Chapter 19 Floor 3 Exploration
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
……Day 6 of the tester life. Test Dungeon, Floor 3. Sanada Yakumo……
After stepping through the gate, a cavern of familiar dimensions unfolded before my eyes.
Wait—looking closer, the small burrows in the side walls where Horn Rabbit¹ used to lurk were nowhere to be found.
”Looks like the monsters appearing here are different,” I said.
I doubted the Horn Rabbit, creatures that specialized in ambushes, would be loitering around in the open. It was only logical to assume a different breed of monster would inhabit this area.
I drew the Machete² from my waist and began cautiously treading down the main thoroughfare.
As I advanced while maintaining a high state of alertness, I noticed that side paths were far more prevalent here than on the second floor.
”This is going to be a real chore,” I muttered.
An abundance of side paths meant that thorough exploration would be significantly more time-consuming.
Feeling that familiar sense of exasperation, I peered into the nearest offshoot.
It was narrower than the main passage—roughly wide enough for three people to walk abreast. The ceiling was low, seemingly hovering at a height of only about two meters.
I pressed deeper into the gloom, but it quickly terminated in a dead end.
Finding no treasure chests, I retreated to the main path. Just as I prepared to enter the next side tunnel, I caught sight of a silhouette lurking in the shadows at the far end.
It couldn’t be human. I was supposed to be the only soul on this floor. That meant it was a monster.
I abandoned the idea of entering the tunnel, set my backpack down, readied my Machete, and waited at the mouth of the path.
Shortly after, a beast-like entity shrouded in gray fur and standing roughly chest-high emerged from the darkness.
In that split second, I brought the Machete down upon its skull without a moment’s hesitation.
With a heavy crush, its cranium split wide, and the creature collapsed lifelessly.
Blood and fluids sprayed from the wound as it lay there in a fit of tremors. I gazed down at the remains.
It was a canine with gray fur.
Though its length was only about 120 centimeters, its limbs were thick, suggesting substantial muscular power.
I was well-acquainted with bipedal canine monsters. In manga and anime, these were the creatures known as Kobolds.
”So the monsters on the third floor are Kobolds, then,” I noted.
This was a welcome change.
It was far preferable to dealing with those ambush-specialist Horn Rabbits, who would leap out from God-knows-where at any moment.
Besides, my expertise lay in interpersonal-style combat. This floor looked like it would be far less of a mental drain.
”Still, this Machete really has some bite,” he remarked.
I hadn’t expected it to cleave a skull in two with such ease.
Its edge was on an entirely different level compared to my previous blade. There wasn’t a single warp or chip in the steel, either. Just as I suspected, this wasn’t ordinary iron. From now on, I’d refer to it as the Black Iron Machete³.
As I christened the weapon based on its obsidian appearance, the Kobold dissolved into a flurry of black particles.
I stooped to retrieve the Magic Stone⁴ left in its wake.
”The Magic Stone looks identical to the ones dropped by Big Horn Rabbits. Does that mean Kobolds are F+ rank monsters?” I wondered.
This was excellent. The market price for an F+ rank Magic Stone was triple that of a standard F rank. In other words, 90 DP⁵ a pop.
Easier to slaughter than Horn Rabbits and with triple the revenue—pushing forward had clearly been the correct strategic move.
Now it was just a matter of determining their spawn density, though based on current trends, it seemed unlikely that more than two would appear simultaneously.
Next time, I’d engage one in a direct confrontation.
Since the last kill was a surprise attack, I hadn’t truly gauged the Kobold’s physical prowess. Judging by that muscle mass, however, they likely possessed considerable strength and speed.
I hoisted my backpack once more and continued my trek into the depths of the cavern, my guard firmly up.
* * *
’Woof!’
One of the beasts lunged at me, insolently attempting a feint. I drifted back a step to evade the swipe of its jagged claws and delivered a counter-stroke with my Machete.
”Hmph!” I grunted.
’Yelp!’
