Chapter 112 Information and Price
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Damn… you both look beautiful. Honestly, I’d rather keep you displayed in my room than take you into a dungeon.”
The words slipped out as soon as I saw Karen and Sanae emerge from the party room, both clad in their new bikini armor¹.
”Ahaha! Yakumo called me pretty! I’m so happy!” Karen squealed, practically bouncing with joy.
”W-where did that come from all of a sudden!?” Sanae stammered, her face turning a vivid crimson. Her eyes darted around restlessly as she tried to compose herself. “I-I’m not beautiful or anything… I’m only wearing this to protect Sayaka and… and you, Yakumo! Even if you tell me ‘no,’ I’m coming with you!”
Man, high school girls really are the best. Especially when they’re head-over-heels for me. Was I actually in Heaven? For a second, I wondered if the academy hadn’t been swallowed by a dungeon at all-maybe some country had launched a nuke, blown us to hell, and I was actually dead.
Nah. Not a chance. There is no universe where a guy like me ends up in Heaven. I’ve taken too many lives to count at this point. My body count-the lethal kind-is well into the double digits and climbing.
Sanae had a quiver on her back and a bow from a treasure chest in her hand. It was a cheap set worth about 2,000 DP. I had hundreds of arrows and a spare bow in my Magic Pouch, so I wasn’t worried about running out of ammo or the bow breaking.
Next, I looked at the sword belt around Karen’s waist. Sheena had modified it during yesterday’s break. It could hold a magic gun, a knife, magic stones for ammo, and several pouches for potions. But since the magic gun was large, it had to hang from her waist. It was quite heavy.
”Karen, is the magic gun in the way? It’s still heavy, right?”
”Hmm, it’s heavy for sure, but I’ve been training my legs and core, so I’m okay!”
As Karen hopped again, her massive breasts-half-spilling out of the bikini armor-jiggled and bounced violently. Crap. Sheena and Sayaka had just taken care of me in the shower, but looking at her, I could already feel myself getting hard again.
”I see. We’ll be walking a lot, and at a fast pace. Let me know if it gets too tough. I’ll carry you.”
I had Rock and Saizou in Magic Sealing Crystal form, but I didn’t plan on summoning them. There were other testers around, and I wanted to keep their existence hidden as much as possible.
”Yeah, thanks Yakumo. I heard from Sayaka that it’s tough. But I want to save Leticia soon, so I’ll do my best!”
She was closer to Leticia than I thought… no, Karen is just a busybody like Sheena. She can’t leave people alone.
We headed to the entrance, put on our shoes, and left the room. All the women except Sheena were covered in cloaks. Sayaka wore blue, Karen beige, and Sanae black. Since they were covered from the collarbone down, their erotic equipment was hidden.
At the entrance, Yuki and his group were waiting as usual. They looked surprised for a moment when they saw Karen and Sanae, but it was already the third time following Sayaka and Sheena. They looked somewhat convinced as Yuki spoke.
”Good morning, Sanada-san.”
”””””Good morning!”””””
”Yeah, morning.”
”Tsukigase-san, Sheena-san, good morning too. And Nijuuki-san… and Walter-san, I guess? Congratulations. I’m glad Sanada-san was able to help you.”
”Good morning, Yuki-senpai.”
”Good morning.”
”W-well, it’s better than being in that place,” Sanae replied.
”Just call me Karen, Yuki-senpai! I’ve always liked Yakumo! I’m so glad he bought me!”
While Sayaka and Karen smiled, Sanae looked a bit embarrassed. Sheena’s response was blunt. Even with her ego back, her default setting for men other than me was the cold shoulder.
”Y-you’re energetic, Karen-san. I see, you’re lucky to be bought by someone you like. Though, plenty of guys were crying yesterday when they found out you were sold.”
”She’s a beauty, so she must have been popular.”
”Yes, quite. Especially Nijuuki-san,” Yuki said, frowning slightly.
”Sanae? I mean, she’s beautiful, but I heard she was pretty harsh toward men.”
Some M-types might like that, but looking at Yuki’s face, that wasn’t it. I smelled trouble.
”It seems she had a lot of hidden fans. Among them, there’s one man who is… unusually obsessed with her.”
”Eh? With me!? Ah… no way.”
”What? Some guy confessed to you?”
”No… not a confession, but a senior kept asking me out persistently. I turned him down every time, but he wouldn’t give up.”
”Sanada-san, it’s Arashiyama. The third-year captain of the kickboxing club.”
”Kickboxing club, Arashiyama? You mean that guy with the spiky hair and the nasty, snake-like eyes?”
I looked at Sanae; she gave a small, grim nod.
I see. He’s the one I gave a beatdown in the ring-no gear-because he was taking the “tough love” training way too far. He’d been glaring at me from a distance ever since we were abducted and brought here. So, that’s it. The bastard was in love with Sanae.
”Yes. He saw the nameplate on your room yesterday and completely lost it. Word is he was screaming about how he’s going to kill you,” Yuki said.
”Heh. Of all the people to lose his girl to, it had to be the guy he already had a grudge against. No wonder he’s losing his mind,” I replied.
