Here is the translation:
I’m posting the fourth installment.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend, occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
I can’t believe I survived.
For the past week, Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio were like demons and ogres during training.
The afternoon training sessions handled by those two were so brutal that the morning lectures felt like a respite.
Thanks to my steadily increasing stats, the number of fractures decreased, but conversely, the number of times I was blown away, sent flying, and slammed into walls increased.
The issued protective gear felt comfortable without any strangeness, as its shape was similar to Kendo armor. Furthermore, my ease of movement and defensive capabilities improved, leading to fewer injuries.
However, the number of times I was hit had definitely increased compared to before.
I might be able to withstand a punch from a professional boxer now, only staggering, but that would be like spitting into a burning fire.
The gap closed was only from a gnat to a grasshopper, a meager improvement by a small margin.
At best, it only made the instructors’ control easier.
“Oh, oh, oh! Keep at it, keep at it! If you do, you can survive! Hahaha!”
“Kekeke, you’re starting to get a handle on things, eh? How about some gravity magic? How about some paralysis magic? Want some extras?”
Watching the two train with malevolent smiles that would appear in my nightmares when I lost consciousness, it took next to no time to realize they were having fun.
Like children with a new toy, they enjoyed it, and as I grew, they would raise their own gear, always maintaining the perfect level of suffering.
“Hang in there! Your wounds are shallow! Don’t close your eyes! Don’t worry! All the healing potions will be deducted from their salaries! So don’t close your eyes! You’ll die!?”
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve thought, “Can I just reach the goal now?” A newcomer training that truly felt like hell on earth, or perhaps an ascetic practice. If it weren’t for Suella’s warm healing magic, my only solace, I might have run away long ago. Suella, for some reason, always seemed more panicked than I was. Was my situation that bad? As a side note, when my injuries were worse than expected, she would sometimes give me a pillow with her lap. Those moments could be called pure bliss. At those times, I was so close to death that I couldn’t harbor any impure thoughts.
While I could truthfully say that I’ve been getting by without dying, there’s something that’s been bothering me lately, as I don’t have much confidence in my interpersonal skills. During the morning lecture, sitting in my usual back seat, I’d sometimes overhear conversations while looking through the documents before it started.
“Oh, it’s him.”
“Huh? The good-for-nothing?”
“Yeah, he seems to get torn up in training every single time.”
“To get that beaten up in training, the rumors that his magic aptitude is barely enough are true.”
“Last time, he was even rushed to the infirmary.”
“How could someone get injured like that?”
Yes, on top of the generational gap making conversations difficult, there was also the fact that I was constantly getting beaten to a pulp. I’d inadvertently become known as the slacker. Now, most of the gazes directed at me are either scornful smirks or pitying looks of commiseration. The feeling of loneliness is overwhelming. That’s quite natural. From what Suella and the instructors have told me, other trainees don’t get injured like I do. It’s like a magic school where they teach techniques by having trainees shoot at targets or by teaching them hand in hand. When I heard about their teaching methods, I blurted out, “Why!?” to the instructors. Their responses were:
“You idiot! Do you think I’d create something that can be overcome with such a half-hearted method?”
“Kekeke, if Jiro desires despair, I don’t really mind.”
Apparently, it’s simply a difference in educational policy. Instructor Kio and his team focus on immediate combat readiness, while other departments have a more gradual approach. I decided to think of it like how different departments have the same goal but different methods of education, as my battered mind struggled to make sense of it. Both educational approaches have their pros and cons, but in cases like this, considering that I’ll eventually need to form a party to delve into the deeper parts of dungeons, this situation is critical. If I had better communication skills and could be a little more playful, this atmosphere might have improved slightly, and I might have made some friends. However, pride gets involved when my efforts aren’t fairly evaluated, and I, too, tend to be a bit stubborn, so I couldn’t adopt such an attitude. If I were to express my inner thoughts, it would be:
“I have no right to be laughed at by you lot while I’m practically dying during training.”
I’d like to shout that out loud, but saying something like that would just lead to everyone thinking, “What the heck is wrong with this guy?” and the atmosphere would worsen. Of course, I know the situation is bad and I’ve tried to improve it several times, but I’ve concluded that actions speak louder than words in the end. On top of that,
“Hey, old man, could you go to the vending machine for me? I want a cafe au lait.”
