Have you ever imagined a mix between an open-world Souls-like, an eroge, and a social simulation?
No?
Well, screw you, it already exists, and it's freaking awesome.
[Kings Roads]
Since its release, it's been the new obsession of gamers, the nightmare of speedrunners, and the goose of golden eggs of the company.
Bosses so tough that their third phase causes trauma in players.
A world so vast that it's not uncommon to get lost before following the main route you've chosen.
Builds so varied that you need Excel prime sheets to keep track of your path.
Alright… all that just for exploration and experience gathering.
Let's go back to the other two strong points of the game.
{Social Simulation}
The game heavily relies on interactions with NPCs and how you build competent relationships with them to access upgrades, items, and special or difficult missions.
It's tricky to determine an optimal relationship sequence; there are so many characters that you need a compatibility list to avoid missing out on benefits.
There's synergy in certain relationships that can make the adventure easier, while others will simply force you to rely on grinding.
The social life simulation management to advance a character's growth will make you question your life choices.
And finally…
{Eroge}
Okay, brace yourself.
120 heroines.
120 routes.
Only God knows how many endings there really are.
The game takes its open-world aspect very seriously.
As an 18+ game, it puts a lot of effort into the design of female and male characters.
The hero is disgustingly handsome, so much so that many players make fanart of him looking uglier than he is.
Anyway, of all the heroines, only three have their routes fully mapped out.
Each with their respective adult scenes and happy endings.
As a note, choosing a heroine usually turns the others antagonistic or reduces the routes and builds available to the MC.
As such, picking a waifu means aligning with one faction in a war against others.
Why do I know this?
Well…
I'm a streamer. For the past year, thanks to not choosing any heroine, a good chunk of the community has thrown every insult under the sun at me.
[Kings Roads] is the game I've been trying to beat and claim the throne of the King of Souls.
King of Souls? Oh, yeah, that's the title of the former God-King in the game's lore, the theoretical goal of every player.
But everyone opts to become "Lords", that's picking a waifu and achieving an ending.
Apparently, those endings don't count as the "true ending," just the conclusion of the story you chose.
That's why I decided not to do that.
Without a waifu by my side, everything has gotten exponentially harder, and the community's hatred only makes things tougher.
No items that restore more than half of your health, no buffs just for having a favorite girl.
The fights are insanely harder; every enemy feels like a boss.
With three monstrous phases.
But…
Nah, I'd win.
And so here we are.
With the whole world watching me face one of the game's toughest bosses.
Helal
[The Sage Who Bears All Names]
The penultimate boss in almost all routes.
After the third phase, the victory cinematic began to play.
The monstrous boss shrouded in darkness faded into the shadows of the entire world.
All that remained was the body of an old man with a long beard, whom the fandom called "Evil Santa."
It was satisfying to see him fall. After 9 days and 9 hours of attempts, I landed the final blow.
I gathered the items the boss dropped and took a moment to read the stream's comments.
Iguanaking: {The bastard did it}
Lookatme: {He did it, without a waifu, he did it}
52newboy: {Hell yeah!}
Wahthagame: {Let's go!}
Imnotagoose: {All without a girl}
I smiled and leaned toward the microphone.
"I did it."
When I started playing, I was a streamer with little notoriety. This game is what made me visible to a crazy number of people.
I watched the comment section go wild, and I smiled even more.
I looked at the screen where the main character stood.
Without a waifu, I had to think an optimal build.
I decided to wield weapons in both hands (twin short swords of different colors). I had to put more points into strength and speed to keep up with the bosses after the first half of the game.
Light armor, black robes with extra resistance, white shoulder pads with gold details, and a white cloth at the waist as an amulet.
Basically, I mixed items to achieve something decent in terms of stats.
Tomorrow, I'll be the talk of the town.
"Alright, time to finish this," I said, grabbing the controller and heading toward the blue light steps that formed after defeating Helal.
The throne of the King of Souls was there.
It felt almost impossible to have reached this point alone.
"Thanks to everyone for your support during this adventure." The chat instantly showed their support; they're great fans.
Finally, in the sky castle, before reaching the midnight throne… I could see the end.
I smiled. Alright, I'm close to winning.
When I entered the throne room, I saw the message the developers left for players:
"The confined King will regain his life after 900 years.
