I Became a Raid Boss

Waking up in the morning, going to work, enjoying my hobby in the evening, and then falling asleep.

The simple repetition of waking up in the morning, going to work, getting off in the evening, and going to sleep.

Everyone has different jobs; some might go to work at night, while others might go to school instead. There are slight differences, but every person has their own daily routine.

Some people see this and say,

“It’s a boring life; just like a hamster wheel, the same daily routine repeats every day.”

But those who say such things often reveal discomfort when their repetitive routines are disrupted.

Repetition means familiarity and stability.

Therefore, breaking free from repetition means confronting unfamiliarity and instability.

Da-eun was one of those trapped in the hamster wheel.

After bathing and eating breakfast, she lies down on the capsule-type virtual reality device, turns on the broadcast for a quick chat, and logs into Silia Online.

And then, seeing Kana buried under the blanket, she felt a pang of despair… or so it was her recent routine.

But today was different.

“Yawn….”

As Da-eun logged into Silia Online and sat up in bed, someone approached with hurried steps.

“….”

“Ah, Kana!”

Stretching her stiff body and yawning, she turned her head to the sound and gave a bright smile.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yep.”

Unlike usual, where she wouldn’t recognize someone before speaking, Kana today approached Joanie first.

This alone was enough to surprise anyone, but it could still be brushed off as “She must be in a good mood today.”

What genuinely shocked everyone was what happened next.

Fidgeting with her fingers, Kana shyly opened her mouth.

“…Did Joanie sleep well?”

“Thanks to you, Kana, I slept well! …Hmm? Kana, why don’t you come here for a second?”

“Okay.”

“Your hair’s all messy. …There! All done!”

“…Thanks.”

“I should be the one thanking you for having such soft hair.”

Swish.

As Kana smiled faintly at the gentle touch running through her hair, she even subtly leaned in as if wanting more petting.

-?

-????

-What’s happening???

-???????

Viewers watching the scene play out from behind the monitor found themselves collectively stunned, floating question marks in the chat.

…Kana, the typically stoic girl, greeted her with a good morning and approached Joanie without any form of resistance, nestling into her touch?

Just that moment was beyond what their brains could handle; when they saw Kana smiling and nuzzling in, the whole audience clutched their hearts as one.

The girl’s smile, mixed with her innocent gestures, packed quite a punch.

-What’s going on; what’s happening?

-Wow, so cute! T-T-T-T-T-TT

-What on earth happened yesterday for the girl that wanted to break up to change like this??? Did you cast a hypnosis app or something??

-Hey, how much is that hypnosis app?

-(Already a certified weeb user)

-So, what happened yesterday!!!!

-

The chat was in shambles, a mix of enthusiasm and confusion.

Joanie, petting Kana’s hair, caught a glimpse of the chat and broke into a grin.

“Curious? Want me to tell you?”

-Yesyesyesyes!

-Show me what you saw!

“Hmmm, you don’t seem too desperate.”

-Teacher, have you performed self-affirmation therapy today as well? I wish peace for your home, and if not too much trouble, may I ask about yesterday’s events?

-Ah, here we go with the competitive banter again.

┗(Deleted message)

-Ah! I have a question about whether it is appropriate to speak of hesitations in seeking permission for yesterday’s details, is that allowed?

-You’re talking to yourself in the chat, aren’t you? ㅡㅡ

“Okay! Looks like you’re more desperate than I thought. If you guys really want to know, I won’t keep it from you!”

Joanie beamed with satisfaction.

Then she lowered her voice as if about to whisper.

“…But I’m not telling you anything.”

Naturally, the chat exploded into flames of outrage.

*

“Have you made up your mind?”

Upon entering the prayer room, Edel greeted me while sitting on the cushion.

The irony of the situation was clear; I was the one meant to pray, but here I was sitting in the place set aside for it.

“I think so.”

“…Don’t read my mind.”

“What am I supposed to do? If you don’t want me to read you, try harder to not let me.”

“….”

Edel, who welcomed me with a prayer posture, relaxed and sat comfortably.

“It’s time for the conversation we didn’t finish.”

“Unless you run away like last time.”

“…I didn’t run away; I just didn’t have enough time! If I wasn’t so strong, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“What a weak god.”

“What?! Hey! Did you finish talking?!”

Her angry reaction made her pause and then return to a calm expression.

It’s not like her outburst didn’t happen.

“…I know. Hmph- Anyway, seeing your face, it looks like you’ve organized your thoughts.”

“Maybe.”

Does Edel think I look relieved?

Truth is, I still didn’t know what she meant by “what I truly desire.”

…Well, still,

“I’ve sorted things out.”

It was true that I felt more at ease than before.

As I moved, the bracelet on my wrist jangled.

I passed Edel sitting on the cushion and reached the statue, leaning against it just as she did days ago.

Staring up at the figure wearing a benevolent smile, I asked her,

“You called me a sword, right?”

“Yep.”

“And you brought me to this world?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Edel shook her head.

“It wasn’t me who brought you to my world, nor was it the situation of your birth or your benefactor dying without healing their wounds—”

“…Not a benefactor, but my dad.”

Edel, who looked surprised, quickly regained her composure.

