Defense specialization and [Rapid Fire] 2.

Beyond the plain, around a great tree, monsters do not approach within a certain radius. Speaking here, relaxed and unhurried, causes no issue.

"I've only seen you active during events. I've always thought I'd like to speak with you someday. I must thank Velvet properly later."

Even so, Maple and Sally had only come to confirm the player Velvet spoke of—whether she was indeed the one who amused her. They did not expect to end up speaking in such depth.

"Hmm. Then may I ask something?"

"Yes!"

"Could you tell us about a skill that would be your trump card?"

Both Maple and Sally widen their eyes at the directness of the question. Seeing their expressions, Lilie chuckles softly, then resumes speaking.

“Half jest, really. Otherwise, there’s no point. So, how about we go dungeon-crawling together, like Velvet and Hinata did?”

For Maple and Sally, the proposition carries weight. Recalling Velvet and Hinata’s strength, the number of guilds requiring caution had grown beyond the Gathering Holy Sword and the Flame Emperor’s Nation.

The guilds once dominant—those who had secured unique series and powerful skill synergies early—had multiplied over time. The structure of the two dominant large guilds was shifting.

“You’d want to know, wouldn’t you? And we’d like to see your changes.”

From Lily’s expression, Sally read the intent. Whether Maple and Sally—top two of the 【Maple Tree】—should still be regarded with caution, or no longer so, she was assessing.

Sally knew Lily would perceive, more precisely than Velvet, the skills she concealed through actions. Attempts to hide poorly would not succeed.

“Sally, what should we do?”

“Seems fine. If we can see Wilbert’s bow, it might help with future preparations.”

Sally knew her own skills thoroughly, and Maple’s configuration as well. Any skills Lily and the others might already know, she could use without significant loss of information. There was a chance of revealing fighting habits through direct combat, but if she kept her decisive skills hidden, the outcome could still be reversed.

There was no difference, if she could win with certainty after revealing it—such as a skill with no countermeasure possible.

"Then, Maple, you'll be fine if you fight as usual."

"Understood! I'll do my best!"

The key skill supporting Maple’s combat has not changed since the fourth event. Though new skills have expanded what she can do, her core remains the same: using Love That Offers the Body for defense, and fighting with summoning and long-range attack skills.

Because she drew attention during the fourth event, fighting as usual would simply allow others to witness the same skills as before.

"Then, where shall we go? If it must be nearby… "

"Let’s go there, Wil. There are many monsters, and we’ll likely need to use grappling hands. It’s harder than the arena Velvet guided us through, but similar in dungeon layout. Now, show us your skill."

Lily proposed it as an adequate location. Maple and Sally had no objection. The four of them set out toward the nearby dungeon.

The journey proceeded without incident. They reached the magical circle that would grant them entry into the dungeon. It stood within a forest, deeper in greenery than the rest, where ivy wrapped around the trees, covering them completely, as if drawing energy from the land.

Having formed a party, they could now enter the dungeon together. All four would pass through at once.

"Looks dangerous, but it's safe. Step onto it."

"Yeah, I'm going, Sally!"

"Right, right."

Maple placed her foot upon it. Light enveloped the four of them, guiding them into the dungeon. The walls and ground were entirely made of wood.

The monsters here are weak to fire, but using fire inflicts a debuff due to the dungeon’s properties.

The debuff lowers stats, reduces damage dealt, and increases damage taken—common effects all at once. Fortunately, both of them can fight without relying on flame, so there is still a way through this dungeon.

“Perhaps something like Hikari’s skill. Maple seems fine too.”

“Yeah, I won’t be using fire at all!”

“Then it’s convenient. Let’s start by seeing your technique.”

“Leave it to me!”

Until they reached a place that could be considered a clear division, Maple and Sally would fight together. Lily and the others, protected by Love That Offers the Body, would observe Maple’s combat first.

