Chapter 1: Wake Up Inside the Shity Game
A young figure tumbled to the ground, his appearance marking him as a youth. A gleaming sword was aimed in his direction, held by none other than Gil, the baron's son himself.
"Listen up, pipsqueak," Gil's voice cut through the tense air. "You want strength? Then get out of this academy, fast. Roam the world, and conquer its challenges with your own two hands. Staying here will just chain you to a weakness for life."
Gritting his teeth, the youth on the ground met Gil's gaze with a mixture of anger and resignation. Deep down, he knew he stood no chance against the power Gil held.
Yet, the burning question remained: what led these two to such hostility?
The answer needed to be explained the day before. The day when a guy named Gilbert was still not transported to another world.
***
Gilbert, a young man in his mid-twenties, was playing a video game called 'Crossing Fate' in his room right now. The game he played was an interactive adult-themed story game. Many people know it as an Eroge.
But instead of being aroused, Gilbert's frustration echoed through the room as he slammed his desk repeatedly. The source of his ire? The game harbored a hidden theme that he, along with many others, despised: NTR.
"F*ck whoever makes this game!"
A friend had recommended the game to Gilbert, promising a heartwarming, wholesome tale. "Wholesome it may be," he muttered, "but..."
Finishing the game had pushed him to the brink of tears. The narrative revolved around Sid, an underdog's rise to heroism, a journey both touching and uplifting. Yet, it was the characters' romantic entanglements that soured it all.
"Why the hell they are all sluts?!"
The MC had three different women to be his love interest. But all of them, in some ways, would betray him at the end of the story.
The game branched into three routes: Harem, Love, and Hero. A straightforward representation of Bad, Good, and True endings.
Harem Route was when Sid prevented the girls from getting snatched by other people. But it would result in world destruction as the Player must neglect to strengthen Sid to fight the last boss. Even though he got a harem with all the love interests, the world was destroyed, and all the characters died.
The love route was when Sid focused on one love interest. This route took a balanced approach where the Player could still strengthen Sid but must choose one girl as the compromise. But no matter what the Player does, Sid would die in the end when fighting the last boss. However, the boss would also die with him, so the world would be peaceful. Except for Sid's soul, as at the end credit, there would be a unique scene where the Player's chosen girl would marry another guy and get fucked.
The Hero Route, distinct from the others, presented a different course. It unfolded when the player disregarded romantic pursuits, concentrating solely on the MC's growth. The culmination saw the final boss vanquished, leaving the MC standing triumphantly. However, this victory was a double-edged blade. When the MC got back, he realized that all the girls were already ditched him and got fucked by other guys. This hurt him, and his heart could not tank the feeling of betrayal. He decided to kill himself.
The f*cked up thing was after the narration of Sid's suicide, there would be a scene where the girls were having an orgy party with multiple men. This made Gilbert's veins pop out on all of his skin. And that was why he kept banging his table out of anger. The Hero route was the wholesomeness that happened as it showed how Sid became the Hero loved by everyone. But the NTR really ruined it.
"F*ck! Why it needs to be NTR shit?!".
Gilbert was frustrated by the unnecessary inclusion of the NTR element in the game. He believed it didn't fit and was unhappy that the developer added it. Driven by his irritation, he grabbed his phone to express his discontent.
With determination, he sought a bot service to flood the game's store page with negative reviews. He urged the service to heap curses upon the game. Gilbert's plan was set, and he looked forward to seeing the results tommorow.
As he closed his eyes, he woke up in an unfamiliar room. He recognized it—it was the dormitory room from 'Crossing Fate.'
"Why am I here?!" Gilbert exclaimed. The room was unmistakable—the heart of 'Crossing Fate's' world. This strange awakening left Gilbert puzzled.
