I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 214: Open stream (1)

The outside of the dimension is calm but intense.

Calm and intense.

Though it’s a very contradictory pairing, there was no better description for the scene reflected in Edel’s eyes.

The beam of light cutting through the dark night sky occasionally left a faint echo.

The pitch-black curtain stretched before Edel was as still as the vast and deep ocean.

However, the moment you step into the sea, drawn by that stillness, you will realize something.

That what you see is not all there is.

Beneath the seemingly calm surface, there’s a whirlwind sharper than any blade.

And the cost of peeking into this secret will be a body torn apart.

It is the worst mistake that can be made because of ignorance.

“...Cough.”

But Edel was far from ignorant.

She knew just how dangerous the dark curtain in front of her was.

In fact, anyone so ignorant as to trust only what they could see could never have made it this far.

Crossing the wall and stepping into the world outside was, quite literally, a journey to another dimension—not just opening a door and stepping through.

“Phew.”

Having done it once before, why couldn’t she do it again?

Stepping into the whirlpool was certainly dangerous, but Edel had no other choice.

She couldn’t just sit here and become prey for those chasing her.

“...I have to go back.”

For the sake of revenge, she couldn’t stop here.

“Eat this.”

Edel raised her hand toward the dimensional beast, which had already closed the distance behind her.

Whoosh—

And without hesitation, she leapt straight into the whirlpool.

A few days later, lost in the world of comic books.

Though I still had a comic book in my hands, the setting around me had changed.

I was no longer at Da-eun’s house but at Yuki’s gym.

Just as I was flipping through my comic book, Da-eun came rushing over with a book in hand.

“How about this? It’s a technique that focuses power into your index finger to pierce a target. If you get good at it, you can even do it with other parts of your body.”

“Is this what you’re talking about?”

Whoosh!

“Hmm...”

Da-eun froze in place, holding the comic book, as she stared at the small hole neatly pierced through the brick.

The hole was clean, not even a speck of dust had fallen.

“...Did you know about this?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Then how did you do it so easily?”

“Hmm...”

What should I say?

After a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth.

“I didn’t do it exactly the same.”

“Huh? But...”

“The result is the same, but the process isn’t.”

If you assume there are ten chocolates in a box, it’s different if I eat all ten myself or if I share five with Da-eun and eat the remaining five.

Even though the result is the same—a box that’s empty—it’s still different.

“That’s an unusual metaphor... But I get it now. So you just mimicked it to make it look similar?”

“Yeah.”

Honestly, such things didn’t require any special technique.

Do you really need skills to punch a hole in a brick?

...But where on earth does Da-eun keep getting all these bricks?

I tilted my head in sudden curiosity.

“What kind of technique do you think I can’t mimic?”

Da-eun, resting her chin on her hand, muttered in a serious tone.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but respond with a puzzled expression.

“...Hasn’t the purpose changed a little?”

There was an ulterior motive, but the surface reason was that she wanted me to train.

But based on her words, it felt more like a test.

I got the impression that she was trying to see how far I could go.

Da-eun answered shamelessly.

“If it’s something I can easily mimic, it won’t count as training. Since I’ve been able to mimic everything you’ve done so far, I think it’s time to find something harder.”

“Hmm.”

...It’s not that her words were wrong, but it felt like sophistry.

The answer came easily.

Because of Da-eun’s usual behavior.

After that, Da-eun kept trying to shove comic books in my face, but they didn’t have much effect.

At first, Yuki, who had been peeking around, also seemed to lose interest and got busy with her own tasks.

“...How do you do stuff like this?”

Finally, Da-eun raised a white flag and said wearily.

“You’re too capable!”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Ugh... the compliment... it’s a compliment, but...!”

“If it’s a compliment, then it’s a compliment. Why are you upset about it?”

“...I don’t get how you can do it right away just by hearing the explanation when I’ve seen it dozens of times and still can’t do it. It’s not fair.”

“...Really?”

But honestly, I couldn’t sympathize with Da-eun’s complaint.

Techniques with a realistic basis weren’t that hard to follow.

