Tanaka Jiro, twenty-eight years old, single, girlfriend, Suella Handelberg.
Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time) + Recruiter
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class)
Officer of the Year: Warrior
Looking at this outfit alone, do you think we're going to a cosplay event, that we are?
'I wish I could say differently, but in this case I can't deny what the South said.
This is our work clothes, after all.
You guys have plenty of time.
The first time I went into a dungeon I was so nervous I was thirsty.
The weight of the armor that matches my body makes me feel more secure and keeps me appropriately tense.
The green robes fluttering in the air, led by Minami and the rest of the members certainly look like a group heading to the event site.
''Minami's outfit makes him look like an adventurous wizard.
I'll punch you in the face if you say so, until you apologize, that is.
South is dressed in armor made of dark brown demon leather like an armadillo under a green robe, carrying a staff engraved with magical silver (mithril) in one hand, and wearing a bowl with magic letters sewn into his forehead .
He's more like a wizard in an adventurer's guild than at court.
And Katsu is checking his leather gloves to make sure they are in place, just like Minami said, at first glance he looks like a priest.
However, you can feel the atmosphere of a physical attack.
He's wearing a gray cassock outfit with metal-reinforced leather gloves on both hands, magic stones on the back of his hands, and the ability to use magic.
In addition, he wears combat boots with iron plates in his toes.
They don't look like rearguard healers.
You're more like a common soldier than these guys.
I don't need my seniors to tell me that. What's up with that mid-bossy armoured warrior outfit?
Shut up!
In contrast, we are the opposite.
Kaido's equipment is iron-based light armor and a helmet...he's a soldier of high rank...a town resident in an RPG.
But he's equipped with a spear, a one-handed sword and a shield... an orthodox looking soldier.
I'm a Japanese-style armored warrior mixed in with a Western-style fantasy.
The black base with red splashes here and there would look like something out of the Warring States period.
He doesn't have the horns, but he's wearing a faceplate.
This would have been perfect if he had been armed with a sword or a tachi instead of a greatsword mineral tree.
And now we're all set.
It's 9:00 AM.
It's in front of the dungeon entrance.
When I've identified each piece of equipment, I open my mouth.
It's been a long time, that it has. Especially the training period (tutorial) was long, that it was.
I don't care about the South. I've been here longer and I've been fighting those two.
Tadashi, you've been slipping into the wall a lot.
I'm sure each of you has your own thoughts, but just listen to me.
Takes out a worn-out notepad.
It's a heavy-duty leather cover that I carry with me when I go into dungeons.
I open it up and look for information I can pass along.
"You are in the King's dungeon, a dungeon with a golem as its main character.
Oh, it's called a rematch, that it is.
Unfortunately, we have to advance to the fifteenth level to fight him, so that's when we'll have to beat him up.
So the decision to hit him was made.
"Of course. ...... Back to the story. Normally, you can pass on the first and second tiers, which I've completed attacking, but I'll try again from the first tier to get used to it.
The goal is to become a dungeon, so seeing is believing.
It's easier to learn by letting them try than by teaching them.
All right, I'm going to tell you what the monsters look like, so get it into your head.
""Yes."
I've already given you the outline of the game, but I'm going to teach you in detail to help you review the game.
While flipping through your notes, you will explain the characteristics of the golem and the types of monsters that appear in the game, finish explaining the first layer of the boss, the pinball golem, and close your memo pad.
The above is what I know, but this is only a rough guide and I think the monsters in the dungeon have been upgraded, so don't get too confident.
""What?"
'To be more specific, the bosses are not just explosions and stings, but also a mixture of individuals like smoke screens, poisons and stun grenades. Perhaps the monsters roaming around have been upgraded as well .
""Yeah."
I can very well understand what this guy is saying to my words and the three of you who are staring at me.
I don't have any choice, but to attack them, find out their problems and come up with a plan for improvement. That's our job.
In other words, the more I conquer a dungeon, the more difficult it becomes, that it is?
Let's just say it's true.
A masochistic game, that is.
'A job is a masochistic way to live your life, right?'
I think I said it better.
What we're doing is just showing it in the extreme.
All jobs, big or small, are the same.
But I can understand the South's reaction.
"Well, there's an end.
Where are you headed?
