Chapter 40

CHAPTER 40 – DEFENSE SPECIALIZED AND ESCAPE PLAN
 
 
「「【Super Acceleration】!」」
 
Sally and Kasumi’s body suddenly accelerated and approached the door while pulling Maple. Three snails appeared on each side, and two snails appeared diagonally ahead.
There was no way that those two snails would let the three of them go toward the door, and obstructing their way by scattering their sticky liquid.
 
「Ku…! to the left!」
「Yeah!」
 
Sally and Kasumi instinctively changed their direction to the place where the ground is okay.
Maple was being dragged so she is unable to do the same thing, so she took care of the sticky liquid by using【Bizarre Eater(Akujiki)】.
The snail’s speed is above Maple’s but they far off Sally and Kasumi’s speed.
As long as they could avoid the sticky liquid, it is very easy to reach the door.
 
「Yosh! Kasumi!」
「Yeah! Leave it to me!」
 
Kasumi quickly took out the key from her inventory and tried to put it in the lock.
 
But at that time.
 
「Uwwa!!」
 
Picha, with that sound, something reached out from the snail.
That thing that is best described as tentacles stole the key from her hand.
After the tentacles had placed the key on top of the its head, it went back inside its body.
 
「W-We need to take it back!」
「We can’t reach it with【Leap】…!」
 
It was a possible height if it was only Sally, but it is impossible with Maple and Kasumi.
 
「We can’t just stay here! It’s coming!」
 
The snails slowly approached. They would get hit by the sticky liquid if they just stayed there. Also, those tentacles might reach out again.
 
「Kasumi! What about【Lone Moon】?!」
「It’s impossible unless there’s a chance! I’ll get defeated while I get stiff!」
 
While that happened, the ground gradually got covered by sticky liquid.
There is not much time left.
 
「………Sally! Let’s charge straight towards the side hole!」
 
It was Maple who raised her voice. Sally looked at Maple, and she saw a certain confidence in her eyes.
 
「…I got it, let’s try it!」
 
She dashed together with Kasumi.
To return to the side hole, they must pass through the snails.
The snails have already surrounded the three.
 
「Leave this one to me! 【Sixth of the Blades・Homura】!」
 
The blazing blade was swung down and the flames broke through the snails.
There was no damage but she knew that it would have an intimidating effect for an instant. It was only for an instant, but it was enough for this situation.
After the three had broken through, the snails followed them.
 
「As I’ve thought! Their movements are simple!」
 
It was exactly as Maple said.
The snails followed exactly the route that the three passed through.
The other two understood without saying what Maple wanted to do after that.
 
「【Leap】!」
「【Third of the Blades・Lone Moon】!」
「【Hydra】!」
 
Each of the three’s skill completed their own task.
Maple made the snails flinch, and at that chance, they reached the snail’s shell part thanks to Kasumi and Sally.
Maple’s skill helped Kasumi pass her time of getting stiff.
 
「If it’s here, there’s no sticky liquid! …also」
 
Sally looked ahead and saw the snails approaching, moving similarly.
One of them has the key on its head.
By running at a straight line, the snails chasing after them and the door are almost in the same line.
Luckily, the snail that has the key seemed to be late, and its body is a little on the side.
 
「We’re going to go and get the key without being obstructed by the shell now!」
「【Leap】!」
 
Because the position of the shell is higher than its head, they were able to steal the key by jumping down.
 
「Yosh!」
「Hurry!」
 
However, the state of the ground that they landed on was too bad so the loss of time was inevitable.
They were able to reach the door but they allowed the snail to give time to reach out its tentacles and scatter sticky liquid.
Even so.
 
「【Cover】!」
 
Maple blocked that using her large shield.
Maple who is defending would not allow any attack pass her by.
 
「I won’t let it happen twice!」
「Yosh! It opened!」
 
When Sally opened the door, they entered the room as if to roll inside.
The next instant they entered the room, the door disappeared, and the possibility of being attacked by the snail from earlier also disappeared.
And, at the same time, the chains that bound the three broke into pieces and disappeared.
That only means that they have cleared the dungeon.
 
「Fu〜……we survived…」
「Yeah… I’m tired……」
「I don’t want to see snails anytime soon…」
 
There are four treasure boxes in this room, and one magic circle.
 
「The treasure box……let’s open it」
「Yes! Let’s do that」
 
The three of them opened a treasure box each.
 
「It’s a spear here〜!」
「I got a large shield」
「It’s a staff in mine」
 
The three of them took out what’s inside and showed it to each other. The only thing that is useful within the three is the large shield.
 
「Maple, it’s Maple who should get this. There’s nothing that I can use it for…」
 
Kasumi said and gave the large shield to Maple.
 
「Is it okay?」
「Yeah, I do not mind」
 
Although it is not enough for an exchange, Maple and Sally gave her the spear and the staff.
 
「Fumu……it’s a good equipment」
 
Kasumi whispered seeing the equipment’s stats.
It had stats that players who can equip it would really like.
 
「There’s still one treasure box remaining too」
 
Sally went to the remaining treasure box.
The other to followed her as well, and peeked behind Sally who is opening the box.
 
「n〜… three scrolls, that’s it」
 
She checked whether there is a medal, and took out the scrolls from the treasure box.
 
「They’re all the same scroll. It can make you learn the【Encourage】skill」
 
Sally gave the two scrolls.
Putting that on their inventories, the work in this room is finished.
 
「Well, let’s go out then?」
「Alright… this cave was so troublesome〜… I’m tired」
 
The three of them entered the magic circle and left the cave.
The reason why they were able to safely leave this cave was thanks to each of their uniqueness.
If they were not able to cover their missing parts, the results might have been different.
 
 
 
 
The three returned to the desert before.
 
「Haa〜… it’s the night sky…」
「It’s not like we were in there that long though」
「Yeah, but for some reason, I’m happy」
 
The night sky that they were not able to see inside the cave is full of the sense of liberation.
 
「Oh wait… we, we planned on fighting Kasumi but…… I don’t feel like fighting anymore」
 
Sally did not feel on asking for a fight after cooperating with each other.
Of course, Maple thinks so as well.
 
「I also don’t feel like fighting… well, I didn’t do so in the first place」
「I know! If it’s like that, let’s register as friends!」
「n, I do not mind」
 
After finishing registering friends with each other, the three of them lied on the ground and looked up to the sky.
Whether is it because of their tired or from relief, they thought of being like that for a while.
 
「Kasumi… what are you planning after this?」
「Let me see… for the meantime, I think I’ll go on different ways from you two. We registered as friends too, so we can still meet after this event」
「It’s okay to go with us though…」
「Un, it’s okay!」
「Haha… I’m happy, but I’ll refrain from it. If two golden medals are in one place, the amount of battle will increase too」
 
What Kasumi said were right.
Other players know that Kasumi and Maple have a golden medal.
Of course, there are many who targets that.
The more it is if there was two of them.
 
「I see… it’s too bad, but it can’t be helped huh」
「Yeah…… yo, tto! I’ll go now」
 
Kasumi stood up and brushes of the sand.
 
「Do your best okay!」
「The two of you too」
 
Kasumi waved her hand to the two on last time, and left them.
 
Just like that, the strange cooperative fight closed its curtains.