Defense-focused and ideal for fishing.
"Oh! So the Town looks like this!"
Risa looked around, her voice bright with delight. Her expression reminded her of herself at the start of the game—familiar, nostalgic.
"Maple's... wait—dangerous. The visual gap between Maple's gear and mine is too extreme. It's a bit painful."
Risa corrected her player name and spoke.
Hinata must remember not to call Risa by her name.
"Hehe, it's only early gear, after all."
Risa quickly added Hinata as a friend, formed a party, and showed her status.
Sally
Lv1
HP 32/32
MP 25/25
【STR 10〈＋11〉】
【VIT 0】
【AGI 55〈＋5〉】
【DEX 25】
【INT 10】
Equipment
Head 【Empty】
Body 【Empty】
Right Hand 【Novice Sword】
Left Hand 【Empty】
Feet 【Empty】
Shoes 【Novice Magic Boots】
Accessory 【Empty】
【Empty】
【Empty】
Skills
None
"Spreading points across various stats, huh?"
"That's standard!... I've left VIT, MP, and HP untouched for now."
"Why?"
"Full evasion means no damage. So HP and VIT are unnecessary. I don't know if I'll use magic... MP and INT can stay low for now. STR can be compensated by the weapon."
"Thinking ahead, aren't you?"
Maple has nothing to think about—she'll just allocate points to VIT when she levels up.
"Fufu... The mind that thinks in terms of flawless evasion is a different kind entirely. By the way... wasn't the third-place prize an equipment item?"
She had noticed the equipment remained unchanged from what Sally had described, prompting the question.
"It was just a commemorative medal. I'd hoped it might be gear, though."
“Well… the next event might not be like that either… ah, right—what now?… Where are we going now?”
When Maple tells Sally her current goal is the underground lake, Sally nods slowly, as if pondering something. A thought seems to form.
“Then leave it to me! I’ve got a good idea…”
Maple listens attentively.
Sally speeds ahead toward the underground lake. In-game, moving too much causes mental fatigue, slowing reactions—but the extent varies by player.
How well the mind functions determines differences in reaction speed, stamina, and other PS (Player Skills).
Sally can move this fast because she is accustomed to VR.
As for Maple—
She clings to Sally’s back.
All her usual heavy gear removed. Few would recognize her as Maple.
Strength does not affect equipping armor. Carrying it, however, requires additional strength equal to the armor’s weight.
That is why she removes her gear.
"Three wolf-type monsters approaching from ahead! Maple!"
"Got it!"
Sally sets Maple down and steps back.
With Sally’s high agility, she runs through the underground lake, carrying Maple on her back. At each encounter, she sets Maple down and lets her fight. The journey takes only one-fifth the time it would have taken if Maple had gone alone.
"Ooooh! That was amazing fast!"
Maple speaks with delight as she reattaches her gear.
Sally feels immediately useful, a faint smile on her lips.
"Hmph... just wait and see!"
"Haha! My lady~!"
The playful exchange ends quickly. The two begin fishing. Sally has brought her own rod. They stand side by side, lowering their lines onto the lake’s surface and waiting.
An hour passes since they began fishing.
“Y-yeah, finally the third one!”
“A-again, it’s caught!”
Maple has caught three fish.
Sally has caught twelve.
“Leveling up just by catching fish here, thanks to being able to come at level one.”
Indeed, Sally’s level has risen to six.
Moreover,
“Got the Fishing skill—… First skill’s Fishing, huh… Can’t say Maple’s changed much.”
Fishing skill requires DEX over twenty—impossible for Maple to ever attain.
“Don’t you ever redistribute your stat points, Sally?”
“Not yet. I want to pick a few more skills first. Some skills determine combat style. So I’m holding off on stat points. My initial stats are good enough to fight with.”
“Wow, pro-level stuff.”
“Just played a lot of games before.”
She says this and continues fishing for another hour.
Maple’s catch remains unchanged.
Sally’s catch, however, rises to twenty after gaining the skill [Fishing].
“How’s that? Sufficient?”
“Hmm… just one more hour… okay?”
“Sure! But I want to try something too… can I hunt instead of fishing? By diving?”
“Really? Can you even do that?”
“I think so. Besides, Maple’s tried stranger things before. Maybe with my AGI, I could take down one of those fish that just stays still? I’m good at swimming.”
She says this and leaps into the subterranean lake.
“Then, good luck!”
“Yeah! I’ll bring back as many as I can.”
Sally dives beneath the surface.
She swims through the lake for an entire hour without resurfacing.
She returns, breath slightly ragged, yet her stamina remains—unlike someone who had just sprinted through the depths.
"Since I got 【Swimming I】 and 【Diving I】, it’s become much easier!"
Sally pulls eighty pure-white scales from her inventory.
"…C-can I really take these?"
"I don’t need them… in exchange for your help next time."
"Then it’s settled! I promise to help."
Maple carefully stores the eighty scales in her inventory. Sally then speaks with a solemn expression.
"Hey… Maple. There are only two dungeons we’ve found, right?"
"Um… yeah, that’s right."
"There was a small side passage at the bottom of the subterranean lake."
"…! That might be…!"
Sally nods, barely concealing her excitement.
"Could be a dungeon entrance… but…"
"Yeah… I can’t go."
Maple’s status wouldn’t allow her to dive properly. Drowning would be her first death.
“So I’m thinking we should approach this carefully. There might be a unique series item like Maple’s… so…”
Maple understood what Sally meant, her voice sharp with intent.
“Yeah, I’ll help you reach the subterranean lake! I’ll return the favor right away!”
“Knew you’d say that! You’re the best, Maple!”
“Hehe, not that great!”
Since logging out would be easy on the way back, Sally resumed swimming to raise her skill levels in [Swimming I] and [Diving I].