Chapter 43

Chapter 43 – Defense Specialized and Coastal Exploration

Sally and Maple are walking on the coastal line.

This is the outer circumference of the island of the event this time.

This island is surrounded by the sea.

And, there are several floating islands in the sky.

「There’s a library on one of those huh〜… that place is also a part of the field huh」

Maple whispered while staring at the sky.

Although it could be said that they are floating around the island, the floating island that is at a distance far away, 6 of them could be seen from their place. There might be others hiding behind the mountain area where the monster bird was so they cannot tell the specific number.

In other words, excluding the island where a library is that Kanade said, there are still five floating islands that could be explored.

「Well, it might have already been explored though」

「If it’s dungeon clear just by finishing the【Jigsaw Puzzle that can be completed within four days】… it might end quickly with the two of us!」

「Though we don’t know if there’s a similar dungeon」

「That’s true, but… I just thought that there’s also dungeons like that huh〜」

Maple and Sally have only encountered battle-type dungeons, so it seems that Maple wants to go to a dungeon that could be cleared by exploring or solving puzzles.

「It depends on our luck whether we’ll find one, I think」

「That’s true」

While continuing their conversation, the two continued to advance through the coastline.

A normal forest is only continuing on their side and there was no monster that appears.

The only change was the battle against the huge crab-type monsters that comes out from time to time.

Other than that, they are just walking.

And one hour advancing just like that.

The beach ended and the ground started to have a slope.

They gradually took distance from the sea and it changes to a cliff.

「Maple, don’t fall okay?」

「I-It’s alright〜!」

The path is not narrow at all and the other side is just a forest.

It is not like they are walking as if they were sticking to walls so as long as nothing absurd happens, they would not fall.

「Well, Maple won’t die even if she falls though」

「But, I can’t climb up」

Anyways, the only need to not fall.

Another two hours of walking.

The forest that continued for a long time on their side disappeared, and ruins made out of old stone bricks with moss appeared to their right.

It was a terrain that really seemed to have something.

The stone bricks that have extended from the ruins passed ahead of the two and continued up to the edge of the cliff.

And there, several stones were standing, surrounding the pedestal in the center.

「There’s something right?」

「Unless it’s already been explored」

The two walked towards the ruins.

They searched each of the tattered buildings but could not find anything.

But even so, they continued to explore thinking of the possibility of a hidden room, and finally, a change happened to the two’s exploration.

「Oh… to」

When Sally was about to come out of the ruins, she suddenly hid her body.

Maple also followed Sally.

There were three players there.

Compared to the players that Maple and Sally have met up until now, they seem to be wearing good equipments.

Although it cannot be compared to the unique series, their equipment was decently good.

Their levels must be decent as well.

They are quite close. Maple and Sally might be found if they make some noise.

「What will we do?」

Maple whispered into Sally’s ear.

Doing such, they would not be able to hear.

「It’s fine to fight them, and it’s fine to not… if we’re going to fight… it’s fine with me alone, and it’s fine to fight together with Maple」

It looks like the choice where Maple would go by herself does not exist.

And there, the players started to say interesting things.

「Hey, that book, do you know what it says?」

「No, it’s too tattered that only parts could be read… I can tell that it has something to do with water, but the place of【Ancient Heart】is……」

「Man, I’ll count on you alright, that book is a special item that drops during death… hurry up and decode it」

「I know already」

Saying that, they walked towards the place that seems to be their base.

It looks like they did not notice Maple and Sally.

They went away.

「Maple. I want to defeat those players… but, they have that book so they’re probably going to focus on running away. That’s why…」

Sally quickly whispered the plan to Maple’s ear.

「……I got it. Is it alright?」

「Fufufu, of course!」

The players were walking away.

If they took any more distance, they would lose sight of them.

Maple and Sally started their plan.

「Yay〜!! It’s the fifth medal〜!」

A girl’s voice echoed in the ruins.

Hearing that voice, the three players hide into the shadows while turning around.

If it were true, they would want to hunt it.

However, they do not know the strength of their opponent.

Because of that, they were planning on observing the owner of the voice.

It was one girl who came out of the shadows while skipping.

The girl who had a wide smile was equipped with a blue muffler and leggings with a darker color. With her beautiful equipments, there was no doubt that she would gather attention.

However, when it comes to her whole body, it was not like that.

The other equipments are that of a beginner.

It is the clothes when one has not equipped anything.

There is no status bonus at all.

They also knew that her shoes are that of a beginner.

「What do you think?」

「It’s obviously beginner equips. She has some good equipments in parts… but she probably just got them from this event. I can still remember when I was a beginner. That randomness of the equips is……」

「But… we don’t know whether or not she really has a medal」

When the players were continuing to observe her like that, the girl operated her monitor and took out something.

Those were, 5 medals.

「Ufufufu… only half more, only half more〜!」

That must be her daily routine.

She sat on a broken stone brick and observed the medals one by one, and after gripping it delightfully, she returned them to her inventory.

「It’s for sure now. Let’s go」

「Yeah, let’s crush her」

When the three jumped out of their covers, the girl was startled and looked towards the three.

The girl stood up and slowly took distance while she holds her dagger.

「W-What is it?」

「Sorry okay? We also want medals」

「………!!」

When the girl was about to run away, the three surrounded her to block her escape route.

The girl seems to have no ways to take care of the players who were slowly closing in on her, she was looking around with her knees shaking.

「Attack!」

「「Yeah!」」

The three swung their own weapons.

There was no way that the dagger that was swung desperately could block that and their weapons sunk into the girl’s body.

The three of them pictured about the medals.

However.

The medals were not there.

The girl disappeared as if she was an illusion.

「「「Ha?」」」

As if to cover up their surprise, damage effects were raised from one of the players.

Twice, thrice.

He was slashed continuously while stunned.

And that, became a fatal wound.

「Sorry okay? I also want the book」

Saying that, the one who was about to pick up the dropped book was the weak girl that they thought of hunting.

「Ha? D-Don’t mess around!」

To the absurdity of the situation, the player lost his composure and slashed using his skill, but it was avoided as if it was the sword that dodged.

The girl is holding a dagger with each hand.

And using those, she cuts the hand that slashed towards her while dodging.

「GHUAA?!」

When he flinched, the girl picked up the book, placed it in her inventory and ran away.

「W-Wait!」

The man who chased after the girl while scattering damage effects,

In the next instant, he scattered fresh blood-like effects from his abdomen and became a light.

The girl who was running suddenly disappeared and appeared playing with her dagger in the place where the man was killed.

「It isn’t good to get fooled twice you know〜」

「Ha? Eh? W-What just……」

The remaining one was whispering something, unable to accept the situation.

And in that situation, the girl.

Or rather, Sally, there was no way that she would get defeated.

「Byebye」

After a while, the remaining one became light and disappeared.

Sally does not know where their starting points are, but she knows that they would not be able to recover the book.

「If you can’t win against me… you can’t defeat Maple after all」

Maple ran towards Sally.

「How was it? I did it well right?」

「Un! Sally who was a bit different from usual was interesting!」

「You don’t need to look at that!」

「Ne〜, can you say “Yay〜!” while skipping again!」

「I won’t do that! I won’t! Rather than that, let’s check out the loot?」

「……I’ll let it pass for just now〜」

「…that’s great. ……acting differently than usual is really embarrassing〜」

Sally decided that she will not do such thing unless she really needs to.

The two started to check the things that they got from the battle just now.