“Right. Including how your father died, I had nothing to do with it.”

“If that’s the case—”

“Ah—wait, before we go into that, there’s something you need to know first.”

Edel continued, seemingly unfazed by my displeased look.

“Didn’t you find it strange? Your growth is unnaturally fast… Oh, I’m not talking about your height! It’s actually that side that’s even slower.”

“….”

Of course, I thought it was strange.

While others struggled to feel mana, I could manipulate it as naturally as breathing.

While it takes a normal genius until around the age of forty to reach mastery, I achieved it when I was just a teenager.

Even for a prodigy, that was excessively fast.

That’s also why I suspected Edel had brought me here.

If she had artificially raised me after taking me from Earth, it would have made sense regarding my bizarre growth rate.

“You don’t know, but when gods create worlds, there’s something they always do.”

It’s exactly the act of placing restrictions on the souls belonging to that world, Edel explained.

“Restrictions…?”

“How quickly one can grow strong, how far they can grow strong… those kinds of things. There’s actually much more, but let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Why are such things necessary?”

Is it to prevent people from becoming too strong and challenging their authority?

“Some gods might think that way. But the fundamental reason is to protect the souls.”

Think of a machine.

If you push the engine too hard, it will give high output at first, but it will break down quickly after.

“Souls are the same. If they grow too rapidly and wield power that doesn’t match their capabilities, they can deteriorate. What god would want to see the souls they painstakingly created deteriorate in a short time?”

“So what about those who get stronger faster than others?”

The so-called geniuses.

“They possess a stronger soul than others, hence their restrictions differ.”

“What about those who become stronger after facing life-or-death situations?”

“They become strong enough during the process of surviving life-threatening experiences to loosen some restrictions on their souls.”

“…So you’re saying you want to claim my soul is strong?”

“No. Yes, but the reason you became so strong is for another reason.”

Edel promptly dismissed my statement.

She opened her clenched fist.

“Your soul has no such restrictions.”

“Because I’m from another world?”

That thought led me to another question.

“Then isn’t the overseer of Earth supposed to have some restrictions?”

When thinking about strength, I can’t imagine the restrictions on that side being any less than those here.

“Yep. You’ve caught on. Correct, right now your soul is under no restrictions whatsoever. Not mine, nor the overseer from that side.”

Edel clapped her hands together.

Her face turned serious instead.

As if her warm expression had never existed, she said,

“I told you about the dimensional beings a few days ago. Those who invade dimensions and siphon energy. I’ve been fighting with those things for hundreds of years.”

“Yeah.”

“Dimensional beings destabilize a dimension just by existing. So, I don’t need to say how my dimension, after fighting them for centuries, stands, right? One day, while fighting, I felt the walls of my dimension shake violently.”

Though the barriers had shaken countless times, that particular tremor was unprecedented.

And at that moment, both the dimensional entity and Edel sensed it.

“This dimension had briefly connected with another dimension.”

Although it was only the briefest connection, once a pathway opens, it remains.

“The trembled walls of the dimension, the other dimension, and during that fight, I didn’t realize a soul had slipped in. I never thought that could happen.”

Who could conceive such a thought?

A frail soul crossing the bounds of dimensions.

Withstanding the vortex between realms.

And crossing through the dimensional barriers into another world—all of that was a remarkable feat.

Even a god like Edel couldn’t guarantee the safety of such endeavors; it was a hazardous venture—but that frail soul overcame all odds and created a miracle.

Just like forging a robust sword by heating and hammering it countless times.

Through enduring trials, the soul had become resilient.

“Much was erased, and much was forgotten. The restrictions imposed by Earth’s overseer were among them.”

“….”

“And that soul—”

I knew what she was going to say, so I interrupted her.

“Is me.”

“Correct.”

Edel nodded at my words.

Thus, the birth of the girl named Canaria Grasis came with such backstory.

“Do you know how shocked I was when I first discovered you? An unrecognized soul entered my world, with no visible restrictions on it, remarkably resilient… still, it granted me an opportunity to counterattack.”

She mumbled that with a small voice.

And knowing all of this led me to simply say,

“I see.”

I nodded.

Edel was visibly taken aback by my calm reaction.

“…Eh? That’s it?”

“What else should I respond?”

I understood it was a great adventure crossing dimensions, yet talking about something I have no memory of would hardly elicit any excitement.

Moreover, she had nothing to do with it—it made no sense for me to say anything.

I shrugged my shoulders instead.

“Was cooperating with the god of Earth the reason behind that?”

“…Yes. Once you become aware of existence, it’s obvious that if this world collapses, Earth will be the next prey.”

A convenient base named Silia had arisen, and the pathway leading to the next meal was already laid out?

There was no reason for the ravenous dimensional beings to refrain from invading.

“So we decided. To let this dimension collapse and then exploit their power. I wasn’t simply sitting around either; I started using their powers.”

Making it a game format was precisely for that reason.

By making players kill dimensional beings, we could weaken their powers.

And even if we ultimately couldn’t prevent Silia’s destruction, allowing the accrual of strength gained here to fight against them.

That was the preparedness, a plan devised by Earth’s overseer and Edel—the essence of “Silia Online.”

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