The Cruel Truth of Hard Mode

There was a difficulty level??? The world I possessed into was a women's romance game. The main stage was Revel Academy, set in a medieval fantasy world where magic had flourished. The heroine, Sierra, gets entangled with five men and ultimately chooses one—a classic otome game. I possessed into an extra character in that game. My name was Emil Tier. A noble from a middling family, utterly ordinary with no defining traits.

But I got a possession perk.

Ooh! A luck-boosting perk? I was thrilled when I first saw it. It seemed like something that ramped up bad ending avoidance. For a guy like me who just wanted to live a smooth, peaceful life in this world, it was perfect. And right on cue, a mission popped up for my possession.

A romance sim mission, naturally: fall in love. No specific target meant even a generic extra like me could find love. But with my perk, I went bold. Targeting an original heroine! Not the protagonist Sierra, though.

Of course an extra like me can't snag the lead. Sierra ends up with one of the five male leads no matter what. Those five were overpowered pretty boys no one could beat. I scrapped Sierra from the jump. But no sweat. I aimed for her rival-position villainesses—the five heroines destined to get dumped by those same male leads later on. Villainesses in name only; really just foils to Sierra.

Playing the game, I'd been drawn to those five. Beautiful, dead serious about love, and ruthless in pursuit—irresistible. But they always lost to the protagonist. I pitied them. Watching them pour their hearts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out only to get discarded by the male leads, meeting tragic ends... it hit hard.

So.

If you're tossing them aside, I'll take 'em! Lighthearted plan to claim one as my heroine. I had Despair Miracle for bad ending dodges, after all. Not that I'd play janitor. No way I wanted sloppy seconds after they'd fallen hard for the male leads, been through hell, and gotten fully ghosted. Goal: their first love. Snag one of those future rejects early, make her mine. I knew their routes inside out anyway.

Then I tried it.

"I love you for real. Be my girl?"

"……Yeah."

Romantic success. Nailed one heroine smooth. Knew her traumatic backstory, so I filled that void, eased in slow. We bonded closer than anyone, fell deep. Pure bliss.

Thank god for possession… I saw it as a blessing. Grateful for the bad-end perk too.

But.

"……What?"

My delusion.

"Sorry…."

To her, I was just backup plan B from the start.

"But I do love him for real…! My feelings are genuine…!"

"Then what about…."

"Emil…."

"What the hell were all those nights together?"

"Sorry…. Sorry I hurt you…."

After coupling up with one, the plot veered off-game.

"Still, I can't live without him now…."

One of the five male leads—the one meant to dump her—stole her away.

"Don't fucking lie…. I was dead serious…. If this was gonna happen, you never should've said yes…!!"

She'd sworn love to me, but folded to his sweet talk like a cheap hooker.

…Pure agony after.

I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠given my all, loved true.

"Haa, hoo…. Smack, haa…."

Caught her mid-tongue-fest with him—heart shredded.

"You fucking bastard━!! How dare you━!!"

"Kyaa━! Stop it! Emil━!!"

"Who the fuck is this clown? Piss off?!"

"Grahhh!"

Lunged for revenge, but crushed. Predictable. Male lead over-spec; no contest. Just got my ass handed to me in front of her.

"Ha, haha…. Hahaha…!"

Despair hit; mad laughter bubbled up. Agony. Thought heart couldn't break worse. Wrong. Worse existed. Unbearable.

Despaired. Mind shattered.

"……."

Darkness swallowed my heart. Black ink in water, corroding. Pushed me to the edge.

Only revenge left: death. Die before her eyes. Make her regret eternally. Rope ready, rooftop bound. Revel Academy main building—every student commuting would see.

Thus, first life ended.

And.

Moment noose snapped taut, truth dawned.

What the fuck….

Yeah. Not luck dodge. Exactly as written: skips bad ends. Reset, plain.

Back to pre-capture, possession start.

In this world….

Insane power. Darkness-laced mind cleared. Fresh shot! Regression: salvation for the broken.

My fault picking that bitch. Went for the biggest rack. Healed mind laughed it off, nightmare loop memory shoved aside. New beginning! Five faves anyway—one trash whore-mind. True love this time, done.

"Sorry, shit happens."

"Ahhyat, sure I loved you for real too, Emil."

"Grrt…. Shut it—I'm done being real with you."

"What, didn't catch that? You're done."

Four more regressions later, truth hit: my picks weren't off. They were all trash. Every last one betrayed me for the guy meant to dump them.

"Fuck, fuck, FUUUUUCK━!!"

Sincere every time, agony sincere every time. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Despaired each end. Cruel demises for their regret. Praying they'd weep.

But final-final. Fifth betrayal. Even my hopes betrayed.

Extra CG—like true-end hidden art in romance sims. For me: video feed.

"Haaang…! So good…! Love you…! More…! Fill me up inside…!"

Video: them panting like sluts. Timestamp: my death day. They'd seen me die. ━That night, banging those guys, moaning filthy. Grinning happy.

"Please… vanish, please…."

Couldn't skip. Dark void, mind only. System force-fed every copulation vid.

"What the hell is this. What do you want from me…."

Darkness. Done. Hate it. Non-lead possession? No blessing. Endless resets? No salvation. Hell. Pre-possession sin? Punishment? Even that crossed mind.

"I just…. Loved them for real…."

Irony: happy flashes hit. Hands clasped, cheeks flushed. Shy at touches, faux-mad. Tears sealing truths. Warm love etched deep. Fleeting secs, but eternities then. Roots ripped sudden—gaping, tattered heart-hole.

Stop. Enough. Can't. Futile. Others? Stolen anyway. That's the tale. Worthless me.

Mission nag. Every reset. Buried head in knees.

Whoosh. Familiar heal. Post-reset heart-mender. Normally: recover, next girl. But.

"No… don't wanna…. No more pain…."

Heart cursed. Heals don't erase memories. Recovery instant: memories claw back. Hopes of others kept me going—till fifth. Hope gone. Gave up. Head down, wait out time. No love. Betrayal inevitable. Extra trash me. Elites seduce, she folds. I'm temp ego-boost machine. No more hurt.

So.

Enough….

"This… too…?"

Unseen. Five loops, never. Thumb-hit [Y].

"What…?"

Hard to Easy? All that Hard Mode? Capture easy though—why? Doubts nuked by next.

"Heh…."

Ridiculous perks flooded in. Five years (loop math) for this secret. Absurdity snapped mind semi-normal.

Easy Mode rundown followed.

Sudden glitch, error.

First glitch—stared dumb. Original end-line altered.

"Despair Memory…?"

Wordplay? Pissed, checked perks tab. Easy perks below: new Despair Memory.

"……What."

Saw description.

"Ha, haha… hahahahaha!!"

Mad cackles. Delicious. Mood lifted.

"Hahahahahahaha━!!"

Yes. Possession: blessing. Regression: salvation.