"Why?" Clara asked, already bracing herself like she knew whatever was coming wasn't going to be good. "Shouldn't waiting for rescue still be the best option, like we thought?"
Sylvia turned to her with a heavy look. "Clara, the fact that the artifacts were looted and brought this far suggests someone already found the loophole. They looted the sanctum and were ready to escape…" Her voice quieted for a beat. "…but the sanctum is still here. The artifacts are still here."
That was a chill-inducing sentence. Even the elves gulped, loud enough to hear.
"It means the boss is alive," Sylvia continued, "and the party is dead."
Well. That was one way to turn the mood into a funeral.
Clara, still in denial, jumped in. "Then all the more reason to wait here—"
But Sylvia cut her off. "Clara, they didn't die in the boss room. They died here. Right here. In this spot."
Okay, now even I got goosebumps. I don't know why, but the way she said it... damn! the theatrics.
Clara's face twisted. "What…?"
"The adventurers didn't go inside the boss room," Sylvia went on. "In fact, I don't think they ever intended to. Their plan was to loot the sanctum and escape without clearing it. I don't know how they planned that, but look at this, these bags, the potions brought from outside, all of it's organized. They waited here. Just like we were about to."
"So…" Clara's voice trembled. "They died waiting."
"In other words," Sylvia said grimly, "rescue didn't come in time. And the boss… isn't the only threat. But defeating it is the sure way to get out."
"Defeating the boss is not possible," Clara snapped. "Not without an S-rank party."
She stood her ground like she'd sooner punch the boss in the face than step into that room.
The elves now fully understood the predicament, and their expressions turned pale. "Wait… if we stay here… we'll die too?"
Yeah, that just made Clara tense even more. I could see it in her posture, the tight grip she had on her dagger.
"Maybe… maybe there's a way," Sylvia muttered. "I don't know…"
"Well," I raised a hand, clearing my throat, "as I was trying to say… If you'd all just listen to me without freaking out, I think I might have a way for us to escape."
The elf blinked. "There is?"
Clara spun toward me, exasperated. "Young master! Couldn't you say that sooner?!"
Ah, there's the usual anger. Fear: gone. Irritation: restored.
Why are you relieved now? I muttered internally, watching her huff.
Sylvia crossed her arms. "Seriously… what do you get out of tensing us like this?"
Hey, what's with that relieved tone! atleast have some doubt lady. Was all that freaking out just an act?
"I did say listen to me before," I reminded them, adjusting my expression to formal. "Anyway. As Lady Sylvia pointed out, the previous party died waiting. That means their plan to get out failed."
Clara and Sylvia both nodded.
"So," I continued, "two questions. First. Why come near boss room of all places? Second. What was their way out? If we find the answers to those, we can get out of here without engaging with the boss."
Sylvia tapped her chin. "For the first… I can think of two reasons. One, they assumed the rescue team would track the sanctum they're trapped in and come clear it. Only way to do that is killing the boss. So they waited here to be found. Or two… their escape was somehow connected to this room. Right outside the boss door."
Clara looked between the two of us. "So… is it the second one?"
I smiled. "Splendidly said, Lady Sylvia. Theoretically, those are the most logical assumptions. But.."
Sylvia squinted. "But…?"
"My thoughts are a tiny bit different," I said.
She raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"
I nodded. "They were adventurers. And they'd found the loophole to take artifacts without clearing the sanctum. So, my answer is: greed."
Sylvia's eyes widened, mind racing to keep up.
"They came here," I said, gesturing to the boss room door, "to retrieve the artifact inside."
"Then they must've been sure of their way out," Sylvia concluded. "Otherwise they wouldn't dare face the boss and grab the artifact under its nose."
I am seriously impressed by this seventeen-year-old. Not gonna lie.
"That, right there, Lady Sylvia," I said, "is your answer to the second question."
"What?" she asked.
"Their way out," I said, "was instantaneous. So instantaneous that they believed they could take the artifact and escape right before the boss's face."
Sylvia pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to follow the thought.
Clara picked it up. "The only thing that instant is… teleport scrolls. But they don't work inside a sanctum. Not if you're bound to it. Only someone who isn't bound to the sanctum can use one, leaving the rest of the party here."
Clara looked at the bags again. "But… the artifacts are still here. That means even they didn't escape."
"Exactly," I said. "Which tells us something else: the person not bound to the sanctum, the one who could've used the teleport, died before using it. Probably while retrieving the artifact from the boss room."
The fog lifted from Sylvia's face. "I get it.."
"So what's the answer?... It can't be a teleportation scroll, since it only lets the non-bound one teleport right?" Clara asked.
"Tranfer scroll," I said. "Not ours. The transfer glyph that the wiped-out party brought."
Sylvia's eyes flew open, a spark of realization lighting up her face. "I see… so the glyph was set up already. It just needs someone not bound to the sanctum to activate it. If that person fuels it with their mana, the portal will open to the dungeon floor."
"Exactly," I said, clapping my hands once, pleased. "And since portals don't care whether someone's bound or not, the whole party can escape through it."
Sylvia dipped her head slightly, the faintest pink creeping onto her cheeks.
Clara, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes. "So the one not bound was probably killed before activating the glyph, hence the party died waiting for the rescue. And that ogre stumbled across it, used it to hunt weaker adventurers in the higher floors… just like it was about to do to us."