And even if they weren’t realistic, as long as I used mana, I could make it work.

Plus, I had heard similar things so many times before that I wasn’t impressed anymore.

"Talent that can’t be explained" was something I had heard countless times.

“Alright, then how about this next? It’s a technique that gathers the power of stars and releases it in an instant. It pulls an enormous amount of energy, so the star will be destroyed, but the power is strong enough to destroy a planet.”

“...Even if I could use it, is it okay to use something like that?”

A star being destroyed...?

Isn’t it a problem if the star you’re standing on gets destroyed?

“Hehe. Just kidding.”

Da-eun stuck her tongue out and laughed at my dumbfounded face.

“By the way, Kana’s been really excited, but there’s been no progress. What will you do?”

“...?”

“If you’re upset, then I’m upset too...”

“You think I’m upset?”

I never really expected anything, nor was I upset.

“Is there another Kana?”

“There can’t be! The only Kana I know is the cute Kana right in front of me!”

“...Sigh.”

What a strange person.

At that moment, my eyes met Yuki’s.

Yuki, who had been watching our antics from a distance, started spinning her index finger in circles on her temple.

The meaning was so clear that I couldn’t disagree.

I nodded quietly without Da-eun noticing and began gathering the scattered books nearby, tidying them up.

I hadn’t expected any progress anyway, so I wasn’t disappointed.

I was simply satisfied with distracting the boredom that had been sticking to me.

“By the way, didn’t you get any inspiration? Like an epiphany or anything?”

“There were a few things that seemed plausible.”

“You didn’t?”

Da-eun’s eyes lit up.

“I didn’t get any of the epiphanies you’re talking about.”

“Ah...”

Her eyes, which had been sparkling like stars in the night sky, turned sullen.

Though I hate to admit it, I’m not particularly imaginative.

So, when I’d see techniques from manga, I’d often marvel at them.

I’d think to myself, "The person who drew this wasn’t holding a sword, but a pen. How could they imagine something like this?"

But none of that helped me.

That’s because the path I needed to walk was a path that transcended humanity.

Looking at characters dancing in a comic and getting inspired to move to the next level was laughable when the steps ahead of me were so high.

‘Actually...’

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

What I was most curious about was something else.

‘What exactly is this so-called epiphany?’

Now I understood where Da-eun’s idea of “epiphany” came from.

It was a term often used in the martial arts novels she liked.

A martial artist, blocked by a wall, gains an epiphany and breaks through to a higher level.

Unfortunately, I had never experienced the “epiphany” Da-eun spoke of.

The path I’d walked so far was no different from speeding down a road with no obstacles.

Of course, there were obstacles along the way, but none of them could block me for long.

I did what I could, and when I did it, it was done.

That was all.

If there was anything like an epiphany, it would be when I figured out a trick to manipulate space during a battle with a sage.

But even then, it wasn’t really an epiphany.

Manipulating space was something I had consistently practiced, and as my level grew, I became able to do what I couldn’t do before.

So it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t gain an epiphany and level up, but rather, I leveled up and gained an epiphany.

“Hmm...”

I had always been able to do things others couldn’t with a little effort, so I had never experienced any sudden moments of realization.

“I know how you feel.”

Suddenly!

Before I knew it, Yuki had grabbed my hand.

Ignoring Da-eun, who was shouting behind us.

“That’s the pain of a genius. Kana and I are in the same boat, aren’t we?”

“What are you talking about, trying to make a connection! Get away from my Kana! Get away!”

“Why am I your Kana?”

“The person closest to Kana is me!”

“...”

Da-eun, finally using body enhancement to pull Yuki away, was struggling.

Was Yuki withstanding it because Da-eun’s enhancement was still weak, or was Yuki’s determination that strong?

Considering she could break bricks without issue, it probably had more to do with Yuki’s determination.

‘Why is she burning so much energy over something like this?’

I just couldn’t understand.

As I watched in disbelief, Da-eun succeeded in pulling Yuki away and was breathing heavily.

Her face showed clear exhaustion, but she wore a satisfied smile, which made her look even more ridiculous today.

I silently shook my head.