Three days after returning from our unexpectedly long-distance expedition and taking a rest day, the three of us were pedaling our bicycles toward a municipal multipurpose plaza in the mountains near our hometown. Riding a bicycle up a mountain might sound exhausting, but for an explorer, it's a breeze.
Actually, calling it a "multipurpose plaza" was a bit generous; it was really just a cleared field with a parking lot and a bathroom. Because of that, even though I’d only looked into it yesterday, I’d been able to reserve the whole place for private use without any trouble.
"We're here. Well... there's definitely nothing here."
"It’s at least maintained, which is something. It's better than if it were overgrown with weeds," Yuji remarked.
"True," Hiiragi-san agreed.
A barren dirt field stretched out before us. It looked large enough for a small event or perhaps a game of baseball.
"Five thousand yen for a full day of private use, huh..."
"I've never used a place like this, so I don't know if that's a good deal or not. But it’s not exactly highway robbery, so we might as well not worry about it," Yuji said.
"I suppose you’re right."
We used the key I’d picked up from city hall to unlock the chain across the parking lot entrance and parked our bikes. Since there was no management office on-site, the system relied on the users to handle the unlocking and locking themselves.
When I’d gone to city hall to apply, the clerk had given me a suspicious look when I said only high schoolers would be using it. They asked for our purpose, and I simply told them we were planning some recreation—specifically, a little "light exercise." Technically, it wasn't a lie.
"Well, we have the place for the whole day, so let's get through this quickly."
"Right. Considering the nature of what we’re doing, it’s best to finish while no one’s around," Hiiragi-san added.
"Agreed. Let’s get started."
We kept our impressions of the field brief and began our preparations. To be safe, we did a lap around the perimeter to ensure no management security cameras were watching. Fortunately, probably because there were no facilities other than the bathroom, the place was camera-free.
"No cameras. Now we just have to watch out for people..."
"There's no one nearby. These mountains don't really attract hikers, so we should be fine," Yuji said.
"Even so, we should keep our eyes peeled," Hiiragi-san cautioned.
We weren't at the end of some unpaved trail; we were right off a paved mountain pass. It wasn't impossible for a driver to wander in for a look. As Hiiragi-san suggested, if we let our guard down just because it was empty now, we might end up with an unexpected witness. Considering what we were about to do, dealing with witnesses would be a major hassle.
"Alright, I think we're ready."
"Yeah. Let's do this."
"Yes, let's begin."
With the checks finished, we moved to the center of the field, psyching ourselves up. I pulled an A4 sheet of paper out of the bag I'd brought as a decoy.
"Okay, the items for the physical fitness test are: 50m dash, standing long jump, ball throw, long-distance run, shuttle run, repeated side steps, vertical jump, back strength, grip strength, sit-ups, and the sit-and-reach..."
"Shouldn't we skip the ball throw, shuttle run, back strength, and grip strength?" Yuji suggested.
"I think so. We probably don't need those four," Hiiragi-san agreed.
I nodded. The field was likely too small to measure the ball throw, and the shuttle run would probably never end given our stamina. As for back and grip strength, I'd looked it up online, and there weren't any consumer-grade devices capable of measuring the levels we’d likely hit. I’d need some kind of industrial sensor for that.
"We'll scratch those four, then. That leaves us with seven items to measure. First up..."
"The classic 50m dash?"
"That works for me."
We got to work. I pulled a 100-meter tape measure from my bag, hammered a peg into the ground at the start, and began stretching it out. The field was decent, but not a full 100 meters. Maybe 70 or 80 meters square.
"Ready. Who's first?"
"I'll go. Daiki, time me."
"Got it. Hiiragi-san, give the signal."
"Leave it to me."
I took the stopwatch and walked to the finish line. Yuji loosened up and stood straight at the starting line, his posture relaxed. I wondered if he should use a crouching start, but since we weren't competing in a track meet inside a dungeon, a standing start was fine.
Once Yuji was ready, Hiiragi-san stood by his side and raised her right hand.
"Ready... go!"
"Hup!"
She swung her arm down. Simultaneously, Yuji exploded forward. He accelerated with such force that he seemed to vanish, closing the distance to the finish line in a heartbeat.
Then... he crossed.
"Whoa!?"
I knew he was fast, but seeing the numbers on the screen made me shout. The result was staggering.
"Phew... well, Daiki? What’s the verdict?"
"Haha... you got an incredible time, Yuji. 2.57 seconds."
"...2.57?"
Yuji’s eyes widened. It made sense; before dungeons appeared, the average 50m time for a high school boy was around 7.5 seconds. His time was less than a third of that. That calculated to roughly 70 km/h. He had officially stepped out of the realm of humanity.
"...This is bad."
"Yeah. That’s a dangerous time to show anyone else."
We both fell silent, wearing complicated expressions. After a moment, we shook our heads to clear the air.
"Let's just keep going. This is about knowing our upper limits. No matter how insane the results are, we need to see it through to the end."
"Y-you're right. We're doing this for our own information, so we have to finish..."
