I Became a Raid Boss

Although it requires borrowing the power of tools, for modern people, flying in the sky isn’t that mysterious or miraculous.

Take Da-eun, for instance—her frequency of flying has decreased recently, but wasn’t there a time when she hopped on planes and flew abroad like it was her house?

Thanks to that, Da-eun’s airline account was bursting with mileage points.

However, even Da-eun couldn’t imagine soaring through the sky with nothing but her bare body…

To be honest, she often thought, every time she bought a plane ticket, “If only I could fly, I could save on fares…” and dreamed of flying, but deep down, she knew it was an impossibility.

“I’m no bird; how could a human fly barehanded?”

She thought that way until she actually flew through the sky, riding on Kana’s back.

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

Every time her small feet contacted the ground, Kana—and Da-eun, who was clinging to her—soared into the sky.

Touching the ground, then bursting upward.

Generally, it would be called a leap, but Da-eun couldn’t dare to call it that.

Which jumping anywhere in the world easily surpasses several stories?

What Kana did was closer to an acrobatic stunt than a leap.

She even casually stepped on tree branches and bounced up or kicked off thin air, shocking any physicist watching.

However, Da-eun had no mental capacity to appreciate such feats.

Flying through the sky on the back of a girl much smaller than her wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Her body shook this way and that, the scenery blurred past…

One moment she seemed to be ascending, then she was descending, and just when she thought she was going down, she would go up again.

The Kana Express, offering an exceptionally thrilling ride, inflicted motion sickness upon Da-eun, piercing through her dulled senses due to the system.

Without the system, she and her companion would have undoubtedly looked like fools, clinging to the ground and retching.

After suffering from nausea for a while, just when she thought she was feeling better…

“Hurry up. We need to train.”

This time, she had to fight the mercenaries, and it made Da-eun feel a surge of frustration.

However, the law is distant, and fists are close.

Kana wouldn’t swing a fist at her, but Da-eun abandoned herself to following Kana’s orders.

“Right… if I step in myself, it would be over in less than a minute. Kana is going through the trouble for me after all. I’ve actually improved.”

– Wait, if Joanie is craving a punch, then it’s a thumbs-up!

– When did this person class up to a gladiator?

– There’s a saying that when people die, Joanie comes to welcome them. I really like that story!

– We decided to call this mental victory!

And Da-eun’s viewers enjoyed watching her being pulled around by Kana.

Viewers of personal broadcasts and streams often have a wicked streak.

Da-eun, aware of this, played along with their pranks and alternately teased them back.

But recently, she felt that the viewers had become even more mischievous.

‘I don’t think it used to be this bad.’

The reason was apparent.

It was probably because a large number of viewers came in after she first spoke with Kana.

Whether this was good or bad—of course, it was good.

Although the atmosphere of the broadcast had changed a bit, it wasn’t significantly different from the original mood, nor had it changed for the worse.

…Though occasionally, a few annoying comments were unavoidable.

‘But it’s a relief they’re not looking down on Kana.’

If a little girl was acting cheeky with an adult, she probably wouldn’t have gotten such reactions.

Da-eun didn’t want to see a child with a painful past being hated.

“Joanie?”

“Huh? Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

Da-eun, who had been pouting at the chat, snapped to attention at Kana’s voice.

What was important right now wasn’t this.

Gulp.

Facing grim faces, she swallowed hard.

According to Ashie, they were all scum who had committed murder, arson, robbery, rape, and theft…

‘Can I truly win against them?’

Their levels were similar to or lower than hers.

However, she knew well that a lower level opponent didn’t guarantee a win.

“B-but who am I supposed to fight? Not all seven of them at once, right?”

“No way.”

Kana transforms into a terrifying instructor the moment training begins, but she wouldn’t ask Da-eun to do the impossible.

And in Kana’s eyes, Da-eun fighting seven mercenaries seasoned in murder simultaneously was a task only possible if she were to die and come back.

‘… only if I were to die and come back?’

That meant…

Just then, while Da-eun was observing Kana’s face intently, she spoke up.

“…Kana.”

“Yeah?”

“Just checking, but you’re not thinking anything weird, right?”

“….”

“Excuse me? Kana? Why are you silent?”

“Ah, I’m not.”

“That reaction clearly shows someone thinking weird thoughts.”

“I swear I’m not!”

Da-eun hated pain.

Even if the system dulls her senses, it doesn’t completely eliminate them.

Kana didn’t want to force her to die.

‘Others might level up quickly with such methods, but…’

For Da-eun, it would only be counterproductive.

Such methods were suitable only for aggressive types like the Great Sword Peep.

“I’ll give you a choice. Who do you want to fight?”

“There’s no option to pick no one, right?”

“So you want to fight all seven. Good spirit.”

