Chapter 216 Fortress City
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Tester Life: Day 95, Evening. 13th Floor, 4th Lap. Road to Town. Yakumo Sanada.
I pulled a Magic Tome for Mana Capacity Detection¹ from the treasure chest. I handed one to Sanae and cracked the cover to learn it immediately. As usual, the tome burst into flames and vanished, etching the knowledge into my mind.
Hmm. As expected for the price, it’s actually useful.
The spell worked by constantly emitting a trace amount of Mana to pinpoint anyone nearby with a Mana signature. It had a twenty-meter radius and lasted thirty minutes. Pumping more Mana into it expanded the range, though obstacles would drastically dampen the signal. I’d have to test if I could sense someone through a wall once we were indoors.
”How is it, Darling?” Karen asked.
”It’s solid,” I replied. “I can track anyone with Mana within twenty meters.”
”Wow! I wish I’d learned that too,” she said. “I could’ve sniped monsters through walls while shouting, ‘Gotcha!’”
”Let Sanae and me test the waters first. Sanae, do you think you can handle the output?”
”Yeah,” Sanae said, nodding. “If I push the range, I can spot targets and put an arrow through them before they even know we’re there.”
”Good. I’m positive there are Orc Archers around here. I’m counting on you.”
”Leave it to me,” Sanae said. She hesitated, her face flushing. “As long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone take a shot at my… my… d-d-d… darling Yakumo!”
”Master isn’t a dessert, Sanae,” Sayaka said, tilting her head. “Are you going senile?”
”I am not! I said… my d-d-d… darling!”
”So, a ‘Dilly Bar’ then,” Sayaka muttered. “Fine. I’ll buy you a treat when we get back. In exchange, you owe me a box of carrot sticks.”
”I told you you’re wrong! I don’t want a treat! And carrot sticks are way more expensive anyway!”
”Tch. I thought I could bait her while she was flustered,” Sayaka said.
”Don’t play with me!” Sanae snapped.
”That’s enough,” I said, cutting through their bickering. I signaled to Rock. “Rock, open the gate.”
Rock gave a low woof and pushed. The massive black doors groaned inward, revealing a sprawling stone-paved cityscape. Just as I suspected, the 14th Stratum² was a town. The buildings were all two stories tall, the streets were surprisingly wide, and the silhouette of a castle loomed in the distance.
”A fortress city, huh?” I muttered.
”Wow… it looks just like an anime,” Karen said.
”It feels like medieval Europe,” Leticia added.
”Too many blind spots,” Sanae noted, her grip tightening on her bow. “At least it’s not raining.”
”Perfect for ambushes,” Sayaka said. “That’s probably why we found that Detection Tome.”
Sheena looked at the architecture and frowned. “I’ve never seen a city built like this.”
”Really?” I asked. I’d heard the plants here matched her world, so I assumed the buildings would too.
”No,” Sheena replied. “Only humans build like this, but the proportions are all wrong. The buildings are huge. Look at the doorways.”
She was right. Every house was oversized, with entrances wide enough for a carriage. Even at two stories, they were as tall as a modern three-story building. It wasn’t quite giant territory, but it was definitely built for something larger than us. It felt like a patchwork of stolen cultures.
I sent Hanako through the gate first. She raised her greatshields, but the street remained silent. Rock and I followed, and finally the rest of the girls crossed the threshold. The gates slammed shut automatically. Behind us stood only the black doors and a towering outer wall that curved away into the distance-a circular city.
To our right was a teleportation circle. To the left, a large stone building hugged the wall. It had a golden sphere atop its roof, giving it the look of a mosque or a cathedral.
”Hey, what’s that?” Karen pointed to the dome.
”No idea. Looks like a church, but it’s weird to have one right at the gate.”
”Maybe a rest area?” Leticia suggested.
”Let’s check it out before we head deeper,” I said.
The sky was darkening under heavy clouds. We’d check the building, do a quick scout, and head back. We moved toward the cathedral, keeping a wary eye on the Orcs wandering the streets. They watched us but didn’t attack. Like the rest of the Labyrinth, the gate area was a safe zone³.
I ordered Hanako to open the ornate doors. They swung open without a sound.
