Volume 2 Chapter 14 The Second Unique Variant
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The trouble started during the dungeon training session right after the one where I had handed over my student ID.
When I tapped my ID against the Simulated Dungeon generator as instructed, the entrance did not open.
”Huh?” I muttered.
I tried again, but the entrance stayed dark, without even a flicker of light. I stood there with my brows drawn together until Tamai-sensei noticed my confusion and came over.
”Is something the matter?” Sensei asked with his usual professional calm.
”The entrance, Sensei,” I said, keeping my voice even. “It isn’t opening.”
”Oh? That is strange.” His brow furrowed with concern.
He walked over to the technician at the console, exchanged a few quiet words with him, and signaled for another colleague to tap a few keys. Then Sensei returned and gave me a reassuring nod.
”Try it one more time,” he said.
”Understood.”
This time, the wall shimmered, and the entrance to the Simulated Dungeon appeared.
”A read error, apparently,” Sensei explained. “Someone botched the difficulty settings. You are all set now.”
”Thank you.”
I rejoined the group waiting by the threshold.
”What was that about?” Risa asked, watching me closely.
”Just a configuration error,” I replied.
”Is it actually safe?” Asari asked, her voice trembling slightly.
”They said it is patched, but…” I paused as the bad feeling settled in my chest. “Honestly, I don’t like the sound of that. Let’s play it cautious today.”
”Understood,” Asari said.
I waved to Ryota, who was sitting this one out, and then we stepped through the portal together.
We arrived in the familiar layout of the school-themed dungeon, right at the start of the floor. Apparently, the difficulty adjustment had not reset the structure itself.
”Floor 8,” I said, checking the interface. “Looks like our exploration progress carried over.”
”Oh, thank goodness!” Kibe Yurina chirped. “I was terrified we’d have to start back at the first floor!”
”The real question is the encounter rate for Unique Variants,” I said, keeping my eyes on the display. “It should have decreased, right?”
”Let’s also keep an eye out for any new types of Apparitions!” Yurina added with a bright grin.
Once we were ready, we moved out. The dungeon was the same series of halls and rooms as always, and the Apparitions lurking inside seemed normal. There were no red flags, at least not yet.
About an hour in, the air shifted, and a strange, heavy presence settled over us.
”Did you feel that?” I asked.
”Aye,” Chifumi replied, her jaw tightening. “That’s not just regular Apparitions, that ain’t.”
Ahead of us, through a doorway, something was waiting. As we crept closer, Risa and the others stiffened.
”Wait…” Risa stammered. “Why is that in here?”
The door stood wide open. In the center of the room sat a toilet, a completely ordinary porcelain bowl, while an anatomical model paced around it with a cocky, swaggering gait.1 Two Unique Variants at once, in a room where they should not have been?
But that was not the strangest part.
”Are those… students?” Asari whispered.
Several girls in school uniforms lay across the floor, unconscious.
”What is this?” I asked, scanning the room. “Some kind of trap?”
”I… I don’t know,” Asari replied.
I racked my brain, thinking back to the lecture on Unique Variants and system runaways. The teachers had explained the basics, but they had never mentioned these “trials,” or traps, that tested your humanity. Facing two Unique Variants head-on was already a nightmare. The difficulty had not been lowered; it had spiked. If we fought now, we would have to take down the anatomical model while Hanako-san bombarded us with psychic pressure. But if we shielded ourselves from that pressure, Hanako-san would go berserk.
What was the correct play here?
”Urgh…”
A groan came from inside the room. It was a male voice. I looked closer and recognized the figure on the ground.
”Komoda!?”
”Aye, look at that,” Chifumi muttered, her expression hardening. “Which means… those girls are his group.”
Komoda, covered in bruises and blood, stood shakily between the girls and the model as he tried to shield them. The model kicked him and sent him skidding across the floor, but he stayed conscious. The Apparitions seemed more focused on knocking him out than finishing off the girls, which meant that if we were going to save them, we had to act now.
In this Simulated Dungeon, if a single group member’s damage limit was exceeded, the entire group should be auto-ejected. Every student carried an Escape Ball, too. Yet six people were still lying there even though their damage had clearly passed those limits. That should not have happened, and neither should two groups being in the same instance.
I did the math.
