Do Your Own Revolution

Thud-!

The battered man’s body tumbled onto the dreary prison floor.

The clothes he wore were the uniform issued to revolutionary army officers.

“Cough! Hack…!”

Blood that had pooled in the man’s mouth spurted out along with his coughs.

The soldiers silently locked the prison bolt, leaving behind the man who was twitching in pain.

“……”

If anyone who knew this man had been in this prison, they would have been quite puzzled.

He was Eugene Lorentz, Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army.

What reason could there be for this man, who should be toasting with high officials of the revolutionary government by now, to be thrown into this dark underground prison while covered in blood?

Had the revolution failed? No, that wasn’t it.

The corrupt Emperor had his head cut off by angry citizens, and the new head of government declared they would make this country a nation of citizens.

“Let’s go together! Whether it’s the monsters that threaten us, or Westraine in the west! Together we can overcome them!”

“Hurrah-!”

“Long live the Revolutionary Army-!”

Citizens who came out to the streets scattered flower petals.

They waved flags celebrating the success of the revolution.

But amid that fever of jubilation.

This man alone, who had been the greatest contributor to the revolution, could not join in that parade.

“I’m sorry, Eugene. However…”

Deputy Commander Claude in military uniform squeezed his eyes shut.

He avoided Eugene’s gaze when their eyes met.

He was a comrade who had fought alongside Eugene on the battlefield.

“I regret that things turned out this way. But please understand. In this country where the Emperor is gone… a hero like you is no longer needed.”

Randall, dressed in an elegant suit, lowered his eyes.

He was a businessman who had supported the revolutionary army and would be the chancellor of the newly born country.

“I won’t ask you to understand our decision, Eugene. However, this is absolutely necessary.”

The last to speak was Prince Baker.

Having supported the revolution, he had gained the position of Emperor in the constitutional monarchy.

“Ha, haha…!”

The era no longer needed heroes, and there was no place for him in the new world.

Upon hearing those words, Eugene forcefully lowered his gaze to the floor.

His former comrades looked at Eugene like this, then turned their backs and left the prison.

“…Just as expected.”

Eugene realized.

No matter how much he sympathized with and devoted himself to their cause, they only saw him as a tool.

Though he had burned his entire being trying to save the world, in the end, he couldn’t save himself.

The wounded hero of the revolution slowly closed his eyes like that.

His devotion went unrewarded, and now he had nothing left.

…

……

………

[And so, the story of Eugene, the hero who burned his entire being for revolution, came to an end.]

[One who sought to save the suffering masses and save the world, but in the end could not save himself.]

[He will be forever remembered as a hero of the revolution, becoming a symbol for those who used him…]

~ Empire Revolution 2 ~

[END]

“…What, the, fuck?”

What the hell did I just watch?

Did I see that wrong?

No way, right?

Though I tried to deny reality multiple times and run through happy circuits, it was useless.

The moment [END] appeared on the monitor, my patience that I had been holding back shattered completely.

“Hey you crazy bastards-!”

When a fierce shotgun blast hit the keyboard, a kitten that had been napping on the wall jumped in surprise and ran away.

No, the cat isn’t the issue right now. This…! This kind of…!

“Is this really the ending? Really?! What the fuck, it was going so well and then what kind of shitty ending is this! What is this! Aaargh-!”

Empire Revolution 2.

Unrivaled gameplay that overshadowed its backward graphics.

While opinions varied, it was a masterpiece RPG that touched hearts once you immersed yourself in it, sweeping my personal GOTY – the sequel to ‘Empire Revolution.’

I had insane expectations.

I even brought camping equipment and lined up in front of the store from the day before, and quit my shitty job I’d hated for a while, staying up without sleep to focus on it.

‘Screw Manager Kim, screw the company! Screw work, screw everything! Fuck, I was born for this day!’

The game I had such crazy expectations for, screaming like a madman – why… why on earth…!

“Why kill off the protagonist like this at the end! Aaargh-!”

The protagonist had already lost most of his family-like companions in the previous game, and even sent away his beloved. But at least his comrades remained and the revolution was going smoothly, so I thought it would be a happy ending.

But how… how could they betray us like this…!

And moreover, what kind of game ends so hastily like this?

What about the source of the monsters? What about Westraine? How many loose ends are there, and you suddenly end it like this? And they say there won’t even be a sequel!

“Give me back my time you bastards! Did I spend nearly a month for this kind of moronic story…!”

The anger that had risen to my head showed no signs of cooling down.

While I was making a fuss like that for a while in that heated state.

“Ugh?!”

Along with a burning sensation that heated up the back of my head, something snapped in my mind.

The chair I was leaning on fell over. A dull impact rang through my head.

‘Ow shit, my head…’

Look at my state. No matter how heated I got, how could I fall like this.

Ugh how embarrassing. I should get up quickly and sort this out.

As I thought that and tried to get up.

‘…What the fuck is this.’

Something was strange.

No, it was very strange.

I definitely tried to speak out loud but… why are single quotes appearing?

“Uh, uh, uh……”

When I squeezed my voice with all my might, finally double quotes appeared.

