I Became a Raid Boss

Chapter 145

[So, when is Joanie <<< coming back?]

It’s already been five days off!!!

Come on, I’ve already exhausted all my excuses!!!!!!!

[Comments]

—If you’re still waiting, it looks like you’re not done with them yet.

—Lame streamer got her easy rewards from NPCs, and then her honey pot broke, so now she can’t go back to it, LOL.

? ??? Joanie is lame?

? She was a big deal even before starting Silia Online, LOL.

? Obvious troll. Just ignore and don’t feed.

The differences between Earth and Silia are so many that listing them all would be exhausting.

But if I had to choose the biggest one, it would probably be “the foundation upon which each civilization developed.”

Silia’s civilization is rooted in mana, while Earth’s is built on the laws of nature.

Who knows?

For now, Earth’s technology is certainly convenient, but maybe one day, Silia could develop to Earth’s level.

Or, maybe one day, Earth might even learn to harness mana like Silia.

“The latter is actually quite possible.”

And the reason I’m thinking about this all of a sudden is that…

As I was getting ready to go out with Da-eun, I suddenly realized something I had overlooked.

When Da-eun suggested I disguise myself to avoid hassle, initially, I took her words to mean it would be annoying because people might recognize me.

In Silia, I had to hide my identity due to the Empire, but here, I’m not a criminal, so should I really hide?

As much as I hate hassles, living like a fugitive doesn’t sit well with me.

When I told her this, Da-eun shook her head and explained:

“It’s not just criminals who cover their faces. Lots of people do it just to avoid recognition—famous singers, actors, and so on.”

That’s when I remembered that this world is incredibly advanced in communication technology.

In Silia, even if I were to reveal myself, the news would spread only by word of mouth.

But here, it could spread across the entire world in a matter of seconds.

No one would seriously believe the “fantasy-like event” of an in-game NPC showing up in real life.

Still, seeing the unabashed posts on Da-eun’s phone made me accept her advice without further argument.

If there’s a hell on Earth, surely that’s it.

It was truly horrifying…

Anyway, for those reasons and Edel’s advice to hold back as much as possible, I plan to keep a low profile for the time being.

***

“…Okay? Absolutely, absolutely do not come in. Got it?”

“I said I got it.”

“I’ll play with you lots after, so even if you miss me, hold it in, okay?”

“I don’t think that’s likely.”

She doesn’t need to worry that much.

“It’s soundproof, so you won’t hear anything, but… just ignore any sounds you do hear, alright?”

“What if it’s an actual emergency?”

“An… an emergency…?”

Da-eun put on a mock-serious face at my question.

“Well, life is fleeting… sudden, unexpected tragedy could happen at any moment.”

“…I didn’t mean it that seriously.”

“Oh! I have an idea!”

Da-eun grabbed my phone.

She fiddled with it for a moment, then handed it back to me.

“What did you do?”

“I set it so that if something happens to me, Kana will get an alert on her phone. This way, you’ll be notified if anything goes wrong, and you won’t have to worry.”

“Oh… alright.”

…I didn’t really mean for her to go that far.

Not expecting her to be so thorough, I nodded, a bit taken aback.

Satisfied, Da-eun patted my head, then suddenly gasped.

“Oh no, look at the time… I’m going to be late! Kana, I’m going to start streaming now, so remember everything I told you!”

Then, before I could even answer, she dashed into her room.

Judging by her frantic pace, it seemed she really was pressed for time.

“But… why is she dressed like that?”

She wasn’t going to attend a banquet or anything, so why was she wearing such a stiff outfit?

“Well, I’m sure she has her reasons.”

Shrugging, I picked up a piece of chocolate and popped it into my mouth.

Munch.

***

“…I’m not late, right?”

Pant, pant…

Da-eun caught her breath as she checked the time.

Thankfully, she sighed with relief upon confirming that it wasn’t yet the scheduled time.

“How many days has it been? Four? Five?”

Whatever it was, showing up late after taking a break for several days would surely invite quite a reaction, and it didn’t take much to imagine what that would look like.

