The Boss Wants to Die - Chapter 62

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The boss wants to die.
Episode 62
“Don’t kill the NPC. I’m here because of a Job Quest, so I need to convert the NPC Worshippers.”
“But without killing them, we won’t clear the Dungeon.”
“Driving them outside is enough.”
He wasn’t usually one to be so demanding.
Aerial turned to face the Demon God, his expression creased with displeasure.
Just do as I say.
The Demon God commanded through the shape of his lips.
‘Damn it.’
He buried his rising frustration and slid open the nearest guest room door.
“Shrieeeeek—!”
The Chimera came charging forward, lashing its three tails.
Aerial cast his skill without hesitation.
[Aerial Atlantis has rolled four Fireballs!]
Whoosh!
The round spheres of flame rolled forward ferociously, bursting across the Chimera’s head and chest.
Fire spread through its gray fur and tore into flesh.
“Shrieeeeek!”
A vile stench of sulfur filled the air.
At this rate, the wooden building would catch fire, the ceiling would collapse, and bury him to death.
Yet the skill fizzled out the moment its duration ended, as if it had never been.
All that remained was the Chimera’s charred corpse.
“Who’s there!”
A security guard NPC patrolling the building burst through the door.
Aerial spun around.
The NPC’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, Atlantis?”
The NPC’s face twisted for an instant.
But he quickly smoothed it over, speaking as if nothing had happened.
“You’re stopping the Players again, I see?”
At that moment, Aerial realized he’d made a stupid mistake.
‘I was careless—I forgot to silence the NPC!’
This was inside a brothel run by Worshippers.
Of course the NPC was a Demon God Worshipper.
But since the NPC had approached him with familiarity, it was as good as revealing to Aktr that he was a Worshipper too.
‘And the NPCs here don’t even like me.’
If I let him talk any more, I’ll ruin everything.
Desperate to smooth things over, Aerial opened his mouth hastily.
“I’m done with this business now.”
“Pardon?”
Without waiting to hear more, he put the NPC to sleep with Sleep Magic.
…….
…….
Aktr and Aerial’s gazes collided in midair.
Aerial started walking, offering an answer to a question Aktr hadn’t even asked.
“That’s why I came to the Dungeon. I was running a business, but I’ve had to shut it down.”
His clenched fists trembled from the tension.
“Let’s move on quickly.”
But it was strange.
Even now, Aktr says nothing.
Like someone who’s forgotten how to speak altogether.
“Are you always this taciturn?” he asked irritably.
And a sharp, stabbing pain shot through the left side of his head, as if being pricked by an awl.
Aerial clicked his tongue and turned away.
‘Why does my head keep hurting?’
He was the type who only got headaches the morning after a heavy drinking session.
Something was genuinely wrong with his body.
At this rate, I’ll really mess this up.
Aerial felt a creeping anxiety building inside him.
‘No matter how I think about it, that man…….’
Aerial’s gaze traced across Aktr’s profile.
‘Ever since I met him, my head’s been throbbing.’
“Aktr.”
“Yes?”
Aktr tilted his head slightly as he answered.
Even with perfect courtesy, he was terrifying.
‘And they said he was docile……!’
Aerial felt tears threatening to spill.
“I’m about to burn down the entire building with Hellfire. I’ll control the flames so they won’t touch you—move freely and rescue the NPCs.”
“…….”
“This is me being considerate. Normally, I wouldn’t need to care about your convenience.”
“Of course.”
Aktr nodded silently and stepped away.
Only then did Aerial manage to breathe.
Meanwhile, the Demon God returned from locking an NPC affected by Sleep Magic in an empty room.
“You’re really good at acting.”
The Demon God watched Aktr disappear into the distance, offering praise.
Aerial scoffed, but without a word, unleashed Hellfire—sending it erupting outward in all directions.
‘I have to read Aktr’s presence carefully.’
Otherwise, I might end up incinerating him.
Excluding certain people from a skill’s effective radius required considerable advanced technique.
Of course, the Demon God—who had been the strongest from the moment of birth—seemed unaware of the immense concentration it demanded.
“But something’s off about Aktr. He’s usually pretty easygoing, always careful not to make people uncomfortable. Did you know him before?”
You’re misreading him, aren’t you?
Aerial barely swallowed the words that had reached the tip of his tongue.
“Even when you sent a Party request, he kept refusing. It took so much convincing to finally get him to accept—I don’t know why he’s like that.”
Aerial forced himself to ignore the Demon God’s question, sweat beading on his brow.
