The raid dungeon from the expansion pack, *Endless Gorge*, had finally been revealed.
Carved into the depths of Erin's Gorge.
A massive scar on the earth, hidden beneath.
*The Resting Place of the Blue Tyrant King.*
Following the *Tree of the Abyss*, this was the second Legion Commander raid in *Astria Online*.
With elite players still farming gear in the recently discovered *Heaven Basin*, the sudden appearance of the raid dungeon spurred players into a frenzy. Those in the vanguard raced to gather their needed items, scrambling to finish their farming.
As a result, the market’s supply of *Sacred Stones* was depleted, with prices soaring sky-high. Players who still needed to farm for the Sacred Stones for the initial raid screamed in frustration, while those looking to sell cheered at the sky-high prices, rushing en masse to the *Heaven Basin*.
Though the previous raid gear farming wasn’t fully completed, highly-skilled players were still attempting to clear the *Heaven Basin*. Despite their prowess, progress in clearing was slow. However, as days passed, strategies began to take shape.
There were two main approaches to clearing *Heaven Basin*:
One approach was to locate and defeat the giant pair of lamias in the Lamia Hatchery to simplify defense, or to withstand their attacks while defending during the Divine Mark Defense phase.
Both strategies had their pros and cons.
Finding and taking down the giant lamias before the first cleansing wasn’t easy, given their buffs like the Reflect Shield.
However, players who chose not to fight them upfront could rely on kiting tactics during defense, which would eventually wear down the lamias’ shields, making them easier to defeat.
Teams with skilled rangers or onmyoji players who could boost allies chose to distract the lamias while focusing on defense. Meanwhile, less mobile groups preferred post-defense.
With strategies in place for *Heaven Basin*, the Sacred Stone supply finally stabilized.
I, too, hadn’t yet finished upgrading my accessories. The newly introduced Sacred Stones dropped sparingly—only 1 to 3 stones per dungeon run—and there was a chance of failure when attempting high-level upgrades. Although failed attempts didn’t destroy equipment, each failure meant losing valuable Sacred Stones.
Apart from equipment preparation, there were a few other things I needed to handle before trying the raid, including a hospital visit with Chris today.
---
*Whirrr.*
*Clack, clack.*
Chris and I were making our way down the hall of a large hospital. Of course, it was Chris doing the walking. I was in a wheelchair.
“So, I ended up kicking Go Seung-woo’s butt!” Chris grumbled, trying to keep a straight face.
“Hehe,” I chuckled.
“Honestly, you gave me so much. Even after I upgraded all my accessories, I still have a ton left over.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got plenty, too. You could sell it and use the gold for your Echo Stone upgrades.”
“Well, that’s true...”
My worries about Sacred Stones had been resolved.
Chris had given me a ton of Sacred Stones.
With this many, I didn’t need to grind relentlessly. Now, I had a bit of breathing room until the next raid in about a month.
The target of Chris’s complaints, *Go Seung-woo*, was a ranger from the *Red and White Guild*.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
A bunch of quirky rangers from the guild, especially Seung-woo, who was obsessed with making gold in *Astria Online*.
“When we needed to gear up for the raid, he hadn’t even upgraded his own equipment! He was hoarding Sacred Stones instead. After I scolded him, I bought them all up. He’s probably partly to blame for the Sacred Stone shortage in the auction house.”
“Hoarding? Why would he do that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He’s trying to make a profit. Stock up on items while they’re cheap, then sell them when prices spike. Total *gold hound* behavior.”
“Ah, I see.”
I’d never thought much about that. I just sold items or ran bus services for easy gold.
So, people made money like that, too, huh?
But what did she mean by *gold hound*?
“People who play just to make cash by selling gold—they’re called *gold hounds* by the gaming community.”
“Oh...!”
I gaped in surprise.
Somehow, it sounded like an insult.
But if someone earns gold to sell for real money, wasn’t that what I did too?
I suddenly felt a bit deflated.
“So... am I a *gold hound*, too?”
“What?!”
Chris looked utterly shocked.
“No, no! You’re just earning gold to get by, right? I mean, since you can’t work easily, so you play to earn. You’re not a *gold hound*!”
