Defense specialization and excessive firepower.
Maple waited for Mai and Yui at the guild home. She had been destroying stone statues repeatedly with Sally when the message arrived from the two, and she had cut short the task to come to the fifth floor of the guild home.
“Ah, you’re here! How’s it going over there?”
“Yes! The fifth floor offers good visibility, so we’re fighting safely.”
“Just now we were in the dungeon with Velvet and Hinata…”
“With the two of them? That’s an unusual combination.”
Sally tilted her head, curious. Mai and Yui explained how it had come to be. They described in detail the efficient monster-slaying methods they had used there.
“I see… We could replicate that. If Maple is there, the fall is manageable. The monster house too. It’s definitely more efficient than wandering the field. A blind spot we missed.”
Then let’s go fight monsters together!
Ah, no—actually, I need help with something else!
Maple had been asked by the two to assist with something specific, and from the conversation, she deduced that they wanted her to take on the role of defense using Love That Offers the Body.
“I need help with….”
Mai began, speaking plainly about what she required from the two. When she had finished, Maple nodded firmly.
Yes! I’ll do it! Leave it to me!
…Sorry. I can’t help with this one… Maple, you do your best.
Sally replied with a faint apology, then decided to split off and return to the monster hunt.
Yeah, Sally, do your best in the hunt!
Thanks. I’m counting on all three of you for a good report.
“Yessir!”
With their goal set, the three departed from the guild home without delay.
Maple and the other two moved onward until they reached their destination. The place had been set to spawn few event monsters. No players. No fish. Only a large number of ghosts appeared. Sally could not assist because of this.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah! Should be!”
They had arrived at the sixth layer. If event monsters rarely spawned here, then their purpose was clearly no longer tied to any event.
“Sometimes it’s fine to do things unrelated to the event.”
Maple had also lost her human form during a similar slaying event. There was no need to focus solely on the event.
“Just like last time… um…”
Maple placed a hand to her mouth, recalling the previous occasion, reconstructing the scene in her mind.
“Yes! Let’s try it the same way for now! Keep going until it works—until it works!”
““Thank you!””
“They’re pushing hard to grow stronger. Let’s get the ‘Hand of Salvation’ for everyone!”
Maple raised her hand, and the two mirrored her resolve. The goal this time was for Maple to reclaim the ‘Hand of Salvation’ she already possessed. Mai and Yui had, through their progress with Velvet and the others, arrived at a single conclusion.
It was not about combining various skills, nor about slightly improving low mobility. It was simply a matter of increasing the number of large hammers. When the count rose from one to two, accuracy improved dramatically. If doubling again to four would yield the same result, then that was the path to follow.
"First, just keep defeating the ghosts around here. Then a blue ghost will appear. Follow that one—it should lead the way!"
"I understand!"
"Be sure to exorcise them properly."
"Um...?"
Mai tilts her head, wondering if there is some special way to defeat them. It is no surprise—Mai and Yui have never fought monsters one by one using items. They are accustomed to smashing through enemies with heavy hammers, even when damage is reduced. They have no familiarity with undead-specific talismans.
Maple explains again, handing the talismans she carries to both of them. She bought them in bulk, but their use is limited, so she has many left over.
"Last time, I met the blue ghost after exorcising every ghost in the mountains."
"The mountains... that will be difficult."
Maple had spent considerable time on that task. Mai and Yui brace themselves for a long ordeal.
But this time there are three of us, so it’ll be fine!
Three of us?
Yeah, just wait a moment!
Maple calls Shiroppu, who expands at her command, and mounts her back before activating the skill.
[Throne of the Heavenly King]!
The ground around Mai and Yui below glows with [Throne of the Heavenly King] and [Love That Offers the Body]. Within this range, they are safe.
[Throne of the Heavenly King] renders ghosts powerless, but one person alone cannot perform exorcism and use it simultaneously.
That’s why three people are needed!
Moving through the forest on Shiroppu’s giant form is impossible. Last time, they had to wait until the throne could be reused after summoning and retracting it before relocating. Now, however, with Mai and Yui handling the exorcism, and Maple maintaining a superior vantage point above, the exorcism progresses steadily.
Fly just above the tree—call out when you need to move!
“Understood!”
“Good! Then let’s begin!”
The division of labor is flawless. With three exorcists now, progress is twice as swift as when Mai had handled it alone. Maple’s field of ‘Evil-Attribute Sealing’ is wide, yet Mai and Yui maintain mobility through their summoned beasts. They move swiftly through the field, exorcising spirits and shifting positions without delay.
After circling the mountains for some time, the blue spirit Maple had described appears before the two on the ground—Tsukimi and Yukimi.
“That’s her, isn’t it?”
“Yes… let’s have Maple confirm.”
