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Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends
Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg & Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)
Magical Aptitude: Nine (Quasi Demon King Class)
Job Title: Warrior
After giving instructions to Kaley, I quickly left the room.
She has work to do and I have a schedule to keep.
“I’m going to make an announcement. A mock battle will be conducted by the generals shortly. Testers, please move to your assigned spectator areas. Irepeat.” (Kaley)
“Right away?” (Jiro)
There’s a reason why they chose to watch the mock battle in front of them, which was supposed to be a video.
The reason is based on the thinking on the battleground, which is that we want people to experience firsthand the combat that leads to someone rising in the top, rather than filtered through a video.
There is a difference in motivation between seeing a goal and not seeing a goal when it comes to maintaining motivation at work.
Work that has no end in sight can be very demoralizing.
This is especially true when it comes to the dungeon improvement, a task that requires an answer to a question that can’t be answered.
If that is the case, I would like to at least give them a hurdle of strength.
I want to show them the minimum standard that will make them strong and prevent them from thinking they are strong enough.
That way, we can at least let people know that it is useless to fight among themselves.
That’s why I incorporated this mock battle into this event.
But if there are people who still think about the futility of such a fight
“No, you don’t have to think about it now, right?” (Jiro)
I shook my head to get the thoughts out of my head, and moved to my seat in accordance with the broadcast coming from overhead.
The arena is quite large in terms of the size of the monsters and their abilities, as well as the scale of the battle that will take place.
If I stopped to think about something else, I would not make it to the arena in time to watch the battle.
After walking a little faster than 10 minutes to make up for the time I spent standing still, I entered the long corridor that encircles the arena, and once at the entrance to the spectator stands, I could see the inside of the arena
In terms of size, it is as large as or larger than the Tokyo Dome.
The entire surface was covered with soil, creating a vast area without any obstacles.
The atmosphere of a place for fighting, different from the one in the video, clung to my skin.
Looking to the left and right, I saw testers sitting in groups here and there in the vast spectator seating area.
There are no other spectators.
The vast spectator seating area was more than 90% empty, making it a lonely scene.
The four of them standing in such a place make two of the four generals who can be seen from the bleachers look small, even though they are huge.
But even so, I can’t say that I feel lonely.
“…I’m sure you’re ready to have fun, Instructor Kio. The arena, it won’t break, will it?” (Jiro)
It is inevitable that a wry smile breaks out unintentionally.
After all, I was bathed in this oppressive, familiar spirit that I could feel the more I spoke about my worries.
If I follow the source, I find a demon that is boiling with fighting spirit, regardless of the distance, I hesitated to take even a single step into the spectator’s seats, leaving a bitter smile on my face.
But the hesitation is only for a moment.
I take my seat at the front of the line, paying no mind to the familiar atmosphere.
The other testers are a bit more reserved and take a little distance from the front of the line.
I can tell because I am even closer to them.
The fiery energy that seemed to be so visible was a sign that they were looking forward to this event that much.
As the organizer of the event, I am happy for them, but considering the shockwave that will follow, I am half happy and half worried.
I shifted my gaze and looked at the other participants.
Instructor Fusio still exudes an aura that seems to emerge from the depths of the abyss, creating an atmosphere as if dangerous unknowns are crawling, lithering in every shadow.
However, I can tell that this one has no intention of fighting with all his might.
In direct contrast to Instructor Kio, I don’t sense much of a fighting spirit.
I have heard before that undead-related magic is not suitable for mock battles because there is too much of them that can kill regardless of whether he uses it or not.
I feel relieved there, but conversely, the worry that I might use everything else remains.
And speaking of the Tree King and Titan King, who I see fighting for the first time this time…
“…I guess it’s useless to worry about the arena, they’re going to do it in the dungeon so that it won’t be a problem even if it breaks. The instructors in question are still the same as ever, but the other one is no stranger to causing worry, and I can’t say I’ve ever heard him say do anything quietly.” (Jiro)
I can’t stop myself from getting goosebumps just by looking at him.
If you compare Intructor Kio to a raging fire and Instructor Fusio to an endless black fog.
The other two are quietly waiting for the right time are like a large tree with its roots deep in the earth and an immovable rocky mountain.
The Tree King Lunaria stands quietly with herr hands folded in front, and the Titan King Warlock just closes his eyes and crosses his arms, but his fighting spirit can be felt.
