Chapter 189 Fortifying the Position
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The rain was relentless. In this environment, you couldn’t hike for five minutes without hitting a pack of Orcs, Green Wolves, or Rain Hawks. To make matters worse, every bend in the muddy road was a potential ambush. The mental fatigue was starting to weigh as heavily as our sodden gear. We took frequent breaks, and it took over four grueling hours just to find the narrow trail leading to the first settlement.
Following the pattern of the 12th floor, Sayaka used her phone’s pedometer to track our progress. The math was grim: a settlement appeared roughly every six kilometers. That meant a full circuit of this floor was a sixty-kilometer trek. At our current pace, mapping this place would take a week.
I kept those thoughts to myself as we pushed through the timber. When the settlement finally appeared through the treeline, I stopped dead in my tracks. I cursed under my breath at the sight.
”Shield-bearing sentries at the gate, and two watchtowers with Orc Archers,” I noted quietly.
”The gate is reinforced, too,” Sheena said, her voice tight. “They’ve completely adapted to the tactics we used on the floors below.”
Sanae gripped her bow, her knuckles white. “Sniping two towers simultaneously is a lot to ask, even for me.”
”Is this really a six-person dungeon?” Karen asked. “This is a massive difficulty spike.”
”The system probably assumes we’re using Slaves and Tamed Beasts to bolster our numbers,” I replied.
Official party limits didn’t count sub-units. A group of six “Testers”¹ could technically bring an army of dozen or more if they had the resources. The dungeon was clearly balanced for a small platoon, not a squad.
The walls surrounding the village were the standard three-meter earthen ramparts, but the gate was solid copper. It looked immovable. An Orc guard stood before it, braced behind a wooden shield reinforced with iron bands and clutching a heavy meat cleaver. A Fireball wouldn’t punch through that shield, and I doubted I could melt a copper gate-especially with the rain dampening the potency of my fire magic.
Up in the towers, the archers were scanned the woods with professional discipline. The “kill zone” between the forest and the gate had been widened from thirty meters to fifty. The moment we broke cover, one Orc would hit the alarm bell while the other pinned us down with arrows. We only had one true long-range specialist. Sayaka’s Ice Arrow lacked the velocity for a shot that precise. In terms of pure range, the bow was still king.
”Should we charge?” I considered it. We could sprint, kill the guards, and try to hold the entrance. But with Rock’s speed, the settlement would be swarming with reinforcements before we even hit the threshold.
”We’re not doing a blitzkrieg this time,” I told the girls. “We’re going to make them come to us. We’re setting up a defensive perimeter.”
”I agree,” Sheena said. “Fighting at the gate is a death trap.”
”But won’t we get flanked?” Karen asked.
”I’ll handle the towers,” I said, “but there are more Orcs in there than on the 12th floor. Getting swarmed is a real risk.”
Leticia spoke up, gesturing to the terrain. “What if we use Sayaka’s Water Wall² to funnel them?”
”My Water Wall only lasts a minute,” Sayaka countered. “Even if I dump triple the Mana Capacity³ into it, it’s only two minutes of protection. It’s too flimsy to use as a barricade.”
Leticia had the right tactical mind-controlling the flow of the enemy-but the wrong tool.
”We’re going to build a wall,” I said, “but we’re using Earth Wall⁴.”
”The spell Upperclassman Gozaru used to stop the train?” Sanae asked.
”Exactly,” I said. “According to the Gozaru-crew Leader, the standard wall is four meters wide. At double Mana Capacity, it hits six. It usually lasts five minutes, but if we redline it at triple capacity, the structural integrity doubles and it stays up for ten.”
I’d grilled the Gozaru-crew about the specs after seeing them use it to wipe out the Trust Fund Group. It was a pure defensive fortification, far sturdier than the elemental variants. The only drawback was the cast time. It took a few seconds to manifest, but if we were the ones baiting the trap, time was on our side.
”Ten minutes?” Karen’s eyes widened. “And it’s stronger?”
”If it holds that long, we can turn it into a fortress,” Sanae said.
”Karen, Sanae, Sayaka-you three have the deepest Mana pools. You’re all learning Earth Wall now. You’re experienced casters; you’ll have it down in minutes.”
I had the girls down the Mana Recovery Potions. Sayaka took a 4th-grade dose since she’d be carrying the brunt of the magical load. I wasn’t going to have Leticia waste her reserves on construction; she was our Saint, and I needed her Mana for healing.
”Leave it to me!” Karen said. “I rarely use my fire spells anyway, so I’m at full capacity.”
