Volume 2 Chapter 2 Daily Training Dungeon
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Thursday after school, the four of us headed to the Naruse family estate with one destination in mind: that infamous dungeon.
As usual, we split our time between physical training in the dojo and strategy discussions during our breaks. We also made a point of looking completely absorbed in our training. The last time Naruse-mama caught us idle, we had spent nearly an hour trapped in one of her self-congratulatory stories, and I had no intention of losing another afternoon that way.
While Chifumi and Yurina worked through their drills, I stood near the wall with Risa.
”Are we looking for Majo’s Tears1 in the dungeon?” she asked.
”No. I’m after something else.” I lowered my voice slightly. “I realized that dungeon has another use.”
Risa blinked. “You realized? Did you find some kind of document?”
”Not exactly. I found some local folklore in the library.”
I handed her a note and explained where it had come from. Hidden among the regional records in a restricted section was a small booklet more than a century old, its pages filled with local legends and half-forgotten stories.
According to one tale, a giant centipede apparition once appeared in this region and demanded tribute in exchange for blessings. Those blessings were so valuable that the people welcomed the creature and lived alongside it for many years. Over time, however, its true nature surfaced. Its followers became oppressive, the blessings grew fewer, and the tribute demanded grew ever greater. Unable to endure the burden any longer, the people prayed to the ancient land deity for help.
The deity battled the apparition for three days and three nights before finally sealing it within a shrine. The story survived as a warning that easy blessings often carried a hidden cost.
”The thing sealed in the dungeon…” Risa whispered. “You think it’s that centipede apparition?”
”That’s my theory.”
”A centipede? It’s just a legend, isn’t it?”
”Most likely. Still, legends usually start with some truth.” I tapped the note. “Think about the blessings mentioned in the story. Do they remind you of anything?”
Her eyes widened. She immediately reached for the Majo’s Tears hanging around her neck and stared at it.
”This… You think this might be one of those blessings?”
”Think about the production time. If it takes a year to make a single Majo’s Tears, there could have been a stockpile at first. The centipede handed them out freely, but once the reserve ran dry, production slowed to its normal pace. People may have offered more tribute, but that would not have changed how long it took to make another one. They could easily have mistaken that limitation for greed.”
”That does fit the story…” Risa murmured as she looked down at the pendant. “But…”
”What if the centipede wasn’t literally a centipede?” I suggested. “It could have been a name given to a group capable of creating magic tools. Or maybe a sorcery user used the image of a centipede apparition to hide what they were really doing.”
”It’s old folklore, so there’s no guarantee any of it is accurate,” Risa said. “I can follow the logic, but it still feels like a stretch.”
(Aye, that’s a fair bit o’ stretchin’, innit? Can’t fault the lass for thinkin’ so.)
Hinoki’s mournful voice drifted through my mind. Ignoring it for the moment, I focused on Risa.
”Centipede apparition. Seal. Dungeon. The pieces fit well enough that it’s worth testing.”
”Testing?”
”That dungeon isn’t just a seal,” I explained. “It’s also a training ground for sorcery users. Apparitions gather there because of the seal’s influence, and fighting them gives us real combat experience. In other words, it’s practically a leveling dungeon.”
Risa tilted her head. “And what exactly are you planning to do?”
I glanced across the dojo. “Looks like Chifumi and Yurina are taking a break. Let’s explain it to everyone at once.”
”Got it.”
We gathered around with bottles of water and brought the others up to speed.
”Remember the black sphere we found in the small room after we defeated the centipede?” I asked.
”Yep! I remember!” Chifumi replied.
”I couldn’t figure it out at first, but after bringing it under my control, I finally learned what it does.”
I summoned Hinoki. The giant centipede emerged from my shadow, though I kept it shrunk to roughly a meter long. Risa immediately shifted behind me, making no effort to hide her dislike of it.
”This is Hinoki,” I said. “By combining Hinoki’s abilities with that sphere, I can reconfigure the dungeon.”
”Reconfigure it?” Yurina asked.
”If I have the correct items and apparition, I can access administrator rights. That lets me generate pseudo-apparitions suited to our current level.”
”Huuuh?” all three girls replied at once.
”Put simply, I can recreate apparitions stored in Hinoki’s memory and have them appear inside the dungeon. We can fight them to gain experience and improve our abilities as sorcery users.”
