Why did they come here?
It’s not even time to meet yet.
Are they here to ambush us?
A dark thought flashed through Siloque’s mind.
Of course, this was just a guess.
Siloque always instinctively imagined the worst.
They could also have discovered something unusual and come to warn us—it’s possible.
But I can’t let my guard down.
Better hide first and see what’s going on.
A footstep sounded in the corridor, then stopped.
It was probably someone with Rogue skills checking the area.
“Hill, hide.”
Siloque quickly whispered a warning, not even sure if his still-invisible sister heard him.
His gaze locked onto the pile of miscellaneous goods in the Warehouse, spotting a piece of cloth stacked on top.
He grabbed it.
He found a spot where two people could hide and was about to call for Hill—
“Could those two have already scouted here?”
“Let’s wait and see. The passage is narrow, so there must be something good.”
“Luer can go in alone, we’ll cover from outside.”
He heard the footsteps of two people and their discussion.
There was no time to hesitate.
A few seconds later.
Whirr—
A gust of wind blew through the corridor.
“Luer, get out! Skeleton Soldiers! And three at once!”
“If they enter the corridor, it’ll be hard for us to fight.”
“I know! In and out, so troublesome!”
The sounds of three people and three monsters fighting tangled outside, followed by more rushing wind.
“Why are there more?!”
“Let’s get out of here!”
“In that case… Looks like Miss Wolf…”
“Aduofa, you’re running too fast! Wait for me!”
After chaotic footsteps, silence returned to the floor.
That gust of wind just now… Did Skeleton Soldiers respawn?
It couldn’t have been timed that perfectly.
And since Hill was still gone, could it be she—
“Hill? Where are you?”
His sister still hadn’t responded, making Siloque anxious.
“Mm…haa…haa…”
Siloque followed the sound of breathing.
Hill appeared out of thin air by the wall like a character lagging in the starry sky on a 3090 graphics card, sitting and panting.
“Brother. Hill…mm, can’t move. This skill, the Magic consumption is tough… Guh, you can’t play pranks on Hill…”
“What are you talking about?”
Siloque hurried over, quickly giving her a Magic Potion to restore Magic, then pulled a towel from his ring to wipe her sweat.
“Did you attract those Skeleton Soldiers?”
“Mm…”
She admitted honestly.
“You weren’t discovered by them, right?”
Hill shook her head, eyes a little evasive:
“Hill was careful not to get touched. Brother, you didn’t want to see them, right… so Hill led some monsters to drive them away… I didn’t do anything extra, did I?”
I just wanted to hide, but you went and pulled monsters… Isn’t that a bit extreme?
But it was her good intention.
“It’s okay, as long as you’re safe. Besides, their Lv is higher than ours, and these monsters aren’t the Red Specter type that copy opponent levels, so it won’t affect them.”
Hearing Siloque’s wry smile, Hill managed a helpless smile herself.
“By the way, brother.”
“Mm?”
“When I’m invisible… it kind of feels like playing Assassin’s Creed. It’s fun.”
Hill smiled slightly, like she’d found a dragon-slaying blade and wanted to try it out.
It seemed she didn’t feel at all that tricking them was something to reflect on.
“You… Haha, why not just say it feels like Old Man of the Mountain from FGO.”
“Eh? Brother, you play FGO too?”
“I used to. But I couldn’t pull Swimsuit Jeanne Alter, so I quit after a week.”
“That character isn’t even a pull, you get it from clearing the event. Hill always grinds out all the resources every day, so I got it early on. If you want, brother, Hill can lend you the account.”
“Playing someone else’s hard-earned character… It’s like using someone else’s leftover waifu. No thanks.”
Honestly, I just didn’t want to play.
“Ehh—Brother, you’re overthinking it. Such a pure mind?”
Before Hill recovered her strength, Siloque stayed by her side, chatting idly.
***
When time was up, Siloque and his group regrouped with Aduofa’s team, exchanging information.
To Siloque’s complicated feelings, although Hill had tricked the three of them, one of them actually leveled up.
Damn, why is it only my LV that never increases…
In the end, after exploring every corner of the map, they still couldn’t find a switch to leave this space.
The edge of the Forest was like a ghost wall—no matter how close you got, you’d end up back where you started.
Three Transmission Gates were found, but none could be used.
“There’s a strange skeleton in the Guild Master Room. It looks like a giraffe, different from the others, and seems really strong. Clearly a BOSS. With our three and your two, let’s team up and take it down. If we win, maybe we can leave.”
Aduofa naturally suggested.
Or rather, he was pressuring them.
