After being dragged to another world with his classmates, hardcore RPG player Makoto Takatsuki has spent his time training and grinding. Nearly a year has gone by since Makoto became an adventurer, and he has finally reached level 20 and iron rank, which should be a cause for celebration... However, despite these accomplishments, Makoto feels as though he’s hit a wall. All seems dim until the goddess Noah tosses him a lifeline—head for the great maze dungeon of Labyrinthos! The place is well-known for its difficulty, but since he and Lucy are now iron rank, they’re strong enough to challenge it. Makoto and Lucy head off to conquer Labyrinthos, fully intending to stay in areas that are relatively safe. But the best-laid plans often go awry, and after an accident plunges them into the depths of the dungeon, the pair end up facing off with both monsters and revelations wildly beyond their expectations.

Game junkie extraordinaire Makoto Takatsuki, allied with his classmates and some friendly elementals, managed to defeat the blight dragons and save Labyrinthos. His reward? A summons to the capital of Roses, where he’ll receive recognition for his achievement alongside a reception from an ice-cold princess—the water priestess, Sophia. Unfortunately, this unwelcome reunion isn’t the only thing waiting at the capital. When the city is attacked by hordes of countless monsters, the situation begins to look hopeless. But then, Makoto gets a decree from Noah: to overcome the crisis facing the city, he’ll have to put aside his grudge with the princess and accept her assistance. Will he be able to do so? And will he be willing? Luckily, Makoto does have backup; he’s spent time strengthening his bonds with his friends and has even gained insight into Lucy through a brush with her elven culture. The odds might be bleak, but to Makoto, playing on hard mode is the only way to advance!

Makoto Takatsuki and his friends have saved Roses and are now headed to the most prosperous nation on the continent—Highland. They soon arrive in the capital, Symphonia, and despite its grandeur, the city is a hotbed of race and class inequality. When the group bumps into the actively hostile Hero of Lightning, Makoto must weather a vicious battle while simultaneously navigating the limitations of uncontrolled elemental magic. Meanwhile, the Snake Sect is plotting an attack on Symphonia, but the scheme runs deeper than anyone expected: the ruined nation of Laphroaig, which is inhabited by servants of the Great Demon Lord, has become a fierce shadowy presence that lurks beneath the apparent riches of Highland. With our heroes caught in a deadlock against imminent destruction, aid comes from an unlikely place—the cursed moon priestess of Laphroaig?! Can Makoto trust this exiled priestess and save humanity from being overrun by demons?

Makoto and his friends have saved Symphonia by foiling the Snake Sect’s sinister plot, so it’s time for the victorious party to return home. Though Eir’s ominous revelation lurks in the corner of Makoto’s mind, the overall atmosphere back in Macallan couldn’t be more peaceful. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last—following a mass exodus of monsters from the Forest of Fiends, tranquil Macallan is transformed into a battlefield. Amidst the chaos, an ancient draconic beast lays waste to the town and Makoto’s allies. Just when all hope seems lost, Noah reveals a hidden technique that could turn the tide. However, all things come at a cost, and Makoto must offer up something dear for the power to overcome this crisis. Is he willing and able to pay up? Or will Eir’s prophecy about the fall of Roses become a reality?