Chapter 6 – Floor 2. The Formula for Secret Rooms

SQUEAK—!

The sharp death cry of an animal in pain.

The Giant Rat, which had been freely roaming the sewers, is gently swallowed by the amorphous blob of slime and ends its life suffocating inside the mindless slime.

[You have defeated the Giant Rat.]

[You have leveled up.]

“Oh… this performs better than I expected?”

Wriggle wriggle.

I had pitted the onahole against two Giant Rats to test its performance, and the results were better than expected.

Usually, companions summoned with summoning staves are degraded versions of the originals, but seeing how the Blue Slime summoned with the onahole subdued two Giant Rats without much difficulty, it seemed there was no reduction in specs.

Moreover, I could see that some of the experience from enemies defeated by the onahole came to me, its owner.

“That’s somewhat unexpected.”

The summoner build, called the Animal Farm meta, is a character that actively uses summoned creatures in combat through items such as summoning staves or scrolls.

But there’s a reason summoners are considered more for entertainment than effectiveness.

The problem isn’t just the low drop rate of summoning items, but the bigger issue that when a summoned creature finishes off an enemy, you don’t get experience.

I had even cleared Floor 1 using that method before, but in the current situation, it’s not really a positive factor.

“If that’s the case, couldn’t I just place the summoned creature in front, set it up to be reasonably tough, and hide for an easy win?”

『aaaa’s Onahole: Blue Slime』Level: 05 [Status: Subjugated]
Health: 13/21 ■■■■■■□□□□
Fuel: 4/10 ■■■■□□□□□□
【A loyal slime onahole moved by the magical power of semen, obedient to its master’s words. Using it frequently might improve your relationship.】

“The Fuel meter depletes quite quickly… and I’m guessing when it reaches 0, it returns to its original form?”

Having the Blue Slime out for what would be about 6 turns in D.D. terms, it seemed the Fuel meter represented the number of turns the summon could last.

Normally, summoned creatures would last indefinitely once brought out until they died, so this had its pros and cons.

“The duration is disappointing for a main strategy.”

Wriggle wriggle.

Considering that clearing a room with about three regular enemies takes an ordinary melee character around 10 turns, this was quite questionable.

Plus, it was also bothersome that the resource used to fill the Fuel meter was semen.

I couldn’t exactly masturbate on the spot after every battle to refill the meter, could I?

“Do you know how many times I’ve drained myself? Billions of sperm cells have already died for you!”

SLAP!

But this greedy creature, despite being milked all night long, can only move for 10 turns before collapsing like a premature ejaculator.

After slapping it, I returned it to its onahole state and put it back in my bag.

“For today, I’ll aim to explore the entirety of Floor 1. And find some decent equipment to wear…”

The only clothing I had was a pair of tattered pants.

Even these would soon tear, potentially leaving me completely naked.

‘Please, let me find some pants.’

***

A staircase made of damp bricks that matched the surroundings, leading to the lower floor.

[You have learned the structure of the current floor.]

After wandering around for about half a day, the map of Floor 1, which had many dark areas, was now completely filled in.

The layout of the organically interwoven sewers centered around the cavern that branched in seven directions almost made me curse at whoever designed such a ridiculous sewer system.

Though it’s procedurally generated, it was too much.

I found the stairs only at the very end.

“Making me run in circles for so long just on the first floor… Still, the results aren’t bad.”

===========================================

Name: aaaa
Level: 03
Health: 56/56 ■■■■■■■■■■
Magic: 32/32 ■■■■■■■■■■
Hunger: 57/100 ■■■■■■□□□□
Thirst: 71/100 ■■■■■■■□□□
Temperature: ◀■■■■■■□□□□▷
Strength 10(+0) | Dexterity 11(+0) | Constitution 08(+0)
Mental 08(+0) | Perception 09(+0) | Charm 12(+0)
Available Points: 2
GOLD: 308

===========================================

As I explored Floor 1 and defeated enemies, I became somewhat accustomed to hunting, and had already reached Level 3.

Moreover, I had picked up several useful items, so I had gathered everything that could be collected on Floor 1.

I felt proud as I casually patted the brown leather armor and slightly worn leather pants I was wearing, which provided incomparably more protection than the tattered clothes.

I didn’t have a weapon, but I should be able to take down criminals easily enough when fighting alongside the slime.

“It’s about time to descend to Floor 2… but first I should allocate these points.”

In D.D., each time you level up, you receive points to increase your stats. The maximum value for any stat is 25.

Of course, you can exceed that limit with items, but that wasn’t relevant right now when we didn’t even have proper equipment.

“Should I raise Constitution to boost my health? Or should I just increase Strength to power through the early stages?”

When it came time to invest the points, I found myself hesitating.

Summoner characters using summoning staves would invest in Charm, but I was cautious since I didn’t know if summoned creatures from the onahole were affected by Charm.

Moreover, Charm had fewer uses compared to other stats, making it less valuable.

“It would be a waste to raise Mental just to use Onahole Creation multiple times… especially since it’s a spell with a failure rate.”

