Chapter 69
Cha Eun-joo, Yunsia, and Tier had gathered on the living room sofa, all eyes glued to the TV. Tier had shaken me awake from a deep sleep.
"Sertina-nim, Sertina-nim! You have to see this!"
"Why... what's going on..."
Thanks to her, I had no choice but to rub my eyes and crawl out from under the covers first thing in the morning. I was just about to devour a massive bowl of shaved ice drowning in chocolate syrup in my dream.
My chocolate shaved ice...
I grabbed my phone and checked the time— a little past 7 a.m. Shaking off the elusive aftertaste of that chocolate dream, I yawned my way into the living room.
The massive full-screen TV, wide as a movie theater, delivered crystal-clear footage indistinguishable from reality. The top-tier sound system blasted vivid audio from every direction in 360-degree surround.
"You're up?"
Cha Eun-joo, sprawled on the sofa, bent down, scooped me up effortlessly, and plopped me on her lap.
"Eek! No fair!"
Tier pouted and tugged at my arm.
"Hehe, finders keepers."
"You always hog her, Unnie! Let me hold her too!"
While the two bickered, I just went with the flow, like a leaf drifting downriver.
So sleepy...
In the end, Tier claimed victory. Yunsia sided with her logic and raised Tier's hand in triumph.
"Tch..."
Cha Eun-joo smacked her lips in regret before reluctantly handing me over.
·····I had no idea how things had escalated to this.
"Hehe."
Tier settled me on her lap like a precious doll and hugged me tight. Our height difference made the scene look a bit off, but mana-assisted strength meant she wasn't straining at all.
We gathered on the sofa and tuned into the breaking news—and what unfolded was jaw-dropping.
Russia, overwhelmed by the endless monsters spilling across its vast territory, had finally played the mad card: nuking its own soil. And they were broadcasting it live worldwide via drones.
Do they really need to stream this...?
A question crossed my mind, but national decisions always came with reasons. Maybe it was a silent scream for help, given how dire their situation had become.
They've been quietly holding the line against monsters since the gates first appeared.
They probably hadn't had a spare moment to care about whatever I was up to.
Munching on snacks Yunsia handed me one by one, I watched the feed switch live to a Russian mountain range blanketed in deep snow. The target: a B-rank spider monster Arachne's nest embedded in the peaks.
No sound came through.
And then...
"······!!"
A blinding flash erupted like a stun grenade, filling the screen. An unimaginable inferno bloomed alongside a towering mushroom cloud.
It wasn't just one. Multiple nukes rained down in succession, unleashing monstrous blasts. The shockwave reshaped the terrain itself. The drone lost signal soon after.
Even serious mana barriers would struggle against that.
Nukes weren't mana-based, so they had limits against mana entities, but they could sweep mid-to-low-tier monsters clean.
"They say it's the strongest weapon humanity's ever made, right?"
"Yeah. So powerful it led to international bans."
It lived up to the hype. Back when Earth had no mana, that would've been an unstoppable apocalypse.
Tier whispered in my ear.
"Did they get the Arachne?"
"Hard to say. A B-rank isn't pushover material."
Its body mana might shrug off nukes. But Russia pulled the trigger because of the millions of creepy crawly offspring it had unleashed.
"The eggs and hatchlings are toast, at least."
It was like dumping a truckload of insecticide down an anthill. Leftover early B-rank? Players would handle it. Mana in their veins made them immune to radiation anyway.
"Any spaghetti left in the fridge?"
As I asked Yunsia and started to stand, my phone buzzed with a ringtone.
Choi Ah-rin? She never calls this early unless it's urgent.
I'd drilled it into her: she sleeps in mornings, so no calls unless it's critical. Tilting my head curiously, I hit the green button.
"Yeah, Ah-rin?"
Her voice was frantic, like she was fleeing something. My instincts screamed trouble.
"I'm free. What's up?"
Tokyo... Japan's capital, right? Shouldn't be a big deal.
"Capital city's got tons of players, no?"
Ah, so that's why she called me first. Smart move. Dragging landlubber players into a naval fight would just turn them into useless bystanders.
What comes around goes around. I'm no ungrateful fool. Praising their past contributions, I rose from the cozy sofa with a nod.
"On my way. Send the location."
I opened my inventory and slipped into my usual dress. Time to roll out.
"Cha Eun-joo, gear up. Business trip to Japan."
"Yes ma'am! Airship prepping on the first floor!"
Cha Eun-joo flung open the living room window and vaulted over the railing. I snatched the chocolate pouch Yunsia tossed and leaped after her, calling back,
"Hold down Seoul."
The delta-shaped airship roared to life. We soared past Seoul toward Japan.
Let's see... World Boss, Kantalaranop?
While cruising at high speed, I scanned the intel on this new world boss. Typing "Kantalaranop" into search pulled up a flood of posts.
[World Boss Kantalaranop Complete Guide]
[Kantalaranop Strategy Honey Tips jpg.]
[Astria Online New World Boss 'Kantalaranop' Update!]
I clicked the top result, a trusted name: FirepowerFetishist's post.
[World Boss Kantalaranop Complete Guide]
World boss strategy returns! Diving into Kantalaranop today.
After grinding community posts, one thing stands out: FirepowerFetishist's style hits different—easy to read.
I pored over the details, methodically building a strategy plan in my head.
"Basically a sea creature... Around 100 meters tall, eight massive tentacles lined with suckers. Like a upsized Cthulhu head?"
My muttering drew a glance from Cha Eun-joo in the pilot seat.
"Whatcha reading?"
"Kantalaranop intel."
"Huh? I know monster stuff inside out. Want me to fill you in?"
"Nah, this guide's solid."
"Hmph. I know way more."
She kept peeking enviously before refocusing on flying. Everyone loves showing off their talents.
I get it. Lately, I've been feeling that rush too—the dopamine hit from universal acclaim.
Honestly, someone like me? Pretty damn impressive. Where else you gonna find a world boss like this?
Head swelling with pride, I nodded smugly—until Cha Eun-joo shattered the airship's hush.
"Surprising, though."
"What is?"
"Thought you'd be hunting famous Japanese snacks or chocolates by now."
I shot her a betrayed glare.
Is that the image I give off? Really?
I'm heading to save lives, not snack-shop! Way too harsh.