Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Raising a Newbie
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After giving Nagi a potion and healing her, I had her sit down and asked.
"Nagi, open your status window. Can you share it with me?"
"Okay."
*Ting.*
[Nagi]
[Level 15 Swordsman]
[HP 664 / 664]
[Strength 14]
[Agility 21]
.
.
.
[Synchronization Rate: 49.8%]
My jaw dropped.
What's with this high synchronization rate?
In Astria Online, the synchronization rate for even adults was in the mid-to-high twenties at best.
But Nagi's was nearing 50%. If it went over 50%, a signal would be automatically sent to the server. Of course, I had special privileges that let me bypass that.
Was this the maximum synchronization rate possible without being flagged as an abnormal player?
The pain must be incredibly intense. What's more, for a minor, death could cause severe mental trauma.
Asking about real-life matters within the game was taboo. But I had to ask.
"...Nagi, this might sound a little strange, but do you happen to remember a past life, or were you perhaps a Hero on this continent in the past?"
Nagi tilted her head cutely. It was as if a bunch of question marks were floating above her head.
"Past life? Hero?"
"...Never mind. Your reaction tells me everything."
Thank goodness, that's not it.
Still, such a high synchronization rate was clearly strange.
I had something new to ask Chris.
The problem was whether Nagi could continue playing the game with her current synchronization rate.
It was something I'd experienced firsthand. A high synchronization rate caused problems for one's real body. The mental shock would startle the body into an abnormal reaction. At around 50%, she wouldn't be bleeding like I did, but continuous play would definitely have a negative impact.
I thought it would be better to adjust her synchronization rate, but it wasn't really my place to say. Her own will was what mattered. Even Chris respected my way of doing things.
A high synchronization rate that made pain feel intense—Nagi must have noticed something was off from the moment she logged in. The fact that she didn't adjust it despite that meant...
"Nagi, are you having fun with this game?"
"Yes."
"What do you like about it?"
"The wind feels nice, the sensation of different things touching my body is amazing, and the scenery is beautiful."
Nagi beamed. The pure smile blooming on her cute face struck a chord in my heart.
Realism.
The very thing I had rediscovered here.
Something I couldn't find in Iseulbi's body.
Why was Nagi also seeking realism here?
And why was she specifically playing 'Astria Online'? There were other virtual reality metaverses out there.
"I see."
In the end, I couldn't bring myself to tell Nagi to lower her synchronization rate.
*Shwick! Thwack!*
"That's it, backstep! And then."
"Block... and thrust!"
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
*Guhhh-!*
*Thump.*
Finally, the Orc Fighter's body collapsed to the floor. Nagi had brilliantly cleared the first named monster all by herself.
"I... I won!"
A bright smile spread across Nagi's face.
*Hop! Hop!*
Nagi's small body bounced up and down as if it might float into the air. A huge sense of accomplishment was visibly enveloping her.
*Patter!*
"Rain! I did it!"
"You did great! I knew you could do it!"
I patted the head of the little girl who had hopped over to me, as if asking for praise. Nagi narrowed her eyes, a smile never leaving her lips as she accepted my touch.
It felt a little different from when I patted little Chris's head. Nagi's pure joy at my hand on her head was palpable.
"Here, this is an accessory you earned with your own strength."
I walked over to the box the Orc Fighter had dropped and placed the 'Orc Fighter's Earring' into Nagi's inventory.
"Wow."
Nagi equipped the earring. Then she touched the new piece of jewelry on her ear, as if fascinated.
"Your stats went up a lot, right? You can also hide it so it's not visible."
"That's amazing."
"So, shall we try the next named monster?"
"Eek, there are more bosses?"
"Yep. Elite dungeons usually have three named monsters. Hehe, you'll have to beat two more."
I took Nagi's hand and we headed toward the second named monster's area together.
[2nd Named Monster]
[Level 16 Orc Assassin]
[HP 16,104 / 17,700 (91%)]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Ice)]
[HP 2,920 / 3,000 (99%)]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Fire)]
[HP 304 / 3,000 (10%)]
Nagi absorbed the Swordsman know-how I taught her at a rapid pace.
*Clang! Clang!*
"Hold the angle! Don't let it slip even a little! Once you take care of one of the mages, the rest will be easy!"
"Okay... Hah!"
I watched with sweaty palms, cheering Nagi on.
A right-angle formation that used the Swordsman's 180-degree block to intercept both the Orc Assassin's counterattacks and the ranged magic from the two mages.
At first, she couldn't maintain the perfect blocking angle and came running back in tears, but after a dozen or so tries, Nagi began to counter the three orcs' patterns brilliantly.
