Chapter 23 High Earnings
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
……Tester Life Day 8. Test Dungeon Floor 3. Sanada Yakumo……
”Ora! Whoops, ‘Wind Cutter¹‘!”
After slashing the first Kobold with a diagonal slash using my Machete² as I turned, I used my shield to block the attack of a second Kobold leaping at my neck from the side.
Then, from behind the fallen first one, I shot magic at a third Kobold charging in low.
’Yelp!’
The Wind Cutter hit its neck. I ignored the third Kobold as it fell while spraying a lot of blood. I pushed back the Kobold I’d caught with my shield and gave a side-slash to its body with my Machete.
’Gack!’
The sharpness of the Black Iron Machete³ was amazing. The Kobold’s top and bottom halves were easily cut apart, falling to the ground with a ‘crush’ sound.
”Huff… huff… huff… maybe I ran too much”
Wiping the sweat with a towel, I took out a sports drink I’d put in the side of my backpack.
It had been three hours since I started exploring the third floor.
There were no surprise attacks like those from the Horn Rabbit⁴, so I was exploring at a fast run. At first, I was killing them one by one, but stopping every time was a pain. I started ignoring them and kept running. Naturally, the Kobolds followed me. Once about three of them gathered, I’d kill them all at once like I just did.
That didn’t count when I went into a side path and hit a dead end, or when I found a treasure chest. Even so, I think I’ve already killed over sixty in this short time. I’m pretty tired, though.
”I should slow down my speed a bit”
At this rate, I don’t think I’ll last until evening. My Mana Capacity⁵ went up and my stamina increased, but they aren’t infinite. If I mess up my pace, it’ll hurt my wall-butt time tonight. I have to be careful.
”It’s a bit early, but let’s eat”
I sat on a nearby rock and took out an omu-rice bento and a bottle of tea from my backpack.
”Omu-rice and hamburger steak today, huh?”
These were my favorites when I was a kid. I finished two servings. Then, after drinking the tea, I leaned against the rock to rest until my stomach felt better.
My eyes fell on the Machete I’d set down.
”The blade isn’t chipped at all.”
I’d slashed some of those Kobolds pretty roughly, but even after cutting through those hard bones, the edge looked fine.
”Expected of something that costs 25,000 DP⁶.”
I’d seen the same Machete in the Shop⁷ yesterday, and the price was 25,000 DP. The name was ‘Black Iron Machete.’ The details said it was made of black iron, so I learned that a mineral called black iron exists. It’s heavy and hard.
The iron Machete I used before would cost 5,000 DP without the special price. A 50,000-yen Machete versus a 250,000-yen Machete. No wonder the sharpness is so different.
The Shop also had a gray robe for 5,000 DP. Its name was the Blade-Resistant Robe, and it’s good against blades and fire. No specific materials were listed.
Together, they’d be 30,000 DP. That’s why there were only two items in that treasure chest. The chest from the second-floor guardian was a huge jackpot.
As I thought about that, I saw two figures coming from deep in the hallway. Two of them. Since I’d come far in, it looked like pairs would be the normal encounter from now on.
I checked my Mana Capacity. Half is left.
”Well then, let’s start round two”
I stood up from the rock, put on my backpack, and ran toward the Kobolds.
* * *
”Hm? There are footprints.”
When I finished exploring the third floor and went back to the teleportation room on the first floor, I found footprints on the ground.
”It looks like a group has moved to the second floor.”
There were no footprints this morning, but someone might have used it after me. That means they defeated the first-floor guardian while I was resting yesterday, or today while I was on the third floor. It’s what I expected. Anyone can find the room if they check every side path. It took them a week because they weren’t used to fighting. People like me are special.
”I can’t afford to be slow, either”
The second-floor guardian room is hard to find, but they have numbers. There might be someone with intuition like mine. It’ll be tough, but I’ll keep this pace tomorrow too.
I pushed my tired body, left the teleportation room, and headed for the dungeon exit.
