Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
Several days have passed since the Oni’s feast ended.
Naturally, I, afflicted with the bad status of a hangover, crawled towards the refrigerator, relied on potions, and the next day, I was safely back at work.
Well, I couldn’t move until the company provided me with a replacement for my melted armor, but my reliable girlfriend, Suella, managed to handle that situation.
I was happy that my new armor, even better than the previous one, was delivered in just a few days.
Although it has become more rugged and intimidating than before, I don’t mind.
As for me…
“Whoa, no, sto-!”
“Hmm.”
With a dull thud, I was sent flying. After the sound of me scraping the ground, the final sound of me crashing into a wall echoed. I watched Kaido’s hands droop and his movements stop.
“Was the slapstick bat a weapon?”
“No, the leader’s stats are strange! What did you do?! How can a slapstick bat have that much power?! Is it a cheat?! Are you server cracking?! Is it power leveling?!”
I blamed the weapon for being able to knock down Kaido, who was fully armored and wielding a wooden sword, with a slapstick bat from some ridiculously cheap store.
I was aware of my growth, but I had underestimated myself by far too much.
My stats had changed so much that the way I moved my body had also changed considerably.
I felt uneasy about entering a dungeon in this state, so I conducted training to get my body accustomed to these changes.
It was a good decision.
If the difference were this great, I might have moved my body as before, misjudged the force, and caused damage to my party members.
The members currently with me, who are helping me with this confirmation process, are Kaido, who collided with the wall, and Minami and Katsu, who were on shift to provide post-incident reports for the Evol Eater incident.
I had them accompany me to the training room for advice from a third-party perspective.
Kitamiya and Amelia are busy with other matters but will join us later.
Thanks to their roles, Minami was teasing me, and Katsu, with the beautiful form of a track and field athlete, ran to provide treatment.
“Ah, if I had to choose… it would be power leveling?”
“So there was a shortcut after all? Then I want to try it too!”
“However, you must add ‘lifethreatening’ to that. Also, it’s limited time. Even for me, I don’t have the leeway to take you all to the deepest part of the dungeon.”
“So there was no good deal after all.”
My impression of the training was that it was surprisingly difficult to hold back.
When I swung it lightly, it made a sound that wouldn’t normally occur, and I felt a sensation of cutting through the air with my hands.
I realized that a slapstick bat, even a toy, can become a formidable weapon when enhanced with magic power.
Incidentally, it wasn’t a slapstick bat from the beginning.
I went through a wooden sword, then aチャンバラブレード (chanbara blade), and finally a slapstick bat.
As a result, the wooden sword performed with the same effect as a real sword for me, the chanbara blade was like a steel pipe, and it was only with the slapstick bat that I could finally achieve minimal damage as a training weapon.
When I realized this, I understood how skillfully the instructors had been holding back.
With my crude magic enhancement, if even a chanbara blade was enhanced by Instructor Kio, my torso and lower body would have likely separated.
I would prefer not to remember dying from the first strike… but I’ll convince myself it’s better than being torn apart.
“So I also need to learn how to gauge my magic enhancement.”
“Ah, it might be necessary for conserving magic, as there’s no need to use the strongest magic on weaklings.”
Not just for efficiency, but most importantly…
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Senpai, please go easy on me!”
If this continues, Kaido will be useless before long.
“Ah, sorry about that, Kaido.”
It’s an option to wait for Kaido and the others to get stronger, but then I won’t be able to train them.
Since I can be a good virtual enemy, I should make the most of it.
The more you fight strong opponents, the more your magic crest grows.
Then your work will become easier, and you’ll be able to move more efficiently.
I must make effective use of what can be effectively utilized.
“Katsu, how’s Kaido’s treatment?”
“It’s finished, but my magic is also running low. If I continue, I’ll have to use potions.”
“If we continue any further, it will increase expenses and cause problems with stamina. Besides, we’ll be joining Kitamiya and the others soon… if we’re going into a dungeon, we can’t do any more than this. So, training ends here. Let’s head back to the room.”
“Roger!”
“Yes.”
“Okay!”
That effective use will have to wait for a while.
We’re ending the training a bit earlier than planned.
The benefits of my stats are greater than I had anticipated.
If I don’t engrave their full extent into my body, it will cause problems later.
When I think of opponents who can challenge me with full force like the supervisors, I think of Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio.
I may have to ask them to do so at some point.
That’s also something for the future.
For now, I’ll just get accustomed to my body through actual dungeon diving.
“Wow.”
“Hmm.”
“…How much stronger have you gotten?”
“I was surprised too.”
After meeting up with Kitamiya and the others, we took a break and then challenged the dungeon.
The Insect King’s dungeon is currently closed, so we are challenging the Machine King’s dungeon.
The floor is the 38th, and we’re stepping into a new record-breaking floor, but…
“Amelia, is that the Iaido technique you were talking about, Samurai?”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“I don’t think so, Amelia-chan. But it cuts so beautifully.”
“Somehow, our role has become just carrying luggage.”
“I’m mapping!”
“You guys are still okay, I haven’t even cast a single spell.”
The enemies were too weak.
With a light step, I invaded their range, and a single swing cut through the Golem’s hard armor as if it were tofu.
Even with the Ore Tree’s evolution, it was too easy.
Just now, I cut a lizard-like Golem, seemingly made of iron, vertically.
“You said you wanted to test your strength, but this way, we won’t grow, leader.”
“I see…”
In addition, this isn’t even helping me get used to it.
To be honest, it’s no different from cutting soft targets.