No, that’s not the issue right now, those quotes.

“Uh, ah…?”

Words wouldn’t come out.

I tried to get up again, but my body sprawled on the floor wouldn’t budge.

‘Don’t tell me.’

By this point, I could somewhat figure out what was happening.

The reason I opened my eyes wide was simply because I couldn’t believe it.

‘Am I… in shock right now? From playing a game? Really?’

Strictly speaking, it probably wasn’t just because of the game.

I had been grinding away all day without holidays for nearly half a year, so the fatigue that had built up probably burst all at once.

‘Now’s not the time to think about the cause. Somehow, a phone. No, I need to call someone, anyone for help.’

The moment I thought that, I realized.

I live alone in this house, and my phone is on the desk.

No, even if I had my phone, who would I contact?

“Uh, uh……”

This is bad. My consciousness is getting fuzzy.

My vision became increasingly blurry like paint being mixed.

This is dangerous.

No, this passed the level of dangerous long ago.

‘Don’t fuck with me.’

No, seriously don’t fuck with me.

I’m dying like this? From rage while playing a game? Really?

This meaninglessly…?

“You bastards…! Th-this is really…! This can’t be…”

The moment I shouted using my last bit of strength.

My consciousness cut off.

There wasn’t even time to realize I was dying, or space to think it was unfair.

Suddenly and without warning, like a TV being unplugged.

The life of Seong Yu-jin ended so meaninglessly… just like that.

…

…

…

No, I thought it had ended.

“…Huh, huh?”

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling appeared.

An old ceiling with traces of time visible here and there.

It was a ceiling I had seen many times whenever starting the game.

“What the hell. This bastard, you finally woke up?”

My viewpoint is low.

My right cheek is throbbing and there’s a metallic taste in my mouth.

When I tried to move, my whole body ached.

There wasn’t a single spot that wasn’t hurt.

‘That face…’

But there was an even more serious problem than the pain I felt right now.

The guy clicking his tongue while looking at me.

Though he was just a fourteen-year-old kid, his build was no less than a full-grown adult.

I knew who this guy was.

“Saul?”

“…Who the hell do you think you are, you beggar bastard, saying my name so casually? Huh?”

“Gah?!”

When he kicked my chest, I couldn’t withstand the force and collapsed to the floor.

The place where my face hit was a wooden floor covered in dirt and filth.

Only then did I realize this was inside an old warehouse.

‘This, this situation…!’

Inside a shabby warehouse. The gang of vagrants surrounding me.

And the man watching from behind.

There was no doubt. Everything was exactly as it had been in the game.

“You piece of shit, I should smash your face…”

“That’s enough, Saul.”

As Saul grabbed my hair and lifted me up, the man standing behind stopped him.

Unlike the others in worn shirts, he was wearing a neat suit.

Another familiar face.

‘Chapter 1’s main villain, Action Leader Hans…?’

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

How could game characters be alive and breathing in front of me, what the hell is going on?

“Hehe, don’t worry boss! For a beggar bastard like this, you don’t need to step in…”

“I said that’s enough, you fucker.”

Saul’s shoulders flinched at the suddenly lowered voice.

The man was clearly displeased.

“I clearly told you, didn’t I? That’s enough. So who are you to tell me what to do? Are you my master?”

“N-no sir! I’m sorry!”

The grip holding me loosened at the chilling voice.

“Cough, hack, hack…!”

“…Sigh. What kind of bullshit is this in the middle of the night.”

The man who sighed while looking at me took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

With a hiss, the cigarette light appeared and gradually came closer to me.

“Kid. As you probably know well, you’re in this state not because of yourself. It’s because of your father who died first.”

“F-father…?”

“Yeah. Your old man Yuri Lorentz who died last week.”

The man who flicked away his finished cigarette lowered himself to meet my eyes.

“Listen well. The money your father borrowed from the gambling house before he died. Get it by next week no matter what. If you try to run away again this time…”

His voice got lower as he looked at me gasping for breath.

“I’ll grind you up in the butcher’s meat grinder and scatter you next to your parents who died earlier. Understand?”

“…!”

This sensation of my lungs being blocked, this voice.

And even the unique musty dampness of the back alleys and strong cigarette smell.

Though my mind was confused, this confirmed it.

‘This isn’t a dream. This is…’

A father killed while trying to run away after accumulating gambling debts.

And the protagonist being dragged out and beaten in the back alleys in his place.

‘This is Empire Revolution’s prologue.’

I had become… the protagonist of that terrible game whose ending I had just seen.

“…Hmph, seems like you finally understand.”

Did he think my confused expression was from fear?

Hans slowly stood up after examining my complexion.

“I’m leaving first. Make sure to educate him properly so he doesn’t get any funny ideas. Got it?”

“Yes, yes boss!”

After saying what he needed to say, Hans left the warehouse building.

But I knew.

That Empire Revolution’s prologue didn’t end here.

‘If my memory is correct, next comes…’

I turned my head to look at the guys surrounding me.

Saul and his gang showing vicious smiles while looking at me.

‘Ah, fuck, really.’

The real ordeal was just beginning.