21. Emil, the Hidden Boss

Encountering a hidden boss in a game is a perfectly normal occurrence.

Nier is no exception.

Emil, a character who always drives a small blue metal cart, essentially acts as a roaming merchant and quest-giver in the game. He is a kind-hearted little boy.

In *NieR: Automata*, players can challenge him through certain methods.

As with most games, the very existence of a hidden boss implies that its strength far exceeds that of the standard game progression.

Emil is the same.

Therefore, as Li Nuo walked toward the small blue cart, he opened his personal interface.

His gaze settled on the specialization unlocks.

Considering that gold coins had to be spent where they mattered most, he had not yet activated "Melee Combat" or "Long-range Sniping."

Based on the series of events experienced in this scenario, the weapons and equipment currently available, and the situation he was about to face, Li Nuo already had his answer.

[Do you confirm the expenditure of 500 gold coins to activate Melee Combat?]

"Yes."

[You have mastered the specialization: Melee Combat.]

[Strength +2, Reflexes +4, Constitution +2.]

No white light flashed around Li Nuo, nor did any surge of energy radiate from him.

He simply felt his body become lighter.

At least now, he had the confidence to run away...

Li Nuo never intended to challenge any hidden boss. In the lore, Emil is a superhero who single-handedly resisted the alien invasion by relying on his clones, the "Emil Legion."

In the year 5204 AD, aliens even used the "Emil Legion" as a template to create a new type of "machine lifeform"—the android-style robots seen everywhere today.

You want to challenge a thing like that?

Impossible.

Therefore, Li Nuo's purpose was clear: Emil is kind in his normal state, and most importantly, he is "human" and can communicate normally.

As a hidden boss and a merchant, he carries a lot of good items.

He would talk to Emil; if it led to a good outcome, he would obtain equipment and items impossible to get in the main storyline, then move on.

If it led to a bad outcome, he would rely on the physical enhancements from "Melee Combat" to flee the scene as quickly as possible before Emil went berserk.

But in Chen Shou’s eyes, Li Nuo was courting death again.

He looked at Ma Erjie uneasily and asked, "Brother Ma, what do you think Li Nuo is doing?"

Ma Erjie had already taken off his Doraemon mask. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and made a sage-like gesture of pushing up his glasses.

"Observe the situation."

Through two cooperative missions, he trusted Li Nuo’s judgment.

Li Nuo was already standing in front of the blue metal cart.

A white sphere was pressed under the cart; this sphere was the real Emil.

He grabbed the rear basket of the cart to flip it over. Once his strength stat reached 11, it was essentially the ceiling for a human—comparable to a weightlifter—so he didn't expend much effort.

At this moment, Chen Shou called out from behind: "Li Nuo, we’re a bit tight on time... if..."

*Snap...*

A sound of stone cracking interrupted Chen Shou.

"Is there some kind of noise?" Ma Erjie walked over.

*Snap!*

A louder sound followed, originating from beneath Li Nuo’s feet.

"Back up!"

Li Nuo shouted and retreated quickly; he already knew what was about to happen.

Before the group could retreat very far, the area under the cart suddenly exploded!

*Bang!*

A moderate air burst erupted from the ground, sending gravel and dust flying everywhere.

The three of them instinctively closed their eyes and raised their arms to shield themselves.

As the dust settled, the three slowly opened their eyes.

Something had appeared in front of the blue metal cart.

To be precise, the sphere was a round, bulbous head.

The head was about the size of two basketballs and had a pair of eyes just as round and bulbous as the head itself.

The eyes had no pupils, only whites, yet they made people feel as if they were staring right at you.

A large mouth showed off big front teeth, curled into an eerie arc, presenting a somewhat terrifying smiley face.

"It really is..." Ma Erjie’s eyes gleamed, but he dared not say the name "Emil," fearing unexpected complications.

Chen Shou was speechless, stunned. He had just survived danger, and before his nerves had even calmed down, he had run into a hidden boss. This roller-coaster experience was indescribable. He just wanted this scenario to end so he could go home and go to work...