Until we can't capture it anymore and our president is satisfied.
It's like never ending.
A job is a never-ending process. You know that, don't you?
It doesn't end while you can capture it, and even if you can't capture it anymore, it will continue if the top management is not convinced.
Even though the sales will not be higher than this, the top management will seek for profit.
There may be a lull in the game, but there is virtually no end in sight.
By the way, how far is the attack over?
"I only managed to get to the second level, and beyond that, there are so many traps I don't even know the whole picture. Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Is this the part where you laugh?
If you don't laugh, your job will be depressing and you'll be done for the day. And you know, a job that you thought was impossible to do alone can be done with a couple of people. It's better that you know what's coming.
Is that so?
That's just the way it is.
It's a job that's getting harder and harder, and there's no end in sight, but it's not endless.
And as I told Katsura, we were stuck in a trap that prevented us from advancing, but thanks to the magic of the south, we can now substitute searchers (scouts).
At least we don't have to worry about the traps anymore.
There's nothing more unpleasant than a stagnant job, but it's easy to be comfortable with a hop-step job.
"Now, the positions were set up just as we discussed in the briefing. I'll be at the vanguard, Kaido at the raid, and Minami at the rear, and Katsura is provisional as far as coordination is concerned. Hey! We'll tweak it to find a better way. But I'll tell you one thing. Don't think about what's best for you. People will cut you down if you only care about yourself. I know this sounds like a hassle, but this is a necessary action. Always be aware of your surroundings. It will turn around and help you, okay?
That may sound awkward to say, but it's a physical job, no joke, and it will come back to you if you don't say it around here.
"Ugh.
Yes, that I do.
Yes, sir.
We'll play it safe.
Leader! I forgot my yellow helmet, that I did!
'Senior! I forgot my red light stick!
Katsu, give these guys what they want instead of their lunches.
I understand.
"I'm sorry!
He who holds the stomach controls the world.
The two of you on your knees will stand up and look at your destination.
That's all I have to say.
It's not exactly a pre-work smoke, but I'll light a cigarette.
Now, boys, it's time to get to work.
Finally, that's a job that's a very fantastical prelude, that it is.
"Don't mess with me, South.
But what we're about to do is a fantasy, so you really don't know what's going to happen in life.
I walk towards the gate, followed by the three remaining men.
The huge elevator doors slowly open to greet us, its massive body swinging open from side to side.
It's something I'm used to, but the others aren't.
I entered the dungeon with a bit of caution.
Finally, my adventure is about to begin!
The air still feels heavy.
I wonder how they're going to make it.
Don't be alarmed. We're in a dungeon.
The reaction of each of them is different, South is honestly impressed, Sheng reacts to the concentration of air or magic power, Kaido is interested in the manufacturing process rather than the strategy, but there is no time to be stunned.
The battle command is left to Minami, okay?
''Yes, that I do, and let's see what I can do with my MMO-trained command abilities, that I do!
'If you can afford to talk big, I don't see a problem.
"Ha ha ha, this is it. This is true fantasy, that it is. The tutorial is just a decoration, that it is. Let the big boys figure it out, that it is!
I'm worried.
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we'll have you covered if things go wrong.
It may come as a surprise to you, but in the netherworld, Minami was a submaster of a large guild, let alone in reality.
It seems that he has experience leading large scale battles at events, so I let him lead the coordination, but Minami, who can see the whole picture, moved better than me, who is the vanguard, giving orders.
Well, there was no way we could win because our opponent was Suela.
The worrying factor is whether you'll be able to demonstrate that in a real battle.
That only goes to show how much experience matters.
You three are the only ones who will be in combat. You'll join the boss battle, but you're going to have to do it on your own.
To make up for that experience, I try to stay out of combat as much as possible.
I'll be wary, but even though this dungeon has been upgraded, I've been here many times.
Opponents who can already be cut down by a single sword will rob these guys of their experience.
It's the same at the second level, but the amount is increasing so that's where you'll join in as expected.
Senior Kaido will be the vanguard and I will be the rear guard with Katsu in the middle, that I will be. I would like to ask for you to be the leader, that I am?
Yeah, no problem.
Immediately, a formation is formed under Minami's direction as he begins to take command.
Searching Magic.
Meanwhile, Minami invokes a single spell.
