Chapter 405

Chapter 405 – Defense Specialization and Lightning

Time passed and all the players had made significant progress in the quest. However, as there were rails spread out in the area which were easy to spot, most players neglected exploring areas outside of the quest area despite many players doing the quest.

Due to that, when one looked at the whole field, there were more areas left unexplored.

As such, it would be safe to say that it will take longer for Chrome and the others to find the hidden area they were looking for.

Amongst all this, Maple was going about it at her own pace, going wherever she wanted whenever she wanted — in fact, she was currently checking her map just outside the city to decide on her next location.

Since Sally had her hands full grasping the field and Chrome and the others were busy with exploration, she was on her own today as well.

That said, she did order independent action as the guild’s policy as well.

“I wonder where I should go next~.”

While it was mostly for the quest, Maple did fly around the area on the 9th floor for quite a long time and had already explored all the areas that piqued her interest. Of course, she hadn’t done a thorough exploration so there’s always the option of re-exploring an area but if she was to go somewhere, she wanted it to be someplace new.

Unlike previously explored areas, everything about unexplored areas is new. Her exploration in new areas would never go in vain.

While she was pondering on her next destination, a voice called out to her from behind.

“Maple~! What are you doing, spacing out over here?”

“Ah, Velvet! Hinata’s not with you today, huh?”

“Hinata went to investigate the field!”

“I see. Same with Sally, then. What about you?”

“I’m not really good at those things so I’m just gonna grind exp. and explore areas!”Rêạd new chapters at novelhall.com

“Ahaha, same with me, then.”

“So that’s why you were looking over the map!”

“Yep. I was deciding on where to go next. Are you going to explore now?”

“That was the plan but where were you planning to go?”

Being asked such a question, Maple pointed out the places she was interested in one by one.

“Ah, this place overlaps with one of my choices as well! How ‘bout we go together?”

“Yeah, sounds good! You wanna ride Syrup?”

“Fufufu, there’s an even faster way of transport!”

“Really? Is it your tamed monster?”

“Nope, wrong answer!”

Maple formed a party with Velvet as the effect wouldn’t apply otherwise.

“Let’s go! ‘Electric Accelerator’!”

Along with Velvet’s declaration, electricity started running through the two’s skin. It crackled like lightning and Maple could somewhat understand what kind of an effect it might produce since she saw Mii’s ‘Flare Accelerator’.

“Now, try running!”

“Okay, here I go.”

“Let’s go!”

Maple broke out in a full sprint. Although her speed was less than Velvet, Sally and Kasumi, she easily surpassed players like Chrome and Kanade who have not really focused on their speed with this speed enhancement.

“Whoa, amazing! So fast!”

“With this, anyone can be really fast!”

Certainly, this would take them to their destination faster than Syrup.

“Running to your destination feels nice and fresh!”

“It is quite rare, you know?”

“Let’s go!”

“Right! Ah, do be careful of the effect running out, though. If you aren’t careful, you might trip and fall due to suddenly slowing down.”

“Got it!”

Running through the fields, Maple felt like Sally as she made her way towards their objective. Velvet had restrained her speed to not leave Maple behind and the two proceeded towards the location side by side.

“It kinda feels weird seeing Maple run like this.”

“I have to use ‘atrocity’ to run fast, after all. I can move fast by exploding arms but that wouldn’t exactly be running fast...”

Maple had almost never traveled through the fields on foot. Generally, she rides on top of Syrup or uses the transport Sally manages. ‘Machine God’ and ‘Atrocity’ are more battle-limited, when she needs to move quickly.

As her base ‘Agility’ is 0, items or skills which increase it by multiplying doesn’t have any effect on her. As ‘Electric Accelerator’ raises the base agility stats like ‘Atrocity’, it is able to increase Maple’s running speed as well.

She got to find out that Velvet could support her allies with skills like these apart from charging in and attacking with her lightning. Hinata’s support and interference stands out more but Velvet also possesses support skills like so.

If she has skills which can increase stats other than agility, it would be hard to face her in 1v1s or team battles.

“Do you have other skills like this as well?”

Unlike Sally, Maple asked her this out of pure curiosity, without thinking much about it.

“Fuffufu, I can’t go ahead and expose that, now can I~?”

“Ah! Right, that’s true.”

“Do find out in the event by all means!”

It appears she does have some sort of skill like that judging from her way of speaking but since Maple hadn’t seen it, she had no idea of what it could be.

“What about you, don’t you have anything like this, Maple? We have fought together a few times but... I have never seen you use something new, you know?”

While she had seen Maple’s strong skills such as ‘Devour’ in battle, the normal skills Maple uses have not changed in forever. While that is mostly because she decided not to use them after discussing with Sally, it’s also true that she didn’t need them as the people she partied with were very strong uptil now.

