Defense specialization and two elemental affinities: fire and lightning.

The dungeon they arrived at, led by Velvet, was unremarkable. Maple had never cleared it herself, but she knew of its existence. The entrance was a cave carved into the mountainside—not a hidden dungeon recently discovered.

"Here?"

"I’ve cleared this place before with a member of the Flame Emperor’s Court. I don’t recall anything particularly notable... "

"Then it’ll be a surprise when we get there. Though I hear a bit of luck is involved."

"If luck’s the issue, I’m the one to have it."

"Wha—!? R-really? Well… I’ll pray for good fortune then!"

Maple prays for success as she steps into the dungeon. Dungeons that are easy to find, or reach, tend to have weaker monsters. This varies—HP, number of skills, and other factors. The monsters here fall into the category of not being strong.

“Love That Offers the Body!”

Maple activates Love That Offers the Body, shielding the two attackers. The slightly enhanced slimes and golems, differing in hue from those before, are rendered powerless. Once contained, the task becomes simple—just defeating them.

“I’ll handle the path ahead. No need to take them down one by one. Aether Flame!”

The blue flame cast by Mii burns through the rough stone walls and ceiling, consuming the passage entirely. When the flames subside, every monster that had been within the cavern is reduced to ash.

"Oh wow! That’s impressive, Mii!"

"Good, just like that… Yes. I’d like to fight alongside Mii and the Empire of Flame."

"…I won’t say I welcome it at any time, but if battle comes, I will not hold back."

"I’d prefer it that way. A fine guild, indeed. Of course, we won’t lose either."

The Empire of Flame had gained fame earlier than Thunder Storm, and at that time, many players who had already stepped ahead were among its ranks. Velvet would have many opponents she wishes to fight. If Velvet were in the Empire of Flame, she would be dueling with such players every day.

…Sometimes I envy Velvet too.

Eh!? What exactly… is there to envy?

…Let it remain a secret. I won’t answer even if you ask.

Mii glances at Velvet’s expression, then burns the approaching monster to ash.

Hmm, perhaps duels, or matters involving the guild…

While Velvet offers such a misplaced guess, the three press onward, deeper into the dungeon.

As they advance, Mii suddenly halts, noticing something.

…Has this dungeon been this damp this far in?

Eh? Really?

Maple, unfamiliar with the dungeon, does not know. But Mii senses a discrepancy in memory. The walls grow damp as they go deeper. Puddles form on the floor. Limited monsters, already incinerated by Mii before they could generate water, are not the source of this moisture.

"Seems we got lucky. Thanks to Maple-san’s prayers."

"Just luck. But it worked out, so that’s good."

"This humidity… something’s generating water. That’s it, isn’t it?"

"You’re quick to notice. I’d have kept it secret until the very end… sharp instincts you’ve got."

Velvet explains, as if revealing a surprise. One change since the event entered its second half is the appearance of the raid boss.

"Whether it’s a hidden element or not, the dungeon’s boss occasionally changes."

"The boss turns into a limited monster?"

"Ah, yes!… Well, that’s right. But we still don’t know if it happens in every dungeon, or what the odds are, or what materials it drops… all that remains unclear."

The boss change in this dungeon was revealed by a guild member they happened to encounter. Velvet said, though the number of trials remains low, the probability appears to be set low.

"The event period will not last much longer. It is impossible to examine every dungeon."

"There are too many dungeons, and it won't appear for certain."

In that sense, Maple’s prayer may have been answered. To have encountered it on the first try was fortunate.

"But if something like this exists, it might be worth visiting dungeons when we have the chance!"

"Indeed. There may be something gained from it, more than just defeating limited field monsters."

"It seems unlikely that something appearing like a hidden element would lead to nothing at all."

Moving while speaking, she kicked aside monsters with one hand, until at last she reached the innermost chamber. The puddle had spread widely now, the entire floor soaked through, each step producing a soft splash.

“What could it be…?”

“Still, I think it’s something themed around sea or water… perhaps the main enemy is simply an enlarged version of the event monster?”

“Then I’ll open the door to the Boss Room.”

“Ah, go ahead.”

“I’m ready over here too!”

As Mii restored her depleted MP, Velvet threw open the door leading to the Boss Room.

Before them floated a large jellyfish, gently bobbing in the air. It was clearly not the true boss. Maple’s eyes brightened at its graceful drift through the space.

“Floating so softly… it’s kind of cute, isn’t it?”

“It looks soft, but it’s actually quite strong.”

“Then I’ll give it everything… 【Flame Emperor】!”

"I am 【Thunder God's Return!】"

Flames and lightning erupt from both sides of Maple. Attack power is already sufficient. Then it is vital that Maple prepare to react instantly to the opponent's movements. She focuses her awareness on defense, without deploying any summons or weapon systems for now—lest she be caught unprepared when a way to break 【Love That Offers the Body】 is discovered.

【Flare Accelerator!】

【Electromagnetic Leap!】

【Covers Movement!】

Each activates their skill, accelerating instantly, closing the distance to the jellyfish. The jellyfish extends several thin tentacles in response. It is a self-inflicted step into danger.

【Eye of the Storm】【Lightning Field】【Rain of Lightning!】

【Hellfire】【Scorching Heat!】

Lightning erupts from Velvet in overwhelming force. From Mii, flames consume everything, searing the extended tentacles. Their skills excel in area attacks. The tentacles reaching out to encircle them become perfect targets.

