Volume 2 Chapter 13 Simulated Dungeon ⑦th Floor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
This was our fourth dungeon training session since Asari had joined the group, and we had been clearing the Simulated Dungeon without any major issues so far.
Currently, we were working through the seventh floor. On average, we cleared one floor per training session, and our group had kept up the pace without anyone dropping out.
The one notable change since we reached the sixth floor was the rise in “Unique Variant” types. Even the normally passive Apparitions had started spawning dangerous, non-standard versions.
During our last run, we had found a room on the sixth floor that looked completely different from the others.
Peering through the entrance, I saw walls and floors entirely covered in tiles. My first thought was that we had stepped into a massive shower room, a stark departure from the usual windowless, chairless chambers that resembled empty classrooms. But as we stepped inside, the center of the room showed the real source: a single Western-style toilet.
It was not a shower room at all—it was a bathroom.
As the lid of the toilet opened, a girl appeared. She had a bob cut, stood about 130 centimeters tall, and looked like a lower-grade elementary schooler. She was translucent, with her legs missing entirely. Wearing a red skirt and white blouse, she was the spitting image of Hanako-san, the classic school ghost.1
Her eyes were obscured by her translucence, and she stood perfectly still. What was she planning? I kept a cautious eye on her, watching for any movement.
Suddenly, Hanako-san screamed. It was a shrill, piercing sound—the exact cry of a young girl overcome by genuine terror.
At the same time, a wave of pressure hit us. It was not physical pressure, but a crushing, soul-deep malaise that filled me with heavy, inexplicable sadness and drained away any desire to move.
A mental attack. I realized it instantly.
The moment the scream ended, Hanako-san shifted gears and began to cackle. She raised both hands, and a fireball the size of a volleyball materialized above them before she hurled it directly at Asari.
Asari stood there, dazed and frozen in place. Panic surged through me. I forced my body to move, grabbed Asari by the arm, and dove to the side with her. We barely dodged it. A few centimeters away, the tiles on the floor charred black, and the heat that passed by my legs finally snapped me back into focus.
”Chifumi! Risa! Yurina!” I shouted.
Each of them stood with tear-streaked faces, slowly fumbling to raise their weapons. Their reactions were sluggish. They were not as badly affected as Asari, but they were in no state to fight an Apparition.
”The water orb—I’m trying to—it’s just so heavy,” Chifumi gasped, her voice trembling.
The apparition’s form dispersed momentarily under her water orb, but like smoke caught in a draft, she swirled back into the shape of the little girl. It did not look like we were doing any real damage.
Chifumi neutralized the next incoming fireball with another orb. (If it’s a Majo, she can at least act. She can resist.) Risa, usually a dead-eye sniper, sent a Magic Bullet flying nowhere near the target. Yurina hesitated to even approach the apparition.
I left the interception to Chifumi and focused entirely on the attack. I aimed for the toilet—the anchor that had not moved since she appeared—and unleashed a Shock Sorcery.
It took time, but I managed to shatter the porcelain into pieces, exactly as intended.
As the toilet crumbled, Hanako-san vanished with a final, blood-curdling shriek. The heavy, depressive weight lifted as if it had never been there. Even as a Majin, I could not completely resist that mental assault.
After the fight, Risa and the others admitted that their minds had been so scrambled by waves of fear and sorrow that they could not move. Chifumi had only managed to act because she held onto the desperate, singular thought that she had to protect me.
”It felt like I was being forced to play a role that wasn’t my own,” Chifumi mused. “Like… I don’t know, is that what hypnosis or ‘common sense alteration’ feels like? I’ll make a note of this for later.”
Risa and Yurina echoed similar sentiments.
Still, you should not be seeing an Apparition like that on the first floor of a first-year dungeon, simulated or not. We had managed, but having three out of five group members immobilized by a single scream was brutal. Given how frequently we had been encountering these anomalies, I suspected we would face more of them as we descended. We needed a countermeasure.
So, here we were, scouring every corner of the eighth floor to find a way to deal with this Unique Variant. We had already found the stairs to the next level, but I was ignoring them.
”Found it…” Risa whispered.
Risa opened the door and gave me a nod. I peeked through the gap. Tiled floor. Tiled walls. No mistake.
