The Tester Attack Incident.
That’s what it’s called within the company, an incident that occurred about a month ago.
Despite a considerable amount of time passing, it frequently comes up in conversation.
That’s quite natural, as this incident is not yet over.
When the first incident occurred, it was still in the investigation phase, and it was theorized as a possibility that a magic sword might have been used.
However, a few days later, a similar incident occurred again, and then eyewitness accounts emerged that could definitively identify it as a lost magic sword. This led the Demon Lord’s Army to conclude that the incident was an act of violence using a magic sword.
The difficult part here is that even though it could be determined that a magic sword was used, no evidence of the perpetrator could be obtained due to the magic sword’s influence.
And this incident has undeniably affected us Testers.
Naturally, since we are the ones being attacked.
Perhaps the most noticeable effect was the emergence of a significant number of Testers who hesitated to enter Dungeons.
Dungeons are dangerous places, and they are facilities where attacks are a given, so one might question why now. However, the Testers were not simply intimidated; it’s more accurate to say they took a break from Dungeons for a while, embarking on information gathering to ensure even a little more safety.
Human psychology dictates that unless one is a complete thrill-seeker, they wouldn’t foolishly commit to facing danger without any preparation.
Testers who have gained some experience in challenging Dungeons are not deterred by mere information of being attacked, but are beginning to prepare as if they’ve encountered a stronger enemy.
Despite everything, they seem to have developed tenacious spirits.
Of course, I too felt uneasy about facing an unknown enemy without warning, both personally and for my Party. I gathered as much information as possible.
I reviewed reports from Tester Parties composed solely of Mages, engaged in mundane conversations with other Testers, and through Suella and Memoria’s connections, I also gathered information about magic swords from the Demon Lord’s Army.
Both the company and the Demon Lord’s Army are cooperating fully in response to this unforeseen event.
The Onio’s Dungeon, where the first magic sword attacks occurred, was immediately subjected to a thorough inspection and was closed for an unprecedented two weeks.
I was surprised by their efficiency, but on the other hand, it’s no understatement to say that Instructor Kio was visibly displeased during that period.
Hearing that there was a strange presence in his territory, and that it caused damage twice over, was akin to smearing mud on the Instructor’s face.
Given the disrespect, it’s no wonder the Great Oni wouldn’t stand for it.
He was quick to action, grabbing his kanabō, a move understandable even to those close to him, as he set out to punish the transgressors.
Later, I heard from Instructor Fushio that Instructor Kio himself led the vanguard command and conducted a thorough search of every corner of the Dungeon.
Everyone thought this incident would come to an end then.
That’s the level of trust, achievement, and power that Great Oni possesses.
In fact, despite a bad feeling, I also thought this incident would be resolved.
However, this time, my bad feeling was correct.
Despite a large-scale search, the result was a complete miss.
The Magic Sword User who caused the incident had skillfully evaded the oni’s grasp.
As a result, I ended up accompanying the Instructor through his self-pitying drinking, but it was worth the hangover.
Thanks to that, I was able to hear a lot of firsthand accounts from the Instructor.
He mentioned that he even mobilized his elite main force.
It seems he deployed his army with the intention of not letting even a single rat escape.
Word of that spread, and a rather optimistic view emerged that if the perpetrator was chased by the Great Oni, they must have escaped. However, that optimistic view was quickly overturned.
As if to mock the desperate search, the Magic Sword User slipped through and, as if to say the incident wasn’t over, promptly resumed their activities and caused the same incident in another Dungeon.
It seems that injuring one or two Testers was not enough to satisfy the Magic Sword User.
They continued to appear, as if to say they weren’t finished yet. Each time, Dungeons were closed and searched, but as if to mock them, the Magic Sword User would disappear like mist, appearing in different times, places, and even targets.
With each occurrence, the number of Tester casualties increased.
Given the slashing attacks from an unseen assailant, some Testers even referred to the perpetrator as “Jack the Ripper,” a famous name from a notorious unsolved case.
The damage caused in this past month was enough to earn such a moniker.
More than half of the Testers belonging to the Demon Lord’s Army had been victimized, and the higher-ups finally began to take notice.
It was at the stage where the temporary closure of all Dungeons was being considered that it happened.
“Hahaha, I’m terribly sorry.”
“No, you fought well. You minimized the damage, fulfilling your role as a frontliner. You should be proud of that.”
“Understood!”
A comrade had been injured.
The lizardman was lying in bed, his face bandaged, his right arm and left leg in casts due to fractures, rendering him immobile.
The bandages under his hospital gown indicated that his injuries were far from minor.
Visibly, he was severely injured.
Fortunately, the lizardman doctor assured me that with magic and medicine, he would fully recover without any scars in about a week and be able to return to work.
I was panicked when I heard he had been attacked, but knowing his life was not in danger, I was truly relieved.
However, there were also mental repercussions.
“Ah, are Min-chan and the others still worried?”
“Well, they probably are. Though they wouldn’t admit it themselves.”
The injured party himself had already woken up and, despite his severe injuries, was remarkably cheerful, conversing so lively that one might think his recovery would be accelerated.
What Kaido was concerned about were the members who were with him during the Dungeon attack.
The attack occurred while I was absent, preparing for the tournament.
Kaido, who took the initial surprise attack, was forced into combat despite his injuries.
He fought while protecting Minami and the others in the backline. The attacker was unseen, and our attacks were ineffective.
Even in such dire straits, Kaido did not abandon his comrades. He fought on, battered and broken, as Minami, who had dropped her formal samurai speech, told me.
