Chapter 27 - The Bikini Armor Squad Charges Forth

"The dungeon held by Singroom Town consists of thirteen floors in total and features a standard field layout. It's generally considered a dungeon for relative beginners."

The veteran adventurer, Gurka, explained the basics to us.

"High-difficulty dungeons can easily exceed a hundred floors, so thirteen floors definitely places this one in the lower-tier category. Every single floor follows a standard cave template, completely free of troublesome environmental hazards like lava, blizzards, or howling winds. The monsters that spawn are of standard strength too, so I'd say it's the perfect balance for academy students to get a taste of the real deal." 

"I see...!"

With that, we made our way from the Guild to the dungeon entrance. After receiving authorization from the gatekeeper, we were finally ready to plunge into the abyss.

"How crowded is it looking today?" Gurka asked with the practiced ease of a seasoned veteran.

The gatekeeper responded, "As a matter of fact, you lot are the very first guests of the day. The notorious Zinzanga party was scheduled to dive today, so everyone else avoided entering at the same time to steer clear of trouble. But strangely enough, those Zinzanga bastards haven't shown their faces at all."

Wait, could that mean...?

"Oh, the Zinzanga crowd won't be coming. This rookie right here crushed every single one of them without leaving a trace. So you won't be seeing them today, or ever again for that matter."

As I thought, it was the exact same group of thugs I had tangled with back at the Guild!

"Well, that's excellent news. Adventurers who do nothing but cause trouble are a complete nuisance, no matter how skilled they might be. With them out of the picture, exploration in this dungeon should proceed far more smoothly." 

"Is that really how things work around here?!"

Talk about a dry response from the Adventurers Guild! I suppose it really is a cutthroat industry where you can't survive without that level of pragmatism.

"New visitors, I look forward to your achievements. Bring back plenty of useful materials." 

"Thanks a bunch!"

Giving a thoroughly casual reply, we stepped into the dungeon.

The interior indeed possessed a chilly, cave-like atmosphere, wrapped in a profound, heavy silence.

"It's so quiet... there isn't a single trace of human presence...?!" Even my sister, walking alongside us, seemed thrown off by the eerie atmosphere.

"Judging by what we heard just now, it looks like we've essentially got the whole place to ourselves today. But keep in mind that while there's no one around to disrupt us, there's also no help coming if things get dangerous. Stay sharp as we move forward."

""""""Yes!""""""

Gurka, acting as our supervisor, was incredibly reassuring.

"This is a learning experience for you lot, so I won't be lending a hand. Move forward entirely on your own strength. I'm going to take my time observing what the Royal Academy elites can do." 

"Understood!"

Having the dungeon all to ourselves was actually highly convenient for me.

I wanted to avoid exposing the bare skin of my precious lovers to other men as much as humanly possible. Truth be told, I had intended to wait until we reached the deeper levels before having them strip, but since there wasn't a soul around, there was no longer any reason to hold back.

"Alright, everyone! Cast off!"

At my command, Big Sis, Lady Staff, More, and Bloom all flung off the cloaks they had been wearing.

Revealed beneath were their half-naked forms, leaving their bellies, backs, and thighs completely bare. It was a four-star constellation of bikini armor, covering their crotches and breasts—the most critical parts—to the absolute bare minimum!

"Haaaaaaah?! What in the world?!" Letting out a voice of absolute shock was the veteran, Gurka.

"Custom-ordered bikini armor fashioned exactly after Calibur's! A top-tier masterpiece crafted by pouring money into it like water!" 

"I take pride in a design that draws out my charm to the absolute maximum! And yet, it boasts incredible performance! After all, beauty must go hand-in-hand with strength!"

While it all fell under the umbrella of 'bikini armor,' each outfit possessed its own distinct personality. In contrast to Big Sis's standard design, which looked like normal heavy armor stripped down to its ultimate lightweight limits, Lady Staff's and Bloom's outfits were rich with the playful whimsy of noble daughters.

For instance, Bloom's bikini armor featured black as its primary color, boasting a glossy, metallic glitter finish that made it look exactly like a dominant queen's bondage gear.

On the other hand, Lady Staff wore a pure white bikini armor. White is a pure color that supposedly enhances sacred magic, but for some reason, her outfit was an absolute micro-bikini. The amount of fabric barely managed to cover her nipples on top and her lower assets on the bottom; a single wrong movement looked like it would cause an absolute disaster.

