Volume 3 Chapter 2
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Three years have passed since the day of that great disaster.
It was a cataclysm known as the Phase Six Dungeon Stampede¹.
Literally, it was a phenomenon where the monsters from a Phase Six Dungeon came overflowing out into the world outside.
Putting it into words like this might make it sound like it wasn’t that big of a deal, but the actual consequences of that phenomenon were absolutely devastating.
The monsters, which were far too powerful at the Phase Six level and had swarmed into the urban areas, naturally slaughtered the people living there and completely obliterated the social infrastructure.
And that wasn’t all.
What poured out along with those Phase Six monsters was the Dungeon Energy² itself from the Phase Six Dungeon.
Dungeon Energy, which had previously been confined strictly within the boundaries of a Dungeon, was a source of power for Dungeon Explorers, but at the exact same time, it provided an environment perfectly suited for Dungeon monsters to thrive.
To put it simply, this entire country of Japan was transformed into a massive Dungeon, completely blanketed in Dungeon Energy.
Fortunately, if you could even call it that, there were varying levels of density to this overflowing Dungeon Energy.
In the immediate vicinity of the Phase Six Dungeon, the energy surged at a full Phase Six level, but the concentration gradually thinned out the further you traveled from the epicenter.
Even so, the areas within Japan where the Dungeon Energy is at its absolute thinnest are still completely saturated with a Phase Three Dungeon level concentration.
Under these conditions, the pre-existing Dungeons transformed into endless spawning factories for Dungeon monsters.
In zones with a Phase Three level of Dungeon Energy concentration, monsters from Dungeons of Phase Three or lower come pouring out, while zones with a Phase Four concentration see an influx of monsters from Phase Four Dungeons.
Whenever the density of the monsters reached a certain threshold, they would start killing each other in brutal turf wars, which meant the absolute number of monsters roaming the surface didn’t increase past a certain point.
However, the monsters that survived these constant deathmatches accumulated massive amounts of experience, evolving into even more terrifying entities.
With this nightmare continuing for three long years, the surface has been turned entirely into a wasteland, utterly uninhabitable for normal human life.
It had become a world looking exactly like something straight out of an apocalyptic movie.
So, did the Japanese people go extinct as a result of the Phase Six Dungeon Stampede?
The answer is a resounding no.
Just as I am standing right here in this place, the Japanese people are stubbornly clinging to life.
Where exactly are we, the stubborn survivors, living now?
On the ruined surface?
…Not even close.
The only people who can survive normally within a Phase Three level of Dungeon Energy are seasoned Dungeon Explorers who have built up a significant amount of experience.
It’s impossible to sustain a functioning human society with only a handful of elite explorers, and honestly, relying on that would be synonymous with the total extinction of Japan.
So, where do we actually live?
…The answer lies inside Phase Two Dungeons.
It’s ironic, to say the least, that in a world brought to ruin by Dungeons, the only thing we could turn to for survival was the Dungeons themselves.
The interior of a Phase Two Dungeon naturally maintains its original Phase Two Dungeon Energy concentration, and monsters from Phase Three or higher have no desire to enter a Phase Two Dungeon where the energy is too thin for their liking.
In other words, as long as you remain inside a Phase Two Dungeon, you can survive perfectly fine, provided you have what it takes to handle Phase Two monsters.
Because of this, the survivors of the Phase Six Dungeon Stampede that devastated Japan began a massive migration into the Phase Two Dungeons.
With the Dungeon Explorer Guild and us Dungeon Explorers leading the charge, we searched for Phase Two Dungeons with relatively hospitable environments-like grassland or forest biomes-and while culling the monsters inside, we gradually constructed fully functioning Dungeon cities³ within them.
By now, several of these Dungeon cities have been successfully established all across various regions of Japan.
Human beings-the Japanese people-were simply not fragile enough to roll over and lose to the Dungeons so easily.
The place I’m currently standing in is a town built inside a Tokyo area Phase Two Dungeon, known as ‘New Tokyo.’
While this place looks almost identical to the old city streets from before the cataclysm, it doesn’t mean there are absolutely no differences.
For instance, almost every single person walking down the street is fully armed with [Dungeon Equipment⁴], casually wiping out the monsters that occasionally spawn and ambush them without even breaking their stride.
The people who managed to survive in this world naturally possess at least that level of combat ability.
As I stood there, watching over the citizens of New Tokyo, a voice called out to me from behind.
”Kanade-kun…”
There was no way I could ever mistake the owner of that beautiful voice.
Turning around, I saw Tanaka Mana… my most absolute favorite person in the world.
Mana has reached an age where the description of a ‘mature woman’ fits her beautifully, but the glasses framing her lovely eyes and the ponytail cascading down her back are still completely unchanged.
Even now, she carried that earnest, dependable aura that made me reflexively want to call her ‘Class President.’
”Mana… Is it that time already?” Kanade asked.
”Yes, it’s time for your work today, Kanade-kun… The numbers are quite large again today, but I’m counting on you,” Mana said.
Mana spoke with a bright, gentle smile.
Considering the actual nature of my work, her internal feelings on the matter must be incredibly complicated, but she didn’t let a single trace of that tension show on her face.
And yet, perhaps she managed to read my own conflicted thoughts just from my subtle expression?
”…Fufu, it would be a lie to say I don’t have any mixed feelings about it at all, but given the circumstances, it can’t be helped. After all, if you didn’t do this job, Kanade-kun, Japan would truly fall to ruin,” Mana added.
”…Well, that is the literal truth… Alright, shall we give it our best shot again today?” Kanade replied.
”Yes, please do your best… Tonight, we’ll make sure to give you a wonderful reward ♡” Mana promised.
”With that on the line… I definitely have to give it everything I’ve got!” Kanade exclaimed.
Feeling the blood flow to the weapon between my thighs instantly surge at Mana’s words, I turned and made my way toward today’s workplace.
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Summary:
Moving from historical exposition regarding the apocalyptic global shift, the narrative refocuses onto the personal space of New Tokyo as Kanade encounters his lover, Tanaka Mana. A sudden reminder of his heavy, vital role breaks the peace, leaving the true mechanics of his impending assignment an open question
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Trivia:
- The density of Dungeon Energy affects monster infighting behavior, which naturally regulates surface population caps while filtering out hyper-experienced individuals.
- The choice of moving civilization specifically into Phase Two Dungeons relies entirely on the fact that Phase Three and higher monsters possess a biological aversion to thinned-out energy environments
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Character Insight:
Mana actively suppresses her anxiety regarding the hazardous nature of Kanade’s critical role, choosing to leverage a highly specific personal incentive to bolster his performance parameters.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Dungeon – An artificially‑created, androgynous‑beautied woman, once an S‑Class Dungeon Explorer, now serves as the Guild Master of the Dungeon Explorer Guild. She administers a hyper‑advanced dungeon, leading and guiding its members, and is known as the Dungeon Master, wielding authority that shifts with each dungeon phase, her beaming smile a constant hallmark.
• Kanade – Kanade, the composed, androgynous leader of A-Rank team Resonant Melody, is a young man with short silver hair, amber eyes, and a sleek black suit. As the first-person narrator, this powerful Dungeon Explorer protects Japan using healing or Instant Death magic. He views weak monsters with casual detachment but struggles with composure during tactical, erotic restraint with partners like Mana.
• Tanaka Mana – Tanaka Mana, a serious, neat beauty with long black hair in a ponytail and glasses, is a refined, disciplined former Class President famed for her purity and Kanade’s top favorite. An elite close-quarters combatant with high agility and martial arts mastery, she’s a sadistic competitor who recently split from soccer ace Kosaka, feeling worthless like a house centipede. As the Tanaka family heir, she provides the core ‘cheat’ utility for Resonant Melody and is linked to its sub-leader.
• Tanaka – Tanaka Mana is a serious, neat beauty with long black hair in a ponytail and glasses. Former Class President and Kanade’s top favorite, she is an agile, sadistic elite martial artist and heir to the Tanaka family from New Tokyo’s underground zones. Recently split from soccer ace Kosaka, she supplies the core utility for Resonant Melody and is tied to its sub-leader (shared lineage with Aina).
• Mana – Kanade is a bespectacled, black-ponytail A-Rank explorer, Resonant Melody sub-leader, and Four Heavenly Kings member with an earnest, serious class-president demeanor. Clad in immaculate armor, she coordinates Kanade’s schedule, conquered Phase Six Dungeons, and crushes weak monsters. Her glossy-black-bodysuit companion controls party decisions and was Kanade’s first partner, teasing and supporting her.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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