He will regain his power after 90 years.
He will regain his essence after 9 years.
And the world in 9 days"
"Lore…" I said, not too interested. Throughout the adventure, the lore about the protagonist's fate was scattered in items and conversations.
Needless to say, in a game about waifus and epic battles, the protagonist's lore is worthless.
Anyway, to the important stuff.
The throne of the King of Souls is magnificent, made of blue crystal that seemed to contain universes, suspended in a golden glow with fire-like effects.
Normally, this is where the player and their waifu would destroy the throne and absorb the power within, effectively becoming gods.
Well, screw that.
I moved the character to the throne, and the options appeared.
{Sit}
{Destroy}
I'm going to savor this moment.
My phone rang, ruining the thrill of victory.
"One moment, please." I looked at the phone on the table and saw a message from Dylan Whatcher, another streamer.
And my number one hater.
During the game's initial boom, he became known for giving a review that said nothing and demanding an easy mode.
Git gud.
He was also the first to use every discovered exploit and build created by others.
And the first to call himself "the best [Kings Roads] player in the world."
It's rare for him to talk to me; he's supposedly being canceled for being toxic as hell to everyone.
I'm among the small content creators who spoke out against his memecoin.
The guy slandered me until a gaming channel accused him of using bots to inflate his views, and he focused on throwing shit at them until someone else exposed him for a scam.
He's supposed to have me blocked on social media.
Dylanreview: [Congrats, you pathological liar, now you'll be half as relevant as I am.]
I sighed wearily, looked at the camera, and smiled calmly.
"Our friend Dylan, after the failure of his fifth scam and harassing a cosplayer who rejected him, has shown signs of life." My chat burst into laughter instantly.
Babayouga: {Hey Groomer, weren't you being canceled for harassing a Vtuber?}
Mikerealperson: {Dude, it's literally projection.}
Lookatme: {Trash.}
Lordskeleton: {Why Isn't he already in jail?}
I don't like mocking someone with obvious issues, but Dylan had crossed so many lines that it was almost impossible to empathize with him.
When I started as a streamer, I wasn't in the best place emotionally or financially. Those were tough days.
Dylan back then made a habit of harassing up-and-coming streamers to avoid losing his audience.
I was one of his most targeted victims, usually with comments like: "A mediocre guy like him barely gets a hundred viewers a day," "I don't know what people see in him; he obviously has no charisma and is an egomaniac," "People like him always end up being p*ahem*phile."
Dylan had a habit of projecting.
During a stream, I made a joke about it, and his hardcore fans told him.
From then on, I became an enemy of the "Bees" and Dylan.
To be honest, his fans sometimes seem like a cult.
Dylan, being the embodiment of egocentrism, responded to my comment with:
Dylanreview: [You're disgusting]
"Being a bad person in your eyes automatically makes me a good person, Dylan. Go see a therapist, man."
I ignored him. Dylan wasn't worth. I refocused on the game, my mind ready.
{Sit}
The protagonist sat, and I waited for the final cinematic and credits.
"What is your wish?"
Golden letters appeared above the protagonist—an unusual animation with no options to choose.
"There's nothing to pick…" I said. Maybe it was a bug. God, I'd hate to have to beat Helal again because of a stupid glitch.
"Reveal your greatest dream."
Okay, that was weird. I saw the chat was as confused as I was.
"Well, folks, it looks like we've stumbled into something completely new. What do these evil developers have in mind?" This is what I wanted—a new outcome.
My chat started sharing their opinions.
Bananalag: {Maybe it's connected directly to the developers. Ask for money.}
Not a bad idea, but I doubt it's just that.
MrLol: {What if you load from the last save point and see if this happens again?}
"I'm a gamer, MrLol, not a masochist," I said flatly.
Basically, going through a three-phase hellish boss with increasingly ridiculous ultimates and God-knows-how-many attempts.
Leighbrown: {What if it's a joke for not picking a waifu?}
Could be, but this has never happened before. It's something new… God, I hope it's not a prank.
"I hope not. I've spent too much time on this run." I'd feel like an idiot if it was.
Noagainthis: {What if you think about a real wish?}
Honestly, I've got nothing to lose by playing along.
