Chapter 232: Hidden Boss
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: Hidden Boss
The woman calling me Master, No. 1, politely answers our questions.
No. 1… what a lazy-ass name.
According to No. 1’s explanation, since every owner assigned them different names anyway, they needed a generic public name for convenience.
And you chose "No. 1"? The intention to treat them as non-human despite having souls is disgusting.
Then I guess the ones I haven't woken up yet are No. 2 and No. 3.
The guys seem to have already fallen for No. 1’s charms; they’re nodding along to her story and bombarding her with questions.
Masayoshi is at least asking necessary questions for our current situation, but Rio and the Thug are focused on her personal life.
“And so, together with my younger sister…”
“Wait, more importantly, what’s your name?”
“It is No. 1, Master.”
“No. 1 is a product designation. You must have had a name when you were human.”
“…I am Meili, and my sister is Maya.”
She said No. 2 was her sister, right? And No. 3 was a spirit?
Spirits are treated as nothing more than fairy tales these days, so Masayoshi didn't believe it, but does it make sense for a fantasy world to lack spirits?
Later, when Justina awakens, she’ll be spamming spirit arts, calling it the "forgotten secret technique of the elves" or whatever.
Glancing at the two who haven't been activated yet, I speak to No. 1… no, to Meili.
“You aren't a product. You’re human. From now on, scrap the name 'No. 1' and use your real name. It’s not a name that changes depending on the owner; it’s the name that defines you, Meili.”
“…Thank you.”
Until now, Meili had been like a commoner meeting a medieval king, unable to even meet my eyes. But at my words, she stares at me blankly before bowing her head with a tearful expression to express her gratitude.
“The same goes for you two. Scrap the product names and use your real names. If I hear 'No. 2' or 'No. 3' come out of your mouths once you wake up, you’re dead meat.”
I supply just enough mana to Maya and the spirit to wake them.
They’ve spent hundreds of years side-by-side in a lonely void, unable to speak or touch. I expected a touching reunion with the sisters hugging and crying the moment they woke up, but instead, they both immediately drop to their knees and greet me just as Meili had.
“We greet the Master.”
“My name is Seo Yeon-woo. Don’t ever call me Master again.”
“Understood, Lord Seo Yeon-woo.”
Being called "Master" or "Lord" is one of the top ten things a gentleman should hear before he dies, but I have no intention of playing along with the disgusting antics of these ancient bastards.
“Maya, go ahead and talk to Meili. Hug and cry or whatever, just do what sisters do. And you, Spirit.”
“Hey, why are you being so aggressive?”
Rio nudges my side, sensing my sharp tone.
Do I not look pissed? In a game, I could just brush it off as "that’s just the setting," but this is reality.
I glare at Rio to tell him to stay out of it and speak to the spirit.
“What’s your name?”
“My name is…”
The spirit hesitates for a moment, glancing at the others before lowering her head deeply.
“Please allow me to approach you, Lord Seo Yeon-woo.”
“…Do whatever you want.”
An ominous thought crosses my mind—that she might try to take over my body with spirit power or ancient magic—but I give my consent for now.
The spirit stands up and cautiously approaches me.
Is that walk part of her default settings, too? She has a naturally seductive gait, and every time her legs move, my eyes keep drifting toward her exposed groin, which she makes no effort to cover.
The naked spirit hesitates before leaning in and whispering softly into my ear.
“Star-Song Below the Moonlight greets Lord Seo Yeon-woo. I give you my True Name; may you find rest within the wonders of nature.”
“… …”
Ah… I messed up.
Why are Japanese creators so obsessed with "True Names"?
Isn't this that thing? The trope where if you know someone's real name, you can control them or your souls get linked—basically something huge that you shouldn't just give away.
I turn my head and see Star-Song’s face, close enough to feel her breath.
She’s trying to maintain a poker face, but she looks anxious.
“You shouldn't just tell this to people, right?”
