Rudeus skipping the University and going straight to rescue his family would likely make the story more direct, but also more dangerous. He would probably reach Zenith sooner, yet he would lose several key alliances, skills, and information that the school arc gives him.

Likely changes

  • He might save Zenith earlier, or at least start that rescue effort sooner, because that becomes his main priority.
  • He would miss the network he builds at the University, including important connections that later support his growth and choices.
  • His relationship path could change a lot, since the University is where major bonds and reunions happen for him.
  • The rescue attempt would still be risky, because the labyrinth arc is dangerous even with strong allies.

What probably stays the same

Rudeus is still the kind of person who keeps pushing toward his family, so the emotional goal would not change. The bigger difference is that the University arc helps shape his long-term support system, so without it he may become more isolated while trying to act as the family rescuer.

Forum-style take

If he went straight to save his family, the rescue might happen earlier, but the future after that would probably be messier.

That is the main tradeoff people usually point to in these “what if” discussions: faster rescue, weaker setup, and fewer safeguards later.

Bottom line

He likely would not “break” the story by skipping the University, but the rescue route would probably be less stable and more costly overall. In other words, he may help his family sooner, yet lose the chain of events that makes later victories possible.