Chapter 259 Hero Magic and Limit Breaking
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Alright! Yakumo, you open the gold capsule,” Karen said, her voice bright with that familiar influencer enthusiasm.
”Yes, it is only fitting that our esteemed leader does the honors,” Sheena replied with the polished grace of a Victorian servant.
”Fair enough. I’ll take it.”
I accepted the gold capsule Karen had recovered and peered inside. Resting within was a gold plate engraved with the words Entry Permit alongside a blue-bound Magic Tome.1
(So the Magic Tome is the secondary prize.)
The others immediately crowded around, their attention fixed on my hands. As I fed a small amount of Mana Capacity into the capsule, the contents materialized before us. The tome drew my eye at once. Its craftsmanship was exceptional, with silver-trimmed pages and an embossed lightning bolt decorating the cover.
”Is this… Lightning magic?” I asked.
”Wha—! Is that The Hero’s…!?”
Sheena’s composure shattered for a moment.
”You recognize it, Sheena?”
”P-pardon my outburst, sir.” She quickly regained her usual poise. “Yes. That is unquestionably the Magic Tome for the intermediate spell Lightning. It was a legendary and exceedingly rare spell once wielded by the Hero of the Human Realm.”
”Rare, huh?”
”Amazing! That has to be insanely powerful!” Karen exclaimed.
”Lightning magic… it’s the Hero’s signature. Mufu… the birth of Hero Yakumo!” Leticia giggled.
”Drop it, Leticia. I’m not cut out to be a hero. Working for free isn’t my style.”
”Indeed, sir.” Sheena inclined her head. “Lightning-attribute Magic Tomes are heavily restricted within the human kingdoms. The only known sources are ancient dungeons that require special permission to enter, and even there, obtaining one is extraordinarily difficult.”
So they were just handing this out.
I supposed that was one of the rewards for reaching this point first, though I doubted the demons who created these capsules valued the tome anywhere near as highly as humans did.
”The Hero knew higher-tier lightning spells,” Sheena continued, “yet he favored Lightning because of its versatility. During the Great War, I witnessed him use it even from afar. The bolts leaped from enemy to enemy, erasing entire formations in moments. It is a spell you absolutely must learn, Master.”
”I see. It suits a frontline fighting style, so I’ll take it.”
A laugh escaped me.
For someone who usually stumbled over her words, Sheena had become remarkably eloquent. Still, she had a point. If the spell was truly that effective, there was no reason not to make it part of my arsenal.
”May I photograph the Magic Tome? Opportunities like this are rare.”
”Sure. Go ahead. I’ll learn it once we’re back home.”
There was no point testing it here. My Mana Capacity was already running on fumes.
”Next up, the silver capsule! Hmm… oh! A Machete!”
A blue-black blade appeared in Karen’s hand.
”That is Adamantite,” Sheena observed. “It is exceptionally dense and durable. The weight makes it difficult to wield, but it is an extremely powerful material for weapons.”
”Yeah… it’s really heavy.”
”I can see that.”
Taking the machete from Karen, I immediately felt the difference. It weighed nearly twice as much as my Black Steel Machete. Without the Bracelet of Might doubling my strength, an ordinary adventurer would probably struggle to use it effectively.
I gave it a few experimental swings. The balance was solid despite the weight, and when combined with Physical Reinforcement, it would make a devastating addition to my equipment.
The copper capsule contained two Disarm Trap scrolls.
The result was almost insulting. I had gone through thirty silver Gacha pulls without seeing a single one, yet now two appeared after we had already secured the Entry Permit. By that point, exhaustion had settled over all of us, making the irony even harder to appreciate.
”I don’t have the energy to walk anymore,” Karen admitted.
Leticia immediately agreed.
I felt much the same, so I pulled out the Medal of Return. This dungeon really did have a cruel sense of humor.
”Phew, that feels better. Now it’s time to settle the earnings.”
After waving to Moe and Kyoko, who looked surprised to see us return to the living room for the second day in a row, I stripped off my equipment and headed for the bath with Lunaria and Sheena. Once we had washed each other thoroughly, I spent some private time taking care of Lunaria before finally relaxing in the hot water.
When I emerged, I accepted a beer from Kyoko and headed straight to the service room to calculate the day’s profits. A mountain of Magic Stones poured from my Magic Pouch onto the magic circle covering the floor.
”…Three hundred ten thousand DP. Fair enough, I suppose.”
