.
You know... romance. roots.
Yeah, that's it. I'm what they call a romance-and-roots fanatic.
Classic RPGs shine brightest in their early days, sparking that sense of adventure. There's a saying: leave 'em while they're clapping, right?
Movies are the same. Action, thriller, romance—no genre spared. The first one's always the fun masterpiece; sequels rarely top it.
Sure, riding a hit IP is easier than building from scratch... but nine times out of ten, part 2 and 3 devolve into brain-dead slop.
The end of tuning is stock...
Having witnessed the downfall of countless games, I can't help but drown in nostalgia for the originals.
"Sigh... no game with that pure roots vibe."
Amid the sea of mediocre K-RPGs, I dragged my mouse around.
Nothing pops. Launch titles are like a 100-course banquet: low-level content, dailies, boss raids, instanced dungeons, quests galore—a full spread.
Sure, tastes vary from stir-fried radish to sweet galbi, but the variety defines the direction. Balanced nutrition, pick-your-poison fun.
But even fresh games fall to the inevitable post-launch curse: power inflation.
It's as natural as aging and death. As average specs rise and high-level curves shift, lowbie content fades away. Market forces at work.
Devs can't match launch scope under time crunches, so they cater to core whales. Main dish swaps out, sides stay the same. Hanjeongsik turning into pasta? Hardly harmonious.
The launch soul fades. That's why modern games lack romance and roots.
Bedroom game expert that I am, I sighed at this grim reality and flicked my cursor to my bookmarked novel site.
-Click.
"Time to catch up."
Almost done. Ending's iffy, but I'm curious how it ties into the original Reincarnated Hero.
Smiling faintly, I hit play on the latest.
* * *
"What the actual fuck, bullshit."
The story veered way off my expectations.
-Use advanced magic!
-Got it!
Advanced magic—the base for all spells—debuting in the late game? And where's Aria, the healer specialist?
-I'll heal for now!
Why's dragon tamer Lily chanting top-tier heals? Dual-classing was Reincarnated Hero 2 territory...
-I'm going in!
-[Critical Hit!]
What the hell? Massacre boy Kaeran His pulling dual-wield assassin crits? Assassination's about stealth, silence, speed, lurking—optimized for daggers or thrown weapons!
That's why Reincarnated Hero 1 buffs crit multipliers on those. 2 toned it down for balance. Sneak archer? I'd forgive the sleaze. But dual swords for assassination? Zero roots...
-Vrrrrm!!!
But that wasn't the end. The real crime was the plot.
Mid-to-late game, core characters fade; author OCs dominate. Final hero party against the Seven Deadly Sins? Edwin aside, packed with fanfic inserts.
In the game's toughest raid, Sanctuary of the Fallen Seven Stars, pre-final boss... someone must hold the bridge.
Author self-insert Kaeran speaks up.
-Who stays to guard with Edwin? I'm off to crush him. Your call.
-Th-that's...!
-Who's with me?
-……
Silence as Kaeran raises his hand. Heroines glance around awkwardly. Melissa Prominence, Abelin Ballantes, Lily Forzet—all his harem, itching to join.
Kaeran grins, picks healer-capable Lily, grabs her wrist.
-Perfect. Need a healer, so Lily's with me. Rest, defend the bridge. Cool?
-W-well, no choice...
Lily hides a pout-smile sidling up. Melissa and Abelin cling too.
-N-no fair! I wanna go with Kaeran!
-S-sorry, Edwin...
-……
In this absurdity, solemn Edwin speaks.
"Everyone..."
"?"
"Thanks. For sticking with me this far."
"Edwin...?"
"Great Demons are tough. You know it. Missing even one risks the seal. Academy 101... So I'll handle this alone."
. . .
No need to spell out the rest.
Sucker-hero Edwin plants his death flag hard.
Could be a noble sacrifice fitting Reincarnated Hero's reincarnation arc. But Kaeran's just the author's black-hearted self-insert "hero," viewing heroines as 'whores,' 'sluts,' 'tools,' 'expendables'?
Edwin's the true vessel to slay evil. Yet Kaeran bags the Demon, lives lux, happy end?
What the fuck.
This won't fly. Power creep's contrived, shaking the foundation; plot's a mess. Why shove Kaeran over originals for selfcest?
Can't take it. I fired up private messages, hammering away.
Small mercy: quick reply to my blunt feedback.
...Huh?
I froze, words failing. It's 'cause you ditch roots chars for your selfcest daily! Can't say that.
Dying fanfic's obvious. Author's frayed from clashing feedback. Sounds like blaming me, the loyal reader—but one harsh word, and they might rage-quit without fixes.
Ruining my Reincarnated Hero memories forever.
As I deleted and retyped gaslighting attempts...
Author opened up first. Fine, we both overdid it...
Hmm... not flawless, but I answered firmly.
Part 1's acclaim came from every side char having unique traits, arcs, niches. No true trash-tier.
?
…Wut?
I couldn't reply. Light shimmered—and everything changed.
. . .
Reader feedback accepted. Selected character closest to classic stats.
-Ching!
[Mission Objectives]
1 - Graduate Clarice Academy without repeating or expulsion.
2 - Block the Kaeran ending.
Worldline may collapse, trapping you in eternal timeflow.
'F...fuck?'