Happy New Year.
This is the first post of the year, and I’ll continue to do my best, so please treat this work favorably.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
Girlfriend: Suella Henderberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
My stats are unbelievably high, and a strange atmosphere fills the infirmary.
And I, the person in question, have an idea of what caused these results.
I may not have proof or a rational explanation, but I’m probably not wrong.
“This is unprecedented. If you have any familiarity with anything, please let me know.”
Hesitating on how to convey this to the Lizardman staff who were looking at me with concern, I decided it might be better to be straightforward than to beat around the bush.
“Actually…”
I explained what happened to me, prefacing it with the fact that I had no concrete proof. I told them how I was consumed by an Evol Eater, and during that process, my body was digested to its limits until I was on the verge of ceasing to exist. Then, my body was reconfigured with the magic accumulated by the Ore Tree. I also mentioned that I had fought a large number of Evol Eaters before that and may have gained a massive amount of experience points, which translates to magic power. I don’t know which was the contributing factor, but I believe it was the former. If gaining enough experience points can change one’s magic aptitude, there should have been precedents. If I haven’t heard of any, then a promotion in magic aptitude due to massive experience gain is almost impossible.
“I see, reconstruction of the body while maintaining the magic body and being in a state of diluted consciousness, but still with a sliver of awareness… Indeed, that might theoretically allow one to change their magic aptitude.”
I couldn’t discern any emotion from the lizard’s face, but I could tell from the atmosphere that he was genuinely considering the problem.
“However, that would require a thorough examination as well. If that theory is correct, it’s like forcibly widening and solidifying a pre-existing, malleable vessel. We don’t know where any defects might be.”
“Please do.”
Even if I don’t have any subjective symptoms, I might be experiencing some sort of discomfort somewhere. In such a situation, if I were to challenge a dungeon with a careless thought that it would be okay, I might suddenly find my body unable to move. It would be a disaster to be taken down by something like that. This is the time. It would be a good opportunity to undergo any necessary examinations.
“Then, to conduct the examination, we will move to a different location.”
“Yes.”
The medical facilities at this company are superior to those of ordinary hospitals, though their methods are unconventional. But I had forgotten.
I shouldn’t treat this company with my usual common sense.
“That’s right. This company’s way of thinking is more brute force than brains.”
“You sound pretty relaxed, Jiro.”
“I can’t stay relaxed if I don’t joke around.”
When I hear about a body examination, the first things that come to mind are a doctor’s consultation and blood tests. There are also X-rays, EKGs, and more detailed examinations like barium studies and MRIs.
“Now, before the final examination, please drink this medicine.”
“Is it a diagnostic drug?”
“No, it’s a potion. You need to be in perfect condition for the upcoming examination.”
“?? Is that how it works?”
“Yes.”
In retrospect, I should have been suspicious here.
I should have questioned the potion I was handed at the end, after being guided by the staff through a series of examinations. I resent myself for casually drinking it, thinking it was a healing potion after the tests were over. No, it wasn’t incorrect that it was for healing. But, the healing was…
“Why do I have to fight the supervisor for an examination?”
“Because it’s necessary. Normally, I would have someone else do it, but I was the only one available.”
I wanted to scream “Liar!” but I held it back. I had heard from Suella before that the supervisor was stressed from doing nothing but administrative work, and I wondered if this was his way of releasing that stress. I looked at the Lizardman medical staff who had guided me to the training ground for help, but they didn’t even look at me properly, conveying with their backs that they were busy.
“Don’t worry, the medical support is fully prepared. You are a rare being, but fortunately, we know how to assess you.”
“How so?”
Judging from the current situation, the future is unavoidable, but I asked again, clinging to a sliver of hope. However, the supervisor laughed as if probability never existed in the first place.
“I’ll say what a certain soldier once said: ‘There’s no training like actual combat.’ To gather data on your body, we need to use your magic to its fullest. So, it’s faster to just move it. That’s all. Don’t worry, I’ll stop if any problems arise.”
You mean you won’t stop me if I don’t have any issues, right? I want to say it’s unreasonable, but there are Dark Elves, Demons, Lizardmen, Orcs, and a number of healing mages gathered around. I could also see some kind of equipment. Damn it, they’re fully prepared, aren’t they? If I had known the potion I drank then was a fighting potion, I would never have drunk it. Considering the convenience of potions, which can also restore stamina, they are quite something. But it’s no use regretting it now. My only hope, Suella, Memoria, and the instructor… I don’t need them here now, as they would likely join the fight. Without anyone to stop me, I have no choice but to give my all. Besides, it’s a situation where I have to accept that this is necessary to understand my current condition. Fortunately, the preliminary examinations showed no abnormalities. I have no choice but to accept it as necessary.
