I was lying on a fluffy bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I was already awake.
Today is the weekend. And, Chris’s work is more or less wrapped up. From today, I’ll be helping Chris level up.
Whirring.
I quickly washed my face and headed to the kitchen. Chris was already up and preparing breakfast.
Chris smiled brightly when she saw me wheeling in.
“Oh my, Rain. I was going to come get you if you didn’t wake up.”
“…I don’t know. You’re busy every day, sis.”
Yesterday, Chris had to leave early for work, so we couldn’t even have breakfast together.
I pouted a little.
“Ugh…! I’m sorry, sis…!”
Chris gripped the rice spatula tightly, looking like she was about to cry.
“Do, don’t cry! There, there!”
“Gah…!”
I took one of her hands and placed it on my head. Chris’s expression instantly turned as if she might float away.
Anyway, Chris likes my body. She says it’s squishy or something. If it makes her happy, I can manage this level of skinship.
While looking up at Chris gently patting my head with dazed eyes, I made her promise.
“Anyway, we’re definitely playing games together today, okay?”
Since I’m doing just fine, I hope Rain, who hasn’t seen Chris in a while, will also spoil her.
*
In fact, my memories from that time are a bit blurred.
Something was piercing my heart from within, and maybe my head went blank.
I guess I didn’t leave the wall marked with Ain’s image for a while. Village Chief Drugel waited for me patiently. After that, I had a little chat with him.
It seems the chief thinks of me as a direct descendant of the hero from a thousand years ago. I mean, my hair and eye colors are not found on this continent. It’s not surprising that he thinks of past heroes as beings from the stars.
In truth, it’s the same person. I’m not some mother.
If he merely compared my appearance to colors found in minerals, then he might have some innate sense of the subtle hues of minerals that only dwarves can perceive.
“Ain…! Is that you? Hahaha…! Hero! This humble descendant has recovered your name!”
Clang, clang!
The hammer and chisel held by the ecstatic chief Drugel danced upon the wall as if possessed.
And below the petroglyphs, dwarven letters were engraved.
[Dwarf Hero ‘Ain’]
The mission of the hero party ended in the past.
What does this world want from me?
All I can do now is delve into the mysteries of this world that only I might know.
To do that, I can’t afford to stop adventuring and conquering dungeons.
I checked the attributes of the bracelet I received from Chief Drugel. It’s a small gift from a past comrade.
[Bracelet of Hammer and Anvil]
[Elite]
[Power +35, Agility +35, Intelligence +35]
[Unique Ability: Reset All Skills’ Cooldowns (Cooldown Time: 10 minutes)]
This accessory, the first of its kind, appeared in the game. It seems to be a new part item that can be obtained by maxing out friendliness with the Dwarf Village.
Equipping another accessory from other users’ specs means I’ll receive a lot of benefits and can conquer the next Elite Dungeon.
The stats are great, but the most attractive option is, of course, the accessory’s unique ability, ‘Reset All Skills’ Cooldowns.’
Since the cooldown for the unique ability is long, I can use it only about once per try, but the existence of this option allows for outrageous plays different from before.
I could use the extreme damage skill, One Flash, in succession, and after using all my invincibility skills, if I activate the bracelet’s unique ability, I could use my invincibility skills again. With simple calculations, I could pull off nonsense patterns like 10 consecutive area-wide attacks all on my own.
My one-of-a-kind bracelet obtained after skipping many processes. Other users won’t be able to get this item for quite some time.
“I’m late….”
Tap, tap, tap.
I checked the time while pouting and stomping my feet.
The place I was standing is the entrance to the cave leading to the Dwarf Village, ‘Berveia Mountain Cave.’ I had promised to meet Chris here today.
“…Rain! Huff, huff.”
A familiar voice called out from just below where I stood.
My ears perked up.
I felt my mood lifting, and my body wanted to jump.
But I barely managed to calm myself down. Then, I puffed my cheeks again.
Before I knew it, Chris had come up to me, looking tired but smiling brightly.
“…….”
“Rain, I’m sorry! Did I keep you waiting?”
With arms wide open, Chris approached me.
I slightly stepped back and turned my head to the right.
“Gah…! Rain!”
Chris turned to my right and faced me directly. I turned my head to the left.
Whip.
“Hmph.”
Gah!
Chris clutched her chest as if about to cough blood.
Seeing her in distress made me uncomfortable about my initial reprimand for her being late.
Looks like sis is feeling rough.
Skittering.
Hug.