High above, Maple, summoned by the pair, checks the surrounding area for other spirits. Then she rises from her throne and leaps from Shiroppu.
“Here we go—uh, where is it?”
“That one!”
Yes! It should be right! Just keep following—it’ll be fine!
Maple knows there will be more battles ahead. She keeps Shiroppu aloft, rides atop Yukimi, and follows the blue spirit with the two others.
They arrive at the same mountain peak shrine as before. They prepare and wait for the next event.
““Whoa!?””
“It’s here!”
Hands rise from beneath the feet of the three standing before the cross. They are pulled into utter darkness.
A massive red spirit appears before the three, forcibly thrown into the combat field. Same as the one Maple encountered during her sixth-floor advance—its upper body emerges from a rift floating in the dark space, long arms dangling down.
“Fought hard alone… but with two, we’ll manage! [Inspire]! Shiroppu [Crimson Garden]!”
Maple mounts beside Shiroppu, then swiftly takes her seat on the throne, sealing the opponent’s skill and amplifying the damage dealt by Mai and Yui. She stands ready, fully prepared.
““【Final Form】!””
The two, forewarned of the coming battle, have already used a vast array of items containing 【Doping Seed】 before entering this space, pushing their 【STR】 to the limit. As a final preparation, they activate their skills, applying a flame-affinity item to the great mace, and wait. The boss approaches slowly. They raise the mace high.
“Let’s do it!”
““【Double Impact】!””
Both extend their arms. Each of the two strikes the great mace, now blazing, with two flaming maces. The effect is overwhelming — as if the ghost’s crimson body had simply exploded in a torrent of devastating damage.
The monster’s health is low, as evidenced by how Maple defeated it using only paper talismans and salt. What happens when these two, at full power, strike such a foe?
Its entire body flashes, overwriting the damage effect, then vanishes in an instant—no more, no less—leaving only light.
“Ooh! Excellent, Mai, Yui!”
“Worked perfectly!”
“Yes… that was good!”
The three celebrate. Then, a single magic circle appears in the dark space.
“Huh?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Hmm… previously, after this, the place turned completely white… and there I received the pendant…”
This way, they cannot obtain the desired equipment. Maple thinks, hums, and ponders, searching for any difference from before.
“Um… previously, I was alone… the battle lasted long… I used many skills… stuck the talismans…”
“That’s it, isn’t it? There might be conditions to defeating the boss!”
She had used a great many talismans to exorcise spirits when arriving here. It was possible the boss required the same.
“So that’s right! That makes sense!”
“So we must leave some HP intact, using talismans to defeat it… is that correct?”
“Ugh, I wish we could do it in one try.”
They had attacked with everything they had this time, reducing the boss to splinters. Now, the goal was to adjust their attacks to leave the boss’s HP intact. A problem unique to them, yet serious nonetheless.
When the pattern shifted, their positions became unclear. Worse, this boss had a strong counter against Maple. A surprise attack could lead to their individual defeat. Decisions had to be made in an instant.
“Right! We’ll manage if we try enough times. Even if we defeat it, we’ll be safe then.”
"Right!"
The three of them repeated the attempt, adjusting their actions with care, gradually reducing the boss's HP to just above zero.
After many trials, slowly diminishing the buffs until the damage was precisely calibrated, they managed to leave the boss with only a sliver of HP remaining.
"Keep going now!"
"Right!"
Mai and Yui swiftly affixed the talisman just before the boss could act. The boss's HP dropped to zero and vanished. The first time it had worked as planned. The three watched the next phase unfold with tense anticipation. The dark space collapsed, giving way to the pure white expanse Maple had described.
"We did it! It worked!"
Elated, Maple ran forward, her steps light and quick, approaching the cross.
A familiar performance unfolded as it had when Maple had first acquired the 'Hand of Salvation.' By the time she realized it, the pendant rested around her neck.
"Um... yeah! Looks just like your gear!"
Maple removed it from her neck and checked its name before offering it to the two of them.
"First, Yui."
"Okay, big sister?"
"Yep. Besides, you looked eager enough."
Yui accepted the 'Hand of Salvation' without hesitation and immediately began equipping it.
"Um... right! Now, weapons—"
As Yui fitted the massive mallet onto the floating arms at her sides, she managed to hold one mallet in each hand, perfectly balanced.
Gross, crystalline hammers hovered at her flanks. Yui tested their movement.
"Whoa! This is hard!"
"Uh-huh. I can't manage fine movements. Or moving it while doing something else."
But fine movements meant nothing to the two of them. A clumsy swing would end it all.
"Then it's Mai's turn!……?"
"Yes!……Did you miss something?"
Maple tilted her head, her expression one of having overlooked something obvious.
