Chapter 46 - The Weapon Dungeon
“Captain Touji—what floor should we aim for today?”
The vice-captain of the First Unit posed the question as they delved into the Weapon Dungeon.
They had taken the time to double-check the information at the Weapon Dungeon Archives before entering, but it seemed nothing had changed from five years ago. Not a single update worth noting.
Judging by what they remembered from their last visit, going as deep as the 23rd floor shouldn’t be a problem.
The 23rd floor yielded lightweight equipment—like feather helms and sky armor—that boasted strength comparable to iron. One could never have too many of those.
They were not only useful, but also light enough that even carrying multiple sets during exploration didn’t add much burden. No wonder they were among the most sought-after loot in the Weapon Dungeon.
And when guarding someone—say, in escort missions like those in the Hot Spring Dungeon—they made excellent protective gear for the VIPs.
“Floor 20. I want to bring back at least five or six Red Swords,” Touji replied.
“The Red Swords? Aren’t those under export restrictions?”
Items under export restrictions referred to dungeon goods the kingdom had deemed too dangerous to fall into foreign hands.
The Red Swords, in particular, were considered too powerful. If a rival nation managed to gather a sufficient number, they could easily slice through defensive walls and wage aggressive campaigns. Because of this risk, the swords were strictly prohibited from leaving the country.
That said, the kingdom of Marponware was willing to purchase such items for an exorbitant price, and many independent adventurers dreamed of striking it rich by securing one.
However, military forces—especially from other nations—typically avoided such items. Supplying enemies with superior weapons was, after all, the height of strategic foolishness.
“It’s fine. We’re going to wear them out right here in the dungeon anyway,” Touji said casually.
“Haha, I see. So you’re serious about tackling the 25th and 26th floors, then?”
From the 25th floor onward, the monsters grew tough enough that regular weapons forged on the surface barely made a dent.
They needed a weapon with otherworldly sharpness, like the Red Sword, to first pierce the monsters’ hide. Only after that could a spear or secondary weapon finish the job.
“I’d love to go as far as the 27th floor, but that’d just be pushing our luck a little too far.”
At present, the 27th floor marked the deepest point humanity had ever reached.
Even that feat came with a caveat—it was only possible by assembling an elite order of knights clad head to toe in dungeon-forged, export-restricted equipment like the Red Sword.
It had taken tens of thousands of such forbidden weapons, all wielded by the most powerful dungeon-exploration unit Marponware had ever assembled.
That grand expedition into their own Weapon Dungeon’s 27th floor was still considered the largest investigation in dungeon history.
And yet, even then, eighty percent of the force was annihilated.
Marponware, which at the time boasted the world’s most formidable military, seemed to lose its taste for conquest after that. Gone were the days of ambition and aggressive dungeon campaigns. The kingdom had since mellowed into a peaceful, moderate power.
Only a single sword was retrieved from that ill-fated mission to the 27th floor. That one blade was never put on display at the Dungeon Archives. Instead, it was sealed away deep in the royal treasury, far from public view.
Today, only the rightful heir to Marponware’s throne and select members of the Senate were said to have ever laid eyes on it—a national-level secret, shrouded in mystery.
“The sword from the 27th floor... the Sword of the Hero, the Blade of Ruin, the Infernal Edge, the Sword of Doom... everyone’s got their own wild name for it. But I’d love to see it with my own eyes someday. Maybe even wield it. Hehehehe.”
The single sword brought back from the 27th floor had become the ultimate object of admiration for every dungeon explorer. Many dreamed of one day claiming it for themselves—or at the very least, glimpsing it with their own eyes.
If one could traverse the 26th floor with ease, then perhaps attempting the 27th wouldn’t be out of the question. But in truth, there wasn’t a single soul in the world who could casually sweep through the 26th floor.
Even Captain Touji, despite having powered up considerably thanks to the Hot Spring Dungeon, believed the 25th floor was her limit.
At best, they might manage to take down a few monsters from the 26th floor and snag a single piece of loot. That alone would be more than enough to call the trip a success.
As for challenging the 27th floor—it remained a dream within a dream.
“The Hot Spring Dungeon, huh... It’s that. If that one plays its cards right, we might just have a shot at conquering the 27th floor ourselves.”
“If the hot springs evolve more toward combat training, it’d be great—but for now, I suppose it’s going to stay focused on beauty treatments. Still, with the current Second Unit, they can probably scrape by up to the 20th floor.”
“But come on, how much more ‘beauty’ can you even squeeze out of it? What more do they want beyond the eleventh-floor spring? Isn’t it enough already? From here on out, they should focus all the effects on physical enhancement.”
“There’s only so much you can do while bringing noble ladies along, after all. You’re probably right—maybe the remaining springs really should be geared toward strengthening knights.”
With their usual banter and wishful thinking, Captain Touji and her First Unit descended deeper into the Weapon Dungeon.
♨♨♨♨♨♨
Some time later...
The Hot Spring Dungeon had begun preparations to construct its next floor.
The Master, watching people haul soap out of the mines in the nude, pondered what to build next.
“I worked so hard to create a sexy-looking bubble bath, and now look at them—just digging up soap completely naked. I turn my back for one second, and the scene turns into anything but erotic.
And now they’re doing a bucket relay from the 12th floor, passing soap down the line to those newbie girls waiting on the 9th floor... They’ve been doing it silently for days. No surprise their body hair’s started to grow out again.
Alright, for the next floor, I’ll make a feature that suppresses unwanted hair growth for years. Smooth and silky from armpits to peach fuzz—though I’ll leave the lower bits alone.
Sure, smooth downstairs is nice and all, but if everyone goes bare, it loses its rarity. Besides, there are already two natural-born smooth types—gotta preserve their uniqueness.”
At this point, the project was entirely fueled by the Master’s personal preferences.
“Okay then, I’ll throw in a giant mirror too—let them admire their improved beauty.
And maybe, just maybe, while looking at themselves, I want to hear them mutter things like, ‘If only I had a spring that made this look better...’ Stuff like that helps me design the next effect.”
Honestly speaking, creating a hot spring that eliminated body hair wasn’t that hard. Even the miasma from a level-one dungeon could handle it.
And since it wasn’t a particularly strong effect, there was more than enough space next to that spring to toss in a few extras like mirrors and soap.
“Wait a sec—what if I turned it into a trap spring that steals body hair and siphons off the energy used to grow it? That might even let me recoup some dungeon points.”
And sure enough, when tested, it worked. Apparently, one person’s worth of body hair earned 5 points.
“...Man, this is so stupid. I’d hate for the overall effect of the spring to worsen because of some dumb gimmick like that. I’ll stick with a proper ‘silky smooth’ hot spring type after all.”
Once the 13th floor had opened, knights wasted no time arriving, and were promptly stunned by what they saw in the new bathhouse—a room of mirrors like something out of a yoga or dance studio, with reflective walls on every side.
The changing room was completely surrounded by mirrors!
Go ahead, the Master thought smugly. Admire your refreshed body after the bath. Strike a pose. Check yourself out in the nude. Let me see the way you examine yourself.
But just as he was enjoying that thought, the female knights started cutting the mirrors out of the walls—prying them off and casually preparing to take them home.
Hey—hey!! HEY!!! Customers! You can’t do that!! Ahh—!! Customers, please!! This is a problem!! Stop!!
“Hey, hey, don’t go around shamelessly stealing the spa’s furnishings like that! What are you, tourists from a morally bankrupt country trying to sneak hotel TVs and hairdryers into your suitcases?
...Well, I suppose from their point of view, the mirrors are no different from the soaps on the 12th floor. Makes sense, I guess.
Whatever. These mirrors regenerate after a few days, so it’s not like I care if they take them.
But at least use the damn hot spring and admire yourself before walking off with one. Don’t start with theft, it’s just... sad, you know?”
“Master, this mirror’s incredible. It reflects you almost exactly as you are!”
“Hmm? Ohhh, maybe the mirrors in this world aren’t that advanced yet. The lady knights seemed amazed, too.”
“Honestly, you didn’t even need to give out gemstones. Just this would’ve been enough to draw crowds... Well, I guess the gems we got from Kenma’s Master did help bring in customers, so it’s fine either way—huh? 菴包シ...?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Suddenly, Peta-chan blurted out something completely incomprehensible.
“豁ヲ蜈キ? 縺セ縺」縺ヲ縺ヲ... Master, one of the other dungeon cores is saying they want to talk to you. Is that okay?”
“One of the other cores? Sure, I guess. Which one is it? Is it Tanya-san?”
“Nope. It’s the Weapon Dungeon Core. The biggest dungeon core in the entire world.”
“...Oh?”
The biggest dungeon core in the world... wanted to talk to me?
Was it sizing up this rising new dungeon master? Some kind of courtesy visit... or reconnaissance?
Or was it simply curious about a human master—trying to collect data on how humans think?
Whatever the reason, this core had created the world’s largest dungeon. There was no way it was just some ordinary being. The only way to understand its intent was to actually meet it.
“O-okay… sure. Call it over.”
His heart pounded. The sudden appearance of a major event had thrown him completely off guard.
And it was the Weapon Dungeon, of all places. What kind of intimidating warrior-demon would appear? A brutal, battle-hardened conqueror? A demonic mastermind bent on stirring up war?
The space distorted—then, with a pulse of energy, a demon emerged.
“Yo! Food Dungeon Core of Sepans! And hey—you must be the new human master, huh!? I’m the one and only Weapon Dungeon Core, the greatest dungeon in the world! Got it memorized?!”
...What stood before him was a boyish little demon dressed head-to-toe in bizarre, mismatched gear—armor and weapons that looked like they came out of a child’s make-believe hero game.
Rather than a fearsome warrior, it looked like some brat playing dress-up, pretending to be a legendary hero. No—more than just a kid. He was a cocky little shota with a cute face and way too much attitude. The kind you’d expect to star in a risqué older-sister-meets-bratty-boy manga.
He looked like the type of mischievous boy who’d get “taught a lesson” by a sexy older heroine or a sultry battle nun, ending in erotic tears.
The kind of image that probably shouldn’t have popped into one’s head... and yet there it was.
Blissfully unaware of the wildly inappropriate first impressions he was leaving behind, the cocky shota demon struck a smug pose as if to say, I’m the strongest! Surprised yet?
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