Defense specialization and the manor, part two.

Apologies for the delay.

"Yok… to. With this, just clamp it from above… done!"

Maple lowers one large shield from the air with her [Saving Hand], then twists her body and lies down upon it.

She presses another large shield above her, stretching her hand to hold [Night's Reflection] forward.

Maple is enclosed between two shields like an oyster, and lifted gently off the ground by the control of her [Saving Hand].

"Got it—worked perfectly! Now the trap won’t trigger. Safe!"

Maple continues forward down the corridor, avoiding the floor traps.

Ahead, in her line of sight, she sees a thin thread shimmering between wall and wall.

"Ahh!? Wait…!"

Maple fumbles the motion of her 【rescue hand】, unable to guide it properly. She moves forward, severing the thread cleanly with 【Evil Feast】.

The spear that bursts forth is nothing to Maple. She scowls, as if caught off guard.

“【Hair Growth】!”

The lengthening hair wraps around Maple and three nearby shields. A massive, pure-white ball of hair forms, floating in midair.

“Don’t know it. Don’t know it. Can’t hear traps at all.”

Maple vanishes entirely within the ball of hair and flies down the corridor.

Something triggers a trap mid-flight. It does not register with Maple.

Guillotines, poisoned arrows, spears rising from floor or ceiling—all activate, but stop there.

These traps no longer respond to Maple at all.

Turn left when you hit the wall... go from the farthest back! I think the good things are at the back. Important things are hidden at the back, aren’t they?

Floating like a tuft of wool, she drifts forward, crushing every trap she collides with, swaying toward the deepest part.

After moving for a while.

Ah—hit the wall, so left is no good. Then right!... Wait?

Maple, floating gently, had grown so used to the clatter of traps that the familiar clank of activation no longer registered.

What’s wrong... Ah!?

Maple pokes her face out from the tuft.

She realizes then—she is enclosed in a cage, surrounded by iron bars.

Break open!

She extends her hand further, thrusting a large shield against the bars.

A perfect hole opens in the bars. The cage itself dissolves into light.

Not much, thought it would be sturdier. Still, I’ll show my face a bit…

Maple peeks her face out from the tuft, then resumes moving forward.

Toxic gas sprays from the wall. The floor splits open. Still, Maple remains unharmed.

Ah, a dead end. We’ve come far. This must be deep inside.

Before Maple stands a single door.

Having decided to explore from the farthest point inward, Maple extends a hand from the tuft and twists the doorknob.

Yup… stuck… nngh, got it!

Forcing her body through the frame, Maple pushes her woolly coat into the space and steps in with a soft thud.

She surveys the wide room.

Short candles, evenly spaced along the walls, cast a dim, flickering light.

Maple sees a floor and walls scarred with damage, worn armor lined along the walls as if long used.

Each piece holds a weapon. From afar, they appear still serviceable.

At the front, a more ornate set of armor stands out. Maple fixes her gaze upon it.

"Is that it...? There must be something here..."

Maple drifts forward, light as air, but pauses when she reaches the room’s center. A single sheet of paper lies on the ground.

"Oops... lower yourself."

Maple floats down gently. From the tangle of her hair, she extends a hand and lifts the paper. She reads.

"Um... this is a journal? Number of traps triggered... increases strength...? Ugh!?"

As Maple reaches that line, chains fall from the ceiling with sharp clanks. In an instant, they wrap around her, binding her tightly.

Before Maple can react, the chains spiral around her, twisting tightly. She becomes a tangle, frozen midair.

Maple tries to move her shield with 【Rescue Hand】, but it only sways slightly—no escape.

“D-don’t know what to do…”

As Maple hangs suspended, around her roughly twenty suits of armor begin to shift slowly.

One, more ornate than the rest, moves with sudden agility—as if a person were inside.

“S-situation time!”

Maple pulls her head into the tangle, begins to sort through the situation.