Volume 4 Chapter 4 The Dungeon Core’s Slime Therapy and the Adventurer Guild’s Secret
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ecoa, are you alright?” Hirose worried.
”I’m… somehow managing, Master,” Ecoa whispered.
Ecoa had taken a powerful, lightning-bolt-like shock right through her system after taking in Asami’s massive magic reserve. Just over ten minutes had passed since, and she was only barely steady enough to stand and move again.
”—Well then, if we can refocus, I shall begin the construction of the dungeon now.” Ecoa declared with a sharp, determined look.
Despite her attempt at professionalism, everyone who had witnessed her total system meltdown knew the truth; they were all thinking the same thing inside: ‘This girl is totally wiped out.’
Ecoa raised her right hand, and eight holographic monitors floated gently into the air. Just like before, the ground started to shake under their feet.
”Think you can do it?” Hirose asked.
”I can d—?!… Ah, no. It seems there will be no issues this time, Master.” Ecoa nearly misunderstood him for a moment, but the construction itself seemed to be going smoothly, thankfully.
”Asami-chan’s magic really is amazing, huh?” Kirino noted with a satisfied, slightly smug smile toward Asami.
”A-Abah…” Yaginuma Asami let out a strange, nonsensical little noise in response, clearly overwhelmed.
Though it took longer than the last time, the dungeon construction was finally completed in about an hour.
”Master, what do you think? I have temporarily configured it into eight distinct geographical terrains.” Ecoa asked, presenting her work.
”Oooooooh…!” Hirose gasped, impressed.
The monitors displayed a variety of floor types: a cave, a grassland, a mountain, a seashore, a wasteland, a forest, a swamp, and a desert.
”…But wait, can I actually adjust the number of times my Skill’s Effect gets activated?” Hirose inquired, seeing a new possibility.
”Yes, that is possible, Master. Currently, I have set it to ten times on the third-floor layer, seven times on the fifth, three times on the seventh, and once on the tenth.” Ecoa confirmed.
”Huh, that’s really awesome.” Hirose praised.
”Additionally, facilities, such as small rooms, have already been placed in each area.” Ecoa added.
The monitor immediately switched, displaying a fairly large room with what looked like several treatment tables inside.
”There are things that look like treatment tables!” Hirose exclaimed.
The room was larger than the ‘Master Room,’ and multiple treatment tables were lined up. The mechanism, apparently, was that the skill would be granted when someone lay down on one of them.
”This is just one example. It is also possible to grant skills based on a condition, such as using a pool, a hot spring, or even a sauna.” Ecoa explained.
According to Ecoa’s explanation, the method for granting the skill was incredibly flexible.
”I just got a great idea!” Hibiki declared, raising her hand high in the air with an energetic flourish.
”Do you have a good suggestion, Hibiki?”
”Could we create a monster and have it perform the ‘treatment’?”
”That is certainly possible, yes, Master.”
”Then how about something like a slime?!”
”Yes, one can be created.”
Ecoa raised her hand again, and on one of the monitors, a small, transparent slime materialized.
”Oh, it’s actually kind of cute.” Kirino commented.
”Hibiki, what are you planning to use it for?” Hirose questioned, trying to figure out her intent.
”Well, all of us had to endure a pretty embarrassing Recoil to benefit from your skill, Hirose, didn’t we?”
”Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
”So, wouldn’t it be boring if all the adventurers just defeated a monster and that was it?” Hibiki reasoned, her eyes gleaming. “So, I want the people receiving the treatment to go through the same kind of treatment and Recoil!”
”Seriously?” Hirose muttered, now fully bewildered.
Those who received Hirose’s treatment had to overcome the shame of exposing their bare bodies and being directly touched, along with the recoil of becoming hyper-sensitive to touch. Hibiki was suggesting that future adventurers who came to the dungeon should be forced to experience the exact same thing.
”Ecoa, can you make it sprout tentacles?” Hibiki asked with a grin.
”…Something like this, Master?” Ecoa asked hesitantly.
”Yes, that’s it! That’s the one!” Hibiki cried triumphantly.
The slime changed its shape, and multiple tentacles extended from its body, writhing and undulating in the air on the monitor.
”N-No way…” Hirose muttered.
”Heh-heh-heh… Adventurers will have to strip naked, and instead of Hirose, the tentacles will perform the ‘treatment’! With the Recoil, of course!” Hibiki declared, utterly pleased with herself.
It was a suggestion born purely out of amusement, but Koharu, Kirino, and Saori all nodded in agreement for some reason.
(Don’t they think that’s disgusting?! Well, it’s not like they have to do it…) Hirose thought, feeling a sudden chill. He had just caught a glimpse of the terrifying side of women.
”Well, it’s just one idea. We could also have a humanoid monster perform the treatment, but the main thing is that it needs to have a Recoil, right?” Hibiki bounced, still excited.
”As long as the skill is properly granted, anything works for me.” Hirose conceded.
”Understood, Master. I will consider that option as well.” Ecoa nodded politely.
”Ah, it’s already past nine o’clock. We should probably call it a night for today,” Kirino noted, checking the time. “Tomorrow, we’ll decide where in Hirose-kun’s house the gate will be set up, and we can enter the ‘Master Room’ from there.”
