Defense specialized, and impatience.

Short.

When Crom and Kasumi return to the guild home, only Maple remains there.

Maple lacks the will to embark on another expedition, so the two cannot take anyone else and set out again.

"Sally is still exploring somewhere."

"The other four are not here now. Understood. Then we will wait for the next opportunity."

Crom tells Maple in detail about everything they found this time.

"...I will look again."

Maple's mind, hidden behind her hand, remains unreadable to the two.

Nothing of consequence, or something entirely unforeseen.

Crom and Kasumi swallow their thoughts, wave to Maple, and vanish into the depths of the guild home.

"What is Sally doing now?"

Leaning back on the chair’s backrest, Maple stares at the ceiling. A message arrives.

Maple reads the message. A brief introduction to the upcoming event, starting in February, is written within.

"Explore the jungle, then. I hope the path is easy to walk."

Maple closes the message. She rises from the chair. Moves toward her room in the guild home.

"Maybe I can relax until the event begins."

She murmurs this, walking.

Maple stops to rest.

Sally, who has continued exploring even after descending from the cumulonimbus, leans against a cloud by the roadside. She has run farther than Crom and Kasumi.

"Too many cumulonimbus..."

As she explores, Sally notices the cumulonimbus with entrances scattered throughout.

She keeps attempting them, hoping for something. Her inventory now holds eight of the same item.

"Shall not run short of soap bubbles for a while."

Sally hesitated, foot lifted to step forward, the thought crossing her mind that this side might be a dead end.

"No, today’s done? Hmm..."

Conquering the cloud was like mountain climbing.

The other clouds were smaller than the first, but not easy by any measure.

Compared to the fourth event, there was still room to spare, and with no urgent matter at hand, she thought it best to call it quits for now.

"Shall we end it, hmm?"

Ahead of Sally, who was already turning to leave, floated the true meaning of a cloud.

It passed slowly above her head.

"Whoa... what is that..."

Sally’s eyes followed the cloud, stunned by the sight, and far off in the sky she spotted something shimmering.

"Could it be... then, 【Hyper Acceleration】!"

Sally surged ahead, overtaking the floating cloud.

She arrived at a place where she confirmed, without doubt, that her thoughts had been correct.

Below her, something shimmering glowed brightly.

Around Sally, shimmering soap bubbles floated upward into the sky.

Something... there must be something...

Sally ran through the cumulonimbus cluster she had already explored. Yet, though changes were visible, nothing led anywhere.

Probably when that cloud arrives, the time limit! Something, anything!

Unable to find anything, Sally was overtaken by the cumulonimbus. She accepted this time, she would have to give up.

It’s no use...—aah!

Just as she lowered her gaze, she was lifted sharply by a strong current beneath her feet.

Huh? What...?

Her body spun in circles. When it finally stopped, Sally looked around restlessly—more so than ever before in the game.

Sally slapped her cheek once, inhaled deeply, and regained her composure.

Good. First, what was seen...

Sally recalled the thing rising from beneath her feet. It had been a cluster of soap bubbles.

That is how she came to be carried aloft to the sky.

Concentrate… Do not rush. Slowly…

Sally began walking along the path she could see.