The warehouse the captain led me to was filled with treasure chests.
But I wasn't interested in the regular ones.
There was a hidden passage behind the chests.
That's where the real stuff was.
"Hey! There's a door here, isn't there? Hand over the key!"
Clatter…
The collar made the skeleton obey easily.
Despite its fear of the great demon inside, it handed over the key.
The skeleton's role ended here.
Now it was time to borrow the power of the flashlight constellation.
"Hey, Shiny."
"…"
"Shiny!! You deaf or what?!?!"
"Are… you talking to me?"
"Who else is sparkling around here, huh?!!"
Luminous, the Guide of Light.
A constellation in the form of a floating flashlight.
It looks like absolute trash, but even without humanizing, its power is pretty strong.
Especially against dark-attribute enemies—it's their kryptonite.
"You must feel it too. There's a great demon in there!"
"Yeah… I feel it."
"I brought you to take this thing down, so do it right! Activate your stigma now!"
"Of course I'll do my best, but you know I can only act according to the contract. Normally, I can't lend my stigma to a hero I'm not bound to."
The constellation contract item allows borrowing up to 100 mana worth of power.
That's enough.
This contract item practically exists to defeat the great demon Melquises.
"One shot. Pour all your power into a single stigma. After that, go back to your original master or whatever."
"Hmm… Got it."
A halo enveloped the flashlight.
Then, Luminous's light flickered.
"Ah…! Wait, my battery's about to die…!"
"Huh? You idiot! A constellation relying on batteries?!"
This pointless event is the same in reality…
It was the same in the game.
After beating Spankings and bringing Luminous here, the flashlight says, "My battery's about to die!"
If you didn't bring batteries, it's game over.
But a thorough player carries all sorts of junk in their inventory, so it's no issue.
Who carries batteries in real life, though…?
'That's me!!!!!!'
Luckily, I'm a veteran of this game.
I came prepared with batteries.
I opened the battery cover.
"Ah… If you open it so roughly…?"
Luminous shivered, letting out a suggestive moan.
For a flashlight, it was annoyingly sensitive.
"Stop whining and spit out the batteries! I'm putting in new ones!!"
"Ugh…?! At least be gentle…!!"
"…"
Suddenly, I got curious about its humanized form.
A constellation's traits usually persist even when transformed.
So, it should still need batteries in human form.
Where exactly would the batteries go?
Since it takes two and they're fully inserted, probably…
'That hole' and 'that hole'…?
Curiosity got the better of me, so I rubbed the battery slot with my finger.
"Aaah…!! W-What are you touching, you pervert?!!!"
Hmm.
Definitely 'that hole' and 'that hole'.
"Huh? I'm just putting in batteries!! You think I want to do this?! It's your fault for sticking batteries in such a filthy place!!!!"
"F-Filthy?! It's not filthy!!!"
I quickly shoved in the batteries and snapped the cover shut.
Luminous let out a "Kiyoooot-" moan, then lit up.
"Hey, focus. We're going in."
"Okay…"
Click-
I unlocked the door and entered.
It wasn't a large space.
Just a single large treasure chest in the center.
But the aura prickling my skin was sharp as a blade.
"Grrr… Woof!!"
"Kkubburi-Kkubburi~ Be careful… I sense an immense evil aura…"
Pomi and Kkubburi, who'd been quiet, issued warnings.
The thing prowling this room must be that strong.
"My name is Melquises, the Great Demon Overseer… What is your name?"
"Huh? Kim Taeyang."
"Kim Taeyang. A demonic name… I have a proposal. Sever your ties with your constellations and become my bound hero."
Melquises.
It's a constellation too.
Not all constellations are goody-two-shoes.
Those with titles like "great demon" tempt heroes to fall into evil or bind to monsters to wreak havoc.
Having stolen a few constellations with Kim Taeyang's skills,
I've been thinking about whether I could tame an evil one.
But not this guy.
It's strong, but it's only relevant early-game, with low potential.
A mere 7-star, not worth taking.
More importantly,
It has no bound hero right now, so I can't use my NTR Solution skill.
