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nChapter 24: Defense Specialized and Underground Exploration

nThe two were walking one step at a time, and cautiously went lower and lower.

nThe voice was getting louder and louder. Kaede was in front to prepare for a surprise attack while going down the stairs, then saw a door ahead.

nKaede placed her hand on the door knob.

n「……it isn’t locked. I’m going to open it」

n「Okay〜. Yosh, come!」

nKaede made a stance with her large shield while opening the door. Because the door was opened, the voice could be heard clearer.

n「It hurts……it hurts………ahhh…ah」

nKaede showed her face from the large shield, and peeked inside.

nInside the room, was a candle melted to half placed in the middle of the ground.

nAnd what it shimmers was, a bloody man that was tied to a chair.

n「He doesn’t seem to have hostility……? But he isn’t a player either」

nFollowing Kaede, Risa carefully showed her face from Kaede’s back. And she scowled with his painful appearance.

n「What should we do?」

n「n〜… he’s saying that it hurts, so… I want to cure him〜…」

n「I have【Heal】though? You want me to try?」

n「Un… please!」

nTheir plan was decided and Risa used【Heal】.

nA kind light enveloped the man, and his wounds healed a little bit. It was still too far away from a complete cure.

n「One more time!【Heal】!」

nRisa, while checking how the healing of the wounds, used【Heal】repeatedly.

nAfter using the two MP Potion that she brought, the man’s wounds finally healed completely.

nThe two made a very content smile.

n「Thank……you………」

nThe man with his wounds healed smiled pleasantly, and slowly, his body changed into a white light, gradually dissipates, and finally disappeared.

n「Did he went to heaven……it means?」

n「Isn’t that the case? Probably, he isn’t living at all at the first place, though……n?」

nRisa saw that there was something left in the chair that the man was sitting on. Inside this dark dim room, it was receiving light from the candle, and shines faintly.

nRisa picked that up.

n「This is……a ring?」

n「Oh〜! I wonder if it’s that man’s thanks?」

nRisa checked the specs of that deep black ring.

n【Ring of Life】

n【HP＋100】

n「n〜… probably the upgraded version of Maple’s Toughness Ring? The requirements to get it was simple so there wouldn’t be that great of an equipment huh…」

nAfter saying that, Risa gave the ring to Kaede.

n「Maple should get it. There’s nothing much for me increasing my HP」

n「Eh!……but, is it okay? It might be an event-only item you know?」

n「If you really, don’t like to have it for free, then I’ll put it on your tab. Maple would also probably get equipments that you don’t need too, so, if you’re like it that way…」

n「I got it! At that time, I’ll give it to Sally then! ……then, let’s equip this thankfully, there…」

nWith this, Kaede’s HP from 100, became double, 200.

nIt had finally become a reliable count, it could be said.

nAt the same time, her accessories slot was full, so it would be going to be hard to increase her HP from now on.

n「Then, let’s go to sleep again…」

n「The event in this forest, I wonder if it’s only this?」

n「n〜… I wonder? There might be at least another one, but… the time period probably has something to do with it. This also, it seems like it’s an event that appeared at 12」

nOther than that, the time of appearance of the ghosts is most probably also was because of the time period of the event, so, they had the conclusion that they needed to explore around here for a few days to have a proper result.

n「Then, the plan tomorrow is to get through this forest」

n「Un, let’s do that」

nFor Risa, this forest was not a place that she wanted to stay for a long time.

nWhen the two came out of the underground, they returned the furniture to its original position, and when to their first plan of sleeping alternately.

n「Then, good night, Maple」

n「Good night〜! I’ll keep a tight watch so sleep without worries!」

n「Fufu… thanks」

nAnd just like that, while alternating the lookout, the night had passed.

nThe second day.

n「Yosh, let’s also do our best today!」

n「Oo〜!」

nAfter the two ate a light breakfast, they moved ahead from the deserted house towards outside the forest.

nTo decrease the time spent, it was the usual style of Risa carrying Kaede.

nFrom time to time, Risa climbs a tree and checks the direction of the mountainous area, and running just like that for an hour.

nThey finally saw the end of the forest.

n「Yosh! We got through!」

n「n〜! It’s been a while where it’s bright, so it’s blinding…」

nKaede re-equipped and stretched,

nIn front of them, barren lands with only a few grass growing spread ahead. And that continuous up to the mountainous areas.

