I gave Nagi a potion and, after healing her, I asked her to sit down.
"Nagi, can you open your status window? Would you be able to share it with me?"
"Sure."
*Ding.*
[Nagi]
[Level 15 Swordswoman]
[HP: 664 / 664]
[Strength: 14]
[Agility: 21]
.
.
.
[Sync Rate: 49.8%]
I stared in shock.
What the...? How is her sync rate so high?
In *Astria Online*, even for adults, the sync rate rarely goes beyond the mid-20% range.
But Nagi’s sync rate was nearly 50%. If it exceeds 50%, the server is automatically alerted. Of course, I get special privileges, so I can surpass it without issues.
Her sync rate was right on the edge of being flagged as an abnormal player.
At this level, she must be feeling pain pretty intensely. For a minor, dying in-game could even cause severe mental shock.
It’s generally frowned upon to ask about someone’s real-life circumstances in the game, but I couldn’t help it.
"Nagi, this might sound strange, but... do you remember a past life, or were you perhaps a hero in this world before?"
Nagi tilted her head cutely, her expression full of confusion, as if there were a bunch of question marks floating above her head.
"Past life? A hero?"
"...Never mind. That reaction tells me everything I need to know."
Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
But still, such a high sync rate was abnormal.
Looks like I’ve got something to ask Chris about later.
The real issue now was whether Nagi could continue playing with that sync rate.
From personal experience, I knew that high sync rates could affect your real body. The shock from intense pain in the game could cause physical reactions in the real world. At around 50%, she wouldn't be bleeding like I sometimes do, but continued play would definitely have negative effects.
Reducing her sync rate would probably be the best solution, but that’s not really something I should decide for her. Ultimately, it's up to her. Even Chris respects my decision when it comes to my own sync rate.
Nagi must have noticed something was off from the moment she logged in, yet she still chose not to lower the sync rate.
"Nagi, do you enjoy this game?"
"Yes."
"What do you like about it?"
"The wind feels nice, the sensations on my body are amazing, and the scenery is so beautiful."
Nagi smiled brightly. The pure joy on her cute face stabbed me right in the heart.
Reality.
That was what I had rediscovered here.
Something I couldn’t find in Isulbi’s body.
Why was Nagi also seeking reality in this place? Why did she choose *Astria Online* out of all the virtual metaverse options available?
"I see."
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her to lower her sync rate.
---
*Thwack! Swish!*
"That’s it, dodge backward! And then..."
"Block... and thrust!"
*Thud! Thud!*
*Screeeech!*
Boom.
At last, the *Orc Fighter* fell to the ground. Nagi had successfully cleared the first named boss all by herself.
"I... I did it!"
A bright smile spread across Nagi’s face.
She jumped up and down, her small body seemingly bouncing into the air. The sense of accomplishment radiating from her was visible for all to see.
She came running toward me.
"Rain-unnie! I did it!"
"Good job! I knew you could do it, Nagi!"
I reached out and patted Nagi’s head as she jumped up and down in front of me, clearly wanting to be praised. She squinted her eyes happily and smiled, enjoying the gentle touch.
It felt a little different from patting Chris when she was young. Nagi's joy, purely from being patted on the head, was directly conveyed to me.
"Here, this is the accessory you earned with your own strength."
I retrieved the earring the *Orc Fighter* dropped and placed it in Nagi's inventory.
"Wow."
Nagi immediately equipped the *Orc Fighter's Earring* and touched the earring on her ear in amazement.
"Your stats should go up a lot. You can also hide it if you don’t want it visible."
"This is so cool."
"So, do you want to try the next boss?"
"Hii, there's more bosses?"
"Yup. Most elite dungeons have three bosses. We’ve got two more to go."
I took Nagi’s hand, and together, we headed toward the second boss area.
---
[Second Named Boss]
[Level 16 Orc Assassin]
[HP: 16,104 / 17,700 (91%)]
[Level 15 Ice Orc Mage]
[HP: 2,920 / 3,000 (99%)]
[Level 15 Fire Orc Mage]
[HP: 304 / 3,000 (10%)]
Nagi quickly absorbed all the tips and tricks I shared with her about swordsmanship.
*Clang! Clang!*
"Keep your angle steady! You can't afford even a slight misalignment! We’re almost done, just take out one more mage!"
"Yes...! Got it!"
I watched with bated breath, cheering her on from behind.
Using the 180-degree parry technique of a swordsman, Nagi was able to fend off the *Orc Assassin’s* counterattacks and the ranged magic of the two orc mages with precision.
