I Became a Raid Boss

A cabin built with roughly stacked logs comes into view.

It’s far from the house I live in with Shin Da-eun or even the home I used to live in with my dad back in the day.

But even though it’s just a shabby cabin, it was once my home. Seeing it again fills me with quiet nostalgia.

“…It’s pretty.”

Old.

I raised my hand and ran it along the wall of the cabin.

The rough texture of the unpolished wood, now full of deep cracks, greeted my fingers.

Come to think of it, how long has it been since I left this house?

Hmm… A month? Two months?

Still, I don’t think it’s been that long, and yet it’s changed so much.

I once heard that a house, untouched by human hands, quickly loses its vitality.

Could the cabin I lived in have grown old for the same reason?

Or perhaps it was already in bad condition, and I just hadn’t noticed before.

“Most likely the latter,” I muttered to myself.

It wasn’t built using any special techniques or processed with special materials.

The signs of wear must have been there all along—I simply hadn’t paid attention to them.

Staring blankly at the cabin, I opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior was lightly dusted with a layer of powdery gray. When I rested my hand on a surface, a thick smudge of dust clung to my palm.

Well, since I’m here, I might as well take some things.

They aren’t particularly important, but a few items with sentimental value found their way into my bag. Then, I stepped back outside.

Looking at the cabin once more, I mused to myself:

“Hm.”

I won’t be staying here again. Should I just tear it down?

I could leave it as it is, but if it collapses later, turning from a house into a heap of debris, that’d be an eyesore.

After a bit of deliberation, I decided to leave it alone for now.

After all, I’d be returning to Silia periodically from now on. I could come back every so often and check on it.

If it looks like it’s about to fall apart, I’ll repair it—or demolish it—then.

I also tidied up the dead flowers around the cabin.

They were not just withered but completely shriveled and blackened. Once the lifeless blooms were gone, the flower bed looked bare, but it was far better than leaving the dead flowers there.

‘There’s so much to do….’

I’d worked hard to maintain this place before.

Swallowing my bittersweet feelings, I turned toward my final destination.

At the edge of the flower bed.

Standing before my father’s grave, I felt a very different emotion well up in my chest.

“It’s been a while. …Is it accurate to say it’s been a while?”

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Even if it’s only been a few months, that’s enough to call it a while, isn’t it?

…I guess I’m in no position to criticize Da-eun for this.

“You know, Dad, I actually remember my past life.”

The memories are faded, riddled with holes, and so tattered that it’s hard to say whether I can truly call them memories at all.

After a moment’s hesitation, I let out a sigh-like monologue.

“I went back to the world I lived in during my past life.”

Right now, I guess you could call it… just a walk.

Even when you were alive, Dad, I never talked this much.

It felt unfamiliar, fumbling with my words, but it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be.

As my rambling drew closer to an end and the sound of the wind grew louder than my voice,

I reached into my bag and took out something I’d brought from Earth.

“In the place where I live now, there’s a culture of offering gifts to the spirits of the deceased to honor their memory… or their soul, I guess? Something like that.”

A translucent green bottle.

Pop!

As soon as I opened it, a strong alcoholic smell hit my nose, making me grimace.

“Ugh!”

Some drops got on my hand, and out of curiosity, I touched them to my tongue—only to recoil in disgust and stick my tongue out.

Even though I’ve been through plenty of hardships, why does this taste so bitter?

Only after I urgently popped some chocolate into my mouth did the bitter taste clinging to my tongue start to fade.

If you have money to buy something like this, why not spend it on sweet snacks instead?

That thought crossed my mind as I poured the liquor onto the ground.

“This isn’t exactly how it’s done, but…”

With no one here to correct me or judge me, does it really matter?

“I just wanted you to know about this custom.”

I don’t know how people drink this, but since you loved alcohol so much, Dad, I figured you’d appreciate it.

I know you’ve already reincarnated and are living a new life now.

I know that…

“Because memories are something you can cherish.”

And, in a way, this is also a bribe.

Drip…

A single drop of soju fell from the bottle’s mouth.

I tilted the bottle further and eventually held it completely upright. After the last drop fell, nothing else came out.

