Defense specialization and preparation.
Last chapter surprised her.
She had not expected everyone to take it so seriously.
Thank you.
But she will not overwork herself in writing. Sorry.
She wishes to update at her own pace, as a personal enjoyment.
The usage limit for Cover Move has been relaxed.
Skill notation has been corrected.
One week since Sally began gathering skills.
That is, one week until the event, when Maple logged in alone to search for skills.
“Just realized—when I was told, but… the skill usually held by someone with a large shield in a party, I don’t have it at all.”
Sally mentioned that large shields had many unique skills related to defense and defense power. When time did not allow for group login, Maple usually tried to acquire those skills alone.
Incidentally, she had already gathered several essential skills with Sally, focusing on HP and MP enhancement.
Maple checks her current status while searching for skills she might need.
Lv24
HP 40/40〈＋60〉
MP 12/12 〈＋10〉
【STR 0】
【VIT 170〈＋66〉】
【AGI 0】
【DEX 0】
【INT 0】
Equipment
Head 【Empty】
Body 【Black Rose Armor】
Right Hand 【Crescent: Poison Dragon (Hydra)】
Left Hand 【Dark Night's Shadow: Evil Feeder】
Feet 【Black Rose Armor】
Boots 【Black Rose Armor】
Accessory 【Forest Queen's Ring】
【Toughness Ring】
【Empty】
Skills
【Absolute Defense】【Giant Eater (Giant Killer)】【Poison Dragon Eater (Hydra Eater)】【Bomb Eater (Bomb Eater)】【Meditation】【Provocation】【Wicked Cruelty】【Great Shield Proficiency IV】【Body Maneuvering】【Attack Dodging】【Shield Attack】
【HP Enhancement Minor】【MP Enhancement Minor】
Skills 【HP Enhancement Minor】 and 【MP Enhancement Minor】 acquired. HP increased by thirty. MP increased by ten.
Thanks to the toughness ring Sally gave, HP increased by another thirty.
It feels small, but for now, Maple’s HP has more than doubled.
Sally said she would rush to obtain the Defense Penetration skill before the event.
The reason: to measure the damage she might take from Maple. One cannot simply charge in blindly, after all.
“I’ve been receiving so much help… I must learn a skill that can contribute in return.”
She sets her focus on one skill.
【Cover Move I】 and 【Cover】… Basic skill for large shields, I see. I never took it, but…
A skill meant to protect party members. Exclusive to those wielding large shields. One might say every player in the party who uses a large shield possesses it.
Maple’s interest stirred in the skill she had once deemed unnecessary, now that she was part of a party.
【Cover Move I】
Moves to any party member within five meters, ignoring AGI.
Takes double damage for thirty seconds after use.
Ten uses available.
Recharges one time per hour.
Acquisition method
Purchase at the Skill Shop.
【Cover】
Shields a nearby party member from attack.
Increases VIT by ten percent upon activation.
Acquisition method
Purchase at the Skill Shop.
The Skill Shop is an NPC vendor that sells base skills for each piece of equipment.
【Cover Move I】 and 【Cover】, among others,
such as 【Slash】 and 【Double Slash】, are available.
Having sold the white scales acquired from the underground lake, she now had enough gold to afford two such skills without hesitation.
“I’ll go get them now!”
Maple walked toward the NPC shop.
She thought it necessary. Perhaps she could save Sally now.
Maple emerged from the shop with a bag in one hand. Inside the bag were two scrolls, each inscribed with a skill.
Maple sat on a bench. She pulled the scrolls out with a rustling sound, spreading them open.
The characters on them glowed, then faded as the scrolls crumbled, dissolving into light.
『Skill 【Cover Move I】 acquired』
"Oh—! Beautiful!"
Maple took out the scroll for 【Cover】 and unfolded it with a swift motion.
It too glowed, then crumbled, blending into light and vanishing.
"Aah… already gone. Was there something else I needed…?"
There should be no such thing as a skill needed right now, having come here to research it first.
"Well, it doesn't matter... perhaps it will be added someday... Anyway, I should head off to sharpen the PS skill Sally mentioned!"
She turned cheerfully toward the second layer’s field.
"Uuu... so slow. Incredibly slow. Have my footsteps really been this sluggish before...?"
She had come a fair distance, as Sally had instructed, to the desert. She walked for a while, then stopped. According to Sally, this desert was currently the best place.