A pale blue sphere floats in, beating like a heart, and flickers.
The function of this magic is like radar.
It's a useful spell that can help you find hidden monsters and traps depending on your experience.
Minami says she can feel the waves coming out around that sphere to find out what happens.
We'll go to the second floor first, that we will.
Are you okay with this?
It's easier to know where we are, that it is. And I'll try not to avoid fighting as much as possible, that I will. If you can't, you'll go back halfway through, that I will.
For a fantasy fantasy, Minami's decisions come from solid hands.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get the most out of it.
It's a good idea to modify this magic a bit more, but there's not much information, that is.
Probably the ones the South is talking about are Woodkid and Woodpuppet.
I was looking for a reaction by sound or something, but as expected, they were no match for radar.
I think just being able to measure the opponent's distance by one person is pretty good enough.
I'm the one who has pulled out the mineral tree, but I'm just watching your progress and keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"Kaido-senpai, please save your magic, that you do not need it. When it's a minor injury, Katsura will bandage it to conserve magic, that he will treat it with bandages. I will restrain my movements first, that I will.
As soon as you are within range of capturing a figure, Minami is surprisingly calm and begins to formulate her magic.
''First of all, I will reduce the number of shield holders by suppressing them, that I will reduce their numbers, that I will ask Kaido-senpai to cut in, that I will ask you to cut in.
Whoosh!
You can take a swing at him, that you can.
What's the point of having a healer hit on you?
That's true, that's true, but it's a 'part-time job' for now, that's true.
Each of them move into battle positions as Kaido draws his twin swords with great spirit.
Enough of an initial move, now we just have to see the results.
The opponents are a berserk wood kid and a wood puppet. Previously, both hands were the same weapon, but the kid has a hammer and a knife, and the puppet's hand is still a spear, but one arm is a shield.
Three against three, evenly matched, but first time in a dungeon and first time against an opponent I'd never seen before, I thought I'd see how these guys worked, but the results came out easily.
"? It's not very responsive.
Hmm, you didn't need magic, that you didn't?
You can't be too careful.
Kaido quickly cut down the wood puppet that had been stopped by South's magic, and with the returning blade, he cut down the Kid as well .
There was also South's magic in support, but it was clearly a move with a level difference .
In a group fight, I was impressed that there was so much leeway, but I was always tense, which makes me a little sad.
It's a good thing that a brave man doesn't struggle against slime, that he doesn't.
That's true, you can't progress in the game if you're tripping over slime.
I've heard that the slime here should run away as fast as it can when it comes out, that it should.
Why?
''The mucus is a strong acid, and it's written in the materials that physical attacks won't work at all, and it absorbs a certain amount of magic as well, that I've read.
Those powerful creatures look like they could be in a horror movie or an alien movie.
The weakness is flour, that it is.
It's a surprisingly easy way to take it down!
It's nice to have this kind of alertness about your surroundings.
It's nice to have a little mental space.
Hey, we've got another customer.
Za?
South, you're forgetting to be careful.
Ugh, I'm finding it hard to keep using this magic, that I am.
Please.
If you let them know that the enemy is surprisingly close to you, where did the initial leeway go, the south reactivated the magic in a hurry.
Being careless is a great enemy.
The reason for this is because we were overwhelmed, but although the atmosphere of the two are similar, the letters and meaning are very different.
I'm redundant, but soon we'll be at full strength.
I'll fix this before it becomes a fatal blow.
That's a lot of battles!
'Wow, it links to sound, that it does.
Can you get together?
Well, I underestimated the dungeon, that I did. If the ants get together, they will kill the elephants, that they will. It's a little early, that it is, but you need to conserve your strength if you can afford to wait and see, that it is. Senior Kaido will increase your rotation efficiency, that he will increase the efficiency of your rotation, that he will increase the efficiency of your 'Mighty Body'!
I guess the monsters Kaido is fighting against aren't the only ones trapped in front of him.
He's going to cast a strengthening spell on Kaido to reduce their numbers.
"Leader, let's move, that we will take position in front of the boss's room before we are surrounded, that we will.
Hooray.
So far, the movement south is fine .
Although it's a game, I've been doing something similar to this, and I've experienced combat, albeit virtual, in my training.
