I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 179: Is this real? (1)

Who was it that told me where the dimensional creatures were trapped and ordered me to hunt them down?

The answer: Edel.

Of course, if I didn’t hunt the dimensional creatures, it would come back to bite me, so strictly speaking, it wasn’t an order, but more of a suggestion...

Hello?

I waited as I gathered my thoughts, and as soon as Edel picked up, I spoke.

“Give me money.”

...Did you drink?

Order or suggestion—what does it matter?

“Don’t give it to me, and I’ll report you.”

In the broadest sense, I was subcontracting or outsourcing to Edel.

So, I should be entitled to proper compensation, right?

Hunting dimensional creatures wasn’t exactly an easy task; it required risking my life. So, not only should they give me hazard pay, they shouldn’t give me a single penny?

Do you know that in Korea, it’s illegal for kids to drink?

“Don’t worry about that. I’m not really interested in alcohol.”

No matter how you look at it, you seem to have downed a few drinks.

Upon hearing the shockingly blunt demand for money, Edel had momentarily flustered, but quickly regained her composure.

Did you suddenly run out of money? Want me to send some?

“No.”

...Then why are you saying this out of the blue?

“Well, just because?”

What are you even doing?

The tone of Edel’s voice, which had been surprised earlier, was now filled with bewilderment.

“I’m just testing the waters.”

If it works, great. If not, whatever.

Anyway, having some money in hand wouldn’t be a bad thing.

If you really need it, just ask. I can give you a little.

It was like a maintenance fee.

I asked, now that Edel was offering.

“How much could you give me if I ask?”

About... this much?

“....”

Honestly, it was a question I had asked on impulse.

But when I heard the amount Edel mentioned, I briefly lost my composure.

With that amount, I could buy quite a few chocolates and snacks.

Normally, people would think of other things first, but judging by the fact that you’re thinking about snacks, you really are just a kid, huh?

I gulped without realizing it and then froze.

“...How did you know?”

Could it be that her power had returned?

How could I not know? You were practically spitting it out.

“....”

Want me to send you some snacks instead of money? That might be better for you.

“...No thanks.”

If I accepted snacks instead of money, Da-eun would definitely find out.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

She already worries too much about how much I eat, and if she saw me receiving a box full of snacks, I could already imagine how she’d react.

It wasn’t hard to predict.

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t even have an account to receive money from Edel anyway.

I knew she’d somehow make it work if I asked, but the more I thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed, so I shook my head.

Besides, I couldn’t keep relying on Da-eun forever.

“I’ll take it later, so just keep it ready.”

There’s no “later.”

“I’ll report you to the labor board.”

Do whatever you want. We’ve never had an employee like you.

Jokingly but with some seriousness, I promised her that I would take the money later.

It seemed like Da-eun would probably like it.

Just as I thought the conversation was wrapping up, Edel spoke again.

You didn’t call just to joke around, did you? What do you want to say?

It seemed like Edel had come to the same conclusion, so she brought up the main topic.

“I thought it was about time to work again.”

Earlier, I had joked about it, but since Edel was the one giving me work, and I couldn’t go looking for it myself, if she didn’t bring it up, there was no way to get it.

On the other hand, if I said I wasn’t going to do it, Edel wouldn’t have any other way to handle it.

It was a mutually beneficial relationship.

Until now, we had been working where Edel would ask me if I wanted to work after a few days of rest after finishing a task.

But after finishing the last hunt, even though I expected to hear from her, she hadn’t contacted me at all.

I figured she’d eventually reach out, but waiting for it only lasted a day or two.

Eventually, the ringtone I wasn’t hearing at all made me take matters into my own hands and call her.

Seems like you’re eager.

“...Not really.”

If I’m being honest, it was because I was bored.

“Anyway, I called to check if there were any issues.”

It’s not really an issue... Now that I think about it, I never told you.

“What do you mean?”

It’s nothing important.

She said it with a tone too human-like for someone who was supposed to be a god.

I’ve killed them all.

“...Huh?”

I killed them all.

When I didn’t get it, Edel kindly repeated herself.

But it still didn’t make sense to me.

“You killed them all?”

Yeah.

“...Explain in more detail.”

I couldn’t believe I was the one asking for more details.

I had once heard complaints about people saying that she didn’t explain things in detail, and now I was the one asking for it.

What a strange turn of events.

“Are you saying you killed all the dimensional creatures?”

Of course not.

“Then what do you mean by killing them all?”

The ones that were ‘trapped’ are all dead. Didn’t you say it yourself before? Waiting for them to visit and catching them is inefficient. So, your job is done now. That means no more payment for you.

“You never paid me in the first place.”

It was ridiculous to say as if she’d ever paid me, so I couldn’t help but poke fun.

“Are you saying that the few I killed, maybe just ten, was the end of it?”

...Do you think it was just that?

