532

Defense Specialization and Cooperation

Clearing dungeon after dungeon, Maple and the others continued their high-speed progression, leveraging Mai and Yui’s skills. At a good stopping point, the five decided to disband until they obtained the ‘Demon King’s Power’ next time.

On another day, Maple and Sally left the sixth layer area to share information with the members of the Congregation of the Holy Swords. They were heading to the guild home of the Congregation of the Holy Swords.

“Is the Sixth Floor going well?”

“Yes! I think we can clear it next time or the one after that!”

Though Sally was right beside her, Maple explained the events in the Sixth Floor. Even without video, Sally could grasp the general idea because Maple described it in a slightly vague manner.

“As long as we have Mai and Yui, we should be fine. But honestly, I hope we don’t encounter enemies that even Maple can’t protect them from…”

The three extreme specialists boasted exceptional strength against monsters. If their strategy failed, it would be difficult for Maple Tree to progress. However, according to Chrome, there were no such monsters in the Sixth Floor, so they proceeded without worry.

As they walked and talked, they arrived at the entrance of the Congregation of the Holy Swords guild home.

“Hey there. How’s the progress going?”

“Pretty good!”

“That’s great. But I don’t think we’re losing either.”

Frederica, who greeted them at the entrance with a wave, led them into the guild home.

“Where are Payne and the others?”

“They said they were coming soon. We were waiting outside while discussing the progress. Though there’s still a lot we don’t know, it shouldn’t be a long conversation.”

Frederica stopped in front of a door and invited them into the room where Payne, Dread, and Drag were waiting.

“Finished talking about the Demon King?”

“Yes, we decided to form a party.”

“So, you’ve already got the challenge rights?”

“You’re quick to catch on. That’s right.”

The large-scale guild Congregation of the Holy Swords had reached the Demon King, the final target on the tenth layer. Winning was the only thing left, but the ‘Demon King’s Power’ was consumable, and attempting the challenge cost one of these items.

“It’s undoubtedly high difficulty.”

“As proof, the number of parties allowed to participate in the quest simultaneously is three.”

“Three parties mean…”

“Twenty-four people.”

A party could have up to eight members. Although there had been cooperation in events, there hadn’t been any dungeons requiring a clear specification of three parties.

“We’ll need to try a few times to get the right party composition.”

The number of tanks, like shield bearers, and the number of mages handling rear firepower would need to be determined. They would then have to devise a plan to understand the Demon King’s attack patterns and defeat him.

“We can share information with Maple Tree, but… it’s recommended to gather multiple ‘Demon King’s Power’ items.”

“Especially if Maple Tree is going to challenge alone. It’s Maple and her team, so it’s not impossible, but this time the appropriate number of members isn’t there, right?”

“Umm… ‘Demon King’s Power’… can we gather enough?”

“It’s impossible to gather as many as Congregation of the Holy Swords. Even if it’s just for the boss, areas like the fourth layer require more people.”

Maple Tree, with only eight full members, was significantly below the recommended number. It wouldn’t be surprising if the game wasn’t designed to be won with such a small group.

Frederica’s comment, “If it’s Maple and her team, maybe,” showed high regard for Maple Tree, but also acknowledged the difficulty.

“Besides… once we’ve gathered all the ‘Demon King’s Power’ and reached the Demon King, we might not have much information to share with Congregation of the Holy Swords.”

“Sally’s right. In fact, unless it’s a hidden area, there’s probably nothing Maple Tree knows that Congregation of the Holy Swords doesn’t.”

They had gathered for regular information sharing, but considering the progress of Congregation of the Holy Swords, this might be the last meeting.

“Therefore, we can share information with Maple Tree. Of course, we can also cooperate.”

“Ask us if you need anything… we’ll help. Just don’t ask for anything too troublesome.”

“We appreciate it, but… doesn’t Congregation of the Holy Swords have nothing to gain from this?”

“Do you think so? Maybe you’re right.”

