Chapter 188 Monsters of the Skies
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Tester Life: Day 69, Morning – 13th Floor. Sanada Yakumo.
After finishing our check-in with Coach Sayama and eating breakfast together, we geared up early. It was our first day challenging the 13th floor, and nobody wanted to waste time. We stepped onto the teleportation array¹ on the 12th floor and, for the first time in five days, emerged into the 13th.
”Rain, huh?” I muttered.
”Looks like it,” Karen added.
”I was hoping it might have cleared up if we waited a few days,” Sanae sighed.
”This floor is probably perpetually stuck in a downpour,” Sayaka said, her voice resigned. “It looks even more miserable than the 12th.”
Even Leticia, visiting for the first time, sounded drained-likely already dreading the thought of a wet, muddy firefight.
”Even if it’s just a drizzle, the city streets are turning into a swamp. Watch your footing,” Sheena warned. “The visibility is poor, and the rain is muffling the sound of footsteps. My ears won’t be as reliable as usual. We need to stay twice as alert.”
”Sheena’s right,” I said. “And even with these overcoats, the chill is going to set in. We’ll take frequent breaks. Until we get the hang of this floor, we’re taking it slow. No heroics.”
Everyone had donned their hooded overcoats over their gear. The cloaks on the magic armor Sayaka and the others usually wore lacked hoods, which made them useless in a storm. The hoods might limit their peripheral vision in a fight, but they were better than nothing.
I’d only managed to get coats for Lucy and Saizou. We couldn’t find anything massive enough to fit Rock or Hanako. Rock has his fur, but I worried about Hanako getting cold. If she started shivering, I’d just shove her to the front lines. The adrenaline would warm her up soon enough.
”Roger that,” Karen said, her energy low.
”My first time fighting in the rain,” Sanae muttered, steeling herself. “I’ll stay sharp.”
”That’s the spirit, Sanae,” Sheena praised.
”Squeal… ” Hanako grunted.
Sanae was already in the zone, but Hanako seemed less bothered by the cold and more disgusted by the mud. She kept squealing as she stared at the muck. For a pig, she was remarkably fastidious. Then again, real pigs are actually quite clean by nature.
We stepped out into the downpour. Thanks to the high-quality waterproof boots I’d bought, everyone managed to maintain their usual pace despite the sludge. Five minutes in, Sheena raised a hand.
”Orcs ahead… four of them. And it looks like Green Wolves are with them.”
Just as she spoke, four Orcs wielding machetes and four Green Wolves emerged from the gloom. They were much closer than usual. On this floor, the Orcs had traded their clubs for blades. I noticed the one in the back didn’t have a machete.
”Tch, they’ve got an archer! Sanae, take him out first! Sayaka, hit the Orcs with magic! Sheena, watch the rear for more wolves! Rock, charge! Karen, stay with Lucy and provide cover fire! Saizou, protect the group!”
I barked the orders as I saw the Orc Archer leveling his bow. I broke into a sprint, using Rock’s massive back as a literal meat-shield. A sharp !twang! echoed, followed by a metallic !clink! as an arrow bounced off Rock’s shield and tumbled into the mud.
”Sorry! I’m late!” Sanae called out.
I looked ahead. An arrow was already buried in the archer’s throat. She was apologizing for letting him get a shot off at all.
”Don’t worry about it!” I yelled. “That’s why Rock is drawing fire!”
”Fire Bullet²!”
I bypassed the Orcs and fired at the Green Wolves flanking us through the tall grass. Two of them couldn’t dodge in time; my spells punched through their skulls and chests, sending them sliding dead through the wet grass. I fired again at the remaining two, but the rain sapped the spell’s heat, and one managed to dive away. It circled wide, disappearing into the brush.
I left the straggler to Karen and turned my machete on an Orc that Rock had just sent flying. I brought the blade down, carving through its neck. Two more Orcs were closing in, but one was already collapsing with an ice arrow in its chest. The other was limping, an arrow through its thigh.
Rock didn’t give it a chance to recover. He slammed into the wounded Orc with his great shield. The Orc tried to swing its machete, but the blade hissed harmlessly off the Black Iron shield. The creature lost its footing on the frozen mud and tumbled backward. Rock closed the distance instantly, driving his short spear through its heart.
”Guraaaaa! ” The Orc let out a final, gurgling roar and went limp. Rock twisted the spear, finishing it off with a thrust to the neck.
Just as I thought we were clear, Sheena’s voice cut through the rain like a whip.
”Sanae! Look out!”
I spun around. Sheena was already moving, her rapier flashing as she stepped in front of Sanae. Sayaka and Leticia froze, their faces pale with shock.
”What happened?” I shouted, running toward them.
On the ground lay a light-blue bird, nearly three feet long. It looked like a hawk, but its wings were shimmering with a thin, lethally sharp film of water.
”A Rain Hawk³,” Sheena said, her breathing steady. “E-Rank. They only appear in storms. They dive from the clouds and use those water-blades to decapitate their prey.”
”So the wolves were just a distraction?” I asked, looking at the dead bird. It had a rapier wound and a kunai buried in its wing. Saizou had been watching too.
