That Time I Played A VRMMORPG.

It has been a day, at the time there were only two days left before the second event starts, and right now, Kaede logged in earlier and was currently searching for skills, but she immediately noticed Gram getting online in her friend-list, so she quickly appointed a location to meet up.

After grouping, Kaede yet again wanted to gain more skills this time, she already talked about it alot at school but she's still as enthusiastic again that made him sign.

He 'chopped' at her head due to her eagerness and then started speaking some disciplinary rules. "Listen, even though you really want to gain skills, it doesn't mean you always have to think about it." Gram reprimanded and Kaede made a pout, before she said.

"But~ my skills, using a large shield, aren't a lot. I don't have much skill synergy for defense at this point, and the defense skill quest is so long~" She thought it was unfortunate that she hasn't gained much defense skills during these early days.

Gram seriously said, "You're already having the sign of being addicted, you have been getting online a lot earlier.." although, he didn't think it was bad but, he tried to think better of her well-being.

"Hmm~ don't you want to be with me for more time?" Kaede looked at him with a light pout while looked at the side with crossed arms.

"That's that and this is this, it's different as there isn't a sense of urgency of gaining skill now that we reached the second stage. Hah~... Come here." Gram then, beckoned her to approach as he started rubbing her head naturally.

Kaede tickled her hand, "Then, what should we do today? Wait for Sally to get online?"

"Let see.."

Risa told Kaede that the skill tree of large shield players that focused on defense are very abundant, and right now, Kaede was basically trying to acquire those skills when she logged in alone since sometimes he had to do something in the real world. Although, when she did play, Gram would pop up and help her in any way possible.

Every-time, he would nag her since she was becoming delirious of playing the game to the point of not doing assignments for the next day and she had to resort to the quick method of 'copying' assignment before the homeroom started.

Currently, she had already raised some of her skills, the skill that she wanted had been leveled up. Examples are her resistance skills that had been raised to the medium tier.

Kaede, she looked at her stats while he curiously glanced at her panel as well.

Maple

Lv: 30

HP: 924 / 924 (+50)

MP: 12 / 12

[ STR: 235 ]

[ VIT: 735〈＋66〉]

[ AGI: 0 ]

[ INT: 0 ]

Equipment:

Head [ーーー]

Body [ Armor of Black Roses ]

Right hand [ New Moon [ Skill: Hydra ] ]

Left hand [ Mirror of the Dark Night [ Skill: Bizarre Eater ] ]

Legs [ Armor of Black Roses ]

Shoes [ Armor of Black Roses ]

Accessories [ Ring of the Forest Queen Bee ]

[ Toughness Ring ]

[ーーー]

Skill:

[ Absolute Defense ] [ Giant Killing ] [ Hydra Eater ] [ Explosion Resistance ] [ Meditation ] [ Provoke ] [ Inhumane ] [ Mastery of the Large Shield VI ] [ Body Manipulation ] [ Attack Deflection ] [ Shield Attack ] [ Echoing Roar ] [ Petricite Spark ] [ Buildup Strength ] [ Vitality Strengthening (Small) ] [ Physical Attack Resistance (Medium) ] [ Magical Attack Resistance (Medium) ] [ HP Strengthening (Small) ] [ MP Strengthening (Small) ]

[ Gold: 70921 ]

Low HP Potion x 20

Low MP Potion x 20

Snow White

… Materials …

Kaede acquired the skills that increased both her resistance to a certain percent based on their tiers, it's easily grind by doing the menial work of attacking and healing. She also had gotten the 1 million gold shield from Izu, the pure white large shield that seemed like the fresh snow, sprinkled by blue jewels in some parts.

The name of the large shield is [ Snow White ], a superb product made by Izu, as she proclaimed it herself.

[ Snow White ]

VIT＋40

In addition, she gained [ Toughness Ring ] during their dungeon conquest last day, her HP increased by 50, but her level didn't go up, although right now, it's on the verge of leveling.

It would seem like it was very little, but it didn't mean it's useless, her HP had at least been raised to some point.

Kaede said, "Sally mentioned that she was going to acquire some defense ignoring skills… she is still in the acquiring phase." The reason for that is because she wanted to measure Kaede's rough resistance towards penetration damage. They couldn't afford to test it without actually gaining it.

Gram had a thought, "Why not visit the town's skill shop, I'll give you some gold."

"Hmm~ I was actually thinking about that." She rolled her eyes cutely as she already planned that out. Although, she didn't think about the gold she would need as she had forgotten.

He lightly chuckled, "But you don't have any money right?" Although Kaede looked confused but immediately grinned as she pointed at her amassed precious white scales materials.

