Part-Time BOSS - CH 7

Murphy didn’t feel angry. In fact, the girl in front of him was one of his favorite captives. After the kidnapping three months ago, the King of Stromgarde issued a heroic mission to rescue the princess. If completed, the mission could increase a hero’s rank, but no one had been able to complete it yet.

Despite causing Murphy a lot of trouble – the girl would sneer at him every time they met – he tolerated it because it was nice to have someone to talk to in the lonely dungeon. Plus, having a princess as bait attracted a lot of foolish adventurers.

To Murphy, the princess was like a yacht in a rich man’s family – it didn’t matter if he needed her or not, he just couldn’t resist having her. Moreover, that quest to slay the dragon and rescue the princess was exactly what he wanted.

Murphy knew that if he failed to keep the princess, Catherine, alive, he would be embarrassed to greet other black dragon lords at the annual meeting of the black dragon army. To ensure her safety, Murphy had his goblin craftsmen build a miniature castle for her deep inside the cave. The castle was surrounded by a lava moat and had dragon guards who delivered food to her every day.

Despite the precautions, Murphy wasn’t afraid of Catherine running away. Although she was a princess, she was a civilian template with the second-to-last combat power in the game. In other words, any two kobolds could kill her if she tried to escape. Additionally, NPCs with names in the game had high IQs and wouldn’t do anything foolish that could risk their lives.

“How much longer do you plan to keep me locked up here?” Catherine asked.

Murphy chuckled. “Why bother going back to your kingdom and facing court battles? It’s much better to stay here. You have servants to attend to your needs, and I’m a considerate dragon to keep you company. Where else can you find such a good situation?”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Catherine replied. “One day, a hero will come and rescue me from your lair. They’ll cut off your head and display it on the gates of Stromgarde, and then we’ll see who’s laughing.”

Murphy laughed at her threat. “You’re so vicious and dark, yet people call me a villain. I treat you well and you curse me out like this. But I’m a tolerant dragon and I don’t mind your rudeness. If you’re so confident, then just wait patiently.”

As the black dragon remained indifferent, the princess grew increasingly furious. “You’ve kept me locked up here for three whole months! What do you want from me? My father is gravely ill, and I don’t know if he’ll live or die. I have to return to the kingdom!” Her anger boiled over, and she rushed forward, flailing her fists and feet at the dragon’s front paws. But her attacks were futile against the dragon’s thick armor.

The black dragon sighed and closed his eyes. “Alright, Catherine, save your energy. Let’s talk tomorrow. And you should get some rest too. Anything is possible in your dreams, perhaps your knight in shining armor will come to rescue you.”

With that, the dragon rested his head and began snoring, emitting smoke from his nostrils that made Catherine stumble backwards. Once she regained her balance, she made an obscene gesture at the sleeping dragon before turning back towards her castle. The glowing golden exclamation point above her head illuminated the way, preventing her from stumbling in the darkness.

Murphy opened his eyes and rubbed his stiff neck from lying on his back for too long. He removed the game helmet from his head and stretched his body, trying to adjust to the physical changes from being a dragon in the game to being an adult man in reality.

As always, he felt a strange sensation whenever he exited the game. Controlling the body of a black dragon, with its four limbs and wings, made the line between reality and virtuality blur, causing him to feel disoriented when he returned to the real world.

Although the temperature in the live streaming room was pleasant, the smell of meat muffins and beef jerky lingered. Murphy flexed his muscles and bones, silently cursing his weak human body in comparison to the immense strength of the black dragon.

Despite being an incredibly realistic holographic virtual game, it was still just a game after all. People inevitably had to return to reality.

Checking his phone, Murphy realized it was already very late. He decided to quickly say goodbye and return to his dormitory for some much-needed rest.

As he stepped out of the studio, he noticed his supervisor waiting for him outside. “Murphy, come here. There’s someone you need to meet.”

Feeling a little confused, Murphy followed the supervisor to a nearby lounge, where a handsome man in a suit was watching his live broadcast on the computer screen. The man appeared to be thoroughly engrossed in the scene of a black dragon massacring an army of adventurers. He held a bucket of popcorn in his hand, his eyes full of excitement as if he were watching a Hollywood blockbuster.

Allowing a moment for Murphy to take in the situation, the supervisor then introduced the man as the young manager of their Xingyao Group, Mr. Wang Shao.

Murphy was taken aback by the sudden introduction but managed to compose himself enough to shake Wang Shao’s outstretched hand in a friendly manner.

“Hello Murphy – or should I call you Morpheus? I watched your live broadcast just now, and it was really cool. That black dragon is so handsome. I have never been very interested in games, but your video has changed my impression. Maybe one day we can hang out together.” said Mr. Wang Shao, extending his hand in a friendly manner.

Murphy was initially puzzled, as he had a messy background and knew that the boss of the company was completely different from him. He understood that it was impossible for the other person to say good things without any purpose. However, as the young boss, Murphy still had to give him face.

”Haha, you’re joking, Mr. Shao. It’s just a job for me.”

”Hehe, you can’t say that. There are many live streamers of Firmament World, but no one can roleplay a character as epically as you. To be honest, I’m quite excited…”

As soon as he uttered those words, his countenance took a friendlier turn. “Would you be interested in streaming yourself playing a different character? Our corporation is in the process of establishing a vast and comprehensive three-dimensional society, which will require multiple broadcasters to aid in its establishment and debut as a group. Perhaps I could secure a spot for you. It’s a rare opportunity to gain substantial backing from the company and engage in a mutually beneficial partnership.”

Murphy wasn’t deceived by the abundance of technical terms and cautiously inquired, “What about my current game character?”

“Hehe, the company will make separate arrangements for it. We won’t abandon the concept,” the man replied.

Mo Fei’s heart sank as he spoke up and finally understood the situation.

“Mr. Shao, are you joking? It was agreed upon when I signed the contract that the game account belongs to the host. Unless I violate the platform’s terms of service, you have no right to take it away,” he asserted.

“Of course. I just wanted to discuss it with you. We understand the effort you’ve put into this account, and the platform will compensate you with one million. Additionally, they’ll provide you with funds to establish a new account. You could play boss characters or try out hero and lord templates; experimenting with new things is always a good idea.”