Part 3NPC and Final Boss

From the day I saw the chat feed, I stopped throwing tantrums.

Before Ross left to clear instances, I proactively organized his gear. When he returned, I made sure hot water was ready for him.

Before, when he tried to teach me how to cook, I had stubbornly refused. Now, I began studying the system recipes. Though the meals I prepared tasted awful, Ross finished every single bite.

He would hold his bowl, his expression a mix of bewilderment and amusement.

"Babe... did you have some sort of epiphany?"

I ladled some soup for him without answering.

"Or did you mess up and break something?" he teased.

"No."

"Then why the sudden change of heart?"

I pushed the bowl in front of him.

"Just drink your soup."

He chuckled, taking a sip. His brow furrowed. He took another sip, his grimace deepening.

"...It's incredibly salty."

I snatched the bowl back and tasted it myself. I nearly gagged. But Ross snatched it right back.

"Salty is good. Goes well with rice."

He tipped the bowl back, gulping it down in seconds, then showed me the empty bottom.

"See? All gone."

My nose stung with unshed tears. But the chat feed flared up again.

【Why are you crying? The Boss is about to meet his real partner.】

【Our precious healer entered the instance today! Get ready, girls!】

【Oh my god, really? The top-tier support on the leaderboard is coming to the Northern Sector?】

【Yeah, heard his previous team's DPS was trash, so he wanted a change of scenery to farm some points.】

【He's here! The true canon ship is finally sailing!】

My hand holding the bowl trembled. Ross noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

I placed the bowl in the sink. He didn't suspect anything. He simply walked over, wrapping his arms around me from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Jesse, if there's something on your mind, talk to me. Don't carry it alone."

"There really isn't."

"Then why have you been staring into space so much lately?"

I turned around, looking into his crimson eyes.

"Ross."

"Yeah?"

"What if..." I paused, carefully choosing my words. "What if one day you meet someone, and together, you two can end this horror game? What if you could bring everyone back to their normal lives?"

Before I could finish, he cut me off.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"How does it not? You're the Boss. Ending the game would mean..."

"It would mean they have to kill me."

I fell silent. He squeezed my arm gently.

"Listen to me, Jesse. I don't give a damn about who ends this game. I don't care about world peace or the fate of humanity. I only care about you."

"But..."

"No buts. You're mine. I don't care who comes knocking; no one is taking you away."

The chat feed erupted.

【Ahhhh, he's so smooth!】

【No, I can't be swayed! I am a die-hard canon shipper!】

【Ugh, but he's so good to the little NPC. It's making me soft.】

【So what? An NPC is just an NPC. He's destined to die anyway.】

【Our healer is almost here. The canon ship is supreme!】

I closed my eyes, burying my face in his chest. I memorized every word Ross said, but I also remembered every word of the chat feed.

The healer was coming. My time was running out.