"Correct," I nodded.
"Still," Clara frowned, "how are you so sure the glyph is in the boss room?"
"One," I said, lifting a finger, "they needed to teleport instantly, so the portal had to be opened in the same room as the artifact. Two, remember how the ogre touched the sanctum's glyph through the portal? That means the portal was opened close to the sanctum's glyph… which is inside the boss room."
Clara gave a small 'aah' of realization. "So I go in, pass my mana to the transfer glyph, and everyone runs through the portal?"
"That's the plan."
She looked like she wanted to ask something, but her voice trailed off. "How did you…"
"How did I what?" I asked.
Sylvia cut in before Clara could finish. "There's no point wondering, Clara. That person right there is better left that way."
Clara gave me a sideways glance. "True."
…I get the feeling I'm being teased.
Oh well. If they could still joke, that meant their nerves were back in check. Good enough for me.
"Then… are we heading in?" Darren asked, standing like a protective wall in front of the two Elvian girls behind him. Honestly, they looked like VIPs under a personal bodyguard.
Popular kids.. tsk tsk.
Sylvia didn't miss a beat. "Sir Darren, as we discussed… our only way out is inside this room. We will not engage the boss monster. We use the glyph inside and we leave. That's all."
Darren nodded slowly, then hesitated. "I understand, but… is there a reason we shouldn't wait for rescue?"
Seriously? Did I just give all that TED Talk in Mandarin?
Sylvia's brow twitched, her voice tightening just enough to show she was trying not to lose it. "Sir Darren, if that was an option, we would've chosen it. As Lord Hugo said, the previous party tried that and got wiped out."
To Darren's credit, he took the hint. "I understand," he said at last, tone deflating like a kicked balloon. The girls behind him glanced at each other, resignation creeping onto their faces.
That's when the moody one spoke.
"We won't enter the room," Zephyr finally said. "You may do as you like. We will wait for rescue."
He said it with all the dramatic defiance of a stage actor, and then stole a glance at the girls holding Darren's arm.
Jealousy? Oh, I feel you, Zephyr. Stay strong, king.
"Besides," Zephyr added, eyes now firmly on me, "we don't buy whatever your lord is speculating. We don't take orders from someone who sends his girls to fight for him."
…
You know what? Fuck it. Just drop dead.
Sylvia's frown deepened, brows drawing together.
"No, Clara, stop!" I screamed.
Too late?
Almost too late. Clara froze mid-step, her dagger already kissing Zephyr's throat like they were long-lost lovers. I raised my hands like a schoolteacher trying to break up a fight.
"Now, now, be a good girl and step back.. slowly. And don't shake your hand. Please. That proximity is... concerning."
Zephyr looked like he saw the afterlife. Darren instinctively raised his staff, but the poor guy was sweating bullets. He'd seen Clara fight. He knew exactly how this would end.
Clara leaned in, whispered something in Zephyr's ear, probably a bedtime story about how she'd end him, and stepped back.
Zephyr was panting like a dying fish.
Alright. Time to fix this PR disaster.
"Zeph—ahem. I am Hugo Gyrfald," I said, stepping forward. "I come from a different place and, admittedly, don't know much about local customs. I may have… spoken out of turn. May I ask for your name?"
There. Formal. Friendly. Definitely not passive-aggressive.
Zephyr blinked, his face still pale. "Zephyr Osloth. DPS for our party. I can't let our party get into trouble. We think waiting for the rescue is safer than dragging everyone into something worse."
Sylvia inhaled sharply, biting back another retort. Then, unable to hold it anymore, she said, "Do you not get it? Before the rescue arrives, there's a high chance we die. We don't even know what happened to the previous party."
"And according to whom?" Zephyr shot back. "His speculation?"
She sighed in sheer disbelief. A very graceful 'I can't believe I'm arguing with this guy' kind of sigh.
"Fine," Zephyr said. "You can do what you want. Just like you have no right to force us, we have no right to stop you."
I turned to Darren. He met my eyes, hesitant, clearly torn. So I decided to give them all something to chew on.
"Tell me something," I said, "Have you ever wondered why the rescue never made it in time for the previous party?"
That got their attention. Even Darren looked confused.
I gestured to Clara, then Sylvia. "We haven't gone to the center of the maze. And there's no guarantee the ogres are the apex predators on this floor."
Sylvia's breath caught. "Hahh…"
"Exactly," I continued. "This sanctum? It might be a deeper floor than the ogre's. That means ogres are just normal monsters here. The apex ones? Still waiting. Still hungry. And any rescue team hired by Lord Orion won't make it this deep. They'll sweep the floors above, then go 'Oh no! Nothing here!' and file a report."
I paused for effect.
"And let's be honest. The kind of parties that can reach this deep... They won't be available. And they won't be coming for a long time. We wait, we die. Simple as that."
They were all quiet now.
"And sure," I added, "the boss monster's probably a nightmare of that level too. But we're not planning to fight it. If we stay out here there's no telling what else roams this floor. And those chambers are not guaranteed safe either."
Then I looked directly at Zephyr. "Take the risk if you want. But I didn't promise your father I'd bring you back alive like I did hers."
I tilted my head toward Sylvia.
"We'll be heading into the room shortly after finalizing our tactics. You can use that time to make your decision."
With that, I turned and walked toward the door.
Sylvia and Clara followed silently behind me.