Chapter 25

: Defense Specialized and Climbing Mountain
 
The slope of the ground appeared.
It looks like they’re starting to enter the mountainous area.
 
「This mountain, other players should probably be moving towards it, so we should not let them go ahead of us」
「That’s right, let’s hurry as much as possible」
 
The two climbed the mountain very quickly. The mountain that the two were climbing right now was the tallest. Right now, there weren’t any other players around.
Although, there is the possibility that they are climbing from another direction.
 
「Maple! Monsters are coming!」
「I got it!」
 
She exchanged her large shield to Snow White.
Assuming that there is a boss monster, she is planning to save【Akujiki】.
Very different with the sea of trees, there was a lot of monsters, so their battle count is increasing.
 
「Oh! I leveled up. I’m 19 with this! Status is… I’ll put it all to AGI」
 
There are big boulders here and there, and monsters suddenly jumps out from there so it was a situation they couldn’t let their cautious down.
By one of them being always cautious of the surroundings alternately, they prepared for surprise attacks.
Because bird-type monsters attacks from the sky from time to time, they could only deal with it with magic, and their MP was taken away.
The land monsters were wolf-types, they attack with quick movements.
 
「The ground is also really bad, so it’s hard to do it〜」
「Let’s hurry up and climb!」
 
Two and a half hours of advancing while defeating monsters.
There was also snow that have started to stack on the ground. ZakuZaku, they walked forward will making that sound.
 
「Pretty much, we’ve advanced」
「Un, probably only another hour before the peak?」
 
Risa looked up to the peak.
 
Because of that, she was able to notice monster ahead.
About twenty meters ahead, there was a monkey that had a white fur covering its whole body.
That monkey charged down while kicking off the snow.
 
「It’s coming!」
「Un!」
 
The two braces themselves.
Near the monkey, two bluish white magic circles emerged.
There was a difference point with the monsters until now and the monkey.
That is right, it could use magic.
 
「【Cove】!」
 
Kaede instinctively covered Risa.
Kaede felt from the large shield continuous blows.
It was a continuous attack with ice gravels like a machine gun.
When the monkey approached with that, it made the magic circle disappear and enveloping a white shine to its fist, it punched.
This time there was a heavier blow that runs to the large shield.
 
「Sally!」
「【Double Slash】!」
 
While Kaede was getting the attention of the monkey, Risa slips beside the monkey, and slashes at it from behind.
The monkey scream, but without collapsing, it turned to Risa with anger in its eyes, and swings its fist.
The snow on the ground was a hindrance so it was hard to move, but Risa dodged with no problem.
 
「【Powered Attack】!」
 
The two consecutive attack counter cuts the monkey’s stomach deep, but it still wouldn’t collapse.
Gapa, from its opened mouth, a white shining magic circle can be seen.
 
「【Super Acceleration】!」
 
Risa draws one of her trump cards with an instinctive decision.
A large number of sharp ice pierced the place where Risa was an instant ago.
 
「【Slash】!」
 
The counter after evading the breath of ice, finally sinks the monkey.
The monkey’s body became light and disappeared.
 
「Fu〜… I used【Super Acceleration】huh……」
「After all, maybe I should participate too…」
「No, Maple should just prepare for the boss. I will be able to use【Super Acceleration】again, so… leave on the way to me!」
「n〜… I got it. But, if it becomes dangerous I’ll【Cover】you okay?」
「Thanks! That’d be helping」
 
The two once again advanced to the ice mountain. The monkey seemed to be something like a mid-boss, they did not encounter it again.
Instead, the monsters that appears was a mole that was moving through the snow with zigzag while raising a cloud of snow, and a while armadillo that rolls while taking the snow with it.
 
「We should be careful with the mole, but… the armadillo just continues to roll after dodging it so it’s very easy right」
「I think that it would be instant death if the armadillo hits though… well, if it was Maple maybe it could be endured」
 
While talking about that, they climb up.
And, they finally reached the mountain peak.
 
The mountain peak was shaped as a clean round, and there was a shrine made of stone at the center.
There is a white shining magic circle in front of the shrine, and it was shining as if to lure the two.
It was a teleportation magic circle that they saw many times.
 
When the two started to get close to the magic circle.
From the opposite side of where the two climbed from, a party of four climbed up.
It was a party of a large sword, large shield, and two magicians.
They also noticed Kaede and Risa and looked towards the two.
Risa prepared for a PvP, but that didn’t happen.
 
「Ah!… Crom-san!」
「Oh? ……Maple huh… I didn’t think I’ll meet you here……uhh, we don’t want to fight. I don’t even think we’d win」
 
Crom said that and took away his weapons and the rest also followed, and raised both of their hands.
 
「I also don’t want to fight. ……it’s okay right, Risa?」
「Well, I guess so. We also don’t want to be exhausted, so… it should be good to be cautious at least, but… probably it’s okay… I think?」
 
Because it could be hardly said that it would be absolutely fine, Risa continued to talk without letting her guard down.
 
「And then… what should we do with this shrine? Both of us can’t receive the rewards right?」
 
What Risa said was reasonable, since it would be either Crom or Kaede who enters first, if they were able to successfully capture it, the rewards might disappear.
Kaede thought of it for a while, then started talking.
 
「n〜……… Sally. Can we give it to Crom-san and the rest?」
 
To Kaede who told that apologetically, Risa was surprised, then answered while making a pleasant smile.
 
