Defense specialization and the eighth event.

As Maple and the others spend their days raising the levels of their respective partner monsters, the day of the preliminary round for the eighth event finally arrives.

This event requires individual combat, as parties are not permitted. The abilities of the partner monsters become crucial.

The competition is based on the number of monsters defeated on the field and the time taken to reach one death.

One must defeat monsters within the time limit while also eliminating other players to hinder them, all while climbing the rankings.

Neither focus should be excessive.

Those who rank higher will be able to fight in the main event on better fields.

"Alright, let’s all go to the main event!"

"Of course. Maple, do your best. It’s important this time to defeat the monsters as well."

This time, I can use all my skills—no problem... I’ll do my best!

Since there is a short gap between the preliminaries and the main event, there is no need to hold back on skills with limited uses.

"Then, let’s go—fight!"

At Maple’s call, all eight respond in unison. They vanish in a flash of light and are transported back to the preliminary field.

The light enveloping their bodies fades. Before Maple, the landscape of the preliminary field unfolds.

They emerge once more into the ruins, just as in the first event. Maple scans the surroundings. No other players are visible in plain sight.

"Good! I need to find the monsters right away!"

Defeating monsters is crucial in this round. Survival time matters, of course, but that alone will not secure a top placement.

"Shiroppu, wait just a little longer. —Predator!"

This round, she will fight mostly alone. Love That Offers the Body is unnecessary. That suited Maple perfectly.

Other players would reveal her position.

Love That Offers the Body makes the ground glow. It would signal her presence. Only another member of the same Maple Tree would approach knowing she was near. No one wishes to enter a death trap willingly.

Maple walks through the ruins, flanked by creatures on either side.

Is there anything here…? Wait!?

At the corner of a larger building, Maple collides with a monster emerging from the side.

Above her, a massive body and head, a long tail stretching behind. It resembles a carnivorous dinosaur more than a dragon.

The dinosaur notices Maple. It roars.

“Paralyze Shout!”

Maple activates the skill without hesitation, striking first. The creature freezes completely. She drives it into the jaws of the Predator.

“Strong-looking… might as well use the Feeding Strike!”

With her large shield, Maple crushes the dinosaur’s head, already unbalanced by paralysis, into the ground. The continuous damage from the Predator’s bite finishes it. The beast dissolves into light.

“Phew… was worried it’d be tough… but paralyzed? No problem! Alright! Next!”

Maple, emboldened by her swift victory, immediately scans for the next monster. A variety of creatures appear—large and small. She encounters them all.

Yet, among them, several flee the moment they spot her.

—Ugh, this one’s hard to take down… maybe because my feet are slow… huh?

Maple notices unfamiliar entries in her status display. There, among them, are debuffs like monsters fleeing at sight, and buffs that boost attack power—none of which she recalls casting, nor having been cast upon her.

—Wait! When did this happen!?… Let’s see… oh! When I defeated monsters!?

Checking the details of the debuffs and buffs, she finds a note stating some apply when defeating certain monsters. She has been defeating various types of monsters in succession, so many effects are listed.

—Monsters fleeing at sight is bad! If this continues, I won’t be able to defeat them…!

Maple, still saving her [Brutality] for later, fights monster after monster that do not flee. Each one is moderately strong, but not designed specifically against Maple, so they rarely use piercing attacks. That leaves them nothing more than convenient prey to increase her kill count.

Still, without knowing the movements of other players, she cannot be certain whether she is defeating enough.

After the ruins are ravaged by [Predators], the [Poison Dragon] departs, leaving behind a swamp of poison. Maple moves forward, leaving the ruins, entering the forest, then passing through the forest into an open meadow.

—Ugh, I want to kill more… Hmm, wait—could that be…

The flower that caught Maple’s eye was a large red bloom, taller than her own height. It resembled closely the one she had seen before during a past event exploring a jungle.

"Perfectly open space... Good! This will do!"

Maple approached the towering flower and deployed her weapon. With her sword-arm, she sliced the stem cleanly in two. She caught the falling red blossom firmly in both hands. The flower—indeed a flower-shaped monster—immediately extended new stems from the severed end, root-like, and wrapped them around Maple.

"Got it! Worked perfectly! Now just... "

Still tightly gripped, Maple dragged herself toward the nearby meadow, settling down in a spot well away from cover.

"Alright, push harder! Come on!"

After speaking to the flower, Maple pierced its petal sharply with her sword.

A sweet scent rose from the flower. The rustling of something approaching came from the woods surrounding the meadow.

As Maple had intended, the red flower summoned a large number of monsters. It was inherently dangerous, yet to Maple, it was merely a convenient summoning device.

"Got it! This is easy to defeat! Better take them down before someone else does!"

Maple dispatched goblins leaping toward her, and birds flying from the forest's depths, one after another.

To conserve resources, she left attacks from nearby monsters to 【Predator】, focusing instead on distant foes, striking them with bullets.

"【Predator】 mustn't die... 【Love That Offers the Body】! Shiroppu, 【Awaken】!"

At last, it was Shiroppu’s turn. Maple called out to Shiroppu. Monsters swarmed her body—biting, scratching, pulling at her—doing as they pleased. She paid them no mind.

“Shiroppu! Great Nature— Crimson Garden— White Garden— Sinking Earth!”

Maple activated the skill while holding Shiroppu close.

Around Maple, the ground glowing with light, crimson and white flower fields spread outward. A beautiful sight—so beautiful that, were it not for the monsters leaping at her one after another, one might have paused to watch.

Yet the effect was not gentle. Crimson flowers increased damage taken within range. White flowers reduced stats.

Furthermore, monsters that ventured deeper were transformed by Great Nature, sinking into ground that felt like mud beneath their feet.

Those that did not were ensnared by vines of Great Nature, becoming prey for the predator.

The beautiful garden of red and white flowers, centered on Maple and Shiroppu, was a place from which no one could escape once they stepped inside.

Maple fired upon the monster caught in vines, suspended midair and transformed into a swift offering, piercing it completely. She then poked at the flower wrapped around her body.

"One more time, eee!"

Maple released sweet fragrance once more, summoning a new monster into the garden.

"What about the bad effects... wait, this is bad...?"

After slaying many monsters, Maple checked the debuff she had acquired. It displayed her position on the map for all to see.

Many players could claim the monster's kill, and Maple, thinking she would be attacked, hurried to slay it.

Yet contrary to Maple's worry, no other players came.

No wonder. If a death zone appeared on the map, one would naturally move away from it.

Players who approached out of curiosity saw the monster sink into the ground, pierced by vines, and a toxic marsh spread outward. They turned back, convinced it was something not to touch.

"No one's coming... then, one more time!"

Maple activated the red flower again, summoning the monster once more.