Restarting Life as the Protagonist of a Fantasy Dating Sim Novel

Nick Aarden, a bullied and overweight high school student, discovers an old VR console and a cartridge titled "EternaLove Fantasy Edition" left by his late father. Desperate for escape, he enters the game and creates Nero Ardenvale, a charming protagonist and apprentice to the powerful mage Merlin the Great. As Nick progresses through the dating sim, he discovers the game has real-world consequences. Each romantic conquest and completed quest grants power to both his avatar and his physical body. His appearance transforms dramatically—his face becomes slimmer, his acne disappears, and his eyes brighten. The boundaries between the game world and reality begin to blur. NPCs from the fantasy world start appearing at Nick's school. A slime girl materializes in his shower, and the dragon princess he romanced in-game appears in his living room. Monsters emerge across the city itself. Nick must now navigate two worlds simultaneously, balancing his virtual adventures with the increasingly strange reality where his fantasy romance game has become dangerously real.