At first, she couldn’t maintain the perfect blocking angle and had to flee in tears, but after a dozen attempts, Nagi was mastering the patterns of all three orcs.
I had warned her to pay special attention to the *Assassin’s* back attacks and not to worry too much about the mages’ attacks, which wouldn’t kill her instantly. Whenever it seemed like the *Assassin* would get a backstab on her, I would step in and rescue her.
*Screech!*
Boom.
Finally, after Nagi’s relentless attacks, one of the mages fell. She quickly closed the distance between herself and the last mage using a backstep, just as I had taught her.
"Great! Only one mage left!"
I breathed a sigh of relief.
The second boss of the *Orc King’s Cave*, the *Orc Assassin*, is the hardest part. Once one is down, the rest goes smoothly. From here on, it's easier.
*Thwack! Swish!*
Nagi diligently worked to finish off the remaining orcs. Using her small frame and high agility, she followed my advice and closed in on the orcs, staying inside their reach while landing attacks. This was a fighting style I could only teach because we both had small statures.
"But still, I can’t always be there for her."
As much as I was happy to see Nagi’s growth, I couldn’t help but feel worried.
During her attempts, there were times when she exposed her back to the *Orc Assassin’s* counterattacks. I had saved her every time.
Could her young, fragile mind endure the shock of death, especially with such a high sync rate?
*Boom.*
"I-I did it!"
Nagi was hopping around in joy, flapping her arms like a baby bird.
Watching her celebrate, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Well done! This part is really hard, but you pulled it off! The last boss is easier, though. It just has more HP."
"Thank goodness."
Watching Nagi breathe a sigh of relief, I casually asked,
"So, do their attacks hurt a lot?"
"Hmm... They hurt, but not enough to be unbearable."
"...?"
That was an unexpected response. Nagi shook her head like it wasn’t a big deal.
Sure, at 50% sync rate, the pain is about half of what I experience. If someone has a high pain tolerance, it might not be unbearable.
But still, for a small girl like Nagi to endure that level of pain?
When we met at the dungeon entrance earlier, she was clutching her chest and struggling to catch her breath.
"Nagi, when I met you earlier, you were trying to leave the dungeon after several attempts, right? Can you tell me what happened inside?"
"Well... I swung my sword at the *Orc Fighter*, but I got countered and took several punches to the stomach. Then, everything went dark, and I found myself at the dungeon entrance. I was scared and ran out."
I looked at Nagi with concern.
This child... She had died once before meeting me.
I knew from experience that her mental shock must have been severe. And yet, she didn’t log out and chose to try again. Nagi was determined and resilient.
But... should I really let her keep going?
---
We easily defeated the final boss of the *Orc King’s Cave*, the *Orc King*. I barely had to give her any guidance. Nagi skillfully dodged the *Orc King’s* jumps and blocked his charges.
Beyond her high sync rate, Nagi also had an incredible sense for virtual reality gameplay. Her natural instincts were on par with the best raid users—truly a newbie worth nurturing.
As we returned to the dungeon entrance, I patted Nagi’s head again and said,
"Do you think you can handle things on your own now? I’ve got other things I need to take care of. Make sure to message me if you run into trouble."
"Yes, unnie."
Nagi looked up at me with her small hands tightly clen
ched and nodded.
I had added her as a friend, making me her first in-game friend.
Then, shyly, she began fidgeting before she spoke again.
"Rain-unnie, you’re really pretty... and strong. I want to be a cool swordswoman like you one day."
Whoosh!
With that, she quickly ran back into the dungeon, clearly embarrassed.
I barely had time to watch Nagi disappear into the dungeon before a bright light suddenly appeared in front of me.
With a burst of mana and an explosive figure wrapped in robes, a blonde sorceress emerged.
It was *Summer*, the admin—Team Leader Han Yeoreum.
"Rain, I’m so sorry for being late! I finally got the Safety Guard release code!"
I puffed my cheeks out in mock irritation.
"Why did you take so long? Everyone’s gone home already. Hurry up and fix it."
With a playful flourish like a magical girl, Summer waved her staff, and the green barrier that had been plaguing my vision disappeared.
"Ahh, please be kind and forgive me, Rain. I’ve been swamped all day. Haa, alright, I’m off."
With a sigh, Summer vanished in another flash of light.
I barely paid her any mind and stared back at the entrance to the *Orc King’s Cave*, where Nagi had disappeared.