The Boss Wants to Die

Chapter 18

The Boss Wants to Die

Just breathing made my affection points drop steadily.

At this rate, not seeing him at all would actually help more with the quest.

I offered an awkward smile.

Michael didn’t even smile back out of politeness.

“A-Ahem. Right. I suppose you might not want to talk to me.”

“What are you scheming this time?”

[Michael Iruvre’s affection points have decreased by 1 point.]

‘Stop dropping!’

I forced the corners of my mouth up.

“It’s just a whim. I got sick of dealing with you like this.”

Trying to save face, I turned around.

“Stand by nearby until I send a signal again.”

And riding the wind, I vanished from the spot in an instant.

In truth, it was running away with my tail between my legs.

---

‘What kind of godawful situation is this?’

Morning arrived with the rising sun.

I sat with my hands clasped on the desk, lost in deep contemplation.

‘A quest? A quest for a boss monster??’

Massaging the stiff back of my neck, I brought up the quest window.

Even looking at it again, it was utterly absurd.

‘Setting aside that a quest appeared—I could turn a blind eye and chalk it up to a hyper-advanced system!’

But a penalty?

For four whole months?

‘Failing every plan for four months?’

Four months was practically half a year.

For half a year, I would have to live unable to die, dragged around by Akt.

’No way in hell!’

Which meant I had to clear the condition, but Michael’s affection was barreling toward -100.

“Aaaagh…”

Slumping down like a melted marshmallow, I clutched at my hair.

‘How on earth am I supposed to raise Michael’s affection? I’ve already done so many terrible things to him.’

Just recalling them made me want to strangle my past self.

Mocking Michael, tormenting him, stomping on him…

After committing every outrage imaginable, how creeped out would he be if I suddenly started acting sweet?

That would only fuel his suspicions further.

‘It’d be more realistic to just die within a month.’

There were 29 days left until the quest ended.

If Michael killed me within that time, there would be no need to fulfill this ridiculous quest.

‘What if I fail, though?’

A hollow laugh escaped me.

‘I’ll be stuck spending four cozy months with Akt…’

No.

I’d rather die!

The safe bet was raising Michael’s affection while proceeding with the plan at the same time.

“As if that’s even possible…”

“What is?”

“Aargh!”

Screaming, I leaped up from my seat.

Akt was leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, looking at me.

Clutching my chest, which felt on the verge of exploding, I snapped at him.

“Who said you could just open the door?”

“No matter how much I knocked, there was no answer. I thought it was empty. Sorry.”

Straightening his posture, Akt replied.

“What were you pondering so deeply that you didn’t hear me knock? You usually have sharp ears.”

“How could a mere creation like you understand the tribulations of a god?”

Grumbling, I rubbed my face roughly.

Akt shrugged.

“I have some business in town for a bit. Want to come along?”

“Go by yourself. It’ll just end in hunting anyway. Watching that is boring.”

“All right.”

Akt nodded and turned around.

“Wait.”

I called after Akt as he was closing the door to leave, plucking off a stray leaf caught on his collar.

“So careless.”

At my remark, Akt gazed down at me steadily.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, just… I didn’t expect you to take it off for me…”

“It’ll itch if you leave it there.”

Pointing to my own neck, I said casually,

“The neck is especially sensitive. Leaves may look harmless, but they can leave scratches if they scrape you the wrong way.”

I swept my eyes once over Akt’s priest robes, which now looked quite respectable.

“Doesn’t look like there are any more. Guess that was the only one. Go on.”

“…….”

“I said go.”

“Ah.”

Staring blankly at me, Akt belatedly broke into a bright grin.

It was such a radiant smile, rare for him, that it felt as though the entire surroundings brightened up.

‘Is it because of his white hair? It’s blinding.’

Narrowing my eyes, I patted his back a couple of times.

Only then did Akt slowly turn his bulky frame.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t come back soon, focus on leveling up.”

“Yeah. Got it!”

Akt was simply delighted.

‘Why do I feel like I can see a wagging tail again?’

Akt looked like an excited puppy—no, considering how massive he was, should I say a dog?

He was bigger than most large dogs, so maybe a wolf was more accurate…

Shaking off the idle thoughts, I checked above his head.

It was clean, completely bare.

