Itai no wa Iya 227
Defense Specialization and Escape
They both returned to the fifth floor on the following day.
This was because Sally would not be able to walk, and so it was necessary to be able to use 'Savagery' in order to get through the tower.
They first prepared on the small island on the fourth floor and then teleported to the fifth.
"Alright! Let's just rush right through this!"
"Please do it quickly…"
Maple had turned into a monster with angel wings, and on her back, was a wooden box that was fixed to her with rope.
Sally had rolled up into a ball inside of this box, which was made so she could not see what was happening outside.
Just as Maple took one step forward, ghosts started coming out of the gravestones that glowed with pale blue light.
"Woah! They're coming out already!"
"Yo-you don't have to tell me!"
And so Maple rushed passed the ghosts and into the wasteland.
Arms that were made of rotten flesh and bones would come out of the ground in an attempt to stop her, but Maple crushed and trampled over them as she ran.
"Woah… There are even more ghosts now…I should burn them!"
Maple was able to damage them by breathing fire, but it didn't kill them. Instead, they retaliated.
As Maple was caught by surprise, she was hit by the black mist that came from the ghosts.
"There's…no damage! Alright, bye-bye then!"
When Maple realized that they weren't a threat to her, she ignored them and continued to run.
However, somehow, she didn't seem to have as much strength anymore. And the distance between them started to shrink.
"…Huh? Ah! My status!"
She usually didn't care about any drops in STR or AGI, but it was quite different when she was using Savagery.
While a drop in VIT was meaningless, Maple was no longer able to shake off the ghosts.
Just then, one of the ghosts slipped into the wooden box.
"Ahhhhh! Wha-….why!"
"Sorry! I'll get away!"
Even while Maple was being attacked by the ghosts, she breathed fire on them and continued to run.
Just because her status dropped a little, it didn't mean she would take any damage.
However, the rope was different. After all, it was only an item.
"Ah…"
Maple suddenly felt her back become lighter as the wooden box fell loudly to the ground.
"Hey, wa….WAHHHH?!"
Maple had tried to pick the box off of the ground, but then the rotten hands reached out and grabbed her tightly.
"Ugghhhh…they won't let go…!"
Suddenly, there was a cracking sound as the ground split open. And then Maple fell into the fissure in the ground.
Now the field was silent, and only the wooden box remained there.
"Ma-Maple…? Hey…?"
Sally became scared. She could no longer stand the silence, and so she opened the wooden lid just a little so she could peek out. Black, empty eye-sockets were what greeted her.
"Waaah?!"
Sally jumped back, causing the lid to fall off and her to roll out onto the ground.
The scene that Sally was now forced to face, was that of a field covered in writhing hands and a group of ghosts.
"Ohhhh…Why! Why!"
Her eyes were full of tears as she ran. She didn't want to be in that place. That was the only reason.
"We ran from the sixth layer and came here! Why!"
Sally even forgot to use her skill as she ran. She had only one goal after she escaped the monsters.
"Logout! Logouuuuttt!"
As she was running more desperately than usual, she had completely forgotten about Maple.