Slashed open from shoulder to sternum, the Kobold staggered through several halting steps before face-planting into the dirt.
Seconds later, it dissipated into black particles.
I had dispatched ten of them in the hour since the first encounter, and as I’d surmised, these Kobolds were both powerful and nimble.
Their primary tactic was a frontal charge, though some—like the one I’d just handled—were capable of basic feint maneuvers.
That said, their arsenal was limited to clawing and biting. Despite their bipedal stance, they didn’t even attempt to throw a kick.
Personally, I was confident I could manage even if three of them cornered me at once.
They were straightforward opponents, free from the stress of constant ambushes. Even with the labyrinthine side paths, it didn’t look like the exploration would be as grueling as I’d initially feared.
However, one detail was disappointing: the encounter rate for Kobolds wasn’t nearly as high as it had been for Horn Rabbits. I’d run into those rabbits every two or three minutes, but these dogs only surfaced about once every five minutes. At this frequency, even if the Magic Stones were worth triple, my hourly earnings might not see the boost I was hoping for.
I suppose things rarely go exactly to plan.
Reflecting on that, I gathered the dropped Magic Stone, stowed it in my pack, and pressed onward.
After another two hours of charting the floor, I decided to call it a day and began my return journey.
* * *
Upon reaching the teleportation chamber on the first floor, I triggered the stone automatic door and stepped out from the side corridor into the main hall.
A few students passing by cast inquisitive glances my way, but I paid them no mind and made a beeline for the exit.
Judging by their behavior, it didn’t seem like anyone else had managed to breach the second floor yet.
I’d figured those groups from the Battle Sports Club or the Kendo Club I’d seen on day one might be closing in on the first floor’s Guardian room by now.
Or so I’d assumed, but as I trailed behind a cluster of students and entered the plaza—the designated safe zone—I spotted the members of the Battle Sports and Kendo Clubs. Even the Karate Club and the faculty were there, huddled in groups across the plaza, lounging on the floor with bento boxes and drinks like they were at a picnic.
They were all decked out in tracksuits and sweats, and none of them looked like they had been anywhere near a combat zone today.
Come to think of it, the area around the spring had felt strangely deserted when I set out this morning.
Were they all taking a collective day off?
When I considered it, today marked the sixth day since our abduction. After being unceremoniously dumped into a lethal dungeon, pushed to their physical and mental breaking points just to earn enough to survive, it was only natural they’d crave a moment of respite.
”…Maybe I ought to take a breather myself,” I muttered.
Now that the second floor was cleared, a little downtime wouldn’t hurt.
Yeah, that would be a good rhythm—clear one or two floors, then take a scheduled break.
With those plans forming, I unlocked the door to My Room, dropped my pack, stripped off my gear, and headed for the shower.
I had to soothe my ‘little soldier’—who was already standing at attention at the mere thought of which girl would visit the Wall-Hole tonight—and washed away the grime of the dungeon.
Afterward, dressed in nothing but a shirt and boxers, I collapsed onto the bed and drained my remaining sports drink in a single go.
”Phew…” I sighed.
Just knowing tomorrow was a day off made my spirit feel lighter. I was likely more mentally taxed than I’d let myself realize.
Back when I worked at the academy, I’d make weekly trips to the red-light district or zone out with videos and digital manga to decompress.
There isn’t much in the way of entertainment here, but with the Wall-Hole, I doubt boredom will be an issue.
”Hmm. Well then, I think I’ll take my time and savor the Wall-Hole tonight and tomorrow without keeping one eye on the clock,” I said.
If a newcomer shows up, I’ll prioritize a slow build-up; if that masochistic succubus returns, I’ll subject her to a clothespin-fueled frenzy.
And if it’s the tanned Older Sister succubus or that bratty girl… well, I’ll just have to surrender. There’s something about their brand of temptation and mockery that I just can’t resist.
”Well, before I place the call, I’d better settle my accounts,” he added.
I detached the looted weapons and armor from my pack and leaned them in the corner of the room. Then, carrying the lightened backpack, I moved to the desk.
