If a game seems suspiciously fun, steer clear of it.
That's what my brother told me after going missing for three years and finally coming home.
He'd ramble on with nonsense like, "I was the hero. I slayed the Demon King and saved the world." So I brushed it off without a second thought. Maybe that was my mistake.
"Who the hell could've guessed I'd actually drop into a game?!"
Sure, I thought it was suspiciously fun.
The developer was shrouded in mystery!
There weren't even the usual bugs or cheats—none at all, which was weirdly impressive!
And yet, it was packed with Easter eggs and tons of content, so I figured it was a total steal!
"But not the Failure Hero series!"
I didn't even have time to wonder where I was.
Because the moment I started the game, I blacked out.
The timing was so perfect that even an idiot like me knew right away I'd possessed the game I was about to play.
Academy City's Failure Hero
A game I'd loved for nearly ten years. I'd daydreamed about living in its world and making a splash, but I never actually wanted it to happen.
"I'm a vet, right? I got excited thinking I could game the system and coast through life!"
At first, my heart raced at the reality of possessing my favorite game!
I even had childish fantasies of snagging rare items and opportunities only I knew about, getting stronger than the protagonist!
"But this is too much!"
What's the point of being a Failure Hero vet?!
"Failure Hero 2 is over...!"
The current timeline is the brand-new Failure Hero 3!
"Possessing a game not even a day old after release?!"
That's right. This world is post-ending of Failure Hero 2.
In other words, it's the setting for the new sequel, Failure Hero 3!
"Possessing a brand-new game crosses the line!"
What's the use of being a ten-year vet?!
I don't know the story!
I don't know the bosses!
I don't know the ending conditions!
Of course, all my original knowledge and boss-fight tips are useless!
I'd mastered every opportunity and item, uncovered every Easter egg, and even held the world record for true ending speedrun. But a new release? Useless.
"Me...! I'm a noob...!"
What? You say I've sunk 10,000 shining hours into Failure Hero like a premium whale?
You fool...!
10,000 hours or 100,000—everyone's a noob in front of a fresh release!
No matter how veteran or rotten the oil, we're all equal noobs against a piping-hot new game!
Suddenly demoted to a pro-level noob, I clutched my head and collapsed to the floor.
When Failure Hero 2's protagonist became a world-famous hero etched into textbooks, I thought it was a dream...
The vertigo I felt back then...
"In novels, protagonists who enter games snag all the opportunities, twist the plot, do everything!"
But reality? I'm a guppy who could die any second without warning!
"Hoo... No, calm down. Calm. Now's the time to think of solutions."
Lamenting what's done won't change a thing.
Right now, I need a way to turn this situation around!
"What do I know about 3?"
I knew 1 and 2 inside out—main cast, side characters, even extras' backstories. But the new one? No chance.
The only things I knew were the pretty heroines and slick villains from the new game's PV.
What about 3's protagonist?
Eh, a guy? Pass.
"Thank God I at least watched the PV..."
I only checked the promos out of hype for the new game—lucky me. If I hadn't, I'd have started with zero info.
Ugh... Just thinking about it twists my guts!
Anyway.
At least I have some info. Thanks to the PV, I know what the main players look like.
But the real problem was elsewhere.
The body I'd possessed belonged to 'Yeon Je-seong'—a character close to a villain!
You might ask how I know I'm a villain when I barely know the story, but Yeon Je-seong was the exception.
He only appeared briefly at the PV's end, but that final-boss vibe left a huge impression on players.
Forums buzzed about him for days, so he basically carried the PV's impact.
Sure, matching my kid self to that adult guy is a stretch, but sadly, there's clear proof he's me.
"Did you cough, Young Master?"
"Allow me to assist with your morning routine."
"What outfit would you like today?"
"Shall I tend to your hair?"
A swarm of servants attending one little kid, a massive Eastern-style mansion.
And the '緣 (Yeon)' characters plastered everywhere!
Any vet of the mega-hit series Academy City's Failure Hero would recognize that kanji instantly.
Who doesn't know the Yeon Clan, steady fixtures in Failure Hero 1 and 2?
No main-cast stars, but a massive force spanning the continent, reliably supporting every protagonist as key allies!
That's the Yeon Clan I belong to.
And I remembered the PV guy had the Yeon name—
{Welcome, Young Master.}
Among the clan's direct-line kids with the Yeon name, there's only one young boy: me. The implication is crystal clear.
"I'm that bastard! Damn it!"
Me, a villain?!
Super fun prank, right?
Please, say it's a prank!