***
Gilbert went by Gil in this world. He hailed from a baronial family and attended the very academy where the events of 'Crossing Fate' were unfolding. Inside the game, the name Gil didn't appear, leading to the speculation that he possessed an extra character—unlike the case with Sid. A relief, he mused internally, grateful he wasn't Sid. If he were, the situation would likely have driven him to the brink of madness.
Nonetheless, Gil's current priority was locating Sid. He darted through the academy grounds, his wavy brown hair dancing in the breeze as he moved. His vivid green eyes swept the surroundings, committing every corner of the academy to memory. Due to the linear nature of 'Crossing Fate,' the in-game locations were unexplored.
The reason behind Gil's search was the need to pinpoint the whereabouts of the story's main character (MC). He found himself uncertain about which part of the story he was presently currently in right now.
After thoroughly canvassing the academy, his journey led him to the public garden—a space where students sought solace and interaction. Contrary to his expectation of a tranquil scene, Gil was met with the sight of everyone fixated on a single individual. The very person he was seeking—Sid—stood facing off against a gang led by the game's initial antagonist, Albert. This character, destined to cucked him in the future, seemed disinterested in conversing with Sid. Albert's attention was wholly directed at the girl standing beside Sid.
"Olivia, let me tell you once again. Rather than wasting time with this weakling, join my group. You'll get stronger."
The young woman's mane was Olivia. She occupied the role of Sid's lifelong friend in both reality and the game. Within the confines of the game's narrative, she held the position of Sid's guardian and his first romantic interest. However, given the game's NTR theme, it was a given that she would ultimately betray Sid.
"In your dream. Beat me first before asking, asshole." She shouted angrily at Albert.
In the game, Albert would beat her if the Player couldn't raise Olivia's stats. The worst thing was Olivia's NTR route always, when someone was able to beat her, she would end up loving that person and become their slut. So if Olivia couldn't beat Albert, she would become Albert's slut behind Sid's back.
This confrontation was at the start of the game, so right now, Gil knew that it was still early in the game timeline.
"You insolent commoner. Mark my words. The day will come when you kneel before me," Albert sneered, departing accompanied by his entourage.
Albert then walked away with his group.
"Sid, don't listen to what they said. You aren't weak." Olivia reassured Sid, her hand gripping his arm in support.
"Y-yeah, Liv, thanks," Sid stammered in response to Olivia's encouragement.
"Tsk." A faint click of disapproval resonated from Gil, who observed from a distance.
The reason behind Gil's discontent was Olivia's consoling words to Sid. In the game, Olivia consistently echoed the refrain, "You're strong. We'll become stronger together." Or the same thing as that. Sid would get manipulated to think everything would be fine. Until he found Olivia sucking the cock of the other guy who beat her.
Sid was always weak if he was with Olivia. The only way he could become stronger was to do solo grinding. The moment Sid paired up with Olivia, the experience gained was disproportionately channeled to her.
Should Sid persist in partnering with Olivia throughout the game's progression, her strength would surpass him. However, this strategy came at a dire cost. In the climactic final stage, Sid would succumb, serving as the sacrificial catalyst for Olivia's victory over the last boss. Conversely, if Sid chose to engage in solo grinding until the game's conclusion, the Hero route would unfold.
"Either way, Sid's fate seems rather bleak," Gil mused aloud. "The Hero's route might offer a more favorable outcome for him, provided he untangles himself from entanglements with Olivia and the other girls."
As Gil heard Gil's comment about Sid's fate, a new idea lit up his mind.
"Why not make him grind on his own from the start?"
Swiftly, Gil dashed toward the duo, challenging Olivia to a duel. Drawing from his game knowledge, he defeated Olivia soundly. Sid was also taken down, and Gil used corny lines to inspire self-reliance.
Gil's aim was to spur Sid into growth by becoming his rival. He hoped that Sid would view him as an adversary, thus finding the motivation to overcome him. Gil committed to a daily regimen of pushing and challenging Sid until he surpassed Gil's own strength.
But to Gil's surprise, Sid was leaving the academy for real the next day and never came back.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone