Volume 4 Chapter 22 The Reason for the Surge in Desire: A Dungeon’s Core Connection
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the quiet lull before the next wave of adventurers arrived, Hirose finally made the decision to voice the question that had been snagging in his mind for weeks. It was about a certain—a very personal—change in his body that he had only recently come to recognize. Ecoa was the only one he figured would know the answer, so he called out to her.
”Ecoa, can I talk to you for a second?” he murmured, a hint of anxiety in his tone.
”Yes, Master. Please, ask me anything you wish,” the silver-haired maid Ecoa, clad in her immaculate uniform, replied with a soft, gentle smile as she approached the table. Although Hibiki and the others were chatting nearby, their conversation didn’t quite reach the secluded end of the table where Hirose was seated. It felt like a perfectly private space, a calm, quiet distance between just the two of them.
”I know this might be something even you don’t know about, Ecoa… but lately, I’ve been feeling like my sexual desire has just—skyrocketed, you know? I get excited way easier than before, and it kinda just… doesn’t stop.”
It wasn’t just a feeling; it was a clear, undeniable change. When he was with someone, his desires knew no bounds, demanding more and more until his partner was completely exhausted and passed out. Even the usually dominant Hibiki and the others found themselves quickly falling into the submissive role, utterly spent. Something was clearly wrong here.
”Master, that is—in all likelihood, an effect of the Dungeon,” Ecoa stated, her voice measured and precise.
”The Dungeon, huh…? I kinda figured that might be it, but I didn’t think it was actually true,” Hirose confessed, running a hand through his hair.
Thinking back, this bizarre physical state started right around the time he activated the Dungeon Core. That was about a month ago now.
”Yes. Because Master became the Lord of this Dungeon, its magical energy, or mana, is interfering directly, causing your desires to be amplified,” she explained.
”But… it’s only my sex drive that’s increased. My appetite, my need for sleep, stuff like that—they feel exactly the same.”
”That, I believe, likely stems from a biological instinct,” Ecoa mused.
”Biological instinct…?” Hirose questioned.
”Precisely. For a human, this is the instinct to ‘procreate’ or ‘leave descendants.’ The Dungeon itself is an entity that ‘creates’ things from mana. The act of spawning monsters can even be seen as a kind of ‘birth’.”
”Wait… so I’ve been birthing thousands of monsters?” The unexpected explanation slammed the brakes on Hirose’s thoughts. He had never imagined he was the one doing the “birthing.”
”Still, Asami-chan doesn’t seem to be having any changes, right?”
”Asami-sama is only the Sub-Master, so the direction of her influence is different. Moreover, the vast majority of this Dungeon’s mana actually originates with Asami-sama. It is my theory that Master is receiving that magical energy in a kind of backflow.”
”Backflow… I see.”
So, if he was going to sum it all up, this was the situation:
The Dungeon is a creation of magical energy, and the Master at its center is strongly affected by that mana. As the Dungeon constantly repeats acts of creation—which is similar to reproduction—the sexual urge gets excessively stimulated. Furthermore, since most of that mana comes from Asami, it flows back into Hirose, intensifying the effect even more. Those two factors combined meant Hirose’s body was now in a completely unprecedented and demanding state.
”So, this is… not going to go away?” he asked, a heavy feeling settling in his gut.
”At this moment, that is highly probable,” she responded with sincerity.
”Y-you’re serious…”
Honestly, just looking at the soft curve of Ecoa’s chest peeking out from her maid uniform was enough to make his body overreact right now, and that was no joke.
”Does my body… intrigue you, Master?” she inquired, a hint of curiosity in her icy blue eyes.
”Ah! No, wait—could you please not read my mind, though?” he pleaded, embarrassed.
”Master and I are deeply linked. The flow of your thoughts is… simply something I cannot stop,” Ecoa replied matter-of-factly.
”…Ugh.”
Having his inner life completely visible to Ecoa was both a blessing and a serious nuisance.
At least the cause was now clear. Hirose sighed softly, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling—just as Ecoa leaned in and whispered softly into his ear.
”I, for one, am intensely curious about what Master does. I have seen everything from the room next door, you see. If you wish, you may use my body… to your heart’s content, until that desire of yours is satisfied.”
”Ecoa…”
She wasn’t a ‘person.’ She was an entity born from the Dungeon Core, a mysterious being who could even vanish in an instant. Yet, there was definitely a ‘human-like emotion’ dwelling inside her. Whether it was affection or mere curiosity, he couldn’t say—but there was certainly a distinct will there.
”I await your command, always.”
”…I should probably talk to Hibiki first, I guess.”
Even if she wasn’t technically human, Ecoa possessed the form of a ‘woman.’ He couldn’t just lay a hand on her without permission. He wanted to be sincere and honest with his partners first.
