Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 15

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend.

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee) + Recruiter

Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)

Rank: Warrior

Today, I officially began my recruitment drive.

Dressed in a business suit, I put on my exploration glasses, packed recruitment flyers and authorized documents from Supervisor Evia into my briefcase, and even equipped myself with a business card holder in my breast pocket.

I have my ID with me, so there shouldn’t be any problems with being questioned.

What I’m doing might be mistaken for suspicious recruitment, but I’ve decided to stick to a policy of not delving too deep into that.

That was the me who existed. Yes, existed. Past tense.

“I really didn’t expect this.”

My current appearance probably reflects that of a loser.

To soothe my tired legs after walking all day, I sank back into the backrest of a park bench near the station and took a sip of coffee I bought from a vending machine.

In appearance, I look exactly like a salaryman who’s exhausted from sales and taking a break in the park before heading back to the office.

“How is it that I haven’t found a single person with magic aptitude?”

Moreover, if I were to compare this to sales, I’d say it’s zero results after visiting various prospects.

When I went out for drinks the other day, I found them, even though it wasn’t many, just by walking a little.

This time, I extended my search to Shinjuku, Harajuku, and even Akihabara, a place I thought would have people knowledgeable about fantasy and games who would understand, but the result was a complete miss.

I rode buses, took trains, and walked around, constantly looking around while being careful not to appear too intense. I even finished lunch at a maid cafe, thinking that if people moved slowly, I might find someone, but I just ended up eating my omurice while enduring the strange gazes of what were probably regulars.

Lunch ended up being mentally exhausting, but with zero results.

And today was supposed to be a full day of activity, with the afternoon still remaining.

My actions, which required me to shed all shame and embarrassment, left me with nothing but regret and remorse, which definitely lowered my motivation for work.

However, I can’t just give up on the afternoon’s work just because my spirits are down.

If I give up, it will come back around and burden me.

So, I somehow managed to get myself together, pushing my sluggish steps forward, revisiting places I hadn’t yet gone. With the spirit of a corporate slave, I continued my search.

And for the final push, what might be called a last-ditch effort, I staked out the area around the station, searching among the people coming and going.

The result is evident in me, sitting on this bench, sipping coffee.

I didn’t hand out a single flyer, and the only time I opened my bag was to get my wallet.

Naturally, I had no opportunity to use the business cards in my breast pocket.

“…Haa, what should I do?”

I stumbled right from the start.

Should I change my approach, or just make a slight adjustment to my strategy? I pondered this while savoring my lightly sweetened coffee.

My gaze was fixed straight ahead, following the magic power that floated around me like purple smoke.

Despite the wind, this magical smoke was unaffected. A blazer-clad student, perhaps returning from shopping, walked past me through this purple haze with an eco-bag in hand.

And the magic power seemed to cling to him.

“Hey, you there!”

It was a split-second reaction. I sprang up from the bench and called out to the male student.

“…Me?”

While I might not be one to talk, I thought he was a boy with a sharp gaze.

And he was small.

The way the boy replied sounded as if he wished it wasn’t him.

“Ah, sorry for calling out to you so suddenly.”

I felt uncomfortable under his suspicious gaze, but since I’d already spoken, I decided to see it through.

If he thought I was being persistent, I’d just back off.

To avoid making a worse impression, I decided to speak in my sales voice.

“I’m a scout, and I was wondering if you could spare a moment to listen to what I have to say?”

I thought to myself that it’s natural for someone to be suspicious if a person who was just lounging on a bench suddenly jumps up and calls out to them. While thinking this, I took out a business card from my breast pocket.

Along with it, I clearly confirmed the magic power entering his body through the lens of my glasses.

“Jiro Tanaka of MAO Corporation’s Tester Department… Is that your real name?”

“Yes, it’s my real name. Here’s my license.”

He seemed hesitant to believe my name, which sounds like it could belong to someone but not quite. However, showing him my license earned me a look of reluctant agreement.

Revealing one’s true identity can garner a certain degree of trust.

Most people probably wouldn’t go this far, but what I’m about to do is clearly suspicious. So, any trust I can gain, the better.

