Volume 4 Chapter 17 Unique Variant
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
As the autumn breeze calmed down, our exploring party finally reached the 10th floor.
During our last trip, we had mapped the 10th floor, and thanks to Hinoki’s guidance, we could find the plaza with the bronze statue. But we were tired from the fights along the way and a lot of time had passed, so we decided to leave without fighting the monster.
We improved our path to the goal. We plan to fight the Unique Variant (a special boss monster) as quickly as possible, using as little time and supplies as we can.
We checked our equipment one last time before leaving. The biggest differences since our fight with the 5th-floor Unique Variant were the patches we sewed on our uniforms and the magic pistol Risa had gotten.
We had all sewed ‘Uniform patches’ — items dropped by human-shaped monsters — onto our hems. Every patch has a different design, and no two same ones have ever been found. Collectors want them a lot; rare designs can sell for much more at auction than if you sell them to the government.
Different designs mean different effects, and you usually cannot know what a patch does until you sew it on. You cannot use them again. The normal way to check what they do before sewing is to use magic to look at them.
Still, you can often guess what kind of effect a patch has from its picture, so people normally only send good-looking ones to be checked with magic, then pick and sew on the ones that seem useful.
”The checking fee is the same as how much you can sell it for, so it’s a great deal for the country, really,” I remarked.1
They say a magic user with the natural magic for checking items will never go hungry for the rest of their life.
With that in mind, we gave everyone’s uniforms an effect that made them faster, plus extra strength-boosting effects to Mitsuki’s and Yurina’s uniforms.
For Risa’s second weapon, she brought a magic pistol that fires rockets instead of her usual long-range gun. In our last fight, the statue had blocked her bullets. I thought, why not try the heat and blast force of an explosion? It was worth trying.
Just before we went into the dungeon, Komoda-kun came up to me.
”Are you really going to fight that thing? I think you should think again,” Komoda-kun said.
”I know it sounds like a stupid idea. But I’m just so curious. If I feel it’s too dangerous, I’ll take us out right away,” I replied.
”Take care…” Komoda-kun murmured.
I was glad he cared, but I had decided. Besides, there are monsters down here even stronger than this Unique Variant. We cannot fail here.
We went into the dungeon. Before leaving the Back alley at the start, we all got ourselves ready for the fight.
The 6th floor and beyond are very different from the first five. The types of monsters have increased.
Besides rats, dogs have started to appear. Maybe lost animals used to come into the old arcades. Now these wild dogs and rats attack us together.
The most annoying thing about many types of monsters appearing at the same time is the occasional attack from two sides. When we are attacked by a pack of wild dogs from the front and rats from behind, we made a rule: I guard the back, and while Yurina and the others hold the front, I use wide-range magic on the dog pack to kill them fast.
As for the standing monsters, delinquent girls have also started to appear. They changed their nail bats for chains, which makes them very annoying to deal with at medium range. Getting hit by two delinquents swinging bats while a chain whips at you from behind is a real problem.
Asari’s defensive magic requires us to choose which types of attacks we can block. When we are hit by two different types of monsters at the same time, we always fail to block at least one. That is something to fix later.
Also, rare monsters have started to appear. Sometimes, one that is clearly different from the normal monsters will be in a group.
A nutria (a large rodent) hiding among the rats, or a delinquent girl using a yo-yo instead of a chain. Since these rare monsters always drop items, I am happy to see them as much as possible. They are a bit stronger than normal monsters, but the reward for the effort is great.
Using the path we found on our last trip, we got to the plaza where the Unique Variant appears very quickly. We rested a bit to look at the bronze statue from the edge of the square.
”My Mana is still quite high~. Those first delinquents were no problem at all~. Now, the question is how we deal with the Unique Variant, desu ne~…” Asari said.
From here, the statue’s right leg looked swollen. That leg was clearly a stronger part, different from the other two we had seen. When it came to getting materials to make our own boss stronger, things were going well.
I looked at everyone and repeated our plan again.
”If that statue repeats the same stop-and-go pattern as the previous two, we’ll time our attacks for the moment it starts moving. The two front fighters will take turns fighting it. First, we’ll test if Asari’s defensive magic can completely block its attacks. If she can defend, Mitsuki and Yurina, you leave the blocking to her and focus only on attacking. Chifumi and I will help,” I explained.
”And my defense… if I cannot block them…” Asari asked.
”Chifumi will add her defensive magic over yours. If we still cannot block the attacks, and the front fighters find it impossible to dodge, we will retreat. I will use the extraction item (a tool to escape quickly),” I said.
”And if it’s almost impossible to dodge, or less?” Yurina asked.
”Yurina, you be the front. Mitsuki, don’t overdo it and focus on helping in case we need healing magic. I’ll boost Yurina and use my own magic attacks from the side,” I said.
Risa spoke up.
”As for me, can I use this?” Risa asked.
Risa stood there with her magic pistol that works like an assault rifle in hand, tapping the rocket-type magic pistol slung on her back. She wasn’t part of the main close-combat plan—the rifle was not good enough for this fight. This was just a test to see if heat and explosion damage would work.