We had killed roughly five hundred monsters in a single day. Even so, after subtracting the cost of six Grade 3 Mana Capacity Recovery Potions, our actual profit came to only ten thousand DP.
This really was not a stratum designed for a single party.
The value of the Gacha rewards compensated for it, but the structure still felt deliberate. At first, I wondered whether the later strata might require multiple parties working together. Perhaps The Queen valued collective strength more than individual excellence.
The idea fell apart as soon as I considered the evidence.
The Area Guardian rewards and Gacha system clearly favored those who advanced first. If cooperation were the primary goal, there would be little reason to reward early conquerors so heavily. That left another possibility. The system might be laying the groundwork for guild mechanics and encouraging parties to build stronger relationships before they became necessary.
If this were a game, raids and guild wars would be the obvious next step.
In a real dungeon, the situation would be far more complicated, but the result would be similar. Stronger groups would have a reason to support weaker ones, especially if future rewards depended on large-scale cooperation. Depending on how the system worked, top parties might even begin training lower-ranked testers instead of treating their slaves as disposable resources.
If raids really were coming, then my current approach had been the correct one all along.
The loyalty of my guild members was already absolute, and when the time came, they would stand beside us without hesitation.
”Not worth worrying about right now.”
I would deal with it when it happened.
After reaching that conclusion, I purchased a leotard-style magic armor for Lunaria, leaving me with roughly 2.9 million DP. Our expenses had increased dramatically since entering the Inner Perimeter, although our income had risen as well. The Fourteenth Stratum felt less like a source of DP and more like a bonus stage designed for collecting rare items and Magic Tomes.
A short encounter with Kyoko, who had come to call us for dinner, delayed me briefly before I finally returned to the living room.
As we discussed the upcoming Guardian battle after dinner, Karen suddenly spoke up.
”Hey, Darling. I talked it over with everyone while we were in the bath. Why don’t we wait a little before challenging the Fourteenth Stratum Guardian? We could spend some more time farming items and magic from the Gacha.”
”Bonus stages like this are often one-time opportunities.”
”Hmm… that’s true.”
Most games placed generous farming zones before major difficulty spikes, but those areas usually became inaccessible after players progressed. I highly doubted the succubus management team would allow powerful testers to keep returning indefinitely to farm the Fourteenth Stratum.
Once we defeated the Fourteenth Stratum Guardian, the Fifteenth Floor Area Guardian would probably appear. After reaching the Sixteenth Stratum, there was a good chance the teleportation array would permanently block access to the Fourteenth. We might still be able to return to the Thirteenth, but that would mean clearing the entire route again just to obtain another Introductory Permit.
That was completely unrealistic.
Then the reason for the non-transferable Entry Permit finally clicked.
The administrators had likely anticipated that testers would exchange information. Anyone who learned about the Gacha rewards would naturally want to revisit the dungeon and farm before advancing. By locking access behind progression, they created a balance where early arrivals received better rewards while latecomers gained the advantage of preparation.
”The Princess is almost fully recovered as well,” Sheena added. “Waiting a little longer may be the safer choice.”
”I still want to move forward, but strengthening Hanako does have its merits.”
”I agree with everyone, sir.” Sheena nodded. “A stratum like this suggests that the areas ahead will contain exceptionally powerful monsters. Further improving your equipment would be a prudent decision, Master.”
”You’re right. Everyone has a point.”
Once Lunaria recovered her ego, our overall combat strength would increase dramatically because she would regain access to Beast Ki.
Hanako was not particularly important to my plans, but Feli was still only E+ Rank after a single Rank-Up. Since she was an E-Rank monster like Saizou, she should eventually evolve into a D+ Rank monster as well. The Kobolds and Goblins had already evolved three times, which suggested a similar growth path for her. According to Sheena, Gray Wolves were the only known D-Rank wolf-type monsters, making that evolution the most likely outcome.
If that happened, our frontline durability would improve significantly.
”Then we’ll postpone the Guardian fight we were planning to pull an all-nighter for and spend some time strengthening ourselves in the Fourteenth Stratum. Let’s see… ten days should do it. Maybe twelve if we take a few breaks along the way. That ought to give us enough time for a hundred Silver Gacha pulls.”
”One hundred pulls!? That’s five guaranteed Silver Capsules!” Sanae exclaimed.
”I want to pull too! I want to get a rare Light magic scroll!” Mia added eagerly.