“So, uh, Mr. Tanaka, what is it you want? I’m actually in a bit of a hurry.”

Perhaps the difference in trust was negligible.

Despite his demeanor, he seemed like a serious boy.

He appears willing to listen while being considerate of me.

In that case, I should get to the point.

“Ah, I’m a scout. As it says on my business card, I’m looking for testers for our facilities. I thought you might be interested.”

“A scout? You looked like you were slacking off, though.”

“Well, I can see why you’d think that. Yes, I’ve been walking around all day. Please think of it as me taking a break.”

That’s the truth, but to someone who knows nothing of the circumstances, it probably sounds like just an excuse.

“Let’s keep this brief. Your parents will probably worry if you’re out too late. Could you take a look at this flyer?”

With a feeling of low expectation, I resigned myself to the possibility of failure and offered him the recruitment flyer.

“…Is this a job opening for a game?”

I could tell he hesitated quite a bit before saying that.

But this confirmed that he possessed magic aptitude.

To be honest, I was relieved, especially since I expected to be labeled as a weirdo the moment I showed him this.

From this angle, his aptitude appears to be 5.

A sufficient number.

“In a way, yes? If you’re talking about the experience, I’m confident it’s second to none among any attractions. However, as it says ‘Tester,’ there are dangers involved. Probably more so than you can imagine.”

I don’t normally need to explain the dangers, but I decided it was better to explain than to remain silent.

In reality, it’s a genuine challenge where one puts their body on the line and fights with all their might, so it’s no less thrilling or exciting than a safety-conscious attraction.
It leads to credibility later if you teach them before they find out themselves, especially since they’ll be fighting for real, not just hypothetically.

While your life is guaranteed, this workplace doesn’t guarantee you won’t develop trauma.

If it doesn’t work out, it’s regrettable. But it’s better than tricking someone into coming and having a terrible relationship with them.

“Can you believe it?”

“Well, honestly…”

“It’s not strange that you can’t believe it. There’s no doubt the content written is odd to a normal person. Moreover, you probably can’t imagine something like this without seeing it yourself. I’ll give you some documents, so if you’re interested, please contact me. If you mention my name, you’ll be able to reach me.”

“Understood.”

It’s helpful that he honestly puts the documents and leaflet into his bag.

If he were to just throw them in a trash can, I’d be shocked.

“Do you have any questions?”

“I feel like I have a mountain of questions, though.”

I wanted to say “Your feelings are valid,” but I urged him to continue.

“For starters, why me?”

It’s a natural question, an obvious one.

If this were scouting for an idol, I could talk about exceptional talent or good looks.

But how could he understand if I told him he had an aptitude for magic power?

He’d just end up thinking I was crazy.

“…Is it faster to see it for yourself?”

If so, this would be faster.

“They aren’t actual glasses, so please try them on. Then you’ll understand why I scouted you.”

“？ …！”

“Can you see something like smoke? That’s magic power coming from the pendant I’m wearing.”

Hearing the word “magic power,” he took off and put on his glasses again, reacting like an audience member watching a magic trick. I felt a slight sense of progress.

“Just to be clear, if you don’t have the aptitude, they’ll just be regular glasses.”

“…”

Even though I added an explanation, he didn’t show the expression I anticipated.

My prediction was that it would be one of two likely reactions: surprise or suspicion.

However, contrary to my prediction, he was staring intently at the glasses with a serious expression.

“Is there some kind of trick to it?”

“In this case, it’s probably better to say there’s a magical mechanism. To put it simply, both the glasses and this pendant are devices that store and use magic power like a battery.”

Is this what they mean by things getting complicated? Or should I be worrying about this pure-hearted boy?

Everything I’m saying is true, within the scope of what’s permitted.

I don’t know the inner workings of that company, or rather, the Demon Lord’s Army, completely, but after working there for several months, I’m sure it’s not some dreamlike prank.

If they were to say, “Actually, it’s not like that,” it wouldn’t just be a new kind of scam.

It would mean I’ve brought some grand delusion into reality, and that I’m the crazy one.

“For now, could I have the glasses back? They’re prototypes, after all.”

“Ah, yes.”