”You can really do that?” Risa asked.
”I think so. Let’s go find out.”
We headed underground and entered the dungeon. Once we reached the first cavern, I signaled for everyone to stop.
Hinoki appeared again, standing upright while the black sphere floated neatly above its head.
”This is…” Yurina trailed off.
”The sphere is both the dungeon reward and its management device,” I explained. “Hinoki serves as the password needed to operate it. With both of them, I become the administrator.”
I wrapped my hand around the sphere and closed my eyes.
(Aye, just wish for it, lad. Use me to draw in the power o’ the leylines like water. Let the dungeon soften into clay, then shape it however ye please. Shift the pillars, remake the foundation, alter the frame. Tear it apart, knead it together, build it anew. It’s no different from renovatin’ a house, see?)
Following Hinoki’s guidance, I began rebuilding the space.
”Wait… what?” Yurina gasped.
When I opened my eyes again, the cavern was gone.
In its place stood a room that looked like the waiting area of a futuristic hospital. Sleek benches lined the walls, bright lights illuminated every corner, and a massive metal door blocked the path ahead.
”Incredible…” I breathed.
”It actually worked…” Chifumi and Risa murmured.
Relief hit me first, and exhaustion followed immediately after. My vision swayed as my knees gave out, but Hinoki slid underneath me before I could fall and became a makeshift chair.
(Whoops. Easy there.)
”My bad.”
(Don’t worry about it, lad. First time’s always rough. Just don’t push yerself too hard while ye’re still learnin’.)
”Fair point.”
As I chatted with Hinoki, Chifumi leaned closer.
”Minoru, can you talk to it?”
”Yeah. I can understand what it’s trying to say.”
”Whoa… so the apparitions you enslave actually have consciousness?” she asked. “I always imagined it was more like a dog wagging its tail and the owner guessing what it meant.”
”Normally, that’s pretty close.”
”But not this one?”
”For some reason, no.”
”Huh. Maybe it’s special.”
”Maybe.”
Once my strength returned, I stood up. Hinoki somehow looked proud of itself as I moved to one of the benches, and after everyone sat down, it slipped back into my shadow.
”We’re clearing the dungeon once today,” I announced.
”Minoru, are you sure?” Risa asked. “You still look exhausted.”
”I’m fine. I’ve recovered enough to move.”
”Please don’t overdo it,” Yurina said.
”I won’t. Besides, I couldn’t change the dungeon’s core rules.”
”Core rules?”
”It’s still a straight progression. Three waves of regular apparitions followed by a boss. Beat the boss and the dungeon ends.”
The original version had spawned three waves of frogs and then a frog boss. I was nowhere near strong enough to rewrite something that fundamental.
”So only the apparitions change?” Yurina asked.
”More or less. I can’t choose exact enemies, but I can guide the overall direction. This time I set it to generate weaker apparitions suitable for training.”
”I see.”
With everyone finally on the same page, we approached the metal door. I placed my hand against the monitor beside it, and the door slid open with a hiss.
Beyond it stretched a spotless corridor with smooth pavement and perfectly maintained walls.
”Whoaaaa!” Chifumi cheered.
I caught her by the shoulder before she could rush ahead and took the lead.
We had barely gone far when a sparrow-like apparition appeared.
Risa’s magic pistol barked twice. The first shot clipped the creature and ruined its dive, while the second struck cleanly and dispersed it before it could recover.
”Easy! Nothing to it!”
Her accuracy really was impressive.
The next encounter brought another sparrow along with a weasel-like apparition nearly fifty centimeters long, blades protruding from both forearms. It sprang forward the moment it appeared, but Yurina met it head-on. She knocked aside its attack, launched it into the air, and cut it down before it could touch the ground again.
The third wave consisted of two sparrows and two blade-weasels. Chifumi and I joined in that time, and together we cleared them without much trouble.
After exchanging a glance, we pushed through the final door and entered the boss room.
A wooden doll stood waiting inside.
It was roughly my height, its limbs carved from separate pieces and joined together as though someone had assembled it by hand. A wood golem, maybe?
The moment it noticed us, it lunged forward and threw a punch.
Yurina intercepted it with her sword. Although she landed a solid hit, the wood proved much tougher than it looked, and her blade failed to cut all the way through.
