Makiya Ryuichi got access to the beta test of a full-dive survival game.
As a member of the Red Faction, he had to survive the Black Faction's attacks, uncover the truth behind the case, help the NPC Kudo Shinichi return to normal, and wrap things up with a grand message, ending with every member of the Black Faction behind bars and a happy ending for everyone.
However, when assigning his stats, Makiya Ryuichi got carried away by his own mischief. He set his Luck to E and put all his spare points into the other stats.
And so Makiya Ryuichi, a character with A-rank Strength and Speed but E-rank Luck, was born.
Except...
While Makiya Ryuichi was sleeping at home, the Black Faction blew up his house while dealing with a traitor. Dead.
While Makiya Ryuichi was out getting a meal, the Black Faction blew up the restaurant during a mission. Dead.
While Makiya Ryuichi was riding a Ferris wheel at an amusement park with an NPC, the car he was in came loose and plummeted. Dead.
While Makiya Ryuichi was on his way to school, the Black Faction, out of options, took him hostage and killed him. Not dead, but he was left disabled and the game bugged out, forcing him to log out and start over.
Even after becoming a police officer, he could run into the Black Faction while on patrol. He died trying to save innocent civilians.
Makiya Ryuichi was furious.
Then he died 999 more times.
*
After experiencing every single one of this godforsaken game's pitfalls, Makiya Ryuichi finally waited for the game's official launch.
He just hadn't expected that his beta stats couldn't be reset. He had to replay the game with the same stats he had in the beta.
But that wasn't a big deal.
After dying 999-plus times, Makiya Ryuichi finally rose to the challenge.
He skillfully dodged all kinds of scripted deaths and ridiculous plot twists, kept himself and the NPCs alive, caught a few criminals, and downed a few bottles of watered-down booze. After graduating from the police academy, he finally cleared the first chapter.
When he exited the game and checked the game forum, he was astonished to find that he seemed to have become a player NPC in the game?
Meanwhile, the forum was abuzz with discussion:
[Makiya Ryuichi is so handsome!! Buy his outfit! Buy his outfit!]
[My guess is he's a mole in the Black Organization. Otherwise, why would members of the organization show up every time he does?]
[He's definitely a mole, right? He's saved so many moles who were about to die! If he's not a Red Faction mole, I'll eat poop standing on my head!]
[His actions, I mean, his actions are really impossible to figure out. It feels like he has a hand in everything. There's no way he's just an ordinary guy.]
[The writers, seriously, I'm crying. You even made him comment on the real world three times.]
Makiya Ryuichi: I mean, is it possible that I'm just an unlucky guy with E-rank Luck, and I happen to run into every single terrible thing? :)
*
At some point, the game's "NPCs" awakened their memories of the past.
Only then did they suddenly realize that all the smooth sailing, stability, and perfection they had experienced were things that person had earned through countless repeated attempts.
After countless cycles and changes, the perfect ending had finally arrived.
Including for him.
Theme: Keep hope in your heart and grow strong.