I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 124: Demon King (4)

Words without legs can travel a thousand miles, but words transmitted by waves can cross tens of thousands of miles in the blink of an eye.

This was how Daeun, still in Raxia, came to hear the news—thanks to the relentless journey of information across the vast internet.

“Kana... was spotted on the Ardina continent?”

And not just anywhere, but at the base of the mountain where Daeun had first met her—a place where Kana had hidden herself from the world.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Daeun already knew from Justina that Kana had disappeared due to a teleportation spell.

But to hear that Kana wasn’t even in Raxia but instead in Ardina, far from any coastline, was beyond belief.

It wasn’t as if she had used a teleportation magic circle.

Daeun frowned, assuming her viewers were pulling some kind of elaborate prank.

“Does that even make sense?”

No, it’s true!;Have you been gullible your whole life?If you don’t believe us, go check for yourself.It’s all over the place right now. I’m amazed you hadn’t heard until now.Not everyone spends as much time online as you, lady.(Deleted message: "I want to punch you in the gut so badly lol.")It’s even posted on your fan café. Go take a look!

“Fine, fine. I’ll check it myself.”

Unable to ignore the clamor from her chat, Daeun reluctantly paused her search efforts and logged into her fan café.

The post her viewers mentioned stood out among the many, boasting an unusually high number of recommendations and views. It didn’t take long for Daeun to find it.

Ignoring the numerous related discussions, Daeun clicked on the most popular post.

“...!”

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the photo attached to the post.

A pink-haired girl, idly fidgeting with her hands, was unmistakably captured in the image.

Could she have been mistaken?

Daeun scrutinized the photo as though she could drill into its very essence.

She wasn’t mistaken.

Kana had a uniquely distinctive appearance, making her hard to confuse with anyone else.

Besides, Daeun had spent weeks practically glued to Kana’s side, barely spending any time apart during the day.

The sheer amount of time they had spent together, neglecting even her own life outside, meant that confusing Kana with someone else was unthinkable.

“So... it wasn’t edited, right?”

Lmao, oh my god!I’m about to say something nasty;Just live in denial forever~But what if it actually was edited? I mean, it’s a valid concern, so why is everyone so mad?(Deleted message: "Flat Earthers believe stuff like this, huh.")

“Ugh...”

Even a single comment ignited the chat into a wildfire of chaos.

As her stream grew larger, so too did the influx of trolls trying to disrupt it.

Her moderators worked tirelessly to prune the disruptive comments, eventually calming the overly heated chat.

Daeun’s frown deepened as she read through the post.

Besides the photo, it included a short video showing two men charging at Kana only to be swiftly eliminated before landing a single blow.

According to the post, they had assumed Kana was "out of sorts" and had attacked her, aiming for the prestigious "first kill" achievement—only to meet instant death.

"Attacking someone just because they didn’t seem ‘normal’? How stupid."

Seriously, so dumb lol.Their levels were super low too. What were they even thinking?Probably thought, “Oh well, if it doesn’t work, we just respawn.” Typical brainless logic.But why were they even there in the first place?Some people scavenge for armor fragments from fallen Sun Knights. Apparently, they can sell them for good money.Wait, people actually buy that stuff?It’s like collecting souvenirs, I guess. Or some go just for the sightseeing.

Daeun wasn’t calling them idiots for that reason, but seeing her viewers agree with her sentiment made her feel somewhat relieved.

After advising her chat to avoid excessive criticism, Daeun shifted the topic.

“More importantly... that’s miasma, isn’t it?”

In the photos and videos, an ominous black mist swirled around Kana, emanating an unmistakable sense of danger.

It was the same miasma Daeun had grown sick of seeing during the past several days.

The miasma had likely been what killed the two attackers.

But for it to be so dense that it killed two people in an instant...

Daeun swallowed hard.

“What on earth happened to her?”

Horrifying scenarios played out in her mind.

Had Kana been subjected to cruel experiments by a mad magician? Was she the victim of a revenge-fueled assault? Or had she fallen into the hands of some deranged pervert?

It was a relief that none of these worst-case scenarios had come true, but the situation was far from ideal.

Even to Daeun, Kana’s condition seemed far from normal.

The brief video and subsequent eyewitness accounts painted the picture of someone utterly unworldly—a child-like figure behaving with innocent detachment.

“Justina, is it possible for the Ascension Rite to cause memory loss?”

“Memory loss, you say.”

Justina stroked her chin, considering the question.

“If by memory loss you mean a broken mind, then yes.”

“A broken mind? What do you mean?”

“There’s no need for complex explanations.”

Justina described how some who failed the Ascension Rite would end up catatonic, unresponsive to any external stimuli, or else succumb to madness, thrashing wildly before dying.

Daeun’s face turned pale at the implications.

“Then... does that mean Kana could end up like that?”

“Hard to say. It’s unlikely, as those are the results of failed Ascension Rites. Kana did not fail.”

“...I see.”

But then why was Kana acting this way?

Noticing Daeun’s troubled expression, Justina probed further.

“Is there something you suspect?”

“Oh...”

Realizing that Justina, living in isolation within Raxia, wouldn’t understand the concept of "players" or "apostles," Daeun quickly explained in simpler terms.

She described herself and other players as apostles sent by Edel, crossing from the eastern continent to Ardina under divine guidance.

“Edel’s blessing, you say.” Justina’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“No wonder you, weaker than most, managed to reach this place. That explanation makes sense.”

“Aha... ha...”

Justina continued, “So you use Edel’s blessing to communicate with others from afar and found Kana that way?”

“Yes. Another apostle discovered her.”

“You seem particularly attached to her, so I doubt you’d mistake someone else for her. No need for me to question it further.”

“We’re not that close...”

Embarrassed, Daeun averted her gaze and coughed awkwardly.

“Does it... really seem that way?”

“Hard to imagine anyone thinking otherwise.”

Justina smirked but soon returned to a serious tone.

“Are you planning to return to Ardina, then?”

“I suppose so.”

Daeun had followed Kana here from the start.

She wouldn’t have come to Raxia otherwise. Now that Kana’s whereabouts were known, there was no reason for her to stay.

“Justina, would you like to come to Ardina too? There’s no reason for you to remain in Raxia anymore.”

“By the same token, there’s no reason for me to leave. If we migrated, it would take time and planning. Rushing would only lead to conflict.”

“...I see.”

Daeun, having seen the scars of war firsthand, understood this all too well.

It was then that an unexpected voice joined the conversation.

“Lady Justina, if it’s alright, may I remain here for a while?”

“Selene? You’re staying in Raxia?”

“Yes. I still have work left to do, as Edel instructed.”

“I understand. Thank you for coming this far with me.”

Though she felt a twinge of loneliness at Selene’s departure, Daeun steeled herself. Kana needed her, and she had no time to waste.

“Off with three, back alone,” she murmured to herself.

The thought was bittersweet, but finding Kana took priority over sentimentality.

With Justina’s parting words and an item entrusted to her for Kana, Daeun set off to reunite with her wayward friend.

"Just wait for me, Kana."