The faint light at the end of the side corridor came from a tall window.
Lin Yuan approached and discovered that what lay beneath the window was not the outside of the tower, but a spacious stone hall. Two passageways converged within the hall, at the end of which stood a double door much taller than the previous stone gate.
The door is carved with animal heads, and dark red patterns are inlaid in the stone ring.
That's probably what players call the Boss Room.
Lin Yuan tried to lean out of the window. The windowsill was about three stories high above the stone ground below. He could jump down, but he might not be able to find the side corridor again behind the door. Without a map or teleportation function, he needed to figure out where the exit was first.
Footsteps suddenly came from below.
Several players entered the stone hall along the main passage. The leader held up a shield, while others behind him took notes on the patterns on the door with paper and pen. They did not push the door open immediately, but instead dispersed to check the corners of the stone hall, even looking behind the pillars where monsters might be hiding.
Lin Yuan stood in the shadow of the high window, without making a sound.
A man walked to the door and pressed his hand on the stone ring. A deep thud came from the crack in the door, startling him so much that he immediately backed away.
"That's good enough," said the shield-bearer. "Take the location back to Tolbana, and we'll meet tomorrow."
"We've reached the entrance," the other man said, still gazing at the stone ring. "Aren't we going in to take a look?"
"You don't even know how many monsters are behind that door. Now that you've opened it, who's going to close it for you?"
That sentence finally made everyone stop.
They left new marks in the stone hall and retreated along the same route. Only after Lin Yuan and the others had completely disappeared did they leap from the high window.
Before leaving, the shield bearer glanced back at the gate, his hands clenched so tightly on his shield belt that they turned white. It wasn't that he didn't want to be the first to reach the second level; he simply knew that his companion's life was more important than being the first to arrive.
Lin Yuan watched them leave. Not all the players here were necessarily strong, but some had already learned to make the right judgments even in the face of fear.
The stone ground did not crack when he landed. This world allowed him to touch the ground, but it did not allow each step to destroy the scene according to the forces of reality.
The gate had no name, nor did it offer him any explanation.
Lin Yuan placed his palm on the stone ring and could feel the vibrations coming from behind the door, as if something huge was dragging a weapon along the other side.
He didn't push him away.
The ordinary monsters on the first floor were no match for him, but the enemies behind the door were clearly not the same kind of creatures. No matter how strong his physical body was, he couldn't magically know how many weapons the boss had, whether the attack would seal the door, or whether the escape route would disappear behind him.
Besides, he came here to climb the ladder, not to prove that he had to be the first to enter.
Lin Yuan turned around and inspected the stone hall.
Both passages lead to the outside; one has arrows left by players, while the other is covered in dust. He walked halfway around the dustier passage and found it led to a platform on the outside of the tower. On the platform were narrow stone eaves for resting, and he could also see the stone hall where the main gate was located.
That's enough.
He didn't intend to join the raiding party, nor did he need them to take the hits for him. But with dozens of players fighting at the same time, the guards behind the door would be forced to Ruby when facing him alone. Lin Yuan could see them clearly first before deciding where to strike.
That night, Lin Yuan stayed on the stone eaves.
He unwrapped the old cloth from the hilt of his short sword and rewound it tightly. The blade was undamaged, but its length remained a problem: it was convenient for close combat, but against a large enemy, he had to first pass through the opponent's attack range.
Lin Yuan stretched out his right arm and noted the farthest point the sword tip reached.
Erza had taught him that the one wielding the sword must know where the blade is better than the enemy. Now that the short sword cannot be lengthened, he can only position himself correctly.
Outside the stone eaves, a false moon rises and then slowly sets.
The next day, the footsteps inside the tower were much more frequent than the day before.
Lin Yuan watched from his vantage point as groups of players entered the stone hall. Some carried shields, some carried spears, and many more were repeatedly checking their potions and equipment. The blue-haired youth leading the group stopped at the entrance, confirming each group before allowing the person at the front to touch the stone ring.
He didn't greet anyone.
As the gate slowly opened inward, the players entered the darkness one by one. After the last group entered, Lin Yuan finally descended from the stone eaves and passed through the gradually emptying stone hall.
A loud crashing sound came from inside the door.
Lin Yuan stood outside the threshold and saw the shields at the front row crossed and set up, with sword-wielding players waiting for an opportunity to attack on the flanks. Further in, a huge figure raised its weapon, with several long red horizontal lines floating above its head.
He couldn't see the whole movement clearly yet.
He didn't rush to draw his sword.
Waiting for the raiding team behind the door were the guards on the first floor.
Lin Yuan wanted to know how the sword skills used by this boss differed from those of ordinary monsters.