Defense specialization and the fourth event.

Light fades. Before eight eyes appears a green-glowing orb and the pedestal it rests upon. Immediate understanding: this is their own side.

Three corridors extend from the wide chamber.

Sally and Kasumi quickly explore the two corridors behind the pedestal and return.

"Dead end. Just a water source. Could rest here."

"Nothing notable here. Still, could lie down."

"So the remaining one must lead upward? Seems defensible."

A single path. No ambush from behind.

"Then we’ll take the offensive."

"Right. As planned."

The three assigned to attack leap out from their side without delay.

The remaining gather the robes handed down from Iz. Iz herself dons one, then sits upon their side.

This is nothing but cloth—useless for defense, meant only to conceal appearance.

Yet it proves exceptionally effective against players who fail to recognize Maple from a distance.

Because Maple is the symbol of danger.

If one does not perceive the threat, five hands will take their life.

"Let Yui and Mai handle anyone who comes."

"Agreed. For now, we wait until the three return with the orb."

The five remain vigilant at the entrance, conserving their strength.

"If we spot an enemy, instant elimination is acceptable?"

"Yes, it is fine... First, let us explore the nearby area. We will clear dangers in order."

Sally moves forward into the forest, catching the player’s voice.

"I will moderate the pace and guide them."

"Understood."

"Stay hidden in these bushes."

When each had reached their position, Sally leapt lightly across the tree branches toward the source of the voice.

The five players Sally had heard were searching for the orb. They had already left their own ranks and moved outward.

"Perhaps one is nearby..."

"It's fine. Let's not rush."

The five walked forward. At the very moment the last one passed beneath a certain tree.

Sally, hanging upside down from her feet, slid into view with a slow, deliberate motion. Her twin daggers sliced across the back of the man’s neck.

"Uwaaahhh!?"

Sally’s merciless assault began.

The four who turned, screaming in confusion, were struck by a gust of wind.

The situation changed in an instant. The remaining four trembled visibly.

"………"

Sally dashed away from the scene.

"O—wait! Hold on!"

Chaos spread through them all. The instinct to pursue the fleeing target overrode thought.

Just as she thought she might catch up to Sally ahead.

A blade and a sickle swung out from the bushes, striking the lead man with a fatal blow.

"Y—y—!"

Too late to realize it was a trap.

The third man fell to Kasumi’s blade.

"Retreat…!"

A fireball, conjured by Sally, struck the back of the fleeing female player. Balance failed.

"hn!"

There was no way to dodge Crom’s sickle in that state.

"……Good."

"Right. Let’s go."

They deliberately let one escape.

Alone, the remaining one could not defeat another guild. There was only one path left.

Still, the last one should have simply died quietly.

Had they done so, they would not have invited the demon into their home.

The two unfold the map, confirming Sally’s position.

Yes. They needed only follow Sally’s icon, silently tracking the player who had fled back.

“Ah, here she comes.”

Sally calls down from the tree.

“Is that the cave?”

Kasumi asks Sally, who nods.

Ahead, a cave entrance hidden among the trees comes into view, difficult to spot.

“Yes. About the same scale as ours. Number of people unknown.”

Even the smallest guild could hold fifty within the [Maple Tree], so such a number was possible.

It is merely that the [Maple Tree] has too few.

“As planned, I’ll lead. Should be fine.”

Crom steps forward into the cave, as declared.

A short distance in, an orb rests upon a pedestal.

Thirty players listened to the chatter of those who claimed to have encountered something dangerous.

Some players face the entrance, and they notice the intruder.

"Ready yourselves!"

The man, likely the guildmaster, gives a command. All rise with weapons drawn.

"Then, shall we begin?"

Crom leads. Sally and Kasumi follow behind.

The enemy's vanguard lunged forward, converging on Crom in a coordinated strike.

Crom takes damage, as expected. But when a group attacks, someone always returns the strike. Someone always guards.

The vanguard group noticed the HP recovering rapidly the moment it began to drop. They hesitated, their resolve wavering as they turned to flee. At once, Sally and Kasumi shifted into attack.

Magic flew toward them, but Sally dodged without hesitation. Kasumi relied on Crom to cover her.

Sally and Kasumi picked off enemies one by one. Should their focus waver, Crom struck without mercy.

The enemy’s healing could not keep pace with the concentrated assault. One fell. Then another.

“U… no way!?”

“The tank’s paralyzed! Press the attack!”

Perhaps it was desperation, but Crom, who had endured status effects, finally succumbed to paralysis. His precision vanished.

Without his movement, his recovery could not keep up.

They surrounded him—eight against one—and began wearing him down with sheer numbers, skill, and magic.

Yet it was not enough.

Red skeletal figures appeared behind Crom. His HP dropped to one, then stopped.

Crom should have died. Yet Crom had the possibility of returning again and again, thanks to his equipment’s effect.

Perhaps, if fortune favored him, infinitely.

“Hah. Lucky, aren’t you?”

“【Heal】!”

Sally’s magic restored his HP. Time passed. The paralysis wore off.

Their final resolve failed. They were crushed by Crom’s attack—now fully recovered, now joined by the man himself.

“With his old gear, he’d have been forced to use Unyielding. Only Maple could endure that kind of encirclement and survive… normally.”

Crom was top-tier. But even he could not withstand being surrounded on all sides, paralyzed, and beaten to a pulp while still maintaining a surplus of HP.

To survive, barely, was all he could manage.

Kasumi had defeated the most players. Her high damage output and exceptional mobility were no exaggeration among the three.

Players swarmed Crom like ants to sugar. His HP dropped to the brink. Crossing a bridge of slight danger was necessary to preserve his strength.

It was still early. Certain skills had been set aside for later use.

Crom did not use a skill that would absolutely protect him. He had absolute certainty he would not die.

“Wait… I’ll recover the orb… Kasumi, can you take this back for now? I’ll scout the area. Might be closer than I thought.”

Sally remained on the battlefield to check how many guilds were nearby. Crom and Kasumi returned with the spoils.

At the moment Crom and Kasumi began their return, intruders arrived at the 【Maple Tree】.

"Five! Let's go!"

Eight figures entered with high spirits. They advanced toward Maple and the others. A barrage of iron spheres, hurled with the lightness of a snowball fight, met them.

"“Ei!”"

The iron spheres, thrown with a delicate cry, roared toward the players.

Those who hid behind shields had their shields shattered, then themselves.

Those who tried to deflect with swords found their blades snapped, then torn apart.

Those who fled found themselves flung too far forward, their backs struck by impact, then vanished—hopeless, distant, gone.

The eight returned broken. Yet they could still convey, to the guild members, that they would never approach that place again.

That alone was the greatest achievement.