I Became a Raid Boss
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Chapter 98 Table of contents

The sensation of vomiting up hot, clotted blood is unpleasant every time. The burning pain in my throat, the metallic tang of blood rising from within… though I suppose it’s pointless to think about comfort when I’m coughing up something that should be circulating inside my body.

“Cough… cough…”

Despite my attempts to stay calm, my body kept expelling blood clots. Whether it’s hemoptysis or hematemesis, spitting up blood is never a sign of a healthy condition. My body may look fine on the outside, but internally, it’s a complete wreck.

‘I might really die here…’

I’m used to enduring pain. Growing up in the back alleys, a little girl—especially one as weak as me—had to swallow her pain without showing it. But even I couldn’t get used to the agony crawling through me now. What started as a pricking pain had grown into a sharp, slicing agony, as if a blade were carving up my insides and rubbing salt into the wounds.

My body, which had briefly managed to stretch out, curled up into itself again.

“Oh no… wait! Right! Celine… if Celine were here…!” Daeun’s face was tense with determination as she watched me writhe in pain.

“Kana, just hold on a bit longer. I’ll bring Celine.”

Daeun’s voice was filled with hope—she genuinely believed that Celine, an apprentice saintess, would be able to heal me.

A while later, Celine arrived with the others, and for a moment, Daeun’s face was filled with anticipation as Celine channeled her holy power into me.

However—

“….”

“…Celine? What’s wrong?” Daeun asked, her voice filled with worry.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can heal Kana,” Celine replied, her voice apologetic.

“What?!” Daeun’s eyes widened in shock.

“Of course you can’t…” I muttered, struggling to my feet, using a simple longsword as a makeshift staff to support myself now that the red sword had disappeared with the blessing’s deactivation.

“This isn’t a normal injury…”

What’s tearing through my body is the mana of the Red Dragon, one of the most ferocious of its kind. It’s hard to explain, but… it’s not that I’m actually wounded, per se. My body is simply overwhelmed, overloaded from the strain of handling such powerful mana, so Celine’s holy magic wouldn’t work.

“Enough! Stop explaining and rest already! You’re still bleeding!” Daeun insisted, dabbing at my mouth with her sleeve. Her white sleeve was quickly stained with my bright red blood.

“Oh.”

I hadn’t realized I was still bleeding as I spoke. How sloppy of me.

“…For a moment, I almost thought it was saliva,” Daeun murmured, caught off guard by my casual demeanor.

Whether it’s blood or saliva, isn’t it equally messy to have it dripping from your mouth?

“There’s a big difference! And seriously, stop talking if you’re in pain!” she exclaimed, her other sleeve also staining red as she wiped my face.

As I watched the red stains on her white clothes, I thought absently about how hard it would be to clean later.

“…Oh,” I muttered, feeling my body sway.

“Kana?!” Daeun’s voice echoed in my ears, along with Celine’s worried call.

One moment I was standing, and the next, my vision had tilted down toward the ground.

Clang!

The sound of the longsword clattering to the ground jolted me back to awareness.

‘Did I fall?’

For a moment, I thought the ground was unusually close. Thankfully, it was just that I’d fallen, not that I’d suddenly shrunk.

Sounds began to blur, like I was underwater, and my vision darkened as if in response.

‘I… may have overdone it.’

With that final thought, my vision completely faded.

 

Waiting outside the room felt strangely unfamiliar to Daeun, who was more accustomed to being the patient rather than the anxious bystander.

Tap, tap.

Footsteps echoed in the short hallway, accompanied by the occasional sound of her nervously biting her nails.

Creaaak.

The sound of the door’s hinges moving was faint, but Daeun, who had been on edge, caught it immediately.

Her ears perked up like a rabbit’s, and she rushed over as soon as the door opened.

“…!”

“How is she?! Is she alright?” Daeun’s voice was frantic as she nearly cornered Celine, who had just stepped out.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Daeun apologized, pulling back when she noticed Celine’s startled expression.

“It’s alright. I understand completely,” Celine reassured her with a gentle smile. In the time they had spent together, she had come to understand Daeun’s deep concern for Kana. Seeing the way Kana softened around Daeun and the way Daeun looked at Kana, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of warmth and a hint of envy.

‘No wonder she’s worried; the girl she cherishes is lying unconscious in bed,’ she thought, watching Daeun with a gentle but wistful smile.

