Defense specialization and report.

Brief, as it’s a follow-up.

Maple’s attacks dealt solid damage to the monsters now deprived of their shells.

The monsters could not harm Maple. The battle ended without incident, a victory for Maple.

“Alright! The last one!”

Maple’s bullet struck the final monster. Her vision darkened. She blinked, and found herself back inside the shop.

“Shopkeeper… not here? Oh!”

A quest completion panel appeared before Maple.

What Maple gained was one skill.

“【Venomous Curse】? What is this?”

【Venomous Curse】

Grants a 20% instant death effect to poison-type skills.

“Hmm… Hmm? I see… It can overcome 【Poison Immunity】, at least.”

The poison dragon (hydra), once difficult to use due to the increasing number of players and monsters with poison immunity or resistance, now gained the ability to distort information about Maple—its wide area affecting multiple poison-immune players, some of whom it could still defeat.

“Perhaps I’ll try it later… For now, just….”

Maple left the shop where the owner had vanished, her steps heavier than light, and headed toward another store.

“Ugh… I won’t forgive you…”

Maple vented her hatred toward the monsters inside the jar as she repurchased the kimono she had just bought.

“Enjoying it is fine, fine!”

Treating it as necessary expense, Maple set out again into the town.

Each one explored fully. Several days later, all had gathered at the guild.

They began to share their findings.

“Then, Maple?”

Sally turned to Maple.

"I got a death-by-impact effect and bought a kimono!"

"...Yeah, we'll talk about it later."

Sally began to speak, organizing her thoughts.

She spoke of the travel permit.

Without a travel permit, exploration in the Town would be insufficient.

To raise the rank of the travel permit, one must complete tedious quests.

Crom and Kasumi already knew this, but for Maple, who did not actively seek such information, it was new.

"So our travel permits are really good, then?"

"More or less. It's a significant advantage."

They had skipped several stages required by most players. That was an undeniable edge.

Afterward, they discussed the presence of such quests here, but no one stepped forward to challenge the quest assigned to Maple.

"Then I'll see you again if something comes up!"

With Maple's words, the conversation ended. Each person turned to their own pursuits.

Kasumi entered her assigned room within the guild and closed the door behind her.

"Hah... happy..."

Every item crowded into Kasumi's room had been purchased in the past few days since entering the fourth layer.

Ceramics and blades, drawn to by appearance alone—none of them related to combat.

Here, unlike in the real world, reckless spending was tolerable.

Thus, Kasumi had, to some degree, perhaps even greatly, overspent.

"Should I go buy more...? I’d better start earning again soon."

The amount of gold displayed on the blue panel had dwindled to an uneasy number.

Kasumi’s purchases were never cheap. Quite the opposite—expensive.

Yet Kasumi had never enjoyed herself more.

“Would love to reach the inner chambers before anyone else… heh.”

Kasumi spoke, eyes fixed on the travel permit labeled “Land” she had drawn from her inventory.

“Right then—let’s go. Time is short.”

She returned the permit to her inventory and burst out of the guild.