Those who braved the Ruthless route would you lend me some time to ask how it went. How did the mc turn into such ruthlessness or where did the route clearly started. Major changes to the main game etc. I know im asking a lot, but i dont want to see the pain from my own hands ;-; just out of curiosity
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It depends. There's a couple ways to end up in the ruthless route. If you want the most painless way: Lie. Tell Asterion you won't ever send him to the valley and then send him during Chapter 11. He will call you out in the most meek and quiet way, but as much of a gut punch as it is, it is nothing compared to what you get sending him out when Argos asks you to command him to come out. It's awful, and because it's something you can eventually make amends for, you still have to send him out again to confirm this is the path you want to go down.
That scene after sending him out with Argos immediately is worth seeing if you want to see Luke in a more nuanced and mature light. He's a "trooper".
ETA re: character - He's justified things to himself. There's one way you can "redeem" yourself in the ruthless route, but it's not an erasure of harm. However, the biggest takeaway without giving too much is that it's not about you. None of Minotaur Hotel has been about you. You are a catalyst/vessel and play a major part of this story, but this is not your story. It's always been about looking outside of yourself to see the humanity in others and that stays true in the ruthless route, as well.
crying atm ;-; I can totally see that. From how raw the game is and for it to unveil the darkness in every character. I fully believe the ruthless route is what you would do to get a better glimpse at that. I would think this route is not about breaking the chain but being come the chain and following the cycle. In which is humorous in sorts that the game constantly mentions a roundabout in everything and everyone.
I feel like the ruthless route is what would happen if this were real 95% of the time, since I'd argue a chain is destroyed, but instead of being broken in a natural and harmonious way, it's instead severed by the scraps of what was available. It works, but it's messy. I still found a couple of the endings in ruthless satisfying, but they're absolutely raw. Some are certainly cruel. At least 2 have funny moments depending. The speedrunner loop route having one of my favorite lines. Just absolutely petty in the, "really??? Still?" sense. So I'm glad ruthless exists to really add weight to doing right by Asterion and the hotel.
Honestly, i expected worse. The MC was merely drunk in power, arrogant and disregarding of others, in one word selfish. It helped putting a layer of separation and not thinking of him as a self insert. Plus, the actual protagonist of the route is Argos, if anything you get to appreciate him more, after going through this route. You do have to watch Asterion despair, and those are the hardest parts to read.
I remember I once sent Asterion with Argos and never sent him to the valley again, but in the next metting with Argos I answered with "I'm a sadist" and automatically I went to ruthless route, even if I haven't sent Asterion to the valley. In speedrunner background I sent him by accident in the chapter 12, and I went to ruthless again, but this I haven't saved my progress. Fortunately I found all endings, so I started again. I don't want to feel the same experience.