「……if Maple is good with that, I’m okay with everything you know? But, you shouldn’t regret it! Promise me that okay」
「Un……I got it! ……then, please go on first!」
 
Kaede told towards Crom and the rest.
 
「I-Is it okay? In this case, it’s normal for it to be first one’s first though…」
「It’s okay! You should hurry up and go before I change my mind you know?」
 
After Kaede said that, Crom said thanks and stood on the magic circle and disappeared.
The two were left behind on the mountain peak.
 
「You’re really fine with that?」
「Un… if it became a battle here and we used our skills, it would be bad after all if it became a battle after teleporting, so… most of all, I didn’t want to fight with a friend too」
「Un! If you’re not regretting it then its fine……right now, I wonder if they’re in a battle?」
 
Risa said while looking at the magic circle that had lost its shine.
 
「Maybe」
「What should we do? You want to go down? That or, if they’re fighting they might lose, so… since we even saved our skills, you want to wait?」
 
When Risa suggested that.
The magic circle regains it shine again.
It was the sign that it was possible to enter again.
 
「「Eh?!」」
 
The two were surprised.
It hasn’t been a minute since Crom and the rest entered.
It was an unexpected speed.
 
「W-What does this mean?!」
 
To Kaede who was confused, Risa started to talk what she had thought.
 
「For start, there are two things that I had thought of. One, the possibility that it ended very quickly since it was only needed to collect the medals or equipments after teleporting. The other one is…
 
Risa stopped her words there once, and whispered with a very unpleasant air what she didn’t want to happen in reality.
 
「The possibility that they were defeated by a very strong monster without being able to do anything」
「That is…」
「If I were to choose, it is the latter……I think. The reason why the magic circle is still lighting is because it can be challenged again, I think. Then… what inside, should not be an equipment……probably」
Fortunately, there was no sign of any other players climbing. The two checked each other’s status and decided to make a strategy before challenging.
「It’s only about, my armor became【VIT +40】because of【Destruction Growth】, and my HP increased. Skills are perfectly reserved」
「I also didn’t change a lot. 【Super Acceleration】had recovered too, and there is still【Mirage】remaining」
 
Maple
Lv24
HP 40/40〈＋160〉
MP 12/12 〈＋10〉
 
【STR 0】
【VIT 170〈＋81〉】
【AGI 0】
【DEX 0】
【INT 0】
 
Equipments
Head【ーーー】
Body【Armor of Black Roses】
Right hand【Shingetsu : Hydra(Poison Dragon)】
Left Hand【Mirror of the Dark Night : Bizarre Eater(Akujiki)】
Legs【Armor of Black Roses】
Shoes【Armor of Black Roses】
Accessories【Ring of the Forest Queen Bee】
【Toughness Ring】
【Ring of Life】
 
Skill
【Absolute Defense】【Giant Killing (OomonoKurai)】【Hydra Eater (DokuruuKurai)】【Bomb Eater (BakudanKurai)】【Meditation】【Provoke】【Abominable (Gokuaku Hidō】【Knowledge of Large Shield IV】【Body Manipulation】【Attack Diversion】 【Shield Attack】
【HP Strengthening (Small)】【MP Strengthening (Small)】
【Cover Move I】【Cover】
 
Sally
Lv19
HP 32/32
MP 25/25〈＋35〉
 
【STR 25〈＋20〉】
【VIT 0】
【AGI 80〈＋68〉】
【DEX 25〈＋20〉】
【INT 25〈＋20〉】
 
Equipments
Head【Muffler of the Surface Water (Minamo no Mafura) : Mirage(Shinkirō)】
Body【Coat of the Ocean (Taikai no Kōto) : Ocean(Taikai)】
Right Hand【Dagger of the Deep Sea (Shinkai no Dagā)】
Left Hand【Dagger of the Bottom of the Water (Minasoko no Dagā)】
Legs【Leggings of the Ocean】
Shoes【Black Boots】
Accessories【ーーー】
 
Skill
【Status Debuff Attack III】【Slash】【Double Slash】【Gale Slash (HayateGiri)】【Muscle Strengthening (Small)】
【Consecutive Attack Strengthening (Small)】【Double Attack】【Powered Attack】【Switch Attack】【Body Arts I】
【Knowledge of Short Swords II】【Jack of All Trades】【Divine Break】【Super Acceleration】
【Fire Magic I】【Water Magic II】【Wind Magic II】
【Earth Magic I】【Dark Magic I】【Light Magic II】
【Fire Ball】【Water Ball】
【Water Wall】
【Wind Cutter】【Wind Wall】
【Thunder Cutter】
【Dark Ball】
【Refresh】【Heal】
【MP Strengthening (Small)】【MP Cut (Small)】
【MP Recovery Speed Strengthening (Small)】【Knowledge of Magic II】
【Fishing】【Swimming X】【Diving X】【Cooking I】
【Mining Speed Strengthening (Small)】【Sensory Blocking II】
【Sensory Awareness II】【Stealth Move I】【Leap I】
【Poison Resistance (Small)】
 
「For start, as soon as we entered, I will ready my large shield so hide behind me」
「Understood. And then, after that…」
 
The two discussed after that for about twenty minutes, then stood up and walked towards the magic circle.
 
「Yosh! Let’s go」
「Un!」
 
And, the two’s appearance became light and disappeared.