After walking a short distance, a magic circle appears on the ground—identical to the one they entered through. From it emerge three humanoid monsters made entirely of wood. Each differs in form. One has disproportionately large arms. The other two carry bows and swords crafted from wood.

"Maple, keep it simple!"

"【Full Armament Deployment】【Attack Initiated】!"

Three enemies before her. This is the middle of a passage. There is only one course of action. Maple manifests her weapons and directs them all at the monsters. She opens fire simultaneously.

The common fodder monsters endure a storm of bullets. Then they explode apart.

"Nice work, Maple!"

"Let me handle it!"

The assault by Maple and Sally continues without pause. The monsters cannot breach the curtain of fire spread across the corridor by the weapons. Lily and Wilbert watch from behind, silent, verifying the rumors.

“Your thoughts, Wil?”

“Indeed powerful. Yet each shot appears not so heavy.”

“True. Wil, you can exploit that weakness.”

“Yes… Still, the battlefield must be chosen carefully.”

Seeing the weapons in person matters. The spectacle of their appearance does not always match their strength. Wilbert’s bow holds speed equal to Maple’s gun, and greater force. If not engaged recklessly in frontal exchange, the weight of a single strike will remain decisive.

Still, seeing it again, one cannot help but think it will be no easy task. The first time someone saw it during the fourth event must have been quite a shock.

Even as she speaks, Maple cuts down the low-tier monsters, step by step, advancing. The monsters deploy their weapons, blocking the passage, but cannot ignore Maple’s preemptive strikes. One by one, they fall, scattered, sacrificed.

As this unfolds, a point arrives that marks a clear transition. The narrow wooden passage gives way to an open space.

The atmosphere of the walls remains unchanged. On the floor, roses of various colors bloom, thorns spread across the ground—just like Shiroppu’s garden skill. The space is unmistakably wider, distinctly different. Maple, even she, senses what may come.

A strong monster seems to be approaching, perhaps.

Correct! It has arrived!

The thorns on the ground thicken rapidly, twisting together in the center of the room to bloom a single, large red rose. The thorns on either side stretch as if guided by will, bending like whips.

"Shall we change after this point? Can we win even together?"

"I will do my best!"

"Maple, leave defense to me. If we know the dungeon’s traps, we should be safe."

It calls to be struck with fire, as if urging attack. Yet both know better, and do not fall for the trap. The battle begins when Sally dashes forward.

"【Oozing Chaos】【Attack Initiated】!"

The monstrous construct Maple releases strikes the enormous rose at center point. Following immediately, a second barrage of projectiles is fired. At the same time, the massive rose is maneuvered forward, inch by inch, until it enters the range of Love That Offers the Body for Sally. With Sally’s safety secured, the plan shifts to maintaining fire from behind.

Sally advances, guarded by Maple, yet remains vigilant. She moves toward the rose without pause, ensuring her attacks do not pass through it and risk harming Maple.

“Fuuu…!”

Four thorn whips approach from ahead. Two from each side, angled in. Sally narrowly avoids each one, slipping through at the last moment. One. Two. The effort is not a challenge born of Love That Offers the Body alone. Even Lily and the others watching understand this.

“Hm.”

“Ah… I see.”

As Velvet and the others had experienced, what is seen directly before the eyes appears entirely different.

“How about it, Wil. Can you hit it?”

“A mere fast arrow won’t be enough to catch it. Besides…”

Wilbert smiles wryly, watching Maple, who remains unfazed despite being pinioned by multiple thorns rising from the ground behind her.

“Likewise, a high-powered arrow alone would be meaningless.”

“Just as the rumors suggest.”

His gaze returns to Sally. She cuts through the six thorns with perfect precision, avoiding them entirely. The thorns thrusting from the ground, still targeting Maple, fail to catch her. She does not use her skill to attack. Her HP diminishes only slowly, inch by inch.

A normal player would grow frantic, seeking to end it in one decisive move after narrowly avoiding attack after attack. To continue such a precarious evasion as if it were natural suggests the act itself has become routine.

"Maple! I'm going in!"

