Completing a Party of Five...?

The morning came, and Den woke from the dead from knocking on his door. He groaned, cracking open his crusty eyes. Warm morning light poured in through his window. His body was heavy and it was all he could manage to reach down and lift up his phone. It was seven AM on the dot.

“Den. It may be your day off from work, but it is not good to sleep in and ruin your sleep schedule. Come out for breakfast,” GrandPre called, her voice muffled on the other side of his door. He knew his grandmother was a health freak, but to think she even lacked the common knowledge of the sanctity of one’s morning rest on a day off from work. She cracked open the door then her footsteps faded down the hall. Den lay in bed a moment longer wishing he could sink back into sleep, but the smell of fried batter and meat wafted into the room and his growling stomach gave in to the call.

His entire body hurt and his head throbbed. He pushed himself to his feet from his futon and shook out his knees to get them functioning. Switching into a clean set of clothes, he made his way out of his room, down the hallway to the kitchen. The table in the small dining area was set with a single plate and a number of covered dishes. His grandmother was as usual at this time of day, doing her stretches in the connected thinking room.

The delicious smell called him to the table, but the moment GrandPre caught sight of him, she rose out of her stretch and met him with a squinted gaze. “What happened to you?”

He knew this question was going to come eventually so he gave the answer he had decided on. This only made his grandmother squint further.

“You’re doing what down at the stables?” GranPre raised an eyebrow at Den’s disheveled clothing.

“It’s called Walloping,” Den said, trying to sneak sideways to the table. “We push over cow monsters down at the stables. A guy from work told me about it.”

“How in the world did you get that beat up? You look like you were hit by a car.” She scowled. Come on, Den knew he wasn’t the most attractive person around, but it hurt seeing his own grandmother look at him like roadkill.

“There’s like, wrestling too,” Den said, scraping his memory for what the Chad at work had told him. “You should see the other guy.”

She held him a moment longer as if weighing his words before huffing once. “Well, it’s not exactly a praiseworthy hobby, but I suppose it’s better than gaming.”

Den’s eyebrows knit together. “Wait, how is getting into fights better than gaming?”

“At least you’re out interacting with people.” She shrugged, returning to her stretches. “Just don’t overdo it and make any trouble.”

While he felt her logic was morally wrong on a number of fronts, he didn’t have the energy to argue. A breakfast of turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites, and pulpless orange juice-- while stripped of everything that made those foods delicious-- still brought tears to his eyes and energy to his limbs. After a few nights starving, his grandmother’s cooking literally gave him life.

When he finished, he walked to the edge of the thinking room with a stiffness in his left leg and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. “Thanks for the food,” he said, not wanting to meet his grandmother’s gaze. “I do really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. She crossed her arms. “I want you to live well. An important part of that is keeping you well fed. Anyway, you will be helping me today.”

“I am?” Den asked. He hadn’t made a plan yet for the day other than his meeting that evening with his party. He had honestly hoped to sleep in and pray to recover energy before they hit the Hollows again.

“If you are going to be paid by the government on my account, then I will not have you slacking.” She rubbed her head. “I can feel a migraine coming on today. I will need you to cover a few of my committee jobs.”

It was true that part of the agreement of him living in the suburb was to act as his grandmother’s caretaker. As much as he wanted to crash, he didn’t have the choice to say no. After getting instructions of where he was to go, he decided GrandPre seemed to be rather pleased with him this morning so it couldn’t hurt to ask on a matter that would be deeply important to his adventuring plans in the near future. “So, speaking of that pay…” Den hesitated. “How much are we talking?”

“You’ll receive 1300 doubloons an hour for ten hours a week. You’ll be paid every two weeks.”

Den straightened up at that. Being sent to his grandmother’s had been paramount to a death sentence. At the time, he didn’t care if he had work waiting for him. It had been years since he last had a part time job. Now though, the extra cash would come in handy if he wanted more than just soupcans for armor.

“While I don’t plan my migraines, I will be having you working ten hours a week to earn this pay.” She walked to him and looked him up and down. He had put on one of his Scope Sisters tees that hadn’t been burned by slime acid, but seeing his grandmother give him such a thorough lookover made him a bit anxious. “But before that, you will do stretches. You have been taking terrible care of your body, given the fact you are doing physical work now. You will break down if you don’t do stretches.”

GrandPre so declared and led him into the room, guiding him through fifteen minutes of warm up exercises that she accomplished with ease but still brought Den’s weak lungs to a wheeze. Then came a half hour of cooldown stretches. Of course it shouldn’t have to be said at this point that Den could not remember ever doing stretches. His pathetic range of motion brought a tight lipped frown to GrandPre’s face. His already tired muscles aching, he nearly fell over as he attempted to lean into a stretch. “If you’re going to be doing martial arts practice, you should make time to do both warmup and cooldown stretches. Sooner or later, you’ll hurt yourself if you don’t.”

First, Den was very skeptical as to if the street scrapping he’d explained to his grandmother could in any situation be labeled as ‘martial arts’. Second, yeah no-- Den did not have the energy to be pushing himself on working days to also add stretching to his schedule. Den reached the end of his thirty count on reaching for his toes-- which he never did-- and said, “I don’t think I have time for that, GrandPre.”

Across the well-lit morning room, his grandmother leaned forward in the same stretch, seeming to bend in half as she wrapped her arms all the way around her legs. She shot a sideways eye at him. “I do not approve of such recklessness. You only have one body-- take care of it or you will regret it.” She finished her count and took a drink of water as Den slowly rose painfully back to his feet, his face twisting with the effort.

He rubbed the aching muscle in his upper left leg and sighed. “It’s not going to make a difference. Do you see the way I look? I don’t think a little stretching is going to change anything. I’d rather just finish your errands and go out to see my friends.”

“No excuses,” GrandPre said. “Stretching and breathing are two of the most important skills to develop as a human. Now sit down and reach for your right foot. You will be thankful.”

“Yes, GrandPre,” Den said without any life in his voice, easing himself to the ground and stretching as she directed. GrandPre directed not only his stretching but also his breathing which made the task twice as irritating. Soon though, his painful count to thirty faded away as he instead focused on the air entering his lungs. His exhausted muscles screamed, but as they neared the end, it almost came to feel good.

“Stretching gives us the time to create a relationship between the mind and body.” His grandmother’s voice came quiet and even. He eased off of the last stretch and opened his eyes, surprised to see his grandmother offering him a small smile. “How was that?”

“Not bad, I guess,” he said, frustrated that as he rose up, the heaviness he had woken up with that day had faded considerably.

“That means you’re doing it right,” she gave him a pat on the back. “Now go and get in some light cardio. That makes a good active-rest day.”

Feeling this as his opportunity to escape, Den quickly ran to his room, picked up his adventuring backpack-- today disparagingly empty of Ore-- and headed back into the hallway going for the front door.

GranPre waited for him. “And by the way, I’m glad to hear you’ve made friends. Feel free to bring them over for dinner sometime.”

Bring over his adventuring pals to the house of the woman who hated adventuring? He didn’t think so.

Feeling surprisingly refreshed and as a result irked that his grandmother had been right, he left at only seven going on eight. He was out on his grandfather’s old rickety bike, a coolness still in the air as he made his way onto the main cobbled street and passed tall apartment buildings and sleeping businesses cast in gold by the rising sun.

He arrived at the downtown plaza. He followed his Grandmother’s instructions and parked outside the Community Center. He made his way into the tall glass building and stood at the front entrance regretfully. He did not like this kind of place filled with working people he didn’t know. Every moment talking to normies made him uncomfortable. Their worlds were just too different. He missed his days when he could just stay inside and communicate online with his friends who understood him.

Balling his fists and drawing himself up, he went to the front desk and forced himself in a quiet voice to ask about his grandmother’s committee group. He couldn’t meet the eyes of the middle aged secretary woman, but the fact that he talked to her at all was a noteworthy accomplishment. He was soon swept into a first floor meeting room filled with a dozen elderly people. Bringing the average age down by what Den suspected at least two or three decades, he awkwardly laughed with the old folks as they came to him and asked all about himself.

This was a far more intense battle than any he had waged in the Hollows. He stood rigid with his arms crossed to partially hide his shirt decal and managed short murmured responses to how he liked the suburb and how tough it must be moving from someplace so convenient out into the country. Despite the fact that surely his lackluster answers could not have been friendly, his presence still seemed to give the old folks a refreshed vigor. Soon he was suited in a neon vest, his bike outfitted with a flashing plate on the back declaring him a member of the ‘Neighborhood Safety Committee’. With battery pack in the basket and connected phone snug in a holder attached to the handlebars, Den set off on the vague task of ‘maintaining neighborhood safety.’

He let out a long, hard sigh, relieved he’d escaped the den of the old-folks, and slowly took to the tight streets outside the busy downtown. With his route to take him around the entire suburb, he had the chance at last to get a good feel for his new home. Den found himself actually enjoying the ride as he breathed in the cool fresh air and took in the early morning sky painted in incredible oranges and blues. Den found that the sky felt so much bigger here than it did in the city.

While people walked the tight streets bordered by young trees, Den quickly noticed they were all elderly. He’d heard that the suburb was a retirement paradise. Den found the air here lighter than that of Starter Town. With roads restricted to light electric vehicles and only one trolley line circling the suburb, the early day was much quieter than the bustle he was used to. Climbing Primordial Hollows Mound, he stood up on his pedals to climb a quiet cobble path next to a skinny brook. He was surprised how little had changed in the last six years since he came for Grandpapi’s funeral.

