I Became a Raid Boss

Raising my head, I saw Edel giving me a lukewarm glance.

“You.”

“Hm?”

“You’ve softened a lot.”

“…?”

Calling someone busy all the way here and then making random remarks out of the blue?

I tilted my head skeptically.

“Did you call me here just to exchange pleasantries?”

“I’m allowed to share an impression or two, aren’t I?”

“When I first saw you, you were brimming with venom, but now you’ve really mellowed out.”

“I don’t think I’ve changed much.”

“Things like this are often noticed better by people who haven’t seen you in a while.”

Says the one who isn’t even human.

“With how you are now, even if an Imperial Army stood before you, you’d probably settle for just breaking an arm or a leg.”

“…You think so?”

“Yes, I do. Seeing the venomous little brat turn out like this, I guess the saying about the importance of one’s environment holds true.”

“So, by saying that, you’re admitting Silia was a bad environment?”

“Forget it. You haven’t changed at all. You’re exactly the same as when you were in Silia.”

“No takebacks.”

“You never take a compliment gracefully, do you?”

“That was a compliment?”

“What else would it be? Did it sound like an insult?”

“Hmm…”

I agree with her, but the world has more surprising people than I thought.

Edel’s earlier comment about me having “softened a lot” could very well have been a disguised way of saying, “There’s no one as delusional as you, living in a dream world.”

“…Fine, just sit down for now.”

Edel rubbed her eyes as she spoke.

Obediently, I sat across from her. As if waiting for this, Edel immediately began to speak.

“You’ve probably guessed why I called you here.”

“Because of the dimensional creatures.”

“Exactly.”

Just as I expected.

“You’ve had plenty of rest. You should be fully recovered by now.”

“Well… yeah. Honestly, I figured you’d call me soon.”

“And yet, you didn’t answer my calls. Anyway, before we get into the main topic, I have a question. You opened a dimensional passage recently, didn’t you?”

“A dimensional passage?”

What’s that?

“Oh.”

I tilted my head for a moment before realizing what she meant.

That thing I showed Da-eun during our camping trip.

I was momentarily confused because I hadn’t heard it called a “dimensional passage” before, but that must be what she was referring to.

I recalled the date and mentioned it to Edel for confirmation, and she nodded.

“So that’s what you call a dimensional passage.”

“It’s a placeholder name.”

“But how did you know?”

“Who do you think granted you the authority to interact with dimensions? Plus, it’s something I keep a close eye on. We can’t afford to fall for the same tricks again.”

Edel casually tapped the desk with her fingers.

“So, why did you do it? Did you notice anything unusual?”

“I just wanted to show it off.”

“…Yeah, I figured as much. Still, even though I expected it, hearing it confirmed is pretty infuriating.”

“…Oh.”

I never thought I’d hear language like that in person, let alone from Edel of all people.

This was… oddly refreshing.

“…What’s done is done, so I’ll let it slide. But don’t do something like that again—those things might catch on.”

“Okay.”

I wasn’t planning to do it again anyway. It took a significant amount of energy, and there’s no need to show it off anymore.

Edel added that it was probably fine, but just in case, I nodded in agreement.

I could understand why she reacted so sensitively to this.

After all, we’re both in the same situation, having lost our homelands.

Raising her chin, Edel continued, her voice calm but laced with authority.

“Your tier has already increased. From now on, you need to use the unique traits of your soul to grow even stronger—and handle the dimensional creatures as part of the process.”

“You mean I should kill the dimensional creatures and gain experience from that?”

“Exactly.”

“Hm…”

“Is there a problem?”

“Well… should I call it a problem?”

“If there’s anything that bothers you, just say it. There might be something I overlooked.”

After all, voicing my concerns wouldn’t cause any harm. Now that I had implicit permission, I decided to share the doubt I’d been harboring.

“Even if you say to gain experience, I’m not sure if I can actually get stronger like that.”

For Earthlings who play Silia Online, that might be possible.

They have the protection of the system, with experience points and stats.

By fighting enemies and steadily accumulating experience, they can eventually stand against overwhelmingly powerful foes.

But for Silia’s natives, it’s different.

Though they also “gain experience” through combat—

The difference lies in whether they grow stronger for certain, or only might grow stronger.

Silia’s natives don’t gain experience points or level up just by fighting.

Their growth entirely depends on themselves.

And I’m no exception.

“I’ve long since passed the stage where I could grow stronger just through fighting.”

If I were to feel any thrill or gain any enlightenment, it would have to be against an enemy as powerful as the Sage of the Empire I killed with my own hands.

I voiced my thoughts, and Edel shook her head.

