Chapter 9
Chapter 9: So This World Has Exploitable Bugs!
An adventurer holding the "Scout" Class had already marked the location of the Boss Room in advance. The group charged forward in full force, sweeping clean every Undead that came to intercept them along the way. Lilu was swept along within the party, bearing the occasional venomous glare stabbing into her back. She had absolutely no experience being resented by a Scheming Type — because just a few days ago she had still been a boy!
"We're here — everyone on guard!"
Doniel issued the command. As a Shield Warrior, he naturally took his place at the very front of the formation. The Scout adventurer released a detection device, and a flash of arcing light swept across the surroundings.
"All clear," he said. "Boss, we're ready to go."
"Right," Doniel turned toward Fred. "Hero Fred, my party and I place ourselves under your command!"
As he said so, he struck his right fist against his pectoral muscle — the customary salute among adventurers.
"My party as well."
Roger followed with his own salute. Looking at the scarred handsome young man and the square-built powerhouse before him, Fred gave a grave nod.
"We will not fail in our mission!"
(Grey Bear Party and Ironvil Party have joined the party list.)
After confirming the updated party information through his Class Card, Fred placed both hands against the door. The Boss Room door was forged from solid gold and impossible to mistake for anything else. As Magic Power was channeled into it, the door let out a deep rumbling groan and slowly swung open.
A thick wave of death washed over them, sending the gathered adventurers staggering. The dense, putrid stench of decay was nearly suffocating, and more than a few people hastily covered their mouths and noses.
As the black mist dispersed, what appeared before everyone was an enormous army of Undead stretching without end. They wore rusted iron armor, gripped gleaming weapons in their hands, and from beneath their helmets, hollow eye sockets flickered with an eerie blue glow.
Faced with an army that blanketed the entire chamber, everyone present — Fred included — swallowed hard.
"They are all Tier 2 Undead — 'Bone Soldiers.' Each one of these soldiers is roughly equivalent to a C-rank adventurer in strength." Fred drew his sword. "Everyone — get ready! On my command—!"
"Wait a moment!"
A soft, frail voice rang out from behind. Fred's "Charge!" command got stuck halfway up his throat. Everyone else deflated like punctured balloons, stopping in their tracks and turning reproachful looks toward the speaker. Lilu's raised little hand timidly lowered itself back down. Her eyes were tinged slightly red at the rims, and her pitiful expression made her look like a frightened little white rabbit.
"Lady Holy Maiden," Roger said with evident irritation, "don't tell me you've gone and gotten cold feet?"
"No, no — that's not it," Lilu spoke in a soft, faint voice. "Um, would it be alright if I asked a few questions?"
"Go ahead," Doniel's tone was considerably more gracious. "Is this Lady Holy Maiden's first time in actual combat? It's perfectly normal to have questions — why don't we all wait a moment? Take a short rest?"
The problem was that the Boss Room door had already been opened and Fred had already expended Magic Power to do so — just walking away now would be rather wasteful.
"What I wanted to ask is," Lilu ventured carefully, "is it possible to cast spells or use Skills into the Boss Room from outside?"
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone burst out laughing.
"Everyone," Maria spoke up in a soft, gentle voice, "Lady Holy Maiden simply lacks experience. She may have spent her life in some rural backwater full of all sorts, so it is only natural she would say something this naive. She might not even be able to read — so of course she wouldn't know these basic facts. I apologize on her behalf."
The fragrance of vintage green tea wafted through the air. Lilu rolled her eyes without restraint. This Scheming Type seized every opportunity she could to tear her down — she truly could not fathom what kind of thought process led someone to operate like this.
"What you're saying is," Fred stepped forward to shield Lilu behind him, "that the Holy Maiden selected by the Church is some lowborn, ignorant, illiterate good-for-nothing?"
Lilu: Wow — the Hero going head-to-head with the Scheming Type. Impressive!
"That's not what I meant at all," Maria's eyes brimmed with tears. "I only wanted to explain things on behalf of Lady Holy Maiden — Hero, you have misunderstood me."
"Misunderstood?" Fred let out a short, contemptuous laugh. "The way I see it, you're just rotten to the core, with a tongue full of venom to match."
The other adventurers, now seeing through what was happening, cast looks of disdain at Maria one after another. This rough-and-tumble lot made their living with blades at their throats — they had little knowledge of the twisted scheming that went on behind closed doors. But they were all people of genuine feeling, fully capable of telling good from bad — unlike certain individuals who were blind in both eyes and heart.
"Everyone," Lilu seized the moment to speak up. "About my question."
"It can't be done." Doniel shook his head. "Plenty of people have tried to exploit loopholes in dungeon rules that way, but the Boss and its subordinates inside only lose their Invincibility State after the Boss Room door is fully closed."
"And when exactly does the door close?"
"Once all members of the party have entered, the door closes."
"I see," Lilu thought for a moment. "And once inside — can you come back out?"
"No — not unless the Boss is defeated."
With that confirmation, Lilu felt her bug exploit strategy had failed before it had even begun.
But she still refused to give up.
"Would you let me try something?"
Doniel looked toward Fred. Fred gave a light nod. Doniel then stepped aside from the front position. Lilu walked forward, clutching her Tin Staff. She carefully stepped one foot through the doorway, then suddenly raised the Tin Staff high — a massive orb of Holy Light shot toward the Undead army — and she leapt back outside with lightning speed before the Holy Light even landed.
The orb of Holy Light hovered above the Undead army's heads for several seconds, showing no signs of detonating. Just as everyone watched in puzzlement, a divine celestial sound rang out — the Holy Light erupted! One third of the Undead army vanished in an instant! Staring at the Undead ranks thrown into disarray, everyone was left completely speechless. Wasn't the Boss here supposed to be Invincible before the battle began? So how had Lilu managed to deal damage with an ultimate move before the battle even started?
"No — the battle has already begun!"
Fred watched the door slowly swing shut, Undead swarming toward him through the narrowing gap, his expression perfectly composed. As the golden door closed completely, the Undead were sealed behind its heavy weight.
Silence — a silence so absolute it was deafening. Everyone stared at Lilu, as though she had just accomplished something that shook heaven and moved ghosts.
"Lilu," Fred went down on one knee, meeting her eyes level. "How did you do that?"
"I left the party — just before stepping inside." Lilu held up her Class Card; the party slot on the back was empty. "After going in, I used the moment before the door closed to release a delayed-detonation Area Purification — 'Radiant Sanctuary' — then immediately stepped back out. Spells have a delay, so it just barely slipped past the Invincibility window before the battle triggered, which is why it was able to deal damage."
As her explanation sank in, everyone fell into deep thought. Lilu's method…… was quite ingenious, it had to be said. But Fred had already picked out two key limitations: first, the attack had to be delayed in its activation; and second, the timing had to be precise enough to avoid being sealed inside.
It was Lilu's first attempt — and she had executed it perfectly. His heart bloomed with involuntary delight. So my little darling turns out to be this capable? I want to tease her more and more. Recalling how that night Lilu had looked at him through hazy, unfocused eyes, crying as she pleaded with him, Fred's blood surged with sudden heat, and the gaze he turned on Lilu became dangerously intent.
"Hold on," Roger suddenly spoke up. "What if after the door closes, the minions inside replenish themselves?"
Fred found that entirely reasonable, and so he channeled Magic Power to open the Boss Room door once more. Inside, the Undead army had already been reduced by a full third, and the formation was visibly less orderly than before.
Ha! It worked after all! A quiet smile tugged at the corner of his lips.