After all, I wasn’t entirely without a desire to test how much my stats had increased. I just have to think of it as a good opportunity to try them out. With a sigh, I said, “Understood.” Seeing my motivation, the Giants began to equip me with all sorts of gear. Being surrounded by three giants is a bit stuffy, but their skill is undeniable. In less than a minute, they switched me from a hospital gown to full armor, just like an F1 pit stop. I swung my arms and rotated my shoulders, checking the fit, and to my chagrin, it fit perfectly. Finally, I checked the helmet and gripped the Ore Tree.
“I’m ready.”
“Good. We’ll begin the measurement. Everyone, start measuring from outside the barrier.”
Several mages deployed magic circles and erected a barrier at the supervisor’s clear instructions. This way, any rampaging I might do would be manageable. There was no starting signal. The supervisor stood calmly, observing my movements. He gestured with his usual suit on, indicating he was ready anytime. I could feel the same aura of strength as the instructors. There’s no point in holding back against such an opponent.
“Haaah.”
If I’m going to make the first move. I’ll take full advantage of that advantage. I slowly inhaled and stored magic in the depths of my abdomen, circulating it. I gradually increased the rotation speed. Within a second, my body warmed up, and within two seconds, I was in a combat stance. Even now, I have more leeway in the magic I can channel into my body than before. Whether it’s the storage itself that has more capacity or the magic circulation has become faster, sensationally speaking.
“Ngh!”
However, as my strength increases, control becomes more stringent. Instead of gradually increasing my stats like before, my physical abilities have doubled at once, and the vessel that receives them has also improved. I struggled to control the unfamiliarity with my own body, as the increased magic threatened to throw me off balance. But…
“Hmph!”
“…!”
It’s not that I can’t control it. More than anything, the desire to move my body, which I feel even more strongly, overflows. It’s like being in a new sports car, eagerly waiting to step on the accelerator. There’s no need to rush. The opponent is stronger. There’s no need for hesitation. Following my urges, I’ll bet everything on going all out now.
Thinking that, without using a monkey’s roar, the magic I had condensed within my body turned into leg strength that exceeded my predictions. The speed at which I left the world behind was such that the wind clinging to me, which should have been weightless, felt like a heavy burden trying to crush me. However, my enhanced body repelled it, and I easily took a step forward.
“You broke Evia’s barrier!?”
“A human! And a tester who hasn’t even been here a year!?”
And this wasn’t just my legs, but my entire body. As I passed the supervisor, whose eyes showed a flicker of surprise only around the pupils, an invisible magic bullet pierced the spot I had stepped on just moments before. No, it wasn’t invisible. It was just so fast it appeared invisible. Thanks to my increased stats, I could perceive its outline. However, by the time it pierced, I had already retreated from that spot. I suppressed the sound of my feet scraping the ground with my leg strength and looked at the supervisor.
“You seem to be bad at keeping secrets.”
“I know it would be reckless to challenge you while hiding my cards.”
A momentary exchange. I poured all my effort into it. It was only because of that initial opening I was granted that I could push so far. It also served as a test for the Awakened state of the Ore Tree, and the gamble paid off. To succeed in a no-holds-barred situation where I only had vague feelings about whether I could do it or not, I was glad.
“You’ve brought something quite strange. A variant spirit? No, a fairy. But the power is real… I didn’t expect you to break through the barrier ‘three times’.”
The supervisor’s gaze was directed at my right hand as he turned around. He seemed to be observing the roots of the Ore Tree spread along the pattern that appeared on my right hand, as if guessing its true nature. The shape-shifted Ore Tree he was looking at was circulating my magic, purifying its purity. Magic itself can only be visualized through magic or other phenomena. To perceive magic itself, one needs special magic eyes, or an exceptionally dense accumulation of it. It is rare to be able to generate a level of magic purity that can be visualized by glowing like this. And he seemed impressed by the sharpness of the Ore Tree, which imbued its blade with that magic purity.
“It seems I underestimated you.”
“…Ngh!”
And then, the supervisor’s evaluation of me seemed to have been revised. The amount of magic I could sense from the four magic circles deployed without incantation was by no means ordinary. In my previous state, I might have been overwhelmed by fear in an instant. But now, a sense of joy wells up within me, surpassing fear. I’m aware that a smile is forming on the corner of my mouth. I never realized that being recognized by a strong opponent would be this happy, or that stepping into that domain would be this joyful.
“Ngh!!”
“You’re impatient, but…”
I can’t contain my excitement like a child. What will come next? Without even thinking about it, I rushed out again with the intent to cut down everything.
“That’s right.”
The supervisor smiled, not faintly, but clearly. He laughed as if my excitement was contagious. In retrospect, this might be the first time the supervisor has ever shown such a clear smile. It’s understandable that I found his face beautiful, even in the midst of battle. But that was just for a moment. The magic circles became like turrets, locking onto me, and magic was unleashed from them. There were straight beams like lasers, magic that tracked me like missiles, and even the magic circles themselves became walls, blocking my advance.
