Dungeon And Slave: The Lustful and Violent Slave Harem of the Guard and Students Chosen as Testers for the Succubus Dungeon - Chapter 94: Hidden Staircase

Chapter 94: Hidden Staircase

Tester Life – Day Unknown – 4th Floor, Succubus Test Dungeon – Kengo Hidaka, Karate Club Captain, 3rd Year

“Here they come! Four of ‘em!”

At my warning, everyone takes their stances and charges.

“Kieeee!”

I launch a flying kick, snapping the neck of the lead kobold.

Landing, my club members rush past me on both sides.

“Seiya!”

“Sei!”

“Howata!”

With straight punches, roundhouse kicks, and right hooks, they take down the kobolds.

We’re all equipped with steel gauntlets, iron shin guards, and iron boots. Since getting this gear, we’ve been downing them in one hit.

We carry daggers for finishing blows, but our elite Karate Club party’s style is close-quarters pummeling.

“Time for lunch.”

I signal to everyone, done collecting magic stones, that it’s time to eat.

“Mm.”

“Man, I’m starving~”

They slump against the walls, pulling bentos from their backpacks. Today’s yakiniku bento.

“A 3,000-yen bento, huh?”

“Think of it as a Jo◯en yakiniku bento.”

“No matter how you look at it, it’s the same meat from the cafeteria.”

Today’s the 40th day trapped in this dungeon, and prices went up again. I get the urge to complain.

For us, freed from resource competition on the 4th Floor, it’s not too bad, but it’s rough for those stuck on the 3rd Floor. This morning, several parties planned to explore late to avoid crowds. Still, with Wall Butt’s last call at midnight, they’ll return by then.

That said, nearly half our members hit E-rank, and now they need two meal sets to feel satisfied.

Breakfast is 250 DP × 2 = 500 DP. Bento is 300 DP × 2 = 600 DP. Dinner is 500 DP × 2 = 1,000 DP. That’s 2,100 DP daily for food.

On the 4th Floor, we earn 4,000–4,500 DP per person, but staying on the 3rd Floor would’ve been brutal.

“We owe Yuki’s group.”

“Mm.”

My murmur gets a curt nod from Shiro, the vice-captain.

He’s a loudmouth in fights—shouting “Ata!” or “Howata!”—but quiet otherwise.

Shiro’s a fighting manga fan with five self-inflicted burn scars on his chest from “guts branding.” I wanna ask about the missing two, but he probably chickened out or woke up from his chuunibyou phase, embarrassed. If so, he should stop yelling “Howata,” but he’s either stubborn or missed the chance to quit.

Carrying five marks of a cringey past, I’ll leave him be.

“Yeah, for real. Yuki’s group tipped us off about the 3rd Floor Guardian Room.”

“They’ve been here over ten days, right? Wish they’d told us sooner.”

“Idiot, if we were in their shoes, we wouldn’t spill so fast. We’ve got girls we want to save too.”

I scold Sugawa, a 2nd-year, for his dumb remark. Our musclehead group wouldn’t have spotted that fake Monster House. We should be grateful they told us at all.

“Yeah, my bad.”

“But the baseball and kendo clubs are here too. Gotta farm DP now, or it’ll turn into the 3rd Floor mess.”

“Wish we could hit the 5th Floor soon. Think Yuki’s group made it?”

“Probably not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

They’ve been exploring nearly two weeks. They should finish mapping soon.

“But the guard’s insane, right? He’s way ahead.”

“Yeah, definitely hit the 6th Floor.”

“The 5th Floor Guardian reward’s a Slave Ticket, right? Snagging Grade 1 Tsukigase? That’s nuts.”

“Jealous, but the Soulless Doll, yeah? You get it from Wall Butt, right? You guys aren’t hiding one, are ya?”

“Moron, these simpletons couldn’t hide that. I’m close to getting one, though.”

“Keep talking, I’ll get it first—made her cum five times in 30 minutes.”

“You keep talking.”

Wall Butt, huh? I don’t care about Soulless Dolls, but my rating’s probably trash.

I mean, I set my phone on their butt, chatting with AI gal Rika while thrusting.

The blank succubus face on the display post-ejaculation tells me my rating’s rock bottom.

I feel bad, honestly, but sex while talking to Rika’s too good to stop.

“Man, the guard’s probably going at it with Tsukigase and that bunny-eared beauty right now.”

“This morning, too, arm-in-arm with the bunny girl! Showing off!”

“A hot girl and a beauty every night? Damn! So jealous! Die, guard!”

“Fools! I won’t forgive anyone badmouthing Sanada-dono!”

Men’s jealousy is pathetic! I can’t overlook insults to Sanada-dono, our great benefactor!

“Mm!”

Shiro glares at the members, nodding.

“There it is! Captain and Vice-Captain’s guard bias!”

“I mean, the phone charging helps, so I don’t wanna badmouth him.”

“Thanks to that, we’re saving DP on Wall Butt calls.”

“True, we owe him for charging, but it’s more. When we mourned Noda, facing his mangled body, he pushed us forward despite our fear. He even uplifted the non-fighters everyone abandoned. That man’s a true hero! Our goal!”

“Mm! Mm-mm!”

Shiro nods so hard I worry his neck’ll snap.

He was close with Noda, so he’s super grateful to Sanada-dono.

“Yeah, when you put it like that…”

“For real, I was about to break back then.”

“My classmate was in the Shut-in Group. Not super close, but I didn’t wanna see a classmate starve.”

