Chapter 445

 Itai no wa Iya nanode Bōgyo-Ryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu 445

Defense Specialization and Detection

“Maple, take some rest.”

“Alright!”

After sending Maple to the deepest part of the royal castle, Sally closed the door to her room and took a deep breath.

No matter how powerful the enemy’s attack was, it’d be impossible to destroy the castle and defeat Maple.

There was still some time before the town became a battlefield.

The outer wall, the castle town, and the royal castle—each of them had a durability value.

At the final battle, the gate, and even the outer wall might be destroyed. Then, the town would be ransacked—

—she just hoped that it’d be their side who did it.

“It seems to have worked.”

“Oh, Payne.”

Frederica had reported to Payne about the outcome of the previous surprise attack.

“While we didn’t get find out, I’m sure they will figure out who did it…”

“I think so. I heard that [Poison Dragon] was used. Only one player can produce that much poison.”

“What’s our next step?”

“We’re in a tough place. Many players are resting. Battles that involve a large number of players don’t happen often. Without a doubt, there’ll be many cases where you won’t get results even if you launch an attack.”

Even if they forcibly did it, it’d only add to their fatigue. If the enemy didn’t move, they didn’t need to perform any flashy moves.

Therefore, if they were to launch an attack, it had to be done with a clear purpose.

“I don’t have any skills to detect enemies, either. Therefore, I’ll be needing Frederica.”

Frederica had also participated in many battlefields here and there. Still, she didn’t feel excessively tired and was in the same condition as usual. Nevertheless, she still needed time to rest.

“If Dred is still here, we’d be able to set up something for the night. As for now… it has become difficult. Shadow’s skills are invaluable. How is [Maple Tree] doing?”

“To be honest, I’d prefer it if we intercept them straight away, but Maple is weak in that field.”

“I don’t want you to fall down here. I understand. Let’s cut down on the whimsical battles as much as possible. Instead, we shall focus on restricting the enemy’s movement.”

“That’s a great help.”

If it was the usual Maple, she’d be able to rush into the battlefield with a self-destruct flight using [Machine God]. But without [Indomitable Guardian], the outcome of the battle was worrying.

—and just like that, when the policy was set, a brilliant light illuminated the glass windows lining the corridor.

Lightning flashed in the distance.

In that place, the attributes of the monsters in the land of flames and wasteland were thunder and fire. As if following suit, magma erupted here and there, while lightning was rampant.

But.

“Payne.”

“…Yes, let’s check it out.”

—Restlessness.

They somehow sensed it had nothing to do with the terrain.

Perhaps due to the timing, or the direction.

She couldn’t be sure because she didn’t have full grasp on the terrain. However, if it wasn’t a natural occurrence, then it could only mean one thing—

—Just like how Maple could conjure a poisonous swamp, there were players in this game who could conjure lightning.

“Ray, please.”

Sally and Payne got on Ray’s back and flew towards the sky.

“Even if it’s indeed the [Thunder Storm], why would they go out of their way to do something so flashy?”

“Yes, and they were quick, what on earth…?”

“It might be a trap. In the worst case, I’ll have Ray protect me. Safety is important.”

“I understand.”

The full extent of Hinata’s [Isolated Area] skill that confined Drag and Dred was also unknown. Since they didn’t know who to lock in and how, it was risk mitigation to go with only two people who could take care of themselves in battle and had top-class strength.

Both Payne and Sally had skills that could withstand a devastating blow. Therefore, they were allowed one or two blunders.

It was necessary to reduce risk as much as possible and see how it went. Depending on the situation, there might even be a large group approaching.

They’d withdraw as soon as they felt in danger.

With that intention, the two moved in the sky towards the outer wall.