The shallow river babbled quietly as he meandered his way up the glorified hill. The electric lights on the side of the path gave off a soft white glow. This had always been one of his favorite walks Grandpapi would take him on. And as always, it let him escape from GrandPre. The clear air chilled his sweat as he huffed his way up the incline. Well, I don’t have to worry about getting back in shape soon if I keep this up, he thought with a shallow grin.

He passed the last residential building this high up the rugged hill-- a rather sizable elderly folks home and came out of the forest at the clearing that overlooked the suburb. A group of nearly twenty geezers stood in the grassy space doing exercises to music only a few yards away from the large stone doors of the Primordial Hollows. It was almost uncomfortable to see other people in this place he’d already started to feel was his own. He supposed the old people came out with the sun.

He got off the bike and walked it to the edge of the clearing overlooking the city. The old bench that Den and his grandfather used to sit on looked a little more worn than he remembered, and the boards whined as he sat. From here he could see rich houses giving way to the cul-de-sacs in which GrandPre lived. The tight downtown ran up to the distant Mob Wall which really was an impressive sight.

Beyond, in the early light of day, the great field shimmered green and yellow with tall grass, a herd of buffalo blackening the horizon to Den’s right. Starter Town sparkled with a million yellow lights, half the city still dark with heavy shadows. The orange light that touched the shimmering grass of the Isekai Planes turned over like a sea. Den had always thought the sight of the city climbing up Primordial Hollows Cathedral looked like a giant sleeping porcupine, the skyscrapers shooting out of the steep incline, the castle topping the plateau shimmering with black glass and gold.

Life out here in the suburbs moved at a different pace and while Den knew the world was literally ending, the sun still rose. He rode his bike down the far side of the hill, coasting through the still shadowed part of the mountain where long hills of terraced farming rolled down to the wall. Here, the houses were much further apart, but the fields were alive with farmers walking about and waiting for the sun to climb the hill. It only took Den another twenty minutes to complete his circuit of the suburb back to the busier Starter Town side. It had taken him hardly an hour to complete his assigned route. He was given a warm thank you from the head of the neighborhood authority. While Den wasn’t sure he deserved it for reporting nothing of note, he was told that it meant he was doing his job right.

The day continued with another half dozen tasks from grocery shopping to helping move furniture in a meeting hall downtown. He didn’t know how his grandmother managed this all on a regular basis. He ate another good meal at home but by the time he was finally set free at three, he was exhausted all over again-- this time mostly from talking to so many strangers.

He arrived first at the Hollows, now abandoned in the late afternoon. Sitting with his back against the cool doorway, he opened the Guild App and clicked on the epic armored cartoon avatar he’d made, pulling up his profile. While the muscular, long haired, sword wielding adventurer may yet be a rather drastic leap from his current considerably less cool reality, the level five next to his name gave his heart a tremble of excitement.

This was the new Den: Den the adventurer. As soon as he thought that however, his heart ached and a wave of exhaustion rolled over him. I am no adventurer, he knew. Two days in the Primordial Hollows does not change the years I was a waste of space. He shoved his phone in his pocket. It may be impossible for a loser to be anything but a loser, but even if it kills me, I will try. He waited in the warm afternoon light for his friends to come. He wanted the people who made him feel like he could be more than he had been before.

Four o’clock rolled in and Rika, Grengalheim, and Chloe all arrived in short succession. The group made short discussion of their plans for how they would defeat a guinea-pig-mounted skeleton in the future, but soon five minutes passed and Rika stood with her nostrils flaring and one finger tapping impatiently on her arm. “The noobie is late,” she said at last.

She glanced around the clearing one last time before turning to the Hollows. “We’re going in! We need to make up for yesterday. They better show up while we’re still clearing the First Layer for them,” Rika grumbled and slammed out a message.

Den was itching to get inside too, but he said, “Shouldn’t we give them a little more than five minutes?”

“I hate waiting,” Rika said. “I warned them if they don’t move their butt we’ll clear the Layer without them. I came here to bust monsters and make friends— in that order specifically. I don’t need any party members that can’t even make it on time.”

Owing either to their absent teammate or their failure the day before, Rika ran them through the First Layer at nearly a sprint. While Den had miraculously recovered some, by the time they plunged into the mini-boss battle he was out of breath more from the jog than the few monsters left to him. Rika ran in place, grumbling as they waited for monsters to form out of the smoke pouring from the walls of the round room. “Ugh! This is so boring!” she said.

“Back in the day, the Isekaijin watched a tutorial video calling adventurers to defeat bosses and build up the Empire with the riches of the Primordial Hollows. You know all that early game propaganda,” Grengalheim said. “Since the Overlay Interface is long shutdown, it’s up to Overseers like my family to make the Hollows still functional. All we could install was the ceiling timer. Sorry this is the best we could manage.”