I went up to her and wrapped her in my arms.
“I missed you, sis.”
“Ra… Rain! Ugh, I’m so sorry for being late! I’m sorry for being busy!”
Chris sobbed and hugged me tightly.
Her reaction made me feel even more sorry.
From her perspective, it must feel like I’m comforting her twice.
Rumbling.
“Oh.”
Clap, clap, clap.
Chris, sitting at the entrance of the last section of the cave, filled with golems, clapped her hands.
Ahem.
I puffed my chest and shrugged my shoulders. I had swiftly dispatched the golems using the new option from my bracelet.
Chris checked her status window and gasped in admiration.
“Wow, your experience points went up so much!”
“Got it? You have to relax today. Today, Chris is a passenger on the Rain Bus.”
Chris is my employer. As her hired worker, I have a duty to help her level up.
Even in a two-person party, experience gain doesn’t exactly halve. In field hunting involving monster kill quests, the benefits of a party aren’t very pronounced, but in this kind of reckless area, party play allows for efficient distribution of experience.
Hunting together would be a bit faster, but since we’ll be gathering everything with area-wide attacks anyway, it won’t become dramatically faster. So, it’s better for Rain, the employee, to work hard while making Chris, the boss, comfortable.
With Chris’s encouragement, I happily continued hunting, going in and out of the dungeon for a while.
“Ah, the Dwarf Village.”
Chris followed behind me, eyes wide as she looked around in wonder. It’s no surprise, considering she was also amazed when I first came here.
I introduced Chris to Chief Drugel as my companion. It seems befriending a dwarf allows you to increase the friendliness level of at least one comrade. Not all, but at least one.
“My friendliness level is now at 40.”
“It must be the minimum requirement for entry. It seems the next Elite Dungeon is around here.”
“……!”
Chris looked genuinely surprised. I was shocked yesterday when I saw the entrance to the dungeon discovered inside the dwarven mine.
With Chief Drugel guiding us, Chris and I entered the mine entrance. The dwarves around the entrance greeted us warmly.
Clang, clang!
The sound of dwarves chipping away at rocks echoed from the small caves branching out from the straight mine shaft.
As we made our way inside, I spotted a humanoid user casually swinging a pickaxe.
“…Cherni uncle?”
“I—I’m busy mining right now! …Oh? Rain? Chris-senpai?”
Upon hearing my voice, he pretended to work diligently, but once he noticed me and Chris, his expression went blank.
“What are you doing here?”
“They say you have to mine to raise your friendliness with the Dwarf Village. Ugh, I wonder how long I have to keep this up.”
Hehe.
I covered my mouth and snickered together with Chris.
Seeing Cherni here means other users are starting to enter the Dwarf Village as well. However, to enter certain areas deep inside the mine, you need to have raised your friendliness with the Dwarf Village to a certain level.
Chris and I soon faced a massive door, half-revealed, standing at the entrance of a wide cavern. Several dwarves were delicately carving the stones surrounding the giant door.
“This is the entrance to the recently discovered ancient shrine. Given its dwarven architectural style, it seems to be a shrine made by the ancestors of dwarves over a thousand years ago…”
Listening to the explanation from the young guide dwarf, I nodded. It’s clear that this massive door will be the entrance to the next Elite Dungeon.
And today, the system message that appeared from the somewhat-excavated door confirmed that.
Chris looked at me, smiling.
“This is where we’ll be competing next. This time, sis will win for sure.”
I had heard that before.
I didn’t understand it back then, but now I do.
While browsing the user community of ‘Astria Online’ after a long time in the hospital, I learned that the ‘Chris Raid’ and ‘Noname’ party had been competing for the first clear of the Elite Dungeon.
Chris, who had exchanged weapons and tackled the dungeon at a similar pace to mine, and the two parties, the Chris Raid, and the Noname party, who had cleared the Elite Dungeon first.
The latter would be referring to my unnamed party. Chris doesn’t know that I’ve been clearing it all on my own yet.
There’s no reason to hide from Chris that I’m soloing it now, but I also have no reason to flaunt it. Considering I’m living with Lee Seulbi, she’ll surely find out naturally.
Of course, Chris is a wonderful sister, but she also ignited the competitive fire in me, which has been cooking in this world.
I smiled brightly at Chris and said with a hint of provocation.
“I’m going to clear it faster this time too.”
[Entry Level: 42]
[Elite Dungeon (Recommended for 4-person party)]
[Ancient Shrine of Berveia]
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