After the Boss disappeared, the walls of the hall lit up one by one.
The previously closed stone gate at the far end slowly opened, revealing steps leading to the upper level. A few players cheered first, and then the entire raiding team, as if truly believing they had survived, joined in the shouting.
Lin Yuan stood in the dissipating blue light, receiving no further instructions.
There was no experience, no reward, and no sign of the final blow. The boss's nodachi had vanished, leaving only the black short sword in his hand.
He looked at the road that had just been opened.
As long as we can keep moving upwards, that's enough.
"Wait a moment."
The blue-haired youth walked over from his teammates. The potion had already pulled his health bar out of the danger zone, but his right shoulder was still a little stiff.
"My name is Diabel." He extended his left hand. "Thank you for earlier."
Lin Yuan shook hands with him. " Lin Yuan."
"You've been behind us the whole time?"
"After entering."
Diabel glanced back at the dozens of team members, then looked at Lin Yuan: "Then you should know that without that sword strike just now, I would be dead."
You rushed in too early.
These words were spoken calmly, but Diabel remained silent.
He was the one in charge of this operation and should have been the first to notice that the boss's weapon was different from what was prepared. However, he was alerted by someone behind him, and then a stranger threw him away from the blade.
Lin Yuan had no intention of comforting him.
A player clad in scale armor approached, his gaze lingering on Lin Yuan's head for a long time. "Is your display turned off? We couldn't even find your party marker just now."
"I didn't make the team."
"There should be color-coded indicators even if you're not in a team."
Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "It's probably a hidden setting left over from the closed beta. Anyone who can take down the boss alone must be a much higher level than us."
He himself said there were no ranks.
Who would tell their level to someone they've just met?
Several guesses quickly sparked a heated debate.
Lin Yuan didn't explain. He genuinely didn't know how to access the settings the players mentioned, nor did he understand why the system hadn't marked him. For these people, his origins weren't the most important thing at the moment.
They finally broke through the first floor.
At the other end of the hall, the black-haired swordsman was checking on the condition of one of his companions. The cloaked rapier had sheathed his weapon, but was still staring at the spot where the Boss had fallen, seemingly recalling the two sword strikes Lin Yuan had unleashed with his nodachi.
The black-haired swordsman then approached.
"For that last move, did you use the same action it just did?"
"Borrowed its steps."
"No sword technique was activated?"
"I can't use your kind of swordsmanship."
The black-haired swordsman looked at his short sword. There was no skill effect on the blade, but the gauntlet was wrapped in old cloth that had been repeatedly repaired. It didn't look like special equipment at all.
"I am Kirito," he said.
Lin Yuan nodded and did not ask any further questions.
Kirito was about to speak when someone behind him suddenly shouted, "What about the final blow reward? Who got it?"
Several players checked their inventory one after another, but all shook their heads. Diabel hadn't received the rare drop either. Someone looked at Lin Yuan, then remembered that he hadn't opened the menu at all.
"How could there not be?"
"Maybe it was sent to him, but he just doesn't want to show it."
As the argument was about to escalate, Diabel raised his hand.
"First, tally the wounded, then confirm the passage. Rewards can be checked later; don't block the boss room."
His voice was still strong, and the team members quickly followed suit. However, Diabel himself did not go to the front of the team again, but stayed in place to check the number of people and the medicine.
Lin Yuan glanced at him.
This person is much more clear-headed than when he charged forward.
Diabel noticed his gaze. "The strategy for the next floor... if you'd like, I can reserve a spot for you."
"Need not."
"You're great at working alone, but the higher you go, the less easy the bosses will be."
"I know."
That's why he wants to continue observing more sword techniques and more enemies, rather than letting any team decide for him when to draw his sword.
Lin Yuan walked towards the opened stone door.
"Your tactics worked. Without you forcing it to make that move first, I wouldn't have seen that step."
Diabel paused for a moment, then smiled, "So at least we've collaborated once."
Don't include me next time we team up.
Just as Lin Yuan stepped onto the steps, a sharp voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"Wait a minute! This can't just be left like this!"
A man with jagged, short hair stepped out of the crowd. Someone called out " Kibaou," and the surrounding chatter immediately subsided.
He first looked at Diabel, then pointed at Lin Yuan: "I said at the strategy meeting that the closed beta players were hoarding information and wouldn't tell the newbies. And now? The boss changed weapons, almost killing the team leader; but this guy already knew how to fight it and even hid the last-hit reward!"
"This is the first time I've ever seen that knife either," Lin Yuan said.
"You say it was the first time? No level, no marker, and you defeated the boss all by yourself. If you weren't a closed beta player, how do you explain that?"
The cheers in the hall completely stopped.
Lin Yuan didn't care what Kibaou called him, but he noticed that many players' gazes had already passed over him and landed on a few lone travelers nearby.
Kirito also stopped in his tracks.
Before Kibaou could lower his hand, the spearhead was already aimed at everyone suspected of concealing information.