I Became a Raid Boss

Who told me the location of the Dimensional Creatures and asked me to hunt them?

Answer: Edel.

Of course, since not hunting them would harm me as well, it’s technically more of a recommendation than an order…

“Hello?”

As I was organizing my thoughts, I spoke as soon as Edel answered the phone.

“Give me money.”

“…Have you been drinking?”

Order or recommendation. Who cares about the difference?

“If you don’t give me money, I’ll report you.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It’s only right that I get proper compensation.

Besides, hunting Dimensional Creatures isn’t a normal task; it’s a life-threatening job. Shouldn’t I at least get a generous risk allowance instead of getting paid nothing?

“You know that in Korea, it’s illegal for kids to drink alcohol, right?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m not really interested in alcohol.”

“Still, you sound like you’ve had several bowls of it.”

Edel, flustered at my sudden demand for money, quickly regained her composure.

“Are you short on money? Do you want me to send some?”

“No.”

“…Then why bring it up out of the blue?”

“Just because.”

“What are you doing?”

If Edel’s earlier tone was flustered, now it was laced with disbelief.

“Just poking a fruit I can’t eat, to see what happens.”

If it works, great. If not, oh well.

Either way, having money wouldn’t hurt.

“If you really need it, let me know. I can give you some to maintain your dignity.”

Hearing this, I asked Edel:

“If I ask, how much could you give me?”

“Roughly… this much?”

“…”

Honestly, I had spoken without thinking.

But hearing the amount from Edel made me pause.

With that money, how many chocolates or snacks could I buy?

“Most people would think of other things first. The fact that your mind goes straight to snacks proves you’re still a kid.”

Startled, I gulped unconsciously.

“How did you know?”

Could it be? Has her authority returned?

“How did I know? You said it all out loud.”

“…”

“Should I send you snacks instead of money? That might be better for you.”

“…No thanks.”

If I get snacks instead of money, Da-eun will definitely catch me.

She’s already worried that I eat too much, so if I receive a box full of snacks, her reaction would be predictable.

Thinking about it, I don’t even have an account to receive money.

Edel could probably figure something out if I asked, but the more I thought about it, the more tedious it seemed.

Still, I can’t rely on Da-eun forever.

“Save it for later. I’ll take it then.”

“There is no later.”

“I’ll report you to the labor board.”

“Go ahead. We’ve never had an employee like you.”

With a mix of half-jokes and half-seriousness, I deferred the issue.

I’m sure Da-eun would like this too.

When I thought the conversation was wrapping up:

“Knowing you, you wouldn’t call just to mess around. What do you really want to say?”

Edel seemed to share my thoughts as she brought up the topic.

“I figured it’s about time to get to work.”

While I joked earlier, Edel is the one who provides me with tasks. If she doesn’t say anything, there’s no way for me to know what to do.

On the flip side, if I decide not to cooperate, there’s nothing Edel can do either.

You could call it a mutual aid relationship.

So far, I’d finish one job, take a break, and then a few days later, Edel would ask if I was ready to work again.

But after the last hunt, even though enough time had passed for her to contact me, Edel didn’t reach out at all.

Sure, I could wait and think, ‘She’ll call eventually,’ but that only lasts for so long.

Frustrated by the lack of any calls, I finally made the first move and called her.

“You seem pretty restless.”

“…That’s not it.”

It would be more accurate to say I was bored.

“Anyway, I just called to ask if there’s been a delay or something.”

“Not exactly a delay… Oh, right, I forgot to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“It’s nothing major.”

With words that felt far too human for a goddess, Edel explained:

“I killed them all.”

“…killed them what?”

“I said I killed them all.”

When I repeated her words like an idiot who didn’t understand, Edel kindly clarified again.

Still, it didn’t help me comprehend.

“You mean… all of them?”

“Yeah.”

“…Explain in detail.”

From someone who’s used to hearing things like ‘Speak shorter’ or ‘Be more concise,’ it was surprising even to myself that I was now saying ‘Explain in detail.’

Truly, you live and learn.

“There’s no way you mean all the Dimensional Creatures, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what do you mean by ‘all of them’?”

“I mean, I killed all the ones we had contained. You said it yourself before, didn’t you? Waiting for them to come to us was an inefficient way to handle things. So now, your work is done. And so is my paying you.”

“Not that you ever paid me.”

The way she spoke, as if she had actually paid me before, left me dumbfounded enough to retort.

“So that’s it? All that fuss, and it ends with barely ten kills?”

“And the world staggered under the weight of those ten kills?”

“…Do you really think that’s the reason?”

Even though I hadn’t explicitly said it, Edel picked up on my tone and responded with a dissatisfied voice.

“Actually, there are still some left.”

“Then—”

“They’re just not ones you can handle. I told you before, didn’t I? Silia was turned into a game so Earthlings could gradually wear down their strength. If I left everything to you, what would be the point of that?”