Once he put on the glasses he’d received, I could tell they were working correctly.

“As you’ve seen, you have the aptitude to accept magic power. Furthermore, not everyone possesses this aptitude. I walked around all day today and you’re the only one I found. Do you understand now? Why I scouted you.”

“…For now, yes.”

He seems like a boy who thinks a bit too deeply.

I’m genuinely worried he might fall for some strange religious group’s recruitment.

“You don’t need to think too deeply about it. Work shouldn’t be something you do reluctantly. Some people continue doing unpleasant jobs out of a sense of obligation, but they are the minority. If you want to do something, or rather, to put it in realistic terms, doing something you dislike as a job can cause trouble for yourself and others. It might be strange to say this after inviting you, but the work we do is quite unusual. Think it over carefully, and if you decide it’s impossible, you’re better off forgetting about it.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, thank you for listening to me. It’s late today. You should head home. Your contact information is written down, so call me if anything comes up.”

“Yes.”

The boy, who had been thinking about something else entirely for some time while listening to me, walked away through the park as dusk settled.

As I watched him leave, I remained there until the boy was no longer in sight. I felt tired from using my sales pitch for the first time in a while, and rolled my shoulders to loosen my stiff body.

“Are today’s kids always this serious? Hmm. Is there a smoking area nearby… Ah, no.”

I took out a cigarette in a routine motion, but then remembered this was a no-smoking area and there was no smoking spot nearby, so I reluctantly put the cigarette back.

“It was a hit, but the probability is fifty-fifty. No, perhaps less.”

My first scouting attempt. The conversation had many points of reflection, making me wonder if I had done well.

Furthermore, regarding the impression I left, I could only feel a sense of skepticism—whether he had some interest, or if it was hopeless.

I suppose it’s okay to have that level of expectation: I’d be happy if he showed up.

“What bothers me is what he was thinking about midway through.”

The way his atmosphere completely changed upon encountering magic power for the first time, after I lent him the glasses, was striking.

At first, I thought he was struggling to decide how to judge this newfound reality, but as we continued to talk, it seemed like he was thinking about something else entirely, something further ahead.

However, I have no way to confirm that.

If I had the ability to read minds, I would have led a completely different life.

“Well, if fate has it, we’ll meet again. I guess I’ll head home.”

It’s late today. Considering tomorrow’s schedule, I probably can’t do any more scouting.

Perhaps this time of day might be more efficient, but I’ll test that another time.

More importantly, I have a mountain of things to think about.

Creating a manual based on the identified points for improvement from this scouting session, purchasing supplies for future dungeon challenges, and creating schedules and reports. Also, creating training materials for Kaido, coordinating training schedules with the instructor, maintaining equipment, and, in addition to being the main Dungeon Tester, there’s the practical work of scouting new members, which I did today.

Just thinking about it makes me realize how much administrative work there is.

And the current department, or rather I should say team.

I’m the only one on this team, and I have to manage all of this by myself.

“My head hurts.”

If I could just dismiss it all as “rewarding,” it would be simple. But I’m acutely aware that I don’t have enough hands.
“If only Kaido could amount to something,” I recall the sight of my junior being sent flying by instructors today.

In terms of skill, he’s at the very beginning, even less experienced than me when I first started. It’s cruel to expect that from a junior who is still in the process of learning through repeated failures.

It will take a while before they can challenge dungeons with me.
I understand, but I can’t help but wish for things to be different, to be faster.

“For now, it’s probably one day off a week?”
On the other hand, I can’t help but force myself to understand this work situation with a work-oriented mindset, and a wry smile escapes my lips.

Honestly, during the time before I took on this scouting job, when I was steadily doing solo activities, I had more time to spare.
I definitely had more personal time than I do now.
However, solo activities had their own problems.
It’s not that I felt limited in challenging dungeons, but I deeply felt the inefficiency, which is why I’m in this situation now.
This situation arose precisely because I tried to solve that problem.
First of all, complaining about my own actions won’t get me anywhere.
I just need to tackle each task one by one, diligently.
In short.

“It’s the same as always.”
If that’s the case, I’ll manage, and the words come out naturally from my heart as I walk back to the dormitory.