Since Mental wasn’t immediately useful, I narrowed my options to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.

These were all physical ability stats.

Strength for damage and carrying capacity, Dexterity for gambling moves in crisis situations, and Constitution for the most stable survival.

“This is the right choice.”

I made my decision and immediately manipulated the glowing status window before me.

Floor 1 was essentially a tutorial level.

Low-tier enemies like Giant Rats, Sewer Spiders, and occasional Blue Slimes.

A layout that showed some consideration for the incomparably weak player character compared to the floors that would follow.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the true beginning of D.D. wasn’t Floor 1, but Floor 2.

Apart from the appearance of damp moss-covered bricks and tall vegetation beginning to show up, it didn’t seem much different from Floor 1.

『Plague Rat』Level: 05
Health: 35/35 ■■■■■■■■■■
【A giant rat carrying a visibly dangerous plague. Undoubtedly one of the calamities that brings countless deaths.】

[You have learned about the Plague Rat.]

That’s because this is the floor where diseases and various other status ailments begin to be actively used.

***

SPLASH— SPLASH—

Shaking off the green water of the sewers that clutched at my ankles, I advanced through the brick tunnel that was stacked without gaps, as if engineered with precision.

The watermarks and moss stuck all over the walls seemed to form disgusting patterns.

After trudging along the stamina-draining path, I came to a fork. Actually, one side was a dead end.

“Oh, a secret room.”

Procedural generation creates randomly-generated maps for new experiences each time, but there was a formula that allowed you to somewhat predict what a location might be based on its terrain.

And a cavern that branched into a dead end was highly likely to have a hidden entrance to a secret room.

Of course, since you don’t know which direction the entrance is in, you have to check them all, but it’s not a big challenge.

“JET KICK!”

You just need to hit it.

RUMBLE!

As I kicked the front wall, the brick wall collapsed with a tremendous sound, revealing an empty space on the other side.

[You have learned about Secret Rooms.]

[The Ghost Spider has spotted you.]

[You have been ambushed by the Ghost Spider!]

KYEEEK—!

“KYEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! IT’S A GHOST SPIDER!!!”

A massive white spider with a ghostly white body like it was wearing a funeral shroud, quickly rushing through the collapsing bricks.

In that moment, time stretched out. Facing the disgusting creature with multiple legs flying toward me, I twisted my waist and barely avoided being pounced on at the last second.

It was the effect of my Dexterity, which had been raised to 13 by investing points.

My suddenly twisted waist ached quite a bit, but without even a moment to pause, I quickly swung the dagger in my hand.

With a SLASH— sound, one of its legs was severed.

[The Ghost Spider took 12 damage.]

HISSS…

“Ugh… fuck, it’s not like it was modeled by those insect-loving freaks, but it’s really fucking disgusting…”

Though the Ghost Spider had lost one leg, it seemed more enraged, raising two of its legs to threaten me.

What had once looked like a few pixels carelessly placed together now showed every single hair in 4K resolution, making it an absolute ordeal to face.

It was fortunate that I had built up some resistance from encountering Sewer Spiders several times on Floor 1.

If not, I would have been caught while running away and had my fluids sucked out until I became a mummy!

‘THX Sewer Spider..! Your sacrifice won’t be forgotten!’

『Ghost Spider』Level: 05
Health: 25/37 ■■■■■■■□□□
【A rare spider with a pure white body. Called a Ghost Spider because it resembles a ghost when rushing at unsuspecting prey.】

Although it had enough health to die after being slashed about twice with the dagger, there was uncertainty.

With my sturdy leather armor, I wouldn’t die from taking a hit or two, so planning to kill it with certainty in two hits, I put away the dagger and took out my club.

The Ghost Spider and I watched each other, trying to time our moves.

It was chilling to have those creepy spider eyes staring directly at me, but I bit my lip and endured.

The Ghost Spider moved first.

Jumping as it kicked up the pooled water in the sewer.

It would have been nice if I could dodge it again, but as if to say luck doesn’t strike twice, I was hit by the Ghost Spider’s charge and pushed back.

“ARGH!”

[You took 10 damage.]

[The Ghost Spider took 14 damage.]

But I wasn’t just taking hits passively. The player’s individual specs were far superior, after all.

I aim my club at the body of the flying spider!

THWACK!

FLOP— SPLASH!

KYEEEEEK!

“BLRGLBLGLB!”

Despite falling to the floor together with the Ghost Spider and planting my face in the dirty water, I frantically got up and swung my club wildly despite my unclear vision.

WHOOSH! THWACK—!

[The Ghost Spider took 13 damage.]

[You have defeated the Ghost Spider.]

Fortunately, my attack connected. With that, the Ghost Spider perished.

“PTOOEY! BLECHHH!! F-fuck, it tastes like mala tang that’s been dumped in food waste. Fucking disgusting.”

I spat out the water that had unintentionally entered my nose and mouth, breathing a sigh of relief.

Having killed the guardian of the secret room, now it’s time to go in and retrieve any useful items.

Setting aside the revolting taste that still lingered in my mouth, that is.