CHAPTER 29 – DEFENSE SPECIALIZED AND THE THIRD DAY OF THE EVENT
The two who had alternately slept on the top of the tree went down from the tree when the sun had started to rise.
They were deep in the forest, so it’s hard to find the next place to explore.
「Maple. Where do you want to go?」
「Then……let’s go straight and get out of the forest!」
「Understood! Let’s go with that then」
The two advanced through the forest to the opposite direction from the ruins.
After 30 minutes of advancing, Sally secretly told Maple with a small voice.
「Maple. Behind us, there’re players that are targeting us from the right brush」
Other than【Sensory Awareness】, Sally senses the monsters or players by even using the sounds created from the brushes and the metal sounds of armors.
To not get suspected, the two continued to talk with a small voice while walking.
「They doesn’t seem that strong… but they’re aiming for a chance」
「For the meantime, do you want to catch them?」
「You can do that?」
「Un」
After answering short and quickly, she drew Shingetsu by a few centimeters.
「【Paralyze Shout】」
*Kiin*, the sound created from returning the sword to its sheathe echoed in the quiet forest.
A groaning voice could be heard in the brush behind them.
「What do you think?」
「Perfect. As expected!」
The two approached the brush with no problems.
In there, there were two players that received the powerful paralysis and collapsed.
「Having the resolution to be hunted instead, please come anytime, huh!」
Sally’s attack easily sunk the two players.
There was no medal.
「I think that it’s reckless to aim for Maple though〜… if it was me, I’d never target her……」
With this, it’s the fourth time they encountered a player since the even have started.
And the two of those, a battle had started, but there was no problem at all since the opponent weren’t that much. The only one, Crom’s party was probably a strong enemy but they did not have a battle, so they haven’t had a hard time against players yet.
「Including today, only five days remaining… we might meet strong players somewhere」
Since they had encounters four times in two days, on simple calculations, they should have ten encounters.
Within those, there might be a player that has a high ranking in the previous event.
If they don’t be cautious, they wouldn’t know when they would be attacks.
That’s right. They also, have the same skills as the two have.
Another hour advancing the forest.
When the sunlight started to reach from the gap of the trees.
Finally, they were able to see the scenery outside the forest.
「Oh〜……」
「Awesome……」
It was a valley that spread before the two.
The place where the two is, is on the top of the highest cliff.
There was a lush of plants, and you can hear the bird’s voices.
The bottom of the valley was covered by a deep fog, and you can’t grasp the whole picture .
If someone is to explore here, they first need to do something to be able to go down.
「Here, I wonder if someone had already explored?」
「I don’t know, but… if it’s this huge, they might’ve some place they forgot to explore?」
As Maple had said, the valley was very huge.
There are more than a hundred meters for sure from the place where the two is right now.
On top of that, its width is also wide.
This also seems to have easily more than a hundred meters.
「I guess so. Then, let’s do something to go down」
Sally, she checked the cliff ahead of her for a while, and slowly went down while finding places that can be a foothold.
「U〜n… there’re no footsteps that can hold Maple huh〜…」
The distance where【Cover Move】can reach is limited. Since Maple cannot go down the cliff by herself, Sally searched for big bulges nearby, but it looks like there was nothing like that.
「U〜n… for the meantime, make a sign if there’s a place that I can land! If there’s nothing, you can go down okay!」
Was Maple checking the time, she said while looking at the blue panel.
「Eh?!… I-I got it〜!」
Sally easily went down with light feet, but there isn’t a foothold that seems to be able to hold Maple.
Sally spent about two hours to completely go down the cliff.
「In the end, I went down huh… I should send a message to Maple again and…」
Even when Sally was going down, she was teaching Maple her current place from time to time.
This time, she sent a message to report that she had completely gone down.
After not even a minute since Sally had sent a message, a reply message was sent from Maple.
【Go away, just a little bit!】
「W-What is she planning to do…」
After Sally sent an “Understood” reply, she went away for a bit as she was told, and watched what Maple will do on the top of a tree.
「Uwa〜… what is that……」
The thing that Sally saw on the top of the cliff was a violet colored ball that has 10 meters in diameter.
And that, while Sally was watching it.
It rolled to the front slowly, and fell from the cliff.
The one part of the cliff that it hit changed its appearance to a melted mess, and while that was getting smaller, that fell.
And when that had reached the bottom, one part of that bursts with the impact of the fall, and splashed its sticky liquids to the surrounding.
「M-My eyes are spinning〜〜………」
Within the center of the sphere that got messed up, Maple came out swaying.
Sally went down from the tree and approached Maple.
But even though that is said, she’s covered with very poisonous liquid so she won’t go near her side.
「So? What’s that?」
「That’s, well… it’s a skill called【Venom Capsule】… it locks in its target inside a venomous capsule…… and makes them unable to get out」
Just as it says that it’s for locking things up, its durability is considerable.
There wasn’t cheerfulness on the way Maple spoke since her eyes were turning, but Sally understood the real way to use it.
「It gradually decreases the HP if you don’t have【Poison Nullification】, so Sally should be careful when using it okay?」
「No, I won’t use it you know」
Because Maple who had gradually regained herself was finally able to walk, the two walked with the bottom of the valley as their destination.
The inclination still continues, and there’re large steps in places here and there. That kind of steps is very dangerous since you cannot see ahead properly because of the thick mist.
「We can’t see ahead at all……」
「If it’s like this… there might be medals that are missed. Be careful with surprise attacks and the steps okay, Maple」
「Un! I got it」
But even though that was said, it wouldn’t be easy for something like steps to decrease Maple’s HP.
Because of that, they need to get ready for cliffs ahead of them.
They carefully advanced within the thick fog where they cannot even see a few meters ahead.
「n〜? A water sound…?」
「Eh?!…… it’s true! I wonder if there’s a place with water nearby?」
The two went towards the place where there’re water sounds.
On the way, the bat-type monsters that came out was clearly a small-fry.
It looks like the level of the enemies around her is not that high.
「There it is!」
There’s a small river in front of them.
That clear river, it was making sound from the water that was flowing to the slight step.
「Look, there!」
The place Maple pointed to. You can barely see that there was a crack in the boulders and had been a cave.
Thinking that it might be a dungeon, the two approached that and entered inside, but they found out that it’s only a huge crack that was not that deep and has not many signs of monsters.
「… let’s make this our camp. It seems like valley exploration would take time too」
Although it was only a huge crack, as Sally had said, it was enough conditions to be a camp. At least, it would be far better than the top of a tree.
「Un. I agree! Also… we should also check the eggs」
「Ahh, I see. We needed to warm it huh」
The two decided the cave to be their camp, and take a little break.
And at the same time, they also decided to check their eggs.