Defense specialization and the fourth floor of the tower.

The two drifted down the river for a while. Nothing emerged from the forest. Peace reigned.

Sally lay on Maple’s back, protected by Maple’s Love That Offers the Body.

“Maple… what’s it like in the water?”

“Fish, and other things. Sometimes they scratch me and I fall.”

Maple, unfortunate in being caught in the process, adjusted her two feet among the six, her expression apologetic, as a small amount of experience points arrived.

“Entering the water is dangerous. I might try fishing. There could be rare materials.”

“Fishing… I wish I could catch a little more.”

With Maple’s stats skewed, she could catch only about one fish per hour.

Maple struggles to dive. Well, that’s how it goes—proper use of one’s strengths… here we go!

Sally lowers her fishing line into the water and begins to fish at her leisure. After a while, a fish she has never seen before is caught. It has no special effect. Just a tasty fish.

Ah, right, Sally. Are the others swimming on the fourth floor too?

Not sure… The water’s full of monsters, isn’t it? They probably don’t dive like Maple. Look, I remember the Town shop had boats and such.

Boats, huh… I wish we could ride one… Hey, hey, Sally, let’s go next time!

Sure, here we go again… huh?

Something wrong, Sally?

Just a feeling… No. The current’s picking up!

As the water flows faster, a large rock becomes visible midstream. A boat hitting it wouldn’t survive unscathed.

"Sally, hold on tight so you don’t fall! Even if we hit something, it should be fine!"

"I think we’re supposed to avoid it… well, whatever. Here we go!"

Sally secured Maple’s body with spider silk, keeping her from drifting out of the range of Love That Offers the Body. The current swept them forward, carrying Maple downstream without need for swimming.

"Alright! Told you it’d be fine! How’s it going, Sally?"

Despite her size, Maple could not avoid the obstacles. She collided with every one, yet suffered no damage. Still, she called back to Sally on her back, smug despite being tossed wildly through the torrent.

"Ugh… the ride’s… surprisingly… Maple! Forward! Forward!"

"Huh? W-whoa! Waaah!?"

A series of impacts with a large rock caused Maple to lose balance. She plunged beneath the surface.

Sally instantly detached the thread from Maple and pressed herself against the rock, escaping danger.

"Shit... Maple, where are you!?"

Sally created footholds in midair, using the thread to leap toward a distant rock, searching for Maple.

The black bulk was nowhere to be seen.

As Sally moved through the air, water spears launched from below, responding to her motion.

"Stay out of my way!"

Sally twisted her body, dodging the water spears, and landed on the rock.

"At least the water’s stopped coming... but the water’s full of monsters, can’t dive... huh?"

In Sally’s frantic gaze, a black mass struck the rock and bounced upward.

Sally leapt through the air again, avoiding the water spears, and cast the thread into the water.

"Got you... good!"

Feeling solid resistance, Sally anchored her body to the rock and pulled with all her strength.

Maple emerges from the water, returning to human form.

“Yo— you alright, Maple?”

“Uuu… I was drowning… thank you, Sally.”

“Suffocation broke the [Ruthless] curse. Hmm, well, glad you’re safe.”

“Spinning… didn’t know which way the current was taking me…”

Maple sits heavily on the rock, dazed.

“Let’s rest a moment. You’ve had enough. We’ll need to figure out how to descend the river.”

She can’t ride on Maple’s back anymore. And flying above the river brings arrows.

“Y-yeah… first, rest… ugh, if only we could stop the river’s flow…”

“Like turning off a tap… but yes, that’d make things easier.”

The two remain seated on the rock until Maple steadies herself.