"Yeah~ I don't have any money.. He~he.." Hearing her voice, Gram couldn't help but smile due to her cheekiness. She's not brazen but she's always cute and that always made the mood between them so natural.

And just like that, with a holding hand, they head towards the Skill Shop at the town.

The Skill Shop is an NPC shop that sells basic skills for the different types of equipment.

Other than [ Cover Move I ] and [ Cover ], [ Slash ] and [ Double Slash ] that Risa's use can be bought there. There were also basic magic spells but he didn't really need them. Although, he did find some skills worth noting at least their usage, other than having [ Slash ] or [ Ball ] in their name, unique skills that had an ambitions usage like [ Icicle Dagger ] or optional skills like [ Night Vision and etc... ], were some good skills to put on his mind.

Although he didn't buy one, Kaede sold 'some' of her white scales obtained from the underground lake, she could easily buy a dozen skills now. High spirited, she inputted the skills she wanted.

"I'll buy it now… [ Cover Move I ] and [ Cover ]!" Gram helplessly smiled at the side seeing her so enthusiastic about it.

Kaede pressed the gold button as notifications appeared on her status. With this, she grew excited because she might be able to save them when they were in a pinch.

The duo left the store and after leaving, she opened her inventory and looked at the scrolls appearing in her hand.

After sitting down on one of the benches, without hesitation, she opened the parchment and learned the skill.

The letters that were written shined with light, and as if to match the dissipating light, the scroll crumbled down, it became fragmented light and disappeared to the air.

"Ohh〜〜! So pretty!" Kaede took out the other scroll [ Cover ] and spread it out to activate the learning skill. That released the same light, crumbled, and disappeared all together.

Kaeded wondered, "The large shield's basic skills huh〜… although I didn't have it in the start."

[ Cover Move I ]

Usable without AGI stat, the user will be able to move to the party member within the radius of 5 meter.

After use, damage received will be doubled for 30 seconds. Can be used for a maximum usage of 10 times.

Recover all usage for 30 minutes.

[ Cover ]

Cover the party member besides the user from attacks.

When used, VIT would be increased by 15.

Gram knocked her head lightly, "Ditzy girl, that's because you forget and you only get it when you're already in the second stage."

"Aren't that the same for you?" Kaede curiously looked at him. He grinned before thumping his c.h.e.s.t.

"At least I have [ Fireball ] in the start~..."

Kaede pointed out with a displeased look, "You cheated gaining that, it doesn't count~!"

"Haha! It's still a basic spell though~" He didn't answer nor deny that he used the vulnerability of the game, although, in one way, they both did it in the start.

Now that she had the most 'basic' skill used to protect party members. She can now effectively protect her party mates in due time. As it was an exclusive skill for the large shield with large VIT. A skill that can universally aid all players using large shields must have.

Although, in the start, she didn't even think about nor have that thought of acquiring it. It would have been a mouth widening scene when other large shield users once they found out about it.

Since she's in a party now, she's forward to gaining party protecting skills and that's why she's always so eager. It's so that she could protect Risa and Gram if anything happens.

Kaede sighed, "Ahh〜… it has ended already. Do I still have some skills that I need..."

"Have you looked at the net again?" Gram saw that Risa had been online.

"N~nnn… I found some but I won't be able to get it now.." She had researched about the skills that she needed but she didn't have time for now and she didn't have the time nor ability to do so.

Gram said, noting the thinking bubbly girl, "Sally's online now.. She's still in her quest so let's wait for her.."

Kaede raised from the seat, "Really!? Then.. I might need to increase it again someday… rather than that, let's go now explore some dungeon!"

"Why don't we explore a field first?" Gram notified her about a place Risa recommended earlier so without some hussle, Kaede eagerly pulled his hand energetically.

Both were slow but he supplemented that with his spells and they immediately covered the field without trouble. They reached the deserted place, and after placing her on the ground, she looked for a monster nearby.

Risa told, it was the best place to fight monsters and right now, she thought she could try out her new skills. Gram started using [ Perception ] which had been improved due to his larger MP. He quickly saw some small monsters crawling in the dessert.

Kaede looked at him with a look of wanting, "Neh~ Knox, why don't you go lead the front?"

"Sure, you have a plan?" Gram nodded, following her whims was the most important thing to do.

Kaede smiled and began getting excited, "N〜nn... I want to try out my skill although it's hard to see enemies here〜"

[ Pillbug Lv: 25 ]

After saying that, she saw Gram using a spell [ Fire Lance ] that penetrated the small pillbug monster that had appeared behind her.

The suddenness almost made her fall but she quickly found herself leaning towards him. She turned slightly red but she recovered and looked at him with a pout.