”Fufu, it seems we’ll have plenty of opportunities to stock up on carrots and scrolls,” Leticia remarked with a satisfied smile.
”Still as gluttonous as ever, you rabbit—wait! Stop throwing forks, you violent bunny!”
A fork buried itself in the table beside my hand.
”My apologies. My hand slipped.”
”Since when does a hand slip hard enough to launch a fork across the room?!”
”I misspoke. I applied slightly too much force.”
”You absolutely did that on purpose!”
”Hmm… Sheena is one vicious little rab—wait!?”
Another projectile flew.
”My apologies, Princess Lunaria. My hand slipped.”
”Hey! Stop throwing knives at her too! That one is stuck in the wall!”
”…How rude,” Lunaria replied.
”Sanae, Princess Lunaria, please return the fork and knife. I am still eating my carrot cake,” Leticia said calmly.
”Like hell I’m giving it back!” Sanae shot back.
”…Step outside and face me.”
”Fufu. Once Lunaria-san fully regains her ego, things are going to become very lively.”
”I just hope ‘lively’ is all it stays.”
Sighing, I held Lunaria back before she could rise from her seat. Across the table, Sanae continued arguing while Sheena wore the faintest trace of a smug smile.
The next morning, I woke to Kyoko pressed against me while Moe slept peacefully at my side.
After spending a pleasant morning together, the three of us headed for the bath.
Thinking back on the previous night, things had been unusually lively even by our standards. Sheena and Lunaria had somehow turned “training” into a full-blown duel on the isolated island, and by the time I stepped in, it looked as though Sheena was about to lose. The evening only became more chaotic from there, eventually giving way to drinks, conversation, and the usual late-night antics that followed whenever everyone relaxed after a difficult dungeon run.
By the end of it all, I had fallen asleep surrounded by Moe and Kyoko.
After finishing my shower ahead of the others, I headed to the service room and purchased breakfast for everyone.
On days like this, I always bought meals from the shop so Moe and Sayaka could rest. Since it was now the 120th day, prices had climbed to 650 DP per meal, but I purchased the Breakfast Sets anyway as they appeared one after another atop the stone magic circle.
Looking at the sandwiches, I could not help thinking, Six thousand five hundred yen for this? That’s expensive.
After storing everything in my Magic Pouch, I sensed someone approaching.
The door opened quietly, revealing Sheena in her maid uniform.
”Master…”
Her voice sounded unusually subdued.
Hm?
Something was bothering her.
”What’s wrong? Did you come to pick up breakfast?”
”No… not exactly.”
”Then what is it? Is there something you want to talk about?”
Her hesitation immediately put me on alert.
”Ever since I woke up this morning, my body has felt… different. I have a suspicion regarding the cause, but it should be impossible. Even so, I wanted you to confirm it, Master.”
”Confirm it? Wait… don’t tell me your Mana Capacity rank increased?”
The possibility hit me so suddenly that I nearly jumped out of my chair.
”Perhaps. However, I am merely the daughter of a knightly household. Such a thing should not be possible. If I were capable of ranking up, it should have happened during the Great War.”
”I see. Then let’s check.”
I understood her confusion.
She had told me before that Beastmen generally reached their limit at C-Rank, one full rank below the humans of this world. Anything beyond that was normally reserved for royalty and powerful noble bloodlines. As a Rabbit-kin, a race considered weak even among Beastmen, Sheena had never heard of anyone breaking through that barrier.
Still, if she believed it was possible, then there was a chance.
Filled with anticipation, I activated the Magic Crystal, opened the Slave Management Screen, and selected her name.
Sheena
Age: 19
Race: Rabbit-kin
Mana Capacity: C+
Subjugation Target: Sanada Yakumo
Subjugation Status: Fully Subjugated
Possessions: None
Notes: Former Soul-less Doll
”!?”
”Oh! You actually did it, Sheena!”
She stared at the display in stunned silence, her eyes fixed on the result.
Meanwhile, I could not stop grinning.
”Th-thank you… but how?”
”Hmm… well, the tattoo might play some role in it, but I’m the only one whose body changed after ranking up. Considering that my bodily modifications allow me to restore Mana Capacity, I suspect the changes are affecting the people connected to me as well.”
The Succubus Management system treated slaves and Soul-less Dolls as little more than property. As far as I could tell, the only alteration they received was the tattoo itself.
At the same time, Sayaka and the others had been growing at the same pace as—if not faster than—other modified testers.
The simplest explanation was that I was somehow responsible.
