The two of them cautiously climbed the stairs until they arrived safely at the top.
The branches of the huge tree were spacious enough for both of them to stand on.
There was also a cool wind that blew here, and the sounds of the rustling leaves echoed around them.
Inside of this relaxing greenery and wind, there was one single magic circle that shone with a green light on one of the branches.
“Should we go?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Their footsteps echoed as they walked on the tree branch. The magic circle was sparkling invitingly as they approached it.
When Maple touched it, her body was enveloped in a green light and she disappeared.
Pain followed after her, and then they both found themselves teleported to a different place when they opened their eyes.
Unlike the last place, they were not in an eerily quiet forest.
It was dense with trees and bright green leaves.
Fresh, red fruits glistened in the bushes, and the sky above was blue.
However, this lively forest had absolutely no sound coming from it. Not the twittering of birds or the rustling of leaves. Not even their own footsteps had sound.
“What is this place…?”
Maple let out what was the only sound to be heard here.
“MP increase skills, I think? That’s perfect.”
Pain started to explain to Maple what could be gained here.
“I understand. It’s a good opportunity, so let’s do this!”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Just where in this forest you were supposed to head to, Pain had such information recorded as a memo. And so he checked it repeatedly as they made their way through the forest.
“Don’t move away from me. Monsters will appear if you go off course.”
And so Maple stayed as close to Pain as possible.
Pain started to talk about the boss monster that was waiting for them.
Maple listened to him carefully and prepared so that they would be able to take it down easily.
Eventually, the two of them were able to reach their destination without attracting a single monster in the forest.
It was a clearing where the wind and the leaves danced in the air. In the far back, there was a stump that was about 1-meter wide.
“The boss should come now.”
“Huh!? Okay!”
Maple hesitantly held her shield up and unsheathed her sword.
At the same time, a green light started to take shape above the tree stump. And then a human that was made entirely out of wood appeared as if breaking out of the stump.
It was a short person that was 160 cm tall, and it wore a hat made of vines and leaves.
There was also a simple wooden staff in its right hand, which was wrapped in vines and flowers.
Before the two of them attacked, the boss monster waved its staff. Leaves rose into the air and attacked them.
Pain easily moved around the leaves and attacked the boss, but Maple could not do the same.
Even if she knew what would happen, she did not have enough speed to evade the attack.
“Ahh!”
The leaves of the trees surrounded Maple.
Their effect was that they switched your gear with random gear in your inventory, and that state would stay until the end of the battle.
“…Uh?”
The leaves disappeared, and when Maple opened her eyes again, the first thing that she saw was her familiar-looking white armor.
Unlike Pain, Maple hardly had any gear in her inventory.
Her accessories were a mess, and she had the crown she got in the jungle on her head. The rest was just sub-equipment.
“Hm, it’s alright!”
Maple unsheathed her short sword and moved close to Pain, who had already started to attack the boss ahead of her.
“‘Dedicated Affection’!”
Maple blocked the wind blades that were flying towards Pain. They were nullified and unable to hurt Maple.
If Maple was carrying her shield, then Pain could focus on his role as an attacker.
Gold hair and blue eyes.
And since both were wearing pure white armor, they looked just like siblings.
The merciless knight who was protected by affection used his shining holy blade to cut the monster’s four limbs off.
His attack power was of the highest class, and it viciously carved off its HP.
“This should be a short fight!”
Pain swung his sword with all of his might.
His sword slashed through the wooden walls the boss made, and even the armor of vines.
Maple continued to protect him with her indestructible shield.
The bosses barrage of wind blades and tornadoes of leaves were all blocked and trampled by her.
The monster was not strong enough to beat these two by itself.
The boss monster’s body changed into that of a withered tree and crumbled into pieces.
Pain quickly checked his skills and Maple changed her equipment back to normal.
Just as she opened her inventory in order to take out a potion to recover her HP, she remembered it.
“Ahh!! I can’t heal!”
It had become such a habit for her, that she had moved without thinking.
Maple shouted her mistake to no one in particular. Pain watched her.
Pain was thinking about how beatable she would seem if you had only seen her as she was now.