“Ngh!!!!!”
In response, I grit my teeth and increased the speed of magic circulation, further strengthening my body. Even though I was channeling more magic than before, my body didn’t creak. On the contrary, I still had room to spare. I slashed vertically at the incoming laser, dodged left and right, and cut through them, leaning my body low to the ground to advance like climbing a cliff. Sometimes, I even used my magic-coated foot to step on the supervisor’s magic bullets, using them as footing.
“It can even be used as a shield!?”
“I didn’t get this position by having only one trick.”
Reaching one of the magic circles and striking it, I was surprised that it only sustained minor damage. I marveled at the versatility of the magic circles themselves. Although I haven’t managed to move the supervisor an inch, the battle is still ongoing. To slash through the magic circles, I need to increase my sharpness even more. Sharper and sharper, I just kept increasing my magic circulation. My image was of the one strike that cut through that giant body; I thought that strike would reach the supervisor. As circulation progressed, the quality of magic increased, and with each step I took, my running speed accelerated.
“It can still go faster?”
“Ngh!!”
I’m still being tracked. My gaze met the supervisor’s, who was calmly tracking me, and I put even more power into my legs to break free. I cut down all the attacks in front of me and minimized my evasion movements. I don’t need an area-of-effect attack like that time. Just sharp, deliver this one strike. Look, see, observe. Discern the timing when I should step forward. The laser trying to pierce my leg, the magic bullet flying towards my abdomen, the wall blocking my advance, the blade trying to sever my arm. I threw myself into the gap between all the attacks and carved out a path with one strike of the Ore Tree.
“!!”
I didn’t even have time to shout that I saw it. Seeing the supervisor’s figure beyond the gap, as fine as threading a needle, my intuition screamed, “This is it!” With a sudden braking and a right-angle turn. I shifted my center of gravity from my toes to my knees, then to my waist, and then to the opposite foot. I compensated for friction with magic, not slipping even a millimeter. Without any loss of speed, I took a step and ran through the path that would close in a mere tenth of a second. The supervisor unleashed a barrage of overlapping magic towards me, creating walls, but I endured only once. While clad in magic all over my body, I charged headfirst into that wall.
“I got him!!”
And then, I swung the Ore Tree down at the supervisor, who was on the other side of the wall. With a sensation of cutting through more barriers than the first strike, the blade of the Ore Tree approached the supervisor.
“This is the end.”
However, that strike did not reach. The silently spoken words of the supervisor signaled a definitive end. On his slender right arm, a sinister-looking gauntlet appeared, and with its fingertips, sharp claws that seemed capable of tearing through anything, he stopped my strike. My strike was indeed full-powered, as evidenced by the spiderweb-like cracks that appeared on the ground beneath the supervisor’s feet, which were slightly indented. The wall that lay beyond the solid resistance was still high.
“That was quite enjoyable. Go polish your skills and come back.”
“!? Gaah!”
Then, the supervisor’s magic momentarily intensified, and I was slammed into the barrier. The feeling of defeat suppressed my exhilaration. I felt my fighting spirit subside, and the battle, which was disguised as an examination, ended here.
“Medical team. Treat Jiro and compile the data into a report. I’m returning to work.”
“Yes, sir!”
As I got up, my body throbbing with pain, I saw the supervisor, who had appeared on the gauntlet on his right hand, open and close it a few times before making it disappear. He then gave instructions to the medical team and, as if remembering something, looked at me, moved his lips slightly, and left the training ground via Teleportation Magic.
“Are you alright?”
“Hahaha, I might not be.”
If I correctly interpreted the movement of his lips, the supervisor said, “I’m looking forward to next time.”
Damn it, I might have caught the attention of the supervisor, not just the instructors. Should I be happy about being recognized by a strong opponent, or should I regret doing something I can’t take back by getting caught up in the excitement? With such mixed feelings, I gave my answer and was taken back to the infirmary, where I underwent half a day of physical examinations and was diagnosed as having no abnormalities.
Another Side
“Oh, Evia, you look happy. Did something good happen?”
“I found someone with some backbone for the first time in a while.”
“Oh? Who might that be?”
Evia, working as usual, sensed that the Demon Lord was in a better mood than usual and asked about it. She stopped working and answered curtly. The Demon Lord’s interest piqued further by her unusual reply, as she would normally just say “nothing” about her personal affairs.
“It was someone who made me use my armor. That’s all I can say for now.”
However, Evia did not elaborate and returned to her work. Although her attitude could be considered disrespectful, the Demon Lord seemed accustomed to it and did not press further, saying, “I see.” He decided to wait for the day Evia would eventually report to him and returned to his paperwork. However, in his mind, he imagined the person who had unleashed a part of the armor she wears when she exerts her full power.
Another Side END
Today’s word:
There is still room for improvement.
That’s all for this installment. This chapter is scheduled to end in one or two more episodes.
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