”I see…” Sheena lowered her gaze thoughtfully before a smile slowly spread across her face. “In that case, it means I was able to surpass the Beastman limit because of Master’s love.”
”Y-yeah… I suppose that’s one way to put it.”
Strictly speaking, she was not wrong.
”If that is truly the reason, then everything makes sense. Fufufu… I never imagined I would surpass my limits. Now I stand at the same rank as the Princess. With this strengthened body, I will not fall behind her any longer.”
”Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
I replied with a wry smile.
After all, Lunaria had thoroughly defeated her the previous night despite only recently recovering.
For Beastmen, racial traits mattered just as much as Mana Capacity rank. As a Rabbit-kin, Sheena belonged to a physically weaker race, which made every increase in Mana Capacity valuable because it allowed her to sustain Beast Ki for longer periods.
Even so, her advantage would only last until Lunaria fully awakened.
Once Lunaria regained her full abilities and began using Beast Ki properly, the difference in their racial potential would become impossible to ignore, even if they shared the same rank.
Sheena probably understood that better than anyone.
Most likely, she was simply looking forward to finally getting a chance to repay Lunaria for all the teasing and one-sided defeats she had suffered over the last few days.
For a former mistress and servant, the two of them really were remarkably close.
But the fact that eja**lating inside a slave can strengthen them… as expected, “c**ming inside.” Cumming inside is what will open up the future of humanity!
—
Summary:
Yakumo and his party secure rare items, including a Magic Tome and an Adamantite Machete, after successfully navigating the 14th Stratum’s Gacha system. Upon returning to their living space, Yakumo reflects on the dungeon’s design and prepares for potential future challenges, including a suspected guild-based raid system. After consulting with his party, he decides to delay their assault on the 14th Stratum’s Guardian to focus on strengthening their equipment and waiting for Lunaria’s recovery. The decision leaves their immediate progression path uncertain as they prepare for higher difficulty levels.
Yakumo discusses the strategy to delay the Guardian battle to focus on strength training in the 14th Stratum for ten days. After a chaotic and intimate night with his harem, he wakes up and handles breakfast arrangements. Sheena approaches him with concerns about her health, which turns out to be a Mana Capacity rank-up linked to Yakumo.
—
Trivia:
The 14th Stratum acts as a “bonus stage” with high loot rarity but potential one-time access.
The Entry Permit is non-transferable to prevent testers from farming and then bypassing the intended progression loop.
Yakumo manages DP income and expenses, noting that while his income has increased, his spending on magic items and gear has also risen.
Sheena holds historical knowledge of the “Hero” from the Great War, which informs the party’s current tactical decisions.
Feli and Hanako have specific evolution paths that mirror other dungeon monsters, which Yakumo is tracking for optimization.
Beastmen are naturally limited to C-rank Mana Capacity, lower than humans.
Only high-ranking nobles or royalty can usually help a Beastman break their racial limit.
Yakumo’s s**men has properties that can restore and potentially boost Mana Capacity.
Sheena is a former Soul-less Doll who was once a servant of Lunaria.
Rabbit-kin utilize Beast Ki to convert Mana into physical strength.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Yakumo – A scarred, stoic, and pragmatic C+-ranked Guard Captain and Nightmare Guildmaster. Cynical about heroism, he uses tactical commands and elemental magic to lead a growing dungeon-layer party of girls against threats. Within his dungeon facility, he possesses unique status, utilizing high-mana capacity and abilities to act as a blunt provider and absolute leader for his harem of female companions, students, and dependent slaves.
• Karen – An energetic American animation major and soldier’s daughter, Karen is a busty, loyal member of Sanada’s circle who also scavenges and explores dungeons within Yakumo’s party. She uses defensive walls and fiery magic gun support, entering combat with high emotional volatility if her familiar is harmed. Observant of loot, she helps plan moves but is an openly hostile foe to the Voice Actors Hunter Guild.
• Sheena – A 165cm rabbit-kin and former Soul-less Doll, this maid is Yakumo’s loyal, sharp-tongued “second wife” and tactical advisor. Once a Flash-Step Decapitator, the rapier user is a slave subordinate who maintains extreme politeness even during violence. Highly analytical and knowledgeable in magic, history, and dungeons, she sadistically mentors Lunaria while cautiously monitoring threats.
