Chapter 11

"Before we leave the city, Myne," Maya said, shielding her eyes from the bright mid-morning sun. She looked up at the towering spires of the cathedral in the distance. "I want to see it. The Dragon Era Shrine. If I am to fight this 'Wave of Calamity,' I need to understand exactly what we are up against."

Myne smiled indulgently. "Of course, Maya-sama. It is only natural for a Hero to wish to see the instrument of our salvation. Right this way."

Myne led Maya through the bustling streets, winding their way toward the massive cathedral that dominated the city's skyline. As they approached, Maya noted the guards stationed at the heavy iron doors. They wore the crest of the Church of the Three Heroes—the sword, spear, and bow. There was no shield. And there was certainly no gauntlet.

The guards bowed respectfully as Myne presented the Gauntlet Hero, pulling open the doors to reveal a cavernous, dimly lit sanctuary.

At the very center of the room, suspended by massive chains of magically reinforced steel, hung the Dragon Era Hourglass.

It was breathtakingly huge, glowing with an eerie, pulsing crimson light. Inside the glass, glowing red sand trickled downward at an impossibly slow, agonizing pace.

As Maya stepped closer, her silver gauntlet vibrated. The sapphire on her knuckle flared to life, matching the crimson pulse of the hourglass. A translucent blue screen snapped into her vision.

[Dragon Era Hourglass Synced.]

[Event: Wave of Calamity]

[Time Remaining: 24 Days, 10 Hours, 42 Minutes, 15 Seconds]

[Location: Uncalculated]

Maya stared at the ticking numbers. Twenty-four days, she thought. That's nothing. In my old MMO, a server-wide raid took months of grinding to prepare for.

She glanced around the room. Priests of the Three Heroes were murmuring prayers in the pews. They controlled the hourglass. They controlled the timer. Which meant they controlled the flow of information regarding the world's apocalypse.

"It is intimidating, isn't it?" Myne whispered, stepping to Maya's side. "But do not fear. The Kingdom's knights will stand beside you when the time comes."

Maya turned away from the hourglass, her face set in a mask of absolute, burning determination. She clenched her iron-plated fist, putting on an award-winning performance of a fired-up anime protagonist.

"No, Myne. We cannot rely solely on the knights," Maya declared passionately. "Seeing this… feeling the weight of the time slipping away… I am far too weak! If I am to protect you, and the people of Melromarc, I must become stronger immediately."

Myne’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden outburst. "Maya-sama? What are you suggesting?"

"Take me to the Deep Woods," Maya demanded, her eyes wide with manufactured heroic zeal. "Not the starter fields with the balloons. I need real combat. I need to be forged in the fire of battle! With your incredible magic backing me up, I know we can handle the stronger monsters. Please, Myne! Lend me your strength!"

Myne hesitated. The Deep Woods were far more dangerous than the plains, inhabited by vicious creatures that could easily tear a Level 1 Hero to shreds. But Maya was looking at her with such intense, glowing admiration, practically begging Myne to be her savior. Myne’s massive ego simply couldn't refuse.

"Very well," Myne agreed, puffing out her chest proudly. "If that is your heroic will, Maya-sama. But you must stay behind me. I will handle the brunt of the danger."

That is exactly what I'm counting on, Maya thought, her heroic smile hiding a deeply calculating grin.

An hour later, the sun was hidden behind a thick canopy of ancient, twisting trees. The Deep Woods were damp, dark, and practically crawling with aggressive mobs.

Maya’s plan was brilliantly simple: use the MMO mechanic of the "Last Hit." In many games, whoever lands the killing blow on a monster gets the lion's share of the Experience Points.

"Watch out, Maya-sama!" Myne shouted.

A massive, mutated boar with razor-sharp tusks and glowing red eyes—a Level 12 Frenzy Boar—charged through the underbrush, tearing up the soil.

"Fire Slash!" Myne yelled. Her rapier ignited with magical flames as she dashed forward, gracefully side-stepping the beast's charge and slashing deeply across its flank. The boar squealed in agony, its health bar plummeting into the red zone.

