Early TNG Vol. 23 Chapter 2 Part 4

Full title: THE NEW GATE

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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“First, an introduction. My name is Full Vegas. You may not recognize me, but I’m a Divine Beast. This form is only a façade; my strength is nearly identical to my true form. So, word of advice: don’t even think about picking a fight with me here.”

Her smile remained bright, but in the next instant, the suppressed pressure of her divinity burst forth for a heartbeat.

The illusion that her body had swelled to dozens of times its size crushed down on them.

Without knowing it was only a warning, anyone would have drawn their weapon.

For Tiera and Retoneka it was harsh, but since there was no physical damage, Shin simply moved to shield them.

Full Vegas gave this warning because, back in the game, some players had tested what would happen if they tried attacking her instead of clearing the dungeon. Naturally, they’d been annihilated.

When Shin’s look conveyed “We get it—move on,” she nodded and continued.

“My dungeon is a place to test adventurers’ strength and luck.

Those who reach the final area of the randomly generated dungeon will be awarded rare treasures.

You’ll face monsters and traps along the way, but don’t worry. I use a special skill that prevents death, so you can afford to be reckless!”

The explanation matched what Shin remembered exactly.

He was especially relieved by the part about there being no risk to their lives.

He hadn’t wanted to drag Retoneka—who had just happened to be caught up in this—into a life-or-death struggle.

“But just clearing it would be boring, right? That’s why we have… this!”

She raised her left hand, and a two-mel-tall slot machine appeared. Unlike ordinary ones, it had only a single reel for its symbols.

“Luck counts as strength too. You’ll spin once before entering, and once before and after each floor. The effect that comes up will apply to you for the next floor. Oh, and the final area counts separately, so there’s a spin there as well!”

(There it is.) 

Shin eyed the slot grimly.

This was the dungeon’s hallmark feature… and its greatest hazard.

The slot imposed random debuffs that had to be endured through the next section.

Because they weren’t ordinary status ailments, many were impossible to block or nullify.

Difficulty could swing wildly: the first floor might be a breeze, only for the second to become sheer survival.

Players had nicknamed it the “Gambling Dungeon.”

Even carrying anti-status gear was useless; the dungeon’s rules overrode them.

By the later floors, debuffs stacked endlessly, and it wasn’t uncommon to collapse before even reaching the boss.

“That’s all the explanation. Now then—our first event. Time to spin the slot!”

She gestured for them to step forward.

The slot would trigger the dungeon’s special rules and generate each participant’s avatar body.

Their real bodies stayed safe, while only their consciousness transferred; a game within the game, essentially a simulation.

Thanks to that, even dying here carried no penalties, just as it had in the old days.

While that made it more lighthearted, encountering Full Vegas at all had always been rare. Luck was tested at every step.

“Well then… let’s see what comes up.”

Muttering, Shin pulled the lever.

The reel spun, whirling for several seconds before stopping.

The symbol that appeared showed a figure shrinking to half its size.

“Ah, damn…”

With a sigh, Shin realized he’d drawn one of the more troublesome results.

Immediately, the effect took hold: his body shrank rapidly until he looked like a grade-schooler.

His clothes hung loose for a moment, but auto-resize kicked in, refitting them snugly to his reduced frame.

The symbol Shin had drawn carried the effect of transforming his avatar into a child’s form. His stats remained unchanged, yet his reach and sense of bodily control shifted so drastically that combat would become awkward; an insidiously troublesome debuff.

“You already have restrictions placed on your stats in addition to the slots. Don’t think you can object, alright?”

Shin gave a slight nod at the condition Full Vegas added.

“Well, I figured as much.”

When avatars were created, their stats would naturally be checked. If they were excessive, restrictions would be applied. Otherwise, the dungeon’s difficulty would vary wildly.

Full Vegas’s dungeon emphasized the element of chance. No matter how many debuffs piled on, if raw strength alone could bulldoze through the trial, the entire concept would be undermined. Of course, even without restrictions, if Shin kept drawing the most dreaded debuffs—those players had once dubbed “the absolute worst”—there would be no clearing it. That said, entering with entirely different baselines would hardly be fair either.

If this were a dungeon where lives were at stake, Shin would have had grounds to protest. But here, where no harm could befall them, he could accept the arrangement.

“Strictly speaking, you’re included as well,” Full Vegas told Schnee. “But since you haven’t strayed nearly as far as him, I’ll overlook it this time.”

“That isn’t particularly reassuring.”

Though Schnee’s expression did not shift, her voice betrayed faint dissatisfaction.

