Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

A persistent, leaden-gray cloud shrouded the castle, adding an ominous touch to the already dark and fantastical atmosphere.

Add to that the wandering ghost soldiers blocking the way—

Although they lunged at you menacingly, the Abyss Skeleton, being an elite monster, had already been eliminated; these minions were nothing more than a waste of your energy.

As they rushed into the castle, Lin Miao dealt with them before Lillie could even make a move.

Since the game character has unlimited stamina, and her strength is more important in boss battles, this division of labor is just right.

[A coveted soul has arrived.]

Finally, Lin Miao and Lillie encountered the BOSS, who had been lurking there and was attempting to descend into the real world, in the castle's banquet hall, which was now filled with chunks of flesh.

The Undead Asylum Demon. A giant of flesh dragging its half-finished body, crawling across the ground, is the boss of the first chapter, a demon lord attempting to descend upon the mortal world.

"What an arrogant power! Do they think they can call themselves paladins just because they're favored by the gods?"

"Waaah..."

The Undead Asylum demon raised its terrifying face and sneered, causing Lillie to stagger backward.

"It's that kind of terrifying monster again."

Like all the monsters encountered so far, the boss monster, the Undead Asylum Demon, is an unprecedented alien creature.

The giant, barely half-giant form, was made up of huge, scarlet chunks of flesh, and its writhing appearance on the ground was nauseating.

Although she remained in the weakened state befitting a leader of the first chapter due to not yet being fully descended, it meant nothing to her as she faced the demon lord directly.

[Are you afraid of something so trivial?]

"Shut up, you evil monster!"

[Even without the power of insight, I can sense the wavering in your heart. Young paladin, why have you come? For that laughable faith?]

The Undead Asylum demon mocked the genuinely nervous Lillie, who then realized her legs were trembling uncontrollably and clenched her teeth tightly.

However, the demons of the Undead Asylum paid no attention to Lin Miao standing to the side.

Standing there watching the two suddenly engage in conversation, Lin Miao was, in the demon's eyes, insignificant compared to Lillie, who displayed surging power and vibrant emotions.

"I don't understand your nonsense. My choice to fight you, who has been corrupted by this castle, is entirely of my own volition."

With gritted teeth, Lillie pointed her index finger directly at the Undead Asylum demon.

She wasn't wrong. Although she had initially been led astray by him without any prior knowledge, she had witnessed firsthand all the calamities and victims that followed since the demon lord descended upon the land.

"Evil invaders, I will never tolerate an existence like you."

Anger superimposed her fear. The souls of the mother and child she had stepped forward to save, the souls of the knights who had begged her to liberate this place with their deaths.

The same applies to the numerous resident souls who were exploited by the Undead Asylum's demons without even knowing their names, and were resurrected as monsters.

Lillie saw her past self in these victims. Back then, she too could only succumb to the overwhelming invasion of an insurmountable enemy.

"This is a trial. No matter how the world changes, no matter how different the enemies we face, this fact will not change."

When she sees all of this as a trial that must be overcome, the form of the game no longer matters.

Whether it's a sandbox game built with cute building blocks or an action RPG with realistic graphics, it's all reality to her.

The unique characteristics or purpose of a game itself, whether in the past or in the future, are actually irrelevant.

Before her are enemies to be defeated. Such enemies will continue to appear in various forms and with different purposes, and she will grow beyond her past self in the process of defeating them.

Only this fact is the correct answer.

This is really... interesting.

The Undead Asylum demon, who serves as the boss monster, finds Lillie amusing. While the game's story portrays a conflict between good and evil—between the celestial realm and demons—she disregards these notions and declares her intention to kill herself based solely on her own will.

[Give it a try; the more steadfast the soul, the more rewarding the harvest will be.]

The Undead Asylum demon grinned and swung its massive hammer, unleashing its power; the real battle had begun.

Can we win?

Lillie was so intimidated by this aura that she instantly retreated.

Even though the physical bodies of the Undead Asylum Demons have not yet fully descended, they are already monsters that humans cannot defeat according to common sense.

Its body alone occupies most of the space in a banquet hall that can accommodate a hundred people, and its size far exceeds that of a heavy truck.

Although the oath of gold can resist the demon's unique mental debuff, it ultimately only cancels out the negative status.

If her own mental state cannot withstand it, the blessing will not be very effective.

[This...this guy!?]

But it was precisely because of this that Lin Miao was able to act without restraint. In the instant the Undead Asylum demon screamed in shock, Lin Miao rushed forward with a reckless movement and slammed his skill hard into the demon's body.

What Lillie considered a formidable enemy, the Undead Asylum Demon, was nothing more than a monster in a game in Lin Miao's eyes.

The moment Lin Miao saw Lillie's fear, he realized that he had to take action himself this time, so he did not hesitate to roll.