”Yeah, sounds good.” Hirose agreed.
The dungeon creation had started after dark, and it was late for students.
With that, they called an end to the dungeon construction for the day and decided to head home.
”What about you, Ecoa?” Hirose asked.
”I am essentially connected to the dungeon itself, so I can dismiss this body completely. Do not worry, Master.” Ecoa reassured him.
”Okay… I understand. We’ll come back tomorrow!” Hirose promised.
”Yes, Master. I shall be waiting for you.”
Having the closed gate opened for them, the group left Ecoa behind and returned to the Tamagawa riverbank. They exchanged farewells and headed on their separate ways home.
* * *
—Meanwhile, at the Adventurer’s Guild Association Headquarters at the Dungeon Gate Administration, a huge commotion was breaking out.
”Emergency! Emergency! An immense magical signature has been detected near the Tamagawa river in Tamashi! A new Gate has appeared!” A stressed Administrator shouted.
A giant monitor in front of him displayed a map of Japan, which quickly zoomed in on Tokyo. The Administrator pointed at a single, red, flashing point of light.
There were other Gate indicators nearby, but the size of the red dot displayed over Tamashi was overwhelmingly massive. This red dot indicated the sheer volume of magic contained within the dungeon.
”Chairman! Someone get the Chairman—”
”—It is fine. I am already here.”
At the quiet, gravelly voice, the staff members spun around. Standing there was the Chairman of the Adventurer’s Guild Association, Hidou Genroku.
”C-Chairman! Please look at this!”
”…Ah, I already see it.” Genroku replied calmly.
”Huh… wait! The Gate has vanished! The reading… it’s gone!” The Administrator exclaimed, his voice cracking.
The Gate, which had just appeared, suddenly disappeared from the screen as if it had never existed. Yet, Genroku remained completely composed.
”He decided on Tamashi, did he… Very well.” Genroku mused.
”Chairman…?”
”Listen up, all of you. It is highly likely that the Gate will reappear. I will inform you of the future policy at that time. Until then, you are all forbidden from transmitting any information to the outside!” Genroku commanded, his tone absolute.
Tension immediately gripped the staff following Genroku’s order. Normally, the appearance of a Gate would be instantly posted on the dedicated site accessible to registered adventurers. But this was an extraordinary policy of information secrecy.
Genroku, having heard about the ‘Dungeon Core’ from Kirino, had decided to keep the information hidden until the dungeon was fully completed.
The existence of Japan’s first special dungeon created by a ‘Dungeon Core’—a surprise that would shock the adventurer community—would remain a secret for a little while longer—.
—
Summary:
This Urban Fantasy chapter dramatically shifts as the crew finalizes their S-Rank dungeon with the exhausted but determined Dungeon Core, Ecoa. The mischievous Hibiki, recalling the embarrassing Recoil from Hirose’s Harem skill, suggests a wicked twist: creating tentacle slimes to administer ‘treatment’ to future adventurers, ensuring they too suffer humiliating Recoil effects. Simultaneously, a continent away, the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters goes into a panicked lockdown over the massive, unprecedented magic spike from the new Dungeon Gate, with Chairman Genroku enforcing a policy of absolute secrecy over Japan’s first Dungeon Core-created Adventure Dungeon. The playful tension of the group is immediately contrasted with the global-scale suspense and bureaucratic action.
—
Character Insight:
Hibiki’s desire to subject future adventurers to the same humiliating Recoil that she and the other Harem members endured reveals her complex, mischievous personality and her sense of perverse fairness. She doesn’t want to be alone in the experience. Her enthusiastic plotting of the tentacle slime treatment highlights the dark, yet playful, side of the group’s shared experience with Hirose’s powerful Buff Gift.
—
Behind the Scene:
The chapter’s dual narrative—a lighthearted dungeon creation by a group of Japanese high school students and the high-stakes, frantic monitoring by the Adventurer’s Guild—establishes the core conflict: the secret nature of Hirose’s powerful Gift and the inevitable, massive public impact of the Dungeon Core’s appearance. Genroku’s secrecy is a strategic move to manage the unprecedented new Adventure Dungeon and its potential.
Notes:
• Ecoa – The Guardian of the Dungeon Core, a beautiful entity with long blonde hair, slit eyes, and distinctive pointed ears reminiscent of an elf. She initially appears in black ceremonial robes, which instantly transform into a revealing, classic black maid uniform. Her existence was previously undetectable by ‘Appraisal’ Gifts. Her sole purpose is to serve and support the Dungeon Master, Hirose.
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
• Yaginuma Asami – 16-year-old 1st-year, many inherited/stacking gifts, stores items, reflects attacks, teleports, resists conditions, mixed Japanese-English.
• Genroku – Kirino’s grandfather (M, 74yo, short white hair, 182cm), president of the Adventurer Guild. Though intimidating, he is deeply caring for Kirino, protecting her throughout the narrative. His body looks much younger and is absurdly muscular, causing his suit to strain. He is fiercely, boisterously affectionate towards his granddaughter. He causes a major scene when he sees Kirino.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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