“I want tea.”
“Black coffee.”
They’re completely disregarding the hierarchy of society, trying to make me, who’s clearly their senior, run errands. Usually, if I ignore them, they’ll just leave with a scoff. I’ll use that tactic again this time. I don’t care if the mood gets ruined. In situations like this, it’s better to keep a poker face and remain stoic. Don’t underestimate my poker face, honed in the fires of a black company. I’m confident I can keep my emotions in check to a certain extent. All I have to do now is get through the morning lecture. That’s what I thought as I diligently went through the morning lecture.
“This afternoon’s training will be held at the First Training Facility, with all job classes participating together. Everyone, do not go to the wrong location.”
However, the handsome Dark Elf, who was a regular, dropped a bomb that I couldn’t ignore before leaving the lecture hall.
“What do we do?”
I wracked my brain, contemplating the situation. This must be what they mean by “one crisis averted, another appears.” No, it’s useless to worry. The thought of feeling unwell crosses my mind, but I immediately dismiss it. In this company, there are convenient magic potions. Even if I catch a cold and am stuck in bed, I can recover in no time, which is why fantasy is so amazing. Therefore, I can’t fake illness to be absent, and not showing up without permission is out of the question.
“I guess I’ll just have to brace myself.”
Loneliness is precisely why I’m not good at this kind of group activity. Even if it’s not a result of my own actions, sometimes you just have to endure to survive.
“Well, first, lunch, I suppose.”
One can’t do anything on an empty stomach, and it’s better than my previous job where lunch breaks were strictly limited, I thought, as I prepared for the afternoon’s schedule.
“I am Evia, supervisor of this company,” she said, her voice clear though not loud, with a hint of coldness, signaling the start of the afternoon training.
“There will be only one explanation. Everyone listen carefully without whispering. Today, you will fight monsters from a Dungeon.”
The words of the demon woman, with lizard-like wings, a slender, black, pointed tail that swayed, bent horns growing from her temples, and long, crimson hair the color of red wine, were chilling, contrasting with her hair color, and caused considerable turmoil among us.
“Your opponents have been selected from the subordinates of the Demon King General, the Undead King General, and the Dragon King General. All are of the lowest Soul rank. Don’t stumble at a place like this?”
It felt as if she was implicitly telling us that it was a given that we would succeed.
“The formation of your squads is up to you. You can go solo or form groups. This training is an encounter-style training simulating a Dungeon. It’s up to your own judgment.”
Her appearance, standing in the center without even looking at the documents, was either dignified or coldly efficient, depending on how you looked at it.
“Monsters will appear one hour after the start. We will have a ten-minute break in between, and we will do this for three sets. You cannot escape the facility during that time. Don’t worry, you won’t ‘die.’ If you’re in danger, gather around me, and I’ll protect you with a barrier.”
The tense atmosphere shifted, and the surrounding air seemed to relax with her reassuring words.
Conversely, I felt a demonic nature in those sweet-smelling words. They were similar to the deceptive words Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio used, albeit of a different kind.
The clipboard, which had not been turned a single page since earlier, caught my eye. She didn’t need to look at it because she had it memorized. It was possible that it was just a formality, prepared just in case, but I was concerned that this training lacked not only Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio but also Suella and other instructors from different specialties.
“We will start the training in five minutes. Finish your preparations quickly.”
However, I didn’t have time to think, and there were no answers to be found even if I did. Preparation meant nothing when I had no one to team up with, and my equipment beyond checking my armor and wooden sword. Still, five minutes felt short. Merely checking my armor for any looseness passed the time. I decided to maintain my alertness and discreetly observed the squads, some of the same specialty, and others of different specialties.
“Are you a Magic Swordsman?”
Among them, one squad caught my eye. In their desired specialties, there was no such thing. The man, dressed like a mage, held a single-handed sword, not a wooden sword. A hybrid of mage and swordsman, it seemed like a plausible idea, but the fact that no one else had such equipment suggested it wasn’t very popular. Whether they would become versatile or end up being jacks of all trades, masters of none, would be revealed in the upcoming training. From the looks of it, he was the frontliner, with two women who seemed to be a mage and a healer, making it a squad leaning towards the backline. Still, they were better off than other squads. The men who tried to get me to run errands for them this morning were a trio of mages. Well, even so, they were better off than me, the only solo participant. Furthermore, this was my first time fighting Dungeon monsters. My body, perhaps from tension, was slightly tensed.
