Chapter 2 : Ace Ace Heroic Story

Reverse Heroic Tale.
As the title suggests, it was the best of the best game.
Set in a gender-reversed world, it earned overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Flawless gameplay.
Spectacular visuals.
A heart-wrenching story.
Unforgettable characters.
And time-devouring immersion.

This game hit every mark for me.
It became my game of a lifetime, like it was fate.
I sank into Reverse Heroic Tale completely.

My mind strayed from it only a handful of times each day.
Every other moment, I was lost in thoughts of Reverse Heroic Tale.

Maybe it was my obsession with the game.
I conquered its final challenge, the Truth difficulty, which no one else had cleared.

The instant I snapped a screenshot to prove it, a blinding light swallowed me.
I was reincarnated into the world of Reverse Heroic Tale.

“Young Master Woo-bin, focus and concentrate!”
“Follow this Yubu’s demonstration!”

A world with Yubu instead of nannies.
That was the world of Reverse Heroic Tale.

It’s not some fcked-up dystopia* where Yubu nurse like mothers.
They’re called Yubu because they bottle-feed infants instead.

“Well then, I’ll begin.”
“Please concentrate, Young Master Woo-bin.”

My Yubu spoke, still strange to me even after five years in this world.
They gripped the sword hilt gently.

A stance so natural, the sword seemed an extension of their body.
Only a lifetime of wielding a blade could forge such skill.

“Huuuh. Hoooh……”

Yubu took a deep breath, relaxing their frame.
Without hesitation, they swung the sword downward.

Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack.

“The two pillars of cooking are knife work and fire control, Young Master.”
“As a son of the proud Yang family, these skills will make you a fine husband.”

Yubu glanced at me sideways, never breaking their rhythm.
They chopped green onions with unwavering precision.

In moments, a single stalk was sliced diagonally.
Every piece was identical in size.

“Do you see?”
“You must cut like this to stand proud in the kitchen.”
“Young Master, you’ll support a wife someday.”
“Don’t slack, or you’ll tarnish the Yang family name.”

Yubu plucked a small knife from the kitchen shelf.
They handed it to me.

A children’s kitchen knife, crafted for my five-year-old hands.

“Now, shall we practice?”

Yubu’s bright smile held no trace of doubt.

A world where a five-year-old is handed a blade without question?
That’s Reverse Heroic Tale… or maybe not.

“You might fear injury, Young Master, but don’t worry.”
“Our Yang family has a medical team just for you.”
“The head of the family ensures your studies face no obstacles.”
“Just learn diligently, free of stray thoughts.”
[TL Note: “Stray thoughts” refers to distractions or unnecessary worries, akin to the Korean term jap saenggak.]

No, it’s just that the Yang family I was born into is batsht insane*.

“Are there any defects?”

Those were my mother’s first words when I was born.
I remember them vividly.
They greeted me as I woke from fainting after clearing Truth difficulty.

My biological mother in this world spoke them.
She checked my fingers, toes, and even my body parts.
Then she said:

“Hmm, no defects.”
“He’ll be useful for a marriage alliance later.”

Those words filled me with cosmic horror.

Later, I learned I’d reincarnated into Reverse Heroic Tale.
That brought a second wave of shock.

The first was dread at a world where a mother could say such bullsht* about her newborn.
The second was despair at being born into this family, even in my game of a lifetime.

Reverse Heroic Tale is a gender-reversed game, sure.
But it’s set in a modern timeline.

Even with swapped roles, it’s not a world where female dominance or male inferiority is a given.

“Now, Young Master, break’s over.”
“Next lesson: laundry.”
“Your future wife’s household may have servants.”
“But some wives expect husbands to lead chores.”
“Best to master the basics.”

Except for extreme families like the Yang family.

“We must not shame the family name.”

In Reverse Heroic Tale, a class system exists.
Long ago, a disaster struck the world.
Heroes rose to stop it.

The 108 heroes who survived became the world’s nobles.
Their families formed the modern prestigious families.

The Yang family I was born into is one such lineage.
But this Yang family clings to outdated traditions.
They resent the shift toward gender equality.

They believe: As nobles, we must uphold tradition.

What bullsht.*

‘In a superhuman society, power defines worth.’
‘Men, weaker than women, are mere tools for the family.’
This twisted ideology is second nature to them.
As a modern person, I can’t stomach it.

Scrub scrub scrub scrub scrub scrub.

I watched Yubu scrub laundry on a washboard.
I sighed deeply inside.

How did I end up in such a fcked-up family?*

“Well, today’s lessons end here.”
“Good night, Young Master Woo-bin.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow at 5 a.m.”

Current time: 11 p.m.

Yubu left after drilling me in cooking, laundry, and more.
Their parting words about 5 a.m. chilled me.

Alone at last, I collapsed onto the bed.
My body and mind were drained.

“F*cking exhausting…!”

I could’ve slipped into sleep instantly.
But I couldn’t.

If I slept now, tomorrow would repeat today.
As a modern Korean, I refused to live solely to serve some future wife.

I forced my heavy eyes open.
Gritting my teeth, I dragged my limp body upright.
I sat cross-legged on the floor.

“Huuuuh…… Hoooh……”

Clinging to my fading sanity, I closed my eyes lightly.
I took slow, deep breaths.

Air filled my lungs.
Each exhale purged the stifling weight inside.

With every breath, I relaxed my shoulders, my body.
Soon, I felt alone in the world, whole and still.

This was meditation.
I’d done it daily since I could sit upright in this world.

“Huuuuuh…… Hoooh……”

Reverse Heroic Tale is modern but fantasy.
A world of superhumans who transcend limits.

Mana makes a superhuman.
Sense it, and you qualify as one.

This meditation was my path to feel mana.

“Huuuuh…… Hoooh……”

As a Yang family descendant, awakening as a superhuman was inevitable.
Prestigious families trace back to the 108 heroes.

Awakening happens naturally.
A child’s body adapts to mana in the air.
When sensitivity peaks, a sixth sense opens.

The first mana you sense forms a mana core.
That’s when you become a superhuman.

Like baby teeth giving way to permanent ones, it’s natural for these families.
But I was forcing that process early.

“Huuuuuh……”

The Yang family estate brims with dense mana.
Even without an awakened sixth sense, my noble bloodline guaranteed potential.

I didn’t know how long it would take.
It was a grind with no promises.

Like headbutting stone.

Crackle—!

“……!”

But even raindrops carve rock in time.

Through daily meditation, sacrificing sleep, I’d done it.

“……Wow.”

I felt the particles of power filling the room.

Five years after reincarnating, Yang Woo-bin had his first victory.