Defense specialization and the underwater temple two.

The sound of water flows. The two advance through the temple’s interior. Combat formation: Maple guards, Sally engages in close combat. Statuses have risen through the Unique series, yet due to the nature of acquired skills, damage output against monsters remains largely unchanged.

“Sally, you’re amazing. You really can handle so many weapons.”

“It’s mostly just accumulated practice… But I think everyone fights differently. If you have a way that works for you, that’s all that matters.”

Sally understood her strengths, which shaped her current combat style. Maple, however, could not say the same.

Fortunately, this game allows combat based on either player skill or skill strength. If so, Maple fights using the latter.

Maple has stronger skills than me, and excels at one-on-many combat. That’s what she does best.

That’s true.

There are many things only Maple can do. I know you understand that.

Hehehe, my pride is my defense.

Yes. Keep refining it.

What supports Maple’s combat is, above all, her defense. Both offense and defense—movement itself is affected by the recoil of explosions.

A fighting style impossible to imitate by those with ordinary stats.

Then, Sally, keep testing more. Golems seem no problem for you.

She also neutralized the laser...

Moving forward through the dungeon, speaking as they go. With Maple at her side, sudden death is avoided. Inside the dungeon, no need to stay alert.

As they advance, cutting down the golem that appears before them, they reach a passage blocked by a thick current crossing horizontally. The water is deep—deep enough that stepping into it would carry one down, upside down, far below.

What now, Maple? I think there must be some place where it can be undone.

That is so.

Yes. The passage continues ahead. When it’s like this, there’s usually a mechanism at work.

Maple scans the nearby area, her eyes settling on three protrusions in the wall. She touches them lightly.

...! You can push it, Sally!

Good. Now... which one?

Each protrusion yields under pressure when touched. Yet to press them all—whether that is the correct course remains uncertain.

"Somewhere... was there a clue?"

Nothing here looks promising...? It's so vast. We've been walking down one of the passages. If we search, the clue might be further along another path.

That's possible.

Shall we go check?

Yes!

Alright, then let's backtrack a little.

We might find a chest if we look all the way to the end!

True. I haven't checked that yet... I'd be glad if we did.

They turn back along the way they came. A steady search is sometimes necessary.

By the way, Sally, you used to do this in games—turn back like this.

Ah, yeah. Chests and items often hide off the main route. Once you're sure of the correct path, you leave them for later.

If it's just an item, there's no need to go now. But missing something during a search is troubling.

Of course, we could check everything ahead of time.

It depends on the purpose, Sally adds. If you simply want the item, you should check the shortest route. If you wish to enjoy the exploration itself, it is better not to know anything in advance.

"Maple, you’re mostly a first-time runner, aren’t you?"

"Yeah. I did look up quite a bit about items and events—around the sixth floor, I think?"

"Ah… that time…"

Without Sally present, the need to search for something to give her forced Maple to investigate things herself. Even without that, the absence of Sally—always the one who researched ahead—was reason enough for Maple to look things up.

"Looking things up was fun, once I tried it. I didn’t know there were events like this. I see now what Sally was doing—this is what it meant."

"That’s good. If something catches your interest, it’s fine to look it up. Otherwise, you might never find some places."

"Floating castles, for example—absolutely wouldn’t have found those. The people who did… they’re amazing."

That said, Maple seems quite capable in that regard...

He studies Maple intently, recalling the strange skills she carries within her.

"hehe, just lucky, really"

"If you're enjoying yourself because of it... well, that's the best outcome."

Walking casually, they approach a mural-like structure ahead of Maple and Sally. As they draw near, they recognize the scene: the flowing water depicted earlier, and the golems seen along the path.

"Is this it?"

"Probably. Look, the button-like parts are highlighted in red."

The mural is divided into scenes. The sequence ends with a depiction of water stopping after the correct order of protrusions is pressed.

"So we just press them in this order?"

"Likely. Let's try it."

"Got it!"