“I’ll give it my all.”
Fortunately, I could return to the optimal state of mind with just a few deep breaths. It wasn’t for nothing that I had nearly died.
“It’s about time.”
My internal clock, which had kept pace with the demons’ schedule, informed me of the time fairly accurately. I took another deep breath and focused my consciousness inward, not just on my surroundings but on myself, to deal with the situation. If I didn’t concentrate, I would be the first to drop out.
“Time is up. The training will now begin.”
Under the calm voice of Supervisor Evia, the atmosphere of the world changed.
“A barrier?”
“No way, I didn’t know how to activate it.”
“Did you prepare it beforehand?”
“That makes sense.”
“No.” I instinctively negated the words spoken by the group of mages. I glanced at Evia. A single action, without incantation. The barrier had materialized in the blink of an eye. I made that judgment based on a subtle similarity to Instructor Fushio’s movements, and I didn’t think I was wrong.
“Gagyagagagaga!”
However, there was no time for deeper thought. From the magic circles that had spread out around the perimeter of the large training area, small figures with dirty greenish skin emerged. Compared to the demon race, like Suella and the two instructors, and Supervisor Evia, their appearance was such that they seemed to lack any shred of intelligence, which must have been the monsters. I wasn’t even sure if the word “vanguard” applied to them. They were disposable pawns, fitting the description of ogres that swarmed towards us.
“Fireball!!”
“Take this!!”
“Wind Cutter!!”
“Hey!!”
What I had to worry about was protecting myself from the sudden friendly fire. To protect myself from spells flying around in the double digits, let alone single digits, I could only leap away and duck.
“Hey, hey, what battlefield movie is this?”
As a result of the training, my damage was zero. My eyes immediately turned to the direction of the impact, and I saw the ogres being blown away into particles of magic power, their forms utterly obliterated by the many spells that had hit them. This was modern warfare at its finest. The feeling of the Mongol soldiers who massacred the samurai who challenged them, even with the difference between guns and magic, must have been something like this. I watched in stunned silence as they were electrocuted and disintegrated on the spot without even getting close as they emerged from the magic circles.
“All weaklings, this is boring!!”
“Hmph?”
The male mage looked down on the ogres, and the female mage cast spells from her staff as if bored.
“Do I really need to be here…?”
My role as a frontliner was to be a shield, but seeing this scene that completely negated it, I almost forgot my own reason for existence.
“Three o’clock direction!!”
“The opposite way!”
“My magic power can’t keep up!?”
“Hmm?”
However, that overwhelming spectacle gradually began to break down.
“Did they not consider the pace…?”
The mages started to miss more and more, and the ogres began to close the distance, no longer staying near the magic circles. And with every one they missed, their numbers increased. Come to think of it, goblins seemed to prioritize numbers over quality…
“Are they short-distance runners or what!?”
It had only been about ten minutes since the start, but the mages’ breathing was already becoming ragged. And confirming my memory, the attack, which had been from one direction, now split into two, and they began to attack in greater numbers.
“Simultaneous this time!!”
“Lend a hand!!”
“I know!!”
They’re starting to get flustered. This is a common sight when people can’t manage their work. If you can’t see the priority of your tasks and just keep doing what’s in front of you, you’ll lose sight of what’s ahead.
Although the backliners, like those using bows and arrows, are also firing their shots, the number of enemies slipping through continues to increase.
“Tch! Do something about the three o’clock direction!!”
Realizing this situation was bad, I shouted, got up, and started running.
“Haa”
I cut between the Mages and the goblins, holding my wooden sword, and took a deep breath.
“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”
A Monkey’s roar.
Stimulating their primal instincts, the space around me fell silent as if frozen in time by my cry.
“Hey! Don’t stop, you guys!!”
Yes, not only the enemies but also my allies had frozen.
“Damn it, this skill has too many pros and cons!!”
For now, I called out with the mindset that even if I disliked my opponents, we had to work together. But frankly, I had my doubts about relying on them.
“MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIN!!”
Still, I had to defeat them.
“The resistance feels weak! Hey!!”
I was always either easily dodged or easily blocked, so I was surprised by the feeling of a direct hit. Thanks to that, I didn’t have time to feel disgusted by the sensation of hitting a living creature.
