Your Raid Leader

A week passed, and the raid was reset.

In other words, I was now set to tackle the raid with a newly reorganized team of raid members.

There was always a lot to prepare before starting a raid. Visiting the temple for long-duration buffs, checking potions and doping supplies, and ensuring everything was in order before heading to the meeting place.

Friday, 4:50 PM.

After running the first raid, my equipment had undergone some changes. I had finally taken off the full plate armor that had been weighing me down. The loss of defense was compensated for by the [Solar's Sacred Sword], so it was an obvious choice.

My slim figure, previously concealed under the bulky armor, was now fully revealed. The overall design of my new gear wasn't much different from the armor worn by Roman soldiers—it was just given a slightly modernized touch. The color scheme combined white and gold in perfect harmony.

This armor consistently ranked among the best armor designs in Deren Online across all seasons. It featured golden metal plates layered over a pristine white dress, prioritizing mobility over defense. Even the gauntlets, which used to encase my entire hands, were discarded—I found them cumbersome, as they dulled my sense of touch when swinging my sword.

I also switched out my boots for something designed to enhance mobility. Their overall look was similar to gladiator shoes.

Was this change too drastic?

The moment I approached the meeting point, I could feel the stares of my raid members fixated on me.

"Raid Leader?"

"What?"

"Uh, what about your defense...?"

"It's fine. I can hold my ground just fine."

From the last raid, I realized something important, what I needed wasn't more defense, but greater agility to move more freely. My body hadn't kept up as well as I expected, and I ended up needing more healing than planned. With this gear, I was confident I could perform better.

Despite my reassurances, I could see unease in my teammates' eyes.

Of course, it was natural for them to be concerned. After all, the main tank showing up in gear that didn't seem to promise much defense was bound to raise questions.

But they would understand soon enough.

This wasn't some randomly chosen equipment—it was gear purchased with raid tokens, boasting better performance than what I had worn previously.

"Alright, has everyone introduced themselves? We have quite a few new members this time."

I scanned the faces of my teammates. Thankfully, no one seemed uncomfortable. I had worried that past conflicts might cause problems, but it seemed like we'd lucked out this time.

With the reorganization of the raid team, there were changes in roles.

The number of mages was reduced from 30 to 20, with the vacant spots filled by rogues and warlocks.

The rogue team leader, nicknamed [Iyap], was a male rogue. He had four other rogues under his command, excluding himself.

The warlock team leader, nicknamed [Priscilla], was a female warlock. Like Iyap, she led four other warlocks in addition to herself.

The mage team was now divided between two leaders.

The first, nicknamed [NyamNyami], was a petite female mage. She had nine mages under her command, excluding herself.

The second, nicknamed [Helena], was a female mage with a more 'voluptuous' figure. She was a skilled player who consistently ranked at the top of the DPS charts during our first raid. Her team included eight mages and one archer, not counting herself.

As for the healers, there were no changes. The healer team remained under the leadership of [Chloe], who managed six priests besides herself.

Before entering the raid dungeon, I gave a quick rundown of the basic tactics.

"The basic strategy remains the same. I'll maintain my position as the main tank, and I'll switch with Dogric only at the final phase."

I met the gaze of each raid member as I spoke, making sure to check for their understanding. As they nodded one by one, I turned my body toward the dungeon entrance. It was time to begin.

"Let's go."

The moment I stepped through the dungeon's entrance, a loud noise echoed behind me.

It sounded as though a large group of people had all jumped in place simultaneously.

Startled, I turned around to see what was happening.

"What are you all doing...?"

"Raid Leader, aren't you going to jump in?"

"Huh?"

"When you entered last time, you jumped as you went in."

"We were all waiting for it..."

Wait... were they saying that they'd all been waiting for me to jump into the dungeon? For an entire week? Together?

It seemed like the entire raid team had somehow coordinated this.

Blushing furiously, I rubbed my heated cheeks and turned away.

"Raid Leader, please jump in!"

"Jump! Jump!"

As a raid leader, it was my responsibility to manage not only the raid's performance but also the morale of my team.

So, this wasn't... weird, right?

Unable to resist their persistent requests, I gave in and made a small hop on the spot.

Thud!

"Wow! Raid Leader jumped!"

"Whoo! See how high they jumped? That agility is no joke!"

"Awesome!"

It was... no, it definitely was embarrassing.

But the atmosphere among the raid members improved noticeably. In the end, it wasn't a bad decision.

I turned to glare playfully at Hwarang, who was clapping enthusiastically, all while forcing a wide grin onto my face.

Everyone in the raid team was well aware that Hwarang was someone I had brought into the group.

After all, I had invited him to the raid chat room even before posting the recruitment notice.

Because of that, I couldn't let him slack off. He might not need to rank first in damage output, but he had to at least secure a spot among the top-tier DPS players.

With that small seed of anxiety in my heart, the raid commenced.

The fight with the first boss, which had no particularly challenging patterns, ended quickly.

As the massive orc fell to the ground, I immediately opened the DPS rankings to check.

Helena took first place, Hwarang secured second, and Iyap came in third.

I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed my worries had been unfounded.

However, just as I was enjoying that moment of calm, I noticed that everyone's eyes were fixed on my sword.

"Raid Leader...?"

"What is it?"

"That sword..."

"Oh..."

Only then did it hit me: I had completely forgotten how special my sword was.

I had been swinging it around carelessly in the chaos leading up to the raid, and it had completely slipped my mind.

There was no point hiding it now.

With a proud smile, I held the sword out for all to see.

"Can... can you link it for us?"

So I linked the item in the chat.