* * *
”Whew…”
Back in My Room, I dropped my backpack, took off my gear, and sat on the bed. I’m tired. Running for eight hours straight was hard.
I didn’t use Physical Reinforcement⁸ because I wanted to save Mana for Wind Cutter. Kobolds are fast and strong. Unlike the Horn Rabbits that I could kill in one hit, some of these didn’t die without two hits. That used up a lot of my strength.
At the end, I had to fight six Kobolds because two more showed up. That was exhausting, and my Mana Capacity went dry.
I thought about slowing down tomorrow, but seeing other testers catching up changed my mind. This must be the pressure of being chased.
I rested for a bit, then went to the shower.
Once I was clean, I checked my loot. First, the Magic Stones⁹.
I put the stones on the floor stone with the Magic Circle¹⁰.
(184 F-rank Magic Stones will be 16,560 DP. Accept? Yes/No)
”Oh, I can really earn here”
A daily wage of 160,000 yen… that’s like 40 million yen a year.
”With this, Slave Purchase¹¹ is much closer.”
If the students reach the third floor, they might be able to buy a Grade-5 in three months. Next, I swapped the coins. Twelve large copper coins and thirty-six copper coins gave ,560 DP. Today’s chests were mostly coins and potions.
I got two Grade-5 Potions and three Grade-5 Mana Capacity Recovery Potions. It seems the third floor gives potions easily. Maybe because more people get hurt by Kobolds. If you get hit by those claws, even the reinforced uniform would be ruined. A bite would rip off a chunk of meat. They aim for the neck too.
”Well, as long as these safety items are appearing, this is still a beginner level”
I’m looking forward to stronger monsters. Ha, I’m a battle junkie. I don’t want to die, but I’m enjoying the fight. Is it because the monsters look like humans? Maybe I miss the old battlefields. Even with all my scars and the pain… am I a masochist?
Whatever. More importantly, the DP. My balance is over 120,000 DP. Still a long way from 2,000,000 DP, but I’m gaining fast.
Two months. Within two months, I’ll get the Grade-1 Slave, Tsukigase. Then, I’ll enjoy that body every day.
”Whoa, wait, hang on”
Remembering Tsukigase’s large chest in her swimsuit and her rear, my ‘little brother’ got excited. Even when I’m tired, he’s energetic. A fatigue-boner, I guess.
I told him to wait, then bought two 100 DP dinner sets from the Shop. Pork cutlet and rice. I ate the meat and cabbage, waited for my stomach to settle, and then started the wall-butt time.
I used the Magic Crystal to call a Wall-Butt Succubus¹², and a Noble Succubus¹³ appeared for the third day in a row. She knew it was her third time too, because she kept her legs closed and was acting shy. Her face was red.
”Looks like you like me”
Her wings flapped fast. It looked like she was saying, “N-No, it’s just a chance!”
”What a cute woman.”
Excited by her, I went under her chest as usual and started to enjoy those firm, white fruits.
—
Summary:
Yakumo grinds through the 3rd floor, killing dozens of Kobolds and racking up a massive 16,560 DP daily profit. He discovers other testers have reached the 2nd floor, which pushes him to maintain his aggressive exploration pace. Driven by the goal of buying the Grade-1 slave Tsukigase, he concludes his day with a repeat visit from a shy Noble Succubus.
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Character Insight:
This chapter highlights Yakumo’s psychological roots in past warfare, suggesting his ‘battle junkie’ nature is a coping mechanism or lingering trauma from old battlefields. His motivation is a mix of predatory sexual desire and a competitive need to stay ahead of the other testers. His interaction with the Noble Succubus shows a preference for teasing and dominating those who exhibit vulnerability.
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Behind the Scene:
The introduction of Kobolds marks a shift toward humanoid combatants, increasing the complexity of the dungeon’s AI and the physical demand on the protagonist.
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T/L:
Notes:
• 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.
• Noble Succubus – A new ‘Wall-Butt’ succubus with long white hair, a high-class appearance resembling a high school student, and large breasts. She is currently trapped in a wall-style display for slave purchase.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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