I could empathize with the feeling, but my only advice to him would be to fight harder and move up. He knew I was clearing floors solo. Did he never consider that someone might snatch her away eventually?
”The Clear Team has been keeping the 3rd Floor Guardian room a total secret so the 4th Floor doesn’t get crowded. Since he couldn’t progress, he’s just venting his rage on you for ‘stealing’ her,” Yuki explained.
”Well, that fake Monster House¹… it’s at the very end of a dead-end corridor. You wouldn’t find it unless you were really looking,” I said.
”Yeah. We’re fighting deep in the 4th Floor, so we told a few people we trust about the Guardian room, but we had no intention of telling Arashiyama’s lot. They’re the type to ‘Monster Train’² and force other students out of hunting grounds just because they aren’t earning enough on the 3rd Floor. Though it seems the teachers caught onto them; they’ve been forced to move their exploration hours to the night,” Yuki said.
”Oh? Did Oida and the others kick them out?” I asked.
That was unexpected. When I pressed for details, it turned out that after Arashiyama and a few others started ‘Monster Training’ for harassment and territory control, Oida’s group had stepped in to rescue the students who were put in danger.
It probably wasn’t out of the goodness of their hearts, though. They’d been shunned by everyone after their embezzlement came to light. With Coach Sayama gone, they were down to five people; they likely realized they couldn’t progress like this. Their first move was to repair their reputation with the students.
Even the students who hated them would be forced to reconsider if their lives were saved. They already had the advantage of being adults and teachers. High schoolers are easy to flip.
Their goal is likely to share exploration data and protect themselves from students who have grown powerful. They’re probably looking to build an army to eventually oppose me.
It’s a refreshingly calculated move, but I suppose it’s better than them falling into despair and sabotaging other testers.
”He’s stuck, his crush has been taken, and now he has to watch you head off to explore with her… please, be careful. The Kickboxing Club has a nasty reputation, and they’ve hated you for a long time. You’re going to power-level her just like you did with Tsukigase-san, right? Please, stay away from the 3rd Floor,” Yuki said.
”Don’t worry. I have no intention of going to the floors where those losers hang out. Thanks for the heads-up,” I replied.
This is exactly why I’ve been doing favors for Yuki and his crew-for information. If I’d stayed in the dark, I might have been blindsided. I’ll need to be on high alert immediately after using the 1st-floor teleportation room from now on. You’re most vulnerable right after the warp. Besides, I usually return late when the room is empty.
”No, this is nothing compared to what we owe you, Sanada-san,” Yuki said.
As Yuki spoke, the other members of the Battle Sports Club behind him nodded in agreement.
Well, this was good intel.
I’d helped the “shut-in” types-the Gozaru crew-with their power-leveling³ too. I’ve cleared the 10th Floor now; it’s time I paid them back for the information they’ve given me.
”By the way, I heard you’re struggling on the 4th Floor,” I said.
They’ve been there for about two weeks. Unlike me, they took a break every three days, but they should have scouted every inch of that floor by now.
”Yes. We mapped the whole thing in about ten days, but even after searching for days after that, we couldn’t find any hidden passages. We cleared one Monster House, but there was nothing… now we’re just re-checking places we’ve already been,” Yuki replied.
”Sounds like you pulled a dud,” I said.
”Eh?”
”The path to the Guardian room is definitely inside a Monster House,” I said.
”B-but we checked all five of them, and there weren’t any paths…” Yuki said.
”Was there a Monster House with more Kobolds than the others?” I asked.
”…Now that you mention it, I think there was. There were so many that we decided to clear the other houses instead,” Yuki said.
”That’s the one. Wipe out every last monster in that house and open the treasure chest. A hidden staircase will appear,” I explained.
”What!? That’s the gimmick!?” Yuki asked. He and his party members stared at me, eyes wide with shock.
”Th-thank you! This information is a lifesaver!” Yuki said.
”It’s a trade, don’t worry about it. Oh, and once you beat the 4th Floor Guardian, there’s no teleportation array on the 5th Floor. It’s a one-way trip. And the 5th Floor only contains the Area Guardian room,” I said.
”What!? You mean we can’t come back until we beat the Area Guardian!?” Yuki asked.
”Exactly. But he’s not that big a deal. He’s overconfident and tries to fight you alone at the end. Just gang up on him. Once you take him down… you’ll get a Magic Pouch and a Slave Exchange Ticket⁴,” I said.
”A-ah… finally! Finally! Thank you! Thank you so much!” Yuki cried.
”Save the thanks for after you win. You’ll have to fight the 4th Floor Guardian and the 5th Floor Area Guardian back-to-back with no chance to resupply. Buy some Medals of Return just in case. Those will let you warp back to your My Room even from the 5th Floor. Don’t die, alright? As long as you’re alive, you can regrow a lost leg with a potion. You can always try again,” I said.
”Yes, sir! We’ll definitely come back alive!” Yuki said.
”Good. Then get ready and get moving. If you’re going one party at a time, it’s going to be a long night. Also, once you clear the 5th Floor, the party limit increases to six. Being in a party lets you communicate and transfer DP⁵ through your Magic Crystals. There are other system additions, but you can check those yourself after you clear it,” I said.
