Reincarnated as a Mob in an Otome Game, but the Characters Were Worse Than I Expected, So I Crushed Them All and Destroyed the Story - Chapter 01: A Mob Reincarnates

Chapter 01: A Mob Reincarnates

“Ah… it’s over…”

I muttered to myself as I sat in front of my computer monitor.

On the screen, the credits were rolling, listing the names of voice actors and developers.

I stared at them with empty eyes, lost in thought.

That strange mix of accomplishment and emptiness that comes after finishing a game was hitting me hard.

And since this was the kind of masterpiece people would call a legendary game, that feeling was even stronger.

“Yawn… Man, I’m exhausted… How long has it been since I last slept…?”

I turned to look at the clock hanging on my wall. The hands pointed to 6 AM.

Technically, today was Monday—meaning my weekend was officially over.

In just an hour, I’d have to leave for work.

I had planned to sleep properly, but I got so absorbed in the game that I lost track of time.

I glanced back at the monitor, where the title screen had reappeared after the credits.

The game I’d just completed was “Magic Romance~A Commoner Like Me Is Being Adored by Princes!?,” a newly released otome game developed by a well-known gaming company.

I had never played an otome game before.

Honestly, I never saw the appeal—what’s so fun about romancing guys?

And yet, I still bought it.

Why? Because I was a huge fan of the game’s director.

So when I saw they had released a new title, my hands moved on their own—even though I had never touched an otome game before.

(Well… otome games aren’t as bad as I thought. Was I just being stubborn, or was it only good because they were the one who made it…?)

Honestly, I was leaning toward the latter.

The story was great, but more than that, the battle system and difficulty adjustments were top-notch.

The freedom in strategy, the depth of character growth, the endless combos you could pull off if you mastered the mechanics—it was the kind of gameplay that completely sucked you in.

To be honest, if they stripped out the romance and sold it purely as an RPG, I bet it would still be a massive hit.

The game had three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Very Hard.

And let me tell you, Very Hard was no joke. It lived up to its name in every way.

If a character died in battle, that was it. They were gone forever.

There was no shady church demanding money in exchange for a resurrection, no miraculous revival herbs that could bring someone back from the dead.

In an otome game, where the whole point is romance, permanently losing love interests and party members felt a little extreme.

But at the same time, that intense, nerve-wracking tension—where a single mistake could ruin everything—made clearing the game with your own strategy feel incredibly satisfying.

For a gamer, that feeling was priceless.

“…Maybe I should do one more run before work.”

I wouldn’t have time for a full playthrough, but I could at least make some progress.

If I went to sleep now, I’d probably just end up oversleeping, so staying awake seemed like the better option.

Even I had to admit I was thinking like an addict.

Still, I selected Very Hard again and created a new save file.

Skipping through the opening cutscene, I fast-forwarded the early parts of the story.

After about thirty minutes, I saved my progress, turned off the screen, and started changing into my suit.

(Can’t afford to be late. Better hurry up and get ready…)

I slipped my arms into a freshly laundered dress shirt and tightened my tie.

This part—getting ready for work—was the worst.

If I could, I’d spend my whole life just playing games.

But I didn’t want to be a burden on my parents, so I made sure to at least hold down a steady job.

“Doors locked, gas is off. Alright, time to—whoa!?”

Suddenly, my vision twisted.

I lost all feeling in my body—I couldn’t even tell if I was still standing.

My eyelids grew unbearably heavy. I couldn’t keep them open.

Breathing was hard. My body refused to move.

(This is bad… I’m dying…? I haven’t even hit thirty yet, and I’m already dying…? There are still so many masterpieces I haven’t played…!)

And just like that, my consciousness sank into darkness.

◇◆◇

(…Huh? Where… am I?)

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.

My head felt foggy, like I was half-asleep.

But the fact that I was awake at all meant I had somehow survived… right?

Though, now that I thought about it, why had I even collapsed in the first place?

I didn’t want to die, that much was certain.

(Is this… a hospital? Ugh… My boss is gonna have a field day with this…)

I tried to sit up and take a look around—but for some reason, my body wouldn’t move.

Not just my arms or legs—even my neck wouldn’t budge.

All I could see was the ceiling.

Wait… am I paralyzed?

Sure, my lifestyle hadn’t exactly been the healthiest, but I never thought it’d get this bad.

At worst, I figured I’d end up hospitalized for a week or so—not completely unable to move.

“Oh my, you’re being awfully quiet today, Ed.”

…Edo?

Uh, I live in Tokyo, actually.

When did we time-travel back to the Edo period?

“Fufu, you look so confused. It’s Mommy, sweetie~”

The owner of the voice leaned over me.

A stunning woman, probably in her early twenties, peered down with a gentle smile.

She had black hair, but her facial features looked more Western.

Wait, since when did nurses cosplay for baby roleplay?

That’s some next-level service.

Not that I asked for it. Or wanted it.

“Aa… uu…”

(…!? My voice!? I can’t talk!? And that sound just now—!)

I tried to politely refuse, but the voice that came out of my mouth was completely unexpected.

It wasn’t the deep, mature voice of an adult man.

Instead, it was a high-pitched, barely coherent sound.

I had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear—this voice wasn’t mine.

“Aa… da…”

“Fufu, you’re such a lively baby. Here, let’s get you all comfy.”

(—!?)

Before I could even process what was happening, the woman effortlessly picked me up and cradled me in her arms.

Hold on.

I weighed at least 60 kilos.

How was she lifting me so easily!?

She didn’t look particularly muscular, and she wasn’t that tall either.

But then, I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of my vision—my hand.

It was unbelievably tiny.

Like… baby-sized tiny.

(No… No, no, no, NO! There’s no way—!)

And yet…

I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t move.
I was being held like a baby with zero effort.

Then, I saw it—the final nail in the coffin.

A full-length mirror stood behind the woman, reflecting the scene perfectly.

There she was, gently holding a baby.

A baby that was… unmistakably me.

At this point, there was no denying it.

Even though I had always dismissed this kind of thing as pure fiction, reality was slapping me in the face.

(So I did die after all!?!?)