Shadow Husband:I Have a Hidden SSS-Class System-Chapter 10: ESTABLISHING ROUTINE

Rama spent the next two hours meticulously describing every detail of his supposed solo dungeon raids while Sekar listened with the focused attention of a general reviewing battlefield reports. She took notes on her tablet, asked pointed questions about monster behavior, and occasionally stopped him to clarify specific tactics he’d used.

It was exhausting maintaining the lie when she was this engaged.

"So the Elite Slime telegraphs its acid spray by contracting first," Sekar mused, tapping her stylus against the screen. "That’s consistent with B-Rank acid-type monsters too. Good observation."

"I got lucky," Rama said, which was partially true. His [Combat Sense] passive had helped, but admitting to having skills he shouldn’t possess would be disastrous.

"Not luck. Pattern recognition. That’s a learnable skill." Sekar smiled at him with genuine pride. "You’re developing proper Hunter instincts. I’m impressed."

The praise made the guilt worse.

Sekar’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced at the screen and sighed. "It’s Joko. Probably the Sumatra gate situation." She answered, her expression shifting instantly from loving wife to commanding Guild Master. "What is it?"

Rama couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but he watched Sekar’s face grow progressively more serious.

"When? How many guilds are bidding? No, we’re not backing down. Tell them Eternal Bond is claiming primary assault rights." Her voice was ice. "I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Prepare the conference room."

She ended the call and looked at Rama apologetically. "Emergency guild meeting. The S-Rank gate in Sumatra is confirmed active, and every major guild in Southeast Asia is fighting over raid rights. This is going to take all day."

"I understand. Go."

Sekar hesitated, then pulled out her phone again. "Before I leave—I’m sending you contact information for three things. First, a B-Rank martial artist who does private training. Second, a dungeon equipment supplier. Third, a Hunter insurance policy in case something goes wrong."

"Sekar—"

"Just take it. Please." She kissed him quickly. "And Rama? If you go into any dungeon today, any dungeon at all, you text me before you enter and after you exit. I don’t care if it’s F-Rank or if you think I’m busy. You text me. Non-negotiable."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She studied his face one more time, then grabbed her briefcase and left.

The moment the door closed, Rama let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

[Hidden Quest Progress: 5/30]

The notification appeared briefly, then faded. No commentary. No advice. Just the number tracking his progress.

Sekar wasn’t just watching anymore—she was actively monitoring him. Any dungeon raid would require informing her first, which meant she’d know exactly when and where he was going.

That eliminated his entire stealth advantage.

Rama pulled up the Player Network communicator.

[RAMA: Emergency situation. Wife discovered I’ve been running solo dungeons. She’s monitoring me now. Need new approach.]

The responses came quickly.

[SARI: How much does she know?]

[RAMA: That I’m level 21 now. That I’ve been clearing F-Rank gates solo. Nothing about the System or you guys.]

[BUDI: That’s manageable. You told her partial truth?]

[RAMA: Yes. She bought it but she’s suspicious. Wants me to text before and after every dungeon.]

[ADI: Ouch. That’s basically house arrest with extra steps.]

[SARI: Not necessarily. We can work with this. You need legitimate cover that explains your growth while letting you continue training. Give me an hour. I have an idea.]

Rama set down his phone and pulled up his System interface, reviewing his current status while he waited.

[PLAYER STATUS]

Name: Rama Kusuma

Level: 21

Class: Vanguard (Evolving)

Titles: Solo Conqueror, Dedicated Student, Lone Hunter

STATS:

Strength: 59 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Agility: 49

Vitality: 124

Intelligence: 49

Mana: 69

Active Quests:

Hidden Quest: ???/30 Clear 10 dungeons solo (1/10, 6 days remaining) Daily Quest: Basic Training

The numbers were impressive, but the constraints were tightening. Twenty-nine levels in twenty-five days meant he needed to average more than one level per day going forward. That required intensive dungeon grinding—exactly what Sekar’s monitoring would make nearly impossible.

Unless he found a legitimate way to explain his rapid growth.

His phone buzzed. Message from Sari.

[SARI: Solution: Join a training program. Legitimate, verifiable, explains rapid improvement. I know a guy who runs an intensive Hunter boot camp. Four days, isolated location, no outside contact. Your wife can verify it’s real, you get cover for heavy training, we can coordinate Player activities during your "official" sessions.]

[RAMA: Four days no contact? She’ll never agree.]

[SARI: She will if it’s a reputable program with safety protocols. The guy who runs it is a retired A-Rank. Solid reputation. I’ll send you details. You present it to your wife as wanting serious professional training. She’ll see it as you being responsible and asking permission.]

It was risky. Four days away from Sekar would give him freedom to train properly, but it also meant four days where any mistake couldn’t be immediately covered. On the other hand, it would explain a significant level jump in a short time period.

[RAMA: Send me the information.]

[SARI: Thinking time is a luxury you don’t have. You’ve got 25 days to gain 29 levels. Attached: Hunter’s Forge Training Program details.]

Rama opened the attachment. The program looked legitimate—a four-day intensive course held at a secure facility in the mountains outside Jakarta. Advanced combat training, dungeon simulation exercises, survival skills. The instructor was actually a real retired A-Rank Hunter named Yanto Sukarno with verifiable credentials.

The genius of it was that the facility was remote enough that Sekar couldn’t easily check on him, but legitimate enough that she’d believe it was safe.

[RAMA: How do you have connections to a legitimate training facility?]

