Defense specialization and Tower Level Eight.

"Um... ugh, what?..."

After twenty seconds, Maple slowly rises to her feet, glancing around with hurried eyes.

"Good morning. Nothing came after that."

"Ah. The Love That Offers the Body hasn't disappeared... good."

"Still... attacks that induce sleep and transparency might take time to catch, given the delay."

"Shall we try the item Iz gave us?"

Among the items Iz had given them, some could nullify the sleep status effect for a limited time, but their duration was short, and only a few had been prepared.

Since they couldn't be used recklessly, and the enemy's timing remained unknown, such items were poorly suited.

"We can't even approach properly, so we won't know how much HP they have."

"That's right! Yes, we must search hard then!?"

A sudden strike from above collides with Maple’s back. It does not knock her back, but instead pulls her upward into the air.

“Eeeeh!?!”

“Wait, that’s bad—! 【Hyper Acceleration】!”

Sally accelerates to catch up with Maple, who has pulled away so far that 【Threadweaver】’s threads can no longer reach.

Behind her, tree roots surge forward. Exploding fruit engulfs Sally.

“Ah—no, not hit… barely… got away…”

She rolls into the range of 【Love That Offers the Body】 just as it rapidly recedes. She exhales, relieved to still be alive.

“Uu… scared me…”

Maple is released from the pull, thrown like a stone. She tumbles across the ground, clattering with each roll.

Sally returns to Maple’s side, this time connecting their bodies beforehand with the thread magic.

“Safety line—connected… hah, heart’s pounding…”

“Yeah, can’t tell when it’ll strike next…”

“Hmm, if it keeps attacking from behind, we might be able to anticipate it somewhat.”

Only three attacks have occurred so far. The advantage of rear assaults is always true, so no conclusion can yet be drawn.

“Next time it attacks, I’ll aim at that side. Might hit, you know!”

“Right, that’d help a lot.”

Since the monster cannot be detected from either of them, they have no choice but to wait passively for its next move.

They remain still, waiting for the enemy’s approach.

“…It’s not coming.”

“No point tensing up. Can’t predict it anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s—wait, huh!? H-Heads-up! Attack—started!”

By the time she finished speaking, a reaction occurred. Maple fired a round directly ahead.

It tore through trees and thickets, yet no damage effect rose from any direction.

Only a shower of colorful fruits fell from the canopy above.

“Ugh… stuck right to my face…”

Maple rubbed her face vigorously with both hands. Sally retrieved a towel from her inventory and passed it to her.

“Probably will fall off eventually, but it’s still unpleasant.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Anyway, even if it missed, something did fall. Let’s go check it out.”

“Could be materials or items. Maybe we should change gear too… better to increase our shields with [Healing Hand] just in case.”

“Good idea. We don’t know where the next attack will come from.”

Maple’s face was clean, her gear changed. The two moved toward the fallen fruit, eyes alert.

“Material?”

“No. An item exclusive to the eighth floor. Three types.”

One that rendered transparent monsters visible while hiding visible ones. One that granted immunity to status effects for a set time. One that revealed the current position of a chameleon for ten seconds.

“Ooh! With this, we can take them down!”

“Right. We’ll need a decent number. Let’s circle through the forest.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Taking hits intermittently, they accepted the risk, determined to eliminate the enemies later. They gathered a large quantity of fruit. Focused on the item that revealed positions, they built a foundation strong enough to strike.

“Alright. Time to counterattack.”

“Then let’s go!”

Maple bites into a fruit, then hurls herself and Sally through the trees in a burst of flame.

Maple closes the distance in one motion. Sally adjusts with her thread.

No slow pressure. No wasted effort. They move straight toward destruction.

"Sally! Turn right!"

"Got it!"

Forcing a shift midair, Maple detonates her weapon again, accelerating forward.

"Close enough!"

"Understood!"

Sally swallows a fruit that shatters her invisibility, releases the thread, and leaps to the nearest tree.

The chameleon extends its tongue in response. This time, Maple avoids it.

"Nothing if you can see it."

Knowing the risk, she launches into a full leap, closing the distance in one motion, slicing deep from face to tail, and lands directly beneath Maple, her momentum carrying her down.

The chameleon appeared briefly, thrashed once, then slipped silently along the tree and vanished somewhere.

"Sally! The chameleon’s HP was half gone!"

"Ah. So it’s not worth fighting properly, then."

Sally ate another berry, dissolving her transparency, then stretched slowly.

"Hmm. One more cut might finish it."

"Then we’ll have to find it again."

But the conditions would not be the same. Several chameleons emerged into view, slithering forward with quiet motion.

They showed only a change, then faded away without a sound.

"Must we defeat them all…?"

"One of them might be the real one."

"Ugh. Is there a way to tell for sure…?"

"Would be nice if their HP bars showed. Probably not, though…"

The two steeled themselves again. The task ahead would be difficult.