For example, if she parties with Mii or Velvet, she wouldn’t need to use ‘Machine God’. After all, the time to beat their opponents wouldn’t really change even if she decides to partake in offense. With stronger damage dealers on her party, Maple’s role as the shielder proves more valuable.

Self-offering Love suffices most of the time and she doesn’t have to use any new skill.

“Thank you again for today! That defense sure is something else...”

“I won’t lose to anyone in defense!”

“I don’t think there’s anyone who could beat you in defense either. If there was, they would’ve been popular by now!”

Such abnormality can’t really be hidden well in confrontations. Besides, now that everyone more or less knows about Maple, even if a person like that appears, they would instantly be compared to Maple and it would become a hot topic.

The fact that such talks didn’t come up even after they reached the 9th layer just means that nobody like that exists.

“I hear your defense was outstanding even in the first even so...”

“Ah, right... You weren’t there in the first event, were you, Velvet?”

“That’s right! I started right after it ended!”

“About the same time as Sally then! Do you play this type of game often?”

“Hinata does, more than me. I was invited to this one.”

Although she didn’t really speak of any details, it was evident that Hinata and Velvet knew each other in the real world as well.

“I was invited by Sally too! We’re the same! Or so I’d like to say but I’m still not as used to it as you are...”

“I have a long way to go as well!”

“Eh~? Really?”

Velvet’s movements were refined and it didn’t feel like she would be any less than Sally. Her positioning during fights felt way more natural than Maple as well.

“So Hinata wanted to play games with you too!”

“But the reason she invited me was a bit different this time.”

“Ah, I see.”

“...It’s more of a practice.”

“?”

Seeing Maple confused, Velvet cleared her throat and straightened her back sharply.

“...How is it? Don’t I look gentle and ladylike?”

As she lightly joined her hands and gave a gentle smile with that, she looked completely different from the lively and vigorous Velvet just a while ago. No one could tell that she uses lightning and those fists for fights.

“Amazing... you’re like a completely different person!”

“Haa, that’s not my natural posture so it’s really tiring.”

“Your usual posture is really nice too, in my opinion.”

“Really? That makes me happy! But it is also true that I have to learn this... After all, I am a daughter of a respected family.”

“Eh?! Really?!”

That would make sense considering the change just a while ago. Although one is more natural than the other, she could tell that she had been using both postures for quite a long time now.

“Yes. And that’s why Hinata suggested this as a place for practice.”

If she’s surrounded with people she doesn’t know and if it’s in a game, her changing tones and aura wouldn’t really affect her real life. The perfect place for practice.

That said, old habits die hard. Even Maple could tell that the results of her practice hadn’t reached her desired state yet.

And like that, Velvet and Maple gossiped for a while.

“Do you play other games too, Maple?”

“Nope, not really. This is the first one I played for this long.”

“And you are a guild master already! Is this what they call a prodigy?”

“Nothing of the sort~. Sally comes up with the guild strategies and everyone else also thinks about stuff!”

“Having that unity is sure nice! ...Mm, then is everyone from Maple Tree going to the same faction?”

“Hmmm... I had the opportunity to talk to Mii and Mr. Payne so, I guess it’s still under consideration?”

“You have yet to decide on a faction, then?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I plan on opposing you this time~.”

“Mmm, then maybe I should hide it till the very end and end up as your ally...”

It goes without saying but ‘thunder storm’ is a very strong guild as well. It would be best to keep them as allies.

“That’s a nice strategy! Did Sally teach you that?”

“She didn’t really say anything specific so I’m just speaking from reference... I saw her doing stuff, after all.”

It would appear Maple was learning a thing or two from Sally, for what it matters. While she can’t really mimic her movement, she can at least try and get close to her line of thought.

“Are you guys gonna be together as a guild in a faction?”

“I decided to leave all that stuff to everyone else! But I will stick with Hinata, of course!”

Just like how Velvet wants to try fighting against Maple, there are many others who want to try fighting Velvet considering how strong she is.

It seems she doesn’t mind how things play out in that regard.

“There would be a lotta different opinions in a big guild, after all.”

“That’s right! ...It’s also one of your responsibilities, you know?”

“I guess that’s true as well.”

Even Maple had a guild — ‘Maple Tree’, and while the number of members are low, she did in fact have guild members to think about. There may be a difference in opinions but they have to bounce ideas and unify their way of thinking or stance towards events.

“I’ll be looking forward to the event!”

“Mmm, become my ally~.”

“I’ll be your enemy~!”

They were wary of each other for now but the final decision was yet to come.