Because of Shin’s titles, Schnee too had surpassed her stat limits. However, unlike Shin, whose attributes had doubled, hers had only crept past the line. Judged as a marginal excess, she was spared restrictions.

“Shin… you got tiny.”

“Is this… safe?”

Tiera and Retoneka stared at Shin’s altered form, equal parts astonished and uneasy. Milt explained on his behalf.

“It’s hard to tell, but that body’s separate from his real one. The effect only lasts inside the dungeon. Once you leave, or die inside, or clear the final area, you’ll revert.”

The concept of using a body distinct from one’s true self was hard to grasp from words alone. Shin and Milt, seasoned by the game, and Schnee, who had already experienced it, could take it in stride. Tiera and Retoneka, however, couldn’t help but worry despite understanding.

“Well then, let’s see what comes next.”

Shin pulled the lever again, this time to enter the first floor. The reels landed on a knife and fork; a seal on cooking skills.

“Safe!”

Receiving such a negligible debuff was a relief. Shin pumped his fist lightly, spared from an early crippling handicap.

“Go on, spin it one after the other.”

“Then I’ll go next,” Schnee replied.

Prompted by Full Vegas, she stepped forward. With Shin’s example plain to see, the rest of the group began spinning their slots without fuss. Every party member was included, Yuzuha and Kagerou as well.

Both were Divine Beasts; Yuzuha especially, though not in her complete form, was still among the game’s highest-tier monsters. Allowing such stats unchecked would be egregious. Their attributes were forcibly restricted to those of ordinary tamed beasts.

Once all had spun, each confirmed the debuffs received. Some, like Shin’s visible form change, were obvious. Others varied even under identical slot symbols, so the afflicted had to state them aloud.

The initial debuff tally was as follows:

• Shin: Physical transformation + Cooking skill sealed.

• Schnee: Smithing skill sealed + Taming skill sealed.

• Milt: Racial innate ability sealed + DEX reduced by 50%.

• Tiera: Unable to equip blunt weapons + Swordsmanship skills sealed.

• Retoneka: Cooking skill sealed + Light magic skills sealed.

• Yuzuha: Dark magic skills sealed + partial unique skill sealed.

• Kagerou: Accessories locked + Job sealed.

“Schnee’s practically unscathed. Same for me, since my attributes didn’t drop. That leaves Tiera and Retoneka?”

“Right. My main weapons are bows and daggers, I never touch swordsmanship skills.”

“Same here. I can’t cook or use light magic, so nothing changes.”

The two seemed unconcerned, but Milt’s expression was less cheerful.

“Mine’s actually kind of rough, you know.”

“Even a single stat halved is no joke. And my sense of reach is off as well. Best to tread carefully in the first battle.”

Slot debuffs could target unlearned skills or unused titles as well. Retoneka’s case was precisely that; both debuffs struck unacquired skills, making her exceptionally lucky.

Back in the game era, rumor had it that slots disproportionately targeted learned skills. Data collected by testers suggested about a seventy-percent likelihood. Some players even acquired useless skills solely to buffer against the roulette.

This time, no one had drawn anything severe. At worst, there existed outcomes like “Level reduced to one-tenth” or “All equipment locked.” The latter forcibly unequipped even currently worn gear.

In that sense, none had been crippled to the point of compromising progress. One could even say they’d all hit favorable rolls.

“Everyone’s had their spin? Then it’s time for the dungeon’s main event!”

“It’s coming!”

“It’s coming indeed!”

Full Vegas raised her hand high and cried out, raising Shin’s and Milt’s excitement in tandem. Then she swung her arm down with vigor, producing a crisp snap.

Immediately, every member’s clothing radiated rainbow light. The flash burst, and in the instant that followed—

“Wait—what the heck is this!?”

“Aaahh!”

Tiera and Retoneka looked down at themselves, then hastily covered their bodies with their arms.

And with good reason. Their attire had transformed: men into dealers, women into bunny girls.

Each now sported bunny ears and a tail colored to match their hair, clad in sleek black leotards and fishnet tights. While the game supposedly offered varied designs, this time all matched, though their individual physiques left undeniable contrasts.

“Bunny girls truly are the best!”

Full Vegas thrust her thumb up with a radiant grin. Shin, now a pint-sized dealer, and Milt, likewise turned into a bunny girl, crossed their arms and nodded sagely.

“Agreed without question.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

“Honestly, you two are getting carried away,” Schnee chided.

“It cannot be helped. Humanity is, after all, enamored with bunny girls.”

