Game Changer [1st Round]
"Die... you damned bastard..."
"...And who the hell are you? Who are you to cause this ruckus?"
A chilling atmosphere permeated the Demon King Castle. At its highest floor, someone was battling the Demon King.
"For a little brat... you're not bad."
What the Demon King looked down upon was a remarkably young girl. But the fire blazing in her eyes was anything but childish.
"Urgh...!"
The little girl charged at the Demon King with all her might, snapping one of her wings.
"Because of you... because of you, the world...!"
"But you can't defeat me."
Finally, the girl aimed for the Demon King's heart, pouring every ounce of her strength into a finishing blow.
But in that instant, a deafening roar echoed everywhere, sending the girl flying through the air.
"...Cough, cough."
"So, little one? What's your name?"
As the girl collapsed to the floor and began vomiting blood, the Demon King—who had already sprouted a new wing—approached her with an intrigued expression.
"Reveal your name and swear your loyalty, and I'll make you one of my elite subordinates as a special favor..."
"Wait, Ruby."
"What?"
But the girl, glaring at the Demon King with a sinister expression, whispered.
"...I'll make sure you suffer hell itself."
"Hold on, how do you know my—"
The Demon King stared at her in bewilderment, sensing something off, and hurriedly closed in.
"Retry."
Perloché, the little girl, whispered those words laced with deep resentment.
The world flipped upside down.
"Did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
On the first day of Sunrise Academy's opening, Class A students huddled together, gossiping about the scandal rocking the empire.
"I heard Young Master Frey collapsed last night!"
"...What?"
It was the news that Frey Raon Starlight had suddenly vomited blood and collapsed the day before the academy opened.
"What a shame... I wanted to see how handsome he was."
"...What's so great about a scumbag like that?"
Amid the students treating it as mere gossip.
"No way... No way it's because of my memories from the previous round..."
Perloché muttered to herself, her face drained of color.
"...After awakening the system, you always get a penalty, right?"
"Th-that can't happen...?"
"N-no...!"
Endless hordes of monsters poured into the academy.
"...Urgh."
Frey and Perloché stood blocking their path.
"Just a little longer, just hold out a bit more... Come on, one more push..."
"Don't worry about me! Just focus on the enemies in front—"
Perloché, who had been taking every attack aimed at Frey's back while gasping for breath, shouted brightly.
"D-Dark Golem..."
But when a massive Dark Golem appeared before Frey, she fell silent.
"...Perloché."
Frey gazed at the Dark Golem with a shadowed expression.
"You go first. I'll handle this."
"Frey..."
He flashed a gentle smile at the hesitant Perloché.
"You can only handle one enemy, right? Look at all the ones swarming at the Dark Golem's feet."
"But if you do that, your life force will hit rock bottom...!"
When Perloché protested.
"Better the lesser evil than the worst."
With that reply, Frey.
"F-Frey...!"
Dove into the wave of monsters before she could stop him.
"........."
Moments later, a massive silver explosion erupted from the center of the monster wave.
"As expected..."
Perloché watched with dead eyes.
"...I need to deceive the Demon God."
She steeled her resolve.
"Retry."
The world flipped upside down.
"...Cough!"
"Ah...?"
Frey collapsed in front of Perloché, vomiting blood.
"Again..."
Basking in the warm sunlight, Perloché stared blankly at him.
"Another failure..."
She muttered bitterly, glaring at the mockingly bright sun.
"I need to fool the Demon God's eyes that stole control of the sun... but subtle hints won't cut it. How the hell do I...?"
"Urgh..."
"F-Frey!"
When Frey groaned from the floor, Perloché.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Hugged him with a face full of guilt and whispered.
"...From now on, I'll retry before you collapse, so you won't hurt anymore."
"Urgh..."
"I love you, forever."
"......"
"...Retry."
The world flipped upside down.
"Remember... I have to remember..."
A room shrouded in thick darkness.
"The Demon God... watches everyone through the sun..."
Perloché sat at the desk inside, her early fiery gaze, will, and spirit long gone.
"That's why surveillance weakens at night... easier to deceive... so anything I do must be at night... The Demon God... doesn't notice my retries..."
She simply clutched at thick guilt and twisted purpose.
"Not a single inch of deviation allowed. I have to fool even my own emotions. Fool myself."
She muttered while clutching her head.
"The Sun God covers for me when there's no light... so I act insane only in sunlight, sane otherwise..."
After mumbling for a while, Perloché's eyes suddenly widened.
".....Ah."
A sliver of sunlight slipped through a crack in the dark room's wall, shining on her.
"Aaaaaah."
Staring blankly at the sunlight, Perloché let out a dazed sound.