”It’s a trap,” I concluded. “It’s waiting for us to panic and rush in.”
”So, we just walk past?” Risa asked.
”The stairs are likely ahead,” I said. “We have to clear the room to proceed.”
”Aye, that’s the truth of it,” Chifumi said.
Dungeon rules said we could not attack from outside the room. We had to be inside.
”We’re going in,” I said. “Asari, block Hanako-san’s psychic attack. The second she enters her Runaway State, I’ll snipe her. Once the model is alone, Yurina, Risa—you two take it.”
”Got it,” Risa said.
”Understood!” Asari added.
”Chifumi, watch our backs.”
”Leave it to me~,” Chifumi replied with a firm nod.
We lunged into the room.
”!! You guys…!” Komoda gasped.
The setup was far too detailed for a simple trap. Their reactions felt too real, but I shoved that thought aside and locked onto Hanako-san.
The moment we entered, the Apparitions reacted. They had already materialized, and they moved with blurring speed. Hanako-san let out a piercing shriek, but Asari’s defensive sorcery flared just in time. Thank god I had put her in the lead.
The shriek made Komoda and the unconscious girls convulse, but nothing else happened. They were just scenery.
I refocused. Hanako-san’s aura shifted, showing the telltale sign of her Runaway State, and I unleashed a barrage of fireballs that shattered the toilet before she could strike back.
She vanished into smoke.
Now for the anatomical model.
As I shifted my gaze, the situation turned unreal. The model began to distort as it turned toward the spot where Hanako-san had vanished. Its muscular side bulged and swelled rapidly until the thing towered over two meters tall, its body becoming a grotesque, uneven mass of flesh and fat.
Then its eyes locked onto mine.
Bad.
With a thunderous crack against the floor, it leaped. Asari’s barrier deflected the first blow, but the model pulled back its huge, mutated fist and swung again.
Cr-crack.
The third punch shattered Asari’s barrier. It was the first time anyone had ever broken through it.
”Gah…!” Asari scrambled back.
The model ignored her and charged straight at me. It knew who the biggest threat was.
I fired a shock sorcery blast point-blank, but it dodged after reading the trajectory.
I barely had time to throw up an ice wall. The wall shattered the instant the model hit it, but that split second was enough for me to charge my next strike.
As shards of ice rained down, Risa and Yurina moved in for the follow-up.
Rifle fire hammered the model’s head and sent it reeling. Yurina vanished into the shadow of its bloated form, then swung with a blade sharpened by months of training in Severing Sorcery.
She took its leg clean off.
Thrown off balance, the model was wide open. I hammered it with a third shock blast. It tried to tank the hit by channeling mana into its arm to match my output, but my power surged through. The shockwave tore through its shoulder and chest, then blew the rest of its body apart in a spray of gore.
It was over in minutes.
”Minoru, are you alright?” Chifumi asked.
”I’m fine,” I said.
I dismissed Tempura, and only when Chifumi handed me her handkerchief did I realize how much sweat had gathered on my brow. I had thought I was staying calm, but my damp palms told a different story. When the model dodged my second attack, my blood had run cold. Even so, everyone had covered for me after my sure-kill blow missed, and we had won without taking a scratch. We were definitely growing as a team.
”Urgh…”
At the sound of that voice, everyone snapped their heads toward the room. The Apparitions were gone, but Komoda’s group remained. Was the trap still active?
”Th-thanks…” Komoda pulled himself to his feet. “Forgive me… but could you help me get everyone together? I want to use a Return slip.”
I looked at Chifumi and the others. Was this a rescue simulation? It was hard to imagine the trap continuing from here.
”Understood,” I said. “Everyone, get the girls close to him.”
”Understood,” the group replied.
The five girls were still out cold, so we helped him move them. As we worked, I caught a glimpse of Chifumi sliding something into the breast pocket of the “Tsuyo-Mesu” uniform.
”Thank you…” Komoda said before activating the Return slip.
The six of them vanished.
”What was that all about?” Risa asked.
”Who knows?” I replied. “A simulation for handling special circumstances? If so, the choice of rescue targets is… questionable. If it were Ryota, I’d be more invested.”
”That’s for sure~,” Chifumi agreed.
We were still debating how strange it all was when a voice spoke from within me.
’Bro, big bro.’