She had two shots, including an extra. The statue might be easy to hit while it was stopped, but hitting it while it moved was all up to her. I had also added a grenade shooter to her assault rifle for more testing.
Grenades used a lot of Mana but needed no bullets, and the range could be changed.
”Of course. We need to confirm if the heat-type damage works,” I said.
”We aren’t exactly experts in fire magic, after all~. We’ll need you to make up for our lack of different magic types with your magic pistol~,” Asari added.
”Risa, your job is to fill in what our group is not good at. I’m relying on you,” I said.
”Leave it to me! I’ll blow it away!” Risa exclaimed.
She seemed ready, which was good.
After the strategy meeting, we ran into the plaza.
We were faced with six delinquents and four lady-types. For now, we killed some using Clam’s fake images and Risa’s gun, while our two front fighters blocked them. Chifumi and Asari helped.
With the two groups hitting each other by mistake, we had extra time. We killed them easily. A single Uniform patch was left. When I picked it up, the Unique Variant began to move. After confirming everyone was completely ready, I took the item.
The air in the plaza changed just as I’d expected.
With everyone watching, the bronze statue began to move.
It got down from its stand and stopped completely. After a few seconds, it started moving again as if nothing had happened. It seemed this statue also used a stop-and-go pattern. I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a turn-based fighting game.
As planned, we used Asari’s defensive magic to block the statue’s kick. Asari told us what was happening.
”Guh… it’s okay! I can block this attack!” Asari said.
”Mitsuki, Yurina, go with the first plan,” I ordered.
”You got it!” Mitsuki cheered.
”Yes!” Yurina agreed.
The two faced the statue. They attacked at the right moment, but only about one in five hits actually did real damage. The statue’s speed and ability to dodge had clearly gotten better. Even attacks that would have been a sure hit on the 5th-floor variant were being dodged by very little.
Thanks to Asari’s barrier, we weren’t in any deadly danger, but the fight was taking too long. I used boosts to reaction and speed on the two front fighters, which made us hit about one in three times.
”Next, I’m firing!” Risa announced.
Just as Yurina started to get tired, Risa stepped in.
As I saw Risa focusing on the rocket launcher out of the corner of my eye, the statue stopped moving. This was it. Risa fired. The rocket hit very fast, and the statue was covered in flames.
When a rocket shell for monsters hits, the magic inside it starts working. This time, we used a heat explosion shell—an explosive made to burn monsters to death.
With a whistling noise, the barrier in front of Yurina was hit. The statue had started to move again while still covered by the explosion. When the flames died down, the area near the statue’s right shoulder looked melted. The damage was much bigger than any hit with hammer or sword we had made. If she could hit it correctly, the rocket shell would clearly change everything.
The second rocket shell also did a lot of damage, tearing out its left hip. Its speed and ability to dodge dropped fast. The fight was basically over.
”That’s the last shot. Should I fire or keep it?” Risa asked.
”Fire it. Let’s see if it works,” I replied.
For the last shot, I ordered Risa to use a lightning shell. It hit straight, but it didn’t seem to do real damage.
I told Risa to change to her gun and attack with normal grenades. I hit a few on the statue while it moved, but the damage was only a little better than the rifle bullets—not worth it.
Chifumi’s ice and my shock waves did almost no damage. It seemed fire magic was the answer.
We had found our chance. I told the others, and we moved to defeat the monster. In the end, one hit from Mitsuki broke the statue, which turned to smoke.
All that was left was a piece of metal. It was clearly the piece from the right leg.
”We did it, didn’t we~,” Asari said.
”It seems fire magic is the best method,” I noted.
”It’s all thanks to Risa-chan~,” Asari beamed.
Risa looked very happy to be complimented by the group.
”W-well? I’m just glad it went better than I expected,” Risa said.
”Minoru-sama. Is Risa today’s MVP?” Yurina asked.
I nodded strongly to agree with Yurina. I planned to treat Risa with plenty of her favorite things during our overnight stay.
We picked up the items we got and moved to the 11th floor before leaving the dungeon. Once you reach the 11th floor and above, the types of monsters grow a lot. With our current equipment, which was made for the Unique Variant, going deeper was getting very tiring.
The dungeon exit was empty. We might have come out a bit earlier than expected.
While I was sorting the items we got, Komoda-kun’s group came out. I went to him, and seeing his look of relief, I told him we had successfully defeated the Unique Variant.
”Fire magic was effective against the Unique Variant,” I said.
”I see. I thought so, but you proved it. I’m thankful,” Komoda-kun replied.
We said goodbye to Komoda-kun and went home. Everyone in the group was very happy, talking about dinner. It was the first time in a while we were all staying together overnight.
On days when we successfully defeat strong monsters, both me and the group have a habit of having a much more exciting evening. Some say it’s because the close call makes people want to have children, while others say it’s because winning against a strong enemy makes men feel proud, while the females feel a stronger wish to be led by a strong partner.
Anyway, I treated everyone well, and our second school term kept going well.
