1943rd Try, 46th Ending
There are countless subcultures in this world. Even with reason on their side, humans are still animals that chase pleasure. As eras advance, so does entertainment culture. People search for fun. They savor whatever joy matches their tastes and ease the tedium of life. I was no exception.
"Stay calm… don't get worked up…"
Animation, genre novels, comics—there were plenty of ways to pass the time, but the one I picked was games. No grand reason. I simply liked being able to steer the story myself.
"Parry here, switch characters… then the binding curse."
An action RPG infamous for its brutal difficulty. The World Seen by the Little Prince. A title full of hope, yet every single route ended in a bad ending. Forty-five endings discovered so far. One hundred percent of them were bad endings. A truly twisted concept. They crafted countless branches and conclusions, but not one happy ending.
Those lunatics. What the hell were they thinking?
I cursed the developers under my breath and focused on the monitor again. On screen stood a blond boy. Half-lidded eyes, a playful smirk, a tongue that looked ready to lick his lips. The type the community called a "narrow-eyed character."
"……Finally back."
I took a tense breath and widened my eyes. The mastermind who served as the final boss in every route. The deceiver who betrayed the protagonist's party no matter the path. With a sly smile, he spoke.
[So you've finally reached this point.]
[Your courage deserves praise, but unfortunately, time is short.]
[He will soon be resurrected.]
Brief dialogue windows flashed by. The darkness around me brightened, and the real battle began. Pitch-black shadows poured from every direction as the figure approached. I gripped the mouse tightly.
"Alright… let's see what you've got."
A boss that was theoretically impossible to defeat. Even after 1,942 attempts, he had never been killed.
[Die for me now.]
[My beloved traveler. My hopelessly foolish friend.]
But I refused to give up. I wanted to witness this world reach a happy ending. That single desire kept my hands moving. A click echoed as screen recording started.
"Recording begun. 1943rd attempt."
I muttered calmly, fighting for the hidden 46th ending. I wanted a happy conclusion.
"Just die already, you bastard."
I glared at the narrow-eyed character on the screen. This time, I would kill him and forge a new ending.
***
I shouldn't have tried. The game called life turned out to be far more spectacular than I'd imagined.
Yeah. Exactly what you're thinking.
"It wasn't supposed to be about watching an ending."
I had transmigrated. Fuck.