Chomp. The snake’s jaws cut the mage in half. That may sound surprising, but this was just a backline monster running solo. As long as they got close, fatal damage was easy to achieve.
The moment the mage died, the raging current subsided, and the waters resumed their gentle lapping.
“Fortunately, it’s a broad corridor. Let’s just keep Haku out.”
“Yeah, gonna handle the next one the same way.”
“Thank you so much!”
“You’re the best, Kasumi!”
“That mage was a pretty nasty monster. A big knockback skill while our AGI’s reduced? Thanks to Maple and Kasumi, we were fine, but if we’d all been swept away, that would not have gone well.”
“We know what it looks like, so be careful if it shows up with anything else.”
“Let’s hit it before it hits us!”
“That would be best.”
They knew the monster was a glass cannon—high offensive power but low defense. Machine God’s bullets could keep them out of harm’s way.
“We’re only just inside the entrance. Keep an eye on your reserves as we head in.”
“Will do!”
With the first monster down, Maple Tree headed deeper into the dungeon.
✦ ✦ ✦
No splitting paths, just one big hallway. Not long after, that mage appeared again, but this time it was supported by three frontline monsters carrying lances and great shields.
“Maple, go for it!”
“Okay! Deploy Artillery! Commence Assault!”
A metal trunk grew from Maple’s back, branching into a bunch of cannons.
They soon spewed fire, slamming shells into all four monsters.
Just one of these would likely melt the mage, but the three tanks stepped in, covering it.
Metallic clangs filled the hall—a sign the defenses were effective.
The tanks were barely taking damage.
“Didn’t think it would be that easy.”
And since that was the case, Sally glanced once at Kasumi. Haku formed a protective wall just before the torrent slammed them again.
✦ ✦ ✦
The roar of the current, the endless knockback. Maple’s skill soaked it all, slamming her against Haku’s flank and allowing everyone else to stay mobile.
Iz raised her tube, hoping they could get Haku in there to feast.
But then—
Damage effects went off, and Maple’s HP started dropping.
“Erp?!”
““Heal!””
Sally and Kanade reacted first, topping up her health with some spells. Her HP dropped as fast as they healed.
“Tch, the lances?!”
“I’ll keep her healed—you figure out our next move!”
“Urgh, they won’t stop hitting me!”
Iz pulled a bunch of potions out and started dosing Maple.
Heal was an early-game spell, the first they’d learned, and it was just not keeping up. Kanade had other healing spells, but healing was not his main job. Thus, they resorted to Iz’s powerful items.
The potions directly replenished Maple’s health, and the crafter created a zone that healed over time.
Maple gave up on attacking, using Meditation to heal herself.
“Kasumi, keep the snake behind us, but open the way forward.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Haku slithered aside, blocking the path to keep Maple in position.
That removed the wall between them and the enemy. The lancers charged in through the howling current.
“Mai, Yui, stay calm and do your thing. Maple will keep you safe.”
““We know!””
Riding their bears through the waves, they kept their eyes open, locked on the three lancers.
““Double Stamp!””
The howling waves were joined by metallic clangs. These things withstood the twins’ hammers. Their DPS had blown away every monster, so this was clearly not an issue with their attack stat. Both knew this meant there was a cap on the damage they could deal while those great shields were up.
“Mai!”
“On it!”
In which case, they had to amp things up, and they had more than two weapons each. They kept swinging while Helping Hands carried the rest of the hammers around behind the lancers.
Their enemies had one shield each. Not enough to block all these hammers.
““Hyahhh!””
The hammers slammed from both sides.
The caps were not designed for two attackers, and the lancers could not withstand a direct hit. The front lines crumbled, and Sally moved in.
“Let’s try this out! Wave Ride!”
It was a new skill she’d earned by leveling Water Wielding. Like Flash Spout and Waterway, it pushed aside everything before her, letting Sally move across the waves.
The tornado-like current obscured her vision, but once she was through that, she had a clear view of the mage beyond.
“Ice Pillar!”
The frozen column rose behind it, and her webs shot toward that, yanking her close to the enemy in the blink of an eye.
That prevented her from dodging much, but with Maple’s protection, she didn’t need to.
“Quintuple Slash!”
Sally got there too fast for the monster to draw back, landing a powerful combo that proved too much for the mage. It burst.
“Thanks, everyone!”
“No, thank you!”
“Maple saved us.”
There was no time limit on Martyr’s Devotion: A skill only Maple—with her ability to withstand all attacks—could make full use of.
And that meant Maple Tree had all sorts of strategies only Maple Tree could ever use.
“Let’s go with Iz and Kanade on healing, Chrome blocking anything Maple can’t handle, the twins handling the front lines, and Kasumi and me flying in to hit the back.”
“Got it. Knowing they’ve got piercing damage means no fights are guaranteed. To minimize risks, we’ll leave Haku on standby and go for quick wins.”
“There might be more monsters, too. Be careful.”
Like Kanade said, these two types weren’t necessarily all this dungeon offered. Best to stay flexible and save their best skills for when they were really needed.
For the time being, they changed formation. The monsters came in even stronger, and they batted them away, gaining confidence as they went.