“We were stretched thin then, and we didn’t trust Oida’s group.”

True, we “Conquest Team” parties colluded to refuse Oida’s levies.

Oida’s group was shady, but we did abandon the Shut-ins.

Sanada-dono even eased our guilt—a true hero.

Missing the Shut-in Group’s power-leveling was a bummer, though. We were in the dungeon from dawn, so we couldn’t join.

It was a chance to repay Sanada-dono, so that stung.

“No surprise, Oida and Kume were skimming, huh? Yuki’s group heard it from Coach Satake.”

“Knew it! Those scumbag teachers!”

“Compared to them, the guard’s decent. Annoying that he’s got beauties, though.”

“You’ve got girlfriends, don’t you? If you’re chasing other women, I’m not helping.”

“Mm.”

I warn the jealous members, and they hurriedly bow.

Shiro and I don’t have human girlfriends. Mine’s a digital girl. Shiro’s a mystery—seems uninterested in women.

“Time to start the afternoon hunt.”

“Alright, belly’s full, let’s do this!”

“Kobolds? We’ll crush ‘em!”

I stand, and the others rise, clashing their gauntlets.

Gotta clear this floor fast.

I want to catch up to Sanada-dono and fight by his side.

※

Tester Life – Day 41 – Morning – 9th Floor – Yagumo Sanada

“Yo, that’s the last one.”

“Finished here too, Danna-sama.”

Sheena’s done, and Saizou’s heading to the treasure chest.

On the fifth day of 9th Floor exploration, we found our sixth Monster Trap room, triggered it, and wiped them out easily.

The first two had close calls, but from the third, we fired Fireballs at the walls goblins emerge from, disrupting them, while Sayaka snipes Goblin Wizards before they cast.

Sheena and I charge, and Sayaka takes out archers.

This flow lets us annihilate them quickly.

Goblin spawn walls shift slightly but are mostly predictable. Knowing where they come from makes picking them off easy.

Sayaka hit E+ rank yesterday, so her mana’s more plentiful, and she can summon four ice arrows now.

Sadly, none of these Monster Trap rooms have revealed hidden passages or staircases.

After crushing this many without a find, these rooms might not lead to the Guardian Room.

If so, the Copper Treasure Chests are tasty enough to make it worthwhile.

Since the first Black Iron Chainmail, the Copper Treasure Chests yielded:

• Return Medal ×1
• Infinite Water Pouch ×1
• Grade 4 Potion ×3
• Grade 4 Mana Recovery Potion ×4

Pretty good haul.

The Infinite Water Pouch generates endless water—not free, though. It has a slot for a magic stone that powers water creation.

Sheena says it’s essential for armies and adventurers in her world.

Makes sense—Water Magic alone can’t supply an army’s needs.

The Grade 4 potions are a big win, too.

When a chest had three potions, I thought it was stingy.

Opening a chest triggers three Fireballs. Normally, you’d get hit, and the potion bottles would shatter.

Chests are indestructible, but potions aren’t. They’re tougher than regular bottles but can’t survive a direct Fireball.

Luckily, we’d cracked the Monster Trap strategy, so we took out enemies before they cast, but a normal party would struggle.

Fighting hard only to find broken Grade 4 potions? Brutal. If our first chest had potions, they’d have broken too. Nasty trap.

Still, exploration’s taking longer than the 8th Floor, but the unmapped area’s almost done.

We’ll soon part ways with these Monster House traps.

“Gyugyagya!”

While thinking, picking up the last goblin’s magic stone, Saizou runs up, holding a black helm.

“What? That’s all that was in there?”

“Gyui.”

I take the black helm as Saizou nods, then he scampers off to collect more stones. Hard worker, as always.

Examining the helm, it’s black iron with two holes on top.

“What? Why holes here… oh, it’s for Rock.”

The holes’ placement screams beast-type summon helm.

“Rock, c’mere!”

I call Rock, who’s being petted by Sayaka.

Slipping it on his head, the small helm expands, fitting perfectly.

Auto-size adjustment, as expected.

“Alright, your head’s fully protected now.”

“Wafun…”

“What, not happy?”

I thought he’d be thrilled, but he seems meh. He went wild for the Black Iron Short Spear.

“Hehe, Rock seems sad he won’t get Sayaka-sama’s pets anymore.”

Sheena giggles, and Rock nods vigorously.

“Ridiculous.”

Dumbass, does he forget burning his head with Fireball sparks? He moped over his bald patch in the mirror until it grew back, yet he’s unfazed.

“Rock-chan, no! What if an arrow hits your forehead? I’d be sad if you died.”

“Wafun♪”

Sayaka scolds Rock, following him, but he wags his tail, thrilled by her concern.

“Gyugyagyagyagya!”

As I think Sayaka might as well be Rock’s master, Saizou’s voice rings out again, this time excited.

Something’s up. Everyone turns to Saizou.

He’s pointing down, shouting, in front of the collapsed wall where goblins hid.

“A hit!?”

Maybe he found a staircase. I sprint to Saizou.

“Nice job, Saizou!”

At his pointed spot, a staircase lies half-buried in rubble.

After five trap rooms with nothing, and buried like this? I might’ve missed it.

Sheena and Sayaka say they might’ve too, praising Saizou’s sharp eye.

“Gyui.”

Saizou bows, accepting the praise, his mouth curling under his hood.

He’s an assassin who can’t quite pull off cool.

Whatever, this staircase likely leads to the Guardian Room.

Let’s head down and take it out.