”What is it?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
”Minoru-sama? Is something wrong?” Yurina asked.
”No, Hinoki has something to say.”
Hinoki emerged from my shadow, skittered to the corner of the room, snatched something in its jaws, and returned. Then it stood straight up and dropped a small blue stone into my palm.
”This is…?” I asked.
’Poison, lad. Poison for Apparitions. It doesn’t affect humans, so don’t worry about it,’ Hinoki chirped.
”Something like that exists?”
’It does, aye. And the refining technology… it looks like something from me memories,’ Hinoki said.
”A past sorcerer?”
’Aye. It looks like their techniques have been passed down,’ Hinoki said, swaying as it thought. ‘Let me think about it. Can I have that stone?’
”Sure, go ahead.”
’Thanks, mate,’ Hinoki said before grabbing the stone and vanishing into my shadow.
”Minoru? What was that stone?” Risa asked.
”Apparently, it’s poison that works on Apparitions,” I replied.
”Huh… wait, is that a drop item?” Risa tilted her head. “Items aren’t supposed to drop in the Simulated Dungeon, right?”
”True,” I said. “That’s strange.”
While I scratched my head, Risa asked, “Aren’t you going to report it to the teacher? Isn’t it worth noting in the journal?”
”Hinoki wants to investigate it,” I said. “If the teacher says anything outside, I’ll submit it, but for now, let’s keep it quiet.”
”Hmm. Well, if you say so, Minoru,” Risa said with a sigh.
I convinced them to keep it under wraps. A guide character was acting mysteriously, and for now, I chose to trust it. Everything about this was bizarre. Two Unique Variants at once was not normal. Komoda’s group being there was not normal. The anatomical model’s transformation was probably a runaway, since the textbook said Apparitions often went berserk when their comrades were purged. Was this an emergency? Should we head back? No. If there had been a real system failure, the Simulated Dungeon generator would have forced us out already. Since we were still here, there should not have been a major problem. Maybe it was a bug from the settings change.
”Everyone, can you keep going?” I asked.
”I’m fine,” Yurina said.
”Me too,” Risa added.
”Same here,” Asari said.
”I’m… fine too,” Chifumi said.
Everyone confirmed they could continue. We had over an hour left, so we might as well push ahead until we found the stairs to the next floor. We found them fifteen minutes later, but we decided not to push our luck. After exiting the dungeon, we returned to the surface.
Outside, everything was in chaos.
”Tatemiya-kun! Are you alright!?” the teacher shouted as he came flying over.
”What happened?” I asked.
”The dungeon generator malfunctioned,” the teacher explained, his voice tight. “The automatic evacuation feature for damage exceeding limits was disabled, and forced exits became impossible. We also lost visual contact with your group’s status inside the dungeon. You are all safe, are you not!?”
The teacher scanned the five of us, then let out a breath of relief. Nearby, other students were lying on the floor and receiving treatment. Wait. Were those Komoda and his group?
”Let’s go take a look,” Chifumi said, already heading over.
We followed her.
The girls around Komoda were being treated by staff with grim expressions. Komoda had already finished his treatment, and he looked calm, wearing the same air he had when we spoke alone.
”What happened?” Chifumi asked.
”We encountered Unique Variants inside…” the leader answered, her voice shaking. “We almost got wiped out…”
”Unique Variants…?”
”The toilet and the anatomical model,” the leader said. “Two Unique Variants attacked us at once…”
That was the exact situation we had faced.
”I heard the automatic evacuation failed due to a malfunction,” Chifumi said.
”The… the master saved us from the Unique Variants,” the leader whispered.
Huh?
”Komoda-san? How?” Chifumi asked.
The leader hesitated and looked at Komoda, but he remained silent. After a moment, she shook her head.
”He doesn’t remember,” she said. “He said he was acting on instinct. Since we were all unconscious, we don’t know what happened. But the fact remains: thanks to the master, we are still alive.”
”I see…” Chifumi said.
Every one of us knew exactly what she was thinking.
—
Summary:
Minoru’s group encounters a severe system failure within a Simulated Dungeon, where two high-level Unique Variants—a toilet-bound Hanako-san and a mutated anatomical model—appear simultaneously. Despite the danger and the presence of another trapped student group, Minoru leads his team to neutralize the threats efficiently. Upon returning to reality, they discover the system failure was widespread, and rumors suggest Komoda performed an impossible rescue, leaving Minoru’s group to wonder about the truth behind the chaos.
