Otherworld Company Chapter 82: A Hangover Is Not a Reason to Take the Day Off

Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends

Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg & Memoria Tris

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)

Magical Aptitude: Eight (General Class)

“I drank too much… and I have a headache that won’t go away.” (Jiro)

“… po-potion.” (Kaido)

“Yes, please. It’s unusual for Leader to drink too much, Kaido however…” (Masaru)

“You will definitely experience this in the future, so remember, you can’t refuse your superior’s drink.” (Jiro)

“I’ll keep that in mind.” (Masaru)

“Especially those two instructors.” I thought but I didn’t have the energy to say it out loud until the end, and I couldn’t even answer Masaru’s reply.

What is to be feared is the sake of another world that will invade even the strengthened body.

I’m not sure how much I drank, but given the devastation, I can’t say I drank much at all.

I was horrified by the liquor, but it was too late.

I knew I had had too much to drink when I was about to go to bed, but when I woke up from sleep to catch up, I had a hangover and a headache, as expected.

However, I couldn’t take a day off even under such circumstances, so I went to work.

I was not a businessman, but rather, I was just too desperate to take a day off for such a trivial reason.

I made it to the party room on time.

But that was as far as I got.

I immediately sat down on the sofa in the living room and was mentally exhausted.

Kaido, another victim I retrieved on the way, was lying on the desk across from me, praying for the heavens.

It was our mother, Masaru, who answered him.

Kaido puts his hand on his forehead trying to endure a headache and drinks the potion in the cup in front of him in one gulp.

“It’s bringing me back to life.” (Kaido)

“Right.” (Jiro)

And it’s a magic potion for which I was grateful.

As I downed the potion like some nutritional drink, my head cleared up and the queasiness disappeared, just like the actors in the commercials.

The effect was extraordinary.

I think I should keep a bottle of potion in my room from now on.

“Have your headaches vanished?” (Masaru)

“Oh, I’m sorry to have bothered you.” (Jiro)

“It’s fine, not a problem. I’m used to taking care of Minami.” (Masaru)

“I see.” (Jiro)

In Minami’s case, she was probably taking care of her lack of sleep due to the all-nighter, rather than her drinking out.

While thanking Masaru for clearing up the empty cups, I think this is what it means to be completely worn out.

“Now that I’m feeling better, let’s talk about today’s work.” (Jiro)

“Are we going for the insects again?” (Masaru)

“Of course.” (Jiro)

“I’m sick of that place. Let’s go somewhere else for a change.” (Kaido)

“Don’t complain. You’ll make me submit another dungeon report that’s no good again.” (Jiro)

“What’s going to happen?” (Kaido)

“I’m gonna get blasted away by the supervisor.” (Jiro)

“Oh.” (Kaido)

Or they might read my report with that absolute zero glare.

“As for me, I prefer the dungeon we are in now.” (Masaru)

“Masaru, do you like insects or something?” (Kaido)

“No, I like them like everyone else, but I earn more money here than in the old dungeon, and it helps my family’s finances.” (Masaru)

“You are very serious, aren’t you, Masaru?” (Kaido)

“That’s not true.” (Masaru)

“…” (Kaido)

In response to Masaru’s words, Kaido encouraged himself by proclaiming, “I’ll do my best too.” (Jiro)

However, as someone who recruited and knew the reason why Masaru had such a serious take on finances, I have nothing to say back.

If you ask me why he has a rare family problem that I’ve heard from someone.

If you ask me if I have any thoughts about it, I can’t say for sure that I don’t.

However, I feel that it is not right to just sympathize with them.

Therefore, I have always been willing to give advice to those who ask me for advice.

“Come on, Kaido. Stop being depressed and get ready.” (Jiro)

“Roger.” (Kaido)

“I’ll prepare too.” (Masaru)

So, if Masaru himself doesn’t say anything, I just go about our daily life.

This attitude may be considered cold, but some people find it more painful to be treated with pity.

For such people, it is better to treat them normally.

I think Masaru is that case.

As I watched Masaru’s back as he walked into the locker room behind Kaido, I thought to myself,

“High school students these days are very determined.” (Jiro)

On the other hand, I am interested in high school students who are more serious than adults.

I was so impressed by their attitude that like Kaido, I thought to myself, “I have to do the same thing,” and entered the locker room last.

After making such a decision in my heart, it’s still part of my work.

“Hiyaaa!!!” (Jiro)

With a flash of my blade, the mantis is bisected vertically and the battle with the enemy ends.

I checked the surroundings to see if there were any individuals moving or hiding around, but it seems like that was the last one.

“Masaru, please heal Kaido.” (Jiro)

“My bad, I screwed up.” (Kaido)

“I start treating you now.” (Masaru)

“Yes please.” (Kaido)

Even though he was defending himself, he still took damage, piercing through his armor.

I order Masaru to treat Kaido’s wounded body.

In the meantime, I take care of the surroundings.

But the balance of the battle is different with and without a healer.

