Chapter 43 The Magic Sealing Crystal
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Tester Life – Day 15, Morning
6th Floor: Goblin Territory
Sanada Yakumo
”Alright,” I muttered, sliding my machete from its sheath as I stepped off the teleportation array. “Time to go goblin hunting.”
It was already 10:00 AM. Between taking it slow with Sayaka this morning and getting held up by Oida and his lot, I’d burned too much daylight. I needed to start making bank, and fast.
The stares back in the first-floor teleportation room had been a massive pain in the ass. So I got a slave a little earlier than the others-so what? It’s just a matter of time before everyone else does the same. I guess I just moved a bit too quickly for their comfort.
Still, I’d heard one guy shouting about how he was going to “buy a slave too!” It looks like the Queen’s plan is working exactly as intended. Too bad it makes me a magnet for unwanted attention.
”Right… I almost forgot about the crystal.”
I paused at the edge of the labyrinth and pulled a red sphere from my Magic Pouch¹. It looked like nothing more than an oversized marble, but this was a Magic Sealing Crystal². I channeled my Mana Capacity³ into the stone and pitched it onto the ground in front of me.
The crystal erupted in a flash of crimson. A moment later, a familiar grey-furred Kobold stood in its place.
”Whoa. It really is like a Pokéball.”
I walked a slow circle around the creature, inspecting it from every angle. It was definitely male. Since it was a pseudo-lifeform, it probably didn’t have any actual breeding capability, but the equipment between its legs was… impressively sized. Trust a Succubus to design a dungeon where even the mutts are hung.
”Wait… does he look almost… cute?”
Something about the Kobold’s face was different. The wild ones were feral nightmares-frothing at the mouth, eyes rolled back, looking like rabid Akitas on a bender. But this one? With its mouth half-open and those round, pleading eyes, it looked more like a friendly Shiba Inu.
”I guess losing the hostility changes the look.”
But would it actually obey?
”Sit.”
The Kobold immediately dropped into a formal kneeling posture, butt on his heels. I have no idea why it chose such a stiff way to sit, but it worked.
”Stand up. Turn around three times. Bark.”
”Wan!”
Okay, so he’s responsive. Now for the real test.
”Strangle yourself.”
The Kobold’s paws flew to its own throat, squeezing with everything it had. “Wa… waguuu…”
”Stop.”
I called it off just as its eyes started to go bloodshot and roll back into its head. Well, that confirms it. It’ll follow any order, no matter how suicidal.
I felt a tiny prick of guilt watching the creature panting and wheezing on the floor, but I brushed it off. I was just testing the limits. I couldn’t risk giving a weapon to something that might turn on me the second my back was turned.
I reached into my Magic Pouch and pulled out a leather jacket and a small cap-loot I’d scavenged from various treasure chests.
”Put these on.”
The greaves and gauntlets I had were designed for adults; they were far too big for a creature the size of a primary schooler. I could have tailored some pants for him, but sewing is a chore I wasn’t in the mood for.
I stepped back to look at the result. The jacket hung down past his knees, but since it was unzipped, it wouldn’t hinder his movement. The hat-an old-school pilot’s cap that looked like it belonged in a Zero fighter-was a bit loose, but it stayed on. Honestly, seeing a dog in a flight suit was hilarious.
Next, I handed him an iron shield. It was so large compared to his frame that it functioned more like a tower shield, covering nearly his entire body. Finally, I gave him a knife and strapped a handmade potion pouch containing two Grade-5 Potions⁴ to his waist.
”Not bad. You actually look like a proper tank.”
It would kill the Kobold’s natural agility, but I didn’t need him for damage. I just needed a meat shield. If he could draw the aggro of even one goblin, he’d be worth the mana.
”Let’s give this a shot. Kobold… actually, you need a name. Right. Let’s go with Rock.”
It was the nickname of an old associate from my days in the cartel. The guy was built like a mountain of stone. He’s dead now, but the name fits a tank.
”Wafun!”
”Good. You stay a few paces ahead of me. Move out.”
”Wan!”
And so, the 6th-floor crawl began.
* * *
”Fireball⁵!”
We rounded yet another fork in the path and ran straight into a trio of goblins. I let fly with a burst of flame. Two of them were caught in the blast, their lower halves charred as they collapsed, screaming. I left them for Rock to finish and closed the distance on the third, lopping its head off with a single swing of my machete.
The sound of combat drew more. A wooden door fifteen feet up the hall slammed open, and three more goblins charged out, brandishing crude clubs.
”Wind Cutter⁶! Wind Cutter!”
They were too close for another fireball, so I spammed Wind Cutters. The blades of compressed air caught the first two in the limbs. One went down hard; the other dropped its club, clutching a mangled arm.