I think he's able to reconcile his mind with reality.
''Hmmm... Without a leader, there's only one attacker, Kaido-senpai, and in order to increase processing efficiency, we need another rear guard attacker, that we need to have one more attacker.
You should have just let the South do it.
It would not be fun if I did it, that I did. A wizard is a person with a disease or a beautiful natural beauty who makes things happen, that I did.
Let Kaido fight alone, and the two rearguards are taking it easy and contrasting, but they are moving well and keeping an eye on their surroundings.
If it was a normal battle, it would be fine as it is.
Yeah, if it's a normal battle.
''Well, that's what happens.
Oh, that's not an opening bombing.
"Leader, what's the matter with you? It is coming, that it is coming, that it is coming! A black object is heading towards us! I mean, get a grip on yourself, Kaido, that is! Medic! Medic!
Uh, there's a special on chicken thighs at the supermarket tomorrow.
"Steady, that medic! I'll be back instead of escaping reality, that I'm coming back! We're in a pretty bad spot, that we are!
As it was, I repeated the battle and beat the wood golem easily, and I thought this would give me plenty of time to fight the boss, but the wholesaler didn't let me do so.
Even now, I'm still swinging the mineral tree with the momentum of leaving an afterimage and cutting down the pinball golem that I haven't seen in a long time.
Well, it's a sword that I wield myself. I can follow it with my eyes, and the pinballer can now slowly follow it with a split and plenty of time to deal with it.
The problem is the members behind you who can't handle it.
'I was licking the dungeon a bit, that I was. The small fry were too small to be small, so I thought the boss was a small fry too, but I felt like I was trapped in a pit by a small fry, that I was.
'You calm down, South, how many times have you called me a small fry, would we have been bombed if Jiro wasn't there?'
It's a good thing, because it's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on one.
He was a little confused but rather calm.
I was tempted to kick Kaido, but he was being healed by Katsu.
Let's handle the bombing now.
The ones that explode, you can cut them off, but the ones that flash when you cut them sometimes are tricky because they lose their vision for a couple of seconds.
That's what makes it so hard to catch them with your ears and skin.
You said the ear is the organ that perceives things as they move.
No, it was supposed to be a sound organ.
My skin feels good, but I'm sure it wasn't meant to be on the radar like that.
How can you live in a dungeon if you can't fight if you lose your sight for two or three seconds?
The poison gas type blows them away with sword pressure.
d*mn it, more genres, more golems, more troublesome placement.
That was my suggestion, though!
I'm glad to see that Katsura has grown up to be so adept at talking and treating people.
...... I will be able to do that too, that I will be able to do that?
"In fact, Jiro is doing it and should be able to ...... no ...... can you do it?
I've been swinging my sword for a while now, but blowing gas out of the air with just a sword shot is a bit of a challenge. ...... Senpai, will we be able to do that too?
'Oh? You'll get used to it ...... or rather, speak a little louder because the explosions are so loud!
And the only way I can answer your questions is this.
And I've learned to do it.
It just boils down to that.
Your nerves were fired up by necessity, and your hearing caught the sound of the wind and your skin felt the air shake, and something about your sixth sense told you about space.
There is no process.
But somehow, if you had done it, you would have evolved and been able to do it.
Without it, he wouldn't have been able to respond to Suela and the instructors' attacks, so he learned to do it.
It's not a matter of being able to do it.
You just have to learn by doing.
That's fantasy.
Maybe it's a game brain, but when you're faced with a real-life fantasy, you realize that it's real.
If you can't, you die.
I'm sure of it, because I'm the one who's wielding a mineral tree with that feeling.
There's a rock ball the size of a bowling ball that's about to blow us up, and it's cutting three of them off at once.
And? South, have you found a way to get in here?
'What about running out of things, that I'm running out of things? We are also safe, probably a sure-fire move, that we are.
"Sunset. No, I don't like it. And I don't like that you two are the only ones who get to have it easy.
Apparently, the strategy is different from when I did it.
Last time it was just a matter of releasing a bunch of them all at once and taking them down, but this time they're adding to it without interruption.
Most of them will be finished after destroying them all, but the junior member of the red dot proposed to make his boss work and his subordinates slack off.
Of course he wouldn't accept it, so he literally bluntly replied and made them think of another way.