“Chloe forgives you. She knows that your family has other priorities,” Chloe said with a sad head shake that caused the bunny bunny ears on her hood to sway back and forth. “Chloe does not resent you that our local Hollows are a pathetic disgrace compared to other suburban Hollows.”

Grengalheim’s head sagged. “I would have liked to do better, but my father has other priorities as you well know…”

When the battle ended, Rika drove them on into the boss battle and met a two meter tall King Rat. At the end of the first wave, Den was hurting but already imagining the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It took only a minute for the four members to stab and slash the monster back into smoke. “Isn’t this thing the last boss?” Den asked as he reached down and picked up the slightly brighter Essence Ore the monster had dropped. “What is it doing coming up now at the end of the first wave?”

“Wait-- you saw a King Rat as a boss monster when it was the two of you?” Grengalheim asked with a disbelieving grin. “I didn’t know the Hollows could be that nice! What a great entry level gift for two level one players.” He laughed out loud as he returned his attention to the glowing magic circle. “Don’t expect the Hollows to be as kind as we level up.”

It was tough to manage the dozen monsters that spawned each wave, but it didn’t take long for Den and his team to fall into an impromptu organization. Rika and Grengalheim handled the heavy weight of the rats as Den and Chloe took down the slimes then helped clean up the remaining rats. All things considered, when smoke amassed overhead at the end of the final wave, Den found himself smiling. Sure, his whole body hurt and he heaved for air, but the presence of the other three around him gave him a strange assurance. He was hurting, but he knew in his heart that this time spent with others was just such fun. He was still on his feet and ready to push on as far as his body allowed. That filled him with excitement.

“The final push!” Grengalheim said, lifting up his rod. “Everyone look alive!”

The black smoke solidified, shimmering white as a skeleton King Rat screeched into existence. It’s bone tail lashed and its eye-sockets fell on them with an angry green fire. Den slipped his screwdriver into his belt and grabbed up a stone. “I’m ready!”

“This one isn’t as cute,” Chloe said before tilting her head. “Chloe will destroy it with utmost prejudice.”

“Let’s do this team!” Rika said, shaking her spear over her head.

“A Skeletal Rat,” Grengalheim said, with a grimace. “What bad luck. This is the highest level monster the First Layer can spawn. We don’t have a single weapon cut out for this.”

“What, you think we can’t kill a rat that’s already dead?” Rika asked, hefting up her new ‘Bashy Stick’-- one of her broken sticks with a rock duct-taped to the point.

“It’s only the First Layer,” Grengalheim said, collapsing his pole and reaching down to pick up a rock. He forced a grin. “Honestly, I never really had to deal with tough undead like this. I guess I’m on rock duty too.” Grengalheim turned to the monster. “I’ve been training as an Adventurer for years! Follow my lead! We’ll take this monster down no problem!” He sprinted forward.

The boss monster screeched and swung its boney tail like a whip. It smacked Grengalheim solid in the chest and threw him back against the wall of the room. He wheezed roughly and held his stomach. “Yeah. That hurt. That really hurt. Give me a minute…”

Den’s optimistic heart fell in an instant. Hadn’t he just said a bunch of things to make this sound like it should be a piece of cake? Come on, Grengalheim! Don’t get my hopes up like that. Den looked back from his fallen comrade to the looming boss monster ahead. This situation was starting to feel eerily familiar and Den didn’t like it one bit.

“Grengalheim no!” Rika said, gripping her Pointy Stick in one hand and Bashy Stick in the other. “We’ll avenge your sacrifice! I’m going in! Cover me!”

“How!?” Den shouted, gritting his teeth and running in after her anyway. Faster than Den expected for its size, the Skeleton Rat turned to Rika and lifted a clawed foot to slam down.

In the last second, she deflected the attack with her spear and twisted sharply. She swung down her Bashy Stick. With a crack, the monster’s kneecap shattered and the leg bone broke off. Den saw his chance and fell forward on the fallen bone as the monster’s shadow aura wrapped around it. He brought down his stone and hammer wildly, sending cracks through the bone until it shattered completely. The rat screamed and its red eyes fell on Den.

It shifted on its three remaining legs, raising one to smite Den, but Chloe swept in from the side with a rock to draw its attention. Den scrambled to his feet and took Rika’s shoulder. If he had learned anything in his first few days in the Hollows, it was when to run.

Once they’d slipped out of range of the monster’s paws, Rika spun back and said, “We got this! Slowly but surely, we’ll chip this guy away!”

They’d taken out one leg, but it would take forever to smash every bone in it’s car sized body. He could feel the Slip Tiara in his pocket, but after their embarrassing escape the day before, he had no intention of running until it was absolutely necessary. He had his pride as an adventurer on the line. And more importantly, if he ran now, they would be absolutely drained of Ore and without any savings at all, he would starve. His anger welled up inside. No First Layer boss was going to get between Den and dinner funds.