Since both Lady Staff and Bloom were back-guard magic users, they didn't need to don metallic armor plates, but because of that, their outfits literally looked like nothing more than regular swimwear!

"...What on earth is this?" Gurka muttered from the side, her voice completely drenched in exasperation.

"Are noble lords' brains completely fried across the board?! To go parading around a life-threatening dungeon in outfits that are practically naked and look like nothing but an invitation for men...!" 

"Wait! Please wait!"

Somehow, I managed to hold back and placate Gurka, who looked about five seconds away from flying into a furious rage.

"This is an optimized loadout for dungeon conquest that we arrived at after thorough consideration! I swear to you, this is the most efficient way to do it!!" 

"As if that makes any sense! If dressing like this gave you an advantage in a dungeon, every adventurer out there would be roaming around completely buck naked! How on earth is this supposed to be helpful?!"

Well, let's see. For example...

"It makes going to the bathroom incredibly easy." 

"Right, since all you have to do is slide a single pair of panties up or down, I'm sure it's a breeze. I'll grant you that that part is genuinely enviable...!"

As she spoke, Gurka—who was fully geared up for trekking through the dungeon, with her thick trousers tucked securely into her boots and multiple layers of belts fastened around her waist—looked like she would have an incredibly difficult time just trying to take a leak.

"But that's about the extent of it, isn't it?! That doesn't remotely balance out the risk of advancing through a dungeon with your lower body practically on display. I'm being paid by Whip to handle this request, so if you keep pulling foolish stunts like this, I will forcefully pull the plug and—" 

"Wait, wait! Just give us this one floor! If you watch us just once, you'll see the utility of this equipment, so please just observe how it goes for now!!"

Since I dropped down to my knees to beg her, even the veteran adventurer eventually relented.

"Fine, fine. I'll bet on the hope that the Royal Academy's elite students aren't actually complete morons. Just for this one floor, got it? If you can't prove the worth of that underwear armor right here, I'm forcing you to change into proper gear next time." 

"We did it!"

For the time being, we managed to get her to turn a blind eye!

Let us advance. Move out, Bikini Armor Squad!

---

As we pressed deeper into the dungeon, we encountered our first enemies in no time at all.

They were bats as large as massive hounds. The moment these monstrosities spotted us, they spread their wings and swarmed forward in a massive horde. There were easily dozens of them.

"They're Giant Vampire Bats! Those things absolutely love human blood; they'll sink their fangs into you and drain you dry! ...See?! This is exactly why you're supposed to keep your entire body covered!!" 

"Omega Firestorm."

At Bloom's chant of an advanced offensive spell, the bats fluttering across the cave ceiling were swallowed up by a roaring inferno without exception, roasted to a crisp well-done finish.

"Hmm, an excellent thermal flow. The mana-conductive materials woven into this bikini armor are functioning flawlessly." 

"You've got to be kidding me?!"

The sheer onslaught of the bat army could have easily turned into a disaster based on numbers alone, but thanks to the area-of-effect offensive magic wielded by the [Mage] Bloom, the threat was neutralized effortlessly.

"Ah, another swarm of bats is coming. Do it again, Bloom." 

"Omega Firestorm." 

"Are you serious?!"

Bloom continuously unleashed a massive, high-yield fire spell that was clearly intended to be a finishing move. Thanks to her, the bats trying to overwhelm us with numbers were completely shut down, reduced to nothing but scattering ash.

"Hey, hey, hold on a minute! Is it really alright for you to be blasting away at full power like that?! Isn't that a grand spell that clearly drains an immense amount of mana?!" 

"Omega Firestorm." 

"Listen to me!!"

After advancing for a short while, we seemed to cross past the bats' territory, and the nature of the oncoming enemies shifted.

They were demi-human monsters. Though they resembled hairy beasts, they stood on two legs and were armed with swords and shields in both hands. Among them were creatures covered in scales, pig-faced beasts, and all sorts of variations.

"Beast-Fiends! They're tough, sturdy, and fully armed, so a single magic spell isn't going to sweep them away! Your previous tactic won't work here!" 

"Then it's our turn!"

Big Sis and More leaped forward. The vanguard duo of [Knight] and [Swordsman] formed a solid wall to intercept the oncoming foes.

First, Big Sis...

"[Knight] Skill: Inspire!"

