I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 162: Homecoming (2)

I can see a hut made from trees stacked here and there.

It’s definitely much smaller than the house I live in with Daeun, and it doesn’t compare to the house where I used to live with my father.

But even though it’s such a shabby little hut, it used to be my home, and the moment I saw it, a quiet nostalgia flooded over me.

“...It’s quite...”

Old.

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

The rough texture of the unpolished wood felt jagged, and I could feel the cracks that had spread across it.

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

Hmm... a month? Two months?

I’m not the type to keep track of such things, so I don’t know exactly, but it’s clear that I’ve been away for quite some time.

But even though it hasn’t been that long, to see it like this...

I once heard that houses, when left without human touch, quickly lose their vitality.

Is that why the hut I used to live in became so worn down?

Or was it always in bad shape, and I just didn’t notice?

“It’s probably the latter.”

It wasn’t built with special techniques or treated with special materials, after all.

I probably just didn’t pay attention, but the signs must have been there from the beginning.

Staring at the hut, I opened the door and went inside.

Inside the hut, dust had gently settled, and as I carelessly placed my hand on the surface, fine white dust stuck to my fingers.

Since I’m here, I should take what’s mine.

It wasn’t anything too important, but I packed a few items with sentimental value into my bag and left the hut.

Looking back at the hut, I thought for a moment.

“Hmm.”

I probably won’t be staying here again, so should I just clean it up?

It doesn’t really matter if I leave it, but if it collapses later and turns into ruins, it might look ugly.

After thinking for a moment, I decided to leave the hut as it was.

Since I’ll be visiting Silia regularly, I can come by whenever I get the chance.

If it looks like it’s going to fall apart, I can fix it or clean it up then.

I also took care of the dead flowers.

After tidying up the wilted and shriveled flowers, the flowerbed felt empty, but it was much better than having dead flowers rotting there.

‘So much to do...’

I worked so hard to take care of this place.

Swallowing down the bitter feeling, I headed to my final destination.

At the edge of the flowerbed, standing in front of my father’s grave, a completely different feeling filled my chest compared to earlier.

“It’s been a while... Well, I guess it has been a while.”

It’s been a few months since I last came, so I can say it’s been a while, right?

...Daeun, I’m not in a position to be talking about this.

“Hey, Dad. I actually have memories of my past life.”

Though the memories are faded, full of holes, and tattered, I’m not sure if I should even say they exist.

I hesitated for a moment and then sighed, muttering to myself.

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

I guess it’s like I just stepped out for a walk for a moment.

I never talked like this when Dad was alive.

It wasn’t easy to say, but it wasn’t as awkward as I expected either.

The rambling talk gradually wound down.

By the time the sound of the wind became louder than my voice, I dug through my bag and pulled out an item I brought from Earth.

“In the place I’m living now, there’s a culture of offering sacrifices to honor the souls... or spirits, I guess. Anyway, there’s a custom of dedicating offerings to the spirits.”

A translucent green bottle.

Clink!

As soon as I opened the cap, a strong alcohol smell rose, and I scrunched up my face.

“Ugh...”

I accidentally got a drop on my hand, and as I brought my tongue to it, I shuddered and stuck my tongue out.

I thought I’d been through enough difficult things, but why does this taste so bitter?

After quickly calming the taste with some chocolate I had in my pocket, the bitterness that had clung to my mouth faded away.

If I had money to buy something like this, I’d rather spend it on some sweet snacks.

Thinking that, I poured the alcohol out.

“Normally, this isn’t how it’s done...”

No one was around to criticize me, so what did it matter?

“I just wanted to show you that this is what’s done.”

I don’t know what the taste of this stuff is supposed to be, but I’m sure Dad, who always liked alcohol, would have liked it.

I know he’s already reincarnated and living a new life.

I know, but...

“Memories can still be made.”

And it’s kind of like a bribe.

Drip...

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A drop of soju fell from the bottle’s neck.

I tilted the bottle further, then straightened it, but after the final drop, no more liquid came out.