“So, you came to complain to me because scouting isn’t going well?”
“From how things look, I’m out buying groceries, Memoria.”
Today is Saturday. While preparing to take on a dungeon since morning to make up for yesterday’s delay, I talk about yesterday’s scouting, and she, a vampire girl, replies with her usual blunt words.
On the familiar counter are lined up various consumables like recovery potions and bandages.

“Is the new person you’re referring to not with you?”
“They haven’t finished their training yet. There are limits to how much I can consciously cover for them. It’ll be fine once they reach at least a self-defense level. Fortunately, their status is gradually, but surely, improving. They should be coming to this facility before long.”
“I heard they’re quite the womanizer. I have a feeling they’ll end up frequenting the deepest area at this rate.”
The deepest area… must refer to the pink-colored facilities where minors are prohibited.
“You’re probably too late if you’re looking for elements to deny it. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Her information network is as amazing as ever. Rumors are unavoidable within an organization, but the information Memoria gets is often quite detailed.
She probably knows everything about Kaido’s actions, such as him trying to find attractive women after exhausting his stamina like a squeezed-out pulp after work.

“…Are you going to challenge a different dungeon?”
“Yes, I’m forming a party from now on. I can’t keep challenging the same dungeon forever. I’ll try them all out as a preliminary survey.”
Well, in Memoria’s case, her keen observation skills might be the reason, so it’s possible she actually saw it.
This time too, she foresaw that I would change dungeons by looking at a detoxifying agent I wouldn’t normally buy.

“In that case, it’d be useful to buy an odor suppressor as well. The Machine King’s dungeon, with its many inorganic materials, falls behind other dungeons in terms of the sense of smell. Conversely, it might be possible for monsters in other dungeons to find you in ways you haven’t experienced.”
She asks, “How about it?” As if it were a normal store, she would pick it up and introduce it, but this vampire girl, who is checking me out while I’m paying, simply glances at the shelf once. I can’t tell if she has a business sense or not.

“Four thousand nine hundred eighty… that’s quite a price.”
However, when she recommends something, it means it’s not necessarily essential, but it will be useful in certain situations.
Indeed, the inorganic golems reacted to sound and sight, but they never reacted to smell.
Considering I’ll be facing living beings from now on, it wouldn’t hurt to have it.
It’s a colorless liquid in a perfume-like container, priced at 4,980 yen.
An expense of about 5,000 yen is not insignificant.

“What is the duration of its effect?”
“About thirty minutes per spray. It looks like a liquid, but it’s a type of magic. It’s a product called a simple magic. Therefore, the effect will activate for a certain period.”
Simple magic is a consumable that can only activate one type of magic, but can be easily activated by any being with magic power.
According to the explanation during training, theoretically, it’s possible to prepare anything from these basic magic spells to wide-area annihilation magic for warfare. However, as the rank increases, the cost and time required to make them portable become immense.
Furthermore, simple magic transformations vary in form, some shaped like staffs and others like perfume bottles, hence their other name: magic items.
However, high-ranking items incur costs that do not justify the risks, and simple magic that exceeds a certain threshold becomes useless.
There are countless examples, but to give one, to turn the aforementioned annihilation magic into simple magic, it would require enough magic power to deplete the Demon Lord’s latent magic power.
Considering that, it’s more efficient to cast a dozen annihilation spells with that much power.

“How many uses are there?”
“With that bottle, it’s about fifty. The remaining amount is easy to see as the liquid level decreases.”
“If I use it, it’ll be for escape. There are definitely types that track by smell.”
Thirty minutes is surprisingly short.
When moving around in a dungeon, thirty minutes passes in the blink of an eye.
Using it every time would be too much trouble.
Considering it’s probably unusable during combat, when both hands are often occupied, its uses become even more limited.

“I’ve finished with this, but would you like to add that as well?”
“Are you often told that you’re actually quite shrewd?”
“As far as I can remember, you’re the first person to say that.”
The dilemma is the effect and its uses. Annoyingly, the number of uses is decent, so the price is set to be recoverable.
However, the fact that she’s bringing it up means it will be necessary.