As a [Knight] optimized for group combat, she activated a skill that rallied her allies' spirits and accelerated their movements.

"Shield Bash Wall!!"

Furthermore, she slammed into the enemies with her readied shield, blowing back the entire front line. Every single one of these maneuvers was executed perfectly while clad in bikini armor.

"The enemies are faltering! Now's our chance!" 

"Omega Blizzard! Freeze and solidify!"

With the freezing magic unleashed by Bloom, the monsters sustained massive damage—though not enough to kill them instantly—and their movements slowed significantly due to their chilled bodies. Since they weren't the type of opponents to drop from a single spell anyway, restricting their mobility was absolutely the correct approach.

With the monsters thus scattered and slowed down, we proceeded to handle them with precise coordination.

Myself, Big Sis, and More charged out to reliably finish them off one by one. From the rear, Bloom provided supporting offensive magic, while Lady Staff continuously fired off long-range healing spells to keep everyone backed up.

My sister, who possessed high defensive power along with offensive capabilities as a [Knight], drew the largest number of enemies to herself. During that time, we swiftly and reliably crushed the isolated targets.

"[Swordsman] Skill: Clean Cleave!"

The one who truly shone in this scenario was More. Because her 'vocation' was [Swordsman]—a class specifically tailored for one-on-one combat—creating this exact situation allowed her to perform ideally. She split the confronting Beast-Fiends down the middle one after another, reducing their numbers at an exponential rate.

More's movements were exceptionally agile; not a single Beast-Fiend could keep pace with her speed. Far from mounting a counterattack, they couldn't even manage a defensive posture before being instantaneously erased.

That was undoubtedly because More was clad in bikini armor. Precisely because her equipment was lightened to the absolute limit, she could move with incredible speed. And because it covered only her breasts and crotch—leaving her practically naked—she could execute completely natural movements, striking before the enemy could even react.

Eh? You're asking if that's actually true? Don't doubt it!

By the way, More's bikini armor was a metallic set styled after chainmail. It was made of metal, but possessed a cloth-like flexibility, which is probably why it allowed such seamless movement.

"I didn't let myself get put into an outfit like this just to lose, so there's absolutely no way I'm falling hereeeeee!!"

After all, if she lost, she'd have to live with the ultimate disgrace. Forcing oneself into a corner to draw out maximum capability was likely part of the intent behind it.

The naked, back-to-the-wall strategy.

Meanwhile, I quietly bludgeoned the enemies to death one after another with my rod, completely wiping out the remaining forces in no time. Damage sustained on our end: zero. It was a flawless victory.

"No, no, no, no, no...! Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on...!" The veteran adventurer stepped in to voice an immediate objection.

"This is no good, you're pacing yourselves way too fast! Every single one of you is fighting at absolute full power without holding anything back!" 

"Is there a problem with that?" 

"Of course there's a problem! Dungeon exploration is fundamentally a series of continuous battles! Every time you descend to a deeper floor, stronger monsters are going to assault you, forcing a heavier burden onto your shoulders. You have to preserve your stamina! Fighting like this is going to leave you completely out of breath in no time?!"

Is that really how it works? Well, yes.

"Above all else, dungeon exploration requires you to manage your power distribution strictly. You have to account for the journey back, after all. If you plunge deep into the heart of a dungeon and exhaust your spirit and stamina entirely right there, it's game over."

What Gurka was saying was entirely correct.

Throughout the battles up to this point, we had maintained a pace that was practically at absolute full throttle. We used spells and skills without a shred of restraint, operating under a mindset of 'go all out.'

However, that was identical to sprinting at full speed during a marathon; there was no way anyone could maintain that pace until the finish line. You're bound to run out of steam halfway through.

Gurka's anxiety hit the bullseye flawlessly. Does that mean we were entirely reckless rookies?

No, far from it.

"We have a countermeasure completely prepared, you know!" 

"What?!"

Did she really think we were fighting at full power while completely ignoring our pacing without any underlying thought? We were well aware that dungeons are long-term engagements, and that proper pacing is an absolute necessity.

However, we possessed a trump card that allowed us to bypass that logic entirely. And this is exactly where the fact that they were wearing bikini armor became an overwhelming advantage.

"Alright, everyone, take off your panties!"

With a bikini armor, you can become instantly stark naked simply by sliding down your panties and removing your bra!

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