The boss monster, thrown off balance, nonetheless turned the tide with a single vicious swing of its tail that Rika and Chloe barely managed to block but completely knocked Den from his feet. The monster didn’t waste the opportunity, swinging its claws down at Den. Rika caught the attack with a crack of bone on wood and the force knocked her back onto Den as he attempted to push himself off the ground. Rika gasped a pained yelp. Did the monster get to her? Pushing himself up, he saw she sat uninjured.

Her Pointy Stick of Destruction had snapped in two-- again.

“Pointy Stick no!” Rika whimpered. “You sacrificed yourself to save me!”

The Skeleton Rat drew up over them, opening its jaws. Scrambling up, Den pulled Rika with him. “Move now, mourn later!” he said.

A stone collided with the skull of the monster and it turned. Chloe stood with an armful of stones halfway across the chamber. “Chloe is a threat. Come after her. She swears this is not a distraction,” she said in her flat, completely unconvincing tone.

Nonetheless convinced, the boss monster fell onto its three remaining feet and lurched for her. She threw one more rock before sprinting to the side. “Chloe did not have a plan beyond this. Help.”

Back on his feet, Grengalheim roared as he ran in and threw himself at the monster, catching the back of the ribcage and holding on. The monster slid to a stop and screeched as it attempted to shake him off. “Eat this!” Grengalheim slammed a rock against the monster’s cheekbone, sending out a web of cracks.

“Go Grengalheim!” Rika said. “You can do it!”

“Not really!” He grunted as he managed to cling on through the monster’s thrashing. The other three ran in but were stopped by the lashing of the monster’s long tail. Grengalheim laced one arm through the ribs and around the spine then lifted his other fist overhead. With a flash from his Slash Ring, a magical sword born of ghostly blue fire fell down on the tail, lopping it off. The chamber filled with the crackle and burnt smell as all at once a huge ring of Essence Ore on the chamber floor around Grengalheim and the monster went up in purple smoke.

The remaining three fell atop the limp tail and smashed it to pieces in seconds. The monster roared and squirmed as they rose up and brought their stones down on it next.

Each time it managed to bat off Rika or Den, Chloe would land a stone against its skull and offer her most convincing, “I swear I am the biggest threat” which slowed the monster down enough to give them the chance to throw themselves back on. Den brought his hammer down again and again, ever so slowly rending the monster apart.

The monster gave a huge shake and all three were thrown off. Den pushed himself up, and heaving for air, he could barely hold himself up on his trembling arms and legs, let alone grip his hammer. Sharp pains all over his body throbbed from where he’d been struck. Looking at his teammates, neither Rika nor Grengalheim seemed in any better condition. Despite their efforts, while the monster was battered and covered in cracks, they still hadn’t done any battle changing damage.

Undeterred and with energy to spare, the Skeleton Rat hopped around to face the last of them still standing. With only a single rock in hand, Chloe stood tall, unbudging. “Chloe will protect you all!”

While Den could barely move, Rika threw herself to her feet and sprinted forward. The monster lurched across the chamber, opening its teeth. With a muffled “shit--” Rika tripped and met earth facefirst, ending her brave charge.

Good try, Rika, Den thought with a tear in his eye. He put his hand in his pocket, wrapping his fingers around the Slip Tiara. It looks like we have no other choice...

A boom shook the chamber and red light flashed from the doorway. The wooden doors that locked them in blew open, dust filling the air. Den’s heart hammered as a glowing green skeleton ran out of the cloud. Another monster?

No. A human head with long flowing bleached hair topped what Den quickly realized was a skeleton onesie. Catching sight of the monster, the newcomer raised their left arm, steadying it with their other hand. On the back of their gloved fist a red glass dome grew bright.

“Taste true power!” they shouted. With a crackling boom that shook the air, a blast of blinding red light roared across the room, burning through the monster’s rib cage and spine. With a cut-off screech, the monster crumpled to the earth, bones flying. The monster trembled, the skull rising as its green magic stretched out across its scattered bones.

The stranger released another blast of magic-- this time much smaller-- battering the monster. A final blast struck the skull and sent it up in smoke. The monster’s green aura faded and it’s remaining bones burst apart. The Essence Ore littering the floor of the chamber burnt up in a resounding crackle, and Den could even feel the crystal in his bag fizzling. In the wake of the battle, only a single Grade E Essence Ore remained as the monster’s drop.

The newcomer let their arm fall, the Enchanted Item on their gloved hand still glowing hot. They offered an apologetic grin and ran their hand back through their hair. “Sorry I’m late! You are the party I was supposed to join, right?”

