Volume 1 Chapter 34
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Haaaaaaaah!”
The Goblin Sword swung down with a whistle, catching an identical blade held by the goblin in front of me.
”Gugyagyaaaaah!!!”
With a piercing, inhuman shriek, the goblin collapsed and dissolved into a haze of black smoke.
(I did it! My first win against an armed goblin!)
He was way tougher than the grunts. The fact that they actually carry weapons changes everything. Even if getting slashed by Dungeon Energy¹ isn’t an instant kill, the mental drain of a prolonged swordfight is exhausting. It was a genuine life-or-death struggle, but I’d managed to pull through.
(And look at that—a [Goblin Sword] drop! It’s not worth much on the market, but at least it’ll stop the bleeding from these rental fees.)
Dungeon-born gear has a shelf life; the more you use it, the more the internal Dungeon Energy—its durability—fizzles out. Whether you’re buying or renting from the Explorer’s Guild², it costs a small fortune. I’d love to buy gear for cheap from other Academy Students, but the Guild has a total monopoly. Trading drops outside their system is strictly forbidden. Consequently, the constant rental deficit was doing a real number on my bank account. Having this [Goblin Sword] means I can stop renting gear until this one breaks.
(People say you start turning a profit once you hit the lower floors of a Phase One dungeon, but by then, you’re probably one-shotting 1st-floor goblins anyway. It’s almost embarrassing to compare myself to them.)
That was my reality: I’d finally mastered the “basic” 1st-floor goblins and cleared my first armed one.
(My progress is at a snail’s pace… but hey, a step forward is still a step.)
What used to take me thirty minutes now takes twenty. My Dungeon Infiltration Rank—my level, basically—was steadily climbing.
(Well, I’m no Minami-chan. I can’t dual-wield, and I have to return my rental gear anyway. Let’s call it a day.)
I turned back and began the long climb up the stairs to exit the Phase One dungeon. I was halfway up when a sudden, sweet, and slightly tangy fragrance drifted past. I turned toward the scent.
”…Quite a coincidence, Hirosawa-kun,” a voice said.
The voice was a rich alto that seemed to vibrate against my eardrums. I knew that voice.
”Haruka-san… You’re looking as cool as ever today,” I said.
”Hehe… thanks. It means a lot coming from you,” Haruka-san replied.
Izumi Haruka-san. She was one of the Four Heavenly Kings—the class’s elite beauties—and she went by the alias “The Prince.” She wasn’t here because she was following me, though. Phase One is a solo-only dungeon; even if two people enter at the same time, the system shunts them into separate instances. However, if your exit timing is frame-perfect, you sometimes run into other Explorers on the stairs.
”Are you wrapping up for the day too, Haruka-san?” I asked, stealing a glance as we walked.
Her boyish, androgynous beauty was radiant as always. And then there was her… well, “Royal Bosom.” They were impressively large, and with every step she took, they jiggled with a soft, heavy rhythm.
(They’ve got to be at least a size bigger than Mana’s. Man, I’d love to get my hands on those…)
I was a teenage boy, so of course those thoughts crossed my mind, but I made damn sure not to let a hint of it reach my face.
”Yeah. I just cleared the 3rd floor. It felt like a good place to stop,” Haruka-san said.
”No way, congrats on the 3rd floor! I’m still stuck on the 1st… but I did manage to kill an armed goblin today,” I replied.
”Congratulations, Hirosawa-kun. If you’ve mastered the armed ones, the 1st floor is basically done. The magic-using goblins are up next, but they’re actually easier once you learn to dodge their spells. Although, for most students, the 2nd floor is where the real wall is…”
We chatted as we climbed, but as I looked at her, I noticed something. Her expression was heavy. Dark. She looked like she was mourning something. I remembered Youta mentioning that Haruka-san hadn’t been herself lately.
”…Haruka-san, you look a bit down. Did something happen? Did you get hurt in there?” I asked.
”No, I’m not injured. It’s just…”
Haruka-san trailed off, her voice hesitant. She stopped and turned to face me directly.
”You know, Hirosawa-kun… maybe I can talk to you about this,” she said.
”Talk? Like, for advice?” I asked.
”Yeah. The truth is… I think I’m being stalked,” Haruka-san replied.
”A—A stalker!?” I exclaimed.
That hit me out of left field. Every Academy Student has a [Dungeon Job] now. We’re powerful. The idea of Haruka-san falling victim to a common criminal was hard to wrap my head around.
”Fufu, it sounds pathetic, doesn’t it? But look, I have a Common Job: [Priest]. It’s a great all-rounder for clearing Phase One, but it doesn’t have any detection abilities. This stalker… they seem to have an incredible stealth ability. I can’t catch so much as a glimpse of them,” Haruka-san said.