“…Hmm.”

“And besides, some escaped after breaking their seals.”

“You’re telling me this so nonchalantly?”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Hunt them down, for starters—”

“Most of them are already dead or have fled beyond this world. Either way, the ones left will be turned into Raid Bosses for Earthlings to deal with, so you’re on vacation for now. Isn’t it nice to have time off? …Not that I get any.”

I had been resting plenty already.

I thought about teasing her by saying that, but hearing the weariness in her voice, I held back.

The more I interacted with her, the less she seemed like a goddess.

After finishing my call with Edel,

Plop—

I slumped onto my bed, still holding the phone absentmindedly.

“…Suddenly, I have too much free time.”

Sure, I’d been free before, but now even the occasional tasks I had were gone.

Of course, I prefer lounging around at home over running around outside.

But when your work suddenly disappears, it does take the wind out of your sails.

It felt like prepping yourself to go out despite not wanting to, only to have the plan canceled at the last minute.

“Ughhh—!”

Lying on the bed, I let out a meaningless groan.

Naturally, it did nothing to relieve my frustration.

‘Should I ask Da-eun if she wants to hang out?’

When was the last time we went to the campground?

It felt like just yesterday, but when I did the math, it had already been a few weeks since our last outing.

Isn’t time flowing faster on Earth compared to Silia?

‘Of course, that can’t be true.’

It must feel that way because of everything that’s happened since I came to Earth.

I went on outings with Da-eun, met her parents, trained with Yuki to help her improve, hunted Dimensional Creatures in Silia…

Wait, now that I lay it all out—

“…Haven’t I been living quite diligently?”

Actually, it might be better to say I’ve been living quite fulfillingly.

Though there were gaps between all the events, compared to the days when I was holed up in the mountains, it’s like night and day.

Back then, I was merely watching the sun rise and set, living simply because I couldn’t die—a life with no purpose.

So, just as Edel suggested, maybe enjoying this vacation isn’t such a bad idea.

“Yes. I’ve decided.”

I bounced off the bed where I had been lazily rolling around.

“You know what they say, ‘You’ve worked so hard, now take a break.’”

I recalled a slogan I’d once come across while browsing the internet.

“Da-eun has been working hard too.”

In truth, despite teasing me and training with Yuki, Da-eun never skipped her personal broadcasts.

Even if her training with Yuki was less intense, it couldn’t have been easy.

Since she’s been working so hard, Da-eun definitely deserves a break too.

So if I suggest an outing to her, it’s entirely for her sake, not because I want to relax.

“…But where did Da-eun go?”

Until a moment ago, she was lazing around beside me, but now there was nothing but a pile of blankets where she’d been.

Just in case, I rustled through the blankets—

“…Of course.”

No way she’d be hiding here.

With Da-eun’s height, even if she contorted herself, she wouldn’t fit in there.

“…”

But what if I could fit?

Staring down at the messy pile of blankets, I quickly shook my head.

Not only was there no reason to try, but I also had a feeling I’d feel bad if I actually succeeded.

Ignoring the temptation of the blankets, I hopped off the rather high bed.

“Now… where to look?”

I set out to search for her, full of determination, but it didn’t take long—I found her as soon as I opened the door.

“…Yes. Yes, understood. Then let’s proceed that way. Thank you.”

Da-eun was on the phone, looking unusually serious.

Did something happen?

It didn’t look like an ordinary matter, so I quietly sat beside her, waiting for the call to end.

Focused on the call, Da-eun didn’t even notice I’d come over.

“Whew…”

It was only after a long while that she hung up, letting out a heavy sigh.

The moment she put her phone down, I spoke up.

“What’s going on?”

“Ahh! Kana?!”

She flinched, startled, then relaxed when she saw me.

“I almost thought I saw a ghost!”

“Well, if it’s a ghost this cute, wouldn’t it be welcome?”

Da-eun grinned and hugged me tightly, her earlier seriousness completely gone.

“Stay in this house as our resident ghost!”

“Are you telling me to die?”

“…As if!”

Her quick reaction made it oddly fun to tease her.

“…I thought my heart would stop.”

“Your heart doesn’t stop over things like that.”

“It’s just a figure of speech! Are you going to keep doing this even though you know that?”

Da-eun squinted at me with a playful glare.

Teasing her was fun, but I had to get to the point eventually.

But before that—

“What’s going on?”

“…Huh?”

“You looked serious earlier.”

I decided to address her expression from earlier, which had been weighing on my mind.

Call it curiosity or concern.

“Ah… um. Whew…”

Da-eun hesitated, sighing deeply before finally speaking.

“Yeah. Kana should know.”

“Okay, sure.”

“It’s something that concerns you, after all.”

“Okay, uh… huh?”

…Me?

My head, which had been nodding without a second thought, froze mid-motion.

When I pointed at myself, Da-eun silently nodded.

…Why me?

—

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