"...Haha, hahaha."
Then, she burst into laughter and muttered.
"Caught again."
"Frey... I love you..."
"P-Perloché? W-Wait a sec..."
>> Skipped.
"...Ah, you died again."
"........."
"Retry."
The world flipped upside down.
"Miss Perloché..."
A space brimming with mystical energy.
"......"
"Please come to your senses..."
The Sun God, bound tightly in black iron chains, looked down at Perloché who had appeared before her with a sorrowful expression.
"Hello!"
Perloché stared at the Sun God with soulless eyes, then suddenly beamed innocently and greeted her.
"Wow! You're so beautiful!"
"Um..."
"So, where is this? It's amazing! And why are you tied up like th—"
Tilting her head with a dumb expression as she asked.
"...I'm the Sun God."
"...Ah."
When the Sun God spoke darkly, Perloché's eyes went blank for a moment before she shook her head.
"So, why did you call me?"
Soon after, with a chillingly cold expression, Perloché asked.
"I think... I've found a way to break this situation."
The Sun God, chained and pained, answered in a strained voice.
"Haha."
Perloché let out a hollow laugh.
"So everything I've done so far... was all for nothing?"
"N-No... Thanks to your countless attempts, I gained time and energy. So..."
"...Get to the point. What is it?"
As Perloché pressed, the Sun God cautiously waved her shackled hand.
The dark space beside them tore open.
"...Hm?"
A blue-glowing planet became visible through the rift.
"So, what does that mean?"
Perloché stared impassively at the planet and asked. Clearing her throat, the Sun God began explaining.
"That's... a planet from another dimension."
"Yeah, looks like it."
"One with 'normality'—no magic, divine power, mana, unique abilities, or divine beings."
The Sun God glanced warily at Perloché's still-cold expression.
"So, divine beings from many dimensions interfere there. No gods means... no issues with meddling."
"Why interfere?"
"As a resource. To generate energy and divine power to sustain their worlds..."
As Perloché's gaze grew icier, the goddess hurriedly clarified.
"B-But it's not exploitation! It's fair trade!"
"Trade?"
"Yes... Divine beings provide replicas of their worlds as 'creative works' to that planet. The people there consume them, naturally feeling joy, sorrow, and various emotions."
"....."
"Those emotions become energy to sustain worlds and generate divine power. I swear, it's completely fair..."
As the goddess rambled, Perloché quietly frowned.
"A-Anyway... anyway..."
Quickly changing tack, the goddess looked at the blue planet and continued.
"On that planet... a boy discovered a 'bug'."
"...A bug?"
"Yes. If refined and applied to our world... it could be a true 'game changer'."
Swallowing dryly, the Sun God pressed on.
"Accidents happen there sometimes."
"Accidents?"
"Yes. Due to gods' mistakes, residents enjoying creative works... get sucked into those worlds."
Perloché looked baffled, while.
"...I'm planning to intentionally cause that 'accident' with the power I've gathered."
"What?"
"Bring the boy who found the bug here, make him the hero from 1000 years ago. DLC... uh, you wouldn't know game terms. It'll create a new turning point."
The goddess answered earnestly.
"...So, kidnap someone from another world to save ours."
After pondering, Perloché asked. The Sun God shook her head vigorously.
"N-No... It'll be a legitimate deal."
"......."
"Really! We'll give him a choice. For him, the most precious thing..."
"When do we do it?"
Cutting her off again, Perloché asked.
"...Now."
The chained goddess began emitting light with all her might.
"If the plan succeeds..."
With a face full of agony.
"...From the next round, a lot will change."
She left that strained message for Perloché.
"After this, I'll be out of power for direct help... I'm truly sorry, but you'll have to figure out the changes yourself..."
"...Leave it to me."
Perloché gazed at her.
"I'll rewind as many times as needed to grasp everything."
For the first time in ages.
"Even after all this time... my goal remains firm."
With blazing eyes, she declared.
"Giving him... a happy ending."
And the world flipped upside down.
The world flipped upside down.
"Good... the goddess was right."
In the now-familiar dark room.
"The 'Prophecy Book' Frey had turned from a 'game straetgy guide' into the 'Hero's strategy guide'..."
Perloché muttered, eyes gleaming.
"And the previous hero's name... changed to 'Hanbyeol'."
At the same time, in the pitch-black room, she naturally scribbled on paper.
"Of course, more changes... DLC, was it? Anyway, the world shifted more favorably..."
She glared at the wall boarded with nailed planks, a crack visible, and muttered.
"...Now begins the first step."
And from that moment.
"The first step to bring you a happy ending."
The chronicle of Perloché's life on the black screen began replaying at an even faster pace.