I hate being in pain, so I think I'll make a full defense build

Chapter 512: Defense Specialization and Stun

Bofuri

Chapter 512 – Defense Specialization and Stun

After that, several types of enemies appeared. Birds that flew through the sky and attacked from steep dives. Moles that moved underground, attacking from blind spots and not only that, but also sending electric shocks from holes in all directions.

However, right now, they were being burnt to a crisp in front of us.

“So strong.”

“It’s their fault for not having a way to counter us…”

Maple, who had turned the area around her and Haku into a fiery hell with the items she scattered, stood unharmed amidst the burning flames.

The moles that escaped underground couldn’t flee from this hell, so they used the holes meant for electric shocks to send in explosives, thoroughly exterminating them.

“Alright!”

“Nice! Haku is really shining too.”

“In narrow dungeons, he has no choice but to stay behind. So, he can make up for it in situations like this.”

“It looks like the enemies here are a good match for us. They seem to rely on quantity and mobility, not on heavy hits.”

“As long as it’s not a piercing attack, we’re fine!”

Maple’s strength of completely shutting down favorable matchups remained unchanged.

“Now then, we’ve come quite close… so this is what it’s like.”

The three who had reached the source of the star-like light began to accurately grasp what it was they had been seeing from afar.

A tall rock, the same color as the night sky, with star-like lights scattered across its surface, reaching up or down to the sky. When seen from a distance, it blended with the sky and was indistinguishable, but at the top of the mysterious tower-like rock, the purple glow intensified along with the thunder.

“That light was lightning itself, huh?”

“Seems like it. Maple, be careful. The boss is probably coming soon.”

“Got it.”

As they looked up at the sky and cautiously advanced step by step, the lightning twisted around the rock like a spiral staircase and slithered down to the ground.

The three of them felt a sense of déjà vu from this movement. It didn’t take long for them to realize what it was.

The lightning changed its texture, transforming into a long body covered with glossy purple scales and a red tongue flicking from its mouth. It eventually became a giant serpent.

“It’s like a mirror match.”

“This time, unlike when we met Haku, it looks like we can defeat this serpent.”

“It’s bigger than Haku and hard to encircle… Maple, watch your distance!”

Sally and Kasumi pointed their weapons at the boss, which raised its head menacingly. From here, the real battle began, and Maple’s backup would be crucial.

“Leave the attacking to us!”

“Got it!”

“[Provocation]!”

With Maple in the center, aware of the range of [Loving Sacrifice], the two stepped forward.

However, due to the debuff, the boss took the first move.

A loud crackling sound of electricity bursting. The boss accelerated rapidly, turning into lightning again, slipping past Sally and Kasumi, and launched an electric attack, stunning Maple, who automatically took the hit, and then closed the distance to strike.

A large mouth materialized in front of her. Normally, this would be a range where she could counterattack, but the stun prevented it. She dropped her dagger and large shield, got bitten, and was held captive while electricity surged through her.

“I’m… fine! Be careful!”

Maple, understanding that she was forcibly separated from the other two, called out to them.

If the proper distance wasn’t maintained, [Loving Sacrifice] wouldn’t be effective.

The serpent, carrying Maple away, soared into the sky in a circular motion.

“A body made of lightning, huh…!”

“[Mind’s Eye]! Sally, something’s coming down!”

“Okay.”

Activating [Mind’s Eye] in anticipation of an attack, Kasumi saw a red cylindrical damage zone stretching from the sky to the ground.

While Sally’s predictions were uncannily accurate, Kasumi could now see the answer as clearly as if it were laid out before her.

For a more certain dodge, Kasumi quickly communicated a safe position to Sally, who then moved.

A massive bolt of lightning struck the ground, leaving scorched marks, just moments later.

“Luckily, Maple is attached to it. Let’s attack as it passes by.”

“We can’t reach it directly… let’s go with that.”

When attacking the head, they would undoubtedly face an electric counterattack. However, as long as Maple was in its mouth, that moment was undeniably safe.

Since ranged attacks were out of the question, instead of forcibly rescuing Maple, they aimed to exploit the current situation to chip away at the boss’s HP.

The enemy’s attacks included wide-area lightning strikes and body slams. Since Kasumi and Sally couldn’t cover for each other effectively, they maintained a distance to avoid being caught in the same area attack and waited for the charge.

The intensification of the electricity was a sign. With a thunderous roar, the boss accelerated rapidly, moving so fast it seemed to teleport, and its head with a gaping mouth rushed towards Sally.

“I saw that coming.”

The clear difference between Maple and Sally was in their evasion ability. Sally dodged the bite and deeply slashed the creature’s mouth with her dagger. Electricity tore up the ground, and a powerful spark hit Sally. But this was within the range of [Loving Sacrifice].

“Ouch!”

“Oh. So, this is where it lets go.”

Opening its mouth wide to attack Sally caused it to drop Maple, who tumbled to the ground. With Sally dodging the attack, the serpent, lacking a replacement target, retreated back into the air.

Kasumi returned to Maple, who was stunned, and they both weathered the falling lightning.

“If anyone other than Maple gets caught, we’re in trouble.”

“Yeah. Maple probably can’t catch up, and we wouldn’t survive it.”

“The body can’t be damaged. It’s like it’s made of lightning itself.”

“Thanks for confirming. Then we’ll have to go at it slowly. Thanks to Maple, things have gotten a lot easier.”

“…Hah!”

“Good morning. Thanks, Maple. Sorry to bother you just after you woke up, but we might need you to take that bite again.”

“…”

“Maple?”

The lightning was nullified by Maple. If there was anything they needed to address, they wanted to do it before the serpent charged again.

“Do you think you could gain stun resistance?”

“I see?”

This boss on the tenth floor looked formidable. It had just stunned Maple.

Considering the final boss would likely use a variety of attacks, it was worth testing now. If she gained it, it would eliminate another one of Maple’s weaknesses.

“Sally and Kasumi, are you okay…?”

While Maple was restrained, her position would constantly move, making it hard for them to benefit from [Loving Sacrifice].

That meant Sally and Kasumi would be constantly exposed to lightning for Maple’s sake.

“No problem. We should be able to withstand a single hit. If we prepare healing methods, we can buy time.”

Kasumi, being a melee fighter, had ways to mitigate damage and survive close combat.

Receiving a positive response from Kasumi, Maple turned to Sally.

“Of course. I can dodge it.”

“Thank you!”

With a smile, they presented Maple to the approaching boss, using the unique tactics of the Maple Tree guild. The two watched as she was carried off into the sky.