Maple follows closely, ensuring the two remain outside the range of Love That Offers the Body, then uses Seeping Chaos to inflict damage and support them.

The failure of the tentacles’ interference allows the jellyfish to permit their approach. It enters Velvet’s domain, struck without cease by lightning. From Mii, a fireball forged by the Flame Emperor strikes it.

HP diminishes rapidly. The jellyfish thrusts its tentacles into the flooded ground. Velvet and Mii, seeing no way to retreat, prepare a further assault. Then, the water, previously shallow, surges upward to knee height. In addition to its normal tentacles, the water itself begins to move freely, taking on the form of tentacles. These water-based limbs absorb Velvet’s lightning and Mii’s fire, extinguishing both attacks.

“This makes area attacks pointless…!”

“Then let’s just use fists!”

Velvet leaps again, leaving sparks in the air as usual. But the tentacles, no longer burned away, strike her precisely, wrapping around her body. As expected of a jellyfish—poison, paralysis, followed by further attack—Maple will not allow it.

I'm fine! No damage, and poison won't affect me at all!

That's a relief! Then, [Violet Lightning]! [Heavy Twin Strike]!

Velvet severs the tentacles with electric shock, then leaps upward and delivers a heavy double blow. The attack is wrapped in electricity, further reducing its HP. As for Mii, she need not close the distance—she can launch [Emperor Flame] orbs remotely. Area attacks are indeed effective. To be blocked would be a setback, but even so, more skills to defeat the jellyfish remain.

Meanwhile, the jellyfish has attacks that are hard to avoid. These are tentacle strikes. Designed to overwhelm the opponent with a barrage of tentacles, then attack relentlessly once the target is immobilized by status effects.

Maple destroyed them all.

You can do it, Mii! Velvet—!

Unaware of such things. Maple continues to brace her defense, holding her shield, preparing to activate her damage reduction skill.

Indeed, since she has already immobilized the opponent’s attacks, winning without using any of them was now inevitable.

As expected, the only way to halt the Infighter’s full-force assault was through status effects via tentacles. But since those proved ineffective against Maple, there was nothing left but to endure the relentless blows.

In the end, the boss’s HP dropped to zero. The water-formed tentacles vanished. The boss dissolved into light. Left behind were a few materials and three jellyfish.

“Turned out easier than expected… ah, right… it was mostly because Maple-san and Mii-san were strong.”

Ah, this is what happens when a boss cannot be properly overcome by Love That Offers the Body. Fought it several times in parties. Learned it firsthand.

It’s good we protected it properly! Um, the boss seems to have been defeated...

Maple pokes the remaining small jellyfish, as if checking whether monsters still remain.

It is not a monster. Appears to be a decorative item that can be brought back to the room.

Something akin to a furniture item, suitable for placement in the guild home or within one’s private chamber.

Hm, so it is to be kept in a tank?

According to reports from guild members, it can fly.

It flies! Indeed, the boss floated weightlessly too, and event-exclusive monsters swim through the air as well.

Not a tame monster, but one addition to the event’s second half appears to be the ability to bring back smaller versions of the boss.

"Then one each?"

No one objects. Each takes one small jellyfish that floats through the air.

"Some guild members seem to be farming them repeatedly."

"Understood. Not hard to see."

"Right! Once you have a few, it just feels like it!"

With that, the three succeed in defeating the special boss and leave the dungeon. Velvet seems slightly unsatisfied. She gathers her strength for the raid boss. Mii considers what living creature she might like to place in her room. Maple, knowing these miniature monsters are limited to the event, decides to explore the dungeon during her free time—now is the time to collect them, or never.

Three days after the dungeon run with the three, every raid boss that had appeared thus far had been utterly crushed.

"Indeed. Upon closer inspection, players are formidable."

"Ah. I thought their HP was impossibly high, but they’ve turned out to be surprisingly easy to defeat..."

The staff observed the raid bosses' abilities, reviewing the scenes of their destruction. The massive squid that signaled the second phase had fought well—players had not been prepared, after all—but afterward, it collapsed completely. The reason was clear. The location and timing of each boss's appearance were known. By the time they emerged, crowds of players surrounded them, launching coordinated attacks simultaneously.

The squid had endured longer only because it had not been overwhelmed by concentrated fire at the beginning.

"Still, we’d like the remaining bosses to put up a decent fight during the time left."

"Yes... if they’re defeated too easily, the raid bosses won’t have much presence."

She thinks of certain players who make quick work of enemies. They can shift the tide of battle. Even without that, as layers advance, each player uncovers strange abilities. Alone, they may not matter much. But gathered in one place, their combined effect becomes immense.

"Perhaps we should have adjusted HP or defense a bit more."

"Yes... we designed the progression to grow steadily. No imbalance there."

Players will cooperate, overwhelming monsters with sheer numbers. The bosses must maintain their due quality.

"I worried I might have gone too far with this final one. But perhaps not."

"Let us wait for its arrival."

Ah, I expect it to fight well—just as I’ve come to expect from the monsters that have been crushed before.

The operations staff, uneasy yet hopeful, re-examines the data, recalling the creatures that have been broken in just this way.