Frozen in place, Faye and the others stared straight ahead, wide-eyed and breathless. No one dared to make a noise, as though anything could find their location and jump out at them at any moment.
The silence after the sound of books falling pressed in on them like a heavy weight. Faye listened for any further sounds, but heard nothing beyond what they'd already heard.
Then, as the silence continued, footsteps echoed off the walls, like someone was running. A shadow flickered along the bookshelves, just out of reach of the overhead lights.
The air felt heavier, as though the entire room was holding its breath. The instinct to flee grew stronger with every passing second, but they knew that staying put was the safer choice.
Mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps came the metallic clash of swords and the urgent shouts of a group from not far away.
Summoning their courage, Faye and her group inched towards the end of the nearest bookshelf so they could better see what was happening.
Jarreth and his companions emerged into view, battered and breathless, their clothes torn and their faces streaked with sweat and grime. Burn marks mottled their skin, and their hair appeared singed and wild, as if they had all been given an electric shock.
Turning away from the group, Faye's eyes locked onto a mass of wires thrashing in the air, all connected to the Main Computer. It loomed above the players like a predator, its cables lashing out to parry their swords with ease.
The Main Computer met every strike with swift, mechanical precision - none of their blows left a single scratch. The Main Computer held the upper hand, its defences impenetrable.
As long as the Main Computer stayed in the air, there was no way for the players to defeat it.
And for now, it still had control of the entire game world, including the bookshop they were standing in. This meant that no reinforcements were coming to help, and they could only rely on themselves.
Faye glanced at Jarreth, who was still swinging his sword - despite it not making a dent in the wires - her voice barely above a whisper: "They can't keep this up much longer. Those wires... There has to be a way to bring it down."
An idea struck her as she saw Ashlyn anxiously fiddling with the communication device. It had worked on the door, so would it be useful against taking down the Main Computer?
She then turned her gaze to Nox, who was at the back of the group. He had been trying to keep his presence to the minimum, as he was still not used to being around so many people.
Being stuck in the dungeon as the ultimate boss had taken a toll on him, and being around people was something he was still getting used to.
Faye understood this about him, but she also knew that being in that dungeon had been more beneficial than harmful.
He had honed his fighting skills to the max, making him arguably the strongest NPC in the game. This made Faye think he would be invaluable to her next scheme.
Quietening her voice, Faye leaned closer to Nox and addressed the group, "I think I have a way to take down the Main Computer."
"With the jamming device, we can block the Main Computer's signal, which will make it easier to attack. We just need a distraction to draw its attention away so someone can attach the device to its main body."
The group absorbed her suggestion and agreed that it was feasible, though it could be dangerous, so someone would need to step up and be the distraction.
Among them, only Nox was a fighter. The others were NPCs, mainly shopkeepers who provided information to players. Alyx was a player who preferred inventing things to exploring dungeons or completing quests.
Everyone turned to Nox, who had been staring at the ground the whole time and didn't even notice when Faye moved closer to him.
She patted him on the shoulder and said, "Leave the distraction to me. You just need to plant the device on the Main Computer. Can you do that?"
"I-I can try," Nox replied, a slight smile breaking through his nervous expression. Though uncertainty flickered in his features, a strong determination was evident in his eyes.
"Good," Faye said, returning his smile. Ashlyn then handed the jamming device to Nox. "Let's see if this will work."