Despite their passive posture, they are showing their character as much as the others. To me, Kio’s fighting spirit is like an onrushing torrent.
To the others standing there as if they are just catching a gentle breeze.
It is a standing posture that makes me think that it is worth seeing just for this.
I can’t even imagine how a mock battle between four such people would turn out.
“Just in case, so, I don’t get blown away.” (Jiro)
The fact that I can’t imagine it means that I don’t know what will happen.
But I prepared my heart that at the very least, I might suffer a great deal of damage.
The other testers may have come to this place just for the festive atmosphere.
I prayed that they would not regret it, and covered myself with magic power.
“The time has come, so we will now begin the mock battle between the generals. Barriers will now be deployed.” (Kaley)
A broadcast is made by the management, and for a moment, the area in front of the spectator seats is covered with light.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the same scene spreads out again, but you can feel the presence of a thick concrete magical wall in front of you.
“Beginning counting. All personnel assume counter-shock posture.” (Kaley)
With some testers wondering what she was talking about, I followed her advice and slightly dropped my posture to prepare for the shock so that I wouldn’t be blown away.
And then,
“Three, two, one.” (Kaley)
The count down goes on.
“Zero.” (Kaley)
The moment I heard her voice
BOOM!!!!
“Hng!?” (Tester)
“Hah!?” (Tester)
The barrier and the testers screamed.
A banging sound collided with the wards, and a crunching and distorting sound came from the wards.
Then a scream could be heard from behind.
I had never experienced such a scene in anime, where the sound of the explosion is heard after the sight of the explosion.
As soon as the count was over, I knew that Instructor Kio had struck the Titan King.
I also understood that he prevented it with the shield he had suddenly taken out.
But from that point on, it was beyond my comprehension.
This was the battle of the strongest, and some of the testers probably didn’t understand what was going on.
I only have a vague grasp of what’s going on because I have a bird’s eye view of the whole thing.
Even so,
“Hahaha, this is amazing!” (Jiro)
This impact struck me more than anything else.
The unintentional outpouring of admiration was an expression of my honest feelings.
The attack and defense were settled in the form of the pair of Instructor Kio and Instructor Fusio attacking and the Titan King and the Tree King preventing them.
However, it was not one-sided.
The Titan King prevents the bare-handed rush of Instructor Kio, a sign of his full strength, and Instructor Fusio tries to exploit the gap by releasing magic, but the spirits of the Tree King cancel out all of his attempts.
It is a confrontation between a short-term battle and a long-term battle.
The two sides’ personalities and fighting styles are truly reflected in each other.
This was a battle between a pair that anticipates the future and conserves their strength, and a pair that does everything in their power to defeat the enemy in front of them as fast as they can.
I was mesmerized by this battle in each other’s area of expertise.
The Ogre King’s fists shatter the air and shake the Titan King’s shield.
The Ogre King’s fist, which had slipped through a small gap, dug into the Titan King’s stomach as if it was sucked in, but the man who had received it swung down his great axe that I would have to hold with both hands, without a change in his complexion.
The ogre avoided it with a paper-thin distance, but the shockwave hit him.
A storm covered the area around the eye of the battle.
A black fire, water, wind, and earth are released to cover the entire demon, but red flames, clear water, green wind, and vibrant earth blocked them.
Each one of them may be a basic spell, but each one is polished to a higher dimension.
They look immobile with their bodies suspended in the air, preparing and launching one magic move after another as if they were playing chess.
I can’t take my eyes off them.
Even if it is not possible to see them, I want to witness every single movement.
The barrier creaks with each impact.
The barrier, which have no will in the power of the aftermath of the battle, cry an audible sound, telling me that it is time to go, but they still do not stop.
And the sound reaches my ears, and even though I know it’s dangerous, I can’t stop looking.
They just collide.
I just kept looking.
And finally
The sound of glass breaking and the barrier shattered.
“Damn it!” (Jiro)
And I am hit by a shockwave.
Quickly lowering my posture, I succeed in withstanding it by thrusting my Mineral Tree at the ground.
The last thing I saw was Instructor Kio striking the Titan King’s shield.