”I’m ready too,” Sanae added. “Between Hanako and Sheena, I’ve barely had to use Stone Shot lately.”
”Understood,” Sayaka said. “I will learn the spell.”
We retreated to the main road and I pitched the Magic Tent in the brush. Inside, I used the Portable Magic Crystal⁵ to buy three Earth Wall grimoires and a heavy-duty tape measure. The crystal was a massive investment at 100,000 DP⁶, but being able to buy gear tailored to the immediate battlefield was worth every point.
I handed out the books, and the girls mastered them instantly. We began drilling on the road. Sayaka cast the rear anchor wall, and I used the tape measure to mark the wing positions. Karen and Sanae then cast the side walls to create a U-shaped pocket. It was clunky at first, with gaps in the seams, so I had Lucy stand at the three-meter mark as a visual guide. By the third attempt, we had a perfect concave fortification.
I kept the mouth of the “U” at six meters. Any narrower and we’d choke our own lines of fire. With the roles set, we moved back into position.
We reached the edge of the woods. Sanae stepped up, drew her bow, and took a breath. Thwip. The arrow caught the first Orc Archer in the throat. He tumbled from the tower, hitting the mud with a heavy thud.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The second tower erupted in motion. The Orc grabbed the alarm bell, but before he could get a fourth ring out, Sanae’s second arrow punched through his chest.
”Go!” I shouted.
We burst from the trees. Rock and Hanako led the sprint. Sayaka hit her mark and began her chant. Five seconds later, a massive slab of earth erupted from the quagmire behind us. Lucy sprinted to the marker, and Karen and Sanae slammed their hands down, manifesting the side walls.
In fifteen seconds, we had a fortress.
The copper gates shrieked open. A tide of Orcs wielding heavy cleavers poured out, roaring. Simultaneously, eight Green Wolves lunged from the side-woods, Orcs following in their wake. My stomach dropped. I was right-there were side exits. If we had charged the gate, we would have been butchered from the flanks.
”Stations!” I roared, shaking off the chill.
Rock and Hanako took the mouth of the gap, shields raised, leaving a two-meter kill-zone between them. Sheena and I took the second row. Sheena was on “Hanako Duty”-if the girl slipped into an Ecstasy Lock⁷ from the combat stress, Sheena would snap her out of it. Karen knelt in the third row, her magic gun leveled. Lucy stood by her with spare Magic Stones. Sayaka, Sanae, and Leticia took the rear.
I glanced up and saw Saizou crouching on the top of the earthen wall, arms crossed, his ninja scarf fluttering. He was staring down the Orc horde with a smug smirk.
Nice pose, asshole. Get down here and fight.
I didn’t have time to yell. There were fifteen Orcs and a pack of wolves closing fast. We had to break them before the walls gave out.
”Here they come!” I shouted, gripping my machete.
—
Summary:
Yakumo and his party encounter the first settlement on the 13th floor, only to find the difficulty vastly increased with copper gates and strategic watchtowers. Realizing a head-on assault is suicide due to potential flanking, Yakumo instructs the mages to learn Earth Wall. They successfully construct a U-shaped earthen fortress just as a large horde of Orcs and wolves ambushes them from hidden side exits.
—
Trivia:
- The distance between settlements is exactly 6km, totaling a 60km floor lap.
- The 13th floor Orcs carry metal-reinforced shields and copper gates, specifically to counter the party’s previous fire/rush tactics.
- The rain actively debuffs fire magic potency.
- Earth Wall duration can be doubled to 10 minutes by using 3x Mana Capacity.
- Lucy acts as a literal tripod/reference point for the mages to ensure the walls align.
- The ‘Ecstasy Lock’ (Heaven State) is a recurring combat liability for Hanako that Sheena must manage
—
Character Insight:
Yakumo shows significant growth as a commander, moving away from high-risk blitz tactics toward engineering-based defensive strategies. Saizou’s arrogance remains a friction point, as he prioritizes looking ‘cool’ over immediate tactical integration.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The use of a pedometer reflects the author’s focus on grounded, mechanical ‘litRPG’ elements where modern tools provide a strategic edge in a fantasy setting.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Hanako – A female Orc tamed monster equipped with two large iron shields and a black iron helm. Large breasts, wrapped in rags with a grass skirt. Revealed to be a extreme masochist.
• Lucy – A female Kobold familiar resembling an American Eskimo Dog. Now, she evolves into a Kobold Thief. Her height increases to approximately 140cm, her limbs become sturdier/leaner, and she retains a cute face. She wags her tail when happy.
• Ult – Lilith’s friend. Long blue hair. Succubus.
• 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.
• 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.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply