Not long after…
The number of players selecting skills hit zero, and everyone leaned back in their
chairs.
This was the admin room.
Everyone looked exhausted.
Ready to fall asleep in their chairs.
"Okay! Everyone's picked their skills."
"Whew… this event was grueling. Thank god there were no bugs."
"Unless we count Maple. At least she solved the puzzle before taking down the Sea
Emperor. That was a huge relief…"
"I was getting really scared she'd take out the full-strength version."
"If she had, she would've made off with the bird and the wolf, too…"
"Yeah… no telling how she might've bulldozed her way through it."
"Mm. Let's chalk that up as a win."
"Sigh… Oh, right! What skills did Maple pick?"
"I'm sure she went for Fortress, at least. Right? Please tell me she did."
"Yeah, she grabbed Fortress. No problems there. Her defense is already so bonkers,
further increases won't make a… Wait… Psycho… kinesis?"
"Why does that sound so ominous?"
"I'm quaking."
"Locate Maple! Put her on-screen now!"
Maple appeared on the screen.
And they all saw…
…Maple riding a giant flying turtle, making it rain poison.
""…Crap.""
"I said to double-check every skill! You all heard me!"
"I—I did check them!" another admin wailed. "It just never occurred to me that Maple
would pick that! I figured it didn't need any tinkering…"
""You got complacent!""
"Anything is possible with Maple! This is just her being normal!"
"Arghhhhhhhh! Auuughhhhhhhhhh!"
The images on-screen were so shocking, several weary admins passed out on the spot.
Eventually resignation set in, and they turned off the screen. Everyone was too tired
to do anything else.