“Oh... then what am I?”
“Um... how about a *gold angel*?”
Chris laughed, and I playfully smacked her back as she giggled to herself.
As we kept walking, we passed by a room labeled with a name on a placard, listing the patient’s name.
Chris glanced around with a soft look of nostalgia.
“You stayed here once, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
Back then, I was in bad shape. My diet was unbalanced, and I didn’t pay attention to this body’s condition, which led to severe nutrient deficiencies. Even minor injuries bled profusely.
I ended up staying in the hospital for a month.
Although this future era of Earth boasted a nearly 99% survival rate for diseases like leukemia or terminal cancer, long hospital stays and expensive treatment were inevitable for severe cases.
My month-long stay was °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° long for me, but for some patients, it might last years.
Turning a corner near the central elevator, I saw a nameplate outside a private room.
[*Patient Rain Showers*]
*Rain Showers,* I thought. A beautiful name.
My name in this world, *Isulbi*, was also pretty, and I liked it.
---
After we left the hospital, Chris and I stopped by a park nearby for a walk under the bright daylight. My doctor had recommended midday walks as part of my mental care.
This wasn’t the park near my home; it was a spacious park near the hospital, with a university building visible in the distance.
Even in the middle of the city, they’d tried to keep nature intact. The trees lining the path were impressively large.
“I don’t usually take you out in broad daylight because, well, you’re so beautiful I don’t want anyone else staring.”
“Chris...” I blushed slightly.
Chris often complimented me on my looks, no matter the time or place.
While walking with Chris through the park, I spotted a young couple chatting as they headed toward the university exit.
Chris looked over at them and nodded.
“College students, huh? Makes sense with the university right here.”
“College students...”
In this world, as Isulbi, I was already twenty years old.
If I were a regular young adult in Korea, I’d be in college by now.
Come to think of it, I wondered what kind of academic record *Isulbi* had. There must be some divine force managing that... but I couldn’t help but be a bit curious about living an ordinary life.
Chris noticed me glancing at the students.
“Do you want to go to school, too?”
“Um... Not right now, but maybe someday?”
I shook my head.
I still had things to do.
The Legion Commander that had appeared in *Astria Continent* and his higher-ups.
What would happen to *Astria Online* once they were defeated?
Would I not be able to go there anymore?
The end? Server shutdown?
Or maybe a season two, with new enemies?
Even with all I knew about that world, the future of *Astria Online* was beyond my reach.
For the first time, I found myself thinking about the future.
I had been so focused on the past that I hadn’t even been living in the present, but now I was looking forward.
I gazed at Chris’s face and, feeling slightly bashful, murmured softly.
“I’m always grateful to you, Chris.”
“Oh, don’t get sentimental on me now. Being with you is more than enough for me.”
Chris smiled warmly and patted my head.
Just as I was savoring the pleasant feeling in my chest, a question popped into my mind.
“Um, Chris... I was wondering about something.”
“Yes?”
“When we were at the lamia hatchery in *Heaven Basin*, I saw something strange. Um...”
Seeing my hesitation, curiosity grew on Chris’s face.
“What? What did you see? I’m dying to know!”
I glanced around the park to make sure no one else was nearby. Blushing, I leaned in close and whispered in Chris’s ear.
“I saw... two female lamias... kind of, uh... really close together, but it was dark, so I couldn’t see clearly... So, I was just wondering... do girls, um, do that kind of stuff, too? And, uh... how?”
Chris’s face turned bright red, her breathing growing noticeably heavier.
“Rain!”
“Ah!”
*Thunk.*
With wide eyes, Chris clutched my shoulder, steering my wheelchair slightly into a tree.
I looked up at her flushed face in fear.
Why was Chris so worked up?
Did I do something wrong?
I mean, I’m an adult... It’s okay to be curious about that stuff, right?
Chris glared at me with her reddened eyes before finally letting go, clenching her thigh as
she began to stomp around.
“Grrrr!”
“I-I'm sorry! I won’t ask again!”
I whimpered, watching Chris growl and stomp in frustration.
It seemed I’d accidentally touched a nerve.