That skill only works on constellations with an owner.
"Huh? I've already got two hot constellations!"
"Woof!"
"Kkubburi-Kkubburi~♡"
[Glacis's Favorability Increases.]
[Lashara's Favorability Increases.]
My rejection of an evil constellation boosted my two constellations' favorability.
If I took in Melquises, their favorability would probably plummet.
Constellation chemistry matters, after all.
This game's needlessly complicated.
"Foolish mortal… Then only death awaits…!"
WHOOOOOSH-!!
Black smoke swirled, and Melquises's form appeared.
It was an eye, blacker than anything in this world.
A massive eye formed, its pitch-black pupil glaring right through me…!
Melquises, the Great Demon Overseer.
True to its name, it's a giant eyeball constellation!
And Luminous, the Guide of Light, is a flashlight constellation…!
"Hey, you ready?"
"Yeah."
"Here we go."
Click-
The reason Luminous counters Melquises is—
"Eye Flash!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Because of this matchup!
BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!
With a flick of the switch, a massive beam of light shot from the flashlight,
Swallowing Melquises's eye in an instant.
"ARRRGH!!!!!!!! My eye!!!!!!!!!!"
Melquises scattered helplessly under the blinding flash.
A man who defeats a great demon with an eye flash.
That's Kim Taeyang…
I immediately opened the treasure chest and pulled out the broken holy sword.
[Plancel's Broken Holy Sword]
-The sword used by the ghost knight Plancel in life.
-When imbued with Plancel's stigma, the sword and Plancel become one.
-As an ego sword, it merges with the user, sharing senses.
Finally got it…
Plancel's holy sword.
The reason this item is so OP is because it "merges with the user."
With Plancel's stigma, you can instantly wield her incredible swordsmanship.
It's a must-have item in the game…!
"Woo~ Super cheat item acquired!"
My business here is done.
Now I just need to find Seol Harin and Kang Juhyeok and get out.
Then, Luminous, floating beside me, spoke up.
"Uh, um…"
"Huh? You're still here?"
"The batteries I was using… could you give them back…?"
It sounded deeply embarrassed.
I don't get why it's acting like this.
It didn't in the game.
"Why do you want dead batteries back?"
"They're Michaela's… They might look like regular batteries, but they're rechargeable ones we've used since we first met…"
Forming a bond over batteries?
If it's a precious item with memories, I've got no choice…
I'll crush it completely and score some NTR coins!!!!!
"Rechargeable? Who uses those nowadays?! No wonder your battery's so weak!!"
"They're old, but they still work…"
"Shiny!! Just go!!! Go back to your master with my batteries in you!!! Let my scent radiate from you!!!! Heh heh heh."
"You're such a jerk…"
[Luminous's Favorability Decreases.]
Luminous left with a whoosh after those words.
I lost some favorability for the coins…
But who cares? I'll steal you later anyway.
***
At that moment,
Seol Harin and Kang Juhyeok were fleeing from a monster.
CRASH-!
A force smashed through the ship's hull with ease.
Chasing them was a massive octopus monster, a Kraken.
"Run!!"
Seol Harin shouted.
They'd been fleeing the Kraken for 30 minutes.
"Huff… huff…!"
Kang Juhyeok panted heavily.
He was holding on with sheer willpower, but his legs were giving out.
His desperate constellations roared.
"I told you to run! Why'd you make things this bad?!"
"Hero, you made a foolish choice. The outcome was obvious…"
"Cut that girl's ankle and escape now. It's the only way to survive."
"Huff… huff… You're no help at all…!"
The constellations demanded they flee the moment they saw the Kraken.
But Kang Juhyeok fought it, wanting to prove something to Seol Harin.
"I can't understand it! If you hadn't stabbed your sword into its suction cups, we wouldn't be in this mess! Got it?!"
Plancel was right.
Kang Juhyeok swung his sword without thinking,
Believing his three constellations would lend him their stigmas if things got dire.
They did, but their power wasn't enough to beat the Kraken.
'These damn constellations… Acting all high and mighty as 9-stars… They're all useless…!!'
