It’s not the last boss that’s waiting inside, though.

In every properly constructed video game in the role-playing genre, there’s a clearly recognizable point of no return. A location where the game, either explicitly or through its art direction, tells you that you’re heading into the last section of the last dungeon, and waiting for you at the end is the final boss and, if you’re lucky enough to come out victorious, the ending credits.

This is something that’s been seen in RPGs for decades…but it turns out you can find places with that same aura in real life too, as evidenced by this photo from Japanese Twitter user @maybeeeeem.

“You will not be able to save past this point. Do you really want to proceed?” tweets @maybeeeeem, masterfully mimicking the on-screen warning more generous games provide in case you’ve got any unfinished side quests or level-grinding left to do. The glowing lantern even looks like the sort of object you’d interact with as a save point.

Other Twitter users got the same impression from the dramatic image, reacting with:

“You can feel the presence of the last boss waiting for you at the back of the building.”
“Think I’m gonna save this part for later.”
“Be right back…gonna go level up a few times.”
“Yeah, you always gotta save before the last boss fight.”
“Can’t turn back now!”

Of course, this being the real world, there’s no dragon, sorcerer, or other RPG adversary inside the building…but there is a giant. A giant Buddha, to be precise, as the photo is of Todaiji Temple in Nara City. Until 1998, it was the largest wooden building in the world, and it needed to be that big because it houses the Nara Daibutsu, or great Buddha, statue.

Being based in the Kansai region, @maybeeeeem has also snapped photos of other prominent landmarks of central Japan, such as Osaka Castle…

…and Kumano Nachi Shrine and Waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture.

And though none of them actually have save points, they’re all worth saving as places to put on your itinerary for your travels in Japan.

Source: Twitter/@maybeeeeem via IT Media
Images: Twitter/@maybeeeeem
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