I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 106: In the Land of the Dead (2)

A Few Days Spent Bedridden Due to the Aftereffects of the Blessing’s Activation, and a Few More Days Sailing to Raxia

During this time, I tried to learn how the demons communicate. The aftereffects of the blessing that had confined me to bed had diminished to a mere tingle, so moving around wasn’t an issue, but it was irritating, gnawing at my nerves.

Not being able to communicate was beginning to feel stifling.

As a result, I was able to make some progress.

I still couldn’t fully understand entire sentences, but I could pick up the gist of what was being said.

For example, if someone said, "Apples are really cheap and delicious," it would register to me as "apple, cheap, delicious."

It was fragmented information, like disconnected pieces, but...

"The intent comes across directly enough to understand."

Sometimes, this made it easier to understand than a full conversation.

Piecing together these fragments only required a certain level of vocabulary to read the context.

Even with my lack of formal education, I had at least that much vocabulary.

While I was still unskilled enough to miss things occasionally or fail to get my point across, I was confident I’d improve over time, so I wasn’t too worried.

"Was it... an attack?"

Thanks to my newfound understanding, I could catch the sorrowful words that escaped Selene as she looked at the bodies.

"No."

I moved closer to one of the corpses strewn across the shore.

Although it was slightly decayed, the body was intact enough to give me clues about the cause of death.

"Judging by the lack of major wounds, I don’t think that’s it."

The other corpses I saw were the same.

There were small injuries, but nothing severe enough to be fatal.

"Ugh...!"

Daeun kept retching.

Well, considering she was an Earthling, she wouldn’t have seen anything like this unless she lived in a conflict zone, which didn’t seem likely.

Selene, while not as affected as Daeun, was also visibly shaken.

"But then, why are there so many of them...?"

"Who knows."

I was just as new here as she was.

"We’ll have to figure that out now."

What caused their deaths?

And why had their bodies been left here like this?

"...Don’t the demons have any funeral customs?"

If they didn’t, it didn’t explain why I’d seen Atisha diligently tending to the dead.

The more I thought about it, the deeper I felt I was falling into a mystery, so I decided to stop for now.

Daeun, who had finally stopped dry-heaving, staggered over.

"Ugh... Kana, are you okay...?"

"I’m used to it."

It wasn’t my first time seeing decaying bodies, and I’d been around death often enough as a kid that freaking out over a corpse now would be ridiculous.

I’d seen far worse than this.

And besides, after running wild on battlefields, if I were to start retching like Daeun now, the dead would laugh at me.

"..."

I don’t regret killing them since I’d be the one dead if I hadn’t.

Still, there are moments when I wonder how life would’ve turned out if I’d heeded my father’s words and lived a peaceful life.

Of course, I’d probably make the same choices if I went back, but it’s not like I can’t wonder.

I exhaled briefly and spun around.

I saw Selene, her eyes closed in prayer, and Daeun, still looking pale.

I glanced at Daeun’s ring, which shone brighter than before, and spoke.

"We don’t have time. Let’s get going."

Feeling sympathy was one thing, but we couldn’t stay here mourning forever.

We hadn’t come all the way from the far eastern edge just to be held up here.

Whether we wanted to or not, reaching the center should provide us with answers.

According to Atisha, there were still living demons in the central area.

"U-Understood..."

"..."

I looked up at Daeun, who responded absentmindedly, her expression half-dazed.

Will she be okay...?

I’d dragged her along out of my own selfishness, but seeing her like this made me wonder if I should’ve left her behind.

"Should I send her back?"

Atisha’s ship was a fair distance away, but I could still probably catch up.

We wouldn’t be able to reach it on the small boat, so I’d have to make an effort myself.

"No! I’m really fine!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Look at these bulging muscles!"

"I don’t see anything."

"What? I worked out so hard, there’s no way! Look closely, Kana!"

"I’ll acknowledge it if you can beat me in arm wrestling."

"I’m just tender, boneless meat. Please enjoy me—ow! Did you really bite me?!"

Daeun quickly pulled her arm away.

Her fair arm, which she had just been flexing with all her might, now bore a distinct set of teeth marks.

