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

Itai no wa Iya nanode Bōgyo-Ryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu 162

Defense Specialization and the Large Twisted Tree

As the three groups were gathering towards the MP increase skill, Chrome and Misery were clashing with a pack of monsters.

“Eat this!”

Chrome’s Japanese billhook slammed into a golem.

Unlike Maple, Chrome had a decent amount of attack power, and so he was able to deal damage to the enemy.

However, the enemy wasn’t just golems.

Animal-type monsters like wolves and monkeys would attack whenever they saw that there was an opening.

“I won’t let you!”

Misery’s bullets of light blew away any monsters that tried to get close.

And so Chrome had enough time to defend himself with his shield.

The fact that you could not recover health in this area lowered their abilities by several levels.

Normally, with Misery’s healing magic and Chrome’s self-recovery, they would be an impenetrable fortress, but that could not happen here.

And so the two of them had to be extra careful as they made their way forward.

“Damn it! There’s no end to it!”

“Let’s run away! I think I have an item that lets you escape…here!”

Misery quickly navigated through her inventory and took out a white ball, which she promptly smashed on the ground.

White smoke rose around them and blocked the monsters’ vision.

The two of them took advantage of the moment to escape the area.

“Phew…Even with my abilities, it’s getting really tough.”

“Hahh… Me too. It would be easier with an attacker here.”

“If only Maple or Yui and Mai were here.”

“I would feel more confident if Mi or Shin were with me.”

They said as they continued following the route towards the jungle’s center, that they were able to find after repeated exploration.

During the same time that they were struggling with the monsters, Kanade and Marx were making contact as well.

“Here they come…”

Marx started to walk forward without doing anything in particular.

Kanade also had his shelves activated next to him but showed no signs of taking any books out.

Just as the monsters were about to touch them, thick vines shot out of the ground and choked the monsters.

Several monsters flailed their arms and legs above Marx’s head, trying to get free of the vines, but it was no use.

“Yes, now explode…”

A red magic circle appeared around the vines and then exploded into the monsters.

The monsters were quite damaged now, and Marx finished them off with some magic attacks.

“Woah, impressive.”

“It’s easy once you capture them.”

While Marx didn’t seem too excited, he at least had an expression of satisfaction.

And in front of Marx now, was a rock golem covered in moss that was several times taller than him.

It’s shining red eyes looked directly at Marx.

“Ah, no way…there is no way.”

“Hmm, alright. I’ll use stuff that I don’t need first… ‘Voice of the Reaper.’

A single black book slid out from the shelf and floated down.

The black cover was covered in droplets of blood, and as the pages flipped, a low sound that shook your very core began to ring.

After a brief moment, the large golem was covered in a dark shadow, then it turned to grains of light and faded away.

“Woah. It worked. It has a low chance of doing an instant kill.”

“Do you have high luck…?”

“Sort of.”

The two of them continued to walk.

Compared to Chrome and Misery, the two of them were able to explore at a much faster rate.

In a different location. The noisiest place in the jungle.

She trampled, burned and kicked monsters that were in her path. Any who tried to escape were cut by a flashing blade.

It hardly mattered if the monsters were lured to them or avoiding them when it was Maple running wild in the jungle with Pain on her back.

“Hm? Maple, stop. I saw something.”

“Huh? Okay!”

Maple killed another monster and stopped running.

A short distance away, they could see trees that were bent in an unnatural fashion. Almost like they had been melted.

And so they headed in that direction.

As they got closer to the center of the forest with its twisted trees, they came upon a large tree that was made up of several other thick trees that were entwined.

There was an entrance near the roots and a staircase that led upwards.

“Ah, this…”

Maple compared the size of the entrance with herself.

No matter how you looked at it, there was no way that she would fit inside.

And so Maple had no choice but to deactivate ‘Savagery.’

The monster’s stomach tore open, and Maple splattered onto the ground.

Pain watched this in silence, then he began to check the entrance to see that it was safe.

“It seems fine.”

“I will walk in the front!”

Maple declared as she raised her great shield. Pain nodded quietly.

And so the two of them walked carefully up the stairs.