I hadn’t even finished speaking, but Edel seemed to have picked up on it and answered with a tone full of dissatisfaction.

Actually, there are still some left.

“If that’s the case-”

But they’re not the kind of ones I’d give to you. Didn’t I tell you before that I made this world into a game to drain the power of those creatures? If I leave it all to you, what’s the point?

“...I see.”

And there are some who broke the seals and ran away.

“Is that something you can say so nonchalantly?”

What should I do if they ran away?

“Catch them and kill them...”

Most of them are either dead or have escaped to another world. Anyway, the ones left will be turned into bosses and handed over to the Earthlings. For now, take a break. Don’t you think that’s nice? ...Although I can’t rest.

I’d already had plenty of rest.

I was about to tease her, but hearing the tone in her voice, filled with the frustrations of a worker, I decided to hold back.

She was right, though—she didn’t feel much like a god.

“....”

After ending the call with Edel,

Plop

I absentmindedly held onto my phone as I lay on the bed.

“...I guess I’m free now.”

I wasn’t exactly busy before, but now even the little tasks that were left have disappeared.

Of course, I prefer lazing around at home rather than running around.

But suddenly, with nothing to do, I felt a bit deflated.

It felt like when you’ve prepared yourself for something, only for it to get canceled at the last minute.

“Ugh...”

I let out a vague, frustrated sound as I lay on the bed.

Of course, this didn’t make the feeling go away.

‘...Should I ask Da-eun if she wants to hang out?’

When was the last time we went to the campsite?

It felt like it was just yesterday that I went with Da-eun, but when I thought about it, it had already been several weeks since then.

Maybe time passes faster on Earth than in Silia.

‘Well, probably not.’

It was probably because I had been through so much since coming to Earth.

I’ve hung out with Da-eun, met her parents, trained with Yuki, hunted dimensional creatures in Silia...

Wait, now that I think about it—

“...I’ve been pretty busy, haven’t I?”

No, I guess it’s more accurate to say I’ve been living a fulfilling life.

There were a few gaps between events, but compared to the time I spent hiding away in the mountains, this is like night and day.

Back then, I was just living day to day, watching the sun rise and set. It was literally just living, barely hanging on.

So, like Edel said, I shouldn’t mind enjoying a break.

“Yeah. I’ve decided.”

I bounced out of bed, a bit too eagerly.

“There’s that saying, ‘You’ve worked hard, now go take a break.’”

I remembered a slogan I had seen somewhere online.

“Da-eun’s worked hard too.”

In fact, Da-eun had been training with Yuki and still managed to squeeze in her broadcasts while trying to tease me.

Even though her training with Yuki wasn’t as intense, I was sure it wasn’t easy.

She’d worked hard, so she deserved a break too.

So, asking Da-eun to hang out is really for her, not because I just want to.

“But where’s Da-eun?”

She had been lying next to me earlier, but now there was just a lump of blankets next to me.

I looked through the blankets just in case—

“...Of course.”

There was no way she would be in here.

Someone Da-eun’s size couldn’t fit in here even if she tried.

“....”

Well, if Da-eun can’t do it, maybe I can.

I glanced at the mess of blankets and shook my head.

There was no real reason to try it, and even if I succeeded, I’d feel weird about it.

I decided to ignore the tempting blankets and jumped off the bed.

“Where...?”

Should I go look for her?

With a sudden burst of energy, I went to search for Da-eun, but as soon as I opened the door, I found her.

“...Oh. Oh, it’s you.”

Da-eun was talking on the phone with a serious expression.

Was something wrong?

She didn’t notice me approach, too absorbed in the conversation, so I quietly sat next to her, waiting for the call to end.

When she finally hung up, sighing, I immediately spoke.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah?! ...Kana, it’s you... You surprised me.”

“If someone saw you, they’d think you saw a ghost.”

“If it were a cute ghost like me, I’d be welcome!”

As if the seriousness had never been there, Da-eun smiled brightly and hugged me.

“Be my house ghost!”

“Are you telling me to die?”

“Of course not!”

I teased her a bit, and she jumped up.

Hmm, maybe it’s a little fun.

“...I thought my heart was going to fall out.”

“Your heart doesn’t fall out like that.”

“It’s a metaphor. Do you really want to keep doing this?”

Da-eun squinted her eyes.

Teasing her was fun, but it was time to get to the point.

But before that—

“What’s going on?”

“...Huh?”

“You looked serious.”

I figured I’d start with a little bit of advice.

It didn’t seem like a big deal, but her expression earlier had me worried.

Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was concern.

“Ah... um. Huh...”

Da-eun hesitated and sighed again.

Then she opened her mouth.

“Yeah. I guess it’s better if you know too.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“It’s something related to you, Kana.”

“Uh... what?”

I nodded without thinking, but then froze.

She pointed at me with her finger, and Da-eun nodded silently.

...Why me?