"Haa... I can't believe the shitty protagonist did this to Lisa!" A brown-haired chubby man shouted, his fist hitting the desk beside his laptop. His round face was red with anger as he stared at the bright screen. The blue light reflected off his glasses while he watched the terrible scene unfold between the protagonist and the heroine.
The game showed a snowy mountain where ice covered everything like a white blanket. The protagonist stood there - a handsome black-haired young man with perfect features like a movie star. Five girls surrounded him, all pretty in their own ways. But across from them, something horrible was happening.
A blonde elf lady with pointed ears was being held by huge, ugly Orcs. Her dress was torn and dirty. Her hands were tied behind her back. The monsters had evil grins on their green faces, and their big hands grabbed at her roughly. She was crying and shaking, her blue eyes full of tears.
"Help me! Please!" the elf lady screamed. Her voice echoed through the snowy valley. She looked right at Leon, the protagonist, begging him with her eyes.
But Leon just stood there. His face was blank, like he was looking at nothing important. The five girls around him - a red-haired warrior, a shy mage with glasses, a tough archer, and two noble ladies - all had worried looks on their faces. But none of them moved to help either.
"Let's go, it's better we don't see it," the text showed Leon saying. His voice was cold and flat. He turned his back on the crying elf without even blinking.
The girls looked shocked. Their mouths dropped open. The shy mage covered her face with her hands. The warrior girl clenched her fists but still followed Leon as he walked away through the snow.
"C'mon! It's clear that these bitches don't even care about Lisa!" the chubby man yelled at his screen. His voice cracked with anger. He knew the truth though, and it made him even madder.
The real problem wasn't the girls. It was Leon. That stupid protagonist was supposed to be the hero, but he acted worse than the villains. Leon was supposed to save people, not leave them to die.
The man had played this game for months. He knew Leon's story by heart. Leon was supposed to be a guy from Earth, just like himself, who got transported to this fantasy world. Leon even had a magic system that made him super powerful. He should have been amazing.
But Leon was terrible. He was mean and rude to everyone. He thought he was better than other people just because he was strong. He treated girls like toys instead of real people. And somehow, every girl in the game still loved him anyway.
"It makes no sense!" the man muttered. He had seen Leon insult the red-haired warrior girl, calling her stupid and weak. But she still blushed and stammered around him. Leon had ignored the shy mage when she tried to help him, but she still followed him everywhere like a lost puppy.
The worst part was when Leon killed that other handsome guy just because he was good-looking too. That guy was kind of a jerk, sure, but he didn't deserve to die just for having a nice face. Leon burned him alive with magic, and all the girls just watched.
Now the screen showed Lisa again. The chubby man's stomach felt sick as he watched the Orcs drag her away. The game was famous for these kinds of scenes - that's why so many people played it, even though the story was garbage.
"Tsk, fucked up game!" he shouted and slammed his laptop shut so hard it made a loud bang. His room was messy, with empty food containers and soda cans everywhere. Posters of anime girls covered his walls. This was his escape from his boring life, but right now he hated it.
Then something strange happened.
The storm outside had been getting worse all night. Rain pounded against his window like angry fists. Lightning flashed every few seconds, turning his dark room bright white for a moment.
But this time was different.
A massive bolt of lightning, brighter than the sun, crashed through his window. The glass exploded inward, covering his floor with sharp pieces. The lightning bolt moved like a living snake, heading straight for the power outlet where his gaming computer was plugged in.
Sparks flew everywhere. The air smelled like burning metal. His computer screen flickered and made awful crackling sounds. The man turned toward his setup, his eyes wide with shock.
Then everything exploded.
The blast threw him backward. Heat hit his face like opening an oven. Smoke filled the room, thick and black. The smell of burned electronics mixed with something else - something that smelled like cooked meat.
Then everything went dark.
***
Somewhere else, in a completely different world, morning light came through tall windows with fancy gold frames.
A white-haired young man lay on a huge bed that could fit four people. The mattress was so soft it felt like sleeping on clouds. Silk sheets, the color of cream, were tangled around his legs. His chest was bare, showing smooth pale skin without any scars or marks.
The room was beautiful. Paintings of landscapes hung on the walls. A crystal chandelier sparkled above the bed. Everything looked expensive and perfect, like a palace.
Cold air drifted in from the open window, carrying the scent of flowers and fresh grass. When it touched his skin, his eyes snapped open.
"W-w-what t-the fu-c-ck," he stammered, his teeth chattering like he was in a freezer. His whole body shook. It felt like someone had dumped ice water all over him, but worse. His bones ached from the cold.
He sat up quickly, grabbing the silk sheets and wrapping them around himself like a blanket. The warmth felt amazing against his freezing skin. He held the sheets tight and took deep breaths, trying to stop shaking.
"W-where the fuck is this?" he whispered, still shivering but not as badly. He looked around the room with wide eyes. This wasn't his messy apartment with the broken heater and stained carpet. This place was spotless and bright. Sunlight made everything glow like gold.
His legs felt wobbly when he stood up. He walked slowly across the smooth marble floor toward a door with fancy carvings. His reflection caught in the shiny surface, but something was wrong. The person looking back at him wasn't chubby or rough-looking.
He pushed open the door and found a bathroom that looked like it belonged in a mansion. The mirror above the sink was huge and framed with silver. When he looked into it, he couldn't breathe.
The face staring back at him was perfect. Sharp cheekbones, a straight nose, lips that weren't too thin or too thick. His hair was white like fresh snow and fell in soft waves to his shoulders. But the most shocking thing was his eyes - they were bright purple, like jewels.
This wasn't his face. This wasn't his body.
"Wait don't tell me..." he whispered, his voice shaking. He touched the mirror, then touched his own cheek. The reflection moved with him. This was real.
His heart pounded as memories from the game flooded back. He had seen this face before, but only briefly. A character who appeared in just two scenes, but was supposed to be incredibly important.
"Isn't this Leroy?!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the fancy bathroom.
He stumbled backward, hitting the wall behind him. In the game, Leroy was supposed to be Leon's biggest rival. The one person who could match the protagonist's looks. But Leroy had died early in the story, killed off before he could do anything important.
And now, somehow, he was Leroy.
In a world where the worst protagonist ever was about to make everything terrible.
A world where innocent people like Lisa would suffer and die.
But maybe, just maybe, things could be different this time.
***
LegionWorker here!
Please support this novel! It's for my WSA entry!