n「This change of environment, if it’s not a game, it’s impossible right〜」

n「Not knowing of what scenery comes next is really exciting right!」

nThe two chatted while advancing through the barren lands. It was a terrain that was easy to know if there was a monster getting closer, so it was easy to scout.

nThat is why, they were able to see the silhouette that was most probably players from far away.

n「Maple. There’s someone」

n「Which equipment should I use? Is it better to have【Akujiki】?」

n「I think that you shouldn’t use【Akujiki】yet, if it was a battle in an instant… it’s better to charge using【Cover Move】… other than that…」

nRisa told Kaede with a small voice the other tactic.

n「I understood」

nThe two advanced while strengthening their cautiousness. Since Kaede was 3rd in the last event, most of the players should know her face.

nWith some people, there is the possibility that they would attack to steal the medal.

nAnd after advancing just like that, their side had also noticed of the two, stopped and started to discuss.

nAnd without holding their weapons, the three moved towards the two.

nAll of the three players were male, and they were a sided party with a large sword, short sword, and one-handed sword.

nWhen they reached the distance where their voices could be heard, the three of them started to talk.

n「I can’t believe it〜, when I thought that it’s the first time to see a person… I didn’t think that it would be a ranker from last time…」

n「I was really terrified… we don’t have the will to fight so please let us go…!」

n「We’re just going to climb mountains from now〜… so we don’t want to waste skills」

n「I see〜. We’re also just about to climb mountains. I’m sure that there’s something in that mountain……」

nWith what Kaede said, it looks like the three had the same opinion, and asked if they could come with along.

n「What do you think, Sally?」

n「………isn’t it alright?」

nJust like this, the five of them advanced towards the mountain.

n「Then, I’ll go in front… so Maple should stand in from of the three, just like protecting them」

n「Okay〜! I’ll protect you whatever monster would come!」

nKaede made a strong post with her large shield.

n「You look really reliable」

n「Really true」

nBehind them, they started to walk while hearing the three whispering with themselves.

nOn the way, they encountered monsters for a few times, but without Maple needing to protect, Risa defeated it.

nAnd, their already near their destination.

n「Yosh, let’s do our best a little more!」

nKaede made a big stretch.

nIn that instant.

n「Attack now!【Amor Crush】!」

n「【Defense Break】!」

n「【Ignoring Blade】!」

nThe three who was behind Kaede attacked at once.

nDefense ignoring skills, loomed to Kaede.

nAs if they were checking for a chance for Kaede, their combination was really smooth.

nIt can be said that there was no better surprise attack than that.

n「【Cover Move】!」

nBut, their deadly blades would not reach Kaede.

nThe other tactic that Risa told, was for Kaede show the three people who went with them a chance purposely, and to show what the three people really wanted.

nRisa had guessed that there was a high possibility that they were going to attack if they asked for accompaniment.

nAs long as Risa was nearby, Kaede had the fastest way to dodge.

nShe didn’t say that she was sure that it would be safe, but Kaede agreed to Risa’s suggestion.

nAnd she was being careful of the three.

nThe men didn’t notice that Kaede and Risa were observing them.

nThey were to focused on aiming for their prey, so their head couldn’t turn enough to think that they might be also aimed at.

n「What!?」

nThe men were surprised that their surprise attack ended with a failure, and stopped at their feet.

nThey had probably an absolute confidence.

n「【Hydra(Poison Dragon)】!」

nThe Poison Dragon that was released as a counterattack devoured the three without mercy, and their HPs had been scraped off.

n「To think that they’re really going to attack…」

n「Well, there’s a reason for Maple to be targeted, so… it’s good that we had caution right?」

n「It’s because I was able to activate【Cover Move】immediately! If I didn’t have that, it might’ve been dangerous…」

n「Other than that… is there a medal? They might’ve dropped it」

nBeing told by Risa, Kaede advanced to the sea of poison. She searched around where the three collapsed, but there was no medal dropped.

n「It means not to aim for getting rich quickly huh」

n「That’s really true」

nIn this event, Kaede and Risa’s first PvP ended with a victory.

n「Then, once again… let’s go climb the mountain!」

n「Oo〜!」

nThe two, once again, started to walk towards the mountain.

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