“Yes. To a spirit, a True Name is no different from their soul.”
“…Can’t you take it back? If I get hit really hard on the head, maybe I’ll forget? Is there some ancient magic for that?”
I tried to free them because I hated what the ancients did, but now I’ve ended up holding Star-Song’s soul hostage using their very methods.
Even if it was a mistake, Star-Song was forced to give me her True Name. How am I any different from those ancient bastards?
As she stares at my flustered face, a faint smile spreads across Star-Song’s lips.
“You are a strange person, Lord Seo Yeon-woo. Even mages who reached the pinnacle and emperors of great empires regretted not having what you now wish to discard.”
“It’s not like you gave it to me because you wanted to.”
Star-Song giggles and gives me a light kiss.
I hear Rio let out a loud, jealous groan. After the brief contact, Star-Song pulls back and looks at me affectionately.
“At first, I did not want to. But now, it is alright. I feel it was truly for the best that I gave you my True Name.”
Her eyes are so full of love and her smile is so bright and beautiful that I feel like if I stay like this, I might end up having explosive sex right in front of the guys. I quickly step away from her.
“For now, I need a name to call you by. I’ll call you Luna.”
“Luna… I like it. It is a name Lord Seo Yeon-woo gave just for me.”
Luna smiles happily and tucks a stray hair behind her ear.
For a spirit, she sure knows how to make a man’s heart skip a beat.
I look over and see the sisters talking, calling each other by name.
It must be uncomfortable, but maybe because I gave them an order, they’re still hugging.
And Rio, you bastard—I know they’re naked, but does it make sense to be getting turned on during a touching scene like this?
I flip a coin to summon a box of clothes and have the three of them get dressed.
Since the Thug and I are too big, they couldn't fit into our clothes, so they’re wearing the Comedy Duo’s outfits. Their fashion sense is trash… wait, it wasn't the sense that was the problem. It was just their faces.
The clothes that looked terrible on the Comedy Duo look incredibly good on these women.
They still don't fit perfectly—some parts are too long or baggy—but it all looks like intentional street fashion.
“The… the boyfriend look… huff, huff…”
“When I get those back, I’m never washing them…”
How is that a "boyfriend look"? They’re just wearing your clothes.
Ignoring the excited Comedy Duo, I speak to the three women.
“You’ll obey any command I give with my authority, right?”
“Yes, whatever Lord Seo Yeon-woo desires.”
Meili answers on their behalf with a bow.
“What is it that you want? You heard me earlier, right? If you want freedom, I’ll release you. If you want to die, I’ll kill you.”
“…I am sorry, but that is beyond Lord Seo Yeon-woo’s authority.”
“Yeon-woo has the highest authority right now. There are no living people left among those who held authority.”
Oh, right. No matter how low my authority is, all the ancients are dead, so I’m the de facto person in charge.
This is why he’s God Sayoshi.
As Masayoshi interjects, Meili speaks with a bitter expression.
“No. There is still one person alive. The one who was the ruler then, and is still the ruler of this facility now.”
“…An ancient is still alive?”
In the game, there were instances of memories being left behind via magic or preserved corpses, but there were no living ancients.
The closest thing was a single Lich, but that wasn't here.
As everyone stares blankly at the shocking revelation, Meili speaks calmly.
“The ruler of this facility is still alive, and he is watching us even now.”
If his authority is higher, then if he orders the three of them to attack us, they’ll have to obey.
It’s a relief I didn't fully charge them.
Still, Masayoshi doesn't let his guard down. He reaches into his sleeve, pulls out a stick, and asks, “Can you tell us more? As much as your authority allows.”
“First, I should tell you about the time we were created here…”
In response to Masayoshi’s question, Meili begins to calmly recount the past with a dark expression.
Man… this lady is quite the talker.
Well, I guess she has a lot to say after being silent for hundreds of years.
She goes on a long, long rant—starting from the sisters' past, how they ended up here, the moment they woke up in doll bodies, and the operation of the facility—the kind of story that makes you want to hit the "skip dialogue" button.