The endurance level of the party was different by a wide margin compared to the battle that Kaido and I fought, in which both of us were running through the battle while taking care of our physical strength and the distribution of injuries.

I feel this the most as I am the one who fights as the shield of the party at the front of the line.

Being able to compensate for the loss of physical strength is not only a physical advantage but also a psychological advantage, such as a sense of security.

It has been less than two hours since we entered the dungeon, feeling this again.

Perhaps it was because we had mapped out a shallow area, but we were able to easily go deeper into the dungeon.

However, the strength of the enemies has definitely increased.

The number of enemies had increased, and even among souls of the same individual strength, they were at different levels.

“The Mantis earlier was very big.” (Kaido)

“Yeah, they are one size bigger than before. Masaru, are you okay stepping into the deeper floors from your current position?” (Jiro)

“I believe that without a doubt. Considering the strength of the monsters just now, I think it will serve as proof that if we are capable to step into the depths… I’m done.” (Masru)

“Thank you!” (Kaido)

As I check our current position while Masaru was magically healing Kaido’s shoulders, which were attacked by the Mantis, I am sure we are capable to move deeper than before.

It was a new record.

I knew that the deeper I went, the stronger the enemy would get, but on this floor, we could still handle it.

“Okay, are you ready, Kaido?” (Jiro)

“Yeah, I’m fine! No problem.” (Kaido)

Kaido nodded to me, rolling his shoulders to let me know that he had recovered from the damage, and looked in the direction of our next destination.

“We’re going, I’m sure my skill will bring in other enemies.” (Jiro)

The Intimidating Monkey Scream has an effect that stuns enemies, but it also attracts them at the same time.

I think about ways to improve my skill, which is still as difficult to use as ever.

But there is no time to think about it.

I used Intimidating Monkey Scream in the battle earlier to let the enemies around us know our current location.

I’ll think about how to improve my skills after I return home, but once the treatment is finished, it’s better to move out of this place as soon as possible.

We decided that it would not be a problem to go a little deeper into every battle, so we went further into battle.

We then discovered a slightly larger cave, albeit from a distance.

“Is that… An Army Ant nest?” (Masaru)

“It looks like it.” (Jiro)

“Wow, they are everywhere.” (Kaido)

Enhancing our bodies with the Magic Crests we enhance our eyesight beyond that of the wildlife in a savannah.

The distance is more than a hundred meters.

Hiding behind the trees I looked further, I could see at least ten giant ants walking around the open space.

“The problem is whether or not that is the entrance to the dungeon labyrinth… what do you think?” (Jiro)

“I don’t know.” (Kaido)

“I’m sorry, me neither.” (Masaru)

“That’s fine.” (Jiro)

At our current distance, a normal conversation won’t be noticed, but just in case, we speak in whispers.

The trouble with hybrid dungeons is that they can be disguised by scattering the entrances to the base dungeon all over the field.

On the other hand, it seems that the scale of the labyrinth will be reduced due to the operating cost of the dungeon.

The question is whether the entrance to the ant’s nest the entrance to the labyrinth is or not.

Even if one were to enter that ant’s nest hole, it does not necessarily mean that the dungeon core is beyond it.

And I don’t think they are building such an entrance in such a shallow area.

In all likelihood, it would be a misstep, 8 to 9 out of 10.

But it pains me that I cannot say for sure.

“Masaru, please note it down on the map.” (Jiro)

“Understood.” (Masaru)

“What are we going to do, Senior? Are we going to go into that hole?” (Kaido)

“…” (Jiro)

I can’t give an immediate answer.

I had an answer halfway in my mind, but I thought for a while.

“No, we’re not going to touch it. We’ll find a way around.” (Jiro)

But the conclusion remains the same.

The risk is too great.

Kaido looks relieved and reassured by this decision.

As expected, he also does not want to go into that ant swarm with just our group.

After smiling with relief, Kaido shifted his gaze as if he was wary of his surroundings, and his eyes were wide open and he covered his mouth.

“————–!!!” (Kaido)

And then, through the leather gloves, he was wearing, Kaido’s mouth was filled with a silent scream.

While admiring Kaido’s risk management that he suppressed his scream as soon as possible, I was curious as to why he suddenly made such a gesture.

I looked in the direction Kaido was fiercely pointing.

“That is.” (Jiro)

“That’s not a bug, is it?” (Masaru)

“It’s a rare monster!” (Kaido)

I immediately understood the reason for Kaido’s excitement.

It is no exaggeration to say that this area is a haven for insects, but there is a strange creature that looks like a lump of jewelry floating unnaturally in the air.

A collection of gemstones in seven different colors, such as emerald, sapphire, and ruby, were flying around with dull eyes, unaware of our presence.

I was convinced that I would be able to catch it.

Besides the large, gaudy gemstones, there was a golden object shining between the rocks in which the gemstones were embedded, which was probably the body of the fish-like creature.

Even an amateur can see you can get a lot of money for a creature that’s just slightly larger than a basketball.

“The company must have been very generous.” (Jiro)

I was honest about what I thought when I saw the real thing.