“That BOSS’s level is really high. I know you’re all strong, but maybe we should raise our levels first before challenging it? Higher levels are safer.”
Siloque warned.
“How do you know its level? Did you check?”
“No…I guessed.”
Aduofa considered for a moment, then firmed his expression, clearly believing he could do it:
“Then don’t waste time grinding levels. The small fry here are so weak, the BOSS can’t be that tough.”
“But if it really is high-level—”
“Enough talk, just follow us. Without us, you wouldn’t survive here.”
“Ah…I see…”
Fine, Siloque couldn’t convince them.
Anyway, his teammate must have the skill—one glance and they’d give up.
If they couldn’t win, so be it—the BOSS wouldn’t leave its room anyway.
If fighting failed, they could withdraw and keep grinding monsters.
They definitely shouldn’t touch the Oakwood Golem, but Skeleton Soldiers could be farmed to slowly build up levels.
…If it really took too long.
The final trump card.
But its after-cast lag is too long—by the time I fire, that dragon could eat me.
After battle starts, it definitely won’t stay still for me to shoot.
Unless it’s the last resort, I don’t want to reveal this skill in front of Aduofa’s group…
With complicated feelings, Siloque and his sister followed the three toward the Boss Room.
***
After deciding to challenge the BOSS, the five of them arrived at a giant door carved with reliefs.
“Um… The Abyssfire Dragon Remnant’s attack patterns are hook claws on both hands, spirit-fire breath, and tail sweeps… Everyone, be careful.”
“With a monster like that, we can figure out its attacks during battle.”
“Ahaha…”
Siloque had considered explaining in more detail, but seeing Aduofa and his companions’ confidence, he naturally shut his mouth.
Siloque exchanged a look with Hill, who responded with a sparkling “ehehe” pose.
—If things go wrong, use to slip away.
It was their agreed contingency for Hill.
“Let me use first.”
Within the party, Luer—a tall, thin, mushroom-headed man in light Rogue gear—carefully pulled open the door a crack.
With a five-person team and three members at about Lv17, it’d be tough without injuries.
But with good positioning and teamwork, they might just manage.
The BOSS was probably Lv25 at most—if it was higher, things could get messy.
Siloque did the mental math while watching Luer peek through the door gap.
Luer gathered Magic, aimed at the BOSS, and used —his face instantly went pale, cold sweat trailing down his cheek as he slowly backed away.
“How are we supposed to fight that…”
He turned to step away.
“Ah…ah! That thing!”
Staggering, he fled on all fours, back toward the group, shouting:
“Level 35!…”
Siloque saw a flash of green light before his eyes.
A bright green energy beam shot from the Boss Room, slicing from left to right in front of him.
BOOM—!!!
The beam struck Luer dead on, his upper body exploding like a punctured balloon, his lower half thudding down as its contents spilled out.
“Luer!!”
Aduofa called out to his comrade’s lower half.
The attack left a giant hole in the Boss Room’s massive door.
Instant kill?
Siloque’s gaze followed the new hole, fearfully peering into the depths of the room.
Within the high, distant circle of white-green light, a black shadow appeared, seeping forward.
The shadow grew larger, until wings, a long tail, and four hook-clawed limbs could be seen, its entire skeletal form bathed in white-green flames.
Each step shook the ground.
Its eyes glowed blue-white like fire, yet there was no mistaking its gaze fixed on them—the ones who had disturbed its slumber.
Ka-cha, ka-cha—
The Abyssfire Dragon Remnant stepped out, moving slowly toward the door.
With that laser breath, Siloque understood a chilling truth.
This BOSS could leave the Boss Room!!
The battle had begun.
“How can a monster like this be on the second floor!?”
“Hill, we need to run!”
Ignoring the temporary ally Yadimo’s cry, Siloque’s eyes sought Hill.
But before he could turn—
Aduofa acted faster than Siloque.
So fast, befitting an LV17.
“!”
Aduofa stabbed his dagger toward Hill’s ankle.
Hill reacted quickly, blocking the first strike with her greaves, but Aduofa immediately pulled a Black Box from his cloak and swung it at her.
She raised her armguard to block—
It was an Electroshock Device.
“Mm?!”
A powerful electric shock paralyzed Hill, sending her crashing to the ground.
She couldn’t speak, her confused eyes staring up at Aduofa.
The attack and defense lasted less than a second.
“Sorry.”
Aduofa withdrew, his expression helpless and guilty, arms spread as if to show his innocence.
“Facing that thing, we might not make it out alive. Better to have someone hold it back and buy time than have us all die here.”