His concentration was beginning to slip.
A ringing pierced his ears, and his head throbbed with dull pain.
His breathing grew ragged, and dizziness washed over him so violently he felt nauseous.
“Demon God. Are you beside me?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I’m not feeling well right now, so could you grab some water from my bag……?”
The Demon God nodded as if to fetch water, then suddenly spoke in an odd tone.
― You’re strong.
Her voice sounded distant, different from before.
Aerial looked sideways in confusion.
The Demon God’s lips were sealed.
Yet he heard her voice.
― Everyone else is dead, but you burn like a flame, pushing forward to achieve your revenge.
It wasn’t an illusion.
He was hearing an auditory hallucination.
― Help me become like you. Help me fulfill my wish.
It was a hallucination, but the voice unmistakably belonged to the Demon God.
She spoke in a voice that sounded as if she were breaking apart.
― Let me be liberated like you. Please, kill me.
“Kugh……!”
Aerial barely managed to deactivate the Hellfire skill.
He’d nearly killed Aktr by accident.
Oblivious to the disaster that had almost unfolded, the Demon God laughed brightly.
“Is it all done? Dungeon Clear?”
Thankfully, this voice was real.
Aerial felt a profound exhaustion settling into his bones.
It had been a long time since he’d been so drained.
‘My legs are giving out. I’m about to collapse.’
He gritted his teeth and endured.
He couldn’t afford to fall now.
The only place he could find safety was his hideout.
“It won’t be cleared until we’ve driven the NPCs out completely or made the Worshippers stop.”
“Really? Ah, here they come!”
She approached Aktr with a light step.
The NPCs were being dragged along, stumbling and half-conscious.
There were fewer than five of them in total.
“The Demon God…?”
One NPC, having regained awareness, gazed at the Demon God’s face before him and murmured softly.
“C-could it really be the Demon God?”
Another NPC, spotting Aerial nearby, seemed to arrive at some certainty and cried out.
“It is the Demon God! That’s why he’s with administrative-level Worshippers like Aerial!”
His voice rang out loudly.
“What, what’s going on?”
The Demon God looked down in bewilderment at the NPC trembling beneath him, who had pressed his forehead to the ground.
Aerial sighed, already anticipating what they would say.
This was precisely why he’d wanted to simply kill them.
‘Cursed Aktr’s demands…’
Without the condition to keep them alive, he would have cleared the Dungeon long ago.
“P-please, Divine One, help us!”
The Demon God’s face was utterly bewildered.
Soon another NPC stirred awake.
He too caught sight of the Demon God and threw himself prostrate on the ground.
‘NPC Worshippers are the lowest of the low. I thought word wouldn’t spread, but I was mistaken.’
They must have heard rumors of the Demon God wandering the Village.
Aerial gripped his Staff, wary of what senseless things they might spout.
“Help us, Demon God. Please, help us…”
NPCs who had taken up the path of the Worshippers, gazing upon the Demon God.
Now that they had finally met him, how much must they long to speak?
The Demon God, facing their desperate plea, seemed to lose the will to lie. He furrowed his brow and spoke.
“You’re misunderstanding something, aren’t you? What do you expect from the incarnation of evil?”
“D-destroy everything for us.”
The faces of the tear-stained NPCs were ravaged, not a single inch unmarred.
Missing ears, or bearing deep scars—
Seeing the disfigured faces, the Demon God fell silent.
“Demon God. This world is broken. Utterly, irredeemably broken.”
“Y-yes, it is.”
“We cannot live like this!”
“When only nobility existed, we could at least survive as long as we weren’t enslaved!”
Their eyes glistened with tears.
“But the Players! Since they appeared, everything has changed!”
“They treat us worse than animals—as cheap, disposable tools! They’re monsters!”
Another NPC echoed his words.
“Humanity has changed!”
As if the Demon God were their only lifeline, their desperate appeals continued.
“Why do NPCs even exist? If we have no power, if we fall behind, shouldn’t we simply be discarded?”
“I…”
The Demon God faltered, unable to find words.
“Better that the whole world perish than this!”
An NPC seized the hem of the Black Chiffon Dress and seethed with fury.
“We cannot live as the Players’ playthings any longer!”
“This man is no different! Aerial!”
The NPC, unable to contain his agitation, screamed at Aerial.
“I disliked him from the start! He constantly looked down on us who work in the Dungeon!”
“Did you not feel his contempt? Arrogant Player! You monsters lack even a nobleman’s duty and dignity, let alone a man’s mercy!!”
It was complete chaos.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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