"Right!"

Maple detonates her weapon, sending thorns flying outward. She charges straight at the rose.

"Predator!"

Shield raised in black, she descends in a straight line, flanked by monsters, toward the rose bloom.

"Thou—!"

The shield swallows everything whole, tearing the rose from its stem with a violent pull. A crimson damage effect flares, matching the flower’s own. The thorns clash with the shield’s power. With no support, Maple crashes backward into the ground, rolling across the earth.

"Not a piercing attack, I suppose. But just in case! — Quin'tapulus Slash!"

Five strikes with one hand, then five more with the附加 blade. Even a basic short sword skill, when buffed to twenty strikes, becomes a formidable ace.

While Maple staggers from the heavy blow, Sally follows up. As before, she slices through the stem supporting the flower. The rose monster shatters with a sharp crack, dissolving into light.

"Good work, Maple. Are you alright?"

"Yeah! It was full of thorns, but not a piercing attack. That’s good."

"Looks like it. Maybe we could’ve been more aggressive."

Sally helps Maple rise from the ground, brushing dust from her armor. The two who had been watching approach.

Good. Seeing it firsthand, it’s hard to believe such a fighting style. I truly feel your strength lies in your foundational capabilities.

Maple’s gunfire can become a fully fixed artillery platform thanks to her extraordinary defense. No need to dodge or move—this is a clear advantage.

Sally’s counters are built entirely upon her ability to avoid attacks. As Lilie said, both of their skills and tactics are deeply influenced by their base capabilities.

“Shall we show you our way of fighting next? Yes… at a level of information similar to what you’ve shown us.”

“Meaning if you want to see everything, you must reveal your own hand.”

“Something like that. I welcome it anytime.”

Lily had said before she arrived that she did not mind being seen. Assuming it is true that she can still prevail even if all her skills are known, then such a thing would be beyond any countermeasure—each time Maple and the others reveal their abilities, their disadvantage grows.

Sally thought it through. She concluded she would watch as much as possible. Just as Lily excelled in perception, so did Sally. If skills were hidden, she could still read them from atmosphere and manner.

Considering Maple’s clear weaknesses and her own, she wished to gather information—foreseeing even the possibility of such abilities.

“First, as promised, we will go ahead. Observe carefully.”

“Yes!”

…Fufu, nothing at all.

Maple, her interest purely in how the fight would unfold rather than in manipulation, prompted a slight deflation in Lilie, who spoke quietly while leading Wilbert ahead a short distance.

“Explosive force too. Good pair.”

“Yes. And Maple’s Love That Offers the Body seems to have no limit on the number of targets it can reach.”

“Aah. Maximum output when the entire guild comes. At that time, I’ll face them. But there’s something I find curious about Sally.”

“Is it evasion?”

“Exactly. Suppose, for example, Wilbert shoots an arrow at me now. What happens?”

Wilbert answered, uncomprehending the intent, that he would be deflected and neutralized. Direct attacks on allies were nullified instantly upon impact. Thus, when attacking from range, positioning became critical.

That’s right. Just now, I was thinking—Maple’s aim with her gunfire isn’t particularly skilled. And yet, Sally stands directly in front of the monster, becoming a barrier. Still, why is damage coming through so smoothly?

The trajectory of the bullets hitting the monster…… no, could that really be possible?

I don’t know. Even if I had eyes in the back of my head, I couldn’t manage it. Regardless, that thing avoids friendly fire from behind. Even through that chaotic barrage. Of course, it depends on the moment… you understand, don’t you?

Lily says this. Wilbert gives a small nod.

Yes. We’ll avoid using that skill.

Right. And with Maple here, it’s complicated. Facing it head-on, it’s hard to believe it’s this precise… well, pinpoint shooting and rapid fire are our strengths. Let’s show you what we can do.

Yes… that’s true.

Lily murmured thanks for the introduction, her voice steady—combat was secondary. The plan to subdue them was already forming, step by step.