"It's weakened!" Myne called out, breathing a little heavier.

"I've got it!" Maya cried out, playing the part of the eager novice.

She didn't use a clumsy, telegraphed punch. Relying on the Agility boost from her Balloon Gauntlet, Maya pivoted beautifully, slipping entirely under the boar's blind spot. She shifted her weapon to the heavy Iron Gauntlet mid-swing and drove a devastating, perfect uppercut directly under the beast's jaw.

CRACK.

The Frenzy Boar's neck snapped back, and it exploded into a shower of digital polygons.

[EXP Gained: 145]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Current Level: 4]

[Material Acquired: Frenzy Boar Tusk x1, Quality Boar Meat x2]

Maya gasped, dropping to her knees and wiping fake sweat from her brow. "Oh, goodness! That was terrifying! I barely managed to hit it! Thank the heavens you weakened it so perfectly, Myne. I would have died without you."

Myne, panting slightly from the mana expenditure, smirked triumphantly. "It was nothing, Maya-sama. Just remember your footwork next time."

"I will! Let's find another one!" Maya cheered.

For the next four hours, Maya ran Myne completely ragged. She would purposely aggro dangerous monsters—Giant Forest Spiders, Venomous Mush-creatures, and more boars—and then cower just enough to force Myne to use her high-level magic to bring them to the brink of death. Then, Maya would cleanly execute the kill, soaking up massive amounts of EXP and hoarding the drops.

Every time Myne looked tired, Maya would hit her with a barrage of flattery. “Your magic is so beautiful, Myne!” “I’ve never seen a swordswoman move like that!” “Just one more, Myne, I feel so safe with you!” Driven by vanity, Myne kept fighting, acting as Maya's personal, unpaid power-leveling service.

While Myne was distracted, fighting off a swarm of low-level bats, Maya secretly fed the high-level monster drops into her gauntlet’s sapphire.

[Requirement Met: Frenzy Boar Gauntlet Unlocked.]

* [Equip Bonus: Attack +5]

* [Special Effect: Charge Damage Boost.]

[Requirement Met: Spider-Silk Gauntlet Unlocked.]

* [Equip Bonus: Agility +3]

* [Special Effect: Can shoot a minor grappling thread from the wrist.]

[Requirement Met: Venom-Mush Gauntlet Unlocked.]

* [Equip Bonus: Magic +2]

* [Special Effect: Low chance to inflict 'Poison' status on strike.]

By the time the sun began to set, casting long, eerie shadows through the trees, Maya had rocketed from Level 1 to Level 9. She had a half-dozen new gauntlet forms, a solid grasp of her combat abilities, and a perfectly pristine health bar.

Myne, on the other hand, was leaning heavily against a tree, covered in dirt, sweating profusely, and completely out of mana. She looked miserable.

"I think… Maya-sama…" Myne panted, her sweet voice straining, "we should head back to the capital. It will be pitch black soon."

"You're right," Maya agreed cheerfully, feeling absolutely fantastic. "You worked so hard today, Myne. I'll buy you the biggest dinner at the tavern!"

As they turned to head back to the main road, the bushes to their left rustled violently.

Myne jumped, raising her rapier, but her arm trembled with exhaustion. "W-What is that?"

Out of the brush stepped a figure. It wasn't a monster. It was a man, dressed in cheap, mismatched leather armor, holding a small shield defensively in front of him. A dozen small, orange balloons were clinging to his arms and legs, biting him pointlessly as he casually gathered medicinal herbs.

Naofumi stopped dead in his tracks, locking eyes with Maya and Myne.

Myne’s exhaustion vanished, replaced instantly by a sneer of utter disgust. "You. The Shield Demon."

Interactive Choice: The Encounter in the Woods

Maya and Myne have unexpectedly run into Naofumi while he is struggling to level up on his own. Myne is out of mana, and Maya is playing a role. How does Maya handle this?