”Asari,” I commanded.
”Yes… understood!” Asari replied, her voice firm.
My first thought was simple: have Asari set up her defensive barrier.
Asari’s unique sorcery could block any attack that posed a threat to us. The fatal error last time had been the delay in deploying it. This time, I ordered her to go all-out from the start. It was worth testing the limits of her interception capability.
We entered the room, and Hanako-san spawned.
Asari’s barrier shimmered into existence just as the scream echoed through the chamber. No problem. This time, we did not succumb to that crushing despair. We were protected from the mental attack. Chifumi and the others were fine too—they were moving, ready to fight.
I figured Risa or Chifumi could just break the toilet. Heck, I could let Yurina get in close to finish it. But that thought lasted only a second. The atmosphere shifted instantly.
”Ah… ahh… aaaaaaa… AAAAAAAA!!!”
The Apparition began to act deranged. She flailed her arms like a tantrum-throwing child, and countless fireballs erupted into the air, raining down on us like a storm. Each one was the size of a volleyball. Before, she had fired them one by one after a charge-up. Now, they came in a dense, endless barrage.
Fireballs slammed into Asari’s barrier one after another, and though she held firm, the sheer intensity of the assault sent cold sweat running down my back.
”Ugh…” Asari groaned, straining against the impacts.
”Risa, Chifumi, target the toilet! Take it out, now!” I yelled.
”Understood!” Risa shouted.
”I’m already trying!” Chifumi cried out.
Risa fired a volley from her rifle, shattering part of the toilet, but the barrage did not stop.
Hanako-san seemed wary of Chifumi’s water currents and intensified the density of her flames. She was burning through Chifumi’s spells before they could even touch the target. If Chifumi could not push through, we were in trouble. The enemy’s attack was only escalating—the fireballs growing larger and more frequent. Risa’s Magic Bullets were being intercepted before they could land a hit.
I had to do it. I summoned an Apparition to my right arm. A shrimp-like familiar that was under my subjugation—I called him Tempura. I usually only extracted and used the abilities of my subjugated Apparitions, but this was not the time to hold back.
I had to end it in one hit.
Following my silent command, Tempura pointed his open claw at the target and snapped it shut. There was a sound like a gunshot. The next instant, the toilet, along with every fireball in the straight line between me and the target, was pulverized.
”OoooooOOOOOoooooohhhhhh……”
Hanako-san dissolved. All that remained were soot-covered tiles and a long, jagged hole carved into the floor and wall by my shock-sorcery, running straight from where I stood to the corner of the room.
”Haa… haa… huuu… haa…”
Asari deactivated her defensive sorcery, soaking in sweat and gasping for air. Her face was pale. She was out of Mana.
”Yurina, Majo’s Tears for Asari,” I said.
”R-right!” Yurina said, rushing over.
Yurina handed over the draught, and as Asari drank, her color began to return and the sweating subsided.
”I… I have a few things I need to ask,” Risa said, looking at me. She’d burned through a lot of Mana too, so I tossed her a bottle of Majo’s Tears as well.
”What was that just now?” Risa asked.
”An Apparition ‘runaway’ state, I’d guess,” I answered.
”That… was a runaway?”
”I didn’t think the combat power would spike that hard. It was beyond my expectations.”
A “runaway” state. It happens when an Apparition hits specific conditions and manifests power levels that should not be possible. We had been briefed on the dangers of Unique Variants before the practice started.
Rule 1: Don’t engage. Unique Variants have fixed spawn points. Avoid them unless absolutely necessary. Scout ahead, and think about running before they spot you.
Rule 2: If you are forced to fight, do not let them reach a runaway state. Do not let the Apparition take the initiative—the strongest member of the group must end it as quickly as possible.
”The condition for the runaway was…” Chifumi started.
”Probably because we neutralized the mental attack from her scream with Asari’s sorcery,” I said.
”Ah… about that…” Asari whispered.
”I’m not blaming you, Asari. You followed my orders perfectly. You blocked the attack. You did nothing wrong,” I said.
”Yes…” she replied.
Asari looked truly humbled. Honestly, I was not angry. There was no reason to be.
”My strategy was flawed. Apparitions are heavily influenced by their source material. She’s based on a school ghost story. A runaway condition triggered by ‘the target not being afraid’ makes sense, looking back. I should have anticipated that.”
I had been careless. I had ruled out the possibility of a runaway state. I had grown too comfortable, thinking it was just a simulated dungeon. I had gotten used to exorcising Anatomical Models, and my awareness that Unique Variants were dangerous anomalies that should be avoided had dulled. I had started to think we were invincible, and the dungeon had just smacked me back to reality.
”At least we made it because Minoru’s attack landed,” Chifumi said. “I think we should just leave the handling of these to you from now on, Minoru.”
”I’m glad my sorcery worked even in her runaway state. It means I can definitely handle them,” I said.
”Right, that!” Risa’s voice went up an octave. “What is your sorcery anyway, Minoru? Neither mine nor Chifumi’s attacks could get through, but you pierced it in one shot! Since when could you use something like that?”
”It’s the maximum output of my sorcery. If we run into an Apparition that can tank that, we’re in trouble. For now, just keep it at that. I’ll explain the details later,” I replied.
”…Fine,” Risa muttered, though she looked dissatisfied.
”Let’s call it a day. We’ll head to the eighth floor through the stairs we found and wrap up the session.”
Asari was out of gas. No point in pushing it.
Nobody complained. We moved to the eighth floor, then checked out of the Simulated Dungeon.
Back in the classroom, we wrote up our practice logs. The primary entry, of course, was the runaway state of the Unique Variant. When I submitted it to Tamai-sensei, his eyes went wide.
”A runaway Unique Variant!? I’m amazed you all survived…” Tamai-sensei said.
”I genuinely felt like I was going to die,” I told him.
”Most groups that trigger a runaway end up defeated and forcibly ejected from the simulator. It’s rare for a group to actually exorcise one in that state,” he replied.
(So, it’s a scripted forced-defeat event,) I thought. (Got it.)
”And… looking at this report, even Takino-san would have had a hard time dealing with that,” the teacher added.
”Yes, sir,” I agreed.
”The difficulty settings are indeed problematic… it’s not normal to encounter a Unique Variant on every floor. I believe the Simulated Dungeon generator’s settings need to be adjusted.”
”Understood.”
”Wait here for a moment, please.”
The teacher grabbed a file from his desk and headed over to another faculty member. He returned a few minutes later holding a card.
”Tatemiya-kun, do you have any plans to dive into the Simulated Dungeon after school before the next training session?” he asked.
”No, I don’t,” I said.
”May I hold onto your Student ID? I’ll lower the dungeon difficulty before the next session.”
”Oh, understood. Thank you.”
I handed over my Student ID, and he headed back to another room with the card. When he returned, he handed me the substitute card.
”This is a temporary replacement for your ID. You can also use it to unlock the Guidance Room. I’ll return your actual ID during the next training session,” he said.
”Yes. Much appreciated.”
The difficulty was going down. That was a relief.
I met up with everyone in the classroom and told them about the difficulty adjustment. Yurina looked displeased. She had been hoping for a one-on-one with an Anatomical Model.
”If the difficulty drops, maybe other Apparitions that are more convenient for training will show up,” Risa suggested. That seemed to cheer Yurina up. If she really wanted a challenge, I would have to consider spawning something in the dungeon at Risa’s house later.
”I’m exhausted. Let’s head home,” I said. Unexpectedly, Asari spoke up.
”U-um…” Asari hesitated.
”Hm? What is it?” I asked.
”A-am I… really allowed… to keep losing weight?” she asked, her voice small.
”What makes you ask that?”
”Today… I ran out of Mana… and I caused everyone so much trouble…”
Asari stood there, hunching her shoulders and speaking in a tiny voice. It had been three weeks since I ordered her to lose weight. She was hitting her goals, and the fat around her stomach and face was steadily disappearing. In other words, her total Mana capacity was dropping.
She probably thought that if she still had her old Mana reserves, she could have held out a bit longer today.
Admittedly, the “old” Asari could have likely maintained her barrier longer. But in reality, the duration of the barrier had not significantly changed the tactical outcome of the fight. Still, there might come a day when a difference in total Mana reserves determined who lived and who died.