It would be like pouring gasoline on a blazing fire.

If this were a campfire, watching the flames would be enjoyable, but since the fire was in her own “house,” she couldn’t exactly just sit back and watch.

“It’s my own fault, after all…”

Her half-hearted break notice was hastily written and posted because she couldn’t muster the motivation to do anything else, so people had every reason to be mad.

Still, judging from the unexpectedly mild responses, it seemed some people understood Da-eun’s situation.

“…Or maybe not?”

Back in her traveling days, she remembered getting even gentler responses.

With a strange, indescribable feeling, Da-eun checked her outfit one last time.

The formal suit she hadn’t worn in a while still fit snugly, and that snug fit felt stifling.

“Whew…”

Standing in front of a green chroma key screen in her formal suit, Da-eun took a deep breath.

She was well aware that the combination of a suit and a green chroma key screen was a long-standing tradition in the world of internet streaming.

It may have started as a setup for serious apology videos, but it had since become a meme, often used for playful or lighthearted apologies.

Still, this was her first time doing it herself, and Da-eun felt a bit nervous.

“…It’

With one last check of her streaming settings, Da-eun clicked the start button.

—Here we go~

—Rock

—On

—Mom, I’m freezing

—Rock

—Asking for the 456,189th time: Why are you late?

—Joanie, I’ve actually loved you for a long time. I’ve been hiding my feelings because I lacked the courage, but now I won’t—

—Seriously, dude, this isn’t your private chatroom.

“Wow…”

As the flood of chat messages poured in, Da-eun involuntarily winced.

And she thought to herself:

“Thank goodness Kana isn’t watching this.”

This was the reason she had stopped Kana from watching her stream.

Da-eun had been streaming for a long time and was familiar with internet culture, so she could handle it. But for Kana, who wasn’t used to this, the chaotic flood of messages would have been overwhelming.

Someday, Kana might encounter this kind of thing, but at least it wouldn’t be today.

“Ahem, hello, this is Joanie.”

—Isn’t she supposed to be dead? How did she come back to life? Haha

—Joanie’s dead; this is Joanie Mk2.

—Aha!

—Didn’t you come back too quickly? I’m worried you might get the bends.

—Look at that shiny face, LOL.

[10,000 won donation from ‘Please Don’t Get Sick!’ Thank you!]

—It must’ve been tough, but thank you for coming back. Don’t worry about the chat and take a longer break if you need it.

—???

—Who are you to make that decision??

—So sweet~

—Ew, cringe…

“I’m really sorry for not explaining properly and taking an unexpected break for several days.”

As soon as Da-eun got straight to the point, the chatroom flared up, then calmed down slightly.

She explained that she had been exhausted from streaming non-stop for weeks, and the unexpected loss had hit her hard, leading to severe burnout. Viewers each shared their own thoughts after hearing her calm explanation.

—She really has been working hard lately.

—Honestly, it makes sense she’d be in shock… I felt down, too, when I thought I’d never see Kana again.

—Ugh, look at the over-invested ones getting all worked up, lol.

—Who’s gonna roast her?

—Hmm… but didn’t she already take breaks when she was in the ‘Garbage Dump’?

—Huh? Now that you mention it… She said she recorded stuff back then but didn’t even upload it.

—Shall we burn it, Master?

“Ah…”

Da-eun’s expression froze for a moment as they hit the mark.

“I-I’ll upload it soon…”

—Oh

—Got it!

—Looking forward to it!

Even though it had sparked quite a controversy back then, somehow, it ended up helping her smooth things over now.

Da-eun glanced through the now-calmer chat and sighed in relief.

[A 5,000 won donation from ‘Anonymous Benefactor’! Thank you!]

—So, when are you returning to Silia Online?

“Silia Online… hmm.”

—Would you want to go back?

—Is there any reason she can’t?

—Ah, there goes the hype!

—I mean, wouldn’t it be strange if she felt like playing after an NPC she was fond of died?

—Are you going back to traveling, then?