—
Summary:
Minoru and his party reach the 10th floor of the dungeon to confront a Unique Variant they previously scouted. After strategic planning and re-equipping, they successfully use heat-based sorcery to defeat the statue boss. The party returns home to celebrate their victory as the narrative hints at the continued development of their group dynamics.
—
Trivia:
- Uniform patches are drop items with randomized effects that cannot be reused once applied.
- The appraisal fee for gear is equivalent to the market resale price of the item itself.
- Rare anomalies like nutria or yo-yo-wielding delinquents have guaranteed item drops.
- The 6th floor marks a significant increase in enemy variety compared to the previous five levels.
- Heat-based sorcery proved effective against the bronze statue variant while others failed.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• Hinoki – Bound to Minoru, this three-meter, Oni-fied centipede Phantom speaks from his shadow in a regional dialect. Acting as a reliable mount, advisor, and dungeon navigator, they share a deep bond with him. Currently frustrated by lost power, they wield sorcery, venom, and chains to defeat a shallow-floor boss, while expertly coordinating joint strikes and attracting Unique Variants.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Risa – A tall, well-endowed Plain-folk Naruse merchant student and disciplined Onibara practitioner. Minoru’s strong-willed, protective childhood friend and servant, she defers to Chifumi, knows Yurina, and suspects Komoda. Lacking innate sorcery, this cautious Shooting club member works hard to cover the squad’s weaknesses, using a rifle and magic pistols with magic bullets to snipe monsters and harvest loot.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mitsuki – A tall, dark-skinned transfer student with a physically imposing, athletic hourglass figure and unexpected academic prowess. Blunt yet enthusiastic, she is Minoru’s deeply devoted, clingy childhood friend, rival, and Witch. Wielding a Kanabo with destructive Oni-fication and recovery sorcery, this top assassin candidate leads a vanguard party alongside Manaka and Koki.
• Yurina – A black-haired, refined Plain-folk Kendo vanguard and devoted partner in Minoru’s squad. Stoic, polite, and Chifumi’s childhood protector, she relies on Minoru’s support sorcery to execute front-line battle maneuvers. Distrusting the Komoda group, she wields a swift katana and Severing Sorcery to explore dungeons. She aspires to join her family guild despite struggling academically and culinarily.
• 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.
• 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.
• Komoda – An eccentric, polite male classmate from the influential Michinori family and experienced leader of the Komoda explorer group. Possessing restricted knowledge on boss Aberration mechanics, this calculated leader cordially approaches his acquaintance Minoru to share items and propose an alliance. While aiming to recruit Minoru, he also expresses genuine concern for the safety of his party.
• 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.
• 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.
• Asari – A serious, diligent Kasakura first-year, this tall (170cm+), long-haired, curvy (E-cup) Handicrafts club member and Onigahara Dojo trainee is highly intelligent. As a reliable defensive vanguard in Minoru’s squad, her barrier sorcery defeats anomalies and strong seniors. Close to Mari and Nagase, she is a devoted, intimate partner to Minoru, until she is tragically devoured by a Phantom.
• Chifumi – Scrawny and long-haired, this first-year Lead Majo is Minoru’s childhood friend, protector, and top harem member who interacts with Muto. An intellectual strategist, she masks a sharp demeanor with bubbly idol poses and quick-changing expressions. She coordinates the team, gathers intel on Aberrations, and wields a water staff for destructive AOE magic and ice-based defensive sorcery.
• Clam – A newborn Phantom who evolved from a common clam after absorbing a stone, this entity takes the human form of a toddler with limited communication skills. Currently being educated by Tempura, she has also formed a particular attachment to Asari.
• Mai – Younger sister of Yui and Yuu, possessing a deceptive, snake-like gaze. She displays a shift from cutesy behavior to predatory indifference and is associated with unusual arthropod-related occurrences. A girl who accompanied the protagonist from the morning, only for her existence to be questioned as a potential manifestation of the protagonist’s inner psyche or a Phantom’s trap. A young girl who remembers specific lore from the museum and is determined to assist in the fight.
• Yui – One of the Futami twins, Yuu’s sister, and Minoru’s childhood friend, this private school student has short hair with a white lock and wears pink/black attire. A blunt, low-tension Onibara disciple, she uses knife techniques and curse arts in the Shisei group and allows Clams to manifest. Though usually observant, she shows a bubbly, carefree demeanor during exploration. She was eaten by the Phantom.
• Ui – Minoru’s proactive, carefree childhood friend is Yui’s twin sister and an original Shisei group member. A social private school student, she sports a right-side white-dyed lock of hair. Known as an upbeat, high-tension ‘upper’ landmine-type girl, she uses cutesy slang and acts as a provocateur, maintaining close friendships with the original group while aggressively interacting with Minoru.
• Minoru – A lean, black-haired student sorcerer and reincarnated dungeon explorer leads an all-female party in a reversed-beauty world. Clad in a uniform, this pragmatic, calculating tactician uses Tatemiya magic, an iron whip, and shadow/space sorcery. Balancing academic pressure and an upcoming duel, he manages route pacts and guides his childhood friend, partner Risa, recruit Mitsuki, and sister Mai.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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