Maple and Sally return to the original location with the new information. They press the protrusions in the order they observed. A loud sound echoes. The water flowing before them stops. The path beyond opens. Only the large hole in the wall, previously spouting water, remains.

"Wow! It stopped, Sally!"

"Yep. Looks like we got it right."

"Could there be something beyond this hole?"

"Huh? Um... Should we go in?"

Sally asks. Maple steps forward into the hole.

"Yep! We can go through."

"Ah. Then it's worth a try."

Sally follows Maple, as she has often seen such passages lead to something beyond.

"Things like this usually have something behind them, right?"

"Yep. Not exactly a rule, but it happens."

Maple’s eyes gleam with anticipation of treasure yet to come. Then, after walking for a time, a deep rumbling sound echoes through the air.

“W-what is that? A monster!?”

“…No! Not a monster—this…!”

This place was never a monster’s den. It was a channel for water. The source of the roar becomes clear without delay.

“W-water!?”

“Just a momentary stop! [Ice Column] [Right Hand – Thread] [Hyper Acceleration]!”

Sally swiftly conjures an ice column to block the flow, sealing the hole, and ties a thread to Maple to begin emergency evacuation.

Behind them, the ice column explodes as they accelerate forward. Sally’s eyes widen.

“Maple [Ruthless], prepare! The water’s damage is unpredictable!”

“Y-yes, I understand!”

With Maple still dragging behind, Sally runs toward the exit, preparing to endure the worst possible impact by wielding the two blades of the Unyielding Guardian. She understands, though, that she will barely make it in time to evacuate Maple.

“Maple!”

“[Ruthless]! [Unbreakable Shield]!”

Hearing the command, Maple immediately activates [Ruthless], and adds a damage-reduction skill. Just as Sally leaps through the exit, a torrential surge of water strikes Maple with violent force, hurling both of them across the passage.

More terrain damage than a direct strike, the force continues to chip away at Maple’s outer layer despite the damage reduction. The combined impact—enough to crush even the shielded Sally—strips away Maple’s outer layer, sending both of them plummeting into the waterfall basin.

Side by side, they emerge from the water’s surface, the roar of the falls echoing nearby.

“Phew… that was close… but we made it.”

“Uuu… sorry, Sally… I didn’t think it’d come to this.”

“Things happen. Besides, we’re safe now.”

There’s no harm in taking the shortcut this time. We’ve already cleared it the proper way once. There’s no reason to lose the joy of what’s ahead.

“Go wherever you want. I’ll go with you. And if things get dangerous, I’ll take responsibility—just like you’ll cover for me.”

Sally smiles faintly, and Maple’s expression softens in response.

“Yeah!”

Just as they prepare to move on, Maple suddenly notices something off.

“…?”

“Something wrong?”

“T-tower! The shield! It’s gone! It must’ve flown away!”

“Wait… at the bottom of the water?”

“Y-yeah! Probably!”

Maple dives her face into the water, searching frantically along the bottom. Sally remains calm, offering a solution.

If it wasn’t forcibly removed by equipment deactivation or an event, but simply dropped, you should be able to retrieve it through inventory manipulation.

“Ah! S-so that’s how it works! You’re sharp, Sally!”

Maple, remembering the method, manipulates her inventory. The obsidian shield returns to her hand without issue.

“Seems to have worked.”

“Yeah, good… I was wondering how I’d dive down there, since it was glowing at the very bottom.”

“Glowing… hmm?”

Sally pauses, something in the words catching her attention. She tilts her face into the water, checking beneath the surface as Maple had done. Indeed, could the black shield still glow clearly in the deep?

“Sally?”

“…Maple, it’s still glowing.”

“…?”

“Below this… probably something’s there.”

“Eh!? Really!?”

“Accidental fortune. Well? Shall we go check?”

“Y-yes! Let’s go! Definitely!”

“Alright. Then let’s put on the diving suits right away.”

“Yessir!”

Expecting what might come next, the two begin their descent, buoyed by unforeseen discovery.