“KOTHI MEN!!”
Before I could even think about what to do next, my body had already turned, and I was charging at the nearest goblin. When I struck the hand of a goblin holding a dagger that clearly proclaimed its rustiness, it dissipated back into magic power with the recoil that hit the left side of my head.
“This is the weakest.”
Thinking that, I felt like perhaps I could manage.
“Is this a battle of wills?”
Thanks to the Monkey’s roar, the goblins close to me recognized me as an enemy. Their numbers were greater than G. The sight of them emerging from magic circles one after another was nothing short of a nightmare. I can defeat them with a single swing, and I have the stamina from the hellish days I’ve endured. I want to last about three hours. If I were to drop out halfway…
” “Pitiful! Back to retraining!!” ”
I felt like a nightmare awaited me. A sharp coldness ran down my spine, and my hands tightened.
“I don’t feel like losing!!”
I might be desperate, but I need to psych myself up that much to shake off the devilish (actually, oni and bone demons) smiles of those two.
“DUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
I cleared away three goblins with a single swing. As they flew through the air, I projected my past self onto them and raised the signal for war.
Another side
“Well, well, the Undead King. Jiro’s really fired up, isn’t he?”
“Kakakaka, indeed, indeed. He understands precisely when to make his stand.”
“I was quite unnerved by the first magic attack.”
In the monitor room, the entire scene was displayed on a large screen, with six smaller monitors on each side showing details from various areas.
Mid-term Report Meeting. This is a gathering for each instructor to report on the progress of the training.
Besides the Demon King General and the Undead King General, the faces of other generals participating in this training are visible.
“But Jiro-san is doing well. Even alone, he’s holding back a horde of goblins.”
“He has to do at least that much.”
“Kakakaka, I’m looking forward to seeing how he’ll react to my army’s second wave.”
In one area, or rather, the goblins, moving sparsely across half the training grounds, are all heading towards Jiro-san. His skill simultaneously provokes and intimidates. He uses this to draw the goblins’ attention to himself, and he himself intercepts the approaching goblins, centering his defense on that spot. He’s trying to look at the whole picture as much as possible while managing his breathing and staying calm. As an instructor, it makes me happy to see results like this. Therefore, the Demon King General and the Undead King General, who are also responsible for teaching, are in good spirits. However, the Demon King General’s good mood vanished when he glanced at someone with a similar appearance to me, peering at a monitor in the opposite direction.
“But tell me, Lunaria, what kind of education are you providing?”
“I will not make excuses. It is my failure.”
“Oni King, while we, who prioritized quality, may be excused, it is unfair to attack Lunaria, who was forced to deal with quantity.”
“Undead King, I appreciate your consideration, but results are all that matter here. I am strict with my subordinates, but it is a fact that my education is insufficient.”
The incarnation of the moon, a being with pure white hair longer than silver that trailed to her feet, and dressed in a style similar to a kimono on Earth, was a Dark Elf who looked nothing like the others. She merely gazed at the monitor without looking at us.
“Lunaria-sama.”
“Suella, you are in a position to criticize me. Be proud of the beings you have raised. Even from my perspective, your student has become a magnificent warrior, while my own student is a disgrace.”
Looking at the monitor, it’s barely been an hour, yet thirty percent of the Mages and Healers have already taken refuge within Evia-sama’s barrier. I haven’t notified them, but taking refuge within the barrier means withdrawing from this training. Naturally, such a result will affect their evaluation. The total number of training participants is 37, and thirty percent have been eliminated, by calculation. Furthermore, with the main losses being Mages and Healers, their ability to control areas has significantly decreased. The result is an unbelievable situation where a single frontliner is facing a hostile army, even if they are the lowest class.
“If only one Mage could have moved to support Jiro-san.”
“Kakakaka, that’s unlikely. The three people who are working on par with Jiro are supporting the other side, and they are Mages. In this current situation where they can’t see their surroundings, if their sense of camaraderie is skewed, it’s natural for them to lend their strength in that direction.”
“If this continues, won’t they even last until the third phase?”
“Probably. If the same scene repeats in the second phase, no matter how much we train them and how superior they are in terms of stamina, they are still human, after all. I don’t think they can hold back an army alone for that long.”
