I Became the Villainous Writer In Wuxia Romance Chapter 1

 [Chapter 1: Game]

"Senior, I heard that even though you got a job at our company, you write novels too, right? I made a game with my friend. Can you review the story for me?"

It was all because of a proposal from my university junior that I got into this ridiculous situation.

"I'm busy preparing for my new work. But what kind of story review are you talking about?"

“Brother, please. When this game is released, I will put your name on the production team. You write novels while working at a company... isn't that because you just didn't want to do job for the rest of your life? If I put your name in a place like this and it becomes famous, wouldn't you be able to use it someday?”

Well, I was just a mass-produced novel writer,  so I got a job because it was difficult to live on my own. Still, I never knew what would happen to his game in the future, so I accepted the offer as I had some time left after finishing my work.  

And that was the biggest mistake of my life.

The start was good. 

"Wow. Why are the heroines so beautiful?"

As soon as I turned on the game, two heroines greeted me. One was a blonde-haired heroine with a Western appearance. Another one was a brown-haired heroine exuding oriental beauty with a melancholy expression.  

They were beautiful characters that would make you feel like you would get a salary of 100 million won even if you got a job at a game company right away. 

'How well would the game have been made if illustrations were this pretty?'

"The setting seems to be a martial arts world."

'Why does it have to be a martial arts work? The entry barrier seems to be quite high.'

Although I write web novels, I did not write martial arts novels because they had a higher entry barrier for readers compared to other genres, and it was the same for me as a writer.

Even with this level of skill, I could at least make something even if I wrote only fantasy or modern genres.

"I am a fan of martial arts though."

I may not be a martial arts writer, but I was a hardcore martial arts fan. My first genre novel was also a martial arts novel, and I still read quality martial arts novels.

And then there was martial arts romance. The genre where heroines decorated with various clichés such as Hwasanpa*, Bukhaebinggung*, Namgung Sae-ga*, Dangga*, Namhae Botaa-am*, Amipa* could appear.

I also liked heroines who were not part of the Munpa* or Sega*. The romance with the martial arts heroine I imagined was even more exciting than I thought.

The game started with such excitement.

However, the game took a disappointing turn as soon as the heroine and the protagonist met for the first time.

[That red hair. He must be from Hwasanpa.]

[A brilliant blonde. How can someone from the royal family be here?]

"What?"

'No, why was someone from Hwasanpa have red hair? And the royal family is blonde?'

There might be settings where a person could turn their hair red by over-practicing the fireball techniques of volcanic wave or extreme ice techniques to become silver-haired like the North Sea Ice Palace, but having someone from the royal family be blonde is just odd.

'He probably didn't think of the volcanic wave as fire.'

It was probably a setting to bring out the character's personality since it was a romance one. However, it's still a martial arts game, so it should follow the basic framework. With anxious expectations, I continued to play.

[How much is a bowl of Sōmen* here?]

[It's 5 coppers for a bowl of Sōmen*!]

"???????"

It only took a few minutes for my expectations to crumble.

Was this a popular martial arts joke these days?

Please eat the 'semen' during Luck Brunch Time. It was that kind of thing?!

Why not even use carbonara* too?

[Sohyeop. When serving women, you should at least prepare carbonara* instead of somen noodles.]

[Oh! Was Somen not good after all?]

"...Haha ...Is this a comedy?"

Laughter flowed out because it was absurd: How could modern-day taste be common in a Martial Art game?

What the hell was going to happen next? Were they going to sue each other?

It was content that destroyed common sense, so I decided to ignore it and keep going.

As the story progressed a little, a flashback scene of the princess heroine came out.

[I don't want to marry the man that Mama has chosen for me. I will go out to Murim and marry the most famous man!]

[Lady! Please don't say such dangerous things! The outside world is overflowing with dangerous Murim people!!]

[Then I'll become a Murim person too! I brought several roots of ginseng from the secret storage room of the imperial family.]

[Lady! It would be a big problem if His Majesty found out!]

[Never mind, just keep an eye on who's coming. I will eat this and become a Murim person.]

[ I don't know, really.... ]

[I absorbed all 5 roots of Snow Ginseng. Now no one can beat me. I'm going to go to Murim and marry the most famous man.]

She became the strongest martial artist by absorbing all five roots of Snow Ginseng.

That was how she came into the world to marry the most famous man in Murim.

[SYSTEM: The most important thing to see the ending with the princess heroine is the reputation level.]

"...What?"

Without any training, actual combat, or enlightenment, did she just become the strongest in Murim just because she took some elixir?

While restraining the innate impulses of the impulsive gamer, I played the game for a day or two, and a week later:

"What the hack!! This is not a martial arts game!! And it's not a dating sim either!!"

In my own room, I cried out when I saw the ending of this total impasse.

The game scenario was simple.

The 'Red-Haired' protagonist, who trained in martial arts, became a strong warrior.

If one increased his reputation, they got involved with the princess heroine. If one saved up money, they got involved with the courtesan heroine.

The problem was that it was not suitable for either martial arts or dating sims. Although there were not many places where a martial arts expert like the protagonist could be tackled, the biggest problem was the romantic aspect.

What was a dating sim? 

The male protagonist develops himself while meeting the female heroine, and chooses one of them to give a heartfelt exchange or rescue story. And it continues.

But this game was not like that.

The center of all events and stories was not the protagonist but the princess heroine.

'Oh nooo! The protagonist. Something sad happened to me!'

'Oh nooo! My lord protagonist. I got into an accident. Please help me!'

That was how he became the main character, who took care of the princess heroine.

"Why are you so weak? I have to solve everything!"

"..."

"If my name becomes famous for this, it will be a big problem… Hmmmm, this time… even though I solved it, let's just say you solved it."

The cool scene was of the protagonist getting away with the blame, while the princess received the credit.

As I kept playing, I began to think that the protagonist was just training in martial arts and increasing his reputation to become the trophy of the heroine, rather than for his own growth.

What kind of dating sim was this? It was just a fantasy romance with a female lead.

One could ask that if I didn't like this kind of heroine, why not choose a different one? But when I tried to do that, suddenly unexpected obstacles appeared in the way:

"No, how can someone put a widow villainess as one of the only two heroines!?"

Yes, this was the second route.

[Hmm. I think that red-haired guy goes out with that Moyong woman these days. You know her, right? That woman who killed her husband on their wedding night. And then she took all of the husband's family's property... It's better not to get too close to her or any weirdo who goes out with her.]

"What kind of heroine is this?"

In fact, it was revealed later that it was just a clichéd romance story… so if one kept that in mind, it was even more ridiculous.

"Moyong family only wanted me to marry that scumbag for the wealth of his family."

"On the first day we met, he told me to prepare myself for bed, saying that he had bought me with money, so he could make me whatever he wants: whether his mistress or plaything, it doesn't matter."

The typical unwanted marriage plot where the heroine was not at fault but rather the man… Was this the kind of story it was?

"Isn't it cruel to have to marry a man who doesn't love you? So I sent fake evidence of rebellion beforehand that overthrew that man's family, and they were sentenced to death because of treason."

What…?

"It would have been nice if you could have seen the look on his face when he heard about the rebellion of his family. Seeing his face twisted in despair was more satisfying than any other moment."

"I felt relieved when I killed him as he stumbled into my room, drunk. And as a reward for revealing the rebellion, the deceased man's property went entirely to me, his wife."

"Even after hearing this story, can you still love me?"

'No. I can't. You're a terrible person.'

"No, seriously, why are both heroines like these?"

One was a nuisance while the other was a villainess.

In the end, the route I chose was of the 'nuisance' heroine.

And honestly, it wasn't because of any reason I stated above. Instead, the problem was money; to progress on the route of the Moyong family's daughter needed money while the princess' route could be progressed through reputation.

And reputation could be earned by doing good and right deeds, but to make money, the quests forced me to do dirty or cowardly things.

[If you hand over the last witness of the massacred village, you'll get 100 gold coins. Protecting the witness will increase your reputation by 100.]

"This is crossing the line."

So in the end, I took the princess' route. The ending was the protagonist becoming the princess's husband and becoming the most famous in the world of martial arts.

When you see a romance ending, you hope that they live happily ever after, but I felt sorry for the protagonist who became the pawn of the princess's great plan.

What kind of martial arts romance fantasy was this? 

'Ugh! I can't stand it.'

"I need to give some feedback first."

I originally planned to do both routes, but looking at the writing till now, I thought it was best for me to give feedback first.

I decided it was best to give a review in a soft tone because if I wrote with a strong tone, my junior could get hurt. So I tried to be more careful, but he said he wasn't in charge of the scenario and asked me to write without any reservations because some sharp feedback was needed.

"Asking an angry novelist to give a sharp feedback when he is so frustrated… Well, why should I care? At least, the story will improve!"

With such thought, I wrote an accusation disguised as feedback on more than 30 pages, sent it to the screenwriter, and fell asleep.

**

"Young master, I see the Moyong territory over there!"

I could also see it on the horizon.

"....Okay."

"If you look so stern like that when you go to get married, people will think bad things about you."

"...I'll be dying soon anyway."

"What?"

“I gave you the feedback you asked for, so does possession even make sense…?”

Sigh

It wasn't even malicious criticism.

I just gave feedback in the tone I was asked to.

So why the hell did I possess the body of the prospective groom… who died in the hands of the heroine on their wedding night?

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[TL: 

Munpa is a term that refers to the forces belonging to Murim in martial arts. In a narrow sense, it refers to an organization that receives students and teaches martial arts, and is distinguished from Sega, which is related by blood, and Bangpa, which is an interest group.

Sōmen is a very thin noodle made of wheat flour, less than 1.3 mm in diameter.

Carbonara is a Roman pasta dish made with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper.

Bukhaebinggung: '북해빙궁' or 'North Sea Ice Palace' is a force or sect from martial arts novels. It is also called 'Ice Palace' for short.

Namgung Sae-ga: '남궁세가' is the Murim family, made up of blood relatives with Namgung surnames. It occupies the head of the five generations, and is often regarded as the head of the family, such as Shaolin Temple, the north head of Mount Taesan, and the shaman faction.

Dangga: '당가' is the reference from a book named 'Tanggaamryong' or '당가암룡'. 

Namhae Botaa-am: '남해보타암' is the school of a sect that appears in martial arts novels. It is a Buddhist sect based on Puta Mountain located in Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang Province, China.

Amipa: '아미파' is the sect from Martial Arts. It is a prestigious political faction that is counted as one of the old file rooms. The base is Bokhosa, a temple built on Mt. Emei in Sichuan, China, and among them, Geumjeongbong, the main peak.

Hwasanpa:  '화산파'  is one of the 10 most prestigious sects among the sects belonging to the political faction of Murim, it is regarded as one of the main representative sects of the Jeongpa. It is located on the top of Lianhua Peak on the west side of Huashan Mountain in Huayin County, Shaanxi Province. Its literal translation in English is 'Volcano wave'.

]