Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 1. From Fan to Anti-Fan

- So it was you, the Black Knight. The Fallen Hero, Hayden Reich."

A mocking voice came from beyond the blood-soaked black armor. Hayden wiped his sword, stained in red, with a handkerchief, and smiled menacingly.

- Even you, whom people once praised as a hero, have ended up like this. When they hailed you as a hero, you should have done better, don't you think? If you had only taken care of your own safety in that splendid mansion, such a tragedy might never have occurred.

Next to the defeated black-armored man lay a woman collapsed over a sticky pool of blood.

- A pitiable thing unaware of her own place, it seems she will draw her last breath soon.

- Yulian...

- Yes.

- Please, spare Rinne... Haven't I served the Empire as a knight until now? Therefore...

Thunk.

Before Hayden Reich could finish his plea, Yulian thrust his sword into the heart of the fallen woman.

She, who had been moving weakly, eventually stopped. Her life had ended completely.

- Ensure the enemy breathes their last. Wasn't the master who taught me that?

- Then... would you be able to so cruelly end the life of the master who was also once your mentor?

At Hayden's words, Yulian chuckled softly. Though light gleamed in his barely opened eyes, his visage resembled that of a fiend wearing a human mask.

- What's so difficult about that?

He swung his sword. Mercilessly, as if doing something as natural as breathing.

***

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

Staring at the monitor's video, I inadvertently voiced my discontent over the ridiculous plot.

No matter how much I thought about it, the video I just watched made no sense.

Was it a provocation towards fans who had cherished the game until now?

"Hayden dies so emptily for a DLC trailer?"

A sudden thought struck me. Do these bastards even plan to make money with this?

The video I was watching was a DLC trailer for one of the games by 'FromWare Soft', titled 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉.

Upon hearing that the much-anticipated DLC was coming out, I had clenched my fists in excitement.

But once the trailer was released, all my anticipation shattered into hatred and disappointment.

After all...

"Hayden Reich is the protagonist!"

In 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉, the protagonist was none other than Hayden Reich. Yet, in the DLC trailer, he was shown dead and cold.

The main game had garnered attention with its diverse AI, varied storylines, and spectacular actions, all notable elements that captivated many.

It was famous globally, including in Korea, and I was one of the many fans.

Above all, the character was why I became a fan of this game. More accurately, I was deeply drawn to the protagonist, Hayden Reich.

"The hero of the Northern Front, a master at demon hunting."

In a hopeless world where demons incessantly emerged, he stood as the strongest.

Though the protagonist's strength seemed a given, my admiration for him stemmed from his noble and heroic actions in desperate situations, not just for himself but also leading everyone towards a hopeful future.

Could such a living legend, the protagonist of the work, die so meaninglessly like this?

"And by Yulian's hand?"

As a collateral of the Cryphart family, one of the four noble lineages, Yulian was raised as a knight by Hayden Reich.

Despite being taught how to survive in the Northern Front by Hayden, Yulian, blinded by self-interest, turned his sword against his mentor.

The game's protagonist, Hayden Reich, died by the hand of such a corrupted disciple.

It was devoid of sincerity, hardly the kind of ending one would expect for the main character who had led such a renowned work thus far.

I seethed with rage at FromWare Soft's blunder.

"Absolutely absurd..."

Though he was merely a character in a game, I was so moved by Hayden Reich.

A benefactor who, having lost his family to humanity's enemy, the demons, ascended to the Empire's Northern Front to prevent creating others like him.

A Black Knight who didn't impose his philosophy on others and purely pursued his noble justice.

Such a magnificent protagonist deserved an equally magnificent end. Many players who positively reviewed the game certainly hoped and longed for it.

If one felt the thrill of being Hayden Reich, exploring the world, protecting the Empire, nurturing disciples, and experiencing the camaraderie with allies, there wouldn't be exceptions to this expectation.

Even if, regrettably, he were to die, such a ridiculous end just doesn't make sense.

How could such a great man be killed by a traitorous apprentice whose only thought was to stab his mentor in the back?

Anyone who has played the game would understand this absurdity.

Yet, seeing the company which produced the game commit the atrocity of calling this a DLC and even creating a trailer just makes one furious.

It's almost an insult to the game's fans!

【So, Yulian is the protagonist this time around?】
【Why is that slit-eyed villain the lead in the new title?】
【There must be some story behind it. Maybe they're planning to showcase that in this work?】
【A definite pre-order from trustworthy FromWare Soft.】

The comments were outrageous.