[Solar's Sacred Sword]

ㄴ[+30 Strength]

ㄴ[+30 Health]

ㄴ[Increases max HP by 10%.]

ㄴ[Increases attack speed by 15%.]

ㄴ[+300 Attack Power]

ㄴ[+70 Defense]

[Unique Effects]

ㄴ[Solar Sanctuary]:

 ㄴ[ Once per day, create a sanctuary that increases all stats by 25% and restores 1% HP per second for 60 seconds.]

ㄴ[Solar Mantle]:

 ㄴ[Grants an aura that deals continuous damage to nearby enemies and reduces incoming damage by 10% for 10 seconds.]

As soon as the stats of the sword appeared in the chat, exclamations of awe erupted from all sides.

This was it—this was the exact reason why people farmed for items.

With a smug expression, I rested the sword on my shoulder, enjoying the admiration.

"So that's why we saw that world announcement..."

"Where did you get it? Can you share the details?"

I closed my eyes briefly, letting out a small hum.

In my world's version of Deren Online, there were no true secrets left. The game client had long been datamined, and every hidden element had been exposed.

But this world was different.

"I'll share the details."

After some thought, I decided to reveal the information.

My response caused the raid members to exchange surprised looks.

But the truth was simple: a weapon whose acquisition was unknown was one thing, but a weapon whose method of acquisition was known yet nearly impossible to obtain—that was what truly drove players wild.

And this sword fell into the latter category.

In my version of Deren Online, the method to obtain the sword had been revealed long ago. Even so, by the end of the season, only four of these swords had ever been completed.

I explained to the raid team about the [Fragments of the Sun] series.

I told them that equipping two items from the series and visiting the temple triggered a hidden quest.

"Raid Leader?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay with this information being shared outside the raid group?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

I had no intention of keeping it a secret. In fact, I wanted as many people as possible to know about it.

Weapons that defined a season existed to be sought after by all.

Raising the sword high into the air, I struck a triumphant pose.

Broadcasting was prohibited, but screenshots within the raid group weren't restricted. I wanted to make sure my pose looked as cool as possible.

"Raid Leader, would it be alright if I interviewed you after the raid?"

"An... interview?"

The person who asked was Iyap, the rogue who had just joined our group.

He hesitated for a moment before continuing in a cautious tone.

"I work as an online journalist. I was wondering if you'd be willing to share your story."

* * * *

The day went by like any other.

Since the raid reset, the prices of doping supplies had temporarily spiked, as expected.

That same day, however, a new article appeared on a gaming news site.

[The First World Item [Solar's Sacred Sword] and the Teenage Raid Leader.]

Interviews with prominent figures always come with a sense of nervous excitement.

Today, this reporter joined a new raid group with high expectations.

The group, led by a teenage raid leader, had recently gained immense recognition after their first kill of a major boss. Though the group's official name was undecided, their reputation was spreading fast.

Following the first clear, the raid underwent a reorganization, replacing underperforming DPS players.

[Image_of_the_Solar's_Sacred_Sword_stats_displayed_in_game.]

"The sword was found here—in the hands of none other than the raid's teen leader"

[Image of Yeon's character raising the sword triumphantly.]

Players across Deren Online who were active at the time must have seen the world announcement.

[The Solar's Sacred Sword has revealed itself!]

This reporter was no exception.

As someone who finds fulfillment in discovering the new and unexplored within Deren Online, the The Solar's Sacred Sword had remained an elusive mystery, no matter how much effort was poured into uncovering the secrets.

But luck was on my side. To think that the raid leader of the group I had just joined would be the owner of this world item—what an incredible stroke of fortune.

This raid leader is nothing short of a goddess of luck.

I invite you to join her on her journey of fortune.

The first question I asked was whether she was okay with sharing the details of how she obtained the item.

She, the raid leader—henceforth referred to as Yeon—agreed.

"To obtain the sword, you need the Fragments of the Sun series,"

[Image of the Fragments of the Sun accessories, provided for clarity.]

The [Fragments of the Sun] are accessories obtained from the raid.

Did Yeon recognize the value of these items when she obtained them?

"No, it was purely by chance. I only acquired them because no one else bid on them. When I equipped the two items and visited the temple of the Lunar Goddess, the hidden quest was triggered."

She laughed lightly when asked why she visited the temple.

"My class is Paladin. I went to the temple to raise my reputation with them."

Many players are now asking the same question: Is the next update going to be related to the Sun God?

During the quest to obtain the world item, there's much to uncover. However, I won't reveal it. Feel free to call me petty for keeping it a secret. But this decision is for the next person who takes on the quest. I hope you understand.

[Image: Yeon's character driving the Sacred Sword into the ground.]

[Image: A massive golden radiance erupting from the sword.]

When asked if the Sword's stats felt overpowered, Yeon answered with a smile:

"So what if it's overpowered? It's not an item anyone can get. Items that represent a season should come with that level of performance. To me, this sword is the romance of Deren."

Romance.

I laughed at the phrasing, though it felt oddly fitting.

One last question came to mind, so I asked:

"Would it be alright if I asked one final question?"

"If it's something I can answer."

"Are you really a middle schooler? Or is it just a concept?"

Yeon smiled confidently and replied:

"I really am a middle schooler. I go to school, and I study hard. I do it to make my mom happy."

Yeon turned out to be a filial daughter.

With that, the interview ended.

[Comments]

[Hoee… Middle-schooler-chan ninja'd the sword…?"]

[Wow... so those trash-tier items were actually needed for a hidden quest?!]

[A middle schooler thinking about Deren's romance… incredible]

[Wait, those items actually drop? Our raid's never seen them even once]

[The stats are insane, lol. I want it so badly….]