“No, that might not be the case?”
” ” ” !? ” ”
A familiar, sudden presence caused myself and the Generals to instinctively fall to our knees.
“Oh, don’t mind me, don’t mind me. I just got impatient waiting for the results and ended up coming.”
“Understood, Demon Lord.”
The Generals stood up, but I didn’t feel like I could. I remained with my head bowed, kneeling. Still, I have experienced seeing his esteemed face. A young man with blond hair and red eyes, and a gentle expression. At first glance, he appears to be just human, but there are aspects that only a Dark Elf, skilled in manipulating magic power, can perceive. The enormous magic power that I feel without seeing, even just the outermost layer, reveals that a considerable amount of magic power is compressed and held in that surface alone.
“Did you recruit him?”
“Hah! That’s correct!”
“Yes, it seems you’ve secured some good talent, Evia appears pleased as well.”
“So, Your Majesty the Demon Lord, why do you think he, Jiro, will hold out?”
“Hmm? Intuition? No, that’s not right either. Perhaps it’s the survival instinct born from fear, Nōraifu.”
I could only listen as the Demon Lord and the Undead King conversed with apparent enjoyment.
“Fear, you say, General?”
“Hahaha, it seems your training really got to him. He’s just desperately fighting back, terrified of your shadows threatening him to perform at least this much.”
While their conversation sounded amicable, their will, carried by magic, was actually telling me something else.
It was interesting.
The Demon Lord is a man of great charisma. Even with his casual tone, he commands generals who would be beyond my reach with just one hand.
“You shouldn’t underestimate survival instinct, Nōraifu. You, who are free from the shackles of life, might not feel it as much, but Raidou-kun would understand, wouldn’t he?”
“Perhaps.”
“Profound, profound, the vitality of humans.”
“Well, it’s not just that, I don’t think a person who shouts like that would give up so easily.”
**Wind Magic**
From the high-density magic I sensed, I could only discern the attribute.
“If you drop out, it’s hell!! Put some spirit into it, meeeeeeeeee!!! KOTEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
That was Jiro-san’s voice, coming from within the barrier.
“General, Evia will cry if you say that.”
“Kukukuku, only the Demon Lord could break through a barrier so effortlessly without realizing it.”
“While I sympathize with Evia, this will serve as an opportunity for further refinement.”
The generals each said different things, but it felt like they were all in agreement and nodded in understanding.
“Don’t waste the near-death experience!! Strike before you’re killed!! Can’t seeeeeeee!!!”
Even I, hearing Jiro-san’s voice, clinging to life with abundant vitality, couldn’t help but let a smile creep onto my lips.
“See? Do you think a person fighting desperately like this would drop out?”
“I’m not particularly fond of spiritual arguments, but it’s plausible.”
“Well, if he survives, I’ll go a little easy on him.”
“Indeed, but if he doesn’t survive, we’ll treat him as he wished.”
Jiro-san, please forgive my uselessness, as I can only offer encouragement.
“KYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
***
**Another Side END**
“I’m going to die, no, I’m dead, it’s over, I can’t move.”
Even with short breaks, I had been fighting non-stop for three hours. My stamina had long since run out, and I was fighting on sheer willpower, but that too ended the moment the monsters disappeared.
I couldn’t afford to care about appearances; all I could do now was lie flat on my back and recover. The hell that began with goblins, followed by skeleton warriors, and then mini-dragons, was finally over. I had no idea how many I had defeated. That’s how many I had taken down.
“I absolutely will not form a Party with those guys.”
And the reason it ended up like this was because I had been fighting alone the entire time. It might be a bit of a tantrum, but these complaints just came out. Even though I should be resting, lying flat on my back, my body was so exhausted that moving a finger felt like a Herculean effort. Yet, my mind was still working. Perhaps I was just replaying the vivid experience of the training I had just gone through.
The initial goblins were still manageable. Even though I wasn’t consciously protecting my back, others were, so I only had to focus on one direction. It was when fighting the skeleton warriors, in the latter half of the second stage, that I felt something was strange. My teammates, except for me, were in such disarray that a collapse seemed imminent. The mages were indiscriminately blasting enemies in front of them, the archers retreated into the barrier as soon as their arrows ran out, the healers only defended and only healed those nearby, and the rogues kept running away. For modern people with no combat experience, this might be a natural outcome. We weren’t an army.