"Hmm... no enemies in sight... wait—!?!"
Maple nearly fell forward from a sudden impact behind her.
Damage was, of course, zero. No danger of death.
"W-what was that...? Was it... that?"
Maple saw a pillbug-like monster, which had struck her from behind, roll away in a tumbling motion.
It rolled for a while, then straightened its curled body and sank into the desert sand with a dry scraping sound.
"Ah… so that was practice for defense."
Maple replaced her large shield with a pure white one.
The large shield, as white as fresh snow, was dotted with blue gems at irregular intervals.
Its name was [White Snow]—a shield forged by Iz.
[White Snow]
[VIT +40]
Unlike [Nightshade’s Reflection], it had no skill name, just a simple design. Yet its VIT bonus surpassed that of Nightshade’s Reflection at present.
One could see Iz’s skill from this alone. The front-line players were supported by the finest crafters in the world.
"Right… let’s do this."
The pillbug struck Maple’s back of the head as she raised her great shield.
“Uwah! C-coming, wait a moment!”
The monster did not wait. Another strike hit Maple as she cried out.
“Ugh… y-you’re going to regret this!”
She rose, shield raised, ears straining.
Sally said it was key to locate enemies by the sound of their movement.
“Hm… this way!”
Maple turned right, shield held high. At once, a pillbug lunged out and slammed into the shield, rebounding sharply.
“Good… yipe!”
Maple turned, satisfied. Another pillbug struck her from behind.
“S-so… not just one. This is harder than I thought.”
They fought for another two hours. In the end, only about forty percent were stopped.
Sally says that if she can stop all attacks, she should be able to avoid piercing strikes in most situations.
Fourty percent... That’s not bad. Sally, how does she avoid everything like that...
She recalls her friend’s movements—dodging as if the enemy’s attacks were never meant to hit—and logs out for the day.
A short time earlier, when Sally had logged in alone.
Good. Time to allocate stats. The plan’s settled. Hmm... Wider attack options are better... STR to fifteen, AGI to twenty, and put the rest into INT. That’s fifty—fully invested!
Sally
Lv18
HP 32/32
MP 25/25〈＋35〉
【STR 25〈＋20〉】
【VIT 0】
【AGI 75〈＋68〉】
【DEX 25〈＋20〉】
【INT 25〈＋20〉】
Equipment
Head 【Surface Scarf: Mirage】
Body 【Ocean Coat: Great Sea】
Right Hand 【Deep Sea Dagger】
Left Hand 【Deep Sea Dagger】
Legs 【Great Sea Leggings】
Boots 【Black Boots】
Accessory 【Empty】
【Empty】
【Empty】
Skills
【Status Attack III】【Slash】【Double Slash】【Gale Slash】【Strength Boost Minor】
【Multi-Strike Boost Minor】【Down Attack】【Power Attack】【Switch Attack】【Combat Skill I】
【Shortsword Proficiency II】【Clever Frugality】【Defense Break】
【Fire Magic I】【Water Magic II】【Wind Magic II】
【Earth Magic I】【Dark Magic I】【Light Magic II】
【Fireball】【Waterball】
【Water Wall】
【Wind Cutter】【Wind Wall】
【Sand Cutter】
【Dark Ball】
【Refresh】【Heal】
【MP Boost Minor】【MP Cut Minor】
【MP Recovery Speed Boost Minor】【Magic Proficiency II】
【Fishing】【Swimming X】【Diving X】【Cooking I】
【Gathering Speed Boost Minor】【Stealth II】
【Sensory Awareness II】【Stealth I】【Leap I】
【Poison Resistance Minor】
"Light magic upgraded to II, so I can use 【Heal】 now... and I boosted 【Status Effect Attack III】, making it easier to inflict status effects... I’ve also taken through-attack, so both offense and support feel balanced."
She closes her status menu and turns toward the field. Her destination lies deep within a distant forest.
"I’ll hide from Maple, pull off a cool skill, and surprise her!"
Sally is attempting to complete one of the ongoing NPC events in the current game world.
At the forest’s heart stands a small house. Completing the event there grants 【Hyper Acceleration】.
"Condition is 【AGI 70】突破, barely met—lucky!"
Sally has been strengthening herself in her own way, preparing for her first event with Maple.