“That’s… within the margin of error…”
“What are you saying? There’s no doubt your physical abilities have been enhanced!”
Aisha said, snapping the black file shut.
To think that eating 421 of them would only have this much effect… I can see why people say it’s faster to just do strength training.
“Listen, Yuma-kun. This Physical Enhancement is considered a type of magic. That means it’s not supposed to be usable outside of a Dungeon. We can’t even write about this data in a paper unless we say we measured it inside a Dungeon. It’s amazing that we can investigate it so easily.”
“Haa…”
I can’t bring myself to be happy, even if I’m being praised.
“Starting tomorrow, we’re going back into the Dungeon. This time, we’re aiming for the fiftieth floor!”
“The fiftieth floor!?”
Yuma’s eyes widened in surprise. The fiftieth floor is quite deep.
“Hey, isn’t it going to be tough with just me and Yuma?”
“Making it work is your job! I’m counting on you, Kotaro.”
With that, Aisha left the room. Yuma and the president, left behind, sighed heavily as if all their energy had been drained.
“President, are we really going to the fiftieth floor?”
“Well, it’s what the client wants. We can’t just refuse. We have to go as far as we can.”
The president stood up from his chair and looked down at Yuma, who was sitting.
“Yuma. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to teach you martial arts as a way to build up your strength.”
“Eh, martial arts? President, can you even do that?”
“Of course! When I was younger, I dabbled in all kinds of martial arts. Karate, boxing, Muay Thai, Chinese martial arts, even Judo and wrestling, I’ve done them all.”
“That’s amazing.”
“You want to get stronger and earn more, right?”
“Yes, of course. Please, I’m all for it!”
The next morning, the president’s martial arts instruction began. In the hotel room, Yuma changed into a tracksuit and stretched thoroughly.
“First, I’ll teach you the Karate Seiken Zuki (Straight Punch).”
“Yes!”
“Open your feet to shoulder width, and set your fists at your waist. Relax your shoulders and close your armpits.”
“Yes!”
Yuma took the stance as instructed, relaxing his shoulders and regulating his breathing. The president also took the same stance, first showing a Seiken Chudan Zuki (Middle Punch) as an example.
“One, two, three, four, five!”
Each time the president counted, he thrust his left and right fists forward. He really looked the part.
“Try doing the same.”
“Understood.”
Yuma imitated the president, rotating his hips and thrusting his fist.
“You’re not putting your hips into it enough! Be more aware of the weight transfer from your feet and the rotation of your hips!”
“Yes!”
Yuma, who had never done martial arts before, eagerly threw punches, thinking that it might improve his combat abilities as a Seeker.
“Listen, Yuma! If we’re going to the fiftieth floor, it’s going to be tough with just me. I need your strength. Get to the point where you can fight properly.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best!”
“For now, it’s fine if you can just get the form of the Seiken Zuki right! Transfer the power from your feet to your hips, and from your hips to your arms!”
“Yes!”
Black Dungeon, thirtieth floor —
“Uooooooooh!”
“Uwaaaaaaaah!”
The president and Yuma were desperately running away from rock Monsters rolling down the slope.
The giant spherical rocks were almost like iron balls. If they were hit by the rolling rocks, they would surely die.
“Ah! That’s right, Yuma. Try using ‘Metallization’ and try a Seiken Zuki!”
“Here!? Isn’t that a bit reckless…”
“If you’re Metallized, you won’t take damage, right? Let’s just give it a try!”
“O-Okay!”
When Yuma put strength into his whole body, it changed into black steel. He stopped and faced the rock Monster.
“Come on, bring it on!”
Yuma lowered his hips and clenched his fists, getting into the stance for a ‘Seiken Zuki’.
The rock bounced off the ground. Glaring at the rock Monster approaching him, Yuma unleashed a Seiken Zuki with all his might.
A crushing impact echoed through the cave. Yuma felt a response, but then realized that his body was flying through the air.
“Naaaaaa!?”
Yuma was knocked away by the rock, crashed into the rock wall, rolled around like a broken doll, and collapsed, no longer moving.
“Yumaaaaaaa!! Are you okay!?”
The president rushed over in a panic. He lifted up the iron body and shook it, and Yuma suddenly came to his senses and opened his eyes.
“Ah!? That scared me. I thought I was going to die!”
Yuma got up as if nothing had happened.
“A-Are you okay? That was quite a collision!”
“Ah~ yeah, I’m totally fine. I don’t take physical damage.”
The president was dumbfounded by his robustness. Aisha also rushed over and carefully checked Yuma’s body for any problems.
She seemed relieved to confirm that he was unharmed.
After that, the exploration continued, and they eventually advanced to the thirty-second floor. They tried again the next day, but were unable to advance any further.
◇◇◇
Night, in a room at a business hotel in Yokohama.
Aisha was sitting in front of a computer, her cheek resting on her hand. An email was open on the display.
Sipping her usual canned coffee, she grinned to herself.
The email was from the International Dungeon Research Organization (IDR), sent to governments and researchers around the world. It requested information about the changes that had occurred to the “Orpheus Tablet” and the newly appeared “Black Dungeon.”
The email had arrived half a year ago. Aisha had been interested because it was about the Black Dungeon, but she had forgotten about it in the midst of her daily research.
However, when she heard about the “small Dungeon” that had appeared in Mitaka Yuma’s garden, she immediately remembered this email.
“The ‘Colored Slimes’ he said he defeated, and the ‘Large Slime’ he defeated last, appeared at the same time as the Duke, Lord, and King mentioned in the email were defeated.”
–More than anything, the abnormal ability of “Metallization.” The “Liquid Metallization” that changes the body, and the extraordinary “Mana Index” that allows magic to be used on the surface… There’s no doubt about it.
“He is the Seeker who defeated the Black King.”