Chapter 227 Building Exploration and Treasure Chests
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
…Tester Life: Day 98, Afternoon. 14th Stratum: Fortress City Perimeter. Sanada Yakumo…
After finishing lunch-and clearing my head with a satisfying session with Karen-it was time to get back to the grind. We left the Gacha Temple behind, ready to resume the exploration.
My plan was to stick to the outer perimeter for now, clearing every building one by one. If the city was roughly four kilometers across like I’d estimated, a full circuit would be about twelve kilometers.
To make the search systematic, I divided the map into sectors. With the Black Gate as our starting point and the castle in the city center as True North, I split the circular city into four quadrants: Southeast and Southwest for the lower half, and Northeast and Northwest for the upper. We started our sweep in the Southeast, moving along the outer wall.
”Let’s start with that nearest building,” I said.
”Yeah! I hope we find a treasure chest!” Karen chirped.
”It’s too close to the gate,” Leticia countered. “Probably a dud desu wa.”
She had a point, but even a bust would help me get a feel for the layout. We fell into formation with Hanako in the lead. My Mana Detection didn’t pick up any signatures inside as we approached.
As we reached the entrance, Saizou dropped down from the roof to inspect the heavy wooden door. Watching him work was a reminder of why you always want a ninja on the payroll. He was checking for traps-something he’d been doing since the 9th Stratum. I remembered those nasty pressure plates that fired poison needles. If it weren’t for Saizou, we’d be dodging death every time we opened a pantry door. Hard to believe that was nearly two months ago. Back then, it was just me, Rock, and Saizou.
Saizou finished his sweep and grabbed the oversized doorknob. He gave me a nod, then slowly pulled the four-meter wooden door open with a heavy, rhythmic groan. I signaled that there were no monsters inside, and he melted into the darkness of the hall to scout the rooms.
I noticed Lucy fidgeting beside me. She looked like she was itching for a piece of the action. Right-Lucy was a Rogue. Specifically, a D-Rank Kobold Rogue Queen. She was a bandit leader; trap-smithing should have been her bread and butter. I’d been keeping her on guard duty for Karen, so I’d barely utilized her skills. She was fast, but Saizou was just so much more efficient that I’d defaulted to him.
Maybe I should let her handle the next chest, I thought. Actually, I’ll have her shadow Saizou first. She’s got a bit of Karen’s airheadedness-best to let the pro show her the ropes.
Saizou reappeared and dropped to one knee. The coast was clear. I thanked him, and he gave a sharp, predatory grin before leading us inside. Sayaka, Sheena, and I shared a wry smile at his theatrics and followed.
The interior was spacious with high ceilings, though the ground floor was stripped bare. We followed Saizou up the stairs to the second floor. Two doors lined a wide hallway. Saizou picked the one at the end.
Inside, we found a large bedroom with a massive bed by the window and a table in the center. And there, sitting right next to the table, was a Copper Treasure Chest¹.
”Score! A Copper Chest!” Karen cheered.
”Easier than clearing an entire settlement,” Leticia noted.
A chest in the very first building? I wondered if they were in every house, but that seemed too generous. This was likely a “Pioneer Bonus”-a reward for being the first group to reach this stratum. The poor bastards coming after us were going to have a much harder time. At least my Guild members would have the edge once I passed them the info.
”Saizou, is it rigged?” I asked.
Saizou nodded.
”Can you disarm it?” I followed up.
”Gyoi,” Saizou replied.
”Do it. Lucy, get over there and watch how a pro does it,” I said.
”An!” Lucy wagged her tail so hard her whole back half shook. She’d definitely been wanting in on this.
Rock and Hanako stepped up, raising their shields to cover us. Once the perimeter was secure, Saizou knelt by the chest. He tilted the lid just a fraction of an inch, making sure Lucy had a clear view. He slid a kunai into the gap-there was a faint click-and he stood back up, nodding to me. In his hand was a long needle coated in a nasty-looking purple liquid.
Poison needle. Good thing I had the shields up. I realized again just how much of a lifesaver Saizou was. Lucy was nodding along like she’d totally mastered it, wearing a look that said, “Psh, I could’ve done that.”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this, I thought. She’s definitely going to trigger something later.
”Good work, Saizou,” I said, stepping up to the chest.