Simply destroying the ejection port will clear the problem, that it does. ......
Okay, I'll break it down for you while you guys go do your thing.
Leader, we'll settle down, that we will.
I'm cool with it, okay?
Those who leave a fawn at the center of the bombing cannot be so calm, that they are not!
A fawn?
Is that what we're getting into?
Either way, I don't think this is the time to go into it.
The exit doors for the pinball golem that Minami refers to are located in a total of eleven locations: eight corners of the cube and three on the sides, excluding the wall we entered.
In addition, it seems to be able to change its direction to some extent and track us like a machine gun.
We're the only ones holding a standoff against the wall that doesn't have an exit.
This is getting depressing.
Maybe they've adjusted to the fantasy atmosphere or maybe they've become unfazed by the explosion.
...... It's no wonder. You can do the same thing as the leader, Kaido-senpai.
'No, Minami? I haven't stopped people from going that far, you know?
"Rejected, that I am. It's not a question of what you can or cannot do, that it is. All I can say is that if I can't do it, it will be a bomb, that I can only say.
Ugh.
Women have a lot of guts at a critical moment.
You will be able to get a great deal more information about the company.
You have a good look at the way the younger man works for you, don't you, Kaido?
I don't envy you one bit, but...
Meanwhile, the leader will destroy the exit doorway by going around to the right and I will draw the golems as a decoy, that I will draw them away. Maybe if I support them with magic at key points while Katsu recovers, that I will be able to do that.
Is this how it's done?
'Ooh, I think we've got a plan, I'd like to get through the second level by the end of the day, so let's be quick about it.
In truth, I could have attacked it on my own if these guys were out of the room, but I don't need to tell you that now.
A brave man would not only kill them in seconds, he'd take them with a swing of his sword.
It would take me a little over five minutes.
Well, the brave man is calm and composed and I'll do my best to stalk him, but hey, that's okay.
South, on my count.
Roger that. Go on three counts, that I do.
Three, two, one.
I adjust my posture as Minami counts.
"Zero, that it is!
Are you there, that you are? But we're pressing for business, so we'll be quick about it.
The sooner we split up, the better the target.
and the bullet hole gets a little thinner.
And we're better organized, so the south has more to offer.
Here's one.
As a result, it easily crushed the first exit.
I was preventing the full force of the attack, and there's more room to maneuver when you're down to a third.
You can also swing the mineral tree as if you were caressing it.
''Whoa! There was an explosion nearby!
I can't use Kaido-senpai, that I can't!
'You don't have time for that!
Well, they don't have much room for error, but as long as we don't have to move too fast, we should be OK.
Well, I'm afraid it's only this high.
It's a pinball golem that rushes in when you stop moving, but
Ceilings can be scaffolding, too, these days.
This method is surprisingly efficient, if I can get a foothold on it before the first one explodes.
It's like skipping a flight of stairs, flipping up and down in your field of vision, but there's no reason to run through it in a step or two.
Fantasy is all about defying the basic laws of physics, isn't it?
Bounce from the ceiling to the wall to ignore the pinball golem and turn to crush it flowing and flying.
This is unexpectedly fun.
The scaffolding appears randomly and explodes in a bizarre manner, but being able to move around while ignoring gravity was more exhilarating and interesting than I had imagined.
It's like testing your limits, bouncing around and sometimes wielding a mineral tree.
A little spice to the danger, and the thought of the word "spice" made it all the faster.
Excuse me, my eighth eye from the ceiling.
And if you accelerate, the number of ejections and enemies will naturally decrease.
The movement will be even faster because there are no obstacles, as the golem is no longer a golem, but instead travels between walls, ceiling and floor.
Lastly, what's up with you guys at ......?
""......"
If you cut off the last remaining pinball golem, the attack is over.
The expression on her face as she greets me after landing from the air is stunned.
I'm sure you're not actually an alien, are you?
Well, I know what you want to say, but I don't remember giving birth, but I'm aware that I've been a Japanese born since I can remember. And if you guys train this much, you'll eventually be able to do it.
"[Ehhh]
"What's that bullshit?" That's what I'm talking about.
It seems unreasonable, but now that I think about it, it's not normal for people to catch up with the pinball.
And I just recently came up with this move.