“Add it.”
“Understood.”
In the end, I decide to make another purchase.
Whether this will turn out for the best or not, I don’t know.
If it turns out to be unnecessary, I can just stop buying it next time.

“Alright, let’s go.”
“Thank you for visiting again.”
“Yeah.”
With my preparations complete, I leave the store with the backpack that has become my partner, heading towards the dungeon.

Magic Crests are truly convenient.
Sight that captures the surroundings even in dim light, legs and feet that can leap even on uneven ground, and…

“Goblins are so persistent, aren’t they!!”
The Ore Tree, wielded with one arm, granted me the strength to cleave torsos.

Unlike a Golem, its movements were raw and alive. When I swung the Ore Tree in time with the living things, their upper and lower bodies were torn apart.

“Are you cockroaches?!”

No matter how many I defeated, they endlessly swarmed, reminding me of the pests in my kitchen.

And unlike the Goblins I encountered in the office, these Goblins lacked any semblance of reason, their eyes harboring a madness to annihilate intruders.

Individually, they were far weaker than Golems, but swarming like this, crushing my footing, I’d eventually be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

But…

“KYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!”

It seemed their numbers too couldn’t escape the premise of being biological entities.

With a burst of spirit, I swept from left to right, roaring.

Unlike Golems, Goblin’s emotional fluctuations made their monkey-like roars effective.

Some stopped moving, others retreated, their reactions varied, but they were all being pushed back by my spirit.

These enemies were easier to defeat.

Their attacks and defenses lacked proper footing; I could take down multiple Goblins with a single swing because they were so open to attack.

Furthermore, there was a difference in range between my Ore Tree and the slightly extended kitchen knives the Goblins wielded.

The reason spears were dominant in the Sengoku period was to attack from further away than the enemy.

It could even be said to be a law of nature that they were eventually replaced by firearms, which had greater attack range.

“EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!”

I severed them along with their daggers, turning them into particles of magic power, but reinforcements continued to pour in from deeper within, too numerous to count.

“Hmph, I thought this would be suitable for a first party challenge, but perhaps it’s not ideal?”

It might be that my own cries were luring them, but what I felt facing them directly was that the dungeon’s purpose was likely the overwhelming pressure of Goblins utilizing the cave’s natural advantage. Or rather, in this case, it might be better to rephrase it as draining stamina.

Unlike the Machine King’s dungeon, which attacked with overwhelming quality from the start, this dungeon’s strategy was to compensate for the individual’s inferior quality with overwhelming numbers.

I judged that I, personally, could either escape or repel them, but that was because I had a track record of clearing floors solo.

Asking a beginner to break through here would be impossible; I had already been ambushed several times.

The poor visibility within the cave, coupled with the advantage of deployment in narrow passages utilizing their small size – there must be several Testers who quit their jobs after being ambushed and wiped out by such tactics.

Even weaklings can become troublesome beings on flat ground if they leverage the terrain.

“Well, now is not the time for admiration.”

Still, they weren’t without weaknesses.

“I need to break through and map this.”

One of the weaknesses I noticed was that their equipment was limited to melee weapons.

I initially thought only Goblins were present on the first floor, but the Machine King’s dungeon had four types of monsters, and five if you included the boss before the stairs.

However, while the number of Goblins here was troublesome, their equipment and attacks were monotonous. Once I got used to it, I could handle them easily.

In fact, by cutting my way through, I was able to break through the encirclement in no time.

“I think I’m finding more points for improvement than in the Machine King’s dungeon.”

It might not be suitable for beginners, but in terms of getting used to dungeons, this place might be good.

I ran from the Goblins and mapped in my notepad.

“Time to wrap things up.”

I closed my notepad with a *pat* and glanced at my watch; five hours, exceeding the official work hours, had already passed.

What I was doing here was the same as what some samurai in the Edo period did, but it was effective here.

When enemies gathered, I fled, and when their numbers dwindled, I attacked like a street samurai.

In essence, I just kept cutting and running, and while I defeated enemies too numerous to count, I also managed to map a considerable amount while there were no enemies.

Holding my notepad, which I had meticulously drawn myself, and with a cigarette in my mouth, I scanned my surroundings.

