Chapter 148 12th Floor Exploration, Day ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Tester Life Day 54, Afternoon. 12th Floor: Urban District. Sanada Yakumo.
”Finally, an alleyway,” I said, catching my breath. I had been fighting my way through the streets for hours before spotting the narrow path ahead.
”That felt much further than the eleventh floor,” Sheena remarked.
”It’s twelve-thirty. We’ve been at this for two and a half hours and covered at least five kilometers,” I replied.
The eleventh floor had been roughly thirty kilometers total with checkpoints every three. If the math held, a full lap of this floor was closer to fifty. With the monster spawn rate spiking, hitting three settlements a day would be their limit.
”Well, it’s our first settlement of the floor,” I said to the group. “Let’s wipe them out and hope for a chest.” I signaled the team and led them down the winding path. Five minutes later, the trees gave way to a cleared clearing.
”Tch. Earthen walls,” I spat.
”This… our preemptive strike has been neutralized,” Sheena added, her brow furrowing.
”Ugh, that means Yakumo’s Fireball² and Sayaka’s Ice Arrow³ are useless if they can’t see over the top,” Sanae grumbled.
”The settlements on the eleventh only had wooden fences. We can’t see a thing in there,” Sayaka noted. “And with the distance between the woods and the walls, sniping from the treeline is out of the question.”
”The eleventh floor was the tutorial,” I said. “This is the real game.”
The entrance was a heavy wooden gate, but the rest of the perimeter was a solid three-meter wall. Firing blindly over the top would just waste mana.
”Master, what are your orders?” Sheena asked with a worrying amount of enthusiasm. “Shall we charge the interior together?”
”Stop looking so happy about it. We’re not doing anything that reckless,” I said. I measured the gap. Thirty meters of open ground between the forest and the gate. Wide enough to see a back-attack coming from the Green Wolves. A single Orc stood guard at the gate, club in hand. There were likely twenty more inside.
”New plan,” I announced. “We move to the clearing as a unit. I’ll blast the gate. Sanae, Sayaka, you provide cover fire the second it breaks. If Green Wolves spawn, forget the Orcs and focus on the wolves. Sheena and I will handle the stragglers.”
”Understood!” the group replied in unison.
I stepped into the clearing and channeled a double-strength Fireball. The sphere of flame roared across the gap, slamming into the wood. The gate shattered in a violent explosion of splinters and heat. The guard Orc was caught in the blast, transformed into a screaming torch.
Through the smoke, I saw rows of huts – sturdier than the shacks on the previous floor. Orcs began pouring toward the breach.
”Master! Green Wolves from the rear!” Sheena screamed.
”Tch! Perfect timing,” I barked. “Sanae! Sayaka! Forget the gate! Turn around and handle the wolves!”
I abandoned the long-range plan. The gate’s destruction must have been the trigger for the ambush. Behind me, the forest erupted with howls, the crack of Sayaka’s magic, and the rhythmic crack-crack of Karen’s gunfire. I turned back to the gate and fired another Fireball into the huddle of Orcs, wounding three.
”Don’t let them spread out! Sheena, with me!”
”Yes, Master!”
I activated Physical Reinforcement⁴ and charged. I met the first Orc at the threshold, catching a club swing on my shield and blowing the creature backward with an Impact⁵ pulse. The Orc crashed into its allies, creating a bottleneck.
”Fire Bullet!” I shouted, punching a hole through the chest of a second Orc.
On my left, Sheena was a whirlwind of steel, keeping three Orcs occupied. I pivoted to the right, parrying a blow and burying my machete in an Orc’s neck. I rolled under a follow-up swing, came up behind the attacker, and fired a point-blank Fire Bullet through its spine.
A fourth Orc lunged at his back, but an arrow suddenly sprouted from its throat. The creature collapsed, revealing Sanae in the distance, already notched for another shot.
”Looks like the wolves are done,” I muttered. I looked over to see Sheena lopping off the head of the final Orc in her path.
”Sheena, you hurt?”
”I am fine, Master,” she replied, wiping her blade.
”That got a bit messy. Maybe we should have waited,” I mused.