"Hey~ Muhh! I wanted to try fighting first!" Kaede said but he rubbed her head and said,

Gram chuckled and glanced his blue colored eyes to the back signifying the use of a skill. "Then, the next one is yours… from 9 o'clock. At the back.."

"Yes~! Roger!! [ Cover Move I ]!" Kaede excitedly used her newly gained skill, she instantly teleported behind, wanting to deflect the coming monster towards them from behind.

"Let me try practicing defending with this…" Kaede changed her large shield to a pure white shield [ Snow White ] from Izu. As she equipped it, the monsters had already spotted her and headed at her with a lunge in the air. As always, she deflected it without trouble as [ Shield Attack ] had been used, but it wasn't enough to kill it.

After being knocked back for a moderate distance, unsuccessful of damaging her, the pillbug monster curled up it's body and crawled down beneath the desert sand stalking to find the most vulnerable spot to attack. Kaede smiled as her expectation for the new shield was alright.

Compared to the [ Mirror of the Dark Night ], it was simple and didn't have the auto trigger skill of [ Bizarre Eater ], but it's VIT had a higher base stat than the [ Mirror of the Dark Night ].

From this, you can really see how good Izu's blacksmithing skills are. She should be one of the non-combat players that can support top-player easily in the front lines.

"Yosh… let's do our best!" Kaede said out loud.

"Mhm! I got your back so let loose.." Gram patted her shoulder before moving back a little.

After their motivational speech, while she's making a stance with her new shield, the pill bug suddenly appeared at their back again focused on him who looked to be defenseless.

Kaede saw the monster and got fl.u.s.tered, "Uwah! W-Wait a second, hey! [ Cover Move ]! [ Cover ]!"

It is not like the monsters would wait for her, and with the skill, she instantly teleported again, while she shouted cutely which made Gram, chuckling at her behaviour.

"Ugh!... I-I'm going to get angry! [ Shield Attack ]!" The pillbug was a tricky opponent if you can't one-shot it. Since she didn't want to equip her other shield, she basically had to handle it with her basic skill, which in the second attack had defeated the pillbug monster.

"Yeah~! I defeated the monster!"

Lightly patting her shield, she made a stance with the large shield, and focused her ears but after sometime found it hard to even hear a sound.

Gram looked around and saw another bug monster that had been lured due to their voices, "Hey Maple uhh, another one is approaching at your side… try to hear it's crawling sound.."

It was said that it's important to find the enemy using sound cues that come from their unrelentless movements. An example is when playing fps games, where you can only rely on their stepping sound, then gunning them out if they weren't too careful.

Although, Kaede just wanted to try it out, so when she heard a 'gishi..gishi' crawling sound, she smiled.

"N〜... here!" Kaede adjusted the large shield to her right. And at the same time, it had shielded the pill bug jump attack out of nowhere, the large shield had absorbed the damage.

"Another one! To your left!" Gram, who was blocking one direction, defeating pill bugs at the back, spotted another one near her with [ Perception ].

Since she wanted to practice using her new shield here, he let her defeat the majority of the monster. It was also better that the monster here had the ability to attack her in different ways that can potentially ignore her defenses.

In the first place, it's the reason why Risa had recommended this place. A good place to practice good evasion skills or defensive maneuvers for shielders.

"Eh?!... Kyaa!" Behind her, Kaede who hasn't processed what he said, was still so happy of predicting earlier, but another pill bug hits her without hesitation.

He rolled her eyes, "I told you."

Kaede nodded, "U-nnn.. It's bad for being so happy. It's very hard to be so focused huh〜" She at least in the moment understand how it was hard to be in her friend's perspective.

After that, she had fighted two hours, the maximum that she was able to block was about 50%. While the others were dealt by him, if they attacked them unguarded, although the pillbug had a defense ignoring attack, their attack didn't have much damage.

From what Risa said, if she was able to block all of them, she would probably not receive any defense ignoring attack for most of the time, she might even gain a skill because of trying although, currently she ultimately failed at anything.

"50% huh〜... well, I did my best with that huh〜, really, how can Risa dodge that much…" Kaede said with a little loss.

Gram immediately pacified her, "It isn't that bad considering your base movement speed, you're still a beginner when it comes to it, so even blocking 30% below is already quite good.. You know?"

The pillbug was a speedy and tricky monster but she's still able to respond to it which showed how good she could adapt.

"Un.. I will try again here in the future!" Kaede said with a large smile, he softly pinch her cheeks.

Gram happily rubbed her head, "Yes! That's the spirit!"

"Ehehe~" With closed eyes felt the comforting actions of him. They continued to farm for a little time but Kaede logged out afterwards.