I hate being in pain, so I think I'll make a full defense build-Chapter 526

526

Defense Specialization and Assistance

A few days passed, and the exploration continued smoothly. Maple and Sally were exchanging information with the members of the “Kingdom of the Flame Emperor” at a cafe in town.

“We’ll probably reach the Demon King first,” one of them said confidently.

“Well, with this many people, we can’t afford to lag behind,” another added.

“Yes, the guild members have been working hard,” said a third.

“If there’s anything you want to know, we should be able to help… to some extent.”

“You’re fast, too. The “Congregation of the Holy Swords” might be challenging soon as well!”

“If it was just a single attempt, we could expedite it, but this time it’s a boss that has been noted to be strong in advance. We’re gathering multiple chances to challenge the ‘Demon King’s Power’ since a single attempt might be difficult.”

“Gathering information and repeatedly challenging strong bosses is fundamental. “Maple Tree” should also consider gathering multiple attempts.”

“Hmm, it’s tough in one go, huh?” Maple muttered to herself, but the members of the “Kingdom of the Flame Emperor” didn’t think it was impossible for them.

“It’s difficult… normally…”

“But… if it’s the members of “Maple Tree”, winning in one attempt might be possible.”

“What do you think? It’s definitely tough, but Maple and I plan to give it our all.”

“If you’re in contact with the “Congregation of the Holy Swords”, we might get detailed information soon. It’s definitely a formidable enemy, but we’re rooting for “Maple Tree”’s victory.”

With that, Mii made eye contact with Maple, silently encouraging her. Maple nodded back, understanding the gesture, and Mii smiled.

“Let’s get to the main topic. Encouragement is fine, but we have another matter to discuss today.”

Mii cleared her throat and started discussing the main issue.

“This isn’t related to the main quest, but we’ve encountered a strong enemy. While our guild could eventually win with repeated attempts, we’re currently focused on the Demon King challenge and don’t want to allocate too much time and manpower.”

“So if we help…”

Before Maple could finish, Mii nodded.

“With Maple’s defensive capabilities, we can skip the troublesome parts. If you help us, we’ll share some information in return.”

The “Kingdom of the Flame Emperor” was ahead in the exploration of the tenth layer. With the flexibility in the exploration order immediately after arriving at the tenth layer, “Maple Tree” knew things no one else did. However, as time passed, that advantage diminished.

Thus, the valuable asset Maple and her team could offer in exchange for information was not more information but the unique combat assistance they could provide using their specialized skills.

Maple, with her unique abilities, could counter specific enemy attacks effectively. Nodding enthusiastically at Mii’s proposal, Maple agreed to help.

“I thought you would say that. Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome! Shall we go right away?”

“If you both have the time, we can head out.”

“Maple, I’m ready.”

“Perfect.”

“Then, let me guide you to the place. We’ll ride on Ignis.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you, Mii.”

“Let’s go then!”

“Yes, we rely on you.”

“I’ll ask about the information you need… I want to summarize it while we travel.”

“Yes!”

Maple and Sally discussed their needs and conveyed the information to Mii. After settling the bill, they left the cafe and rode on Ignis, who was enlarged by “Heavenly Guardian’s Flock”, to their destination.

The Encounter

Ignis flew them to an open area in the forest, lined with stone pillars inscribed with fine text.

“This place looks ominous.”

“It feels like there’s something here…”

“Indeed.”

Maple had seen suspicious terrain like this before. It was clear something was key to this place, but identifying that key was crucial.

“Maple, activate “Self-Offering Love”.”

“…! Understood!”

Following Mii’s instructions, Maple activated “Self-Offering Love”, indicating that they might soon face a storm of attacks.

“Is everyone ready?”

Once everyone confirmed their readiness, Mii took out a small vial from her inventory. The black flames burning within the vial seemed to be the key item. As Mii opened the vial, black flames erupted from the stone pillars, spreading around and enveloping Maple and the others, reaching up into the sky.

Despite being surrounded by black flames, the forest remained intact, making it clear that they were in a different dimension.

“Maple, are you alright?”

“Yes!”

“Impressive as always. The first hurdle is cleared.”

“The entire area is burning. We could force our way through with continuous healing magic, but…”

While the area was similar to the dimension where the final boss of the fourth layer was, the damage zone here was extensive and constant, making it impossible to block with shields or barriers. However, Maple’s ability to negate this mechanic significantly lowered the difficulty of the area. This was something even the skilled shield users in the “Kingdom of the Flame Emperor” couldn’t achieve.