Kang Juhyeok hadn't been chosen by his constellations for long,
So he'd been overly excited.
A hero chosen by three 9-star constellations at once!
But constellations and heroes grow slowly.
Even 9-star constellations can't unleash much power without a strong bond.
"Ugh…?!"
Then, his leg caught on a raised wooden plank.
Kang Juhyeok tripped and faceplanted with a thud!
"Ugh! H-Harin…!"
"!"
Seol Harin, running ahead, turned back.
She roughly pulled Kang Juhyeok to his feet, and they ran again.
Unlike Kang Juhyeok, her breathing was steady.
"You're tired already?"
"Huff… J-Just a bit…"
"Already, after this little run? Don't you ever work out?"
"Huff, huff… I train in swordsmanship… but not stamina separately… Huff… That's how we've always done it, right…?"
"What century are you living in? Your stamina's pathetic… You don't even use a treadmill? Master could go six hours straight without a break."
"Ugh…"
"Run faster. Your weak stamina's gonna get me in trouble too."
"S-Sorry!"
Seol Harin's face was fresh and dewy.
Her breathing was so stable she could talk without issue.
She was practically jogging…!
'Was Harin always this fit…?'
Her lower body caught his eye.
Her legs seemed slightly thicker than before.
Each step revealed her hamstrings flexing distinctly in three parts.
'She looks… healthier. Way more than when we trained together…'
A strange sense of defeat weighed on him.
Her body seemed molded into Kim Taeyang's ideal type.
'That bastard… He's completely taken my Harin…!'
Lost in thought, he didn't notice—
SHLURP!!
A tentacle grabbed him.
"Argh…!"
"Kang Juhyeok…?"
Seol Harin gritted her teeth, drew her sword, and charged.
She wanted to abandon him, but…
They had history. She had to at least try to save him.
Slash-!
Her sword, even without Pomi, was sharp.
She sliced through the massive tentacle in one stroke, freeing Kang Juhyeok.
"I can't carry you. If you can't keep running… I'll leave you behind."
"Huff, huff… H-Harin!!"
"?"
Kang Juhyeok's eyes filled with fear.
Turning, she saw the Kraken's massive head rising above the ship's deck.
SHWAAAAA!!!
Green liquid sprayed from its mouth.
Seol Harin was drenched head to toe.
"You okay?"
"Ugh… It just stings a bit. Hurry…?"
CRASHHH!!
Tentacles from all directions…?
Tentacles attacked from every angle.
Maybe the Kraken hadn't been chasing them—
It had lured them into the perfect hunting ground.
Shwick!
Seol Harin sliced through the incoming tentacles.
Each swing took down one.
But they regrew quickly.
She swung her sword dozens of times without a moment to breathe.
That wasn't the only problem.
'My clothes are melting…?!'
Her uniform was dissolving.
The green liquid was the cause, and soon her cow bikini would be exposed.
"Argh!"
Kang Juhyeok got caught again.
His weak stamina was the issue.
Seol Harin should've escaped alone, but…
'This thing has no openings…'
There were too many tentacles to handle.
"Hoo… Hoo…"
Her breathing grew labored.
She wasn't used to fighting such a monster.
She wouldn't last long.
Then it hit her—
'I'm going to die like this…?'
Death felt real.
Emotions can dominate the body.
Seol Harin's movements slowed drastically.
Just moments ago, she was a top-tier swordswoman,
But now, gripped by fear, she was mere prey.
"Ugh…!"
She couldn't muster the courage to cut the incoming tentacles.
Her body froze like ice.
'This is really bad…!'
As she sensed death and squeezed her eyes shut—
"ARRRGH─────────!"
That battle cry rang out.
BOOOOOM!!!!
An ear-splitting explosion.
She didn't know what happened.
When she opened her eyes,
The most dependable man's back was before her…
"Pomi! Kkubburi! Humanize!!"
"Woof!!"
"Kkubburi-Kkubburi~"
At Kim Taeyang's command, the two constellations transformed.
The unleashed power of 9-star constellations easily overwhelmed the Kraken.
