Defense specialization and convergence three.

The range of movement is shrinking. Strong players, once they meet, often continue to fight together. Elsewhere, two top-tier players faced a swarm of monsters.

"Damn it! Can't we do anything about this number!?"

"Even so, we have an advantageous attribute...!"

Mizari and Crom were surrounded by dozens of monsters, searching for an opening to escape. The two had once fought together during a jungle event, but unlike then, they could now restore HP. Mizari channeled nearly all her MP into restoring Crom, while Crom repeatedly shielded Mizari, barely avoiding death and pulling back from the brink.

"Necro, 【Burst Flame】!"

"【Holy Spear】!"

Mizari’s magic still works against the demon-type monster rampant across the field, yet even so, the two—shield-heavy and recovery-focused—lack offensive strength.

“Can’t die. But can’t kill either!”

“That is correct… The monster’s additional summoning seems to have stopped…”

Crom and Mizari both retain damage reduction, damage nullification, and resurrection skills. To recover from a single or double collapse is a resilience beyond what 【Maple’s Tree】 can achieve.

Crom alternates rapidly between Necro’s forms, attacking and defending in turn.

“Holding on, but these things are fast… Mizari, can you do anything?!”

“…Endure, please! Help is coming!”

“Got it. I believe! 【Activate】! Necro 【Phantom Armor: Sturdy】!”

Crom shifts Necro into a defensive form, deflecting attacks with precision, buying time as Mizari instructed. With their strong recovery, they endure damage, but the strategy holds. Unlike Mii and the others from the Kingdom of Flame Emperor, Crom bears a large shield—there is no need to counterattack. He can withstand prolonged encirclement by monsters, relying on solid defense. The tense battle continues for a while. Crom’s focus begins to waver. His defenses grow less perfect. Small hits accumulate.

“Depending on the roll of 【Dead or Alive】… the help we’re waiting for should be arriving soon.”

“Yes, I believe it’s here.”

“Hn… oh?”

At the same moment as Mizari’s voice, a great fireball descended upon the two, engulfing the surrounding monsters. Flames raced across the ground. The power of it dwarfed even Crom’s flames conjured through Necro’s strength. It cut through the monsters’ HP in an instant—monsters that had only been chipping away at their health bit by bit—and erased them in light.

“W—wow… incredible…”

“Phew… that’s a relief. Thank you, Mii.”

“Ah, Mizari’s safe. Hmm… there are members of the Maple Tree here too.”

“Hm? Anyone else?”

“The twins—Mai, I think. Anyway, she was sent to Maple’s side for reasons.”

“Oh! That’s a great help.”

“Mii, what now?”

“Shin and Markus are still alive. We should head toward them.”

“Hmm… then, can I come too?”

Crom spoke. The two exchanged puzzled expressions. That was to be expected. Crom’s purpose differed entirely from theirs.

“I heard the cries of several players earlier, before meeting Mizari. In this vast field, encountering players so often suggests the transfer point is somewhat fixed.”

If that were true, members of the Maple Tree might be near Markus or Shin. For Mii and the others, having a strong shield role among them was reassuring. The benefit of bringing them along was clear.

“It’s fine. Alright, Mizari?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good. Then we’ll rely on you.”

The three mounted Ignis and moved swiftly through the air toward reunion.

“Are they near?”

“A bit distant. Beyond the next mountain.”

“We may not be meeting them after all… The field is shrinking, yes, but it remains vast.”

The third day might change things again. We must establish our base before the time when强化 monsters appear—no matter what.

Demon-type monsters are flooding the area, powerful enough, but not yet the强化 monsters of the second day.

If we fail to meet up and the monsters strengthen further, more casualties are expected.

"Better if we find one of our own along the way... hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Perhaps one of our members is among them. I recall an explosion from the first day."

Crom sees lightning and fire tearing through the darkness ahead of Ignis. He thinks of the production worker whose anger is terrifying—and whose presence he fears.