“We don’t need to worry about traps. And… the light.”

The black flames, which typically wouldn’t provide illumination, were countered by the glowing “Self-Offering Love”, lighting up their surroundings without the need for a handheld lantern.

“The terrain hasn’t changed. We know the path to the deepest part. Stay close to us. Shin, handle scouting and interception.”

“Alright, as usual! “Destructor”!”

Shin’s sword split into several pieces, floating in the air, and flew through the flames. This allowed for precise scouting and attacking simultaneously.

“Once enemies are detected, we’ll take them down from a distance. All enemies are beasts covered in black flames. Maple, use water, and Sally, use something other than poison.”

“Got it.”

“Leave it to me!”

They advanced cautiously, intercepting enemies as Shin detected them.

“”Water Dragon”!”

“”Oozing Chaos”!”

“”Blue Fire”!”

“”Remote Location・Wind Blade”!”

“”Holy Spear”!”

Thanks to Shin’s accurate scouting, monsters were destroyed by wide-range attacks before they could even emerge from the flames. The monsters, whose threat level was raised by the constant field damage, couldn’t even show themselves before being eliminated.

“Looks good so far.”

With no monsters reaching them, Shin continued his scouting.

“As long as we have Maple’s defense, we’re fine. Mii, have you reached the boss before?”

“Yes. We had to retreat after facing continuous damage greater than that along the way. The enemy is a phoenix enveloped in black flames.”

“A phoenix, huh…”

“You’ve guessed it. It’s unlikely you’ll gain access to this boss.”

The key to entering this area was the flame in the vial, and reaching this point required Mii’s tamed monster, Ignis.

“Other tamed monsters might have similar quests, but finding them is uncertain.”

“We’ve been searching since we learned about this quest, but…”

If the numerous members of the “Kingdom of the Flame Emperor” couldn’t find another such quest, it was either extremely rare or non-existent.

“We expect this to lead to a powerful skill or equipment, but it’s unfortunate we won’t have many opportunities to use it against you two.”

While individual PvP opportunities still existed, large-scale guild battles before Maple and Sally left were unlikely. This meant that Maple and Sally would essentially win and leave undefeated.

“Maple and I might still participate in events occasionally.”

“Ha, we’ll be looking forward to that. We aim to surpass “Maple Tree” by then.”

“Maple’s defense is hard to break through even from a distance.”

“And Sally’s evasion… doesn’t seem to get rusty either.”

“What do you think, Sally?”

“If it’s an important battle, I’d retrain in a few days.”

“Of course. But we can’t chat for too long! More enemies are coming!”

With another perfect interception of detected monsters, Maple and the team continued their advance.

Final Approach

As they progressed, Maple and Sally noticed changes in their surroundings.

“The wind…”

“Yes, but there’s no damage.”

“The firepower has increased, but as expected from Maple.”

“The number of enemies will increase. We’re close to the boss!”

“Maple, let’s deploy “Demon King’s Power” too.”

“Right! With all this fire, there’s plenty of energy!”

The entire area burning provided Maple with sufficient energy without needing to use the drill.

“We’re under attack again! Focus forward!”

“”Demon King’s Power”!”

The shattered cube transformed into a gatling gun, scattering blue bullets forward. However, a few monsters slipped through the barrage.

The first monsters they saw were leopards and hawks, rushing at high speed. Their glowing red eyes showed strong hostility as they charged, burning with black flames.

“Not on my watch!”

“”Inferno”!”

“”Water Dragon”!”

Shin’s sword, used for scouting, was now an attack weapon, piercing through monsters from behind while Mii and Sally intercepted from the front.

Against the top-tier players, the monsters, weakened by the nullified field mechanics, stood no chance.

“Smooth sailing so far. Are we almost there?”

“Yes… around here last time.”

“Maple, I’ll cast continuous healing spells for added protection.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s avoid using tamed monsters. It would be too taxing on Maple.”

Maple’s “Self-Offering Love” attracted all attacks within its range, and targeting multiple allies would overwhelm her defenses.

“Okay, I’ll attack with “Destructor”.”

“Sally, stay within range… though I know you will.”

“I won’t make a mistake.”

Next was the boss battle, where the black flames would deal unavoidable damage even to Maple.

“”Afterglow of Salvation”.”

White feathers extended from Maple’s back, intensifying the swirling wind. From within the rising black flames, a high-pitched screech echoed, and a massive phoenix, its body aflame, appeared.