“I’m getting quite skilled.”

The map drawn in my notepad was in much better shape than when I started.

It was a finished product, incorporating key points and improvements for tackling strategic locations as I thought of them. Humans don’t cut corners when it comes to something they’ll use themselves.

Even when compromising, they set a minimum standard, so it turns out to be something decent.

In this way, I create something that allows me to enjoy a leisurely and safe escape in the end.

Thinking of the beer awaiting me at home after leaving here, I stepped through the escape device with a little more force.

“Excuse me for a moment, Mr. Tanaka.”

However, it seemed my post-work beer would have to wait a while longer.

A troublesome situation, even more so than battle, had presented itself before me.

A gentle man, dressed in casual clothes, stood there unmistakably not intending to enter the dungeon.

“Ah, you’re from another party. Do you need something? As you can see, I just came from the dungeon. It would be helpful if you could make it tomorrow.”

I recognized him.

He was one of the party leaders I had been with during training, and more recently, at a meeting for Recruiters.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Please transfer the personnel you’ve hired to us.”

I subtly implied that he should postpone this until another day because I was tired, but the gentle man before me wasn’t listening.

“…Haa.”

Although his tone was polite, I could clearly sense his insolent attitude.

His gaze, his posture, and even his expression.

He was looking down on me completely.

He was probably using polite language just to maintain appearances because I was older.

I had no intention of being lectured on etiquette by someone who, without any preamble, would abruptly state his business. I figured I wouldn’t be criticized for sighing, and even if I were, I wouldn’t care.

So, I lit a cigarette, openly showing off as I did so.

“I’ll listen. What makes you think you can say that to me?”

An eye for an eye, insolence for insolence. I wasn’t adhering to the Code of Hammurabi, but I had no intention of speaking politely to this kind of person.

Besides, his name was vague to me.

I had no intention of observing courtesy from the start.

“Is there any need for me to tell you that?”

“Hah, is that so? Then I have nothing more to say to you. Good luck.”

And he even refused to answer my question.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just as I said. This is the end of the conversation, with no preamble. I have no intention of listening to you.”

It is common sense that work should be done properly.

This is especially important when asking someone to do something.

And even more so when asking them to clean up your mess.

“…Don’t act so high and mighty just because you’re older, okay? You’re a failure who can’t even make it onto the rankings.”
“Oh, your mask has slipped, young man?”

The young man’s pleasant face was ruined.

I had accepted the quarrel he picked, and I wondered if he was always like this, or if gaining magic had gone to his head and made him unusually short-tempered.

To put it plainly, he reeked of being small-fry.

He had been lashing out at me with irritation from the start, but now killing intent was mixed in.

This was really starting to feel petty.

“Watch your mouth. If I get serious…”

His line sounded like the typical subordinate I’d imagined, and I held back a laugh.

“Haa, if you get serious, huh?”

I didn’t even need to imagine the words that would follow.

I was too bothered to listen to the gentlemanly man any longer.

It wasn’t much of a negotiation, but when words failed, he resorted to force. I could sense the fluctuation of his magic and knew he had shifted into combat mode.

“Most likely, you made a grand declaration about everything being alright and then rejected that proposal, only to hit a snag and become helpless. The solution is to increase personnel. But since you made such a bold statement, you couldn’t directly negotiate with the supervisor. So, you thought you’d take what you need from me, the only one with that right. Something like that, probably.”

“…”

Silence implies consent.

And with that, his killing intent intensified.

I was fully armed, while he was unarmed. His killing intent and armament didn’t match.

It was probably his way of saying he could handle me, even without coordination.

“How shallow. Use your head a little more. To use people, you either need authority or brains. You should know which category your position falls into, right?”

The response to my taunt, which was also a way to blow off steam, was a ball of flame the size of my fist that narrowly missed my face, passing by my cheek.

“Hey, hey, I was in the middle of smoking my cigarette, you know?”

Thanks to him, the cigarette I’d been holding sideways in my mouth was now half its original length.

I mumbled about it being a waste.

“Don’t be annoying. If you want to give me a lecture, do it after you can manage something like this. Though, I doubt you can.”