“I can pick now, right?”

Da-eun pondered seriously about the faces of the mercenaries.

Even upon a second glance, their faces were discouraging.

Did they commit atrocities because they looked like that, or did they look like that due to their actions?

As Da-eun scoped out their levels, she pinpointed one.

“That guy.”

The one with the lowest level among the seven mercenaries.

Though level isn’t an absolute measure of strength, if she didn’t know their skills, it was wise to choose the weakest opponent.

“Hmm. Got it.”

Kana let out a dissatisfied noise but respected her choice.

“Then the others aren’t needed.”

That one sentence was enough to decide the fates of the six who were not chosen.

With those who had passed on before and a friend to follow, it wouldn’t seem too unjust.

“Ah, maybe I should have spared the leader.”

“… What? What’s with the sudden random thought?”

“If I captured him, I might get a bounty for him.”

“If that were possible, he would have been captured long ago.”

“Hmm, maybe you’re right.”

The man left alone after losing all his companions looked as if he had seen a ghost.

He seemed absurdly fat, and though it looked comical, Molden’s skill should never be underestimated.

How many mercenaries had lost their heads after undermining him?

Each morning, he vowed to never defy Molden again while staring at heads hung from the pole.

Yet now, the expert swordsman, Molden, who had never backed down, had perished without even a fight.

That was a feat that was absolutely impossible at the expert level.

“Ma-ma-master…!”

So it was logical for the man to arrive at that conclusion.

“Why is the master in a place like this!”

More importantly, that small girl everyone had underestimated was the master.

“This must be a dream…”

The man thought it was a terrible nightmare as he slapped his cheeks.

But only his cheeks turned red, and contrary to his wishes, he didn’t wake up to reality.

“Oh dear. This is a mess.”

The man, dropping even his weapon and losing all will to fight, faced Kana, who murmured, while Ashie couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“Would you think of fighting with a master right in front of you?”

“I would fight.”

In either case, he would die. So, if he was going to die, why not fight?

Kana’s nonchalant words left Ashie temporarily speechless.

Many who spoke tough words failed to act when death approached.

But Kana would truly have done that, and indeed, she had lived that way.

That was also how her first meeting with Garid had unfolded.

“…Right. You would have done that. Anyway, if you didn’t want to be smashed so easily, you should have killed later. You could predict this outcome.”

“Yeah… but.”

“But?”

“Your eyes bothered me. I mean, I’m not food or anything.”

“….”

Staring intensely, drooling at her.

It was just then that she managed to suppress her desire to kill until now; for Kana, that was her utmost effort.

Aisie, quietly listening, rested his hand atop the girl’s head.

“?”

“Good job.”

“…??”

Suddenly, a compliment here?

Kana tilted her head in confusion but then fiercely shook her head, brushing his hand away.

“I wanted to give you a taste of real combat.”

The man trembled at the sight of the girl’s indifferent eyes.

“With that attitude, you would be useless.”

“…Phew.”

That was a chilling statement about someone but, thankfully, was comforting to Da-eun.

‘If it’s fighting monsters, then okay, but against humans, that just feels off…’

She was glad she didn’t have to fight.

“How about I say if you win, I’ll spare you?”

“You’re really going to spare me?”

“Depending on the situation, yes.”

“Then don’t do it. He’s the type to do those things again.”

“I-I promise to live right!”

“Huh? Did you understand?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Although he didn’t comprehend Ashie’s words, the man, sensing instinctively regarding his treatment, yelled out in a panic.

It was a miracle from the strong obsession with life.

“Promise to live right?”

“Yes? Yes! I will definitely do it!”

“What does living right mean?”

“…Um, without stealing from others, without killing people…”

“That’s pretty standard if you’re civilized, isn’t it?”

If Kana had heard, she would’ve said, “Huh? The royal family does that all the time,” but sadly, she was unaware of their conversation and was avoiding Da-eun’s hand, which was trying to pinch her cheek.

Ashie shook his head at the speechless man.

To him, the man’s words sounded like he was doomed.

The man’s eye caught sight of Ashie’s swaying hair, appearing like the sickle of death.

“I had my suspicions, and they were confirmed.”

“Helping the unfortunate—”

The man couldn’t finish his words.

The sword pierced his chest.

He was all too familiar with the hilt of that sword.

The sword that had caused so much blood to flow lay poised, now stained with its master’s blood.

Thud.

Aisie watched with cold eyes as the soulless body crumbled to the ground.

“…Well then.”

But coldness didn’t necessarily imply indifference.

Those cool, filled with seething rage, directed towards somewhere else.

To the trees surrounding the mercenaries, and the one crouching before Max.

“We have quite a bit to talk about, right?”

Mr. Max?

“…!”

Max’s heart sank.

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