Defense specialization and the seventh tower floor.

"Here... this is..."

"Another incredible place, huh..."

The two who had reached the seventh floor were met with blinding snowfall that whitened the horizon, snow piled to their knees, and a sheer cliff face just beyond a single step.

They gasped at the scene, utterly unlike anything within the tower.

The storm had frozen parts of their gear, ice forming and beginning to emit a pale glow.

"What now, Sally? Monsters seem absent for now..."

"Feels like we should go down... toward the cliff?"

Unable to see beyond the storm, the two proceeded cautiously, scanning their surroundings. They discovered only a path descending toward the cliff, with no passage in any other direction.

"We'll have to cross right beside the cliff. But..."

"Uuu, the wind's terrible!"

The blizzard blurs vision. Snow covers the ground. With the wind added, moving across a narrow ledge becomes difficult. For Maple, this is already a harsh environment, even by ordinary standards.

Still, there is no choice but to go down. What shall we do?

"Wouldn't it be easier to descend if we called Shiroppu to carry us?"

Maple attempts to summon Shiroppu, but there is no response.

"Ah? Hmm... no good. What's wrong with it?"

Sally checks the status, watching Maple’s reaction.

A message appeared, indicating that part of the equipment's skills and abilities were sealed.

The "Unbreakable" status and the increase in stats remain, but the "Mirage" effect seems to be无效. Isn't it the same with Maple?

"Uuu... This is difficult... but I feel we've made it to the seventh floor..."

“O, good. Willingness is clear.”

The restrictions have grown stricter, yet Maple no longer yields so easily. She does not falter easily, even when struck with painful damage.

"Shall we descend straightforwardly?"

Sally seems to have something on her mind. She smiles at Maple.

"Hehe, could we take a shortcut?"

"Hmm, yes. I thought you’d say that."

They stand at the edge of a cliff where the footing continues. They look down.

Even without seeing the destination, Maple could leap if she wished.

Thus, the shortcut was merely a free fall, made possible by Maple’s defense.

"If Love That Offers the Body isn’t sealed, I could follow. The proper route would be harder on Maple."

"Then, prepare, prepare! Make sure your body is secured tightly. If you fly off, it’ll be a mess..."

Alright, I’ll keep the item ready just in case.

One hand remains free for the thread-wielder; the other grips an item. Maple stands back-to-back, securing her body with a rope.

Even in a game… the thought of leaping off a cliff has taken root. That’s entirely your fault, Maple, isn’t it?

Heh… if the sky were clear, maybe next time we’d just descend normally…

Shall we go?

Alright!… One, two, three—!

They take a deep breath together, swing their arms wide, and launch into the air.

Maple and the others slice through the blizzard, falling straight down toward the unseen ground far below.

Uuu… the wind’s so loud!

That’s right, it is!

As they descend, the storm weakens. Faint outlines of the ground emerge within the swirling snow.

The ground ahead revealed itself as a field of sharp, ice spikes reaching toward the sky, as if made to pierce through defense.

“W-wait! N-no, no, no, that’s impossible!”

“A mountain of blades… like a fall from above…?”

Sally immediately activates the item in her hand. From the five-layered rain zone, a large mass of water bursts forth beneath them, floating gently in the air.

“[Water Wall] [Icebound Field]!”

The vast amount of water, conjured by skill and item, freezes instantly under Sally’s command.

It remains buoyant. Maple and the others crash into the ice blocks with a loud crack, shattering them as they lose momentum.

“Not completely stopped… but…”

Sally conjures another water sphere, freezes it, and ties a thread to it, forcibly redirecting their descent toward the cliffside.

The cliffside had sharp ice too, but it was better than the ground below.

“Maple—shield!”

“Huh? Ah, right!”

Maple braces her shield as she collides with the cliff. Ice that her shield fails to block grazes her, scattering damage effects.

“Uwah…”

“Let’s—just get to solid ground for now.”

Sally heals Maple’s wound. The two sit on the icy ledge. Maple rubs the spot where the ice scraped her, staring at the ice thorns. Her face turns pale.

“Y-You really can’t cheat like that…”

“Yeah… we’ll avoid jumping into places we can’t see.”

Still, the two had reached near the cliff base, skipping the early and mid stages entirely.

“Phew… my heart felt like it squeezed.”

“Good we didn’t do real ropeless bungee.”

They exchanged idle talk until their breath steadied, then descended the wall with careful, deliberate steps.