“Verily so.”

Their speech patterns even shifted. Schnee smiled wryly at their antics. With no real danger looming, such levity could be indulged.

Tiera, on the other hand, seemed genuinely unsettled by the mechanic of forcibly altering their attire.

“Shin, I can’t change my equipment.”

“In Full Vegas’s dungeon, attire is locked: dealer for men, bunny girl for women. Even if you switch gear, it all looks the same.”

“I… don’t understand.”

For the denizens of this world, dungeons were places of life-or-death struggle. To them, Full Vegas’s frivolous dungeon seemed like a mockery of common sense.

“You there, young lady. Do you have some complaint with being a bunny girl?”

Full Vegas asked cheerfully. Forgetting for a moment that the other was a Divine Beast, Tiera shot back.

“We’re about to dive into a dungeon. This is a bit much.”

“You’re overthinking. This is a dungeon where lives aren’t lost. A little fun doesn’t hurt. Besides, your equipment effects are still functioning, aren’t they? Combat won’t be hindered, so rest easy.”

“But I can’t fight in something like this! If there’s an outfit like Shin’s, I’d rather have that.”

The unfamiliar costume clearly provoked Tiera’s sense of modesty; she crouched down, trying to hide herself from view. Retoneka didn’t voice it, but her eyes flicked repeatedly between herself and the others, as if invisible question marks hovered above her head.

“See? Retoneka feels the same, right?”

Pressed by Tiera’s look, Retoneka turned her face aside and murmured softly.

“No… I don’t have anything that would trouble me even if seen.”

She had glanced at Schnee, Milt, and Tiera in turn before letting her eyes fall to her own figure. Catching her implication, Shin found no words to say.

“Tiera, stand up already. Only we are here. No one else will see you.”

“Exactly. And outfit changes aren’t an option. Shin’s the only man in the party, just accept it.”

“Ugh…”

Urged by Schnee and Milt, Tiera reluctantly rose. She crossed her arms over her chest in token resistance, but in that bunny outfit the gesture only emphasized her allure, making her seem all the more suggestive.

“Confidence suits it well, but bashfulness has its charm too.”

“Agreed.”

“Agreed indeed.”

Shin and Milt bantered with Full Vegas as if with an old friend, prompting Tiera’s reproachful glare.

“Milt, your outfit changed too. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“This is just how the costume is. Besides, it really was popular. Isn’t that right, Shin?”

Far from flustered, Milt actually thrust out her chest with pride. Given her figure, hers was easily the most provocative appearance, yet she was clearly reveling in it. Drawn into her cue, Shin’s mind wandered back to the old days.

“Yeah. It was introduced during a lull when the player base was thinning. Caused quite a stir when announced; some people even came back just for this.”

Whether or not one wanted to wear it personally, the overall reception of Full Vegas and her event had been favorable, and the player count had climbed steadily.

“Wha…? Came back? I don’t get it.”

Tiera tilted her head in puzzlement, as did Retoneka. Their ignorance of the game era marked a sharp divide in reactions.

The event had been called Golden Gambler’s Rabbit. Released after some time had passed since launch, it had been designed as a booster to reinvigorate the player base. Full Vegas, her unique dungeon, new costumes, and minigames—everything themed after a casino.

The only complaint was that once the event ended, meeting Full Vegas herself became purely a matter of luck. Otherwise, the event left a glowing legacy.

“Think of it as a festival. Don’t overthink it. Even if we fail, we lose nothing.”

Consumables and equipment would all be restored once they left the dungeon. The safety net allowed for bolder tactics than a normal dungeon raid.

“Fine, I get it.”

Resolute at last, Tiera lowered her arms, revealing the sight of a black-haired elven beauty in bunny girl attire.

“Are you ready?”

Full Vegas beckoned them onward, but Shin raised a hand.

“One thing first. Can we communicate outside? I was supposed to return today, I don’t want my comrades worrying.”

“That’s no problem. You can contact them anytime.”

“You hear that, Retoneka? Let’s send word now.”

“Understood.”

Shin relayed the situation to the island party via 【Mind Chat】. Retoneka likewise activated a communication item and sent off a letter summarizing their status.

“I’ll make sure that reaches outside. Anything else? No? Good. Then—on to the first floor!”

With a snap of her fingers, Full Vegas conjured a door lavishly adorned where empty space had been.

It swung open slowly, revealing only a pale yellow glow beyond, obscuring all detail.

“I’ll go first. Follow after me with a little spacing.”

Once he confirmed with the others, Shin stepped through the door.

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