I casually wiped my mouth and, as if nothing had happened, spoke calmly.

"You told me to enjoy it."

"It was just a figure of speech! Who actually takes that literally?!"

"Hmm, right here."

"...Ugh! Why do you only listen at times like this when you usually ignore me?!"

"Isn’t it good to start listening now?"

"I guess that’s true. But..."

Pretending to agree, Daeun suddenly flashed a mischievous look.

"You won’t actually change, though, Kana!"

"Pfft—!"

This annoying little brat!

Daeun grabbed my cheeks with both hands and squished them.

If anyone saw me now, they’d probably think I looked like a pouting fish.

"Ahaha, you look like a fish. So cute."

Of course, Selene let out a chuckle, confirming my suspicions.

"Pfft—!"

I briefly considered spitting at her, but an ominous feeling made me stop.

Something told me it wouldn’t end well... like I’d see the worst of humanity.

Well, at least it seemed like the tension had eased.

Not that Daeun would realize I was being considerate.

"I’m the adult here, so I should be the one to understand."

Yes, exactly.

"...There’s something defiant in your eyes."

"Pfft?"

"Sigh... what can I say to a kid...?"

"I can hear you."

"I meant for you to."

Daeun released my squished cheeks with a slight pinch.

Thanks to my new communication skills, I could somewhat understand what Daeun was saying now.

"Falling for you was my mistake... What? A lolicon? Hey! ‘Falling’ doesn’t always mean that! It can simply mean that I was charmed! That’s it; you all need to chill. Ban anyone spamming polar bears or whatever!"

But unlike Selene’s words, Daeun’s were... difficult to follow.

...Polar bear? Why was she suddenly talking about polar bears?

The only polar bear I know lives in the Arctic. Is there something else?

"I don’t get it..."

It wasn’t just Daeun’s words; it was also the path ahead that I didn’t understand.

Moments like this, where I feel more estranged than close to Daeun, remind me that I am, in a way, closer to a Silian than an Earthling, despite having memories from my time on Earth.

"There’s still a little time left."

I’ll think about it later, when the time comes.

"Rest in peace..."

With Selene’s solemn farewell, we left the corpse-laden shore behind.

Though she was reluctant to leave the bodies unburied, she didn’t insist. Instead, she resolved to return on her way back to Ardina.

Following the path Atisha mentioned, we began our journey toward the center of Raxia.

After walking for a while...

"..."

"..."

"..."

The road wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination.

The stone pavement, who knows how old, was cracked and uneven, and blackened bushes and debris constantly blocked the way.

It didn’t exactly serve its purpose of facilitating travel.

"Still, it’s probably easier to walk on than if there were no path at all."

"Whoa?!"

Apparently, Daeun didn’t agree, as she stumbled on a protruding stone before I could even finish my thought.

I caught her waist to prevent her from falling.

"Careful."

"T-Thanks."

Leaving the startled Daeun to catch her breath, I scanned the surroundings.

"It’s stifling."

"Wh-What? Me...?"

"No, the air."

"Phew, for a moment I thought you were calling me dense..."

"Though, you do have your moments."

"What?!"

This time, my words weren’t directed at Daeun but at the heavy, oppressive air.

Even simple actions, like taking a step, required more effort than usual due to the miasma surrounding us.

I don’t know how big Raxia is, but if they call it a "continent" instead of an "island," it must be sizable.

If it’s already this oppressive here, I can only imagine how it’ll feel in the center.

A Few Days Spent Bedridden Due to the Aftereffects of the Blessing’s Activation, and a Few More Days Sailing to Raxia

During this time, I tried to learn how the demons communicate. The aftereffects of the blessing that had confined me to bed had diminished to a mere tingle, so moving around wasn’t an issue, but it was irritating, gnawing at my nerves.

Not being able to communicate was beginning to feel stifling.

As a result, I was able to make some progress.

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I still couldn’t fully understand entire sentences, but I could pick up the gist of what was being said.

For example, if someone said, "Apples are really cheap and delicious," it would register to me as "apple, cheap, delicious."

It was fragmented information, like disconnected pieces, but...