I handed him a bag containing fully charged mobile batteries.
”I see, so it really does become like a game party. Being able to transfer DP is huge. Now we can finally buy our friends’ lovers with the kill rewards. Thank you for everything. We’ll go prepare!” Yuki said.
With a bow, Yuki and his companions headed toward the spring. They’d likely be discussing their strategy now.
Well, there are ten of them at E-Rank or higher. I heard Yuki and a few others hit E+. If they clear the Monster House together, then have five people go down the stairs to fight the 4th Floor Guardian and then the 5th Floor Area Guardian… it should be a cakewalk compared to my run.
”Now then… the Kickboxing Club,” I muttered, watching their retreating backs.
I’d claimed beauties like Sayaka and Karen, who were the idols of the academy. I knew this would happen eventually. Normally, no one would be crazy enough to attack me to steal them. But this is a dungeon with no escape, where testers face death every day.
They’ve been forced to fight for survival in this place for over a month. The stress must be peaking. Add in old grudges, the boost in physical abilities and magic from ranking up, and an ever-growing s*xual appetite.
The psychological hurdle of attacking someone to steal their slaves would drop pretty damn fast. No one knows yet that if the Master dies, the slaves are confiscated. I haven’t gone out of my way to spread that info, and they probably wouldn’t believe me anyway. I’ll just have to wait for more people to clear the 5th Floor and let the information spread naturally.
That said, these are still Japanese people who were soaked in a culture of peace. There should still be some resistance to the idea of murder.
There are too many eyes in the Safe Zone for them to attack here. If they do it, it’ll be inside the dungeon. But Arashiyama’s party is still loitering on the 3rd Floor. We should be fine while I’m power-leveling Sanae and the others.
”Yakumo… I’m sorry. This is my fault,” Sanae said.
Sanae must have overheard me. She looked up with an apologetic expression.
”It’s fine. I’m monopolizing the school beauties; I expected this. Even if they come for you, I’ll protect you. Don’t worry,” I replied.
I have no intention of handing a high-potential slut like her over to someone like Arashiyama.
If he’s stupid enough to come all the way to the 4th Floor to ambush me… for the sake of my future safety, I’ll just have to dispose of him.
”Ah… mmm, okay,” Sanae muttered.
I stroked Sanae’s ass as her face turned bright red for some reason, my mind already made up.
—
Summary:
Yakumo equips his new harem members, Karen and Sanae, with gear for the dungeon. As they prepare to leave, they encounter Yuki’s group at the entrance. The conversation reveals that Sanae has a dangerous stalker named Arashiyama, a kickboxing captain.
Sanada interacts with Yuki, providing critical intel on clearing the 4th and 5th floors in exchange for news about Arashiyama’s grudge. He discovers that the teachers are manipulating their reputation through ‘heroic’ rescues. The chapter ends with Sanada resolving to eliminate any threats to his ‘possessions’ as tensions rise among the testers.
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Trivia:
- The 5th floor is a one-way trip until the Area Guardian is defeated.
- The 3rd Floor Guardian room is being intentionally hidden by the top players.
- If a Master dies, their slaves are confiscated/returned to the system, but this is not public knowledge.
- Sanada is charging mobile batteries as a utility for other players.
- The party system unlocks communication and DP transfer only after the 5th floor
- The girls’ ‘erotic’ gear is hidden under cloaks to avoid attention.
- Yakumo is intentionally hiding his monster summons (Rock and Saizou) from other testers.
- Sheena is still cold toward every man except Yakumo.
- The move to the Kobold dungeon is a calculated choice for ‘easy’ leveling
—
Character Insight:
Sanada demonstrates his ‘Merchant-Warrior’ mindset, trading high-value game secrets for local intelligence. His possessiveness over Sanae and the other girls is hardening into a willingness to commit murder, justified by the ‘lawless’ nature of the dungeon.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Monster Train’ tactic is a classic MMO griefing technique, used here to show the degradation of social order among the students.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Karen – An international student from America who often runs to school late with bread in her mouth. Considered a ‘main target’ by the protagonist. Voice acting major, huge breasts, same height as Sana.
• 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.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Yakumo – A 25-year-old human male. He has facial scars, stab wounds, and gunshot scars from his time in a war zone. He works as a school guard.
• 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 – Beastman Soul-less Doll with rabbit ears and a large chest. Flawless face, approx 165cm height, F or G cup, narrow waist, large hips, and a fluffy tail longer than a rabbit’s. Now, her ego is back.
• 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
• Leticia – French exchange student, animation major 1st year, silver hair, small stature, slim, large breasts, 13 years old.
• Yuki – A third-year high school student and leader of the Battle Sports Club. He is a national champion in medieval-style combat using swords and spears. He has a severe sister complex. He has hawk-like eyes and a polite but determined demeanor.
• Oida – A PE teacher with a large build and a plain, non-intimidating face. He was formerly an Olympic developmental athlete for Judo. He uses a greatsword in the dungeon and wears tattered jerseys.
• Sayama – Baseball club coach in his thirties, former professional pitcher with a history of injuries. Pragmatic and anxious about his family and career stability.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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