With the conclusion of the battle, the party organized in the back of the room at the Infinity Chest. Rika stood in front of the chest on the platform leading up to the door for the next layer with her arms crossed. Den, Chloe, and Grengalheim all sat to her sides. She lifted her nose declaring, “I am Rika of Rika’s Awesome Party! You get points for busting in with style, but you lose points for being late. Explain yourself.”

“Oh thank the goddess,” the late arrival said, sitting on their knees before the party. “It would have been really embarrassing if you weren’t the party expecting me. Sorry I was late. The name’s Sam. My part time job was crazy busy and I couldn’t leave as planned.” They let out a lighthearted laugh while rubbing the back of their head, not seeming all that apologetic.

Den found himself enraptured by the individual. Sam’s beauty was apparent at a glance. They were tall with a thin but strong shouldered frame. Their lustrous hair, long eyelashes, and smooth skin gave a feminine air, but at the same time, their height and frame gave off masculine strength. Their baggy glow-in-the-dark onesie magically hid any curves or muscle. Den’s nostrils flared as he took in the mysterious and overwhelming beauty of one who so perfectly held both masculine and feminine aura.

Grengalheim sat straight-backed with his arms crossed. “What kind of adventurer arrives late to a Hollows run organized for them?” He took in Sam with judgemental eyes.

“I am sorry, really!” they said, bowing ever so slightly and putting their hands together. They gave an embarrassed grin.

“And what do you think you’re wearing?” Grengalheim asked, only seeming to grow more frustrated with Sam’s lighthearted air. “This is the battlefield of adventurers, not a Halloween party.”

“Well, I couldn’t come wearing my work clothes,” they said with a chuckle as if that explained everything. But who was Den to judge anyone’s clothing? He was unashamed all he had to wear into the Hollows were trash anime tees. Sam crossed their legs and leaned back on their hands. “Glad I came in time though. It looks like you were having a bit of a hard time.”

“Chloe could have handled it, but your assistance was appreciated,” Chloe said, looking at Sam through a shard of Essence Ore.

“I’ve been in battles with plenty of Skeleton Rats before. I should’ve done better...” Grengalheim grumbled, seeming to be displeased with his own performance. “We just didn’t have a good weapon organization.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Den said, putting a hand on Grengalheim’s shoulder. “We just weren’t lucky. That doesn’t change the fact that Sam saved us.” He turned his attention back to Sam. From what he could tell, they didn’t have any weapons on their body. “That was an Enchanted Item you used, right?”

“Lasers! I love it!” Rika said, nodding excitedly. “It must be powerful if it can blow a hole through a boss monster.”

Sam gave a shy smile. “Luck is what it was.” They raised their gloved left fist, showing off a small plastic dome surrounding a floating and spinning dice attached to the back of their hand. “This is my Roll Blast. I got it from my mother. She won it in a poker game back when she was stationed in the Diamond Sea Colonies. It’s a crazy story really.” On close inspection, Den noted twenty sides on the shimmering red dice. Sam continued, “The first blast that ripped the boss apart was a rare natural twenty. Don’t expect me to roll that well all the time.”

“Rad,” Den said, nodding solidly. With that squared away, he looked up at Sam with a burning intensity. “I have an important question for you, Sam.”

They tilted their head and put a finger to their chin. “Hm?”

He still had no idea how he was to feel about the beautiful potential party member. “What are your pronouns?” he asked.

Sam’s face broke into a grin. “They/them.”

Hm, hm. Den nodded. “Thank you,” he said with utmost politeness. They/them, huh? Den had always considered himself straight, but it was never too late to reconsider that. Sam had a strong frame, a smooth beautiful face, and a warm lighthearted smile. Den decided he didn’t really care about anything else. He was going to trust the warmness he felt in his chest and not make the same mistake he had when they met Chloe. He called upon the budding strong and confident adventurer he cultivated within. With a slightly wobbly voice he said, “Thank you for saving us, Sam. You’re beautiful.”

Sam blushed, bringing their hands up to their cheeks. “Aw shucks! Thanks! That’s sweet!”

Den raised a hand in victory, blushing himself. It really is that easy! If he kept that up, soon maybe he could even give Chad the Dudebro from work some competition.

This time it was Rika who walked forward, giving Den a bitter side glance. He raised his chin. My victory this time. Rika fell into a kneel in front of Sam and raised a hand to her chest, holding her other palm up to Sam. “Will you be my partner?”

Sam clapped their hands together, their smile growing even wider. “Sure!” they said. “I think you’re cute, shortstuff.”

At the word shortstuff, Rika-- now the third tallest of the group-- grabbed her chest as if the word had stabbed straight through her. The mental attack had been so severe she didn’t seem to take in the answer right away. Her cheeks flushed as she looked up at Sam with a trembling smile. “Wait, really?”

“Sure!” Sam said again, putting their hands behind their back. “As long as you’re okay with being in my harem.”

Say what now?

