'Astria Online' was turned upside down.
The game's first launched 12-person raid content, 'Tree of the Abyss'.
Because the first clear raid party came out today.
A one-month period was given for conquering the Tree of the Abyss. Judging by the game's worldview, concept, and freedom, if it wasn't conquered within a month, there would have been catastrophic changes to the Astria continent.
The first raid dungeon blocked users' path with a harsh difficulty befitting its Legendary grade. Monsters' enormous HP, intermediate bosses with patterns comparable to Named bosses, Named bosses' special phases forcing coordination. The tremendous Named bosses' normal patterns requiring repetitive mastery rather than reaction speed.
At this point, less than a week after the raid's launch, multiple vanguard raid parties broke through the 1st Named boss 'Black Dragon'. But users' rapid advance stopped at the 1st Named boss. All raid parties except one got stuck at the 2nd Named boss, 'Death Knight Jakam'.
The only raid party that broke through the 2nd Named boss in the first week was the 'Red-White raid party'.
But the first clear raid party that came out at dawn today wasn't Red-White.
The raid party name was 'No Name'.
The vast majority of users doing vanguard conquests knew all too well what this raid party name meant.
* * *
Thump thump thump.
Chris was crossing the wide living room, heading towards Rain's room.
The messages from raid members arriving in the deep dawn.
She knew the content without even looking.
Rain.
She finally conquered the Tree of the Abyss, alone.
But.
Thump thump.
Chris's heart was pounding wildly.
Because she also knew what the warning alarm that rang on her smartphone early this morning meant.
Rain's condition is not good.
The protection system of the capsule Rain was using detected the user's physical condition worsening and ejected her.
Bang bang bang!
Chris urgently, with strength she didn't even realize, roughly knocked on Rain's room door.
"Rain? Are you in there!? I'm sorry, I'm coming in!"
Slam!
What entered Chris's eyes as she invaded Rain's nest without permission for the first time was.
"..."
A frail body trembling, silver-white hair stuck to a forehead full of cold sweat.
Rain in a pitiful state, raising her body from the capsule and reaching her hand towards the table.
"Rain...!"
"U-unnie. I'm sorry. I, me-medicine."
Chris hurriedly grabbed the medicine and water cup placed on the table and brought them to Rain.
Gulp gulp.
The medicine and water went down Rain's small throat. Chris clutched her trembling chest and patted Rain's back beside her.
"Ugh."
Tremble tremble.
The pain doesn't seem to subside easily. Rain's body was still shaking wrapped in both arms.
Chris looked at Rain with tearful eyes and carefully grabbed her shoulders.
"Rain, wh-why go this far...! Are you okay? Th-this won't do, let's go to the hospital quickly even now."
Shake shake.
"No. Not now."
"Rain...!"
Drip.
The sound of something flowing down.
Rain hurriedly covered her nose and grabbed the tissue next to her.
Chris's gaze turned to the floor where the tissue had been.
Quite a large amount of used tissues was piled up.
The color was all red.
Chris's mind went blank.
Her heart was pounding as if it would burst.
Chris, Chris you stupid girl.
You were complacent.
Just trusting the capsule's user protection system, how did Rain end up like this.
No need to see more.
Rain needs to be taken to the hospital right now.
Grab!
Chris reached out her arms and put them around Rain's trembling body.
Slap!
Did she still have strength left? Rain roughly turned her body and rejected Chris's touch.
Rain let out a sharp scream.
"No! I don't want to!"
"Rain...!"
Rain rejected her.
Chris looked at Rain with a dazed expression, her arms hanging down. Guilt swirled in Rain's trembling eyes.
"...I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for..."
"Just a little, I need just a little time."
Chris hung her head.
Rain didn't look at Chris.
Rain, whose body had calmed down somewhat due to the medicine's effect, entered the capsule again.
Chris paced back and forth in the living room in front of Rain's room door, unable to settle down, holding her smartphone.
Ringtone, crashing sound, footsteps.
"Do-doctor!"
"Where's Seulbi?"
"Th-that."
Previously, Chris applied for a visiting primary care physician for Rain who had difficulty moving, mobilizing the modern disability welfare system. The person who visited her house today was Rain's primary care physician.
The doctor headed to Rain's room with Chris.
Inside was just one operating capsule.
