In Between the Lines

— A dragon... Really? This early? I didn't code no freaking dragon to appear in this forest! said Dave, floating around near his companion Alpha, who was running for his dear life.
— Then tell what the hell is this monster! Scales, wings, fangs, claws... Oh and of course one last thing: SPITTING FIRE ON ME! shouted Alpha who barely dodged a fireball.
— You're clearly out-leveled. There's no chance of winning this, I guess.
— Wow! Good guess! Certainly I couldn't have figured this out by myself!
— I truly wonder how did you gain sarcasm by yourself. I coded only a couple of NPCs to be able to use sarcasm and you're definitely not one of them.
— Can you shut up and help me instead of blabbering?!
— Hmmm... Let me think for a sec.
Dave opened a window that listed all of the dragon's data and code lines. Of course he couldn't tamper with a "living" object's lines of code but he was searching for any weakness or unusual data that may be exploited. After a few seconds, it clicked.
— Alpha, there's a cave not far from here. Go hide in it!
— You're joking, right? If I go there I'll be trapped!
— Just trust me on this! I won't let the only person who can talk to me die this easily, right?
— Ugh... fine! I just hope you've got a plan as usual.
Alpha and Dave entered the cave, briefly escaping the monster who cannot pass his body through the entrance. As the mythical creature breathed in, Alpha raised his shield to block the incoming attack. However, as the flames gushed out of the dragon's maw, they stopped their course at the entrance of the cave. It was like they were protected by an invisible barrier.
— Huh... What did you do? asked Alpha.
— Nothing. Just applied knowledge, said Dave. You can take a bit of rest if you want. The dragon isn't going anywhere as his aggro is always active if an available target is around. Plus, it can't reach us here.
— Alright... but why? How is it possible?
— Its hitbox is too large. See how even if his head is small enough to enter but it just won't? That's because I didn't code it properly back then. It was supposed to be one of the last monsters I had to work on, so I roughly make him into a big cube.
— I don't understand. What is this "hitbox" you're talking about?
— Basically, it's like an invisible kind of Aura that envelops the body. Don't be fooled by what you see, it determines at which range an object can be interacted with. Most of the stuff you see in these early parts of the game have an accurate and realistic sense of touch. But this dragon is like a big block of meat. The same is true for his attacks. None of them is small enough to go through the entrance. And I made sure that this cave won't crumble because I hid some treasures and shortcuts here. So we're safe.
— I can finally rest for a bit then? Not that I can actually relax while the dragon isn't stopping its attacks.
Alpha sat for a couple of minutes and realized something odd.
— The fire... These are perfectly shaped cones and spheres... The sound of it isn't even remotely realistic at all.
— Hey! Don't criticize me! It was a work in progress. And I already explained it to you. First of all, we are not supposed to even encounter one in these parts. Second, I was intending to fix it by the end of the development!
— Yeah... Sure, said Alpha half convinced.
After a while they discussed what they should do from here on. Dave explained that even if they took the hidden passages, the dragon would auto-path to them. They needed to defeat him while the monster's hitbox was stuck before them, doing nothing much. Completely vulnerable.
— But my spells are still low level and this guy probably has a high resistance to magic, no?
— Yup, a good 80% resistance to elemental damage. But resistance doesn't mean immunity. And his regenerative ability only kicks in if he takes no damage for a while.
— ... You're not actually telling me to...?
— Yup, you guessed right! You're going to poke him to death. Eat away his health points bit by bit. It will take some time but as long as we manage your mana usage correctly and your range weapons, we might pull this through. Plus, you'll probably get tons of experience from this! It's a golden occasion.
Alpha just sighed in resignation and got to work. The day was going to be longer than expected. He clenched his teeth and endured it until it came to an end.

Half a day later, and multiple mana potions dried up, the dragon was finally slayed by our brave heroes. They set up camp and as Alpha was preparing dinner, Dave asked:— So... tell me, what kind of face do you want when we'll be able to meet the Queen?— I honestly don't know. Just a proper face I guess. Round shaped eyes, actual lips, a nose that isn't flattened into my cheeks... I mean, I guess I'll ask for an average and "by default" face and if it's possible work the details as it goes. —Yup, I got you... Sorry I didn't mean it for you to end up like this. It's just like the dragon we fought... I kind of thought I'd code character customization at the end. — Well, it's not on you. It was your plan all along to finish the game. It's not like you died on purpose and choose to be sent here in this unfinished world.— ... It's half-true, said Dave with a depressed tone. I intended to finish my game, to prove everyone wrong and finally get what I deserved... But at the same time. I never could find my place in my own world. So, when this god or what-not told me I could be sent into my own creation... I just agreed without a second thought. And here I am. In an incomplete world in which I can't live either. My own world doesn't recognize my existence. I thought I was going to have the adventure of a lifetime... But I'm merely a ghost here.
— Don't worry, I'm here. We'll definitely find a way for you to live here. One way or another.