The Yaksha transformation was one of the numerous abilities under Boss’ gift, Shadow. Her eyes turned red, including her pupils and sclera. Her iris also took the form of a beast’s and indefinitely increased her dynamic vision and physical abilities.

Simply staring at the opponent would’ve released enough magic power to tear down the entire place if the tower hadn’t restricted her stats and abilities. However, the Yaksha transformation currently only increased her physical strength.

She recklessly rushed in like a beast and couldn’t be seen by the naked eye.

However, Bell easily dealt with her attack. He didn’t even retaliate. His body simply vaporized. Boss couldn’t touch him as he rose into blue magic power.

Still, Boss didn’t give up. She pursued and swung her shadow blade in every direction. The blade shattered the surroundings and cracked the earth. The entire valley transformed into a chaotic battlefield.

“You haven’t changed.”

Bell spoke as his magic power clashed with Boss. She flew into an even greater rage at his words. Her shadow blades multiplied and seemed to devour the darkness itself. However, Boss couldn’t maintain this form for long since it took too much magic power. I sighed and raised the Desert Eagle.

I wondered why Boss lost her cool all of a sudden. However, now wasn’t the time to ask. I infused the bullets with stigma’s magic power and gave them the attribute of… anti-magic.

Boss and Bell tangled up with each other, but I would shame the name of Master Sharpshooter if I couldn’t hit a foe while avoiding a friend.

I aimed at Bell and activated bullet time. They still moved incredibly fast as the world slowed. Which angle should I choose to strike Bell and not Boss? The calculation and decision felt instinctive. I pulled the trigger.

Chwaaa—

The bullet shot towards Bell at an extraordinary speed and angle.

“…!”

It struck his shoulder and he immediately turned back into his physical form. Boss didn’t miss this chance and landed a solid punch. Her fist filled with magic power and flew straight into his stomach. It sent him flying and coughing up blood.

Kwang—!

His body dug into the cliffside, but the wound wasn’t fatal. The battle had ended, but Boss couldn’t finish him off.

“Uk!”

Boss couldn’t maintain her Yaksha transformation with her current magic power. Her pupils had already returned to normal and her magic power probably wouldn’t last another 3 minutes. She stared at Bell with killing intent, but couldn’t move.

I stepped towards Bell.

“Hello.”

“Pft… Yeah, hi.” Bell grinned at my greeting.

I could tell he was only acting tough. Their battle lasted less than 3 minutes, but ended in an instant. He no longer had the strength to stop me.

“I let you go last time, but there won’t be a second.”

I pointed the shotgun to his forehead. Such a cheesy cliché like letting go of an injured enemy wouldn’t happen here.

“I know. I shouldn’t have met you here. What a shame. It’s hard enough dealing with one of you, but 2 versus 1?”

However, Bell sounded unbothered. He acted too calm even though he had 7 lives.

“Say hello to your boss for me.”

He even grinned.

“See you later.”

And said the same words I told Jin Sahyuk not too long ago.

“…”

It felt quite shitty to hear that from him. I wrapped the anti-magic attribute around the bullet and fired.

KWANG—!

A loud bang filled the air. Soon, everything became silent as his body scattered into a current of magic power. Just like that, he died.

“…”

I couldn’t rejoice at the simple ending. I wanted to ask many questions. What kind of relationship did he have with Boss? What happened between them for Boss to lose herself like that? A strange noise came from behind as I pondered.

“Ah, Boss!”

I turned around and saw Boss spasming. I quickly ran over.

“Hey, hey. Relax. Relax!”

Boss tried to use her magic power. She had lost her reasoning and still fought Bell in her head. Her eyes turned red as she struggled to transform into the Yashka once again.

“It’s over! Calm down! Hey!”

At this rate, all her blood vessels would burst and she would die at least once. I had no choice but to restrain her. I took her into my arms as our bodies overlapped. I could feel her vividly shaking.

“Please calm down. Calm down.”

I even used my suggestive voice skill, but that wasn’t enough. I continued stroking her.

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

Perhaps Dwarf’s Dexterity worked even in these types of situations. Boss began to calm and the magic power that would likely burst her blood vessels also subsided.

“…”

I held her in silence. Her body felt cold as ice and her breathing remained disconnected. The magic power outburst had stopped, but the side effects continued. Still, this was better than a rampage.

“Sleep tight for a while.”

I whispered and took out the Orb of Regeneration. Then I infused it with my magic power. Soon, the orb’s green light warmly wrapped around Boss. She stopped trembling and her body temperature returned to normal. Her consciousness sunk into a deep slumber. I turned my head with her in my arms. The NPC Kedrick looked at us.

“…!”

He turned away in surprise as our eyes met. I carefully laid Boss on the ground and stepped towards him. After all, I had come here for them. I wasn’t expecting such a big event to occur.

“Hello.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Hello.”