Closing the cap and putting the bottle back in my bag, I reached out my hand.

The grip was familiar, almost comforting.

Swoosh.

Grasping the handle, which seemed to radiate faint warmth, I pulled with strength. The sword embedded in the ground slid out with little resistance.

At the same time, a radiant crimson light scattered in all directions, as if celebrating its newfound freedom.

“Yeah. You must have been frustrated too.”

Born from the hands of a skilled artisan and once wielded by a master swordsman across the world, being stuck in the ground must have been unbearable.

I understand that feeling.

Even though it had likely endured storms and harsh weather in my absence, the blade still radiated a sharp, intense energy.

“Crimson Aegis.”

As the name suggests, it’s a sword meant to protect what one loves.

For someone like me, who failed to protect anything and has nothing left to protect, I couldn’t wield this sword.

—Until now.

“But now, I have something to protect.”

So don’t blame me for taking you.

This is for the sake of protecting the world where Dad lives.

I even brought a bribe, so I hope you’ll forgive me.

Sliding Crimson Aegis into its sheath, I turned away.

“I’ll be back.”

And next time, I’ll bring a better drink.

You’d prefer that over some trivial snacks, wouldn’t you?

As if agreeing, a faint warmth emanated from the sword at my side.

***

***

***

Where the Sage’s barrier once stood, a wall made of Magi now loomed tall.

It’s fine to block entry, but leaving it unattended wouldn’t be ideal either.

After all, this was only a pseudo-barrier created with Magi.

When I placed my hand on the black wall, it crumbled in an instant, returning to its original form.

I completed the process by redirecting some parts and sending the rest to where Edel resides. Then, I paused to think.

“What should I do?”

I need to set up defenses to prevent others from ruining this place.

But I don’t have the same talents as the Sage, so I was deliberating when a good idea struck me.

The final battle with that creature.

Come to think of it, I learned something valuable back then.

Drawing on that realization, I sketched out a solution.

Saaa—

The space along the edge of my unsheathed sword twisted and swirled for a while.

Once I sheathed the sword, the distorted space returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.

From the outside, everything appeared perfectly normal.

It looked like stepping forward would take you to the flower bed beyond.

But as I tested it by stepping forward, the scenery in front of me twisted instantly.

When I stepped back, the scene returned to normal.

“Hmm, hmm.”

Satisfied with the result, I nodded contentedly.

The twisted space would confuse anyone who stepped into it.

If they continued to push forward, an invisible wall would eventually block them.

Most would give up at the first stage, but the double-layered mechanism was designed to handle those lucky enough to make it through.

If someone manages to break through even that, well, there’s nothing else I can do but confront them directly.

But I doubt many could manage that.

This security mechanism is imbued with the intricacies of spatial manipulation.

At the very least, they’d need to reach the Master level to even attempt a serious challenge.

Only those worthy shall pass.

Leaving behind the security system crafted with all the insights I’d gained, I turned away.

“…?”

But then, something unfamiliar caught my eye.

White bouquets, neatly arranged in soft curves.

Most were wilted, but a few still looked fresh.

Puzzled by the clearly intentional placement, I tilted my head in curiosity.

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

I soon dismissed it.

Perhaps some strange trend started while I was away.

I’d gathered my belongings, tidied the flower bed, and set up the security system.

Time had flown by, leaving no room for further delay.

I hadn’t planned on doing any of this, after all.

When I came to deal with the Dimensional Creature, small bothersome things kept catching my attention, leaving me no choice but to address them.

It was necessary anyway.

At least I could be thankful that reaching the capital of Grasis—or what used to be its capital—wouldn’t take long.

When I traveled with Shin Da-eun, I had to match her pace, but now that I was alone, I could move as fast as I wanted.

If need be, I could leap through space, just as the Sage had.

The only reason I wasn’t doing so was that I’d never tried it before.

Considering what I’d just accomplished, I was confident it’d work, but I couldn’t risk something going wrong.

“If I’d known, I should’ve practiced more.”

It’s been quite a while since my body fully recovered.

With a slight sense of regret, I launched myself forward.

Toward the base of the mountain, where my old home once stood.

—

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