”No,” Sheena countered. “If we stayed back, they would have swarmed the clearing. We had to take the breach.”
I nodded. “True. But I need to adjust the formation. Next time, I’ll have Rock take the front with me while you cover the girls until the wolves are clear.”
We regrouped, confirmed everyone was safe, and collected six magic stones from the fallen wolves. Rock led the way into the settlement.
”The houses are definitely bigger here,” Karen remarked.
”Still a dump,” Sanae added.
”Master, look! The hut at the back,” Sayaka pointed. “It’s the largest. The chest has to be in there.”
We entered the central building. It was empty of furniture, but a copper treasure chest sat in the center of the room.
”Yes! First try!” Sayaka cheered.
”It’s a good sign,” I said. I suspected the first settlement of a new floor might have a guaranteed drop rate. “Sanae, you open it. You’re due for a win.”
”Finally! I’m going to pull a magic tome, just watch,” Sanae said, glaring at Sheena.
”It’ll probably be silver coins and a potion,” Sheena teased.
”Shut up, you dirty-minded rabbit!” Sanae snapped. She threw the lid open. “Kuh! Gauntlets and a potion?”
”Those are Gray Wolf Gauntlets,” I said, inspecting the loot. “Sheena, take them. Yours are falling apart.”
”Thank you, Master,” Sheena said. As she lifted the armor, a small copper shard fell out. It was engraved with a character – a fragment of a floor pass.
”A copper pass this time,” I noted. Along with the shard was a Grade 4 Mana Capacity Recovery Potion⁶.
”See? I told you it was a hit!” Sanae bragged.
”It’s decent,” Sheena shrugged. “But Sayaka-sama and I have a perfect record.”
”I’ve only missed once!” Karen added.
”Wha-?! Fine! I’m opening the next one too! Yakumo, tell them I’m opening the next one!”
I just laughed. “Sure, Sanae. Whatever you want.” I knew her luck; the next one would almost certainly be a dud. “Let’s set up the Magic Tent. We’re taking lunch here.”
—
Summary:
Yakumo and his party begin exploring the 12th floor, which features higher monster density and earthen-walled settlements. They successfully breach a guarded settlement despite a pincer attack from Green Wolves. Inside, they find a copper treasure chest containing armor and a portion of the floor’s pass.
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Trivia:
- The 12th floor is significantly larger (50km) than the 11th (30km).
- The walls are earthen now, preventing the party from using their usual long-range sniping tactics.
- The Green Wolves appear to have a specific spawn trigger linked to the gate’s destruction.
- The floor pass is now made of copper shards rather than paper
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Character Insight:
Yakumo is becoming more analytical of the dungeon’s mechanics, recognizing ‘tutorial’ versus ‘real’ difficulty. Sanae’s competitive nature regarding ‘luck’ and ‘drops’ highlights her insecurity about her role compared to the more efficient members like Sheena or Sayaka.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘first settlement chest’ as a pacing tool to ensure the party gains necessary gear for the increased floor difficulty.
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TL Notes:
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.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Sheena – Beastman Soul-less Doll with rabbit ears and a large chest. Flawless face, approx 165cm height, F or G cup, narrow waist, large hips, and a fluffy tail longer than a rabbit’s. Now, her ego is back.
• Sayaka – The academy’s premier beauty and a member of the swimming club. Currently classified as a Rank 1 Slave. She is seventeen years old and a virgin. E-cup. She has blue, short, boyish hair. Her best friend is Sanae.
• Sanae – She struggles with the sexual training and often shows frustration. Vice-captain of the Archery Club. Described as tall with a model-like build and sharp features. She has approximately C-cup breasts and is ranked as a 1st Rank Slave. She is Sayaka’s best friend. Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Karen – An international student from America who often runs to school late with bread in her mouth. Considered a ‘main target’ by the protagonist. Voice acting major, huge breasts, same height as Sana.
• Rock – A male Kobold summoned from a Magic Sealing Crystal. He has grey fur, round eyes, and a face resembling a Shiba Inu. He wears a leather jacket and a pilot’s cap
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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