I Became a Raid Boss

A horse without legs can travel a thousand miles, but words transmitted through radio can cross ten thousand miles in the blink of an eye, reaching distances beyond imagination.

Thanks to the radio magician diligently running through the sea of the internet, news reached Da-eun, who was in Raxia.

“…Kana has been found on the Ardina Continent?”

Of all places, it was the very mountain where Da-eun first met Kana, the mountain where Kana had turned her back on the world and was hiding.

What on earth does this even mean?

She had heard from Justina that Kana had vanished, swept away by teleportation magic.

But how could it make sense that Kana, who disappeared not in Raxia but in Ardina, was now on a mountain far from the seaside?

It wasn’t even like they had used a teleportation circle.

Thinking the viewers were making fun of her, Da-eun frowned.

“Does that make any sense?”

– No, really; it’s true!

– Did this person only live being deceived??

– If you don’t believe it, go check it out yourself.

– It’s chaos right now because of it, and I’m amazed you didn’t know until now.

– Not everyone communicates like you do, teacher!

– I want to punch the crown of your head if you keep not believing this, haha! (Deleted message)

– It’s posted on the fan cafe, so check it out!

“…Alright, fine. I can just check it out.”

With the viewers’ relentless clamoring not easing up, Da-eun sought permission to pause the search and logged into her fan cafe.

The post the viewers mentioned was easy to find among countless threads due to its overwhelming number of recommendations and views.

There were plenty of discussions on related topics, but Da-eun set those aside for now and entered the highly recommended thread.

“…!”

With her eyes wide open, Da-eun stared at the photo attached at the top of the post.

A picture of a pink girl messing around.

Could it be that she was seeing things?

Staring intensely at the photo, Da-eun concluded.

She wasn’t mistaken.

The child she knew as ‘Kana’ was so distinctive that it would be easy to confuse her with someone else.

Moreover, hadn’t Da-eun spent weeks closely accompanying Kana? It was rare for them to be apart during the day.

With how much time they had spent together, even putting the outside world aside, she couldn’t afford to mistake her for someone else.

The only remaining possibility was that the photo had been manipulated.

“…It’s not some composite image, right?”

– Aha, LOL!

– I’m feeling really bad right now;

– Just live like this for the rest of your life!

– But what if it really is a composite? Isn’t it sufficient to be suspicious? Why is everyone so mad?

– So this is what those idiots who believe in the flat Earth theory do, huh? (Deleted message)

“Ugh….”

Just by saying a word, the chatroom flared up in flames.

While it was nice that her show had grown in scale, annoying trolls had also increased in number.

The managers Da-eun appointed ran around frantically trying to manage the chaos.

As some people’s blatant thoughts came to light, the overly heated atmosphere gradually simmered down.

In the meantime, Da-eun’s face scrunched as she continued to examine the post.

The thread contained not just a photo but also a few lines of text and a video.

In the video, two men rushed at Kana, only to meet an untimely end without landing a single blow.

According to the text below the video, they had charged at her, apparently believing they could take down someone who didn’t look so intact, only to die in an instant.

‘They rushed at her because she didn’t look intact?’

“Ugh. So foolish.”

– Honestly, that’s just foolish, lol!

– They say those guys had low levels; I can’t even guess what guts they had to do that.

– They probably thought, ‘If I die, I can just respawn anyway.’

– But why were they even there?

– There are kids picking up pieces of armor from the fallen knights that Kana collects. They say you can sell them for a bit of cash.

– So people are buying those, huh?

– Seems like they buy them as souvenirs or something???

– Even if it’s not that, some people also visit just to sightsee; it’s become quite popular.

Da-eun hadn’t meant to call them foolish in that way.

Despite the misunderstanding, Da-eun breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the chatroom agreeing with her.

She advised against excessive criticism and changed the subject.

“More importantly, that… is it mana?”

Around Kana in the photo and video, ominous black mist slithered, giving off an unsettling aura.

And it looked strikingly similar to the mana Da-eun had been seeing for days.

It was clear that the two men who rushed at Kana had died due to the influence of the mana.

Nevertheless, to have mana that was thick enough to kill two people in an instant…

Da-eun swallowed hard.

“What on earth happened?”

Whether it was a twisted experiment by a mad magician, a vengeful attack by someone full of rage, or foul deeds perpetrated by a pervert…

It was pleasant to think that the bad scenarios swirling in her mind were wrong, but the situation was still quite concerning.

Because even Da-eun saw that Kana’s behavior couldn’t be described as normal.

Both in the short video and in the other sightings that followed.

Kana acted like an innocent child completely unaware of the world.

“Justina, is it possible to lose one’s memories as a side effect of the Ascension process?”

“Losing one’s memories?”

Justina, caught off guard by the unexpected question, fiddled with her mouth.

“If it refers to losing one’s sanity, then yes, it is.”

“Losing sanity? How?”

“Nothing complicated.”

“Ah….”

Justina explained that the person could be left unresponsive to external stimuli, or they might completely lose their mind and rampage until they perish.

Hearing Justina’s words, Da-eun’s face turned pale.

