The False Hero

Disillusioned businessman John Lawrence Locke finds himself summoned as a hero to another world filled with monsters and magic, his body reverted to the age of fifteen. Betrayed by the very people who summoned him, he is condemned as the False Hero and forced to flee for his life. Alone in an unfamiliar world and hunted by all of humanity, he takes on the alias of Lutz and uses his gaming knowledge to quickly adapt to the world's strangely game-like mechanics.

After escaping the city of Silvia, Lutz and Laya evade their pursuers by fleeing into the nearby forest. With a reliable companion, Lutz's future in his new world finally looks promising as they continue to level up and pick apart the underlying mechanics visible only through his unique Status Screen. They enter the city of Reim to resupply but quickly find this new city is in even worse shape than the last — surrounded by desperate citizens on the brink of disaster, Lutz must decide what to do.

Lutz and his companions have nearly reached the eastern edge of the Orakian kingdom, just days away from the elven lands. But Princess Lumina has deduced his destination and is hot on his trail. Other forces are at play in the far east, dragging Lutz into the center of a storm secretly raging on Orakio's eastern border — one that could spell doom for the four races if left unchecked. Soldiers, nobles, and a fearsome clan with nefarious desires all converge on his location.

Lutz and his party find themselves close to one of the ancient labyrinths — a dungeon. Monsters, traps, and treasure are not the only things waiting inside, and outside, forces are beginning to gather. The Forsaken are appearing all over the region and a local High Priest is determined to hunt them down. But not all is as it seems, both inside the dungeon and out.

Being the False Hero is not easy — constantly hounded by soldiers and fanatics, never sure when the next encounter will turn lethal. When those seeking Lutz's life are too weak to even pose a threat, killing them would only prove their accusations right. He can only flee, eyes locked on his final destination: the elven lands. The journey was long and difficult, but Lutz and his companions have finally arrived. Will the elves accept the False Hero, with the human kingdoms at his back?

Lutz finally finds a place in the elven lands where he is accepted despite his title. He works tirelessly to protect the elven forest from a deadly disease and a rampaging horde of demons. But just as he foils a plot to summon an army at the elves' doorstep, he receives a pleading message from Princess Lumina: the Orakian Kingdom's capital is under siege and the walls have been breached. For the first time since his escape, the False Hero returns to the castle.

Lutz and the party are finally back where everything began, but their encounter with a full-power Archfiend proved their strength is not yet enough to defeat the fiends of Chaos. A grinding session is long overdue — this time in one of the most feared dungeons in the Orakian kingdom: the Beast Warrens. Between fooling nobles, meeting old acquaintances, and hatching new schemes, Lutz and the girls will be very busy indeed.

Thanks to Miri and the Goddess, Lutz is finally on a path toward clearing his name — but it will not be easy, and it is only one of many obstacles in his path. His mission: seek out the Dragon Lord and gain access to the Network Node he rules over. The journey takes Lutz and the girls south toward the Dragon Isles, but first they must pass through Belfast, a kingdom of beastkin — and Alisha's home country. Trouble has a way of finding Lutz wherever he goes, and walking the path of a true hero means he can no longer use his False Hero persona to solve problems.

Lutz and the girls have finally arrived at the Dragon Isles. With a callous Red Dragon as his guide, Lutz makes his way through the dragons' lands, meeting intelligent dragons from various broods and the ancient ones who rule them. But as isolated as the Dragon Isles are, they too are not immune to threats of invasion — and whether it is the dragons or the invaders who ultimately need help remains to be seen.

Now that Lutz has accessed the Mana Network, he has gained a pure increase in battle power and, more importantly, the knowledge he needs to find a path to victory against Chaos. But knowing how to win does not make the path easy. Among his top priorities is dealing with the other three heroes, who divide their time between fighting on the front lines and causing problems in the capital. Lutz and the girls head back to the Orakian capital to finally begin their counter-offensive.

Now recognized by many as a true hero, Lutz must fulfill the role — which means being paraded before crowds and navigating nobles at a royal ball, truly horrifying for someone who prefers to stay out of the limelight. Many tasks still remain unfinished, far too many for Lutz to handle alone. Fortunately, he has trustworthy allies he can call upon in the lead-up to the final battle against the fiends.

Even after gaining recognition as a hero, Lutz's life does not get easier. He uses his new reputation to move pieces into place, with even the kings of entire nations falling in line behind him. The most vital task remaining: bringing the vampires back to their side of the war, a responsibility that falls to Vampire Princess Tylith alone. After Tylith defeats the strongest Vampire Lord in a duel and claims the title of Vampire Overlord, everything seems to be going according to plan — until the mad god breaks free. The final battle is no longer on the horizon. It is here.