My advice to pay special attention to the Orc Assassin's back attacks, while worrying less about the mages' attacks which weren't one-hit kills, proved effective. Whenever it looked like she was about to expose her back to the assassin's counter, I would grab her and escape.
*Screech!*
*Thump.*
*Tap-tap!*
Finally, under Nagi's relentless, focused attacks between blocks, one of the Orc Mages fell to the ground. Just as I'd taught her, Nagi used a backstep to close the distance to the remaining Orc Mage.
"Good! Just one mage left!"
I breathed a sigh of relief.
The second named monster in the Cave of the Orc King, the 'Orc Assassin,' was hardest until you took down one of them. After that, it was smooth sailing. From here on, it would be easy.
*Shwick! Thwack!*
Nagi diligently finished off the remaining orcs. As I'd instructed, she used her high agility, an advantage of her small frame, to get inside the orcs' reach and continue her assault. It was a fighting style that only someone small like me could teach her.
"Still, I can't keep watching over her forever."
Before I could rejoice in Nagi's growth, worry set in.
During her attempts, she had exposed her back to the Orc Assassin's counter a few times. I'd saved her each time.
The shock of death experienced at a high synchronization rate—could a child's fragile mind endure it?
*Thud.*
"I... I did it!"
*Hop! Hop!*
While I was lost in thought, my gaze fixed ahead, the Orc Assassin fell to Nagi's sword.
*Flap, flap!*
Seeing Nagi express her joy with her entire body, like a little fledgling, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Great job, great job! This one's really tough, but you did it. The last named monster is easier than this one. It just has a lot of health."
"Whew, that's a relief."
Watching Nagi sigh in relief, I asked in a deliberately casual tone.
"By the way, do their attacks hurt a lot?"
"Hmm... They hurt, but it's not unbearable."
"...?"
That was an unexpected response. Nagi shook her head as if it wasn't a big deal.
Of course, 50% synchronization was about half the pain I experienced. It was true that someone with high pain tolerance might find it bearable.
But a little girl, who seemed like she wouldn't have any connection to pain, was enduring this?
When I met her in front of the dungeon earlier, she was clutching her chest and gasping for breath.
"Nagi. When you met me, you'd just come out of the dungeon you were attempting, right? Can you tell me what happened in there?"
"Um... I swung my sword at the Orc Fighter, but it countered and punched me in the stomach a few times. Then, a little later, everything went black and I was back at the dungeon entrance, so I got scared and ran out."
I looked at Nagi, my eyes filled with concern.
This child... she had died once before meeting me.
Having had a similar experience, I knew. The mental shock must have been immense, yet she hadn't been kicked out of the game and had even shown the will to try again. She was a strong-willed and resilient child.
Was it okay to let her continue like this?
The final named monster of the Cave of the Orc King, the 'Orc King,' was defeated easily. Even though I hadn't taught her much, Nagi brilliantly dodged the Orc King's jump and blocked its charge.
Apart from her high synchronization rate, Nagi also had an excellent feel for virtual reality. Her senses alone were better than those of the advance raid players. She was, in short, 'a newbie worth raising.'
Returning to the dungeon entrance with Nagi, I patted her head and said.
"Think you can handle it on your own now? I have things to do, too. Make sure to contact me if anything happens."
"Okay."
Nagi looked up at me, clenching her tiny fists and nodding.
I had also registered her as a friend. I was Nagi's first friend.
And then Nagi, clasping her hands and squirming a little, said.
"Rain, you're so pretty... and strong. I want to become a pretty and cool Swordsman just like you."
*Whoosh!*
Leaving those words behind, she fled into the dungeon as if embarrassed.
I watched Nagi's back disappear into the dungeon for a moment.
*Fwoosh!*
A swirl of light appeared before my eyes, and a yellow-haired mage with an explosive figure that her robes couldn't hide materialized.
It was the GM, Summer—Team Leader Han Yeo-reum.
"Lady Rain, I'm so sorry for the delay! I've brought the safety guard deactivation code!"
I puffed out my cheeks and chided her.
"What took you so long? The day's almost over. Hurry up and do it."
*Shalala~*
Like a silly magical girl in her twenties waving a magic wand, Summer swung the staff in her hand. Soon, the green barrier before my eyes vanished.
"E-hem, I hope the generous Lady Rain will understand. I'm going to be busy all day today. Hah, well then, I'll be going."
*Fwoosh!*
With a sigh, Summer quickly vanished in a swirl of light.
I turned my attention away from Summer and gazed blankly at the entrance to the Cave of the Orc King, where Nagi had disappeared.