“Getting stronger doesn’t necessarily mean reaching a higher state of being. By fighting them, won’t you become familiar with their methods? That should make dealing with them easier.”

“Oh… so that’s what you mean?”

If that’s the case, then I suppose it makes sense.

Leaning back against the chair, I conveyed my understanding and that I had no further questions.

“The signs from those creatures have been unusual lately. While the barriers remain intact for now… the feeling is ominous.”

“I understand.”

There was no need for more explanation.

If Silia collapses, this world will be next. I crossed dimensions to prevent that from happening.

Edel let out a deep breath.

It was a sigh of relief, carrying an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

“Honestly, I was a little worried when I saw you again after such a long time. Like I said earlier, you’ve softened a lot.”

“As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think I’ve changed much.”

“…As I also mentioned earlier, these things are more noticeable to someone seeing you after a while.”

“As I also men—”

“—Stop.”

“Okay.”

Faced with her sharp interruption, I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth.

“The fact that you’re joking around with me like this is proof enough, isn’t it? Would the old you have done something like this?”

“Hm…”

The old me…

…It’s true.

When I first met Edel, I wasn’t like this.

Sure, I might have cracked a joke or two, but the atmosphere back then was definitely different from now.

“Still, it’s a relief. You haven’t dulled—your blade has simply become more refined.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It’s not. Before, your blade was so sharp it cut even its wielder. Now, that sharpness is directed solely at your enemies. That’s a big difference.”

“Really?”

Edel chuckled as if she’d narrowly avoided being cut herself.

“I’m not joking, you know. I’m serious.”

I ignored her unnecessary clarification.

“It seems humans grow stronger when they have something to protect.”

“…I just don’t want to lose Da-eun. That’s all. And it’s also my world now.”

“I never even mentioned her name.”

“….”

“How adorable.”

Edel smiled warmly as she spoke.

Annoyed by her infuriatingly smug grin, I pushed back my chair and stood up.

“I’m leaving.”

“I understand you’re embarrassed, but the conversation isn’t over yet. Sit down for a bit longer.”

At some point, Edel had risen and now placed her hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back into the chair.

“While I said all this, dimensional creatures aren’t the kind of monsters you encounter as casually as the ones wandering around the streets.”

Edel’s statement was spot-on.

Unlike the monsters or beasts that appear frequently, dimensional creatures are unpredictable.

If I had to make a comparison, they’re like cockroaches hiding in your house.

You know they’re there and that they’re harmful, but since they’re invisible, you can’t catch them.

Then, just when you’ve almost forgotten about them, they suddenly pop out and give you a nasty surprise.

Not that anyone would actually enjoy such surprises.

“…Pfft! That’s a pretty good analogy,” Edel said, stifling a laugh at my words.

“Exactly, they’re like that. But what if you already had a cockroach trapped in a cup?”

Her words were oddly grounded and human for a goddess.

I responded with an equally practical answer.

“You’d kill it.”

As much as I’d like to just fling the whole cup out the window, that’s not an option.

“There are a few of them we’ve managed to trap using their own methods. And among them is one that has a connection to you.”

“…A connection to me?”

“Yes. It’s the one that destroyed the Grasis Kingdom.”

“Oh.”

Her unexpected remark didn’t shock me as much as she might have anticipated.

Edel seemed unsurprised by my calm reaction and continued in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Since you already have a connection to it, how about starting with that one?”

“I’m not sure about the connection, but that doesn’t sound bad.”

My homeland’s nemesis! I’ll avenge it!

…Of course, I didn’t feel anything like that.

I didn’t have any particular affection for the Grasis Kingdom, after all.

If anything, they had been subtly provoking me, and had the kingdom not fallen, I might have been the one to overthrow it in a few years.

Still, it was the country my father loved.

So, let’s call it avenging him on his behalf.

“Do I need to keep hiding myself there too?”

“That’s up to you. If you don’t mind the hassle, you can reveal yourself. Otherwise, keep a low profile.”

“Hm.”

I’ll need to think that over.

As I dusted off my clothes and stood, Edel mentioned one last thing before I left.

“You lost your weapon in the last battle, didn’t you? If you go to the one you care about, you’ll get a new sword.”

“There’s a sword with Da-eun?”

“It’s one she got from Justina. Didn’t you hear about it?”

Did she mention something like that?

In any case—

“I don’t need it.”

That wasn’t particularly relevant to me.

“When your purpose is to protect something, there’s no sword, no matter how legendary, that can compare to the one you already have.”

Come to think of it, I’ve been neglecting its upkeep.

It’s time to give it a thorough polishing again.

—

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