In the end, that hardly mattered.
Against four opponents, the golem never stood a chance. We overwhelmed it from every side until its body stopped moving and dissolved into nothing. No item drops appeared afterward.
”That’s it?” Risa asked.
”Looks that way. Look—”
Before I could finish, the world blurred and the entire party was teleported back to the starting area.
So that was how dungeon completion worked.
”This is amazing!” Risa exclaimed. “Let’s do another run!”
”Being able to fight different apparitions is definitely useful,” Yurina agreed.
Both of them looked genuinely excited. After fighting frogs over and over, I could hardly blame them.
I wanted another run too.
”Sorry,” I said. “Not today.”
”Ehh? Why not?”
”Reconfiguring the dungeon takes time. It uses the leylines to create those apparitions, so one run per day is the limit.”
”Bummer…”
With that, we returned to the surface.
”That was so much fun!” Chifumi said. “I never thought we’d be able to do something like that.”
”We really can’t let anyone find out about this place,” Yurina warned.
”I know, I know! It’s our secret!” Risa replied.
All three of them were still buzzing with excitement. As usual, I reminded Risa to keep everything hidden, though I was not particularly worried. By then the sun was already setting, and our visit had come to an end.
After saying goodbye to Risa, the three of us headed home. Once we dropped Chifumi off at the Takino residence, only Yurina and I remained.
And the most enjoyable part of the evening was only just beginning.
—
Summary:
Minoru leads his group to the Naruse estate to utilize the secret dungeon as a training facility. After researching local legends about a centipede apparition, he successfully reconfigures the dungeon into a controlled environment using a magical sphere and the apparition Hinoki. The group clears the dungeon for the first time, but Minoru’s limits on reconfiguration lead to questions about the future of their training sessions.
—
Trivia:
The Naruse family estate serves as the primary location for the group’s dungeon training.
The dungeon’s reconfiguration process is limited by the power of leylines, allowing only one run per day.
Hinoki acts as both a combat asset and a key to the dungeon’s management interface.
Minoru’s ability to communicate with apparitions is considered anomalous by his peers.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Naruse – The family name of Risa.
• Yuri – A cheerful and energetic first-year student at Higashi High who is a classmate of Shibuya and an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina from their middle school days. A girl known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism.
• Chifumi – Minoru’s 15-year-old childhood friend and classmate is a scrawny, long-haired frost/water mage and devoted Majo. Playful, airy, and a skilled mediator, she balances a trendy, cat-like demeanor with fierce combat prowess as Minoru’s proxy. A curious student and supportive rearguard, she schemes with Risa and trains with Minoru, blending naive charm with sharp-tongued, dominant battlefield efficiency.
• Yurina – A black-haired, disciplined swordswoman and vanguard of Minoru’s group, this serious student is a skilled Sorcery user and Kibe family member. Known for her beauty and signature lucky hair ornament, she balances high-level combat prowess with a formal, devoted demeanor toward Minoru. Beneath her proud, stubborn facade, she struggles with emotional turmoil while resisting her forced submissive role.
• Risa – A long black-haired, gyaru-styled student and mid-guard who uses a magic pistol, she possesses dungeon combat experience and a Majo’s Tears item. Once hostile and prideful, notably in her clashing with Maruyama, she now serves Minoru with blissful, submissive devotion. Known for her sharp eyes, skill in Western cooking, and provocative banter, she wears outfits chosen by her master, trading her feral past for duty.
• Hinoki – A centipede-type Great Apparition serving as Minoru’s chibi familiar and tactical advisor. With a powerful jaw, high magical resistance, and the unique ability to reconfigure dungeon structures, this playful, inquisitive creature acts as a loyal shield and hidden trump card. She remains deeply bound to Minoru, seeking to restart her life cycle through their strategic partnership.
• Centipede – A former high-level Apparition currently reduced to a powerless, disembodied state. It speaks with a manipulative, merchant-like tone.
• Minoru – The protagonist. A reincarnated sorcerer from a powerful lineage, he navigates a world with reversed beauty standards as a calculated, mob-like student. Now, a strategic, shock-wielding Majin and dungeon administrator, Stoic and dominant, he asserts control over his female subordinates—including his trainee Yurina—through rigid mastery contracts.
• Takino – The family name of Chifumi.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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