Defense specialization and items.

Not long after finishing her shopping, Maple walked across the storm-wracked cloud sea, the jungle forgotten.

"Can I win...? I wonder."

Anxiety weighs on Maple, yet her inventory is packed with everything she gathered for this attempt.

If even one of these proves effective, the path will open.

"Some of these seem like they might be wasted...? No, it doesn’t matter! If they fail, I’ll rethink everything—again!"

Before Maple, that throne appeared once more.

"Alright. Let’s do this—let’s do this!"

As Maple stepped toward the throne, light formed upon it, just as before.

The ground began to glow with holy radiance. Arrows of light shot forth.

"I’m not dealing with that anymore."

Maple did not engage in exchange of arrows this time. She walked straight toward the king, taking the arrows in her body.

Arriving at the foot of the great light king, Maple opened her inventory within the downpour of arrows and began examining the items.

—Hmm... I’ll try one by one.

Maple withdrew a single sheet of paper from her inventory and pressed it firmly against the foot of the light king.

Immediately, the paper glowed red and burst into flame with a sharp sound.

—Ah... doesn’t work? Not even fire? Then next—this one!

Maple pressed another sheet of paper onto the same spot.

A high-pitched crackle rang out as that part froze solid.

—Oh, HP decreased a little! Good...

Maple sat down before the foot of the king, her inventory still open, and began the process of taking out one sheet at a time, pressing each onto the surface.

She pressed the tip of the King of Light’s foot into ice, relentless, and managed to reduce his HP by a single tenth.

“Hmm... all used up. Try another item.”

Maple continued, using one item after another, discarding each as she went, chipping away at the boss’s HP.

The boss’s attacks grew fiercer. Additional effects emerged. Yet Maple deflected them all. Nothing of consequence.

“Ah... I think I’ve used up all the magic attack items... Fire and wind no longer work. Save this for later... Hmm.”

Maple checked the King of Light’s HP gauge.

It had decreased, certainly. But still six-tenths remained.

The damage from the items Maple used was minimal to begin with. There was nothing to be done about that.

It was a reasonably high-grade item, with effects strong enough to inflict damage only after considerable effort.

"Then, this one here!"

Maple withdrew a stone, red in color, no larger than her palm.

She threw it. It struck the tip of her foot.

It shattered. One point of damage was dealt.

This was the item she had overheard while walking through Town.

A low-cost item, purchasable easily, capable of inflicting fixed damage between one and three.

Maple had heard fragments of a rumor: whether this item could be used to defeat her.

The conclusion, ultimately, was that using a piercing skill would be far easier—though this was unknown to Maple.

"Still... still plenty more to go!"

Though not used for ordinary purposes.

Maple drew it out, threw it, drew it out, threw it—each throw reducing the boss’s HP with certainty.

Time would pass. But now, with only Maple able to inflict damage, victory could come only through her.

It would continue until every red stone filling her inventory had been thrown.

“Thou! Thooo! Good, good—halfway! Hmm?”

As Maple continued throwing stones, the boss’s HP dropped to half. Two angels appeared around the boss.

They floated gently, releasing arrows toward Maple.

“Useless, useless! Not working? What is this?”

Golden threads wrapped around Maple’s body, connecting to the cloud-like ground.

As Maple moved, the golden threads extended without breaking.

“Hmm… what is… ah, MP is being drained. But, well, doesn’t matter. It’s not my concern.”

The increase in 【AGI】 matched the appearance—yet it did not drop to zero. It remained zero. No effect on Maple.

"Alright. Let's try again."

Maple turned back toward the Light King, and noticed the change.

A golden ring hovered above her head. And beyond that, unmistakable, a vast pair of wings formed from faint light pierced through the throne.

Worst of all, her HP was slowly recovering.

"Wha!? Wait—!"

Maple resumed her attack at once. But the healing outpaced the damage. Every point she had stripped away with her items returned in full.

"Cheating. That's cheating!"

Maple jabbed her toes into the short blade. No damage registered.

"Fine... Ah, whatever. Then take this one, even if I bought it by mistake!"

Maple manipulated her inventory, letting dozens of pickled stones fall onto her toes.

The shop selling red stones that dealt confirmed damage operated via panel control, so she had accidentally purchased them.

She had kept them, holding onto faint hope they might be useful somewhere, without ever intending to sell.

"Let's go back... ah... whatever."

Maple trudged home, still wrapped in thread, accepting an arrow's impact with quiet resignation.

"Ugh... made me waste it like that."

That evening, she logged out early, returning to her room with a slightly sour expression, flopping down on the floor.

The next day.

"Wha—! It's a great thunderstorm..."

"Ugh... startled me."

"I was startled too, you know."

Smiling, Maple turned, her white wings glimmering behind her.

"Um... today was supposed to be..."

Yeah, it’ll be over soon. I’m sorry for asking for your help…

Maple lowered her head, her expression apologetic.

“No, we were just about to give up on exploring the jungle ourselves… right, sister?”

“That’s right, Yui. It worked out perfectly.”

Leading the two, who had once helped her in return for a favor, Maple arrived once more before the throne.

“I’ll definitely defeat it.”

With that, Maple began to walk toward the king’s presence.