We were worn down by the sheer number of goblins, and the skeleton warriors chipped away at our nerves with their human-like techniques. Finally, the mini-dragons, beings close to Komodo dragons, had a higher spec than the previous two types, living up to their dragon lineage. The result was utter chaos. Most of them fled into the barrier, and by the end, there were fewer than ten members remaining besides myself. Even I resorted to a guerrilla warfare tactic, desperately running and attacking towards the end. We hadn’t communicated, so we couldn’t coordinate on the fly, and I didn’t even want to think about rescuing the mages who were firing wildly. Fortunately, the numbers gradually decreased with each stage, but the quality steadily increased, pushing us to our absolute limits. It was brutally Spartan training. It took only one swing to defeat a goblin, but at least two for a skeleton warrior, and for the mini-dragons, their attacks being less effective, I could only defeat a few. This was a Dungeon, a fearsome fantasy world. And the hero who could clear this while humming a tune, was this person even human?
“Good work. That’s all for today’s training. Disperse.”
And the demonic supervisor showed no mercy. While I was trying to regain my strength by recalling the events, those who had entered the barrier early were already starting to leave, and it seemed he expected me, equally exhausted, to do the same. Though he said “good work,” his eyes were clearly telling me to hurry up and leave. But I had no intention of lazing around. I just wanted ten more minutes.
“Also, this is optional, but if you stay here, we’ll consider it an intention for additional training.”
Alright, I’m getting up and leaving immediately. My stamina hadn’t recovered, but my spirit had, somehow. I’ll crawl out of this training ground if I have to. Using a wooden sword as a staff, I exited the training grounds.
“Hey, that guy.”
“Yeah, he was ‘interfering’ with us using his skill.”
“He’s such a ‘show-off,’ isn’t he?”
“Making those ‘weird noises,’ isn’t he ashamed?”
“There are always people like that, aren’t there? Self-righteous idealists.”
Please, I really didn’t need to hear this when I was feeling so down. I could feel my spirit dwindling. I almost considered giving up and taking the training again. I knew I’d be down again immediately, but maybe that would be okay. Seeing him leave so hastily, not just silently departing but leaving like a parting gift, made me question if I should be satisfied with ending things this way.
“I don’t want to be with them.”
The conclusion came quickly, and the answer settled comfortably in my heart. To outsiders, my fighting style might have looked self-serving and selfish, but if I was going to be “scolded” for it, then I had no right to be “denied.”
“Supervisor Evia.”
“What is it?”
“May I ask for additional training?”
Only Evia, our supervisor, and I remained in the training grounds, or rather, around me.
“…Alright. We will conduct an additional two sets of training.”
Even if it’s just for ten seconds or a minute, I want to widen the gap between me and them.
I hate being treated the same as them.
It was a desperate act, but I have no regrets.
“I’ve seen your performance in battles against multiple opponents. Next, I want to see you fight against a single opponent.”
I can no longer afford to waste energy.
Lifting the wooden sword felt like a chore.
A magic circle lit up, just like during training, and a colossal figure emerged from it.
“It’s a Boar Demon. It’s no match for the goblins we fought earlier, but it’s still an unintelligent lower-level demon. I’ll step in if needed, but stay vigilant.”
The demon, with a body larger than mine in both height and width, carried a club as tall as my body, and instead of horns, it had magnificent fangs. It lumbered towards me with heavy footsteps, as if to express its weight.
GUORRRRRRRR!
“Ah, seriously, I don’t feel like I’m gonna lose!!”
With those words to pump myself up, I charged at the Boar Demon, which dragged its club towards me.
Instead of dodging the club swung down with brute force, I retaliated with a blow, as if taking out my frustration.
“Hoh.”
I ignored the admiring remark. For now, I have a suitable opponent to vent my frustrations on, and I can’t afford to miss this opportunity by looking away.
I held the wooden sword at mid-level with minimal effort, then took a deep breath, exhaling with all my might.
“KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!”
It was scared. Yes, the one before me feared me.
It took a step back, a clear retreat.
After I deflected its club with a swing that didn’t match its body size, it let out a nonsensical shriek.
It’s no wonder it’s scared, but I can’t afford to worry about that now.
“Su…”
Smoothly, I shifted my stance from mid-level to upper-level.