I closed the cap, placed it back in the bag, and stretched out my hand.

The familiar grip.

Swipe.

Holding the handle, which seemed to have a slight warmth to it, I gave it a firm pull. Without much resistance, the sword, which had been stuck in the ground, was pulled out.

At the same time, as if enjoying the freedom, bright red light scattered around.

“Yeah. You must have been frustrated too.”

Born in the hands of a skilled craftsman, it was a sword that traveled the world in the hands of a great swordsman. But suddenly, it was stuck in the ground, so it must have been incredibly frustrating.

I understand that feeling.

While I was away, it had been exposed to the wind and rain, but the blade was still sharp, emitting a clear glint.

“Crimson Aegis.”

As the name suggests, it was a sword made to protect something precious.

But now, with nothing left to protect, I couldn’t wield this sword.

-At least, not until now.

“But now, I have something to protect.”

So, don’t complain too much.

It’s for protecting the world Dad lives in.

Since I offered a bribe, I hope you’ll forgive me.

I sheathed the Crimson Aegis and turned my back.

“I’ll come again.”

And next time, I’ll bring better alcohol.

After all, that’s better than all the little snacks, right?

As if agreeing with me, the sword at my waist gave off a faint warmth.

Where the barrier made by the sage once stood, a wall of magic rose.

Blocking entry is fine, but there’s no point in leaving it like that.

After all, this is a magical barrier, a kind of substitute for a seal.

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

After I substituted some and sent part of it to where Edel was, I paused to think for a moment.

“What should I do?”

I need to secure this place so others can’t ruin it.

I don’t have the same talents as the sage, but while I was thinking, a good idea came to me.

The final fight with that guy.

Now that I think about it, I learned something good back then.

I drew on the insight I gained from that battle.

Whoosh—

Before I knew it, the end of the sword I had drawn began to distort space, warping it for a long time.

When I sheathed the sword, the swirling space returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

At first glance, everything seemed fine.

If I stepped forward, it would look like I could reach the other side of the flowerbed, but when I tried stepping forward, the landscape in front of me distorted in an instant.

When I pulled back my foot, the scenery returned to its original state.

“Hm, hm.”

Satisfied with the result, I nodded.

By distorting the space, I make the place where I step become disoriented.

If someone doesn’t give up and tries to move forward, an invisible wall will block their way.

Most people will get stuck at the first stage, but for those lucky enough to get past it, there’s a second layer to stop them.

Anyone who manages to break through that will probably be able to break through anything, unless I personally stop them.

But I don’t think there will be many people like that.

It’s a security measure designed based on the intricacies of space.

At least, you’d have to reach the master level to even try it.

No one unqualified would get in.

With that thought, I turned my back, leaving behind the device I had created, full of insights.

“...?”

But what’s this?

As I turned, unfamiliar things caught my eye.

A bouquet of white flowers, placed in a gentle curve.

Many of them were wilted, but some were still intact.

I tilted my head at the signs of artificial effort.

“Hm, I don’t know.”

I quickly lost interest.

I guess some weird trend must have popped up while I was gone.

I gathered my things, cleaned up the flowerbed, and set up a security measure.

Having spent quite a bit of time on that, I didn’t have time to dawdle.

After all, I never thought I’d be doing things like this.

When I crossed over to the dimension to handle things, I couldn’t help but notice these small annoyances and distractions.

It was something I had to do.

One thing I’m thankful for is that it didn’t take long to get to Grasis’s capital... or what was left of it.

When I was with Daeun, I had to walk at her pace, but now that I’m alone, I can move as fast as I want.

If I really needed to, I could jump through space like the sage did.

The only reason I haven’t done that is because I’ve never tried it before.

Thinking about what I just did, I think I could probably manage, but there’s always a risk that something could go wrong.

‘Maybe I should have practiced a bit.’

It’s been a while since I recovered, after all.

Feeling a bit regretful, I leaped forward.

Heading toward the bottom of the mountain, toward the place where my old house once stood.