Defense specialization and progress.
When Maple and her group returned to the guild home, Crom and his companions had just paused their advance to rest. Maple hurried over with a quick, light step.
“Ah, you’ve finished a stage too?”
“Yes! Our skills are nearly unusable, so we’re done for today.”
“How far did you get, Maple-chan?”
“We just finished the seventh floor!”
They accepted the drinks Iz had provided and settled into their chairs.
Crom’s group had cleared up to the ninth floor.
“Wow! That’s impressive!”
“Yeah, we want to catch up soon.”
Avoiding major spoilers that might spoil your enjoyment, the boss on the tenth floor is strong.
We were forced to retreat after failing to overcome it. You’ll likely meet it, so be careful.
Upon hearing this, the two women exchange startled expressions. If these six were defeated, the boss must be formidable indeed.
"Please be careful, Maple-san!"
"We'll do our best to overcome it!"
"Still, we were just observing, so I haven't used my grimoire yet. But it was definitely strong."
Though the six still have untried items and tactics, they all mutter that even so, the enemy remains a serious threat.
"...I, I can't believe there's such a powerful boss. I'm starting to feel nervous."
"Maple, it's too early. We still have to clear the eighth and ninth floors."
"That's right! We must be fully prepared."
"If any supplies run low, let me know. And there are items made from things we found midway up the tower—check them later."
"Thank you!"
"Yeah, it helps. Two of us means we can afford to use damage-boosting items freely..."
Maple's damage output is fixed by nature, dealing consistent harm without relying on STR, but that also means it's difficult to increase further.
As the boss grows stronger, Sally's damage has become increasingly vital.
"Three attackers on this side. Still, it's been a long time since I truly felt how valuable healing is."
"Usually, Maple-chan is here."
"Thanks to Mai and Yui, we can defeat the boss with less effort. That's our saving grace."
"I'm glad I could help!"
"This time, I managed to land the hits..."
They smile, pleased with their performance. Maple watches them, and again feels reassured that inviting them to the guild was the right choice.
The conversation shifts to the boss they struggled with most so far.
"That book boss was tough."
Ah, having my blade skill taken, and Crom’s revival taken too...
Yui-chan and Mai-chan’s attack power dropped sharply too, didn’t they?
The other guild members besides Maple also held several powerful skills. To lose those would break their tactics entirely.
Ah, that was rough… I lost almost all my skills.
Yet we repelled everything. That’s how we pushed the Love That Offers the Body onto the target and widened the range to win.
Still as reckless as ever, aren’t you?
Maple, responding to Kanade’s words, lifts her arms slightly, hesitating before speaking.
Sally managed to dodge the Machine God’s attack and finish it off while I was being bitten by the Predator—she was incredible!
I haven’t avoided a boss without Love That Offers the Body in a while—quite enjoyable, actually.
You’re dodging the Machine God’s gunfire too…
No one else could manage that, I suppose.
As they continued speaking, the topic turned to how few people could properly handle Maple and Sally’s usual approach. Then came the further observation that clearing the dungeon with six of them, and having the boss fall so easily, was not ordinary.
“We should go exploring together again when this event ends!”
“Yeah, that’d be good. Then we’ll have to clear all the way to the tenth floor properly.”
“We’ll plan our strategy again and clear it too. Wait for us outside the tower.”
“We won’t lose either. We’ll catch up—just you wait!”
With that promise made—another group expedition after the event concluded—they continued talking about the various things that had happened during the event.