image [https://i.imgur.com/5IWyenv.jpeg]

RotOK (Return of the Onion Knight) started with a really basic idea.

"What sucked the most about being in my twenties?"

I cycled through a lot of ideas, but one of the biggest that stood out to me was the feeling that I had somehow fallen behind my friends and colleagues. And the bitterness and self-doubt that comes from that.

I started my professional career working a great job for great pay, but I felt like an imposter the entire time I was there. It stressed me out and made me feel undeserving of the advantages I had. So I quit that job and started over in a new industry from the bottom. Making minimum wage. In Korea. (Hint: This was not a good idea)

I didn't realize it at the time, but I essentially reset my career and set myself back about 5 years compared to colleagues and friends. While I always had a lot of self-doubt, that's when the jealousy and bitterness set in. Around the time my friends were investing in their future and buying new cars and houses, I was barely making ends meet and re-learning the basics of a new career.

Those are the feelings I really want to explore with RotOK. Not just the idea of wanting to be great, but what happens when you feel so far away from your goals. When it feels like everyone has more advantages than you.image [https://i.imgur.com/fdNImAn.jpg]

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

That's not to say that RotOK isn't about swinging swords, activating power spells and defeating waves of monsters. It is that, too. I'm a visual person, so I'll sketch out storyboards and draw out maps for the story and its environments. Some of which make their way into the final product.

But I wanted a story that's as much about the fantasy world of RotOK as that quiet voice you hear when you're alone with yourself.

The MC and the world of RotOK.

RotOK takes place in a world besieged by monsters. The initial story takes place in the 2000's following a group of players on the cusp of graduating from the most prestigious academy in Korea. At the academy, cadets are ranked on basic skills, academics and performance. But in the real world, players are ranked on experience, fame and wealth.

The story centers on Jinyoung, first in his class at the academy. But through a set of circumstances, he is trapped in a dungeon. When he finally gets freed, he returns to a world he barely recognizes. His friends and family have all grown up and he's starting his adult life in a world that's left him far behind.

image [https://i.imgur.com/YETzeP3.jpg]

What is an Onion Knight?

Okay, so it's actually a term from games and fantasy literature. It refers to a knight class that is very weak in the beginning, but through hard work, becomes much stronger at higher levels. Depending on the book or game you play, Onion Knights have very specific rules and characteristics. RotOK doesn't follow those rules, but it takes a lot of inspiration from them. Also, the MC will not be wearing knight armor that makes him look like an onion.