The Boy King's Tearful End
"Back in the days when foxes smoked cigarettes, 'In the end, the rebellion failed, and the poison sentence came down on the young king. Soldiers suddenly appeared—'Duke Nosan, receive the poison!'—just like that."
"What? Poison?"
"Yeah. They couldn't bear to let this poor boy live any longer.... Sob sob...."
I deliberately covered my mouth and pretended to cry, and Hwaran's pupils gradually dilated.
Clear proof that she was completely immersed in the story I was telling.
As expected from a hidden boss who'd never encountered modern culture, she had zero resistance to tales like this.
Stimulate her emotions with classic Korean melodrama, and she took damage with every hit.
"In the end, the poison was delivered to the boy who had once been king, and the villagers who'd cared for him all wept. 'Aigoo, aigoo... How could such a thing happen in this world...!' they cried."
"Then what happened to those men who swore to make that child king again?!"
"Sadly, they got killed off too. Poisoned the same way. Quick as a whip."
"...Have you ever seen such heaven-defying scoundrels? Are they not afraid of the wrath of the heavens?"
I'd been a little worried she might not empathize with a human story.
But she was hooked proper.
Her eyes glistened faintly, and her hands trembled.
Korean melodrama is terrifying.
It could suck in even a hidden boss of her caliber.
"In the end, the boy made his final decision. He absolutely couldn't die like that."
"Yes, that's right. What happened next?!"
"He begged the man who'd cared for him all this time. 'Please, not as a king, but as you, kill me.'"
"......What?"
"In the end, the man couldn't ignore the boy's final plea. 'Sob, Your Highness... It's time to cross the river...' he said, then pulled the rope outside...! Snap."
"Th-then his neck gets strangled! How could he not save him but kill him instead?!"
"Because... that was his final wish. The world is sometimes unjust and cruel."
"Even so... how could he..."
Maybe human imagination is more powerful than we think?
If a movie born from it could make a hidden boss choke up, then yeah, imagination packs a punch.
And this wasn't even watching the film—just a quick plot rundown.
Her reactions were so intense, it made storytelling fun for me too.
"And so, the young boy died at the hands of the one he cherished and loved. But he could protect the villagers that way."
"...Is that truly how it ends?"
"Well... later, his descendants curse that evil king uncle instead. He's probably getting roasted even now."
"A karma and grudge that lingers through eons..."
Truth be told, I hadn't even watched the full movie—just pieced it together from YouTube Shorts.
But if it entertained Hwaran, mission accomplished.
All I needed was to boost her affinity.
"H-how was it...? Fun?"
"...This is a tale I've never heard before. Where did you find it?"
"Uh, not so much 'found' as... ...No, the internet. I got it from the internet."
"How does one reach this 'internet'?"
"Well, um... You probably can't go there, Hwaran."
Dungeons don't have internet signal, as far as I knew.
Even if I brought her a phone, no connection.
That's beyond even a hidden boss's power. I answered vaguely, and disappointment crossed Hwaran's face.
"As I thought..."
Right then.
The moment to advertise my usefulness.
"B-but I can go for you! I'll keep visiting the internet in your place."
"!"
Her pink tails swished as I promised more fun stories.
After all, what Hwaran wanted was tales from beyond the dungeon.
Come on, affinity—rise!
Entity: Hwaran's affinity greatly increases. (65 → 85)
"...You'll do that for me?"
"O-of course."
"Today was a most novel flavor. How did you discover this internet...?"
Whoa, it actually went up.
Now just 15 more to go.
Luckily, this bump was 20. So maybe each story nets me 20 affinity?
One more tale, and Hwaran hits 100!
What next? Another fun historical epic...
"Hwaran, how about the hero who took on 330 ships with just 12 and won?"
-Flash!
-Boom────!
"?! Wha—scared me."
I was just starting another story when massive thunder rumbled from somewhere.
Dark clouds had gathered unnoticed.
"Hmm...?"
Hwaran peered intently into the distance, her face puzzled.
Of course, I couldn't see what she saw.
Too short.
...Any manifestation skills to make me taller?
"Child."
"Yes?"
