Kaede Honjou dives into the VRMMO NewWorld Online at her friend Risa's invitation, but her hatred of pain outweighs any interest in winning, so she dumps every stat point into Vitality. The build should be a joke, since she is slow, spell-less, and barely mobile, until it produces Absolute Defense, an ability that nullifies nearly all damage, alongside a counter skill that turns enemy special attacks back on their casters. Playing as Maple, and joined later by Risa's avatar Sally, she starts climbing event rankings without meaning to. This original light novel is the source the manga and anime both adapt.