Rika’s hanging mouth mirrored Den’s own confusion. Sam giggled. “What a funny face, Rika. I thought I might tease you a little too since you sprung that confession on me. I’m interested in an open relationship. The more the merrier. My goal as an adventurer is to build myself up strong so I can support and love all the handsome and lovely partners who want to be with me. That’s the kind of harem I want to make.”

Den hadn’t even had a single girlfriend. He’d thought that Rika had been incredible for being so outgoing about her desires, but now he saw there truly was a deep crevice of understanding between those who didn’t understand attraction and those who did. Sam was a god-- one Den respected for their bright and open philosophy, one so skilled with people that Den could never hope to comprehend. Their confidence was blinding.

Rika blushed bright red and looked down, bringing her index finger together as she said in a small voice. “Actually, I don’t know if I’m really up for a pan relationship. Sorry...”

“That’s fine, Rika. It’s not for everyone. But if you do decide you’re interested once we get to know each other better, we can talk about it again. I already think we’re going to get along.” Sam tapped Rika’s nose and her face flushed an even deeper red, steam seeming to pour from her ears.

Den grinned as he rose up. Rika had seemed so sure of herself as she asked out every new party member, but seeing her now in this embarrassed state made Den’s own heart tingle. If Rika didn’t know exactly how she felt about things, maybe Den could come to understand his own feelings better too. He took her shoulder, guiding her back over to the Infinity Chest. “So how are we going to split the Ore, Boss? There’s five of us and not that much to go around.”

At the talk of Ore, Rika’s head cooled in an instant. “I get to decide?”

“You are the leader,” Grengalhein said. “Traditionally, it is the leader who makes that decision.”

Rika’s eyes sparkled. “Does that mean I can keep it all?”

“Not unless Rika wants her party to mutiny,” Chloe said with a scary smile.

“It’s normally split evenly unless the party has something they are saving towards,” Grengalheim said.

Rika crossed her arms. “Ugh, fine.” She turned to the Infinity Chest. “We split the Ore five ways, then.”

Sam waved their hands. “Don’t worry about me. You folks did all the work and gave me a free pass to the Second Layer. I’m satisfied I got to come in shooting. That was my first time using Roll Blast actually.” They giggled and rubbed the back of their head. “Sorry, I got a little excited and used up so much crystal.”

Den nodded. “Splitting four ways it is, then.” Not that the single Infinity Chest had that much Essence Ore-- even if a majority of it was Grade E this time. His stomach growled. At least I’ll have enough for dinner tomorrow. Not that that would help him much tonight.

---

They relocated to the convenience store that at this point seemed their party’s designated post-run meeting place. The five took their place at the corner table. Sam solidified their place in Den’s heart by taking pity on him and buying him his favorite bag hamburger as well as everyone a drink. They brought their drinks together in cheers.

After taking a long drink of her chuhai, Rika threw her fist in the air. “Now it’s time for Rika’s Awesome Party’s first meeting.”

“I still do not accept that name,” Den said.

Regardless, she lifted her nose in the air. “You have done well choosing my party!”

Chloe held up a hand. “Chloe wishes to point out that there were no other parties to choose from.”

Rika deflated slightly. “Even so! We were all brought together by fate. Now is the time to come together as a team united in purpose.”

Den was the next to raise his hand. “Are you still aiming to reach the Hundreth Layer? If we are struggling this much on literally the First Layer, maybe aiming for the Hundredth is a bit out of our league.”

Sam laughed. “Wait, Rika, you actually want to reach the Hundreth Layer?”

Rika gave a solid nod. “I do.”

“I’m actually an expert on these things,” Sam said, suddenly whipping out a pair of red glasses and a notebook from their backpack under the table. They pushed their glasses up with a white flash as they quickly flipped through their note-filled papers. “The lowest layer any Sekaijin has cleared is the Forty-Seventh Layer.” They clapped their book shut. “Let’s say somehow you do manage to get down the bottom layer-- what would you do about the Demon Lord?”

Rika sat with her arms crossed, maintaining her strong pose with her eyes closed in consideration of Sam’s words. Den could see however that she’d broken out in a cold sweat. “The details don’t matter right now,” she said at last. “All that matters is getting fame and money by clearing the Primordial Hollows.” She gave a solid nod.

Den found himself nodding with Rika. Grandpapi had made it down to Layer 28. They might as well try and see if they couldn’t do that much.

“I don’t actually care about delving all that deep,” Sam said.

Rika’s mouth dropped open. “Then why become an adventurer?”

“There’s all sorts of adventurers!” Sam said, again opening their book. “In fact, adventurers are broken into five main categories. Delver, Imperial, Prospector, Combatant, and Explorer. Of them, I’ve always been partial to Explorers. I can’t wait to travel the world and take down all sorts of monsters.” Sam brought their hands together, sitting up and looking skyward with their eyes shining. “I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of exploring the world?”