"The patient won't come out of this, right?"
Chris nodded with her hands clasped in front of her chest.
The doctor fiddled with the capsule a few times, then took out a small machine from the bag he brought and connected it to Rain's capsule. Soon a hologram floated in the air. It seemed to be a function that could check the capsule user's condition like heart rate, brain waves, etc.
"This capsule, did you purchase it, guardian?"
"No. Ra-, Seulbi bought it."
The capsule that had been with Rain since she lived in a single room. Chris wanted to replace it with the latest capsule from 'Klaus Capsule Corporation', but Rain seems to have grown attached to this capsule.
"Did she buy it with medical welfare benefits? Anyway, that's fortunate. This can be used for medical purposes."
Chris nodded.
That was also one of the reasons for not changing the capsule. Although it wasn't her department, she roughly knew because her company also supplies medical capsules.
The doctor watched the hologram screen, entered various things through a connected smartphone, and nodded.
"It's not an urgent situation. If the patient's body was weaker, it might have been critical, but her nutritional state isn't bad either. Fatigue seems to be the big factor."
Chris sighed deeply and stroked her chest. The months of living together and feeding her well paid off.
"But."
"Yes?"
"It could be an abnormal reaction in the real body due to mental influence from virtual reality. It's an extremely rare symptom that occurs only in virtual reality capsule users... Do you have any guesses? Depending on the case, she might need to be hospitalized in a mental hospital immediately."
The doctor's eyes looked straight at Chris.
Chris avoided his gaze.
"No, it's not like that."
Getting treatment for virtual reality synchronization rate is not what Rain wants.
Rain in a mental hospital? I don't even want to imagine it.
And Rain wants time now.
If Rain's body isn't in immediate serious danger, there was a need to respect her wishes.
The doctor connected a pack containing liquid to Rain's capsule and checked her condition for about an hour.
Before leaving, the doctor urged Chris.
"Even if it's not immediately dangerous, you must visit the hospital. There's a limit to medical activities that can be done at home."
"I understand. Thank you."
Chris returned to Rain's room.
And she stroked the capsule containing the girl's body once.
"..."
Chris's gaze wandered for a moment in a world different from this one.
Rain.
Seulbi.
What does that world mean to you?
Do you dislike it here?
Chris stood up.
A conversation was needed.
She needed to meet Rain.
In that world Rain considers reality.
"Why!?"
Thump thump thump!
Chris desperately pounded on the tree stems blocking her at the entrance to the deepest part of the World Tree.
"You opened well when I came with Rain, right? Why won't it work!?"
Tap tap tap.
"Is it Chris?"
Chris turned her head.
The white-haired male elf, Palman.
"This, this!"
Chris pointed at the tree stems with a tearful face. Meaning to open it.
Palman shook his head.
"The World Tree doesn't want it."
"What are you saying!?"
"It seems it doesn't want to disturb their time alone."
Thud.
Chris sat down.
The World Tree doesn't want it?
Their time alone?
Palman smiled slightly.
"Qualification is needed."
"Qualification?"
"Defeat Crow's illusion and prove your qualification."
Raid dungeon.
Tree of the Abyss.
After the dungeon's first clear comes out, the daily quest is unified to defeating illusions. All bosses of that dungeon are treated as illusions.
Chris stood up.
And her eyes shone.
"Alright."
It's something she was going to do anyway.
She needs to stand in the same place as Rain.
Tree of the Abyss, defeating the Army Commander.
Something Rain accomplished alone.
Rain gave a lot of help even getting this far, but clearing up to the last boss relying on Rain's halo doesn't sit well with her pride as raid leader.
Chris turned around and walked away.
Wait a little, Rain.
A mere giant crow, unnie will cut off its neck and come back soon.
* * *
"Yes. That's what I'm saying? Kyahaha!"
"Huhuhu, Rain has become better at laughing than before."
"Really? Hmm, I'm not sure."
"Is your body okay? Weren't you in pain after we met like this?"
"...I think I'm fine. Ah, more than that, I met dwarves who knew Uncle Ein."
The silver-white girl keeps smiling, wrapped in green light.
The elf surrounded by faint green light holds the silver-white girl in her arms and strokes her, wearing a benevolent smile.
But in the elf's smile, a slight sadness floated up.
"...Rain."