• Leticia – Leticia-chan is a short, cloaked Holy Maiden with an angelic, elegant look and blunt tone. A proud resident of Yakumo’s household and party, she forms a rearguard duo with Karen and is a steadfast companion to Sanada. This high-energy magic user specializes in light restraining, Light Arrow, and High Heal spells, hiding her vulnerability and fierce competition for intimacy behind a stoic exterior.
• Lunaria – The Princess, a silver wolf-kin Great War survivor with a doll-like appearance and regal bearing, wields dual swords with beast-ki reflexes. Under Yakumo’s strict control and public training during dungeon breaks, she displays a soulless demeanor and violent outbursts. While currently bound to him, she is slowly recovering her ego and gaining power through an evolving bond with Sheena.
• Kyoko – A 180 cm tall, curvaceous top-rank student, model, and athlete who resides in the dungeon, providing services like logistics and cooking despite her clumsy housekeeping. Fierce and high-stamina in combat, she hides a deep dependency on Yakumo. As a member of his household sharing in the group’s intimate life, she is intensely affectionate, relentlessly teasing, and uninhibitedly assertive.
• Moe – A gentle-faced, middle-aged dungeon resident and Chief Slave Adjunct, this mature woman manages household tasks and manual labor. Reserved yet warm, she serves as a caretaker and teacher to students. As a supportive harem and party member, she shares an intimate bond with Yakumo as a regular sexual partner, is frequently seen with Kyoko, and is known for her apron and domestic skills.
• Hanako – A D-Rank homunculus Orc Woman General, party member, and dungeon creature with growth potential. Serving as Sanada’s stoic frontline defender, she is clad in full black iron armor and wields twin greatshields. Her masochistic, provocative combat style centers on absorbing projectiles and triggering chest traps, acting as a durable meat wall to safeguard allies at all costs.
• Saizou – An E-rank monster party member, this taciturn yet highly polite male goblin vanguard wears ninja garb, featuring a small horn and jagged teeth. Armed with poison daggers and a bow, he loyally excels at scouting, trap-disarming, and clearing rooftop enemies. He manages the group’s quarters, acts as a master to Lucy, and serves as a dedicated training partner for Sanae.
• Feli – A large, green, wolf-girl canine companion and Leticia’s familiar, this E+-ranked party member is an affectionate, playful pet deeply loyal to Yakumo. She provides emotional support to other summons while seeking attention. In battle, this swift, lethal combatant retrieves magic stones from defeated monsters, specializes in finishing off incapacitated foes, and has potential to evolve and rank up.
• Sanae – Tall, model-like and sporting a black ponytail with sharp features, Nijyuuki is a 1st-Rank Slave, Archery Club vice-captain, and skilled kyudo expert. Part of Yakumo’s household and seeking the Third Concubine title, this spirited rearguard supports allies with detection and defensive magic. She is best friends with Sayaka, close with Karen, teases Sheena, and prone to domestic, physical squabbles.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Mia – A 14-year-old dark-haired succubus from Succubus Management who appears via the Wall-Butt interface. This simple, innocent household member is often found with Leticia and is close friends with Aria. A massive fantasy-anime fan who expresses it through tail movements, she radiates comforting vibes but is actually a yandere obsessively fixated on Yakumo.
• Sayaka – A seventeen-year-old Rank-1 slave, C-Rank mage, and the academy’s top beauty. Specializing in fire, ice, wind, and water elemental spells, she assists with dousing flames. As Yakumo’s devoted caretaker, she manages his gear and training within the dungeon. A refined mediator for Sanada’s group—balancing Lunaria and Sheena—she remains a supportive party manager despite his relentless demands.
• Sanada Yakumo – Sanada Yakumo, a scarred veteran with a battle‑torn face, bears the Sanada family name and leads the Nightmare guild as its Guard Captain and Guildmaster. He is a Day‑100 Master/Tester, C‑rank adventurer turned localization editor, runs a succubus‑filled dungeon, heads a harem of students and familiars, manages resources and Gacha pulls, lives in his “My Room,” coaches his party, and uses Mana Capacity, an NVIDIA RTX 3070 Mobile GPU and “Drill‑Dick” powers to hunt races and guide tactics.
• Sanada – Sanada Yakumo, a scarred veteran and leader of the Nightmare Guild, commands the 14th Stratum with ruthless precision. Armed with dimensional magic and the formidable Sanada legacy, he manages his succubus-infested dungeon and complex harem of students and familiars. A pragmatic, ego-driven strategist, his battle-torn appearance reflects his endurance as he balances resource management with authority.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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