Chapter 63
Chapter 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Rivalry
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lying on the plush bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling. I was already awake.
It was the weekend. And Chris's work was more or less finished. Starting today, I had to help her level up.
Whirr.
I quickly washed my face and headed to the kitchen. Chris was already up and preparing a meal.
Chris smiled brightly when she saw me rolling out in my wheelchair.
"Oh, Rain. I was just about to come get you if you weren't up yet."
"...Whatever. You're always so busy."
Yesterday, Chris had to leave for work early, so we couldn't even have breakfast together.
I let my pout show.
"Ugh...! I'm so sorry...!"
Chris clutched the rice paddle with both hands, her face on the verge of tears.
"D-don't cry! Here, here!"
"Gasp...!"
I took one of her hands and placed it on my head. Chris looked like she was on cloud nine.
Anyway, Chris likes how I feel. Said I was soft or something. If it makes her happy, I can indulge her with this much contact.
As she gently stroked my hair with a dazed look in her eyes, I looked up at her and secured a promise.
"Anyway, we're definitely playing the game together today, right?"
I'm managing just fine, so I hope she can also shower some affection on the Rain she hasn't been able to see much lately.
*
To be honest, my memory of that time is a little hazy.
Perhaps it was because something in my chest had stabbed at my heart, and my mind had gone completely blank.
It seems I didn't leave the wall etched with Ain's image for quite some time. Village Chief Drugel waited patiently for me. Afterward, we exchanged a few words.
The chief seemed to think of me as a direct descendant of the hero from a thousand years ago. It made sense; my hair and eye color were unheard of on this continent. It wasn't a stretch for him to think the hero of the past was also a being from the stars.
We were, in fact, the same person. But I'm not a mom.
The way he compared my appearance not to colors but to minerals suggested he had a dwarf's unique sense for the subtle hues of ores.
"Ain...! It's Ain! Hahaha...! O Hero! This humble descendant has reclaimed your name!"
Clank, clank!
In the jubilant Village Chief Drugel's hands, the hammer and chisel danced across the wall as if possessed.
And beneath the petroglyph, dwarven runes were carved.
[The Dwarven Hero 'Ain']
The Hero's Party's mission ended in the past.
What does this world want from me?
All I can do now is uncover the secrets of this world that only I can know.
For that reason alone, I cannot stop adventuring through this world and conquering its dungeons.
I checked the stats on the bracelet I received from Village Chief Drugel. It was a small gift from a companion of the past.
[Bracelet of Hammer and Anvil]
[Elite]
[Strength +35, Agility +35, Intelligence +35]
[Unique Ability: Reset all skill cooldowns (Cooldown: 10 minutes)]
It was the first bracelet-type accessory to appear in the game. It seemed to be a new item part you could get by maxing out your reputation with the dwarven village.
It was like wearing one more accessory than other players, giving me a huge advantage for tackling the next elite dungeon.
The stats were great, but the most attractive option was, of course, the bracelet's unique ability: 'Reset all skill cooldowns'.
The unique ability's cooldown was long, so I could only use it about once per attempt, but its very existence would allow for extraordinary plays unlike anything before.
I could use Flash, a high-damage skill, consecutively, or reactivate my invincibility skills after they were all on cooldown. By simple calculation, it meant I could single-handedly overcome an absurd pattern like ten consecutive full-range AoE attacks.
My very own bracelet, obtained by skipping many steps. It would be a long time before other players could get this item.
"You're late...."
Tap, tap, tap.
I checked the time, puffing out my cheeks and tapping my foot.
I was standing at the entrance of the 'Berbeia Crag Cave,' the path to the dwarven village. I had promised to meet Chris here today.
"...Rain! *Pant, pant*."
From just below where I stood, a welcome voice called out.
I felt my ears perk up.
My spirits lifted, and my body felt like it could leap into the air.
But I managed to calm myself. And puffed out my cheeks again.
Chris, who had made her way up to me, looked at me with an exhausted expression and a bright smile.
"......."
"Rain, I'm sorry! I'm late, aren't I?"
Chris approached me, her arms wide open.
I took a small step back and whipped my head to the right.
"Gasp...! Rain!"
Chris moved to my right and looked me straight in the face. I turned my head to the left.
*Whip.*
"Hmph."
"Gah!"
Chris clutched her chest. She looked like she was about to cough up blood.
Seeing her in such distress made me feel bad about my plan to scold her for being late.
She must be really hurting.
Scamper.