“I’ll return eventually, but I don’t think it’ll be anytime soon. Like I said, after living in Silia for weeks, there’s a lot of stuff I’ve been putting off, so I’ll probably pick it back up after I handle everything.”

—Translation: She has no intention of playing Silia, so if you bring it up again, expect to be “cut down.”

—There it is!

—I’m Joanie, and I approve of this message.

—Joanie doesn’t talk like that…

“No, I’m not saying I won’t play, I’m just really busy.”

—Got it, haha.

—Ah, is that the angle you’re going with?

—Absolutely, everything the host says is right.

‘…Stubborn fools.’

No matter how sincerely she explained, they wouldn’t believe her.

Da-eun muttered under her breath, clutching her throbbing head. She hadn’t considered quitting Silia, especially now that she knew Kana was alive and living with her.

‘Kana said that playing Silia helps her.’

So, after finishing her urgent matters, she planned to go back. But the chat was full of disbelief.

“Believe it or not, that’s the plan… and I’m also planning to start traveling again soon.”

Traveling with Kana would be so much fun.

When they’d been in Silia, Kana had led her around, so now it would be Da-eun’s turn to guide her.

Imagining herself traveling with the small girl, Da-eun couldn’t help but smile.

—Is she smiling?

—Smiling?

—Hey, she’s smiling.

“…Anyway, I apologize again for taking a break without any notice.”

Da-eun bowed deeply.

Fortunately, the response was positive.

After all, she had at least posted a brief announcement, and many recent viewers had joined to see Kana, so they understood Da-eun’s feelings.

—But it does feel empty… I liked seeing them bicker and have fun.

—I watched the videos on repeat during the break.

—There’s even a memorial line now.

—Really?

“A memorial line? People are doing that?”

—Hmm? Why are you being informal?

—Is that a bit too casual?

—Are we your friends or something?

“Hey, the apology stream is over. Now it’s just us chatting.”

—So shameless;

—People are going to where Kana “died” to leave flowers and stuff.

—Some people were even crying.

—Hm… sentimental much?

—Host, aren’t you going to visit, too?

“Hmm…”

After a brief moment of thought, Da-eun shook her head.

“I’m not going.”

Da-eun thought that if she actually went there, it would be the strangest thing.

Knowing that Kana was perfectly fine, participating in a memorial felt bizarre.

‘It’s like they’re holding a service asking her to die again.’

Of course, the viewers had no way of knowing Da-eun’s circumstances.

—That’s rough;

—Was I the only one being genuine here?

—Well, as expected lol, the overly invested fans getting their money’s worth…

(message deleted)

—This is a bit disappointing…

— ?

To them, it felt like a betrayal that someone who claimed to truly care about Kana would refuse to visit a memorial.

Just as Da-eun realized she should explain herself and quickly opened her mouth to respond—

Crash! Bang!

“…?!”

A loud noise suddenly came from outside.

It was so loud that it penetrated the soundproof booth, causing Da-eun to flinch in shock.

—What was that? What happened?

—Sounded like something broke?

—Is it a thief?

—At that level, wouldn’t it be a robber, not a thief?

— ;; Shouldn’t you check it out?

The viewers expressed their concern as the noise filtered through the mic.

But Da-eun didn’t hear their comments.

Bang!

She had already opened the door to the soundproof booth and was running out.

‘Kana…!’

She’d mentioned feeling unwell—could she have collapsed?

If she’d known, she would’ve stayed by her side…!

Heart pounding with worry, Da-eun rushed toward the source of the noise—

“Are you… okay…?”

And then she saw it.

Kana was standing on tiptoe on a chair, reaching out toward a high shelf, with pieces of a broken plate scattered on the floor.

It looked like a battlefield.

“….”

“….”

“What… are you doing?”

“…There was chocolate up there…”

Kana looked away, rolling her eyes as if trying to avoid Da-eun’s gaze, and Da-eun put a hand to her forehead.

And she thought to herself,

It seems like Kana really is just like a cat.

—

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