"Yeah, when I came alone, it was a terrible struggle. I thought I'd never return. I hadn't considered this, but how about this?"
Maple proposed something to the two. They nodded, realizing it made sense.
"Alright! Then let's get started right away! We still have a lot to do!"
" Yes!"
Thus, the three left the Boss Room for now.
Several days later.
Izu spent time slowly in the Workshop, crafting one item at a time from the materials obtained by defeating a limited-time monster.
“Hmph. This is it, then. So many items for underwater exploration. Expected, I suppose. Still… something must be intended?”
Izu considers. If they added it specially, there must be a purpose. No clear answer comes, but using it to explore seas and lakes on the field seems straightforward enough.
“Leave the hunts to the others, for now.”
She rests, settling into the Workshop’s chair. A voice calls from outside.
“““Izu-san!”””
Maple, Mai, and Yui arrive. Izu senses their urgency. They have come rushing. They want something.
“W-what is it? Why the rush?”
“We need you to make weapons for Mai and Yui!”
“Weapons? Did they break? I just maintained them not long ago. They should still be sound… but the weapons themselves are fine.”
Thank you so much!
Um… I’d like six large hammers each, for me and Yui.
Six each!?
Iz’s mind races, speculating whether they’ve fought monsters that degrade durability. Then, unexpected words cut through, and her eyes widen.
A moment—wait? I don’t understand.
When Iz speaks, Maple and the others realize their explanation was lacking.
Hmm, perhaps it’s clearer if you see it.
Maple gestures to Mai and Yui. They begin adjusting their gear. Floating above them, six white hands appear around each of them.
Iz sees it. She understands.
Yes, each person may equip up to three ornaments. If so, there is no issue in replacing all slots for 【STR】-increasing gear with the 'Hand of Salvation' and equipping two weapons instead. They will need to switch between summoned monsters and weapons in battle, but with this, the two have achieved the dream of wielding eight great hammers at once.
"I understand now... my head swims a little, but yes! Of course! I'll make twelve of them—top-tier performance."
"Thank you!"
"Then let's test it when it's finished!"
"Yes!"
Iz watches them. She imagines how the other players will react when they see this.
335 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
I’ve completed the event fairly well. No need to strain myself, though. It’s easy.
336 Name: Nameless Bow User
Which class is most efficient?
337 Name: Nameless Spear User
It's not about class. It's about location.
Good spots for rising currents, places easy to bring down—those exist in every layer.
338 Name: Nameless Archer
She operates at a distance—close enough to avoid being surrounded, but efficiency remains lacking.
339 Name: Nameless Greatsword Wielder
They are all aiming for the same goal, so it should be manageable enough.
340 Name: Anonymous Mage
Hello
341 Name: Nameless Spearbearer
...an uneasy sort of thing.
342 Name: Nameless Greatsword Wielder
Understood.
343Name: Nameless Archer
This is for when something happens.
344 Name: Nameless Magician
Saw something grand.
345 Name: Nameless Spearman
An event monster?
Or are you a player like a monster?
346 Name: Anonymous Mage
A player like a monster
347 Name: Nameless Archer
Does the name begin with 'Me'?
348 Name: Nameless Mage
Partially so?
349 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
?????
350 Name: Nameless Mage
Simply put,
Mai and Yui were carrying eight great hammers each.
351 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
???????????????????????????
352 Name: Nameless Archer
Nonsensical words.
353 Name: Nameless Shield User
I didn’t hear anything. I heard nothing at all.
I’ve been silently hunting these past few days!
I should check what’s going on… Maple and someone else seemed to be doing something.
354 Name: Nameless Spear User
Perhaps the fish were rich in nutrients? Gained a lot of experience points…
355 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Leveling up doesn’t increase your weapon, does it? Doesn’t increase it?
356 Name: Nameless Mage
From afar, I saw a swirl of black and white—then realized it was a human.
357 Name: Nameless Spear User
The firepower is excessive from the start.
What enemy could there be? If those two do that, everything will be dust in an instant.
358 Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
Growing strong and tall... Everyone is amazing.
359 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
The boss is pitiful.
360 Name: Anonymous Archer
Dodge, and perhaps…
361Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
Violence of surface area.
I haven’t seen it, don’t know the workings—but hit any one of those massive shapes, and it would be fatal.
Eight? Wait, wait, wait
362 Name: Anonymous Mage
Eight great hammers, spinning round and round—
Monster paling-paling
363 Name: Nameless Spearbearer
The mind melts under abnormal circumstances.
364Name: Anonymous Archer
Not spinning around—no, not like that.
She is scattering death.
365 Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
Ah, the main attacker is dependable indeed!
366 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
You’ve been reliable enough already, haven’t you?
Ooh... already...