Chloe raised a hand. “Chloe is a homebody. She does not like the idea of wandering Open World. Dangerous. Little profit.”

Rika nodded. “Chloe understands that adventuring is really about the money in the end. If you can’t make money as an adventurer, then what’s the point? You’d be a masochist.”

Sam shook their head with a pitying sigh. “You’re thinking too small, Rika. Money is only the means to an end. Adventuring is about the journey, not the result.”

Rika met them with a flat expression. “Sorry, but while I’m fine with enjoying a journey or whatever, the result of big buckets of doubloons is the only one I am going to accept.”

“Chloe wishes to state that she doesn’t care about money either.” Now both Sam and Rika looked at her with confusion. “Chloe has a home in the colonies. Her dream is to run an adventurer inn there. She votes colonies.”

“Says the girl with a family land claim on the Golden Sea,” Grengalheim muttered. “The colonies are a mess. The Sekaijin holdouts are in decline.” He sighed and sat up. “As crazy as it is, I’m up for clearing the Hundreth Layer.”

Rika’s eyes sparkled. “You’re really backing me up, Grengalheim?”

At that Sam sat up. “Woah, woah, woah-- Did you say Grengalheim?” They flipped quickly through their book then gasped. “I knew that name sounded familiar!” They pulled off their glasses, their eyes nearly popping out of their head. “You’re Grengalheim the Seventh? Don’t you like, travel all around the Empire taking down beefy monsters?” They brought their hands to their cheeks. “I’ve always wanted to meet you! You’re the strongest adventurer in our suburb!”

Grengalheim sighed and grimaced. “Actually, I’m Grengalheim the Eighth. I don’t have the experience my father does, but I am a trained Adventurer by trade and heritage.”

“Chloe will clarify. Grengalheim is a loser. Do not get him mixed up with his accomplished father. They are nothing alike. But enough of Grengalheim. Let us return to important matters.”

Grengalheim grabbed her shoulder with a pained smile. Den could see it took a lot of self control to restrain himself. “I must ask that you do not ruin our new teammates’ first impression of me.”

She shook her head. “Anyway, adventurers belong in the Hollows. This place was literally made for us.”

“For the Isekaijin, you mean,” Sam said, lifting a finger, putting their other hand on their hip. “Even with the Primordial Hollows delving laws being relaxed, the legal bottom for even the Starter Town elites is Layer Forty.” Sam shook their head. “The Hollows are a dead end. Real adventure is to be found out in the Colonies.”

“But we can’t forget that the Open World isn’t level based,” Grengalheim said. “My father has nearly died countless times adventuring across the Empire-- let alone the colonies.”

Even Den had heard enough news to know that the Empire’s hold on the colonies was loosening. The world was taking back what the Isekaijin had conquered. Den’s kind were not made for this world and they had no means to hold their ancestors’ claims. Even so, Den remembered well Granpapi’s stories about his time on the Dragonspine Isles. Those stories still gave him chills. “It’s not like all the colonies are a nightmare like Chocolate Paradise,” he said. “I’d be up for a colony adventure someday.”

“You’re really willing to go out there after everything that happened at Chocolate Paradise?” Grengalheim asked, his face twisted. “Regardless, I must focus on the Hollows.” He sat up tall and crossed his arms. “It is my destiny to become an adventurer worthy of mention in the history books. This is the duty passed down to me by the first who held my name. I will be the one to fulfill it. I vote Hollows.”

“Thank you, Grengalheim,” Rika said, but a moment later pursed her lips as a thought seemed to occur to her. “But hey, who said this was up to vote? This is my party-- a Rikatocracy. We’re going to the Hundredth Layer.”

The air was thick with tension. Normally, Den would’ve been crushed under it, but he let out a long breath and lifted his head. He was not going to let these differing goals break the party up before they even got started. As it stood, it seemed the votes were split down the middle. It was up to Den to settle this. He took a swig from his beer and did his best not to gag. Still bitter. “We’ll just have to work it out later,” he said. “Tomorrow we officialize the party. It’s not like we’re going to find many others crazy enough to want to become adventurers in this day and age.”

They weren’t that happy with his conclusion, but no one raised any complaints either. Seeming to come to peace with that conclusion the fastest, Sam pulled out their phone and captured a selfie of the group and sent it to the group chat. Den looked at the five of them. They barely fit in the frame. Sam was the only one of them to have a brilliant, relaxed smile. Rika’s looked like a wild animal, Chloe’s like a robot. Den was halfway to a smile when the photo was taken and Grengalheim didn’t even try.

This was the party then. They had Rika-- a squirrel, Grengalheim-- an unpolished heir, Chloe-- a rich kid, and Sam-- an adventurer otaku. And then Den himself-- an all around loser. Yeah, he couldn’t really say he was really confident in their prospects, but still, if he was going to become a career adventurer, he was going to have to make the party work.