System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]-Chapter 14: My plan was cool enough to be stolen

Back home, Blake couldn’t shake the lingering chill that crept down his spine, as if something unseen had followed him all the way back. The air in his room felt heavier than usual, pressing faintly against his chest. He exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself.

"Spoon," he called out, his voice low but firm, "I’m ready now. Show me the reward."

A brief pause followed, just long enough to be irritating.

[ Yes, Dear Host. You may ask for any character-related information you desire. ]

Blake frowned, leaning back against the wall. "Fine... then tell me this. The auction Myles is going to attend, what exactly is he after?"

[ Myles Cortez requires an item of significant value, something that will be crucial to his plans. He seeks the complete structural blueprint of the SRTT Tower. ]

Blake’s brows knit together. "SRTT Tower? What is that supposed to be?"

[ Dear Host, it is the central facility where most of the laboratories are located. It is also the place where the main character obtains his powers. ]

"...Ah." Blake’s expression shifted, understanding dawning slowly. Of course he didn’t recognize it, he had never actually read the godforsaken novel. "I see..."

But then another thought surfaced, sharper, more unsettling.

"...Why would he need something like that?" Blake muttered. "To infiltrate it?"

Silence.

Then...

[ The reward has already been used. ]

Blake froze. "...Hey. What?"

No response.

His eye twitched. "Hey! That wasn’t even helpful!"

Still nothing.

"Mhhh... this is bad..." he groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

With a sigh, he reached for his favorite instant soup. The warmth did little to comfort him.

"Maybe he’s planning to steal something from inside the lab..." he murmured to himself.

And maybe, just maybe, it had been mentioned somewhere in the novel he never bothered to read.

"...Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "This is so annoying..."

A few minutes later, he found himself standing in the bathroom, staring at his reflection.

Blake... was short.

Not just slightly below average, no, this was noticeably short. It felt wrong. He had always been comfortably average before, blending in without effort. Now, he stood there, looking like someone who would get overlooked in any crowd.

"I seriously need to start exercising..." he muttered. "Earlier I was out of breath for no reason."

He pulled off his shirt, examining his body more closely.

There was no fat, none at all.

At first glance, that might’ve seemed like a good thing. But it wasn’t. There was barely any muscle either. Just a thin, underdeveloped frame that spoke more of neglect than fitness.

’Blake’s metabolism is insane...’ he thought, tilting his head. ’...No. More likely, he just didn’t eat enough.’

Clicking his tongue, he eventually retreated back to his bed, letting himself fall onto the mattress with a quiet thud. He pulled out his phone, staring at the screen.

Myles.

His thumb hovered over the contact.

He could text him. Ask casually about his day, to see what he would reply.

But...

"...No," Blake muttered, locking the phone and tossing it aside. "That’s just asking for suspicion."

He rolled onto his side, staring blankly at the wall.

"Spoon."

[ Yes, Dear Host. ]

"...Should I just go to the auction?"

There was a slight pause this time, as if the system itself was considering the question.

[ Why do you wish to attend? ]

Blake let out a quiet breath. "I’ve got a bad feeling about this. You didn’t say it outright, but... I’m pretty sure Myles is planning something shady with those blueprints."

He shifted again, restless.

"And if I’m right, I can’t just sit here and do nothing."

Silence lingered for a moment.

[ Dear Host... that may be a wise decision. ]

Blake blinked, surprised. "You think so?"

A beat passed before reality hit him again.

"...Doesn’t matter," he added bitterly. "I don’t even have the money for something like that."

[ Evaluating... ]

A faint, almost mechanical hum echoed in his mind.

[ Current system bank balance: 1,000,000,000 pyollar. ]

"...What?"

Blake shot upright, eyes wide. "Wait, what did you just say?"

[ Mission assigned: Purchase the blueprints in place of Myles Cortez. ]

[ Time limit: 1 day (December 4th) ]

[ Current favorability: -3 ]

[ Penalty: ??? ]

[ Reward: Skill from the spinning wheel. ]

Blake stared blankly into space for a solid three seconds.

"...Are you serious right now?" he said slowly, incredulously. "You just took my idea and turned it into a mission?"

His expression darkened.

"And more importantly... how exactly am I supposed to pull that off without being recognized?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Myles wasn’t stupid. Far from it. His perception, his instincts, they were sharp enough to pick up on the smallest inconsistencies.

Going head-to-head with him, even indirectly, was dangerous.

Blake clenched his jaw, mind already racing through possibilities and failures.

The system responded, calm as ever.

[ We will determine a method. ]

Blake let out a long, frustrated breath, falling back onto the bed again.

"...Yeah," he muttered, staring at the ceiling. "We better. Anyway, can I keep what remains of the money?"

[ No. ]

"Tsk."

***

Was he being too obvious?

Blake kept his gaze lowered, but his thoughts were anything but calm. From the corner of his eye, he watched Myles, as always calm, composed, with his pen moving steadily across the page as if nothing in the world could disturb him.

As if he hadn’t beaten someone half to death just yesterday.

The contrast made Blake’s stomach twist.

’...How does someone act normal after that?’ he wondered, unease prickling at the back of his mind.

His fingers tightened slightly around his pen.

’And more importantly... what happens if I actually seduce him?’

The thought lingered longer than he liked.

’If I seduce him... how will he treat me?’ Blake swallowed. ’Not like that, right...?’

The thought alone was enough to make his chest feel tight.

Before he could stop himself, his gaze drifted upward.

Myles looked... unfair.

There was no other way to describe it. Somehow, he was described as average and was also treated as such, but he had sharp features, composed posture and a calm personality. The kind of person people trusted, or feared, without knowing why.

"What is it?" Myles asked.

Blake froze for half a second, then he flashed a smile.

"Um..." he let out a soft laugh, scratching the back of his head. "You’re scarily handsome."

Silence.

Myles looked at him.

Not surprised. Not flustered. Just... observing.

Those few seconds stretched uncomfortably long.

Then, without a word, Myles looked away and returned to writing.

Blake blinked.

’...Of course’

His smile stiffened slightly.

’A compliment alone isn’t going to do anything.’

If anything, it might’ve made things worse.

Blake exhaled slowly, trying to keep his expression natural as he looked back down at his notebook.

’That was too direct,’ he admitted inwardly. ’But then again, he already knows about my supposed love for him.’

Myles wasn’t the type to be swayed by shallow flattery. If anything, he’d be more likely to question it.

And that was the last thing Blake needed.

He tapped his pen lightly against the page, forcing himself to think more carefully this time.

’If I push too hard, he’ll notice. If I don’t push at all, nothing changes.’

A thin line.

And he had to walk it perfectly.

His thoughts drifted again, to the auction.

He had to look and act as harmless as he possibly could. Facing Myles and beating him with money, that wasn’t safe by any mean. And if he suspected Blake for even a moment, he’d be dead.

Dead.