Snuggle.
I went up to her and buried myself in her arms.
"I missed you."
"R-Rain! *Sob*! I'm sorry I was late! I'm sorry I've been so busy!"
Chris sobbed and hugged me tight.
Her reaction made me feel even guiltier.
From her perspective, it must feel like she's having to comfort me twice.
Rumble.
"Oh."
Clap, clap, clap.
Chris, sitting at the entrance to the last section of the cave—a cavern filled with golems—began to clap.
"Ahem."
I puffed out my chest and shrugged. I had just finished off the golems in an instant, even using the ability of my new bracelet.
Chris checked her status window and let out a gasp of admiration.
"Wow, my EXP shot up."
"See? Just relax. Today, Chris the guest is a passenger on the Rain bus."
Chris is the boss who hired me. As her employee, it's my duty to level her up.
Even in a two-person party, the EXP gain isn't cut exactly in half. While partying doesn't offer much advantage in field hunting where you have to complete monster-slaying quests, in grinding spots like this, you can efficiently share experience through a party.
We could clear it a bit faster if we hunted together, but since I'm just rounding them up and using AoE skills anyway, it wouldn't be drastically quicker. In that case, it's better for Chris the boss to relax while Rain the employee works hard.
Cheered on by Chris, I excitedly continued to hunt for a while, repeatedly entering and exiting the dungeon.
"So this is the dwarven village."
Chris followed behind me, her eyes wide as she looked around. I had been just as amazed when I first came, so her reaction was understandable.
I introduced Chris to Village Chief Drugel as my companion. It seems that becoming a friend of the dwarves allows you to raise the reputation of one companion. Not all of them, of course.
"My reputation is at 40 now."
"That seems to be the minimum requirement for entry. I think the next elite dungeon is here."
"......!"
Chris looked genuinely surprised. Then again, I was also surprised yesterday when I saw the dungeon entrance inside the dwarven mine.
Guided by a dwarf, Chris and I entered the mine. The dwarves near the entrance greeted us warmly.
Clink, clank!
The sounds of dwarven pickaxes echoed from the small caves branching off to the left and right of the main, straight tunnel.
As we went deeper, my eyes fell on a human player fiddling with a pickaxe.
"...Mr. Cherni?"
"I-I'm mining hard right now! ...Huh? Rain? Senior Chris?"
As soon as he heard my voice, he pretended to be mining diligently, but then his face went slack when he recognized Chris and me.
"What are you doing here?"
"They said I have to mine ore to raise my reputation with the dwarven village. *Sigh*, I wonder how long I have to do this."
"Heehee."
I covered my mouth and giggled along with Chris.
Seeing Cherni here meant that other players were starting to enter the dwarven village. However, you needed to have a certain amount of reputation with the dwarves to enter the deeper sections of the mine.
Soon, Chris and I came face-to-face with a massive door, half-revealed in a large cavern. A few dwarves were meticulously chipping away the stone that covered the area around it.
"This is the entrance to the ancient temple that was recently discovered. Judging by the ancient dwarven architectural style, it appears to be a temple built inside the mountain by the ancestors of the dwarves well over a thousand years ago...."
I listened to the young-looking dwarven guide's explanation and nodded. This massive door was definitely the entrance to the next elite dungeon.
And today, a system message that appeared on the partially excavated door confirmed it.
Chris smiled and looked at me.
"So this is our next competition. This time, I'm definitely going to win."
I'd heard those words once before.
I didn't know what they meant then, but I do now.
While hospitalized, I'd browsed the Astria Online community forums for the first time in a while and learned that Chris's Attack Squad and the 'Noname' party had been competing for the first clear of elite dungeons.
Chris, who had conquered dungeons at a similar pace to me and had even exchanged weapons.
And the two parties that had been achieving the first clears of elite dungeons until now. Chris's Attack Squad, and the Noname party.
The latter must be my party, which I hadn't named. Though Chris probably still doesn't know I've been clearing them solo.
There was no particular reason to hide the fact that I was playing solo from Chris at this point, but there was no reason to boast about it either. Since I was living with Iseulbi, she would find out naturally anyway.
Of course, Chris was a dear friend, but her words ignited the competitive spirit of someone who had once lived by the sword in this world.
I gave a slight smile and spoke to Chris with a hint of provocation.
"I'm going to clear it faster this time, too."
[Entry Level: 42]
[Elite Dungeon (4-Person Party Recommended)]
[Berbeia Ancient Temple]