Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Rain
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Astria Online was in an uproar.
The Tree of the Abyss, the game's first-ever 12-person raid content.
The first party to clear it had emerged today.
A one-month time limit had been given to conquer the Tree of the Abyss. Considering the game's lore, concept, and freedom, failure to clear it within the month would likely have brought some cataclysmic change to the Astria Continent.
The first raid dungeon blocked the players' path with a brutal difficulty befitting its Legendary grade. The monsters had immense HP, the mid-bosses had patterns on par with Named monsters, and the Named bosses had special phases that demanded perfect coordination. The sheer number of normal attack patterns from the Named bosses required rote memorization rather than just reaction speed.
Less than a week after the raid's launch, a number of pioneering raid parties had broken through the first Named monster, the Black Dragon. But their triumphant advance stopped there. Every single raid party, save for one, found themselves stonewalled by the second Named, Death Knight Zakam.
The only party to defeat the second Named in the first week was the Red and White Squad.
However, the party that claimed the first clear at dawn today was not Red and White.
The raid party's name was 'Noname'.
The vast majority of players attempting to be the first to clear the content knew exactly what that name meant.
*
*Thump, thump, thump.*
Chris crossed the spacious living room, heading for Rain's room.
A message from her raid members had arrived deep in the night.
She knew what it said without even looking.
Rain.
She had finally conquered the Tree of the Abyss, all by herself.
However.
*Thump-thump.*
Chris's heart was pounding.
She also knew what the warning alarm that had blared on her smartphone early this morning meant.
Rain was not well.
The protection system of the capsule Rain was using had detected a deterioration in the user's physical condition and ejected her.
*BANG, BANG, BANG!*
Chris urgently, her hands unconsciously clenched with force, knocked harshly on Rain's door.
"Rain? Are you in there!? Sorry, I'm coming in!"
*Creek!*
The sight that greeted Chris as she trespassed into Rain's sanctuary for the first time without permission was…
"..."
A slender body, trembling uncontrollably. Silvery-white hair stuck to a forehead drenched in a cold sweat.
The pitiful figure of Rain, having just sat up in her capsule, was reaching for the table.
"Rain...!"
"U-Unni. I'm sorry. I, the, the medicine."
Chris quickly grabbed the medicine and glass of water from the table and brought them to Rain.
*Gulp, gulp.*
The medicine and water went down Rain's small throat. Chris clutched her trembling chest and patted Rain on the back.
"Urgh."
*Shudder.*
It seemed the pain wasn't subsiding easily. Rain was still trembling, her arms wrapped around herself.
With tears welling in her eyes, Chris looked at Rain and gently placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Rain, wh-why are you pushing yourself this hard…! Are you okay? N-never mind that, let's go to the hospital right now."
*Shake, shake.*
"No. Not right now."
"Rain...!"
*Drip.*
The sound of something dripping.
Rain quickly pinched her nose and grabbed a tissue from nearby.
Chris's gaze shifted to the floor where the tissues had been.
A considerable pile of used tissues was heaped there.
Their color was entirely red.
Chris's mind went blank.
Her heart felt like it would explode.
*Chris, you idiot.*
*I was too complacent.*
*I just trusted the capsule's user protection system, and now look at Rain.*
There was nothing more to see.
She had to get Rain to a hospital immediately.
*Grab!*
Chris reached out, putting her arms around Rain's trembling body.
*Smack!*
Did she still have that much strength left? Rain twisted her body violently, rejecting Chris's touch.
Rain let out a sharp scream.
"No! I don't want to!"
"Rain...!"
Rain had rejected her.
Chris stared at Rain with a look of utter devastation, her hands falling limp to her sides. Guilt flickered in Rain's trembling eyes.
"...I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for..."
"I just need a little, a little more time."
Chris lowered her head.
Rain didn't look at Chris.
Her body having calmed down somewhat from the medicine, Rain got back into the capsule.
Chris paced back and forth in the living room in front of Rain's door, smartphone in hand, unable to sit still.
A doorbell, a clatter, footsteps.
"D-Doctor!"
"Where is Miss Iseulbi?"
"Well, she's..."
Some time ago, Chris had used the current disability welfare system to request a house-call doctor for Rain, who had difficulty moving. The person who had come to her home today was Rain's primary physician.
The doctor followed Chris to Rain's room.
Inside, a single operating capsule sat alone.
"So the patient won't come out of here."
Chris clasped her hands in front of her chest and nodded.