* * *
Time passed, and as the sun began to dip low, the number of adventurers visiting the ‘Beauty Dungeon’ had clearly begun to increase. Kirari’s party had led the charge, but after that, they made adjustments to the entrance and the traps—the ‘armor-melting trap’ had been removed. The rest were kept as they were for monitoring.
As they observed, lower-ranked adventurers gradually began to challenge the Dungeon as well. However, no one reached the lower levels right away; most explored up to the Third Floor, where the first treatment rooms were located, and then returned to the surface.
Curiously, most adventurers only chose the door marked ‘Skin Quality Improvement’ first. It seemed to be a symptom of the earnest Japanese personality. The other seven doors remained untouched.
Those who reached the treatment rooms emerged one after another, looking somewhat bewildered by their state of undress. Most adventurers were men, but there were also parties made up only of women. Since these female adventurers all underwent the ‘Lymphatic Massage’ as well, they ultimately felt revitalized, but emerged with expressions that were hard to describe.
Then, that very night, the adventurers’ online message boards were buzzing with an unusual level of excitement.
> New Dungeon, supports F-Rank to S-Rank, and it’s seriously insane.
> Yeah, that was a first for me. Anyone who goes in… be prepared.
> It’s that bad? What exactly happened?
> The low-level monsters are easy. The problem is the ‘Treatment Rooms’.
> Treatment Rooms…?
> Yeah. I got some crazy service in there.
> What kind of treatment? Is this even a Dungeon?
> I went into the door on the Third Floor that said ‘Skin Quality Improvement.’ You get the Beauty Effect. You have to go a few times to get the full Effect, but it genuinely seems to make your skin smoother.
> Beauty…!? You mean it has a Gift-like Effect?!
> Probably. By the way, it costs 500 yen to enter.
> They charge an entrance fee?!
> If the Effect is real, it’s worth more than 500 yen.
> Is it for female adventurers? Can men go?
> Men are allowed… but I think women will be happier with it.
> What the heck is that? An aesthetic spa or something?
> Uh, no. It’s more like… don’t ask about the ‘spa’ part.
> Whoa, whoa, whoa, why does that sound dangerous?
> There were eight doors lined up. I went through the one furthest to the right. The other seven are unknowns.
> Eight Dungeons in one? That makes no sense.
> After that treatment, I lost all motivation to go to the lower levels. I did recover in the hot springs, though.
> They have a hot spring, too?! That’s a spa!
> I’m a female adventurer, and I’m going to keep going until I get the Effect.
> If the Effect is real, this thing might just start a gold rush.
The message board was on fire with posts from adventurers who had delved into the ‘Beauty Dungeon.’ Although they had initially decided to wait and see, the increasing flow of information seemed to draw more and more people’s interest.
Of course, Hirose and the others were monitoring this information. They had planned to adjust their approach based on the reaction, but for now, they agreed to leave things as they were and observe for a little while longer.
—
Summary:
Hirose and the Dungeon Maid Ecoa share a private, intimate conversation where the Dungeon Master confesses his confusion about a sudden, overwhelming surge in his sexual desires. Ecoa, with her non-human logic, links this amplified need for intimacy and procreation directly to the Dungeon Core’s energy and its function as a creator of life and mana. She offers her own body to help him cope, a gesture Hirose politely declines to discuss with his partners first, prioritizing his loyalty to them. Meanwhile, the unusual Beauty Dungeon has sparked a massive online discussion as low-level adventurers begin to explore its peculiar, non-combat Treatment Rooms, debating the shocking 500 yen entrance fee and the Beauty Effects that might rival actual Gifts.
—
Character Insight:
Ecoa, though appearing as a devoted maid with silver hair and formal speech, reveals a non-human, almost analytical depth to her affection. Her willingness to offer herself to Hirose is driven by a mix of intense curiosity and the primal, loyal dedication of the Dungeon Core to its Master, making her a unique and devoted partner. Hirose, despite his dramatically increased sexual urge due to the magical ‘backflow’ of mana, shows his fundamental decency by prioritizing his partners’ feelings, seeking to be honest and sincere with Hibiki before acting on Ecoa’s astonishing offer.
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter establishes the bizarre magical cause of Hirose’s physical change — it’s not his Gift, but the Dungeon’s core mana, heavily influenced by Asami’s own massive mana reserves, flowing back to him, intensifying his ‘biological instinct’ to create. The scene serves to heighten the romantic and sexual tension within the group while simultaneously showcasing the Dungeon’s sudden, viral success among the adventurer community. The online forum chatter acts as a social media proxy, validating the Dungeon’s strange concept and setting up the next phase of its rapid growth.
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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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