How dare you!

The enraged demon of the Undead Asylum swung its hammer down like a windmill.

The stone floor shattered instantly.

Although Lin Miao dodged by rolling, the Undead Asylum demon immediately followed up with a sweeping hammer that sent him flying.

This is not the kind of high-difficulty combo that the BOSS in the first extended chapter of the tutorial should have; it completely ignores the established attack pattern.

[Is everything alright?]

But Lin Miao immediately downed the potion and got up again, circling around the Undead Asylum demon in search of a weakness.

This was a huge shock to the Undead Asylum demons. What had been completely unremarkable player behavior when Lillie was a game boss suddenly became incredibly bizarre after her intervention brought it into reality.

[How could he be completely unharmed!]

The panicked demons of the Undead Asylum launched another attack.

At this moment when Lillie brought the game to life, the concept of HP became a privilege possessed only by Lin Miao in this world.

Whether it was an attack that could break bones or a blow that could tear internal organs apart, Lin Miao endured it all as if nothing had happened. She stood up again as if she couldn't feel any pain, and simply drank the elemental bottle she had accumulated over a long period of time as if it were water.

Throughout the entire process, Lin Miao did not utter a single scream.

In the eyes of the demon lord, who was adept at manipulating emotions, the bloodstained mask showed no emotion whatsoever, as if it had no concept of death.

[impossible!]

The Death Demon and the Undead Asylum Demons felt an instinctive fear of this posture.

It was clearly just an ordinary human being, yet the mechanical nature it displayed astonished even itself, a demon.

However, the Undead Asylum Demon's emotions became a weakness; a boss monster that follows a fixed pattern would never expose such a gap.

"Die, you demon!"

Lillie stomped the ground, instantly closing the distance and launching a flying attack on the Undead Asylum demon.

"They're nowhere near as good as that black monster; we can win!"

As she slashed at the face of the Undead Asylum demon, she recalled her battle against the corrupted entity, which strengthened her resolve once more.

This wasn't the first time we'd fought against such a behemoth.

As expected, the severely wounded Undead Asylum demon screamed and twisted its body in agony.

While the Undead Asylum demons, unconventional in their attacks, could easily block routine attacks, they were helpless against Lillie's unrestrained onslaught.

Even after landing, Lin Miao still dodged the giant hammer that the Undead Asylum demon was wildly swinging, and rushed forward again to swing his sword.

Lillie caught a glimpse of Lin Miao's figure; it was a flaw he had deliberately revealed.

She instinctively realized that it was her mission to seize this weakness and deliver a fatal blow.

This wasn't just a battle at this moment; whether it was the reality of fighting against other tribes or the corrupted entities, or the game that would follow, she was destined to fight like this. Lillie was absolutely certain of this.

[This is impossible!]

As the Undead Asylum Demon's body was blasted apart by the two's skills, it struggled in its death throes and released all the souls it had absorbed, summoning a large number of ghost soldiers.

The wandering soldiers rushed forward, but Lin Miao, as if prepared, leaped into the enemy ranks, buying time for Lillie to deliver the final blow.

"Will I have to look this ugly even until I die?"

[You...you should understand, I was only defeated before I even had a chance to use my full strength...but the others are different. Your existence will be known to all of us!]

Seeing the Undead Asylum demon lying on the ground, panting heavily, still desecrating the soul of the victim in its final moments, Lillie frowned in genuine disgust.

The Undead Insect's face, larger than hers, was sunken into the ground. It was panting heavily and glaring at her with its asymmetrical giant eyes, but it posed no threat to the girl who knew nothing about the demons of this world.

[Wait, wait a minute!]

Without hesitation, she plunged her longsword, hilt and all, into the eye of the Undead Asylum demon.

With the explosion of the enormous body, blood mist splattered everywhere, and the gloomy power that had enveloped the entire area instantly dissipated—and just like that, a demon lord who had tried to climb back to the mortal world was defeated.

The ghost soldiers hastily summoned by the Undead Asylum demons were also completely crushed.

Although the curse on the village has not yet been lifted, it will disappear over time.

"ah."

But it's not over yet. For Lillie, it's a battle to prove herself, but for Lin Miao, it's just a process of getting rewarded.

On the suddenly silent battlefield, as Lillie stood in the sunlight that finally pierced through the dark clouds, savoring her victory, Lin Miao suddenly pointed to a certain spot.

What are these?

Lin Miao skillfully led Lillie through secret passages and hidden doors to the most secluded place in the castle—the lord's exhibition room for collecting treasures for his hobby, which is also a special space where one can change professions.

The store displays a wide variety of items imbued with special powers, such as bows, guns, swords, and staves.

Picking up these items allows you to acquire the skills of the corresponding profession and complete the job change; this is how the game progresses.