—
Trivia:
The dungeon training session was the first one after Minoru handed over his student ID.
Automatic ejection from the dungeon triggers when a member’s damage threshold is crossed, which failed here.
Hinoki, the guide character in Minoru’s shadow, identifies the poison stone as something tied to techniques from past sorcerers.
Komoda’s group was found in a state of exhaustion, and their leader attributes their survival to a “master” who rescued them during their blackout.
Chifumi is highly suspicious of the rescue claims made by the leader of the rescued group.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Tamai – A male academy instructor and homeroom teacher who manages dungeon training, duel procedures, and student development. Beyond his administrative duties overseeing safety and logs, he acts as a vital mediator during investigations, working with technical staff to resolve conflicts and providing crucial testimony to establish timelines and context regarding students and staff under his charge.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• Risa – A sharp-tongued, long-haired gyaru student, she is an analytical combatant who wields magical rifles and pistols, often coordinating with Yurina. Though once a disruptive influence, she is now a pragmatically rational member of Minoru’s group. She balances a stern, confrontational attitude toward underperformers with submissive, devoted roleplay toward Minoru and a talent for Western cooking.
• 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.
• Asari – A tall, spectacled sorcerer (formerly braided, now semi-long with contacts) in Minoru’s group, she specializes in defensive magic like Silicic Armor. Coming from a sorcery lineage, she is currently undergoing a strict diet and training regimen under Grandmother’s matchmaking-style instructions. Though naturally large-framed and prone to slouching, she is a vital protector for her party.
• Ryota – A loyal, outgoing male middle schooler in Minoru’s class, he is a well-connected leader and spokesperson for his six-person squad. While he sat out the dungeon training session, he remains a keen observer of school dynamics. Outside his social role, he is known for his supportive nature and a peculiar, personal fondness for miracle body lines.
• Yurina – A refined, black-haired student in Minoru’s group, she balances high-precision sword skills with piano talent. Though a disciplined, energetic vanguard specializing in severing sorcery, she is prone to anxiety about her utility and struggles with a forced submissive role. Despite her slender figure, she often eats large amounts of ohagi and relies on the support of teammates like Chifumi and Risa.
• Kibe – The family name of Yurina.
• 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.
• 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.
• Chifumi – Minoru’s 15-year-old classmate and childhood friend is a scrawny, long-haired frost/water mage and elite witch. As his loyal secretary and scout, she balances a bubbly, cat-like charm with a sharp, witty, and observant nature. While devoted to Minoru and favored by his parents, she maintains a deceptive, airy tone to probe group secrets and remains deeply suspicious of Komoda’s dungeon actions.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Hanako-san – Hanako, known as Hanako-san, is a translucent apparition within the simulated dungeon appearing as a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, wearing a white blouse and red skirt. She is a hostile entity that terrorizes intruders by launching lethal fireballs and disorienting mental-scream attacks.
• Hanako – Hanako, known as Hanako-san, is a translucent apparition within the simulated dungeon appearing as a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, wearing a white blouse and red skirt. She is a hostile entity that terrorizes intruders by launching lethal fireballs and disorienting mental-scream attacks.
• Komoda – The family name of Michinori.
• 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.
• Minoru – Reincarnated into a world with inverted beauty standards, this protagonist with black-hair and pragmatic dungeon administrator hides his identity as a shock-wielding Devil. A cold, analytical leader, he manages his party with detached dominance, evaluating subordinates like Yurina through strategic contracts and growth potential while favoring magic-based combat to ensure survival and control.
• 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.
• Tempura – An Apparition in the form of a shrimp that is under Minoru’s subjugation.
• Hinoki – A centipede-type Great Apparition and ancient spirit bound to Minoru as his chibi familiar, tactical advisor, and defensive entity. Emerging from his shadow, they possesses powerful jaws, magic resistance, and the ability to reconfigure dungeons. Playful yet loyal, this high-defense guide provides critical insight into anomalous phenomena while seeking to restart their life cycle through their bond.
• Tatemiya – The family name of the protagonist (Minoru), and Kotoha.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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