"Yeah."
With a sinking feeling that every result would be just as ridiculous, I handed the stopwatch to Yuji and moved to the starting line where Hiiragi-san was waiting. I wasn't looking forward to telling her the news.
"How was it, Kokonoe-kun? What was Yuji's record?"
"...2.57 seconds."
"...2.57? For fifty meters?"
"Yeah."
Hiiragi-san looked like she’d just heard something impossible. It was a natural reaction for a first-timer. She stood dazed for a few seconds before clearing her throat and stepping up to the line.
"Are you okay, Hiiragi-san? If you're not feeling it, I can go first..."
"I'm fine. It was a shock, but after seeing how fast he moved, the time actually makes sense."
"I guess so..."
It made sense when you watched them run, but the numbers were still a blow to one's common sense.
Once Hiiragi-san was in position, I waved to Yuji at the finish line to show we were ready. I stood beside her and raised my right hand.
"Ready, Hiiragi-san?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"Then... ready... go!"
"Hah!"
The moment I swung my hand down, Hiiragi-san took off. Like Yuji, she hurtled toward the finish line. From where I stood, she seemed just as fast. She was probably hitting the 2-second range too.
After she tore across the line, she ran over to Yuji to check the stopwatch. Her face immediately filled with shock. Another "dangerous" record, then.
"Alright, Daiki. You're up."
Yuji walked back toward me. He looked calm, but it was the calm of someone who had reached a state of ultimate resignation.
"...Was Hiiragi-san's time bad too?"
"...Yeah. 2.78 seconds."
"2.78... about 65 km/h. She's faster than a moped."
It wasn't quite as fast as Yuji, but it was still a time that would cause an uproar if publicized. People would be hounding us for answers. Honestly, I was starting to feel a bit apprehensive about running my turn.
"Well... good luck, I guess."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know. Everything."
I stood at the starting line, ignoring Yuji’s cryptic encouragement. I exhaled slowly, focusing my mind and sharpening my concentration. I let all the tension drain from my limbs, readying my body to explode at a moment's notice.
"Ready, Daiki?"
"Yeah."
"Here we go. Ready..."
I sensed Yuji raising his hand. I stayed perfectly still, maintaining my composure to ensure no energy would be wasted in the initial burst.
"Go!"
"Hup!"
With a sharp exhale, I kicked off. I threw every ounce of strength into that first step, pushing against the air resistance that tried to hold me back. One step, two, three—my speed climbed with every stride. Hiiragi-san, waiting at the finish line with the stopwatch, grew larger and larger in my vision.
I didn't slow down. I tore across the finish line at peak velocity.
"Whoops!"
The moment I passed the line, I slammed on the brakes, sliding across the dirt and kicking up a massive cloud of dust. If I had just stomped my feet, I could have stopped instantly, but I didn't want to dig a trench in a rented field. I finally came to a halt right at the edge of the plaza, just shy of crashing into the trees.
"..."
"Uh, Hiiragi-san? What was my time?"
When I walked back to her, she was staring at the stopwatch with a look of pure bewilderment. Oh boy. This reaction definitely meant something bad.
"Hiiragi-san!"
"Ah! Sorry, Kokonoe-kun. I just... lost my train of thought for a moment."
I tapped her shoulder, and she finally snapped back to reality. The time must have been a real doozy.
"It's fine. So, how did I do?"
"The time? It was..."
She hesitated, glancing at the stopwatch again before looking up at me.
"...1.98 seconds."
"...Pardon?"
"I said 1.98 seconds!"
"Are you kidding me...?"
The time, delivered with a near-shriek from Hiiragi-san, left me speechless. I’d expected something wild based on her reaction, but this was beyond my wildest dreams.
1.98 seconds... that was roughly 90 km/h. I had the acceleration of a high-end sports car.
Yuji watched us with a look of growing concern as Hiiragi-san and I walked back to him. When I told him the result, he simply covered his face with one hand and looked up at the sky. I knew exactly how he felt.
"...That is a headache-inducing result, I tell you."
"I know. All three of us are hitting numbers we can never, ever mention to another living soul."
"Even if we say it’s 'explorer correction,' nobody's going to buy it," Hiiragi-san added.
Since we’d never really had a reason to go "all out" before, I hadn't realized just how insane our physical abilities had become. The only reason we functioned normally in daily life was because we’d subconsciously learned to suppress our strength. I remembered how much I’d struggled to control my movements after rapidly leveling up in a Drawer Dungeon when they first appeared.
"We should probably keep our 'full power' hidden from now on, whether we’re in public or in a dungeon," I said.
"Agreed. Keeping it under wraps is the only way to avoid unnecessary trouble," Yuji replied.
"Yes. There's no reason to show off, so we should continue to hold back," Hiiragi-san agreed.
We all sighed and nodded, our faces weary. I knew the explorer correction was powerful, but I never expected results this extreme—especially mine.
The most exhausting part, though, was realizing this was only the first item of the day. We still had six more tests to go.