He didn’t show his suffering and judged that even if his attacks couldn’t reach, his voice could. By repeatedly provoking the attacker, he managed to minimize casualties among the backline and absorb the damage himself, ensuring the safety of the Party. This was Kaido’s accomplishment.
“I just took it upon myself to protect them. While you were away, I was the only frontliner.”
“Hearing that it appeared in the Lunaria Dungeon, I wrongly assumed other Dungeons would be safe. It was my misjudgment.”
“It can’t be helped! Even you, who recently ceased being human, don’t have Future Sight!”
Just before Kaido collapsed, Minami and Kitamiya showed quick thinking and unleashed a全体魔法, while Katsu and Amelia carried Kaido and immediately retreated.
During their escape, Kaido was hit by a strange attack near the exit.
This was the reason why Testers were being ejected from Dungeons with injuries.
“But if what you’re saying is true, it could have been fatal. Something that forcibly returns us from a magic body to a living body. This could fundamentally shake the work of us Dungeon Testers.”
The items we Dungeon Testers always equip when entering a Dungeon are soul stones.
These are essential items for Dungeon exploration, converting our living bodies into magic bodies and restoring us to our original state in case of death or injury within the Dungeon upon returning to our living bodies.
An attack that nullifies its effects.
An attack that could be described as fatal to Testers.
In other words, the Magic Sword User possesses something in addition to the magic sword.
Something that is, in the worst possible category for us Testers.
“You’re worrying too much! From what I hear, the Supervisor is completely closing down the Dungeons and conducting a simultaneous search of the company and within the Dungeons! That should wrap up this incident.”
“I hope so.”
Smiling wryly at myself for showing my anxiety to my junior, I tried to put on a more confident expression so as not to worry him further.
I didn’t want him to know my inner feeling that the Magic Sword User, who had so easily deceived the instructors’ eyes, wouldn’t end so simply.
“Besides, thanks to this incident, you can focus on the tournament, can’t you, Senpai?”
“It’s ironic, isn’t it.”
After hearing Kaido’s report, the Supervisor made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Dungeons and deploy the army.
Some Testers complained about the slow response, but from my perspective, it was a commendable decision.
Closing Dungeons means halting all of the company’s industrial activities.
It’s like finding a defect in a car factory and stopping all related production lines.
Considering the losses incurred during the downtime, it’s undoubtedly amounts that are unimaginable on an individual income level.
Even though Dungeons themselves don’t have productivity, they have potential.
If their completion is delayed, it puts a strain on other operations that support the Dungeons.
Furthermore, deploying the army incurs even more costs.
Though minor in comparison, we still have to pay our salaries even when Dungeons are closed, so there are personnel costs.
I believe it’s a decision that neither the Supervisor nor the Demon Lord’s Army would welcome.
And it’s quite ironic that I am helped by such an action.
With Dungeon exploration temporarily halted, I can now focus on the tournament.
It’s certainly not a cause for celebration.
“As for me, I believe that if you win the tournament, Senpai will become even more respected and raise my salary!”
“If that happens, I’ll work you to the bone, so get some rest now.”
“Oops, I spoke too soon.”
Despite appearing energetic, Kaido is injured, so I decided to leave, telling him to get plenty of rest. His parting words of encouragement, “I want my salary, but I don’t need overtime,” were met with a slight wave of my hand as I left the infirmary.
“…Troublesome.”
No one is watching.
That alone is enough for the emotions I had suppressed to leak out.
I clenched my jaw tightly.
While muttering about how troublesome it was, countermeasures against the Magic Sword User raced through my mind.
I took out the documents I was carrying and read them as I walked.
I didn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone.
If I sensed a presence, I could avoid it, so I walked while reading, maintaining a slight field of vision.
These were documents compiled based on Kaido’s account.
Just reviewing the summarized contents, I could grasp its troublesome nature.
The existence of the Magic Sword User is difficult to detect due to the magic sword’s abilities, and it’s also difficult to find information about the wielder from documentation.
In other words, if someone uses this magic sword, they become physically invisible and are erased from the memories and documentary records of others.
If used continuously, it erodes the wielder, ultimately leading to their existence being erased from the world. It’s a dangerous magic sword with a timed self-destruction.
It’s a rare type of magic sword, with powerful abilities that are themselves a drawback.
Such a sword, which ordinarily no one would even consider using.
However, when it is actually used, its troublesome nature becomes palpable.
The wielder of the magic sword is, in essence, in a state of invisibility.
They have become an unseen entity, whose identity and origin are unknown.
Consequently, the Demon Lord’s Army and Testers alike are desperately searching for such an entity.
And the troubles are piling up.
While magic swords may seem to have only drawbacks at first glance, with a specific set of conditions and control over the magic sword’s power, these drawbacks can be minimized.
Simply put, if one meets the required stats to wield the magic sword, they can fully utilize its abilities while minimizing the drawbacks.
In other words, if the current wielder of the magic sword is a considerably skilled individual, the possibility of them disappearing on their own is almost nil.
Furthermore, the drawback of the magic sword’s existence not being remembered or recognized can be used as a cover to establish an alibi, claiming they couldn’t be the culprit.
And if the possibility of self-destruction is eliminated, then the possibility of time resolving the issue also disappears.
There’s a chance that casualties will continue to increase.
Why would such a Magic Sword User target Testers?
This is a question everyone ponders.
A conjecture to that answer was written at the end of the document.
“Truly, troublesome.”
If this is the truth, please spare me.
With that thought, I committed the document to memory.
Motive, behavioral psychology, principles of action.
From psychology, physical evidence from past offenses.
The writer of the document, considering all angles, lightly added at the end:
“The Magic Sword User may be a Tester.”
Today’s Saying:
Time can be made, but do not err in its creation.
This concludes today’s update.
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