”That’s horrible. What’s actually been happening?” I asked.
”They’ve broken into my room,” Haruka-san said, her voice dropping. “They stole my underwear from the laundry… and sometimes, when I’m walking home at night and get separated from the crowd, I can feel someone closing in from behind. They haven’t attacked me yet, but I’ve been so on edge I can’t sleep.”
”That’s insane! Have you called the police!?” I said.
If it had escalated to home invasion and theft, it was way past the “wait and see” stage. You don’t wait for an assault to happen before calling for help.
”…I’ve thought about it, but that’s a last resort. Actually, Kosaka-kun has been really supportive. He’s been helping me try to resolve it,” Haruka-san said.
”Wait… Kosaka? That Kosaka?” I asked.
Hearing that name made my skin crawl.
”Yeah. I don’t know how he found out, but he was so worried about me. We even tried being dungeon partners for a while so he could protect me, but… well, to be blunt, his gaze was incredibly lewd. I had to end the partnership immediately,” Haruka-san replied.
”I bet…” I muttered.
”Regardless! Kosaka-kun has a Rare Job, [Ninja]. He’s using his stealth abilities to try and track the stalker down and get proof. He says the police won’t do anything with the evidence we have now, so we need to catch the guy in the act first…” Haruka-san said.
(Is that… really how it works? I don’t know…)
Maybe I was just biased because it was Kosaka, but if someone is breaking into a girl’s room and stealing her underwear, that feels like plenty of evidence for the cops.
We continued our uneasy conversation as we finally stepped out of the Phase One dungeon.
—
Summary:
Hirosawa achieves a personal milestone by defeating his first armed goblin and obtaining a weapon drop. On his way out of the dungeon, he encounters the school’s ‘Prince,’ Izumi Haruka, who reveals she is being stalked. She also mentions that the untrustworthy Kosaka is ‘helping’ her, raising immediate red flags for Hirosawa.
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Trivia:
- Dungeon drops have durability that acts like an expiration date.
- The Explorer’s Guild has a legal monopoly on dungeon equipment; selling gear outside the guild is a crime.
- Phase One is a solo-only instance; explorers can only see each other in the transition staircases.
- Haruka’s Priest job lacks detection abilities, making her a perfect target for stealth-based harassment.
- Kosaka’s Rare Ninja job gives him the perfect skill set to either find the stalker or be the stalker himself
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Character Insight:
Hirosawa is a typical teenager—distracted by Haruka’s beauty—but his skepticism of Kosaka shows a protective, grounded side. Haruka, despite her ‘Prince’ status, shows a vulnerable side, highlighting the isolation caused by her specific class/job limitations.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The author uses the transition from the action-packed dungeon to the mundane staircase to bridge the gap between fantasy combat and social-thriller elements.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Minami – Minami, the ‘Loli Princess’ of the Four Heavenly Kings, is a petite, doll‑like Light Warrior with a flat physique. She wields dual swords, uses Sky‑Ripping Slash, speaks playfully, and idolizes her peers. Bound by ropes, she wears an eye mask, panties, twin‑tails, a skirt with fluffy cotton underwear marked with a cute symbol, and suffers a Pressure Point side effect.
• Izumi Haruka – One of the Four Heavenly Kings, known as ‘The Prince’, is a handsome ‘Prince’-type girl who calls herself ‘boku’. She has a large bust, second only to Higuchi, works as a Priest clearing the 3rd floor, and is currently being stalked.
• Mana – A beautiful Class President-type girl and one of the Four Heavenly Kings, wielding the Sage job with elite close-quarters martial arts prowess; she sports a long black ponytail, glasses, and neat attire with bracers and leg guards. Partnered with Kanade, she undergoes his treatments to counteract his aphrodisiac side-effects, demonstrating fierce loyalty and remarkable growth since her mock battle debut—now in Phase One, she balances refined discipline with heightened physical ability.
• Youta – Kanade’s close friend and a well-built Heavy Warrior, he’s energetic, generous, and the first to sense her awakening—always supportive and enthusiastic about her growth. Recently promoted to dungeon leader, he’s conquered the final floor of Phase One and has begun dating Maika, balancing his adventurous spirit with heartfelt loyalty to those he cares about.
• Rin – Voluptuous‑figured teacher in a crisp white lab coat, high Dungeon Infiltration Degree, serves as academy staff in the Appraisal Room and mentors students. She was the first to feel Kanade’s skill’s effects.
• Kosaka – A student with the Rare Job [Ninja]. He is currently ‘helping’ Haruka-san with her stalker problem, though his gaze is described as lewd.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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