“…!”

Maple quickly realized the change. The wind mixed with flames began to burn her, reducing her HP.

Absorbing the damage for six people resulted in unprecedented damage levels for Maple, even with “Afterglow of Salvation”’s damage reduction.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Misery, holding her staff, reassured Maple.

“”Healing Fountain””Healing Light”!”

A continuous healing zone at her feet and powerful healing magic instantly restored Maple’s HP.

“If it’s just one target, my high-healing spells will suffice. I will protect you.”

“Yes!”

With Maple absorbing the damage, Misery’s healing was enough. This allowed the remaining four to move freely.

“Let’s keep attacking. A swift victory is best for them.”

“Agreed. Shin, can you use some “Destructor” swords as platforms?”

“Ha, you’re asking for a lot. Well, if it’s Sally, sure. Okay.”

“Not all information is complete. There are still unknowns about the boss, so be careful…”

Focused, the four aimed their weapons at the circling boss.

“Let’s fly!”

Shin no longer needed “Destructor” for scouting. Using the swords as platforms, he ascended into the sky, surrounded by swords.

“I’ll borrow this!”

Sally shot threads to anchor on Shin’s sword, retracting them to accelerate and launching herself into the sky with a flying device. Seeing this, the phoenix flapped its wings, creating fiery tornadoes.

Avoiding the large attacks with agility, Shin and Sally closed in on the boss.

“”Quintuple Slash”!”

“”Destructor”!”

With Maple handling defense, they could attack aggressively despite the phoenix’s burning body. Shin continued to dodge and attack from a distance.

However, the phoenix, not just a punching bag, increased its flames and dive-bombed towards the ground.

Mii and Maple prepared to intercept.

“”Inferno”!”

“”Barrel Deployment””Commence Attack””Demon King’s Power”!”

A mighty flame rivaling the phoenix’s fire and dual-colored lasers from Maple pierced through the attack.

Yet, it was Marx who remained calm, seeing through the phoenix’s tactics.

“”Holy Chain”.”

Chains from a yellow magic circle bound the phoenix, activating a trap placed by Maple.

“”Change”!”

Swapping the location of traps, Maple was summoned near the phoenix, ready to strike.

With the risk of using “Cover Move”, the team transported Maple close.

“”Invitation to the Ocean Floor”!”

A few seconds of restraint was enough. Maple, with her burst damage tentacles, struck.

“Got it!”

The phoenix’s wings lashed out, sending Maple back to her team. But in that moment, Maple dealt more damage than all of them combined.

“Remarkable… as always.”

“She’s reliable as an ally.”

“But, we can’t chat. Time to finish this…!”

With the phoenix’s HP dwindling, the team pressed on. Maple and Shin dived from above, while Mii, Misery, and Marx attacked from the front.

“”Destructor”!”

“”Water Dragon”!”

“”Flame Empress”!”

“”Holy Spear”!”

“”Remote Location・Water Bullet”…”

Their combined assault left the phoenix in tatters. However, it began absorbing the black flames to recover and escape.

“Maple!”

“Take the shot!”

As the phoenix tried to flee, Maple, slightly delayed from the fall, prepared her weapon. Charging “Demon King’s Power” and “Machine God” simultaneously, she unleashed a powerful laser.

“”Commence Attack””Demon King’s Power”!”

The laser pierced the phoenix, ending the battle.

Victory and Aftermath

As Maple deactivated her weapons, the black flames subsided, revealing a return magic circle.

“Maple, Sally, thank you. You made this much easier.”

“I’m glad. Did you get something useful?”

“”Underworld Flames”.”

Without words, Mii demonstrated, black flames surrounding her defensively.

“Wow!”

“Troublesome if it’s like the earlier flames.”

With fixed damage, it could be effective against Maple. Without a strong healer like Misery, “Maple Tree” would struggle.

“It’s a shame we might not use it against a fully powered “Maple Tree”… but it’s good to prepare.”

“Yes!”

“If we ever need help, we’ll ask. You might see it then.”

“Ha, not that you’d expect it.”

“Well, we might need assistance sometimes.”

“Just call us. We’ll be ready.”

“Looking forward to it!”

“Yes. You helped us a lot! Now we can focus on exploring.”

“Yes. So…”

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“As promised, we’ll share the information and help when needed.”

“Thank you!”

Not only Mii, but the other three also expressed their willingness to cooperate, strengthening the bonds of friendship between Maple and the others once more.