Thinking and using whatever you can move is something I've learned recently.
Especially when it's someone with the strength of a literal demon like your instructors.
Well, if the idea came to me because I've been cornered by the occasional training session with my instructors and there's no way to escape from the left, right or the back, how about upstairs?
I was so desperate that I jumped, and then I was able to jump, and then the top was added to my escape route options.
Huh?
During training?
Of course, he caught me in the air and we were trading blows and I was going straight into the wall.
The fact that I couldn't kill him with my momentum made it even more painful.
But it would be very convenient, that it would, wouldn't it?
Yeah, sure.
You don't think you can do it, but if you can, you'll be an action star in Hollywood, won't you?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, I'll put you in training on these moves, so for now, you just focus on the dungeon, and the stairs are coming up.
Sensing that the stunned gaze has gradually changed to a glittering one that expresses longing, I adjust my course.
''If you have a strong character, your strategy will expand greatly, that it does. I'll be watching you, that I'm running a number of strategy sites, and I'll immediately clear my name from the name I gave you earlier, that I'll be able to show you my quality.
Hey, don't all of a sudden have the opposite look in your eyes. Just so you know, we're not characters in a game.
Don't worry, that I have mastered many games with a health gauge, that I have. I will check with the environment as soon as possible, that I can!
No, Katsu, this guy's in charge.
...... I'll do my best.
The first level is not clear with room to spare, but I was able to clear it with room to spare.
What about the rest of the levels?
'I mean, what was I doing that I was so worried about and I didn't get to this level?
''Senpai, senpai's movements were also unusual, but Minami-chan's ability to adapt to dungeons is also unusual, right?
'Hwahahahahaha! This is my strength, that I am, Guha!
South, calm down.
You can't go to the bottom.
The worries I had when I finished the first layer were unfounded, if only because of the results.
In front of my eyes, I could see Minami smiling broadly as he kicked the wreckage of the fourth layer boss, which was more advanced than I had originally planned.
That high smile was quickly transformed into a posture of "orz" by Katsura's blow that forcibly calmed her excitement, but she had done a tremendous job up to this point.
Even though she had experienced mapping, detecting traps, gathering information and countermeasures against first-time monsters, and pseudo things in the game, I didn't expect her to be able to command so accurately.
Honestly, I thought that this Platemail golem, provisional name, Night Golem (sword), Night Golem (shield), Night Golem (spear), and Magician Golem would have a hard time working together, but it was easily captured by the countermeasures of the South, who had found a certain algorithm in some of them.
It's exactly the kind of thing where a buried talent has blossomed.
''Anyway, that's about it for today.
Yeah.
''I would like to say, that I would like to say that, but there is a limit to what items you can have, that I can't. To be honest, I feel sorry for Katsura, that I do.
Then help me.
I thought he would be a little more cagey, but he seems to be able to tell when it's time to pull back.
Well, seeing that Katsu loaded his backpack with a lot of luggage will certainly be a good guide to retreat.
As a man who is not directly involved in the battle, you should consider buying a magic bag.
But be on your guard until we return.
You're working your way home.
Yes, that I do.
Yes, sir.
It's also a celebration of breaking through the hierarchy, so you can expect some food.
'Oh! I'd like to have a drink.
I would love to have a dragon steak, that I do!
Let's save some money for dinner.
We proceeded to the dungeon in harmony, but also up the stairs .
I don't know about Kaido, but I'm grateful for that encounter in the park at that time, or rather, the odd coincidence.
''Maybe I'm a relatively lucky guy.
"? Senior, what did you say?
No, I'm just saying, you look good on the bottle.
Right!
Tanaka Jiro, twenty-eight years old, single, girlfriend, Suella Handelberg.
Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time) + Recruiter
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class)
Officer of the Year: Warrior
status
Force 371 → Force 504
Endurance 398 -> Endurance 663
Quickness 202 → Quickness 358
Endurance 250 (-5) -> Endurance 447 (-5)
Instrument 229 → Instrument 369
Knowledge 50 → Knowledge 62
Intuition 51 → Intuition 88
Luck 5 -> Luck 5
Magical power 231 → Magical power 300
state
nicotine addiction
lung pollution
Word of the Day.
Ahahahahahahahaha!
I've been wondering lately what the limits of man are.