“I’m not a proper healer, so I can’t give a definite diagnosis… but I couldn’t find anything seriously wrong with Kana’s body,” Celine said.

“That’s… good, I guess…” Daeun’s response was conflicted. While Celine’s words seemed reassuring, they also confirmed that Celine’s healing had no effect.

‘It’s because of the dragon’s mana….’

Daeun shivered as she recalled Kana felling the Shadow of Krumo without taking a single hit. The artifact she carried wasn’t just a national treasure; it was something extraordinary. But with great power came a steep cost, and now Kana, the girl who had defeated the shadow, lay pale and unconscious, having paid that price.

“Is there nothing we can do but wait…?”

Kana is strong. She’ll wake up soon. Daeun tried to comfort herself, though her anxious heart refused to be calm.

‘She looked like she was in so much pain.’

Kana had tried to hide it, putting on a brave front, but Daeun had seen the signs. The way her lips turned white as she clenched them, the beads of sweat on her forehead, her slightly unfocused gaze, the furrowed brow, and the pained tone in her voice. Even though Kana tried to act unaffected, she had eventually collapsed from the sheer pain.

“How is she doing…?” a voice interrupted.

“There hasn’t been much change,” Daeun replied.

Atisha had returned after a short absence. The attack by Krumo’s Shadow had left the town in shambles, with many buildings destroyed and a significant number of casualties. There weren’t even enough shelters for everyone to stay in overnight. Given the situation, Atisha had generously offered her mansion—one of the few buildings still intact—as a place for Daeun and the others to stay.

Daeun appreciated the offer but also felt uneasy about taking up so much space.

“Are you sure it’s alright for us to use such a large place all to ourselves?” she asked hesitantly.

It felt selfish to occupy a space big enough for dozens of people during a crisis, but Atisha was firm in her response.

“I have a debt to repay….”

After all, they had saved the town. And there was another reason.

“Besides, having an injured person exposed to our demonic energy wouldn’t be ideal….”

While the town was already saturated with demonic energy, being in the same space with it was a different matter. Atisha believed it would be best to keep Kana away from it while she was unconscious.

“…If that’s the case…” Daeun conceded reluctantly, backing down as Atisha cited Kana’s health.

“If you need anything, just let us know. We’ll provide whatever we can….”

“I don’t need anything for now. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Alright… oh, by the way…”

This wasn’t the reason she’d come by, but Atisha clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered.

“Make sure you stay inside for the next few hours….”

“What? I wasn’t planning on going out, but… why?”

“A monster horde was spotted approaching. Normally, we’d be fine with our defenses, but….” She trailed off, glancing out the window.

The view outside was of the destroyed and burned town, reflected in her dark eyes.

“As you can see, we’re not exactly in the best shape…. So, it’s safer if you stay put here. There might be a few stragglers we haven’t dealt with yet….”

“A monster horde?”

“Yeah….”

A monster horde on top of the shadow’s attack—talk about adding insult to injury. Daeun glanced at Atisha and cautiously spoke up.

“Would you like some help?”

“There’s no need… there aren’t that many of them, and we can handle it on our own….”

“That’s a relief, but… it seems strange,” Daeun murmured, remembering something she’d once read.

There’s a theory known as Heinrich’s Law—the idea that for every major accident, there are dozens of smaller incidents or warning signs leading up to it. This series of events felt like it was building up to something bigger.

Daeun’s unease grew, but she didn’t want to worry the others, so she changed the subject slightly.

“Why now of all times?”

“Who knows… maybe they just thought it was an opportunity….”

Unlike Daeun, who was visibly anxious, Atisha was unfazed, even licking her lips as she spoke.

“We’ve been low on meat lately, so this is perfect timing….”

“Ugh…”

Daeun couldn’t help but let out a horrified sound at the mention of monster meat. While she knew it was edible and even tasted good, it still felt odd to her Earth-born sensibilities.

Noticing Atisha’s amused glance, Daeun cleared her throat.

“Well, I just hope it’s nothing too serious,” she said.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“You really think so?”

“Why are you asking me that…?”

“Who else would I ask but you?” Daeun replied, puzzled.

Atisha silently pointed in the direction of the door. Following her gesture, Daeun turned her head, her eyes widening.

“…Huh?”

The tightly shut door was now wide open. In the doorway, leaning against the frame, was a small figure—a familiar girl who watched her with weary eyes.

“Like moths drawn to a flame…”

Kana, looking as exhausted as Atisha, murmured in a soft voice.

 

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