"The intent comes across directly enough to understand."

Sometimes, this made it easier to understand than a full conversation.

Piecing together these fragments only required a certain level of vocabulary to read the context.

Even with my lack of formal education, I had at least that much vocabulary.

While I was still unskilled enough to miss things occasionally or fail to get my point across, I was confident I’d improve over time, so I wasn’t too worried.

"Was it... an attack?"

Thanks to my newfound understanding, I could catch the sorrowful words that escaped Selene as she looked at the bodies.

"No."

I moved closer to one of the corpses strewn across the shore.

Although it was slightly decayed, the body was intact enough to give me clues about the cause of death.

"Judging by the lack of major wounds, I don’t think that’s it."

The other corpses I saw were the same.

There were small injuries, but nothing severe enough to be fatal.

"Ugh...!"

Daeun kept retching.

Well, considering she was an Earthling, she wouldn’t have seen anything like this unless she lived in a conflict zone, which didn’t seem likely.

Selene, while not as affected as Daeun, was also visibly shaken.

"But then, why are there so many of them...?"

"Who knows."

I was just as new here as she was.

"We’ll have to figure that out now."

What caused their deaths?

And why had their bodies been left here like this?

"...Don’t the demons have any funeral customs?"

If they didn’t, it didn’t explain why I’d seen Atisha diligently tending to the dead.

The more I thought about it, the deeper I felt I was falling into a mystery, so I decided to stop for now.

Daeun, who had finally stopped dry-heaving, staggered over.

"Ugh... Kana, are you okay...?"

"I’m used to it."

It wasn’t my first time seeing decaying bodies, and I’d been around death often enough as a kid that freaking out over a corpse now would be ridiculous.

I’d seen far worse than this.

And besides, after running wild on battlefields, if I were to start retching like Daeun now, the dead would laugh at me.

"..."

I don’t regret killing them since I’d be the one dead if I hadn’t.

Still, there are moments when I wonder how life would’ve turned out if I’d heeded my father’s words and lived a peaceful life.

Of course, I’d probably make the same choices if I went back, but it’s not like I can’t wonder.

I exhaled briefly and spun around.

I saw Selene, her eyes closed in prayer, and Daeun, still looking pale.

I glanced at Daeun’s ring, which shone brighter than before, and spoke.

"We don’t have time. Let’s get going."

Feeling sympathy was one thing, but we couldn’t stay here mourning forever.

We hadn’t come all the way from the far eastern edge just to be held up here.

Whether we wanted to or not, reaching the center should provide us with answers.

According to Atisha, there were still living demons in the central area.

"U-Understood..."

"..."

I looked up at Daeun, who responded absentmindedly, her expression half-dazed.

Will she be okay...?

I’d dragged her along out of my own selfishness, but seeing her like this made me wonder if I should’ve left her behind.

"Should I send her back?"

Atisha’s ship was a fair distance away, but I could still probably catch up.

We wouldn’t be able to reach it on the small boat, so I’d have to make an effort myself.

"No! I’m really fine!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Look at these bulging muscles!"

"I don’t see anything."

"What? I worked out so hard, there’s no way! Look closely, Kana!"

"I’ll acknowledge it if you can beat me in arm wrestling."

"I’m just tender, boneless meat. Please enjoy me—ow! Did you really bite me?!"

Daeun quickly pulled her arm away.

Her fair arm, which she had just been flexing with all her might, now bore a distinct set of teeth marks.

I casually wiped my mouth and, as if nothing had happened, spoke calmly.

"You told me to enjoy it."

"It was just a figure of speech! Who actually takes that literally?!"

"Hmm, right here."

"...Ugh! Why do you only listen at times like this when you usually ignore me?!"

"Isn’t it good to start listening now?"

"I guess that’s true. But..."

Pretending to agree, Daeun suddenly flashed a mischievous look.

"You won’t actually change, though, Kana!"

"Pfft—!"

This annoying little brat!

Daeun grabbed my cheeks with both hands and squished them.

If anyone saw me now, they’d probably think I looked like a pouting fish.

"Ahaha, you look like a fish. So cute."