"I smell you on that one. An acquaintance?"
She pointed at lightning striking far off, saying it smelled like me.
Did lightning ever have a smell?
No clue what she meant.
The only lightning I knew was Kim Arin.
"You can't see it?"
"Wha... what are you talking about?"
"That one. That."
What the heck is "that"?
Omit the subject, and I can't follow.
As I grumbled inwardly, Hwaran swished her hand through the air, creating a bubble.
A landscape from afar floated atop it.
"Unni! Where are you───!"
"...Kim Arin?"
In the bubble's scene, Kim Arin—with a pretty scary face—was smashing dungeon monsters left and right.
Blue lightning crashed everywhere with each step.
Yep, that was her lightning. Terrifying girl.
"...If you don't know her, I'll erase her quick. Won't take long."
"N-no. What scary talk."
"But she's so noisy. Interrupting your stories."
To Hwaran, distant Kim Arin was just upstairs noise.
She's an S-rank hunter, but Hwaran talks about erasing her casually.
Arin might get offended.
...Though this side had a hidden boss.
"I know her. Absolutely don't erase her."
"Can't just erase her...? She's so loud."
"St-stop! Hold up. Money two it."
Scared Hwaran might actually zap Arin, I desperately held her back.
Arin was clearly searching for me after our sudden parting.
Looking around yelling "Unni," yep.
Never imagined I'd be chatting cozy with a hidden boss.
Who would?
Anyway.
"I'll quiet her down. She's my little sister."
"Little sister...? You have a sibling?"
"N-not blood-related... But yeah, like a little sister."
I asked Hwaran to take me to Arin.
Only way to stop the thunder.
But before going, Hwaran's voice rang out again.
"Then, these?"
"Huh?"
"You know these too?"
Another bubble formed, showing unfamiliar faces.
Men staring up fearfully at lightning-smashing Arin.
No one I recognized.
Maybe other trainee hunters? E-rank dungeon, used for training.
"Don't know 'em... But don't kill them."
"Why not?"
"D-do you have to kill?"
"Any reason not to...?"
"Ack."
Monsters gonna monster—her mindset was wild.
Psychopath-level stuff.
"...Don't look at me like that. Did you humans ever need reasons to kill magic beasts?"
"Ah."
That shut me up clean.
Couldn't argue.
Still, no deaths on my watch, so I begged again.
"If you honor my request, next time I'll bring a book."
"A book...? Tomes, you mean?"
"Y-yeah. Books. Then you can read stories without the internet."
"But child, this lady has read every book in existence."
"Ever read The Lord of the Rings?"
"...What is that?"
"A new one."
She seemed Eastern hidden boss vibes, so I baited with Western lit.
Quick summary, and her eyes sparkled again.
Hwaran was easier than she looked. Er, hidden boss.
"Very well. I shan't kill them."
Promising no human kills for me, she grabbed and tore the air.
...Weird phrasing, but she literally tore the air. Rip.
Kim Arin came into view.
Turned out, not air—space. A door opened anywhere.
".........?!"
"Hi."
Sudden poof-me made Arin freak.
She rushed over, patting my face frantically.
Hwaran had vanished somewhere.
-Pat pat.
-Pat pat.
"You raise affinity but no manifestation skill? Give skill and touch."
"H-hospital. Unni's gone mad......"
"No words you can't say to unni."
Annoyed, I shoved my head forward.
Her patting hands slid off my face smooth.
"Y-you okay? Not hurt? Alive?"
"Heh heh. I'm a ghost."
"...Alive."
Finally sighing relief, Arin hugged me tight and plopped down.
Mumbling how worried she was since I vanished.
Sorry, Arin, but that's my skill—no helping it.
-Ding.
(P) Let's Be Friends: S
Probability of encountering entities of sufficient caliber skyrockets. Gain affinity with entities of sufficient caliber.
Skill massively ups hidden boss meetings—what can ya do? Can't toggle passive.
-Ding.
Would you like to deactivate ❮(P) Let's Be Friends: S❯?
Currently applied entity: Hwaran
...You can toggle it.
"Tell me this stuff sooner."
"Wh-what...? What?"