If I remember right the novel itself was different in the WN and the author there decided to rewrite it for the LN(instead of using the WN as a rough draft like everyone else does, where they make many changes on select events to the point where those events become different from the original at times, but the MC and the story progression, as well as the core elements, stays the same but more polished), but honestly this is one of the cases where I think he commited a mistake in trying to rewrite the events. A character who has no direction in life but is trying to find his pupose, progresses much more naturally than one who borrows ideas from someone else and strives to follow that path. The former version of the mc was that first idea, the new one is the second. Here the mc tries to listen to his new friend and focuses on obtaining a harem, it's not his Idea and may not be his true wish. The former MC listened to his friend about harem and kept the idea in his mind, but he didn't really focus on it and became more concerned with what he'd do himself.
The new MC can be disappointed by his choices, the old MC had the freedom to decided which path he'd take and while he can feel disappointed in some of his future choices, he'll have a happy ending knowing he tried hard and gave his everything to acchieve whatever it is that he's decided.
The real problem with the new one is because it currently seems that he's obtaining things way too easily, it doesn't feel natural which seems that the world itself wants his new path to succeed even though it wasn't his idea and he may not trully wish for this, because it wasn't his Idea. There are also some future details about his childhood friends which would be much better applied to the first MC, and If i'm to be honest, it'd turn out pretty badly for the MC's emotional aspects in his current state if the the author removed the whole wish fulfilment from his writing.