When the door to the second-floor boss room opened again, the first thing Diabel saw was a white brazier.
According to the scouts' reports, Lin Yuan had only been inside for a short time. Diabel led his men through the still-intact mechanisms, preparing to force open the door for rescue; however, the hall before them was as quiet as if no battle had ever taken place. The red light patterns had all gone out, there was no Boss on the circular platform, and the stone door leading to the third floor in the distance was already open.
Lin Yuan sat on the steps, wiping the blood off his face with a piece of bandage.
"Is it over?" Diabel asked.
"It's over."
Diabel turned and signaled the group to halt their advance. The shield bearers checked both sides first, while several scouts checked along the edge of the hall for any untriggered monsters. Only after they had scouted the path could the rest of the group proceed with peace of mind.
As Kibaou followed in the group, he saw Lin Yuan's wounds and new sword, and his face immediately darkened. "It's you again?"
"Are there any other people coming in?" Lin Yuan asked.
The scout who had called out to him from outside the door stepped forward, "I saw the door was closed. He was the only one inside until you opened it."
These words silenced the back row completely. In the first level boss battle, they had at least seen the raid teams force the monsters to use their attacks first; this time, the battle was over before they even saw what the boss looked like.
Someone glanced at the steps to the third level and smiled, then looked at the potions and spare sword they had brought from Urbus. Suddenly, all their preparations for this battle seemed utterly useless.
"You know we're gathering," Diabel said, walking up to Lin Yuan. "The scouts also said not to open the doors as soon as we find a room."
"I know."
"Then why did you go in?"
I believe we can win.
Diabel didn't immediately refute. He had been rescued from the first level boss's blade by Lin Yuan yesterday, and he knew best that such a judgment was not just empty talk. But one person's confidence and dozens of people betting their lives on that person's confidence are two different things.
"Next time, at least let me know what you're planning to do," he said.
"I didn't agree to join the raid team."
"I'm not inviting you to join the team," Diabel said, looking at him. "If you force the door open, the scouts will worry you'll die inside, and they might disrupt their plans by trying to save you. They're not the people you're supposed to protect; they'll still be affected by your actions."
Lin Yuan looked at the scout. The man had chased him all the way to the door; he certainly wasn't there to steal the reward.
"I'll remember that," he said, "But if I'm the only one at the door, it's still my decision whether or not to go in."
Diabel nodded, not pressing him for further promises.
But Kibaou didn't let go of another matter. "What about the reward for the final blow on the second level? They said there wasn't one for the first level, surely there won't be one this time?"
"No."
You always say that!
Kirito and Asuna had just entered the hall when they heard this. Kirito glanced at Lin Yuan's injury but didn't go to his side. Instead, he asked Kibaou, "Did you see his inventory?"
He wouldn't even let anyone see his inventory.
"Then let's not treat speculation as records," Kirito said. "The last-hit reward for the first floor didn't appear in anyone's statistics, not today either. Let's at least find out what's wrong with the reward system."
He didn't explain why Lin Yuan couldn't get it. Asuna didn't vouch for anyone's innocence either, but instead walked over to Diabel: "The third-level exit is open. I suggest we confirm the route first, then record the testimonies from the scene and the scouts separately. To check the reward, we need something to verify it."
Diabel immediately arranged for two teams to scout ahead. Kibaou wanted to speak, but several players around him had already gone to help; a boss battle that should have killed many had at least spared them a single loss. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he couldn't turn the empty hall back into a battlefield.
Lin Yuan stood up and sheathed the new sword at his waist. Kirito met his gaze and asked in a low voice, "You really fought them all by yourself?"
"A three-headed guard, one of whom wears a crown."
Kirito's relaxed expression vanished. The closed beta test information didn't mention the crowned behemoth; if Lin Yuan only followed the strategy he knew, what appeared at the end would be enough to disrupt the entire raiding team.
"It slams the ground like a hammer, and red lines spread across the surface," Lin Yuan added. "Don't mistake that for ordinary vibration."
Kirito memorized those words but didn't ask Lin Yuan how he survived that attack. He knew the answer was most likely still that seemingly simple "If you see it, you will."
"What about the third floor?" Kirito asked.
"Have no idea."
I guessed so.
Lin Yuan bypassed the team members who were inspecting the hall. Some people made way for him, while others stared at him, as if recalculating the distance between them. Kibaou didn't call out to him again; Diabel was busy ensuring the team passed safely; Kirito stood still, watching the person without a name tag walk up the steps.
The scouts outside had been chasing after Lin Yuan, telling him to wait for the commander. Now everyone had arrived, but the Boss was gone.