This floor is too warm for me.
If this continues, my body might become dull, leading to a decrease in my stats.
Before that happens, I need to seriously think of a countermeasure.
“Haa, I can’t help it. I’ll take the rear and provide rear guard surveillance. Kaido will be the frontliner, Minami and Amelia will search ahead, followed by Katsu and Kitamiya.”
“Roger!”
“That seems like a better plan.”
“Ok!!”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
For now, my front-line duty is over.
We switched formations, I moved to the rear, and we resumed our dungeon conquest.
However, if I may say so, when you become stronger, your perspective in a dungeon truly changes.
Visually and audibly, but also mentally, the degree of composure is vastly different.
It’s not that you can let your guard down, but you intuitively feel it.
There is danger, but the range of what you can deal with changes significantly.
“!!”
“The enemies are coming from the front!”
“My radar is picking them up too. There are three of them! Kaido-senpai, time for your turn!”
“Alright!!”
“We’ll intercept them here. Kitamiya, reduce their momentum with a preemptive attack, then Kaido-senpai will attack, and Amī-chan will be behind Kaido-senpai. Mike, you’ll support them.”
“OK! Let’s go, Mike!”
“Understood. I’ll work to earn my lodging fee.”
“Minami, what’s the magic attribute?”
“Ice!”
Minami’s magic and Amelia’s ears detected the enemies, and we prepared for battle.
Minami issued commands one after another, and the party members responded.
Kaido readied his twin swords, poised to dash at any moment, and Kitamiya began her incantation.
I, without any specific instructions, stood in a natural stance, paying attention to my surroundings to prevent surprise attacks.
I perceived the positions of the party members and prepared to provide support at any time.
It took about five seconds. Despite the heavy footsteps, the enemies moved quickly.
Their forms were already visible at the end of the passage.
It was the same lizard-type Golem from before, with two giant Golems carrying bows on their backs and holding halberds in their hands, following behind it.
“Change of orders! Kaido-senpai, stop the lizard! Kitamiya, feint at the archers! Amelia-chan, use the opening to attack the two behind! Katsu, support Kaido-senpai!!”
The lizard-type Golem charged in with momentum, but the two behind it stopped in place, switching their weapons from halberds to bows.
Then they formed arrows with magic power and prepared to fire.
Seeing this, Minami, who had instantly changed her plan, also deployed Support Magic.
She deployed a shield in the air and imbued Kaido and Amelia with Body Reinforcement magic.
And finally, Kaido and the lizard Golem made contact.
“They’re tough, aren’t they!?”
Kaido’s attack, swinging both his swords down simultaneously, was repelled by their solid bodies.
He grimaced at the unexpectedly hard armor but had fulfilled his role.
The enemies’ momentum was halted, and we no longer had to worry about them charging into our backline.
As Kaido landed, he began attacking the enemies’ legs, specifically their joints, to immobilize them.
“Katsu-kun! You should use more magic!!”
“Understood!”
While the enemies’ attention was on Kaido, a small shadow attacked the metal lizard, which was many times its size.
“Hoo, hah!!”
Katsu’s strike hit near the shin of the enemy’s right foreleg, convincingly toppling it.
Following the flow, he kicked the fallen head to the opposite side with a roundhouse kick.
The enemy, unable to cope with the sudden attack, took the blow without resistance.
Then, Kaido pounced on the collapsing enemy.
“The other side seems to be okay.”
Watching from the side, I could see the ease in their movements.
There might be an unlikely event, but it should be fine.
It shouldn’t take long to defeat them either.
Thinking that, I turned my attention to the women’s combat.
“You think I’ll let you cast it!!”
Here, it was an exchange of magic and arrows.
Ice spears from Kitamiya and magic arrows from the enemies flew through the air.
One of the enemies was responsible for intercepting magic and defense as a support role, while the other was completely focused on offense.
It was the same for us.
Kitamiya was in charge of offensive magic, and Minami was in charge of defensive magic.
The only difference was…
“!!”
We had an attacker who could move freely.
Amelia, kicking off walls and running on the ceiling, approached the enemy from behind with movements that defied gravity, unconcerned by the upside-down view.
“Yah!”
Knowing the Golem’s armor was hard, Amelia stabbed her sword into its shoulder, immobilizing it.
The Golem responsible for defense, the one with the bow, stopped functioning.
And without defense…
“Do you think you can beat me?!”
They became prey for our mage.
By increasing the speed of her magic discharge instantaneously and exceeding the rotation speed of the enemy’s attacks,
A barrage of ice spears completed the formation of two hedgehogs, and within a minute, another, slightly larger one became visible.
“Any more?”
“None.”
“No reactions. Did the leader defeat them too thoroughly?”
“It’s possible.”
Having confirmed their definite defeat, we checked for any reinforcements in the surroundings, and the battle concluded.
Overall, it was a result that could be considered a safe battle.
Kaido and Katsu were collecting the spoils of war, while Minami and the others were on alert for the surroundings.
Seeing this, it was evident that the party still had plenty of leeway.
Given the time remaining, it would be wise to go as far as we can.
“Recovery is complete!”
“Understood. Then, be careful of traps and let’s go as far as we can.”
Our job is to conquer dungeons and identify any problems.
To prevent the areas we conquer from being conquered.
Even as I thought that my reports would change as I grew stronger, work is work.
I should do what needs to be done.
Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
Today’s Word:
I believe that while skill upgrades make work easier, those with ability tend to have more work.
This concludes this installment.
We ask for your continued favor for this work.
