✦ ✦ ✦
At last, the weekend arrived. The dungeon leading to the tenth stratum—and the new map itself—were finally online. Maple Tree’s members assembled in their Guild Home.
“About time!”
“First, let’s try and clear this dungeon in one go.”
“No news about what’s inside yet. But I doubt we’ll struggle.”
“Yep, just be careful, and do what we always do. That should be enough.”
They’d only just downed a really tough (royal) boss together, and they were pretty confident in their team play.
The levels and skills they’d gained along the way meant they had a lot of options in a fight.
Kasumi could use her mobility and knockback skills. Sally could use water and ice for defense or to give herself footholds. Chrome and Kanade had speed debuffs.
Bosses weak to paralysis were increasingly rare, but Maple had some status effects, too.
And if they had Iz’s buffs, then Tsukimi and Yukimi could carry Mai and Yui right up to any boss.
There were lots of ways to get their main DPS in position. All they had to do was pick the least risky or most likely to succeed and press their advantage.
“We’re all here! Let’s head to the dungeon location.”
“I’m all stocked up on items. Ready when you are.”
“Then shall we ride Haku?”
“All righty, then! Off we go!”
Their goal: Clear this dungeon on their first try. If they pulled that off, they’d have time to start exploring the tenth stratum.
No sense in dallying once everyone was ready. Out in the field, they all climbed aboard Kasumi’s pet snake (enlarged with the Supergiant skill) and rode it to the dungeon entrance.
None of the monsters along the way proved to be a threat, and they reached their destination safely.
The dungeon entrance was on the border between the watery nature and fiery wasteland kingdoms, in a zone that bore hallmarks of both.
Perhaps there’d been a temple there, once. There were crumbling columns, surrounded by water and ice, buried in lush vegetation. Other sections had crumbling pavement from which lava flowed, scorched by lightning strikes.
And a blue magic circle at the center of it all.
This would teleport them to the dungeon. No telling what lay on the other side.
“We’ve got no knowledge of the dungeon beyond…”
“And now I’m hesitant to start with Martyr’s Devotion.”
That skill/buff cancelation move the dragon king had used was still at the front of their minds. Naturally, that was hardly the average boss, but they couldn’t deny it was possible. Just as Maple Tree’s members had grown stronger, the developers had been crafting more powerful monsters for them to fight.
No intel meant no ready solutions.
Martyr’s Devotion changed their entire approach. It was not a skill they could afford to lose for nothing.
“Let’s keep it in reserve. If the teleport drops us right into danger, I’ll buy time with Guardian; if needed, you can bust it out then.”
“Got it!”
“Worse comes to worst, I’ll use a grimoire. I’ve got a few good defensive skills in stock now.”
Safety first. With defensive strategies in mind, Maple Tree stepped onto the circle.
✦ ✦ ✦
There was a splash—and they landed in water. The teleport had taken them to a flooded ancient white building. The water was about chest high.
There was a line on the walls and plenty of light—enough for them to make out tall ceilings and broad corridors.
“Mai, Yui, you all right?”
“Yes…b-barely!”
“We’re fine on top of our bears!”
If this water came up to Maple’s chest, then the even shorter twins would barely have their heads above water. They’d have to ride their pets around.
“Argh, this water’s nerfing our AGI. A thirty percent debuff is brutal!”
“Exactly like my Oceanic, then.”
As long as they were in contact with it, they’d be moving slowly. They had skills that would get them out of the water, but considering the area layout, it seemed better to just go with it rather than try to avoid it.
With their feet on the ground, they’d have less AGI—but firm footing. Deciding they could resort to buffs if they were really in trouble, they started moving.
“Um, it sure looks like a fight will happen here…”
“Yeah, that’s why these halls are so wide.”
“Speak of the devil. Incoming!”
Down the passage, a monster was sliding along the surface of the water, riding a magic circle that kept it afloat. It held a staff bearing a large blue gem.
An HP bar was over its head. This was the first encounter. All eight raised their weapons.
“Just the one?”
“Yeah, nothing behind it.”
No front- or backline fighters. Just a single mage—that was inherently unnerving. They all watched closely.
✦ ✦ ✦
A moment later…
…a magic circle spread out beneath their feet.
The waters’ waves swelled. Several currents attacked, whirling furiously, tornado-like.
“Maple!”
“Martyr’s Devotion!”
Sally made the snap decision that they could not defend against this, so Maple got her protection out just before the torrent smashed into them.
“……!”
She could feel herself moving. At the mercy of the waters, not even sure which way was up.
Martyr’s Devotion only offered protection within a certain area. If she was swept away, anyone left behind would be undefended.
Maple panicked as she hit some kind of wall and went under, but she soon got her face above water.
“……Haku! Thank you!”
“Whew, managed to coil around everyone.”
“Good call, Kasumi. We’re saved! This new stratum’s not kidding around if even the regular encounters are this rough.”
“What do we do?”
“Without Maple, we’re in trouble!”
“But she’s not faring much better.”
Supergiant Haku’s bulk was coiled round them, warding off the whirlpool. The roaring waters were like the base of a waterfall, pounding against the snake’s scales. Naturally, Martyr’s Devotion kept it unharmed.
Haku might be invulnerable, but the main goal of this current was the formation-disrupting knockback effect. This was keeping Maple pinned against the snake’s flank.
“Yeah, constant knockback. We’re not able to move forward.”
It was hard to defend anyone who was getting flung backward.
“We do have options, but…this is supposed to be a trash mob. I’d rather conserve resources and find a reliable way to win.”
“I can keep Haku safe, so what about…” Buffeted by the constant effect, Maple made a suggestion.
“……That does seem reliable.”
“Okay, let’s try it out!”
“I’ll scope out the fore.”
Iz pulled a long tubular item out of her inventory, stretching it over Haku’s coils.
This allowed her to see over the snake’s bulk.
“Found it. Wow, no signs of the water stopping.”
“You’ve got everything.”
“Not everything, just what I’ve made.”
“Warn us if it does anything funny. Haku!”
Kasumi barked an order, and there was a rumble as its bulk slithered into action. Maintaining the coil, it began moving toward the monster—like a scaly tornado advancing.
“Close enough!”
“Haku!”
Kasumi had her pet stop, using its length to keep Maple Tree safe while slithering up the current to bite the mage.