"Okay, let's see. What's my wish?"
Money? Nah, I'm good with what I earn as a streamer. Fame? Nah, I'm fine as is.
Lookatme: {You can be honest with us}
Hey, my first fan.
Lookatme was there when I started this whole thing. Over the last 7 years, they've been one of the most loyal and supportive fans of the channel.
I don't usually open up much, but when I do, I end up remembering some sad stuff.
"Guys… have you ever felt like you never belong with others? I don't know, it's weird."
Eight years ago, I lost everything because of someone I loved. After healing, I realized I was never anything to her.
Raul2451: {Man, I think you're just tired of people coming to bother you.}
"Yeah, maybe that's it."
It's not.
I thought about my dad. We've never had a good relationship. In fact, the last I heard, he got remarried.
Good for him.
My siblings probably think I'm dead. Otherwise… nah, they just don't care what happens to me.
And I was never great at making friends…
I decided not to dwell on it and checked the chat again.
Lookatme: {What do you wish for?}
I looked at the game again.
"Reveal your greatest dream."
I remembered my old cat, Mychelle… Hey, I know my greatest dream.
I smiled at the camera.
"I'd wish for a place to belong, you know? Somewhere to come back to when I'm tired and know someone's waiting for me… a home. That'd be great."
Maybe I'm too sentimental.
I checked the chat. They were in the middle of a fight with…
Dylanreview: {This sicko must dream of eliminating those who expose him as a scammer and manipulator.}
Mikerealperson: {Dylan, everyone knows you've been brainwashing your fans to support you in everything.}
Lordskeleton: {You need professional help, Dylan.}
Bananalag: {How's your new scam going, Dylan?}
Lookatme: {Weren't you the one with a crush on a character who's a little girl?}
"Dylan, damn it, man. I wish you'd just be a decent person for once."
I said it out loud, and then…
"Your wish has been heard.
Our best wishes, King of Souls."
I felt vertigo. Still seated, I fell backward, flailing my hands uselessly to grab onto something.
It's like I'd been thrown into the sea. The darkness around me is so deep I can't even see my hands.
I'm floating in nothingness.
I… I'm struggling to stay awake…
Hey… I don't want… I don't want…
"Aah!"
I jolted upright, drenched in sweat, my heart racing a mile a minute.
I brought a hand to my face. My head hurts like someone drilled into my brain.
I threw off the blanket, got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom.
Wait.
I stopped halfway.
My body moved on autopilot, but looking closely, this isn't my room.
It's elegant—black and gold ceramic floors, dark wood ceiling, everything looks insanely expensive. It's a king's room.
This isn't my room.
The bed I was in moments ago looked like a cloud, covered in golden cotton fabrics.
I've never seen this room before.
Where am I? What am I doing here?
I have to escape. Obviously, I've been kidnapped… I need… I need…
"Calm down," I told myself, in a voice that had never come from my lips before.
Mechanically, I looked at the mirror near a massive black wood closet. I saw my reflection, and it felt like the world was wrong.
White hair, completely white.
Blood-red eyes.
Pale skin, like a corpse.
Much younger than I actually am.
And…
"Jakob Liedschlag." That name slipped from my lips like it was the most natural thing in the world.
But that's impossible. My name is…
"AAAH!"
It felt like molten metal was being poured into my head. I collapsed to the floor, clenching my teeth.
I can't breathe. Everything around me is turning black.
It feels like my veins are pumping lava, my muscles tensing.
I've lost my sense of smell, touch, and my body is burning.
God, please make it stop. It's too much.
Kill me… kill me!
I… I… I…
Suddenly, the pain stopped.
"I am Jakob Liedschlag." My mind cleared. Memories that aren't mine, of a life I never lived, flooded my head.
I am Jakob Liedschlag.
Oh, shit.
I got up from the floor.
Jakob Liedschlag is the name of a newly enrolled student at the Eozän Academy, from the Kingdom of Erdeder Gnade.
And the tutorial boss for the protagonist of [Kings Roads] to learn the basic combat mechanics.
Yes, I've just been isekai'd into a Souls-like game, but not as the hero, a special character, or a secret character.
But as a tutorial boss with no real significance, who will very likely die in the upcoming conflict.
Well.
"Shit."