No one seemed to care about Hayden Reich's nonsensical death; they were only focused on the fact that a sequel was coming out.

Some even defended 'Yulian Cryphart Frason'. Honestly, I was also intrigued about the announcement of a DLC. But with such content, it can't be this way.

Isn't this something to oppose as a fan of the game? Why are they shielding such absurdity?

【Would you like to cancel your pre-order?】

"Haaa..."

Seeing the message pop up after pressing the cancel reservation button, I sighed.

"Let's Kill the Demon King Now" was not just an ordinary game for me.

It was a small sanctuary that helped me forget the hardships of starting my career as a new employee.

It was a game that allowed immersive engagement with the character 'Hayden Reich', regardless of the scenario or storyline.

Yet, to see such a sanctuary ruined like this...

【Your pre-order has been canceled.】

Still, what else could be done?

With the developer's decision, the only action left for a mere gamer was a boycott.

This was the only complaint I could express as a fan of the game.

"Well... let's at least water the plants."

I got up to water the orchid I had recently started growing as a hobby. Often, when feeling agitated, watering my orchid and wiping its leaves calmed my mind.

It's no wonder that elderlies often tend such plants.

The unique tranquility exuded from orchids provided a sense of inner peace. Some say that nurturing an orchid is like nurturing one's soul.

May it grow upright and not end up like that game.

Ding─!

That's when I heard a notification sound from the computer.

"What is it?"

Stopping what I was doing, I checked to find it was a message from the site that handles game distribution.

The sender was...

"FromWare Soft?"

The creators of 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉.

And those who shattered my sanctuary.

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I opened the received message.

Surely, it was just a macro response sent to anyone who canceled a pre-order.

"Hello."

However, contrary to my expectations of a generic, automated message, what was written was surprisingly plain.

Just a simple greeting, nothing else.

"We are FromWare Soft, the creators of 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉."

While I was reading without much thought, another message arrived.

"Yes, I'm aware."

"We've heard that someone who has played our game for five years, Mr. Yi Shihu, has canceled their preorder for the DLC."

"So what?"

Would the developer send a personal message just because someone canceled their preorder?

Well, be that as it may, if they plan to create such a storyline, they should've anticipated some customers would leave!

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

How could they so mindlessly kill off the protagonist? Could it be...

They truly don't understand what they did wrong?

"..."

But I no longer felt like arguing with them. Trying to communicate to someone who doesn't comprehend their faults is like talking to a wall.

After deciding to cancel my preorder upon watching the DLC trailer, any affection I had for 'FromWare Soft' had melted away like snow.

Hoping for their next title after they've so absurdly ruined my favorite game is like harboring groundless and unattainable hope.

With that in mind, I was about to get up when another message arrived.

"Mr. Yi Shihu seems displeased with the story unfolding this time. In that case, why not try and change the story yourself?"

The new message made me scoff. So, this is what they're resorting to now? To think they could stoop this low...

"Uh... What?"

Gugu-gu─!

At that moment, an ear-splitting noise emanated from the monitor, accompanied by a blinding light.

What on earth is happening?

What is going on? Surely, the message hasn't short-circuited my computer?!

"Aaagh!"

The light from the monitor engulfed the entire room as I was bewildered.

I hurriedly forced a shutdown of the computer's power.

Suddenly, the previously chaotic room returned to its eerie calmness.

"Phew... What on earth...?"

Turning my head, I gazed at the now dormant monitor.

The phenomenon I had just witnessed was far from ordinary.

It seemed as though the light was trying to pull me into something.

Call it a gut feeling, but staying might've led to unimaginable consequences.

"Thankfully, I reacted quickly. If I hadn't..."

Crash──!

That's when it happened.

As something shattered, my eyesight started to blur, and I frantically looked around.

Ah.

'My orchid...'

The thing that broke was the orchid I had been carefully tending to.

Somehow, it had fallen from the table it was neatly placed on, and its pot shattered across the floor, scattering dirt everywhere.

Naturally, my carefully tended orchid, having survived the impact, lay broken and torn on the ground, a pitiful sight.

While a sinking feeling swept over my heart, there was no time to dwell on it.

'Huh? Why am I... getting closer to the floor?'

Thud!

Suddenly, like the fallen orchid, I collapsed to the ground. Though I tried to get back up, my muscles refused to cooperate.

'This... what... hey...'

It felt as though I had been sedated intravenously, with my eyes slowly fluttering closed.

Clacky's Corner:
Hmm, looks promising.