Pomi's blizzard slowed the tentacles,
While Kkubburi's hair turned into dozens of whips, ensnaring them.
The tightly bound whips sliced through, sending tentacles flying,
And Pomi's ice claws shredded them to prevent regeneration.
A thrilling, breathtaking battle scene.
But to Seol Harin, it was just a blurry backdrop.
The truly awesome thing was right in front of her.
"Hey, put this on."
Flap-
Kim Taeyang took off his Hawaiian shirt and draped it over her.
Despite being short-sleeved, it was so oversized it looked like she was wearing a traditional Japanese robe.
"This is…?"
"Your clothes melted, didn't they? If I hadn't been here, your underwear would've melted too! I won't forgive you if you show your naked body to any guy but me! Got it?!"
"…!"
Her uniform had completely dissolved.
But the cow bikini was intact.
Kim Taeyang hadn't made her wear it to tease her.
'Clothes melting in dungeons is common… He got me a bikini that wouldn't melt to protect me…!'
This man…
His rough appearance and speech hid it, but…
How vast and deep was his heart…?
The thought nearly brought her suppressed tears bursting out.
Seol Harin bit her lip to hold them back.
Crying in a battle situation would be a nuisance.
"Hey, sow."
"…Yes."
"You can cry when you're with me. Your tears won't be a burden to me."
"!"
The grievances she'd held back…
The pain she'd endured as a public figure…
The sorrow she'd forced herself to suppress to keep from collapsing, with no one to lean on.
His single sentence made it all burst out.
"You… You really…"
A man she could fully rely on.
A man she'd only met in dreams.
The only man in the world.
"When you make me feel this moved… I can't help but depend on you…"
To Seol Harin, Kim Taeyang had become that man.
***
Subduing the Kraken was easy.
With two 9-star constellations, I barely had to do anything.
The problem was finishing it off.
Its insane regeneration made it a pain to kill permanently.
Meanwhile, Kang Juhyeok was still caught…
If he were just a random villain extra, I'd have ditched him without a second thought.
But as this world's protagonist, that wasn't an option.
In short, the power balance was tight.
And the weapon to break that balance was in my hand.
Plancel's Broken Holy Sword.
Holding it, I strode toward the captured Kang Juhyeok.
"Kkubburi, cover me."
"Kkubburi-Kkubburi~ I'll protect Taeyang-nim's noble body…!"
Tentacles came at me, but Kkubburi's hair whips easily subdued them.
"Hey, ghost."
"Are you calling me?"
Plancel, Kang Juhyeok's constellation, popped out of his chest.
In her non-humanized form, she looked like a cute ghost character.
"You know what this is?"
"Tch… That's my holy sword!! Why do you have it?!"
"Because I found it here, obviously."
"You found it here?"
"Yeah, I opened a treasure chest and got it myself."
"Hand it to Kang Juhyeok! I can handle this situation!!"
This shameless ghost.
Trying to sneakily claim the sword in this chaos?
Not happening.
"Huh? You crazy?"
"…?"
"Who are you to tell me what to do with my sword?! Huh?!!"
"It's my sword originally!! Whatever, just give it to Kang Juhyeok! It's the only way to kill this octopus! You can't do it alone!!"
"Huhhh?! You can't tell who's the boss here?! I could just ditch that weakling!!"
"What…?"
"So you come to me!!!"
With Plancel's stigma, this sword becomes a complete ego sword.
My body and Plancel's soul would merge, reaching the state of divine sword unity.
The problem is…
"To use the holy sword properly, I need to grant you my stigma! You're not my hero, so I can't, you blockhead!!"
A stigma can only be granted to a bound hero.
But there's a simple solution.
"You idiot!!! Who're you calling a blockhead, you dumb virgin ghost?! Did you leave your brain behind when you left your body?! If you become my bound constellation, it's solved, isn't it?!!!"
"W-What…?"
Ditch Kang Juhyeok and come to me.
Then we kill the octopus, complete the sword, and save Kang Juhyeok.
At least a three-birds-one-stone deal…!