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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Prologue 0-1. Game Start - Sequels Are Worse Than the Original
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─ Sequels are worse than the original.
A famous saying that hammered at my heart dozens of times a day.
In the end, this game didn't have a happy ending either.
I was too disillusioned to even speak. Couldn't a game at least let you be happy?
The blue light of dawn began filtering through the window. How many hours had I been at it?
"...16 hours. At least I finally cleared it."
The sharp lemon-scented caffeine drink permeated the room.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Player Lee Soo-hyun has become the first in the world to subjugate the 'Truth Demon King Magic Hat'!
"..."
Nothing changed even after defeating the final boss demon king.
Only a grim black screen loomed before me.
"Not even this works?"
I sent an email to the game company.
For the usual reason: I wanted to see the happy ending.
EP.1 0-2. Beta Test - Beta Tester Invitation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Knight Heart, or [Knight Heart] in English, is a game that's been out for exactly 10 years.
A classic fantasy RPG.
It was hugely popular for its elegant prose, distinctive characters, and intriguing setup where the hero and demon king weren't just one each.
Even I, who wasn't much of a gamer, pulled three all-nighters for it.
I remember how overjoyed I was the first time I beat the demon king.
Truth be told, modern players might call the story outdated.
A human man falling in love with a cursed dragon. The hero and mage evolving from childhood friends to lovers after subjugating the demon king. Just your standard game tropes.
But I loved it precisely because of that.
The way characters in the game would unconsciously glance at each other's faces.
Calling each other by pet names to emphasize their special bond, or matching their clothes to their partner's hair or eye color.
I adored those ticklish descriptions of emotions slowly building.
I'd never been in a relationship myself, but I had every romance success route memorized.
And my absolute favorite character was the Nameless Saintess.
An NPC who stayed by the player's side, endlessly cheerful and encouraging.
Her signature "fufu" laugh and bright smile.
People speculated her name was foreshadowing for the sequel.
The game company loved Easter eggs, so it was plenty convincing.
One user's discovered ending had even been added as an official route.
She was a saintess with wolf ears and a tail, like a blank white canvas.
In game communities, she was called the " " Saintess or Platinum Wolf.
Her other nickname, Blue Rose, came from the text about her deep rose scent and her fondness for the flower language of blue roses.
Back in the days when floppy disks and CDs were commonplace.
That one game was my sole respite in life.
Looking back now, it might just be nostalgia talking.
📰 Breaking News We will be releasing a sequel for all you fans who enjoyed Knight Heart!
Yeah, I was happy until that came out.
"...Fuck."
The pamphlet labeled [Black Heart].
A bitter taste filled my mouth. What were they thinking, ruining the drift like that?
Sequels are usually worse than the originals, and even my favorite game couldn't escape that rule.
My vision blurred. If I'd known, I never would've bought it. A brick-hard story, half-baked new characters, a romance plot crumbled to dust.
I'd been royally screwed. Like a fish flopping on the deck.
📰 Breaking News Thanks to all your support, Fantasia Games was able to succeed! ( ˘ᗜ˘)
Don't use emoticons. Where did the original creators go? Rumors said they were locked in the company warehouse.
📰 Breaking News Your play data from the previous game will carry over seamlessly!
They even hyped it as the [Inheritance System], where your routes from the first game would branch the endings. A sequel starring the hero and mage couple as protagonists.
They'd been childhood friends in the first, and now they were married. My heart raced. I could see my beloved characters again.
I recalled the Nameless Saintess's illustration from the first game, imagining her in a wedding dress. Dreaming of a bride in pure white. Her sleep-talking text was adorable.
📰 Breaking News You've been waiting for the afterstories of the original characters, right? (｡•̀ᴗ-✧)
I fell for that and bought it. Naturally, I inherited my save file from the Saintess route in the original.
One step from the ending, a forced event triggered.
A mad magician suddenly appeared, slaughtering the original characters in a CG cutscene.
📰 Breaking News The hero and mage fled the battle. They believed their love was too weak. Thus, the party, deprived of its strongest assets, was wiped out. No gravestones could be raised. Not even their bodies were recovered. Among them, the 'Nameless' Saintess couldn't even be listed among the dead.
I squeezed my eyes shut. The malicious text reeked of intent.
The toned-down cruelty to dodge censorship hit even harder.
Devious developers for sure. Killing off all the original characters to prop up the sequel's cast.
Well, not all of them. The hero and mage escaped in love.
Like they thought, "Killing popular characters will make players hate the villains!" They offed them cleanly.
I loved those original characters more than anyone. The day I played the sequel, I could barely keep water down, but I kept challenging it.
And I did it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Player Lee Soo-hyun has become the first in the world to subjugate the 'Truth Demon King Magic Hat'!
"I finally cleared it!! Uh...? What's going on here...?"
The event scene was the same.
Nothing changed.
Forced total party kill, then more brutal text.
This was the 24th time seeing it. Just looking at it gave me a headache; I leaned back against the chair.
I sent an inquiry email, demanding why beating the boss didn't unlock a different story.
How much time passed? A ding— sounded from the speakers.
Reply from the game company.
This is the [Black Heart] developer. The 'Grand Route' achievement you're inquiring about is indeed not implemented yet! How did you beat a boss we made unbeatable?!
Oh, right? I sighed. These developers only seemed good at tormenting players. Couldn't quit since I'd sunk my whole wallet into it.
Now we have to pull out our secret weapon...
Yes, hurry up and give me the happy Saintess afterstory. They're pros at hiding Easter eggs, that's for sure.
Thus, we will reveal the final piece of the Knight Heart Trilogy to the world!
Anything but that. When did it become a trilogy? No wonder the story's a mess with that sloppy approach.
In appreciation of your efforts, how about we invite you as a beta tester for part 3?
Just give me the ending. Another shitty sequel? No way. After all the agony from part 2.
The Saintess? We might be able to save her this time?
My breath caught. Even after twisting myself into knots, it hadn't worked. Could she be saved?
...No way. These are the guys who add "instant-death patterns!" when you beat the boss too fast.
Get a grip.
Thanks to you, Lee Soo-hyun, Fantasia can safely release this game! It would've been impossible without you!
Last time they showered me with items. First clears do have that appeal... No, this is a trap too.
We never expected someone to brute-force it with pure controller skill!
I'd trust the neighbor's mutt before you lot...
This work is a prequel to the original, set in the 'past' rather than the future! You know the original and sequel protagonists went to the same school, right?
Not a sequel, but a prequel from the past?
Part 3's subtitle is [Grand Hearts Academy]! Ring any bells?
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.
These developers actually cared about the original more than I thought?
We need to check if the inheritance data works in that romance fantasy academy setting too.
Then why's this one unimplemented?
We can't have contradictions in the 'story' between the original and sequel, right? So, if you perfectly recreate all the loves from parts 1 and 2... We'll make a Saintess ending for you. As an official 'Grand Route Ending'! What do you say? Tempted? You only ever play the Saintess route anyway~
...Perverted bastards. How'd they know? Gotta post anonymously from now on.
Plus, your global first kill bonus! Congrats!
I scrolled down.
A game key mixing letters and numbers, plus in-game screenshots as illustrations.
A photo of petals swirling around someone smiling, the original and sequel protagonists meeting.
And,
A photo of the Saintess in a pure white dress, smiling happily. Her eyes slightly red from joyful tears.
Beside it,
A small note: 'This time, I'll make you believe in love.'
[The Grand Route Ending has finally been implemented!]
I swallowed hard. What gamer could resist this?
Not me, that's for sure.
─ For her happiness, protect every love that exists.