110 106 Make sure to know thoroughly. (1/2)
Tanaka Jiro, 28 years old, with a girlfriend
Her Suela Hendelberg
Memory Tris
Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time)
Magical aptitude nine (quasi-magical grade)
Post Warriors
Phew.
Well, the supervisor said that, but I'll have a smoke first.
They made me watch that kind of battle.
I put myself in the ring, and I need to control my excitement to deal with things calmly.
I can't stop the smile on my face.
What was that fight?
It's like a natural disaster.
It's not like the Evoluiter and our training, where we're battling with equal power.
Oh, how exhilarating.
You inhale and exhale the purple smoke to let it seep into your lungs, finally letting your rage subside, but it doesn't fully subside.
You can't just think about the fun stuff, work, work, work, well, it's all good and simple.
I'll miss the excitement, but I'm a company man.
I know that if you skip work, you'll get into trouble.
I have to check my schedule against what I have to do, and then I'm going to do it.
I've got some chores to do first.
I've been sent to the dungeon for this race and I haven't gotten off to a good start yet.
You have to have a status that is at least two points above your head to even be competitive.
Hey. Don't you think?
”Gulu.
You call out to the as-yet-unnamed monster with a wolf-like head, a bear body and a snake tail that has a different intention than the head, which has a low growl from a while ago.
And as soon as you meet it, its intelligence is not bad either, as its mood is visibly bad because you called it a small fry.
I knew there was a monster at the destination, but the supervisor seems to be very pleased with me.
I'm told by the lab that this is a monster that will be placed in the depths of the dungeon.
I think they said it was a good time to throw it at me.
On top of that, I'm told I can't take a shortcut by killing this thing.
I wonder how far behind I'll be if I'm pushed to the far end and I can't start until I kill this thing.
Well, I don't care. All I need to save is my savings and knowledge. Let's get the work done.
After all, I have other commitments besides participating in the race.
I can't finish if I don't finish it.
It's never going to be done if you stay on task.
Hey, come on.
I thought maybe an answer would come back, but that didn't happen.
It lowered its stance and made a leaping motion.
You'll be able to see that it's a little disappointing, but if you take the hilt of the mineral tree and beckon it to provoke you, it will spark a fight and the monster will attack.
It's not too fast, but Kaido will just barely duck or not.
”Gruaaaah!
The monster was quick to pounce on me, opening its mouth to bite me, and I only had to step aside to duck.
With that momentary intersection, I was able to get an idea of the opponent's strength.
”So does that mean he's quite powerful?
I calculate the force from the speed at which I stepped in earlier, jumped on and then crossed.
Looking away with a sidelong glance, I turn in place with one foot on my axis.
Position yourself to catch your opponent in the corner of your adjusted gaze as you face him.
The opponent continues to pounce on you, forcing you to change your posture as soon as you land, without letting your momentum fade.
”That's a move for a beast, a human would hurt your back.
While admiring its flexibility, you take the monster's attack with the mineral tree to test its offensive power.
You hear the sound of fangs rubbing against the mineral tree, and you can gauge the power of your attack by feeling your foot rubbing against the ground.
A little more strength would be nice, but I think it would be more effective if it was accompanied by a special ability.
It adds weight and a fair amount of weight to my arm, but I can blow it away just by cutting away the mineral tree with one hand.
If this was combined with a blitz, you'd have to change your response, so you make a note in the corner of your mind to write it down in your report.
Then, with a flash of lightning, you push the opponent's body away from you.
I don't want to hit him, but it's just a slash that's good for a profit.
It's responsive. It's got some offensive power. And a bit of wisdom.
I'm not sure if the beast's instincts led it to jump back and duck with its paws.
That's quite a response and a great way to fight.
Without hesitation, he pounced again, this time with a combination of sharp claws.
”More attack patterns, more trouble?
Take a sip of the cigarette and prevent by stomping on the tail of the snake that attacked by hiding behind a waving arm that shook the purple smoke and make a nonchalant assessment.
Am I fit to guard the dungeon?
We'll have to report back to you later, so we can't leave any stone unturned.
Next up is defense. It's going to take only one shot.
”Gah!
The fur itself, circulating magic, is likely to be harder than iron, but it's as good as iron.
It's not unbreakable.
You can add to it, but a wounded beast is tricky.
I'll just try to get this over with.
In general, it's a nuisance in numbers, but it's a poor individual. Its attack power is quite quick, but its defense is not so good.
This time I don't duck but intercept the attacking monster, turning the magic around to detonate it for a moment before it crosses.
I only have to take one step in and shake the tree, and the opponent flows backwards by the law of inertia.
That's the end of it.
The body of the unnamed monster slips off to the side behind me, and a final, heavy thud echoes around me.
”Well, you're a little late, but how far behind are you?
Give a glance at the motionless monster, put the mineral tree back on its back, check on its legs with a thump, and then run through the dungeon.
You run through the path of the cave with a gung-ho attitude, but
”To
Stop immediately.
A dungeon, but the structure inside it is completely different from anything you've ever seen.
The sheer cliffs, invisible valleys, hesitant swamps, and ivy hanging down like a curtain, make this an obstacle race of sorts.
This race has also become a test of the new dungeon structure.