Only Li Nuo was grinning with a smile as wide as the round head.

Chen Shou didn't know what he was planning, but he knew it was something a normal person wouldn't do. Unease swirled in his heart as he stuttered, "Li, Li Nuo, sh-shouldn't we reconsider..."

Li Nuo acted as if he hadn't heard, secretly overjoyed. This was perfect.

A hidden boss.

And a kind, merchant-playing hidden boss at that.

He felt as if he had found the treasure of the Pirate King, and he walked over with an air of invincibility.

He crouched on the ground, looking into Emil’s eyes. The two stared at each other, and the air went silent.

Chen Shou and Ma Erjie had never felt the world so quiet.

Until Li Nuo broke the silence: "Emil, stop playing dead."

In the game, the first time Emil appears, he pretends to be a "dead person," just like now.

You have to wake him up.

However, Emil remained motionless and silent. Li Nuo simply went back to the three-wheeler, grabbed a crowbar he’d picked up from the resistance camp, and tucked it into his waistband. He then found a hammer in the cargo bed and walked back step by step, picking up his "meat cleaver" from his backpack and holding it in his mouth along the way.

As Li Nuo passed by, Chen Shou specifically urged him: "Li Nuo... think twice."

Li Nuo pointed at the three-wheeler, and Ma Erjie translated: "He wants us to get into the vehicle and prepare to flee at any moment."

"How do you even understand that..." Chen Shou felt even more unsettled. Why couldn't these two just be normal!

At this point, Li Nuo dumped all his weapons in front of Emil. Amidst the crisp clattering of iron hitting the ground, he cupped Emil’s head.

He said in a friendly tone: "No reaction, huh? Looks like you're broken..."

Then, Li Nuo gently placed him on the ground, picked up the hammer and crowbar, clinked them together a few times, and took a golf-swing stance aimed at Emil’s head. Licking his lips, he smiled, "Then let's take you apart and see what's wrong inside."

"Don't do it!"

"Don't!!"

"Ah!!!"

The first shout came from Emil, the second from Chen Shou, and the final one from Li Nuo...

The scene descended into chaos. Li Nuo was pinned under Chen Shou, and Emil was frantically rolling in circles...

Let me explain what happened.

Chen Shou’s ominous premonition was too strong.

The image of this guy knocking out androids with stones and bludgeoning plant monsters with folding chairs was still fresh in his memory. But what was in front of them wasn't just any android—it was a hidden boss.

If that club actually swung down, he feared the consequences were something they couldn't afford...

Therefore, Chen Shou had thrown himself at Li Nuo without hesitation.

Chen Shou weighed over 200 pounds and was built like a tank; one flying tackle pinned Li Nuo to the ground.

Li Nuo felt like a giant, soft boulder had crashed into him.

Pinned to the ground, Li Nuo heard a sickening *crack*, which seemed to come from his own lower back...

"Brother Shou... get up... please... I'm... I'm dying..."

...

Half a minute later, Li Nuo sat cross-legged on the ground, panting heavily and rubbing his lower back.

If Chen Shou had applied any more force, his spine might have actually suffered damage.

Meanwhile, Emil was still rolling around the cart endlessly.

Li Nuo squinted and said helplessly: "Hey... stop running, Emil, I won't dismantle you."

"Huh?" Emil stopped, faced his head toward Li Nuo, and asked timidly: "Are... are you really not going to dismantle me!?"

"Yeah... I was just joking earlier."

"Ah! By the way, how do you know my name?!" Emil "bounced" once.

"That's not important..." Li Nuo abruptly skipped the topic, leaned his face toward Emil, and asked: "Anyway, it looks like you've run into some trouble here?"

Hearing this, Emil turned his head toward the cart lying on its side.

[Side quest triggered]

[Help Emil]

[Quest Level: Lv16~Lv45]

[Quest Rewards: Emil’s Mask, Inventory Expansion *2, Experience points calculated based on completion method]

[Special Reward: 300 gold coins, ???]

...

...

PS: Regarding the plot of the character Emil, I will post a short story from the original work in the comments section later. Those interested can take a look.