It is not known if it uses magic or skills or if it is capable of fighting, but at first glance, it looks weak.

It is just like a duck walking with a leek on its back [T/N: easy prey].

I can’t imagine how much it would cost to prepare such a thing, something that seems to be at the bottom of the food chain.

And we would also need to get a glimpse of the danger of its true nature.

I’m looking at that mass of jewels, and I have a feeling that if I shift my gaze next to it, the headache I thought I had cured will return.

Even so, I had no choice but to look at it, and when I shifted my gaze to the side, there was Kaido with $ for eyes.

“*Sigh*… We’re leaving.” (Jiro)

“Wait. Let’s hunt it, Leader.” (Masaru)

“Masaru, you too?” (Jiro)

I let out a sigh at the sight of Kaido, who did not betray my expectations.

The Army Ant nest is right under our noses, and there are ants around that flying treasure as well.

It is obvious that it will surely be troublesome.

It’s a waste of time, but we are going to have to give up on that one and try to get out of there.

But to my shock, even Masaru, who usually acts as a stopper, was eager to get at it.

No, he was ready to kill it.

He looked like an assassin as he carefully put his gloves back on.

“Let’s just try, just a test.” (Kaido)

“Leader, life is a challenge.” (Masaru)

They will no longer listen to anything I say.

If that is the case, it might be better to challenge here and get hurt so that future dungeon attacks would not be a problem.

“*Sigh*, don’t just get in too deep. If it gets dangerous, we’ll retreat immediately.” (Jiro)

“”Roger!!”” (Masaru & Kaido)

I really had no choice but to do it, and since I was going to do it, I would do my best.

The first thing to do is to take out the Mineral Tree from my back and carry it on my shoulder.

The distance from the target is about 50 meters by eye.

The distance is about three seconds and I run as fast as I can.

At first glance, the opponent’s movement speed is comparable to a human’s walking speed, but it depends on what happens when the target is in a combat situation.

While calculating this, I chose the tactic that seemed to have the best chance of winning.

“Cut off its retreat, finish it off with a single blow, and leave immediately. I’ll hold the front and push through. You guys move after me but from different directions.” (Jiro)

“Roger.” (Kaido)

“Yes.” (Masaru)

At times like this, it would be a little easier to get things done if Minami were here, but there’s no use in asking for something we don’t have.

This is the best we can do with the cards in our hands.

We’ll block it from three directions, cut off its escape routes, and do it quickly.

“Let’s go.” (Jiro)

With that one word, we ran as fast as we could.

We ran through the trees, minimizing the sound of our footsteps.

Even so, it was impossible to muffle all sound.

With ten meters to go, we are noticed by our opponents.

“Peeeeeeeeeeee!!!” (Rare Monster)

“A siren!?” (Masaru)

“Haiyaa!!!” (Jiro)

Masaru was startled by the high-pitched sound that seems to come from the jewel and echoing throughout the area, but I let out an Intimidating Monkey Scream from the pit of my stomach with a force that cancels out the siren the moment I step into the gap between the two of us.

The muscles of my entire body feel as if they have become powerful springs, and they transmit this sensation to all my nerves, putting me in a position to swing the Mineral Tree down toward the target with all my might.

That moment lasts less than a second.

There is no time to surround the target.

Quickly, faster than anyone else.

Just step in and swing down the tree, thinking about striking this blow.

The blow that I executed without wasting any time from stepping into swinging down made my inner thoughts convinced that there was nothing more it could do.

*Ching*

But contrary to my confidence, I heard a sound that was contrary to my expectations.

Sparks scattered, and the Mineral Tree that hit it was blocked by its hard body.

“Too shallow!” (Jiro)

All I could do was let the momentum blow away the target that would not stop sounding the siren.

“Retreat!!” (Jiro)

““?!”” (Masaru & Kaido)

What was cut was just part of its surface.

I’m not at a high enough level to take it down with a single slash.

I could see that from just a split-second crossing of my blade.

If I pursued any deeper, we would only be attacked by the swarm of monsters.

I wondered how the other parties had managed to defeat an opponent that neither my full strength, Kaido’s magic, nor Masaru’s fists would have been able to defeat.

“We still have a long way to go!” (Jiro)

“Senior, it looks like we’re going to have quite a time! There are more of them up ahead!” (Kaido)

“I know!! They are in the way!” (Jiro)

Naturally, there are enemies who were called by the sound just before we started running.

The first time I went on a business trip, I was exposed to my inexperience, and while I felt irritation akin and joy at the enemy this time, I cut down the moths that flew by and opened a bloody path.

Masaru and Kaido follow behind me.

I cut down the various insects that all attack in swarms without stopping, Kaido burns them with magic, and Masaru punched them away.

We run to safety as fast as we can without thinking about pacing.

Before the dungeon, I felt that I was weak and that I had been confronted with areas I could improve.

Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends

Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg (Dark Elf) & Memoria Tris (Vampire)

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)

Magical Aptitude: Eight (General Class)

Job Title: Warrior

Note for the Day

Damn it, so frustrating.

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