The last uninjured goblin swung its club at my head. I slipped the blow with a half-turn and brought the machete down through its collarbone. Green blood sprayed across the stone as it slumped over. I didn’t stop. I stepped past the dying creature and drove my blade into the skull of the goblin who had dropped its club, splitting the bone down to the neck.
The final goblin was trying to crawl away on a mangled leg. I didn’t even bother walking over. I drew the throwing knife from the back of my buckler and flicked it. It buried itself deep in the creature’s chest. It gasped, took two more stumbling steps, and died.
”Phew. Rock… looks like you handled yours.”
I turned back to see Rock standing over the charred remains of the first two goblins. He’d finished them off efficiently.
”Rock, grab the Magic Stones⁷.”
”Wan!”
”Man, this is convenient.”
Not having to bend over for every stone or worry about the finishing blows was a massive quality-of-life upgrade. He could even open chests for me. For a rare item, this crystal was proving its weight in gold.
”Still… this floor is a slog.”
I cracked open a sports drink from my pouch, grumbling to myself. As I’d feared, the 6th floor was a true labyrinth. The corridors were dark, the visibility was shit, and the place was a mess of dead ends and forks. If I didn’t map this place meticulously, I’d never find my way out.
The encounter rate wasn’t much higher than the Kobold floors, but the layout meant you were constantly getting jumped. Those little side rooms were the problem. They were everywhere, sometimes holding loot, sometimes hiding an ambush waiting to pour out the moment they heard a fight in the hall.
If I didn’t end fights instantly, I’d end up swarmed by six or more. It forced me to burn through my mana and chug Grade-5 Mana Capacity Recovery Potion⁸ just to keep my combat effectiveness up.
On the bright side, the loot drops were leaning heavily toward potions and away from those useless clubs. Now I was getting cheap bows and arrows instead. Since I have the Magic Pouch, weight wasn’t an issue, but I had no use for them.
I had Rock carry the wider shields-the ones that wouldn’t fit through the mouth of the Magic Pouch-on his back. It acted as extra armor for him. Win-win.
”Wan!”
Rock trotted back to me, his forehead-mounted headlight bobbing in the dark. He dropped the harvested Magic Stones into my hand. I’d felt a bit weird strapping a headlamp to a dog, but it was too dark to see otherwise, and I’d rather deal with the extra aggro from the light than step on a hidden trap.
I pulled out my notebook and had Rock light the page while I updated the map. We’d been at it for seven hours, but between the mapping and checking every single side room to avoid getting flanked, we’d barely covered any ground.
”I don’t know how big this floor is, but this is going to take forever.”
It would be great if Rock could map, but he wasn’t that smart. Plus, paws aren’t exactly built for penmanship.
”Whatever. Complaining won’t finish the floor. Let’s call it a day.”
I wasn’t about to get caught deep in the labyrinth in the dark. We trekked two hours back to the teleportation circle.
”Good work, Rock. Return.”
The crystal glowed red again, and Rock vanished, leaving only the marble on the floor.
”Hmm?”
I expected his gear to be scattered on the ground, but it was gone. Even the extra shields I’d strapped to him. I peered into the translucent depths of the red crystal.
There was Rock, huddled with his knees to his chest inside the stone. He was still wearing the leather jacket and the pilot’s cap, with the shields tucked neatly at his feet.
”So the gear gets sealed with the monster? Now that’s useful.”
I could load him up with a backpack full of emergency rations and extra supplies to save space in my Magic Pouch.
Tucking the crystal away, I stepped onto the array and let the light carry me back to the first floor.
—
Summary:
Sanada Yakumo enters the 6th floor of the Succubus Dungeon to begin hunting goblins and making money. He activates a Magic Sealing Crystal to summon a loyal Kobold he names Rock, equipping him as a tank for the crawl. After a grueling seven-hour exploration of the labyrinthine floor, Yakumo discovers that Rock’s equipment remains stored inside the crystal upon withdrawal.
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Character Insight:
Yakumo continues to demonstrate a strictly pragmatic approach to his environment. His ‘testing’ of the Kobold’s loyalty by ordering it to strangle itself highlights a ruthless streak shaped by his past in a drug cartel, prioritizing absolute control over empathy. Despite this, he shows a rudimentary form of attachment by naming the creature after a deceased comrade and providing it with gear, though this is ultimately framed through the lens of maximizing the creature’s utility as a tool for his own survival.
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Behind the Scene:
The visual of a monster sitting in ‘seiza’ (formal kneeling) provides a comedic contrast to the otherwise dark and gritty dungeon setting. The author uses common RPG and ‘Isekai’ tropes, like the Pokéball reference, to ground the reader in the story’s game-like logic while maintaining a mature, hard-boiled tone.
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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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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