“That’s too far! ! That’s enough! All of you stop! The barrier is gone! Aah! Stop already! Lady Evia!” (Kaley)
Kaley’s voice, which had been shouting ever since the barrier was shattered, finally reached my ears.
She must have been concentrating that hard.
I looked up to see the scene that still did not stop.
The other testers were standing low, waiting for the storm to pass.
I thought it was a waste.
I was determined not to miss out on such a spectacle, and I was going to burn it into my eyes, if only for a moment.
But regardless of my intentions, the battle was stopped.
“That’s enough.” (Evia)
Suddenly, the supervisor appeared in the center of the battlefield, and in an instant, she set up barriers to divide the generals into four sections and stopped the battle.
I feel terribly sad at the sight.
I was pumped up by their battle spirits.
I’m so elated right now that I can feel it beating.
“Phew.” (Jiro)
In order to calm it down, I exhale deeply to release all the things that have accumulated in my stomach.
In the corner of my heart, I wanted to have another barrier made and watch the continuation, but I also understood that if they did more than that, all of them would fight seriously.
“Well, it’s finally time.” (Jiro)
And when I calmed down, I think about the following.
I think about what is going to happen next, with the testers looking up at the supervisor to see if the storm has passed.
“You’ve seen the top of the mountain, testers. Are you satisfied?” (Kaley)
The supervisor, seeing that the generals have completely stopped moving, quickly removes the barriers, and her voice rings out as she looks out over the spectators.
“Now that you’ve had a taste, we’ll move on to the next program.” (Evia)
The testers began to make noises as he proceeded with the schedule without hesitation.
They had not been informed of the next schedule, after all.
The other testers next to them are checking what is going to happen, but everyone says they don’t know.
Without regard to such a scene, as soon as the supervisor snaps her fingers, the scene changes in an instant.
How many of them realized that it was transfer magic?
I was standing alone in the cave with no one around me.
That’s probably true.
At any rate, this is the place I have to be.
“Well, do you know where you are? I’m sure many of you are familiar with this place, so you’ve probably noticed it. Yes, you are in a dungeon. It is the deepest part of the dungeon.” (Evia)
I wonder what happened to the others who were transferred to the deepest part of the dungeon.
Some may be in a panic, while others may be calmly dealing with the situation.
“Don’t worry, there are no monsters that were originally placed there. Only you testers are there. Let me answer your question. Why are you doing this? It’s just a game for fun.” (Evia)
As if answering each tester’s question, the supervisor’s voice resounds happily in the dungeon.
“What is about to take place is an all-out anything-goes race to escape from the dungeon. Whoever escapes the dungeon the fastest will be rewarded by the Demon King.” (Evia)
And, as one would expect from a demon.
Seduction is her specialty.
If they know that there is no danger and that there will be a prize, few will be conscious of the sudden event.
“There is only one rule. Get out of here as fast as you can. You can do anything you want as long as you keep that rule. You can use magic, items, or whatever you want. Of course, you can also interfere with others. Rest assured, the safeguards are in place. If anything happens to you, the next time you wake up will be in the infirmary. But of course, if that function is triggered, you are disqualified.” (Evia)
And if you also guarantee safety, this is a complete dungeon game.
Well, that’s not the end of it.
“Now that I’ve given you the advantage of safety functions, let me explain the risk and dangers.” (Evia)
In a tone of voice that makes it clear that she is absolutely enjoying this explanation, the supervisor does not end it, but adds,
“Every time a certain amount of time passes, a penalty will be incurred. Ah, the monster that drives you away is unleashed. But this is not just a disadvantage. This is a special monster prepared only for this time. Its body contains an abundance of magical power, and defeating it will greatly help the growth of your magical crest. In addition, by defeating the monster, you can move five floors higher.” (Evia)
Now you have two choices: run as fast as you can or take a shortcut by defeating the enemy.
The future of the race will depend on what you do with this.
“That is all. Kaley, the signal.” (Evia)
“Yes, ma’am! Well then, everyone, aim for the goal! Ready!” (Kaley)
I don’t even think about what they’re going to do.
“Go!!!” (Kaley)
After all, I’ve got things to do during this race.
Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends
Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg (Dark Elf) & Memoria Tris (Vampire)
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)
Magical Aptitude: Nine (Quasi Demon King Class)
Job Title: Warrior
Note for the Day
It is rather tough to be told of a schedule change during a break.
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