Chapter 186 Settlement
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The low, guttural growl from Rock drew every eye in the Main Square toward the dungeon entrance.
The guild members of Glory¹ stood there, led by Mimura. He looked like a wreck; his right hand was gone, and he used his remaining arm to support a man whose skin was a roadmap of angry, peeling burns. The rest of his squad wasn’t much better-less than thirty of them remained, many leaning on each other or carrying the dead weight of the severely injured.
They were in worse shape than Koyama’s crew. Most were covered in soot and char, and I could see at least three people besides Mimura who were missing limbs.
Rock, still irritable because Koyama had been jumped while I was away, let out a menacing snarl. The Gozaru-crew Leader-degozaru, who had been resting by the fountain, stood up and gripped his weapon. Around him, the rest of the crew followed suit, bracing for a fight.
Sheena and I held our ground at the front of the entrance. Behind us, over seventy fully equipped members of Nightmare²-who had been on standby around the fountain-fanned out. They moved with practiced precision, semi-encircling Mimura’s ragged group as they shuffled into the square.
The tension was thick enough to choke on. The other testers in the area scrambled toward the back of the square, desperate to stay out of the splash zone.
Just then, the door to one of the “My Rooms” near the entrance creaked open. Oida stepped out, took one look at the lynch-mob atmosphere, and immediately retreated back inside, slamming the door.
Talk about terrible timing. That fraud of a teacher didn’t hesitate for a second to abandon his own students.
Mimura’s group looked paralyzed. They were terrified by our numbers, but with so many wounded, they had nowhere to run. They crept forward, trembling. Even their two tames were too spooked to enter; they stayed huddled at the entrance, shivering under the weight of their packs.
”Yo,” I called out, my voice echoing. “I heard you tried to bushwhack Koyama and got wrecked by some ‘mysterious monsters’ instead. You even let your benefactor Manda die? Pathetic.”
”Shut it…” Mimura hissed. He clutched his bloody stump, trying to project strength he clearly didn’t have. “This has nothing to do with you, Guard.”
”It didn’t until five minutes ago,” I replied. “But as of now, the Upstart Federation³ has officially folded into Nightmare. That means you’re picking a fight with my people.”
”What?! W-we don’t want any trouble with Nightmare!” Mimura stammered. “This is between us and those bottom-feeders!”
”Give it a rest. This isn’t a ‘problem,’ it’s a petty grudge,” I said, stepping forward. “Regardless, Koyama is under my wing now. As Guildmaster, I protect my investments. Right now, I see a group of people who might be a threat later sitting ducks in front of me. This is a golden opportunity to crush you while you’re down. Don’t tell me it’s cowardly-you did the exact same thing to Koyama when they were exhausted.”
I slid my machete from its sheath with a metallic shring. Beside me, Sheena let out a sharp, predatory smile and drew her rapier. On cue, the seventy-plus Nightmare members leveled their spears and unsheathed their blades in unison.
A collective whimper rose from the Glory members.
”Wait! Hold on, Mr. Guard!” Mimura shouted, dropping to his knees. “I get it! I promise! We won’t touch Koyama or the others ever again! Seiji-kun and Murakami are dead. Hotta is missing-his room vanished, so he’s likely gone too. Our guild is finished. Look at me! I’m half-dead and my men are worse. We have to focus on treatment just to survive the night. We don’t have the energy for revenge! Koyama-senpai, please! Have some mercy! We’re done!”
”We were just following Manda’s orders!” another man yelled, collapsing. “I don’t have a problem with Koyama! I swear, we’re out!”
”Damn it, this wasn’t the deal!” someone else cursed. “I’m leaving the guild! I’m not crossing Nightmare!”
Under the weight of our blades, every single member of Glory ended up on their knees, begging for their lives.
I looked over at Koyama. “There you have it. What do you think, Gozaru?”
I’d pushed them far enough. Now it was up to the victim to decide how this would end.
”They apologized-degozaru,” Koyama said, his voice heavy. “And they’ve paid a steep price in blood already. I don’t want another grudge hanging over my head. If they swear to stay away from us, we can call it even-degozaru.”
”You’re far too kind,” I muttered. If it were up to me, I’d have squeezed them for every DP⁴ they had until they were the ones begging for scraps. But Koyama had a history with some of these guys from before the Upstart Federation; he wasn’t going to be the one to pull the trigger.