Inside, we all froze. In the center of the room sat something every single Japanese person would recognize instantly. It had a silver-chrome body, a massive turn-knob, and a clear dome on top filled with hundreds of colorful capsules.
”A… gacha machine?⁴” I muttered.
”Uh… yeah,” Karen stammered.
”No way…” Leticia whispered.
It was a literal, giant-sized gacha machine. Bronze-colored versions, the size of a man, lined the walls like silent sentinels.
”It looks like the ones in the mobile games I play,” Sheena said.
”Isn’t it too big for a game?” Sanae asked.
”Why is this here?” Sayaka demanded.
Unlike us, those three hadn’t been poisoned by Earth’s mobile gaming. They were just confused. Karen, Leticia, and I? We were having a collective panic attack.
”Maybe it’s a bonus stage?” I tried to laugh it off.
”Yeah! Totally!” Karen’s voice was an octave too high. “You probably kill monsters for coins and win epic loot!”
”Exactly,” Leticia added frantically. “Bonus stage. Totally normal.”
”Let’s see the prize pool then,” I said, forcing a smile.
”I bet there’s amazing gear!” Karen said.
”Equipment fit for a Holy Maiden!” Leticia added.
I remembered my talk with Remia-how the Department Head, Emma, was obsessed with Japanese games. I shook the thought away and walked up to the nearest bronze machine. A holographic display flickered to life.
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[BRONZE GACHA]
Insert 1 Bronze G-Coin and turn the knob.
GOLD CAPSULE (1% Drop Rate):
* City Entry Permit
* Bracers of Herculean Strength
* High Heal Magic Tome
SILVER CAPSULE (3% Drop Rate):
* Mithril Weapons & Armor
* Various Magic Items
* Intermediate Magic Tomes
BRONZE CAPSULE (20% Drop Rate):
* Various Scrolls
* Grade 4 Potions
WHITE CAPSULE (76% Drop Rate):
* DUD
Notes:
* Bronze G-Coins drop from monsters and chests.
* Prizes are shared across all machines.
* Non-permit Gold prizes are restocked monthly.
* Entry Permits are non-transferable. Violators will be penalized.
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The dread was real.
”You’ve… you’ve got to be kidding me…”
”NOOOOOOOO!” Karen shrieked.
”Why?! Why here too?!” Leticia wailed.
The cathedral echoed with our screams of pure, unadulterated gamer PTSD.
A few minutes later, I was sitting on the floor with both girls buried in my chest, sobbing.
”I don’t want a real-life gacha! Sniff…”
”It’s too cruel… we just finished the last grind…”
”I know,” I whispered, stroking their hair. “We thought the grind was over, but it was just maintenance before the hell-patch.”
”I am NOT pulling!” Sanae barked, her voice shaking.
”With 1% odds… even I’m not that lucky,” Sayaka admitted.
Even Sheena looked grim. She knew the spook⁵ factor. Even if you hit that 1% Gold, you weren’t guaranteed the Entry Permit. It was a 1-in-3 chance. A 0.33% rate. The ultimate lie. If we didn’t pull the permit within a month, the pool would reset or get worse. We’d need hundreds of coins. Thousands.
”Wait,” I muttered, looking at the giant silver machine. “If the bronze is this bad, maybe the Pickup is better?”
I stood up and approached the silver gacha.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
[SILVER PICKUP GACHA]
Insert 10 Silver G-Coins and turn the knob.
GOLD CAPSULE (3% Drop Rate):
* City Entry Permit + Bonus Prize
SILVER CAPSULE (5% Drop Rate):
* Mithril Gear / Rare Magic Tomes
BRONZE CAPSULE (Guaranteed):
* Rare Scrolls / Grade 4+ Potions
Notes:
* Requires Silver G-Coins (Chest drops only).
* 10-Rolls ONLY. Guaranteed Bronze or higher.
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”…Of course.”
A pickup gacha. Manager Emma was definitely a whale. This machine forced you to hunt for chests-preventing us from just farming weak mobs at the gate. The rate was better, and no “spooks,” but silver coins would be rare.
”Whoa! 3%!” Karen had appeared at my side, her eyes sparkling with dangerous hope. “No spooks! We can totally hit that!”
”And I want that High Heal Tome,” Leticia added, already hooked.