“We’re not doing it without any thought, right, Payne?”

“Yes. Let me explain our intentions. Then you can decide whether to accept the offer.”

Payne, emphasizing that the decision was theirs, shared his thoughts and the stance of Congregation of the Holy Swords as a guild master.

“Maple Tree is one of the guilds to watch in PvP. Our alliance in the last large-scale PvP event was significant.”

Maple Tree’s involvement had greatly influenced key moments. Their presence could have changed the outcome of the event.

“In short, we want to build a debt. Or at least maintain a good relationship. We want you to think it’s okay to form an alliance again someday.”

Maple immediately agreed, but Payne suggested not rushing the decision.

“As I said, we will provide information and cooperate. If needed, take advantage of it.”

“It’s generous, but it feels too favorable for us…”

“That makes it easier to accept, right? Besides, the alliance is just a plus. Even without Maple Tree, we’ll win in PvP.”

Payne’s confident statement reflected his pride as the guild master of Congregation of the Holy Swords.

“We’ve become stronger too… we have skills Maple Tree doesn’t know.”

“That’s right. Just ask for help without overthinking it.”

“If you feel like repaying the favor someday, let’s work together again.”

Given such favorable terms, Maple and her team wouldn’t refuse.

Rivals and cooperators. Even if they left the game, they intended to continue this stance for Maple Tree.

After receiving information from Congregation of the Holy Swords, they returned to Maple Tree’s guild home.

“We learned a lot!”

“Yes, but… clearing with three parties…”

“Will it be difficult even with everyone’s cooperation?”

“It depends on how Congregation of the Holy Swords fares. With Mai and Yui, we shouldn’t lack overall firepower, and with Maple, we won’t lack a shield bearer.”

“Really!?”

“Yes. But… honestly, there are many uncertainties.”

Sally calmly assessed Maple Tree’s strength, listing what they could and couldn’t handle.

“Maple’s defense is the core of our strategy. But we won’t know if unknown enemies can bypass her defense until we face them. Bosses might have high damage or defense-piercing attacks, which is a significant risk.”

“That’s true.”

“And if there are attacks we can’t survive without using invincible skills, we could be wiped out instantly.”

“Yeah… the Demon King is really strong.”

“Stronger than the bosses leading up to it. Think about how the last boss in the fourth layer was stronger than expected. It’s not a pleasant thought.”

The final boss in the fourth layer was defeated perfectly only after thorough planning. Predicting that the Demon King would be even stronger and facing it without information would undoubtedly be more challenging.

“Well, first, we need to gather ‘Demon King’s Power’. There’s no point planning further if we don’t get the challenge rights.”

“That’s true.”

By the time they were ready to challenge, Congregation of the Holy Swords would likely have new information. Using that information wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“But… I promise you one thing. I’ll make sure Maple wins.”

“…?”

“I don’t want you to lose to the Demon King in the end. Let’s show who the true Demon King is!”

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

“With me at full strength, you can rely on me.”

“Of course! I’m counting on you!”

Sally was the most reliable player Maple had ever trusted. There was no doubt in her words.

If Sally said they would win, they would. Trusting Sally and her comrades was better than worrying about the Demon King battle.

“Then we need to hurry and clear the Sixth Floor!”

“Well, I’ll leave that to Maple…”

“Come on, say ‘I’ll do my best too!'”

“Some things are just not possible…”

“You were so reliable earlier, I thought it might work…”

“I’ll cheer from inside my mouth.”

“Okay. Oh, I recorded a video, so watch it! Mai did a great job taking down the boss.”

“Watch… well, okay. I’ll watch it all after we finish clearing.”

“Yay! It’s a promise!”

“Since you went to the trouble of recording, I want to enjoy the same things as you as much as possible.”

“Yes!”

Although Sally hesitated until the end, she decided to watch the video Maple and the others had recorded in the Sixth Floor. The two returned to their days of clearing dungeons.