It was a soft call, but he was the one they jumped. I wasn’t going to overstep. Besides, they’d seen our power. That was the real goal.
”Lucky for you,” I said, turning back to the shivering mess on the floor. “He’s willing to settle. But you’re not walking away for free. You cost Koyama ten Grade 4 potions⁵ during your little stunt. You’re going to pay those back now, with interest for the trouble. Ten potions, right now.”
”Fine… okay,” Mimura gasped. “I’ll have my guys buy them. Just… please.”
”Then we’re square,” I said, sheathing my blade. “Break that promise, and I won’t be so talkative next time.”
”We won’t,” Mimura promised, his head low. “Nobody’s crazy enough to cross Nightmare. We only moved because we heard Koyama was joining you-we wanted to settle things before that happened. We never expected those monsters… or this. I value my life. I’ll make sure my guys stay in line.”
”Good. Yuki! Find anyone with spare Mana and start patching up their worst cases. We don’t need any more corpses stinking up the square.”
Since we’d settled, letting them die would just make us look like the villains to the other testers watching. Better to show a little “mercy” now that the point was proven.
”Understood,” Yuki said. She gestured to the healers, and they moved toward the groaning pile of Glory members.
”Mimura,” I called out. “Did you save the limbs?”
”Yeah… the Shop said Grade 3 potions can reattach them if we’re fast.”
”Then prioritize those guys. And buy a Heal manual⁶. It’s expensive, but you can spam it without the potion cooldown. If you’re short on DP, go beg Oida for a loan.”
Between the reparations to Koyama, the potions, and the manuals, they were looking at a 350,000 DP hole. It would hurt, but for a guild of thirty, it was survivable.
”I have the guild’s Magic Stones⁷,” Mimura said weakly. “I’ll make it work.”
The mediation was over. I looked at my guild. They were still standing tall, glaring down the remnants of Glory. It was overkill, sure, but the message was sent to everyone in the dungeon: Touch one of ours, and Nightmare comes for you.
”I’m heading out for a meal,” I announced. “Yuki, handle the rest. Everyone else, thanks for the backup. Dismissed.”
I turned my back on the broken guild and headed for my room with Rock and Sheena in tow. It was going to be an afternoon start for the hunt today. Maybe I’d treat the guild to a feast later. They’d earned it.
—
Summary:
The Glory guild, led by a crippled Mimura, returns from a failed ambush against Koyama’s crew, having been decimated by ‘mysterious monsters.’ The Guard uses the opportunity to formally absorb Koyama’s group into Nightmare and intimidates Glory into a permanent ceasefire. The conflict ends with a forced settlement where Glory pays reparations and receives basic medical aid from Nightmare.
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Trivia:
- The ‘mysterious monsters’ that attacked Glory were likely orchestrated by The Guard.
- Oida is a teacher who immediately abandoned his students when the standoff began.
- Potions have a cooldown/interval, but magic books allow for spamming heals.
- Missing limbs can only be reattached if done so quickly (within 2 days).
- The Upstart Federation is officially defunct as of this chapter
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Character Insight:
The Guard shows his growth as a leader by choosing intimidation and economic extortion over slaughter, recognizing the PR value of ‘mercy.’ Koyama-senpai demonstrates his inherent kindness and lack of desire for vengeance, despite being the victim.
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Behind the Scenes:
This chapter serves as a ‘Face-Slapping’ payoff, a common trope in web novels where the arrogant antagonist returns in a pathetic state to realize the protagonist’s superiority.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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
• Mimura – Seiji’s accomplice, proposes the ‘monster train’ strategy.
• Koyama – Koyama Sanjuro. A 3rd‑year Animation Department student and the underdogs’ de facto frontliner, Sanjuro masks his fear with grand speeches and humor, leading his group through dungeon nights with reckless courage and nerdy flair.
• 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.
• 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.
• Murakami – A core member of Manda/Seiji (Soccer Coach)’s guild. He is missing a thumb and an ear from a previous incident with the Guard. He seeks violent revenge.
• Seiji – Former professional soccer striker who played for overseas clubs a decade ago. Divorced with children. Currently working as a teacher/coach in the dungeon. 32 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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