Of course, Selene let out a chuckle, confirming my suspicions.

"Pfft—!"

I briefly considered spitting at her, but an ominous feeling made me stop.

Something told me it wouldn’t end well... like I’d see the worst of humanity.

Well, at least it seemed like the tension had eased.

Not that Daeun would realize I was being considerate.

"I’m the adult here, so I should be the one to understand."

Yes, exactly.

"...There’s something defiant in your eyes."

"Pfft?"

"Sigh... what can I say to a kid...?"

"I can hear you."

"I meant for you to."

Daeun released my squished cheeks with a slight pinch.

Thanks to my new communication skills, I could somewhat understand what Daeun was saying now.

"Falling for you was my mistake... What? A lolicon? Hey! ‘Falling’ doesn’t always mean that! It can simply mean that I was charmed! That’s it; you all need to chill. Ban anyone spamming polar bears or whatever!"

But unlike Selene’s words, Daeun’s were... difficult to follow.

...Polar bear? Why was she suddenly talking about polar bears?

The only polar bear I know lives in the Arctic. Is there something else?

"I don’t get it..."

It wasn’t just Daeun’s words; it was also the path ahead that I didn’t understand.

Moments like this, where I feel more estranged than close to Daeun, remind me that I am, in a way, closer to a Silian than an Earthling, despite having memories from my time on Earth.

"There’s still a little time left."

I’ll think about it later, when the time comes.

"Rest in peace..."

With Selene’s solemn farewell, we left the corpse-laden shore behind.

Though she was reluctant to leave the bodies unburied, she didn’t insist. Instead, she resolved to return on her way back to Ardina.

Following the path Atisha mentioned, we began our journey toward the center of Raxia.

After walking for a while...

"..."

"..."

"..."

The road wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination.

The stone pavement, who knows how old, was cracked and uneven, and blackened bushes and debris constantly blocked the way.

It didn’t exactly serve its purpose of facilitating travel.

"Still, it’s probably easier to walk on than if there were no path at all."

"Whoa?!"

Apparently, Daeun didn’t agree, as she stumbled on a protruding stone before I could even finish my thought.

I caught her waist to prevent her from falling.

"Careful."

"T-Thanks."

Leaving the startled Daeun to catch her breath, I scanned the surroundings.

"It’s stifling."

"Wh-What? Me...?"

"No, the air."

"Phew, for a moment I thought you were calling me dense..."

"Though, you do have your moments."

"What?!"

This time, my words weren’t directed at Daeun but at the heavy, oppressive air.

Even simple actions, like taking a step, required more effort than usual due to the miasma surrounding us.

I don’t know how big Raxia is, but if they call it a "continent" instead of an "island," it must be sizable.

If it’s already this oppressive here, I can only imagine how it’ll feel in the center.

"Still no sign of people."

"Just more bodies."

"Uh... right..."

While there weren’t as many corpses as when we landed, we occasionally stumbled upon cold, lifeless bodies along the path.

"Were these people also heading toward the sea, like those we saw earlier?"

"Probably."

I gave a nonchalant affirmation as I drew my sword.

To prepare for the demon beast approaching with a low growl in the distance.

"Don’t bother me."

Screech!

As expected from a creature tough enough to survive in Raxia, it was resilient, but that was all.

With a swift slash, the snarling beast fell into eternal silence.

I wonder what kind of creature it was before it transformed. Judging by the horns, maybe it used to be a cow.

After dealing with several of these creatures as we walked, Daeun hesitantly spoke up.

"Kana, why aren’t you making me fight this time?"

Ah.

So that’s why she kept gripping her sword, stepping forward, then back, looking restless. She must’ve been expecting me to tell her to fight.

"The creatures here are pretty strong."

Daeun could probably manage if she gave it her all against the one that just appeared.

But it wouldn’t be wise to let her expend her energy and risk getting poisoned by the miasma.

In a place where the fuse to a bomb called miasma was burning by the second, we couldn’t afford to be careless.

And lastly—

"I promised to protect you here, didn’t I?"

"Kana...!"

I’m just keeping my promise.

There’s no need to look so moved.