Inside were two copper G-Coins and… a Silver G-Coin².
”Whoa. Jackpot.”
”No way!” Karen’s eyes went wide. “A silver coin for the Pickup Gacha³ and enough copper for forty Orc kills? We’re so lucky!”
”Yeah,” Leticia agreed. “Chests are definitely the way to go.”
”Tch. Just coins?” Sanae grumbled.
”The gear is probably locked behind the Gacha,” Sayaka said, patting Sanae’s shoulder. “The chests just give you the currency to pull for it.”
”Which means the drop rate for chests is probably higher here,” I added. “If you hit a Silver or Gold chest, you’re looking at top-tier gear. It’s a gambler’s dream.”
…
”Hey, if Saizou is moving across the roofs, why don’t we just climb up and snipe from above?” Karen asked.
”I was thinking the same thing,” Leticia said.
”It’d be way easier for me to pick off their archers,” Sanae added.
”And my magic would be much more effective from a high vantage point,” Sheena chimed in.
”I mean, you’re not wrong,” I said.
Tactically, it made sense. High ground is King. But I couldn’t imagine the guys who designed this dungeon-the ones who implemented the “Re-run” and “Gacha” systems-would leave such an obvious loophole. Still, since the girls had brought it up, I had to check.
”I’ll test the waters first,” I told them.
I had Rock hoist his Greatshield overhead to use as a platform. I activated Physical Reinforcement and vaulted onto the roof.
The moment my head cleared the roofline, my gut twisted.
Six Orc Archers materialized on the surrounding rooftops, their bows already drawn and aimed dead at me.
”Move!” I yelled, throwing myself back off the ledge.
Arrows whistled through the empty air where my head had been a second ago, thudding into the wood and stone.
”Change of plans,” I panted as I landed. “Unless you want to get turned into a pincushion by a dozen snipers at once, we stay on the ground.”
”S-sorry,” Karen stammered, pale.
”Don’t sweat it. I’m in one piece,” I said, giving her a quick pat on the head.
”The dungeon isn’t that generous,” Leticia muttered.
”Stay sharp. We fight on the street,” I ordered.
…
By evening, we’d cleared about half the Southeast sector. Our haul was decent: 310 Orcs down, 16 G-Coins dropped from combat, and six treasure chests containing one Silver G-Coin and eight coppers.
Total: 24 Copper G-Coins and 1 Silver G-Coin.
The math was clear-hunting chests was way more efficient than grinding Orcs if you wanted currency. Plus, the chance for a Silver pull was too good to pass up.
”Alright, people. It’s Gacha time.”
I didn’t expect a Gold capsule, but a Silver pull would be a win. I just wanted to snag something good, head back to My Room, and enjoy the rest of the night.
—
Summary:
Yakumo and his party begin exploring the 14th Stratum’s Fortress City, implementing a quadrant-based search pattern. They discover that the city rewards early exploration with ‘Pioneer Bonuses’ in treasure chests, yielding valuable Gacha currency. An attempt to take the high ground on the rooftops is met with a lethal scripted ambush by Orc Archers, forcing them back to street-level combat.
—
Trivia:
- Saizou is a D+ Rank summon, outranking Lucy’s D Rank.
- The 14th Stratum is a circular city approximately 4km in diameter.
- Orcs in this stratum drop G-Coins directly, but chests are more efficient.
- The dungeon design actively punishes tactical ‘cheese’ like using rooftops.
- Yakumo uses ‘Physical Reinforcement’ to jump onto the roof.
- Copper G-Coins are roughly equivalent to 40 Orc kills in value
—
Character Insight:
Yakumo demonstrates growth in his management of the harem, specifically looking to mentor Lucy under Saizou’s expertise. His wariness of the ‘Dungeon Creation Department’ shows he views the dungeon as a gamified, antagonistic system rather than just a natural environment.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author leans heavily into ‘Gacha’ culture tropes, using terminology like ‘pioneer bonus’ and ‘pickup gacha’ to appeal to mobile gaming enthusiasts.
—
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Lucy – Female Kobold familiar resembling an American Eskimo Dog—evolves into Kobold Thief (140cm, sturdier/leaner limbs, cute face, tail-wagging when happy). Further becomes Kobold Rogue Queen: 170cm tall, slender yet muscular/athletic, D-Rank.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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