[SARI: Yanto is a Player. He runs the facility as cover and uses it to train other Players. You’ll be safe there. Trust me.]

A Player-run training facility. That changed everything. Rama could train openly, use System skills without hiding, learn from experienced Players, and have an ironclad alibi for his growth.

[RAMA: When’s the next session?]

[SARI: Starts in three days. I can get you in if you confirm by tonight.]

Three days. That gave him time to prepare Sekar, update his official registration, and handle the logistics. It also meant three days of minimal training while under Sekar’s watchful eye.

But after those three days, he’d have four days of intensive, unrestricted growth.

[RAMA: Do it. Get me in.]

[SARI: Done. Check your email in one hour for official confirmation. Present it to your wife tonight. Make it seem like your idea, not mine.]

Rama set down his phone. Now he just had to convince his overprotective yandere wife to let him disappear into the mountains for four days.

This was going to require careful presentation.

Sekar returned home at seven PM, looking exhausted. The Sumatra gate negotiations had apparently been brutal. She dropped her briefcase by the door and collapsed onto the couch with a groan.

"Remind me never to negotiate with Golden Phoenix again. Their guild master is insufferable." She rubbed her temples. "We got primary raid rights, but the concessions we had to make were ridiculous."

Rama handed her a glass of wine and sat beside her. "Sounds like you need to decompress."

"I need to sleep for three days." She took a long sip and leaned against him. "How was your day? Any dungeon raids I should know about?"

"No raids. I spent the day researching something actually." This was the moment. "I found a training program. A legitimate one. Four-day intensive course run by a retired A-Rank Hunter."

Sekar’s eyes opened. "What kind of program?"

"It’s called the Hunter’s Forge. Advanced combat training, dungeon simulations, survival skills. It’s designed for low to mid-rank Hunters who want to improve quickly." He pulled out his phone and showed her the email. "I know you were worried about me training alone. This seemed like a good compromise. Professional instruction, safe environment, proper supervision."

Sekar took his phone and read through the email carefully. Her expression was unreadable. "Four days. No outside contact except emergencies."

"It’s in the mountains. Limited cell service."

"Yanto Sukarno." She typed something into her own phone. "I know this name. He’s legitimate. Retired after losing his arm in an SS-Rank gate five years ago. Solid reputation, no scandals." She kept reading. "The facility has good safety records. Insurance coverage. Medical staff on site."

"So what do you think?"

Sekar was quiet for a long moment. "I think four days without seeing you sounds like torture."

"It’s four days for me to get proper training so you don’t have to worry about me dying in some F-Rank dungeon."

"I know." She handed back his phone. "And I think it’s a good idea. Responsible. Smart." She turned to face him. "But I have conditions."

"Of course you do."

"You call me every night. I don’t care about limited cell service. You find a signal and you call me. Even if it’s just for two minutes."

"Deal."

"You take proper equipment. I’m buying you new armor before you go."

"Sekar, that’s expensive—"

"Non-negotiable. You’re not going into advanced training with garbage gear." Her eyes were fierce. "And if anything—anything at all—feels wrong or dangerous, you leave immediately. I don’t care if it makes you look weak. Your life is more important than your pride."

"I promise."

"Good." She pulled him into a tight hug. "I’m proud of you, you know. For taking this seriously. For wanting to improve yourself. I just wish you didn’t have to go away to do it."

Rama held her, feeling the familiar guilt wash over him. She was being supportive, understanding, everything a partner should be. And he was using her trust to continue hiding the truth.

"It’s only four days," he said quietly. "I’ll be back before you know it."

"I know. And when you come back, you’re going to be even stronger." She pulled back and smiled. "Maybe strong enough to join real guild raids with me. Imagine that. Fighting side by side."

The image was appealing. The two of them as equals, working together, no more lies or secrets.

Maybe someday.

"I’d like that," Rama said, and meant it.

They spent the evening planning. Sekar made lists of equipment he’d need, called contacts to get him discounts on armor, scheduled an appointment at the Hunter’s Association to update his official registration. She was in full preparation mode, treating his four-day course like a military deployment.

It was endearing and suffocating in equal measure.

At eleven PM, Sekar finally fell asleep on the couch, exhausted from the long day. Rama carried her to bed, careful not to wake her, and returned to the living room.

He pulled up the Player Network one final time.

[RAMA: Confirmed for the Forge. She approved it.]

[SARI: Excellent. Pack light. The real training gear is provided on-site. See you in three days.]

[BUDI: Remember—Yanto doesn’t hold back. You thought my training was brutal? You haven’t seen anything yet.]

[ADI: Don’t forget my energy bars!]

Rama smiled and closed the app. Three days of maintaining normalcy under Sekar’s watchful eye. Then four days of intensive training where he could finally use his full power without hiding.

After that, he’d return home stronger, with a legitimate explanation for his growth, and twenty-one days remaining to reach level fifty.

The plan was in motion. The routine was established. The double life continued.

He just had to keep all the pieces from falling apart for three more days.

[Hidden Quest Progress: 5/30]

[Quest Updated: Clear 10 dungeons solo]

[Progress: 1/10]

[Note: Quest time limit paused during training program]

The System adjusted parameters without explanation. Cold. Efficient. Mechanical.

Rama preferred it that way.

Three more days of lies.

Then four days of truth—at least partial truth—surrounded by other Players who understood.

Then back to hiding.

The cycle would continue until he was strong enough to break it.

Soon.