Kedrick seemed okay even though Bell held him by the neck just a few moments ago.

“Haa…”

A long conversation would’ve followed if this had been a game. Maybe cheesy self-introductions and some greetings, but I jumped straight to the point. I felt too tired for chatter.

“I came to save you.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

“They held you captive here, no?”

I pointed at the shackle around his neck.

“Ah…”

Kedrick nodded. His personality seemed meek and docile despite his muscular body.

“Why did that man try to kill you?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s… I don’t think he was trying to kill me.”

“Hmm?”

That sounded unexpected. Kedrick fumbled with the shackle as I looked at him.

“I think he just tried to break this shackle. I told him he wouldn’t be able to by force, but he kept trying. I almost died from suffocating.”

“Uh… Aha. So that’s it.”

Bell had good intentions, but he shouldn’t have done it so violently.

“I’ll get rid of it for you. By the way, that man was a villain.”

I pointed at where Bell was just a moment ago.

“Oh, I see. Thank you, but that won’t be possible. This shackle can’t be destroyed by normal means. You have to kill Krakoon to get his key.”

Kedrick sounded like a devoted NPC. I took a look at the quest he gave me.

[Kedrick’s Quest.] [Subquest – Rescue] [Rank – High-intermediate] [Goal – Infiltrate the office located at the end of the Valley of Darkness and kill Krakoon or steal his keys and escape.]

“I don’t need to.”

However, I shook my head. I didn’t intend to continue the quest with Boss like that.

“Show me your neck.”

“Eh? No. I mean, this is not a matter of necessity…”

“It’s fine.”

I took out the [Mystic Key] from my inventory. I had chosen it to save time in such situations. Quests felt more fun when you destroyed the process.

“What’s that?”

Kedrick widened his eyes and tilted his head. His innocent behavior didn’t suit a man with a beard and all that muscle.

“A key.”

I answered and shoved it towards his neck. Kedrick seemed surprised, but the mystic key dug into the shackle without requiring a keyhole. It felt gentle as if I inserted it into water. Click. The key entered before stopping at a certain point. Then I turned it 180 degrees. Click— The shackle disassembled and fell to the ground.

“Huh? But how…”

I didn’t have the time to enjoy his surprise. We made quite a scene and the demons would soon come rushing.

“We don’t have time. Is there anyone else with you?”

“Oh, right! M-my wife, she’s also locked up here!”

Kedrick started running somewhere as I carried Boss on my back.

***

[Lv.3 English Royal Court Guild]

“This is our guild’s hideout.”

Click— Rachel turned on the light. It didn’t look glamorous, but was well-managed like a private home.

“There’s something called the hideout system in Prestige. It gives you stat boosts and various buffs if you stay in your hideout for a fixed amount of time. The buffs depend on the hideout’s level.”

Kim Suho, Jin Seyeon, the Fermun brother and sister, and Yi Yeonghan followed Rachel as she explained.

“Our hideout is probably one of the top 5 in Prestige.”

Rachel bragged unassumingly and scanned for their reactions. Kim Suho and the others looked around with interest.

“Hu, Huhu.”

She shrugged with pride.

“Mmm… It’s a good hideout, but how do we get to the upper level?” Jin Seyeon asked. As expected, her goal seemed to be climbing the tower.

“First, you have to earn performance points.”

They discovered the crystal steles that led to the 4th floor after destroying the control towers, but players needed something called performance points. It wasn’t hard to meet the requirements since they only had to clear common quests.

“Performance points?”

“They’re given out every time you complete a common quest. You should’ve received a system alert with a list of them when you bought your citizenship.”

“Ah, those. So we just have to kill monsters. Sounds fun.”

Jin Seyeon nodded enthusiastically.

“…”

Rachel observed her childhood idol standing in front of her. She heard how Kim Suho and Jin Seyeon got together. It wasn’t anything dramatic. They just happened to take the same 2nd floor elevator that Kim Suho discovered.

“Oh, sometimes the administrator Medea will give out quests. You should definitely clear those for better rewards.”

“Ah…”

Kim Suho, who had been listening to Rachel, asked Jin Seyeon. “So what will you do now, senior?”

“Oh, me?” Jin Seyeon grinned.

“First, I’ll meet up with the people from the association. Youngji and Junhyuk are here as well.”

The high rank heroes from the association, Seo Youngji and Oh Junhyuk. Jin Seyeon had added them as friends once she got on the 2nd floor elevator. She heard something interesting from them.

“I want to hear more about this Black Lotus too,” Jin Seyeon muttered with a serious face.

“Then, I’ll leave now.”

“U-Um.” Rachel subconsciously grabbed Jin Seyeon. The master rank hero smiled and tilted her head, but Rachel had nothing in mind and frankly spoke.

“I saw you… on TV. I watched you… volunteer.”

“Oh, that? I’m a bit different on TV, huh?” Jin Seyeon bashfully scratched her neck.