Perhaps he felt a little better after attacking.

A hint of a smile returned to his face.

That fireball was indeed fast. Depending on his initial movement, it could have hit me directly, and if it had, it wouldn’t have just been a burn.

“Haa.”

“Once you understand, do as I say.”

Exuberance, when it grows, transforms into complacency.

And there’s nothing more unbearable to witness than someone showing their complacent self.

“Ah, shut up… This is how you threaten someone.”

Besides, I had seen things faster than that fireball countless times and experienced them firsthand.

I might have been able to handle a Goblin, but being compared to a Goblin was an insult.

With a familiar sensation, I switched my thoughts in an instant.

I spat out the cigarette, now nothing but ash, and took a step forward.

Before it could fall, I drew my Ore Tree and pointed its tip at his throat.

In that simple action, with a movement that wasn’t even at full power, the gentlemanly man before me couldn’t react.

I held the Ore Tree just one centimeter from his throat, close enough to pierce him if I moved forward even slightly.

“You can’t even feel the intent to hit, so it’s not much of a threat. You have to properly embed your killing intent into your weapon or magic. Otherwise, the opponent won’t feel your seriousness?”

Here, like this, I let a little of my magic seep out.

I may be a man of avoiding trouble, but I am by no means a pacifist.

While I wish forTrouble to not occur, I could never say that I would just endure it and forgive the other person.

If I’m hurt, I fight back.

I don’t intend to stab him, but I’m prepared to do so if necessary. That’s the feeling with which I drew my Ore Tree.

Killing intent can be surprisingly easily conveyed just by doing that.

It might be weak as killing intent, but when the Ore Tree is pointed at you and you imbue it with even a little killing intent, the reality of it is conveyed.

Killing intent is, literally, the intent to kill.

If you don’t hide it and let even a little leak out, it’s like this.

“You attacked me. So you should be prepared to be stabbed, right?”

I lightly touched the tip of the blade to his throat.

The gentlemanly man’s face, which had been red moments before, rapidly turned pale.

“…Hmph. I’m done.”

Seeing that, I started to feel like I was bullying a weaker person and my thoughts gradually cooled down.

I pulled the Ore Tree back, making sure not to touch him, and sheathed it in my backpack.

Then, I walked past the wobbling, collapsing gentlemanly man.

Doing anything more here would cause problems later.

Having lost so thoroughly, he probably wouldn’t brag about it to anyone.

“…If he quits now, will it be my responsibility?”

Abruptly, I turned back at the entrance, but all I could see was the stunned gentlemanly man sitting there.

“Well, whatever. It’ll be what it’ll be then.”

Conclusion: no need to show leniency to someone who comes at you aggressively.

There’s no benefit to me in worrying about it.

More importantly.

“Did anyone see that?”

The gaze I’d felt since leaving the Dungeon was more concerning.

Normally, I would dismiss it as my imagination, but this was a sensation I felt when my nerves were heightened immediately after exiting the Dungeon.

It was probably not a mistake.

The gaze, which felt like I was being sized up, left a bad aftertaste, though it disappeared before I passed by the gentlemanly man.

“Damn it, today’s beer is going to taste bad.”

There’s no point in dwelling on it.

For now, I’ll go to my room, bring some food for Kaido who’s probably incapacitated by muscle pain, and have a beer together.

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend.

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee) + Recruiter (Scout).

Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class).

Rank: Warrior.

Stats:

Strength: 153 → 284

Endurance: 220 → 302

Agility: 90 → 142

Stamina: 111 (-5) → 199 (-5)

Dexterity: 102 → 188

Knowledge: 40 → 45

Intuition: 29 → 36

Luck: 5 → 5

Magic Power: 98 → 157.

Status:

Nicotine addiction.

Lung contamination.

Today’s Word:

Trouble will probably occur during work, but I wish it wouldn’t. Even though it’s probably impossible since I have a bad feeling about it.

This was my first Dungeon content in a while, and as expected, battle descriptions are difficult. I’ll head into the next chapter with a laugh thinking about how easy characters like Kaido are to write. Let’s continue to create Dungeons that Heroes cannot conquer! Thank you for your continued support.