Defense specialization and the Seventh Layer.

Short.

Maple and the others headed as usual toward the guild home.

Sally kept hold of Maple’s right hand the entire time, her gaze darting restlessly in ways unlike her usual reconnaissance.

The guild home appeared as a ruined building from the outside, but inside, as always, comfortable rooms stretched out.

Each one moved away from the lobby—some to their own rooms, others to check equipment locations—until only Maple and Sally remained.

“Ah… finally calm.”

Sally exhaled deeply, then tapped the panel to display the logout prompt.

“Then… Maple. I’ll come back when the Seventh Layer is live…”

“Huh?”

Sally offered a faint smile, said nothing more, and vanished as if fleeing.

Sally had not fled out of fear, but had fled—exactly so—and Maple, who knew Sally well, thought that was unavoidable.

“Can’t explore with Sally…”

Just as Maple disliked pain, Sally disliked certain things.

“If she said that… she won’t come back…”

This time, she would let it go. Maple decided to walk through the Town alone.

Leaving the Guild Home, Maple paused, glancing left and right to choose a direction.

“Yeah! I’ll see everything—so I can tell Sally all about the Sixth Layer when she returns!”

With that resolve, Maple walked down the moonlit path.

“Ugh… everywhere’s just ruins. Probably nothing unusual inside… huh!?”

As she passed occasional ruins completely collapsed, a faint breeze brushed her neck—warm, then cold.

Maple turned to look behind her. Nothing was there.

“This, Sally might not even be able to walk through the Town.”

A faint blue spirit flickered in the window. Sally, with sharper senses than Maple, noticed such things more easily.

“For now, let’s try entering some shop!”

Maple said that, and stepped into a store glowing with a hazy light.

While Maple explored.

Risa had returned to the real world, lying on her bed.

“Ah, impossible. Well, doesn’t matter. I can level up in another layer.”

Risa rolled lazily, showing no regret. After a while, she began checking the data for the sixth layer.

First to appear was a skill that increased MP.

“Kanade might take that… I kind of want it… but Rayce? Skeleton? No way.”

Seeing the enemy appear, Risa murmured to herself.

Risa continued to check the information.

Though only a few were available, she managed to identify those that could be obtained in clear, accessible locations.

What emerged were skills that inflicted status abnormalities, a low-probability skill that doubled the effect of certain items, a skill that enhanced 【AGI】, and a speed-boosting ability.

And a pair of boots that could create a single transparent platform in midair.

"Aaah… uuu… kuu, nnn… aghaagh…!"

Groaning with a harsh voice, Risa traced the screen with her finger to confirm. The text there did not change.

She restarted the game, then stopped. Restarted again, stopped again. She paced around the room in circles. In the end, she collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained that day.