She had been on the front lines, taking the brunt of the attack, so it was only natural for her to feel that higher capacity was better. I was not about to deny that logic.
However, tweaking her body fat levels was not the priority right now.
Right now, the priority was to have her lose that weight and trigger my own sexual drive. Becoming a Majo through the Three-Limit protocol took precedence. Rebuilding her fat reserves could wait until after that.
I spoke to Asari—and by extension, Risa and Yurina—about the significance of the Three-Limit protocol. I spoke passionately about how important it was to reduce her abdominal fat to reach that goal.
I think my enthusiasm convinced them… at least, I hoped so.
I was not sure how much Asari was really convinced, but at the very least, Risa and Yurina agreed that night, crying out cutely beneath me on the futon, promising to maintain their current physique for the future.
Chifumi? She understood that without me even having to say a word.
—
Summary:
Minoru and his group encounter a powerful Hanako-san Unique Variant on the 7th floor of the Simulated Dungeon. The apparition triggers a “runaway” state due to the group’s lack of fear, overwhelming them with intense magical barrages. Minoru ultimately resolves the encounter by utilizing a subjugated Apparition to destroy the apparition’s anchor, and the teacher subsequently lowers the dungeon’s difficulty.
—
Trivia:
The runaway state is a mechanic where Apparitions gain power based on their origin story logic.
Minoru is capable of summoning subjugated Apparitions in their full form, though he usually only extracts abilities.
The teacher is aware that Unique Variants are not supposed to spawn as frequently as they are in this current curriculum.
Asari’s weight loss program is directly tied to her mana capacity and Minoru’s specific plans for her to become a Majo.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Asari – A quiet, exceptionally tall girl pushing five-foot-ten with twin braids and glasses who slouches to look small, specializes in defensive sorcery, and seeks entry into Minoru-sama’s group to avoid academic failure. A student with a large frame who possesses high specs and owns a defensive specialization magic called Silicic Armor. A student from a family lineage of sorcerers who writes in an elegant calligraphic script.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Hanako-san – A translucent Apparition resembling a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, wearing a white blouse and red skirt. She attacks with fireballs and mental screams.
• Chifumi – Minoru’s 15-year-old childhood friend and classmate is a scrawny, long-haired frost/water mage and undisputed number-one Witch of his circle. Bubbly, cat-like, and fiercely loyal to Minoru-sama, this Takino family member acts as his primary secretary, managing group logistics and decisions. She balances playful charm and sharp-tongued mediation with proactive devotion as a harem participant.
• Yurina – A refined, black-haired student and skilled swordswoman in Minoru’s group who balances high-precision blade skills with classical piano talent. A disciplined vanguard specializing in severing sorcery, she is proud yet timid, anxious about her utility, and initially hesitates in dungeon combat. Supported by Chifumi and Risa, she internally battles emotional turmoil over her forced submissive role.
• Risa – A sharp-tongued, long-haired gyaru student, skilled classical pianist, and analytical combatant in Minoru’s group. She wields a rifle and dual pistols to fire magical bullets. Initially hostile and skeptical of new applicants, she balances pragmatic common sense with submissive devotion to Minoru, enthusiastically roleplaying resistance to her master while showcasing a talent for Western cooking.
• Yuri – A cheerful and energetic first-year student at Higashi High who is a classmate of Shibuya and an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina from their middle school days. A girl known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism.
• R – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• N – A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Tempura – An Apparition in the form of a shrimp that is under Minoru’s subjugation.
• Minoru – Reincarnated from a powerful lineage, this black-haired high schooler and pragmatic dungeon administrator hides his true nature as a shock-wielding Devil/Majin. As a detached yet dominant party leader, he summons Apparitions and evaluates subordinates like Yurina based on long-term growth and aesthetic preference, maintaining rigid control through strategic mastery contracts to ensure safety.
• Tamai – A male academy instructor and homeroom teacher who manages his group’s daily training logs and administrative documentation. He oversees the school’s dungeon training arena, duel procedures, and student guidance facilities. Responsible for all participants under his charge, he supervises the entire dungeon training process to ensure safety, academic standards, and proper student development.
• Takino – The family name of Chifumi.
• Tatemiya – The family name of the protagonist (Minoru), and Kotoha.
• K – A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N’s protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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