“Half is just pretending and the other half… I’m a little shy in front of cameras. Haha.”

She laughed heartily and bowed. “Anyways, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Ah, yes. It was nice to meet you.”

Rachel had only met her for half an hour.

“Please come back anytime. I can offer you a place to stay.”

In that half hour, she realized why everyone admired and respected Jin Seyeon so much.

“Those words are enough, vice leader Rachel.”

No other master rank hero would politely speak to a junior. Rachel felt touched once again by her courteous farewell.

***

A lot happened, but we successfully rescued Kedrick and Lirko. In exchange, we received the [Mysterious Pocket], [Kedrick’s Ghost Sword], and a [Treasure Chest] that Kedrick kept hidden from Krakoon.

We arrived together on the 3rd floor, Prestige. They originally lived here before the demons kidnapped them.

“We’re back.”

“Right.”

However, they didn’t seem too happy. Kedrick glanced at me and explained.

“Our relationship is a bit complicated. I worked as a blacksmith for the government and Lirko served as captain of the inner city’s vigilante group. We wouldn’t be allowed to even exchange a glance.”

“I see.”

I hadn’t written about their pasts. Love beyond status and money. It sounded like a classic romance story.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“What?” Lirko and Kedrick tilted their heads.

“Prestige has changed a lot.”

Only 3 months had passed since I first arrived, but the city had drastically improved. First, I succeeded in cultivating [Lv.3 Amazing Meat-flavored Corn] and [Lv.2 Clear and Clean Rice]. I handed them out to NPCs for free or at very low prices. Second, a commercial district rose around Riry Shop. Riry Shop didn’t feature cheap items anymore as part of our strategy to appear more high-class. Players had no choice but to sell their loot to resident NPCs. Then Riry Shop repurchased these items from the NPCs and made potions out of them. This cycle resulted in the following changes.

“Huh?”

Kedrick and Lirko blankly stared at the Prestige in front of them. Residents worked as street vendors, mothers returned home with corn in their hands, fathers headed towards farms or mines to work, and players walked here and there. For the record, I owned at least a fourth of the land with my constant investments.

“It changed a lot, right?”

I asked with a smile. Kedrick remained dumbstruck as Lirko replied.

“Yes, yes. You’re right. I think we could live in happiness without entering the walls.”

Lirko looked at Kedrick as he busily scanned the city. She lightly pinched his side as his face crumpled.

“Kuaaak!”

Well, maybe she didn’t pinch that lightly.

“Follow me. I'll let you stay at a place for free in exchange for what I’ve received.”

“For free?”

I had prepared a house beforehand. The first floor would serve as Kedrick’s workshop and the second floor would be their private living space.

“By the way, aren’t you uncomfortable?” Lirko asked as she looked at Boss on my back.

“Ah, don’t worry. She’s very light.”

“Oh.”

Was she asleep or did she pass out? I continued walking with the unconscious Boss on my back.

“We’re here.”

We arrived after about 10 minutes of walking. Lirko and Kedrick looked around in surprise.

“It’s a blacksmith workshop.”

“Yes. I’m also good at making things. Only the first floor is a workshop. The second floor is a regular home.”

I made this place to train Dwarf’s Dexterity, but didn’t have the chance to use it.

“Stay here for now. We’ll talk more later. I’ll send over a kid named Kiri.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much for helping us.”

“Oh, don’t bother. I’ve already received enough compensation.”

Their gratitude made me feel a bit awkward. I returned to our hideout with some difficulty as Boss was surprisingly voluptuous.

Chirp—! Chirp—!

Spartan rushed towards me as I opened the door and headed towards the bedroom. Then I laid Boss on the bed with Spartan by my side.

“Argh, my back.”

I felt a bit startled. Boss had woken up already.

“Ah, geez. Boss, when did you wake up?”

“About 5 minutes ago. Was I that heavy?” Boss asked.

“No. You were light.”

I smiled and covered her with a blanket. Boss snorted in disbelief.

“You just said I was heavy.”

“On another note, I have lots of questions I want to ask. You went on quite a rampage today. Our plan almost went sideways.”

Boss only moved her eyes and looked at me. She seemed rather embarrassed and sorry.

“I have a feeling you won’t tell me even if I ask, so I’ll let you rest for now.”

I decided to explore the demon realm another time and I stood up. Click. I turned off the light and prepared to leave.

“Hajin.”

Boss called and I turned towards her. She lay in bed and muttered, “I can’t move my body.”

“What?” I rushed to her as she blinked at the ceiling.

“Is it magic power exhaustion?”

“Yeah. I can’t move at all.”

Growl— Suddenly, a sound came from Boss’s stomach.

“…”

“…”

We looked at each other for a moment. After staying still for about 5 minutes…

“Are you hungry?” I asked first.

“… Yes.”

She added in embarrassment, “Sorry.”