I tapped the Magic Crystal⁶ to wake the screen. As expected, a ‘1’ was pulsing on the notification bell, so I clicked it.
<A reward of 30,000 DP (1/1) has been granted for the first-time subjugation of the 2nd Floor Guardian. Do you wish to accept? (Yes/No)>
”Thirty thousand, huh? Since the 1st Floor Guardian yielded twenty thousand, it looks like the payout scales by ten thousand per floor,” I deduced.
Last time, I’d also netted a 50,000 DP bonus for being the very first tester to down a Guardian, but there was no such luck this time. Re-reading the old notification, it specified ‘Reward for the first tester among all participants,’ not a floor-specific bonus. That confirmed it was a unique, one-time windfall for the very first person to break through.
”Still, thirty thousand DP is a hell of a payday,” he said.
Next, I emptied the Magic Stones from my pack, piling them onto the Magic Circle⁷ embedded in the desk’s black flagstone to cash them in.
The tally came to 6,900 DP.
I’d taken down roughly thirty-five Kobolds, so that likely broke down into 125 F-rank stones (3,750 DP) and 35 F+ rank stones (3,150 DP).
Finally, I converted the rest of the loot—though it was mostly just copper coins.
The coins added another 900 DP to the pile. Combined with the stones, that brought the day’s earnings to 7,800 DP.
For a simple scouting run of a new floor, it was on par with yesterday’s take. I could definitely ramp that up once I started hunting in earnest.
For the record, I’d found six treasure chests today, counting the one in the Guardian’s chamber. The haul was as follows:
Club x1
Leather Boots x1
Throwing Knife x2
Small Wooden Shield x1
Large Copper Coin x6
Copper Coin x30
Black Iron Machete x1
Robe x1
As usual, that ‘dud’ club was taking up space, and no Potions⁸ dropped today. However, the leather boots, the robe, and the Black Iron Machete from the Guardian chest were genuine wins. A solid haul all around.
Counting this settlement and the 30,000 DP bonus, my balance has surged past 110,000—finally crossing the one million yen threshold. Going solo really pays off.
With the banking done, I realized my current pack was getting a bit cramped for this volume of loot, so I browsed the Shop and bought a high-capacity mountaineering backpack. I also picked up a leather pouch for Potions that could be secured to my belt, along with some sturdy rope to make bundling weapon and armor drops easier.
Then, I ordered a dinner set—a tempura set meal—and happily put away two full servings.
With my stomach satisfied, it was finally time for the main event: Wall-Hole time.
Now, let’s see who’s coming to play today.
—
Summary:
Yakumo ventures into the 3rd floor, identifying Kobolds as more predictable and lucrative targets than the rabbits of previous floors. Noticing the other students are taking a break, he decides to adopt a similar schedule and returns to his room. He collects a substantial 30,000 DP bonus for his victory on the second floor and converts his daily loot to cash. With over 110,000 DP in the bank and new gear in hand, he prepares for a night of relaxation at the ‘Wall-Hole.’
—
Character Insight:
Yakumo’s tactical mind is on full display as he analyzes spawn rates and monster mechanics with the cold precision of a veteran gamer. His decision to take a break shows a growing awareness of his own limits, acknowledging that constant survival mode is mentally unsustainable. He remains a creature of habit, using DP not just for survival gear, but to maintain the specific hedonistic comforts that kept him sane in his former life.
—
Behind the Scene:
The 3rd floor introduces the Kobold, a staple of dungeon-crawler fantasy that bridges the gap between animal-like pests and humanoid threats. The DP scaling (10k per floor) establishes a clear economic progression for the reader to track Yakumo’s rising power level. This chapter emphasizes the ‘pioneer’ aspect of the protagonist, highlighting his isolation from the more communal (and slower) student groups.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Yakumo – A 25-year-old human male. He has facial scars, stab wounds, and gunshot scars from his time in a war zone. He works as a school guard.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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