Defense specialization and rotation.

Maple introduced Yui and Mai to everyone upon reaching the third-tier guild.

After exchanging greetings, Izu secluded herself in the Workshop to craft equipment for Yui and Mai.

Yui and Mai said they would log out for today.

"Both of their levels have risen a little, but it's still not enough... uh... when will Maple and I be able to log in together next?"

The three discussed and scheduled their next possible login time.

"Maple. A word."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Sally whispered something into Maple's ear.

"...Okay!"

"Then I'll get it ready."

"Right, got it."

The others watched Maple and Sally’s exchange with raised eyebrows, and so they parted for the day.

On a later day, the three gathered as planned.

Sally handed items to Yui and Mai among them.

"Here, this is for the two of you."

From Sally, Yui and Mai receive a headgear that covers their entire faces, rendering them invisible.

"Use it as Maple instructed."

They nod in reply.

"Then, follow me?"

"Y-yes!"

Maple and the two depart from the guild hall. Sally remains behind—she has duties of her own, and cannot log out immediately.

"Are you coming too, Crom?"

Sally calls out to Crom, who is leaving the guild for a purpose separate from Maple's.

"Ah. Kasumi has already gone."

The season is summer. During this time, all monsters drop the item [Watermelon] at low probability.

Collecting these raises the guild’s support capacity.

A status boost.

"Maple has sent the two of you to level up. We’ll strengthen the guild."

"Will those two return as they are...? You're not going after the 【Unique Series】, are you?"

"Anyway, level up first. We had them head deeper, out of sight..."

Sally said. There was, of course, a reason for being out of sight.

When she told Crom, Crom too gave a faint smile, nodding in agreement.

Maple had arrived at an area within the depth where few players remained.

It was before the dungeon where Maple had once fought a poison dragon.

"Are we conquering this dungeon?"

"Yeah, that's right. Both of you, put on those?"

They obeyed Maple and donned the gear.

Their faces were now concealed. Their features were no longer recognizable.

"【Love That Offers the Body】!"

From Maple’s body, angelic wings sprouted. Her hair changed color, glowing with divine light.

The two who had seen it before now felt only beauty, without surprise.

“【Violence】”

But the emotion lasted only an instant.

Maple had become a grotesque creature. Only the effect of 【Love That Offers the Body】 remained. Her wings had vanished.

“Ride me! Oh, hit the boss once!”

The two, stronger than Maple, clung to her back as she had been.

“Ah, and for when others see us, I’m going full monster, so please, play along.”

They concealed their faces to prevent the guild from identifying them—first from the guild, then from Maple herself. All to ensure Maple, now recognized as a monster, would not be traced back to her true form.

The ace card must remain hidden until the guild confrontation event.

““Eh?””

“Gug, gegega!”

Maple leapt into the cave.

It was not necessary to go this far. But such is the nature of mood.

After crushing the monsters along the path, she advances straight toward the Boss Room door.

The pitiful fate of the poison dragon is the same as in the first battle—devoured and torn apart.

Before falling, Yui and Mai’s strikes land as well, raising their levels.

And now begins the crucial part.

Maple’s vision shows two magic circles, unlike before.

One leads to the Town. One leads to the dungeon entrance.

Sally had taught her: starting from the second attempt, a new magic circle to the dungeon entrance would be added.

Maple chooses the path back to the dungeon entrance.

The boss revives when the raiders exit the dungeon.

Yes. The goal this time is to loop the poison dragon boss.

The Poison Dragon's dungeon was absurdly high in difficulty for a single floor.

Moreover, with the extreme difficulty now, the town was farther away than ever, making players even less likely to come.

Even more so, the Poison Dragon's dungeon had a short route.

This suited Maple perfectly.

She raced through the empty dungeon, devouring and tearing apart the Poison Dragon.

Yui and Mai's levels rose steadily.

Maple, who remembered the route, never wandered. No equal-level injustice could stop her stride.

Maple continued looping the dungeon at an astonishing pace—three minutes and a little more.

One moment, as she checked the time, a single feeling emerged.

Yes.

She wanted to break two minutes.

There was no deep reason. Yet just a few seconds more, and she would achieve it.

Maple began to find enjoyment in different parts as she repeated the same actions.

The curves were neither too sharp nor too wide. She avoided contact with monsters entirely by burning them down first, eliminating any need to slow.

She opened the Boss Room door at maximum speed and struck the boss with full force.

After trying several times with this focus, Maple reached sub-two minutes.

Yet she still felt there was room to shorten further.

It was the section where she defeated the poison dragon.

She decided to reduce time by having Yui and Mai attack at full capacity.

After attempting this several times.

On the day their levels rose and their attack power increased, Maple and the others succeeded in breaking two minutes thirty seconds.

“Yoooooooh!!”

Maple shouted, voice crackling with static.

No reward came. Yet she was filled with accomplishment.

“Maple-san! Maple-san!”

“Hm? What?”

“…This…?”

Maple looks at the status displayed by the two.

No eyes are present on the face, yet they are visible.

“Um… 【Breaker】? And 【Invader】?”

“Um… 【Invader】 appears if the boss is defeated a set number of times within a time limit. It requires high 【STR】. 【Breaker】 is tied to dungeon clear time. That also requires high 【STR】.”

Maple had raised her status with 【Ruthless】, but that was not her true status. The chance of obtaining it was zero.

Thanks to further explanation from Yui and Mai, Maple understood one thing.

【Invader】 was a substitute for 【Absolute Defense】 with 【STR】.

“Hmm… Kasumi probably doesn’t need it. Crom doesn’t need it. Sally seems to dislike drawbacks.”

Members focused on attack do not welcome skills that limit growth, as they value all other stats equally.

"【Destroyer】... that's something impressive."

The ability of 【Destroyer】 allowed one weapon, normally limited to a single equip, to be equipped twice.

Thus, two large maces could be wielded, like a dual-wielded sword.

"Let's head back after one more round."

" "Yes!" "

The two returned, strengthened many times over by Maple's training. The guild members nodded, as if this were expected.