“Then, doesn’t that mean Kana could end up like that…?”

“Well, I can’t jump to conclusions, but the probability is low. What I was referring to are cases where the Ascension process has failed.”

“Hmm…”

Then why was Kana acting like that?

Justina noticed that Da-eun was deep in thought.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“Ah….”

Justina, who had been cut off from the outside while living in Raxia, wouldn’t know about the players… the Apostles.

In fact, there hadn’t even been an opportunity to introduce that fact.

Realizing this just now, Da-eun briefly explained the Apostles to Justina.

Of course, she couldn’t say they came from another world, nor would Justina comprehend if she did, so she put it simply as arriving in Ardina after receiving guidance from Edel across the sea to the east.

Justina’s eyes glimmered with interest.

“Edel’s favor, huh? I thought it was strange that a weak one came this far unlike the other two, but if it’s for that reason, then I can understand.”

“Ah, haha….”

“So, thanks to Edel’s favor, you can communicate with others from afar, correct? And through that, you found that girl?”

“Yes. Another Apostle discovered her.”

“You and that girl seemed to share a close bond, so I’m sure you confirmed it. There’s no need for me to elaborate.”

“W-well, it’s not like that…”

Embarrassed, Da-eun shifted in her seat and cleared her throat.

“…But, does it really look that way?”

“Is there even someone who doesn’t see it that way? Anyway, are you planning to head back now?”

“I guess so.”

Da-eun initially followed Kana, and had Kana not come, she wouldn’t have set foot in Raxia at all.

The only reason she stayed after the Ascension process was to find Kana, so now that she knew where she was, Da-eun had no reason to remain in Raxia.

“Justina, would you like to go to Ardina with me? There’s no reason for you to stay in Raxia anymore.”

“If you put it that way, I have no reason to leave either. Once we go over, all we would have is conflict. Even if we migrate there, we must do so slowly and take our time.”

“Ah, right…”

Having seen the traces left by war, Da-eun easily understood that statement.

At that moment, an unexpected person interrupted the conversation.

“Justina, if it’s alright with you, may I stay here for a while longer?”

“…Selin? You’re saying you’ll stay in Raxia?”

“Yes. There are still things left to do that Edel mentioned. I’m sorry that I couldn’t help in the search for Kana to the end….”

“No, there’s no need to apologize… If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far. In fact, I should be thanking you for accompanying me until now.”

“That’s only because of Edel’s words…”

“Ugh, whatever! Are all your actions for my sake what the god Edel commanded? If not, just graciously accept my thanks!”

Feeling sad that a dear companion was leaving, Da-eun couldn’t cling to Selin as she focused on her main duties.

“Three came, but one leaves.”

Thinking that made her a little lonely, but Da-eun quickly regained her focus as she resolved to find Kana.

“Despite saving you, you disappear on your own. Such a cheeky little one until the end. So, if I find you, can I give you a smack with this?”

“Is this… meant for Kana?”

“What did you think I meant by that? Didn’t I say to smack her with this? What you do afterward is your decision.”

“Ahaha. Yes, I’ll definitely do that.”

Da-eun accepted the item Justina handed her and stowed it in her inventory.

After that, everything proceeded swiftly.

Da-eun returned to her lodging and packed her belongings, which she had left strewn about her room, along with Kana’s.

After finishing a thorough check to ensure she hadn’t forgotten anything, she prepared to leave.

“I’ll arrange for someone to escort you to Ardina.”

“Um… No, there’s no need.”

It would take several days just to get from the central area where Da-eun was to the beach, and then several more days to cross over to Ardina by ship.

From there, it would take additional days to reach the mountain where Kana was.

Even at the shortest time estimates, it would require a week at least, and if stretched, easily more than two weeks, and Da-eun simply didn’t have that much time.

‘Shouldn’t make a mess of my room….’

Da-eun stepped into a quiet, deserted area and drew her sword.

‘…I’m really scared.’

I don’t want to feel pain, and the thought of dying terrifies me.

But no matter how I think about it, this was the only way to get to Ardina quickly.

Even if she minimized her pain perception, she would barely feel it, yet as she faced the shimmering blade, Da-eun’s heart began to race.

Was it due to the training she had done with Kana or another reason altogether?

She couldn’t tell, but strangely, she didn’t feel as scared as before.

“You liar. You said you would protect me from death.”

Da-eun let out a petulant complaint and took a deep breath.

If she hesitated any longer, she might ultimately give up without taking action.

With her eyes squeezed shut, Da-eun plunged the sword in.

Thwock!

“…What?!”

“Joanie!”

Justina and Selin hurriedly tried to intervene as they witnessed her sudden action, but it was too late; Da-eun’s blade had already pierced her neck.

For a brief moment, she felt the cold touch of the blade, soon overtaken by a rush of warm pulsating energy.

Amid her fading vision, flashes of golden holy power flickered in and out.

‘Now, I’m coming.’

I’m going to punish that naughty liar when we meet.

Just before her sight completely faded, Da-eun recalled the photo she had seen on the internet.

A village ravaged by mana. And the photo capturing Kana standing atop it.

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