The gambling bug had bitten. They went from despair to “just one more pull” in record time. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that 3% is still a trap.
”Alright,” I said. “It’s past 19:00. We’ll start the grind after the break. We can do day trips here anyway.”
I looked toward the distant castle.
Finally. Wakui-sensei and Arisawa Coach are almost mine. Just as soon as I win the lottery.
—
Summary:
Yakumo and his party arrive at the 14th Stratum, which reveals itself to be a medieval-style Fortress City with abnormally large architecture. They discover a ‘church’ that actually houses giant Gacha machines, serving as the gateway to progress into the castle. The party is hit with severe psychological trauma as they realize the ‘grind’ has evolved into a gambling-based progression system managed by the Succubus Emma.
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Trivia:
- The buildings are oversized, suggesting the original inhabitants were larger than humans.
- The 1% gold rate in the Bronze Gacha is split between three items, making the ‘Entry Permit’ a 0.33% pull.
- Silver G-Coins are only found in treasure chests, forcing exploration over simple mob farming.
- Yakumo is specifically targeting ‘Wakui-sensei’ and ‘Arisawa Coach’ as his next slaves once he gets the rewards.
- The gate area of the town is a Safe Zone where monsters won’t attack
—
Character Insight:
Yakumo displays his leadership by trying to mask his own dread to comfort Karen and Leticia, though he eventually succumbs to the same gambling motivation. Sanae and Sayaka show a more grounded, skeptical reaction to the Gacha system, highlighting the cultural divide between the ‘Gamers’ (Yakumo/Karen/Leticia) and the others.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The Gacha mechanic is an explicit ‘meta’ joke by the author, referencing the predatory nature of mobile games. The ‘Manager Emma’ character is used as an in-universe justification for these mechanics due to her obsession with Earth’s gaming culture.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Yakumo – A 25-year-old scarred veteran—Guard Captain, Nightmare Guildmaster, and dungeon harem owner. Former child soldier turned pragmatic, cynical leader with a battle-torn face from wars past. Strong and intimidating, he manages testers, slaves, and DP with calculating possessiveness.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Roa – Kurokawa’s 20-year-old Soul-less Doll—a tall, slender former soldier with shoulder-length red hair, striking legs, and a cursed crotch tattoo. D+ Mana Capacity, she’s Jin’s partner, now hollow-eyed and amnesiac from an Oblivion Potion.
• 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 American exchange student and voice‑acting major, lively and often seen rushing to school with bread in her mouth. Busty and playful, she uses her charms to her advantage and enjoys FPS games and zombie stories. Often spotted relaxing at sea with Lucy.
• 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.
• 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
• Leticia – 13-year-old French exchange student—silver hair, petite doll-like frame, fairy-like features. Gifted cheerful animation prodigy who skipped grades, partners with Yakumo using white wooden magic rod (crystal tip) for Light Shield, Light Arrow, and Heal. Loves drawing flashy magic in white sundress on tablet; training facility student gifted early by Sanada. Recently sexually proactive with ‘Thousand Earthworms’ Meiki trait and active encounters despite her age.
• Sheena – A stunning rabbit-eared Beastman Soul-less Doll—165 cm tall, F/G-cup chest, narrow waist, wide hips, and an extra-fluffy tail. Nightmare guild member, sharp-tongued and devoted to Yakumo. Cold to the weak, carrot-obsessed, with twitching ears when happy—now with her ego restored.
• 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.
• Remia – A cheerful and mischievous succubus with long purple hair and a massive breasts reaching ‘explosive’ levels. Acts as a guide and explains slave systems. Knows Sanada by reputation. Rank B Mana Capacity. Intelligent and persuasive.
• Arisawa – Female sensei. She’s a former Olympic silver medalist for volleyball. She’s gorgeous, and her physique is top-tier. She has an artificial joint in her knee due to a car accident. Described as beautiful but unsociable with a rough way of speaking. Has black hair ponytail.
• Wakui – 23-year-old female school counselor—curvy, big-breasted with pink long hair, airy gentle atmosphere, and intense motherly grace. Younger than peers yet intensely maternal, constant pasted-on smile as trauma response to comfort students. Beauty close in age to Kyoko with hidden anal play and dirty talk interests. Now held captive.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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