Anyway, if I summarize the three main points, excluding personal circumstances…
And hundreds of years later, we showed up and opened the door to a threat to the world.
Rio and the Thug just think it sounds dangerous, but Masayoshi realizes the gravity of the situation and his expression hardens.
“Setting aside whether he would have actually succeeded, it means he possessed enough power to even think about ruling the world.”
“Uh… won’t it be okay?”
“The gap between ancient and modern magic is so vast that even a single piece of ancient magic can cause massive advancement. If someone with the power to rule the ancient world emerges, who could stop him? The 12 Zodiacs? The Government? They’d all look like toys to him.”
Only then does the severity sink in, and Rio’s face turns pale.
“It’s… it’s an old facility. Wouldn't the stored mana be depleted by now?”
“The current remaining capacity is 57%.”
Meili informs us flatly.
A lot is left even after hundreds of years. I don't know exactly how much power that represents, but it’s probably enough to rule the world today.
Since the door is open, it means he can come out, and he’ll be able to supply mana on his own.
Dammit, does this "Ruler" guy have no pride? Of all the things to take over, he took over a sex club? He should have taken over a military facility like a cool villain.
I get that it was a facility with massive funding for the wealthy of the time, but it really lacks style.
If this gets out later, will history books say a "Sex King" who took over a sex club ruled the world?
“W-we have to run, don't we?”
As a terrified Rio speaks, the floor opens up next to us.
There was no sound, but when I look back, the door we had left open when we entered is gone.
So this is what it means to be fused with the facility.
“He knows we know everything, so he’s inviting us in?”
This is a Hidden Boss.
I guess it really was dummy data. A balance issue? A bug? A lore problem?
Whatever it is, I know it’s dangerous.
If we go down there and meet the Hidden Boss now, we’ll die, right?
As I look down the stairs, Masayoshi and the Thug stand beside me.
“Well—exploring ruins always comes with risks. It’s been too easy until now.”
“Even if it’s dangerous, I’ll fight believing in you guys.”
Why are you guys suddenly giving such touching lines?
And Rio?
When the three of us look at Rio, who hasn't said a word, he speaks with a distorted face.
“Ughhhhh… if I die, I’m going to haunt you.”
“Can’t you be cool for even one second?”
“Who cares about being cool! I’ll fight, okay! I’ll fight! Dammit!”
That guy, seriously.
However, if we go in now, we’ll definitely lose. But we can’t run away either.
Feeling the worried gazes of Luna and the sisters, I give them a smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get your freedom back for you.”
“We are worried for your safety, Lord Seo Yeon-woo…”
“You might not know this, but I don't fight battles I can't win.”
Not fighting losing battles is the specialty of those who have regressed, possessed, or reincarnated. I’m the same.
I cut Meili off with a confident smirk, then put my arm around Masayoshi’s shoulder and whisper.
“Do me a favor.”
“Since the retreat is blocked, I assume you’re not telling us to run while you hold him off. What is it?”
“I am going in alone.”
I explain the plan into Masayoshi’s ear as he frowns.
I don't have a strategy guide; this is just my own idea, so I don't know if it’ll work, but this is the only answer right now.
After hearing the explanation, Masayoshi’s eyes change.
“So your life is in my hands?”
“So please, save me. Can you do it?”
“I’ll have to try to find out. But are you sure you don't want to take the others?”
“I’m the best at holding out. If they come with me, they’ll just be in the way.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to put them to work. Just don't die too quickly.”
Masayoshi taps my shoulder and leads the worried Thug and Rio away from the stairs.
That bastard Rio—I can't tell if he’s happy he doesn't have to go down or if he’s worried about me. His face is a mess of conflicting emotions.
Leaving his ugly face behind, I descend the dark stairs.
Power enough to rule the ancient world, huh…
I guess it’s time to show him the power of an M-leaning health pig.