‘I guess affection only shows for quest targets.’

A deep sigh escaped me at the thought of the quest.

Returning to the room, I knocked my throbbing head against the desk, despairing over the situation.

’No. If I stay like this, I’m truly doomed.’

Slap, slap.

Patting my cheeks, I focused my mind.

‘Let’s organize what needs to be done.’

The situation is always changing anyway.

The more complicated it is, the faster it is to untangle things one by one.

Picking up a stray piece of paper and a pen, I sat down.

“Let’s make a plan. How can Michael kill me?”

A sigh escaped me at how daunting it was.

“I need Akt to suppress me with the leash, but the conditions are trickier than I thought.”

A boss monster’s duty is to kill the player.

Even if I want to just stand there, take a blade, and die, that damn duty makes my body move on its own.

That had been my downfall so far.

However, it was a different story while being suppressed by the leash.

Akt had no intention of killing me, but Michael was different.

He wouldn’t hesitate to slaughter a helpless Evil God on the spot.

That was the core of this plan.

“If Akt catches on to the plan and releases the leash’s restrictions, it’ll all be for nothing, so the two of them must not run into each other…”

What kind of wrong would I have to commit for Akt to suppress me with the leash?

“Making Akt angry would make things easier. But come to think of it, I’ve never seen him get mad.”

In truth, making someone angry was easy.

Humans easily felt rage from rude behavior or a light insult.

Yet Akt’s equanimity had never shattered, no matter how obnoxious I acted.

‘At most, he only disliked it when I said I wanted to die.’

Pondering without information was a waste of time.

In the end, I summoned Michael using Heart.

I intended to observe him while I was at it and devise a way to raise his affection points.

“You want to make Akt angry?”

Michael wore a look of total bewilderment, then came to his own understanding shortly after.

“You’re trying to buy time for sure, aren’t you?”

“Right. I have to be completely immobilized for you to kill me. Got any ideas?”

“…….”

Michael’s expression suddenly hardened, and he fell silent.

I was used to his fluctuating moods by now, so I continued speaking.

“There’s no time to play hard to get. We need to figure it out before Akt gets back.”

“That…”

Michael hesitated, swallowing back his words, before finally speaking up.

“There is one method that comes to mind.”

“What is it?”

“Having Akt catch us together.”

I furrowed my brow.

“That won’t help the plan at all.”

“This method is foolproof. Akt will suppress you.”

I pointed out the flaw in Michael’s words.

“How can you be so sure he’ll suppress me? To him, it might just look like we’re having a casual chat.”

Unless I openly blustered about letting Michael kill me, it would just look like an ordinary conversation.

Then Akt wouldn’t have any reason to get angry either.

Michael fell silent, unable to continue, and glanced at me.

[Michael Iruvre’s affection points have increased by 1 point.]

‘Huh?’

The affection points that had seemed hopeless forever suddenly went up by 1 point.

Michael turned his head as if he couldn’t bear to look at me any longer.

His blue eyes cast down to the floor, laden with heavy melancholy.

I really had no idea what was going through that little head of his.

“Just… trust my words. Akt will loathe the very sight of us together.”

“Even if he hates it, he might not suppress me.”

Tapping my chin, I said,

“It’s a dangerous situation. You could kill me. Would Akt really render me helpless under those circumstances?”

He might actually undo the restriction.

To make me kill Michael.

But Michael shook his head.

“Players don’t die. They merely regress to the Sanctuary. And given the chance, you’ll seek out the resurrected me again.”

Michael had business with Akt.

Given time, we would inevitably meet again.

And every time that happened…

‘I’ll beg him to kill me.’

“Akt will think your death is only a matter of time.”

It truly was just a matter of time, whether it took one year or two.

Because no matter how many years it took, I wouldn’t give up on dying.

If he suppressed and confined me, Michael would come to kill a helpless me.

Conversely, if he didn’t suppress me, I would bide my time and plead with Michael to end my life.

Whichever choice he made, I would die.

“The choices left to Akt are…”

“Losing you without knowing when or how you’ll die by setting you free, or suppressing you and losing you right before his eyes. Only those two.”

“…….”

“And he will choose to lose you right before his eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because he won’t ever leave you alone.”

Even in the moment of death.