Right now, I just want to take out my anger.
“MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!”
Down, down, down! I’ll keep striking until my throat is hoarse, I won’t care if I get hit a little, and I won’t give it a chance to counter-attack.
I continued to strike, aiming to break through its defenses with the club.
“DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!”
Then, through a slight gap as the club shifted, I struck, feeling the blow land. The impact was absorbed by its fatty armor.
It smirked, as if unconcerned by such an attack.
“KOTEI!!”
That really got on my nerves.
Using the technique of drawing the sword in a winding motion, I went behind it. As the Boar Demon turned, I swung down my wooden sword, channeling my will into its wrist.
With a solid feel, I shattered bone.
It wasn’t a roar, but a pained groan escaped the opponent.
This is it.
“TSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!”
I felt the sensation of piercing flesh, of overcoming slight resistance, and of penetrating the body.
The Boar Demon dissolved into magic power.
“*Kha! Haa, haa, haa.”
I resumed breathing, which I had been holding.
“Defeating a Boar Demon in two weeks, huh? Hmph. They’re training some decent talent, I guess.”
Leaning against the fading Boar Demon, I drove my wooden sword into the ground to use as a staff so I wouldn’t fall.
I couldn’t hear the voices around me.
“Get ready. There’s still time.”
Only the bare minimum of information reached me.
I didn’t even have the energy to say I couldn’t go on.
I continued to fight the summoned monsters relentlessly.
After defeating one, I’d take a brief breath before striking again. I’d lost count of how many I’d defeated.
I just focused on striking down whatever monster was summoned, again and again.
Silently, I regulated my breathing and got into my stance.
Strike, get struck, gather strength in my gut, endure, and finish them off.
Get punched, grit my teeth, endure, and strike the gut.
Parry, kick, and deliver the finishing blow.
Grabbed by an arm and thrown, I escaped by striking the opponent’s temple with one hand.
I blocked with the back of my hand, headbutted, and then straddled them to finish them off.
My body gradually lost its strength. I tried to win with the highest efficiency through minimal movements, mixing feints into my strikes to create openings for the opponent.
As I eliminated wasted movements and no longer felt breathless, the summoning finally ceased.
“Time’s almost up. Be glad. I’ve prepared a monster that’s fitting for a finale, one you couldn’t possibly beat right now.”
I heard the sound of hooves.
“Bone Rider Knight. If you don’t die, I’ll heal you.”
For a final bout, a remarkably powerful being had appeared.
It wore magnificent armor, carried a lance, and even the horse was armored.
Even if its insides were just bones, to me, it was like a final boss.
There was nothing to be happy about.
“Hahaha, I don’t feel like I’m gonna lose.”
Still, an empty boast was better than nothing.
“You barked well. Such bravado makes it somewhat more palatable.”
I couldn’t do this if I didn’t say it.
If I thought it was impossible, my body wouldn’t move.
Seeing the Bone Rider Knight, who had been ordered to charge by a nod of the chin, begin to gallop, I decided to resist as best I could, even if it was futile.
With the added speed of the horse, the lance was thrust towards me at what felt like an abnormal speed. I swung my wooden sword down.
I barely caught sight of the sure strike, feeling a solid impact travel up my arm.
I blocked the lance.
Or so I thought, and then my body was easily thrown into the air.
It’s over.
I knew it intuitively.
The lance moved like a coil, and I was tossed into the air.
Ah, maybe if I had friends, I could have defeated it.
Even those guys… maybe having them around would be better.
I need to grow up a little. Thinking back, my previous dissatisfaction was just an excuse…
With that thought, my consciousness faded.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend. Occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class).
Role: Warrior.
Status:
Strength 39 → Strength 45
Endurance 58 → Endurance 62
Agility 20 → Agility 28
Stamina 34 (-5) → Stamina 45 (-5)
Dexterity 36 → Dexterity 36
Knowledge 33 → Knowledge 33
Intuition 7 → Intuition 8
Luck 5 → Luck 5
Magic Power 41 → Magic Power 50
Condition:
Nicotine Addiction
Lung Contamination
Quote of the Day:
I fought monsters for the first time today.
And I’ve reconfirmed that no matter what anyone says or who they are, I have to get the job done with my colleagues.
I would be happy if even a small number of you read this and left a rating.
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