If Sheena and Saizou hadn’t been there, Sanae would have been blindsided. Hanako, who was supposed to be guarding the flank, hadn’t noticed a thing. She was currently shaking, her face pale with fear as she looked at Sheena.
”To be standing right there and see nothing… you truly are a worthless, masochistic pig, aren’t you?” Sheena hissed.
”Squeeeee! ” Hanako shrieked as Sheena’s rapier bit into her backside.
Sanae didn’t even try to defend her this time. She knew Hanako had failed her job.
”I didn’t see it at all,” Leticia whispered, her eyes wide.
”Me neither,” Sayaka added. “Attacking from the sky… that’s a dirty trick.”
”Great,” Karen grumbled. “Now we have to watch the clouds too?”
”Karen, you’re on bird-watch from now on,” I ordered.
”Fine, fine. I’m on it.”
”Sheena, that’s enough,” I said, stepping in. “Leticia, please patch up Hanako’s rear.”
Leticia looked at the bloody mess and made a face, but she nodded. Yesterday she was playing the role of a holy Saint; today she was a veterinarian for a perverted pig. I almost felt bad for her.
We pushed on. Five minutes later, we hit another group: Orcs, wolves, and more hawks. This time, Karen was ready. She picked the birds out of the gray sky before they could even start their dive.
”They’re easy once you know they’re coming,” she said. “They fly in a straight line.”
The difficulty was spiking. The rain was a constant debuff to Sheena’s detection, and the winding roads were built for ambushes. Just as the road curved sharply, Sheena shouted again.
”Rear! We’ve got Orcs and wolves behind us!”
”A pincer move? In this mess?” I kicked the Orc in front of me, using the momentum to spin around. Behind us, four wolves and four Orcs were charging out of the mist.
”Fire Bullet! Rock, hold the front! I’m going back!”
I blasted the Orc I’d just kicked and sprinted toward the girls. Before I even reached them, Saizou’s sickle flashed in the gloom, lopping the head off a wolf. Sanae and Sayaka were already picking off the reinforcements.
Hanako was finally doing her job, taking the brunt of an Orc’s machete on her shields. She sounded like she was actually enjoying the impact, squealing with every hit. Sheena slipped behind the Orc and ended it with a single, precise thrust to the base of the skull.
By the time the mud settled, the entire group was dead.
”Good work, everyone,” I panted.
”Talk about a jump-scare,” Karen said, leaning against her gun.
”That was too close,” Sayaka agreed. “They’re using the terrain against us.”
We were learning the hard way that the 13th floor didn’t play fair. But Sheena was already back to her usual self.
”Hanako, you actually held the line this time,” Sheena said coolly. “Sanae, give the pig a treat.”
”Oink! Oink! ” Hanako wagged her stubby tail, looking thrilled despite the fresh wounds on her rear. Sheena had her completely broken in.
Sanae pulled some chili crackers from her pouch⁴ and fed them to the shivering pig. Hanako crunched them down, trembling with a mix of spice and pleasure.
”Disgusting animal,” Sheena muttered.
I watched them for a moment, feeling a mix of pity and exhaustion, before pointing us further into the rain.
—
Summary:
The party enters the 13th floor, a rainy urban dungeon where visibility and sound are muffled. They face a series of coordinated ambushes by Orcs, Green Wolves, and a new flying threat called Rain Hawks. Despite the environmental challenges and a near-miss ambush from the sky, the party adapts, and Hanako manages to earn a meager reward after a harsh punishment.
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Trivia:
- The overcoats were specifically purchased the night before and are slightly restrictive for vision.
- Rain Hawks only appear on rainy floors/days.
- Hanako’s armor and size made it impossible to find a coat for her, making her cold.
- The Orcs on this floor have upgraded from clubs to machetes and utilize archers.
- The winding road structure of the 13th floor is designed to facilitate back-attacks
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Character Insight:
Sheena’s role as a disciplinarian is solidified; she uses physical pain to keep the familiars in line but rewards them once they meet her standards. Yakumo is becoming more of a logistics-focused commander, worrying about boots and body temperature as much as combat strategy.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author notes the resumption of daily updates. The numbering system shows Episode 187 being placed in Chapter 188, a common occurrence in serialized web novels where chapter breaks and episode counts desync.
—
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.
• Sayama – Baseball club coach in his thirties, former professional pitcher with a history of injuries. Pragmatic and anxious about his family and career stability.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Leticia – French exchange student, animation major 1st year, silver hair, small stature, slim, large breasts, 13 years old.
• 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.
• Hanako – A female Orc tamed monster equipped with two large iron shields and a black iron helm. Large breasts, wrapped in rags with a grass skirt. Revealed to be a extreme masochist.
• Saizou – A newly summoned Goblin. Intelligent with a small horn on his forehead and jagged teeth. Wears ninja-style clothing (shinobifuku) and uses poison daggers/knives.
• Lucy – A female Kobold familiar resembling an American Eskimo Dog. Now, she evolves into a Kobold Thief. Her height increases to approximately 140cm, her limbs become sturdier/leaner, and she retains a cute face. She wags her tail when happy.
• 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.
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