The doctor fiddled with the capsule a few times, then took a small device out of his bag and connected it to Rain's capsule. A hologram soon appeared in the air. It seemed to be a function for checking the user's condition, displaying heart rate, brainwaves, and so on.
"This capsule, did you purchase it, guardian?"
"No. Ra-Iseulbi bought it."
The capsule had been with Rain since she lived in a tiny studio apartment. Chris had wanted to replace it with the latest model from the Klaus Capsule Corporation, but Rain seemed to have grown attached to this one.
"Did she purchase it through medical welfare benefits? In any case, that's a relief. This one can be used for medical purposes."
Chris nodded.
That was another reason she hadn't insisted on changing the capsule. It wasn't her department, but her company also supplied medical-grade capsules, so she knew the basics.
The doctor watched the holographic screen, inputting various things through his linked smartphone before nodding.
"It's not a critical situation. If the patient's body were weaker, it might have been an emergency, but her nutritional state isn't bad. The effects of fatigue are likely the main issue."
Chris let out a long sigh and swept a hand over her chest. It was a relief that the good food she'd been feeding her for the past few months had paid off.
"However."
"Yes?"
"It's possible that the mental effects from virtual reality have caused an abnormal reaction in her physical body. It's an extremely rare symptom among virtual reality capsule users... Do you have any idea what might have caused it? Depending on the case, she may need to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital immediately."
The doctor's eyes looked straight at Chris.
Chris avoided his gaze.
"No, it's nothing like that."
Having Rain's virtual reality synchronization rate investigated was not what she wanted.
Rain in a psychiatric hospital? She couldn't even bear the thought.
And Rain wanted time right now.
If Rain's body wasn't in immediate, grave danger, she needed to respect her wishes.
The doctor connected a pack containing some fluid to Rain's capsule and monitored her condition for about an hour.
Before leaving, the doctor urged Chris.
"Even if it's not immediately dangerous, you must bring her to the hospital. There's a limit to what can be done with home medical care."
"I understand. Thank you."
Chris returned to Rain's room.
And she ran a hand over the capsule containing the girl's body.
"..."
For a moment, Chris's gaze wandered to a world that was not this one.
*Rain.*
*Iseulbi.*
*What does that world mean to you?*
*Do you hate it here?*
Chris straightened up.
They needed to talk.
She had to meet Rain.
In that world Rain considered her reality.
"Why!?"
*Thump, thump, thump!*
At the entrance to the heart of the World Tree, Chris beat desperately against the tree trunks blocking her way.
"You opened just fine when I came with Rain! Why not now!?"
*Step, step.*
"Is that you, Lady Chris?"
Chris turned her head.
It was Palman, the white-haired male elf.
"This, this!"
Chris pointed at the tree trunks with a tearful expression, silently pleading for him to open them.
Palman shook his head.
"The World Tree does not wish it."
"What do you mean!?"
"It seems it does not wish to disturb their time alone."
*Thud.*
Chris collapsed to the ground.
The World Tree doesn't wish it?
Their time alone?
Palman smiled faintly.
"You require qualification."
"Qualification?"
"Defeat the illusion of Crow and prove your worth."
The raid dungeon.
The Tree of the Abyss.
After the first clear of a dungeon, the daily quests are consolidated into defeating illusions. All the bosses of that dungeon are treated as such.
Chris pushed herself to her feet.
Her eyes gleamed.
"Fine."
It was what she had planned to do anyway.
She had to stand on the same ground as Rain.
The Tree of the Abyss, defeating the Corps Commander.
Something Rain had accomplished all on her own.
Rain had helped her get this far, but clearing the final boss by riding Rain's coattails was something her pride as a raid leader wouldn't allow.
Chris turned and walked away.
*Just wait a little longer, Rain.*
*I'll be back as soon as I wring that giant crow's neck.*
*
"Yes. It's true! Kya-hat!"
"Hehe, you laugh more now than you used to, Rain."
"Do I? Hmm, I'm not so sure."
"Are you feeling okay? You haven't been in any pain since... we became like this?"
"...I think I'm okay. Oh, more importantly, I met some dwarves who knew Mr. Ain."
A girl with silver-white hair, wrapped in a green light, laughed endlessly.
An elf, surrounded by a gentle green glow, smiled benevolently as she held the silver-haired girl in her arms and stroked her hair.
But within the elf's smile, a faint sense of sorrow flickered.
"...Rain."