Laying the Groundwork (4)

"Jid, Hanson, John, Teddy Nawhat!" Those whose names were called flinched in fear.

A man with a mustache stepped forward and said, "Isn't it too much to bring us here and order us around without any explanation? You should at least tell us what's going on!"

"Oh, right!" another chimed in.

[Oh, really?] Isel said indifferently. [Monsters will appear once you go in there. Just fight and defeat them.] "What? Why do we have to fight monsters? That's absurd!" [That's why I didn't want to do this!]

Isel grabbed the man's wrist and threw him into the rift in space with unbelievable strength from his small frame, causing others to gasp.

[You have two choices: go in quietly or get thrown in by me!] "Fight monsters? No way, that's..."

Three people hesitated but eventually entered the rift.

The door closed.

It must have seemed unreasonable to them—being summoned out of nowhere and told to fight monsters without any explanation. I know how absurd and unfair this feels. It would have been nice to give them at least a little time to prepare.

There's a term called "weeding out."

It's one of the techniques in Pick Me Up, the simplest method to categorize the usable 1-star characters. The method is really simple.

You just pair up the newly summoned 1-star characters and send them into the dungeon.

By doing this...

['John(★)' has returned to the goddess's embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]

Heroes who cannot adapt to the situation are weeded out on their own.

The challenge floor is likely the first floor.

On the first floor, a few young goblins armed with rusty swords appear. They are the lowest of the low monsters. Even a level 1 1-star hero can overcome them if they handle it calmly.

['Teddy(★)' has returned to the goddess's embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]

If you're unlucky, the entire party might get wiped out just like during the first 10-pull, but no more death messages appeared after that.

"Fighting monsters? No way, I can't do it! I just can't!"

A man sitting on the bench stood up abruptly.

Isel, the supervisor, had already disappeared into the rift in space. The man started walking quickly away from the plaza.

"You can't leave."

Jenna blocked his path.

She seemed to be the type who took on burdens willingly.

"Why? Why do I have to?"

"If you leave, what will happen to them?"

Near the rift in space, three men and women were huddled together, trembling.

"I don't care. Let them die fighting! I'm getting out of here."

"At least let's escape together!"

"Leave him alone. He can't escape anyway."

The man brushed past Jenna and tried to open the door to the dormitory. It didn't open. He then tried the training room door. It was locked. None of the doors granted him exit.

"Damn it, damn, damn it all!"

The man started banging his head against the wall.

After a while, two survivors returned. Both were young boys with ghostly pale faces. Isel called out the names of the next party in a monotone voice.

"Dika, Deckard, Siegler, Chloe!"

"Eek!"

The woman whose name was called fell to her knees. Aaron, who had been clenching his eyes shut, stood up and approached them.

[Who are you? It's not your turn, so stay back.]

"I'll fight with them!"

[What?]

Isel's eyes widened in surprise.

Jenna and I were equally astonished.

"Was he always like this?"

"You have to see people twice to know them," I said with a chuckle.

"Isel, recommend Aaron as a party member. He still lacks practical experience, so it won't be bad."

[But...]

Isel hesitated for a while, looking back and forth between Aaron and me, then disappeared with a pop.

['Aaron(★)' wants to join 'Party 3'. Do you accept?] [Yes (select) / No] [Tips/ Sometimes heroes will want to join a battle. They will display higher combat effectiveness in such battles.]

If Jenna or I had applied, we would have been rejected. Only Aaron, who was still at level 2 and could gain experience even on the first floor, could join.

Aaron helped the woman, who was kneeling and crying, to her feet.

"Keep your wits about you, and we can survive if we rely on each other. Don't worry."

Aaron twirled the spear on his back.

It was a display to show he could protect them. He almost lost his grip halfway, but they didn't seem to notice. Their faces showed deep relief.

"Aaron."

"Yes, brother."

"It's good to help, but don't set a precedent like I did."

"I understand."

Aaron nodded, seeming to grasp my meaning.

Aaron led the four of them into the rift in space. The door closed.

'Now, these guys are left.'

I checked the status window of the young man who claimed to be a former carpenter.

He had a skill called low-level carpentry. Indeed, he was a carpenter. If placed in the woodworking shop, he would do his part.

On the other hand, the bald man was sweating profusely and glancing around nervously. When our eyes met, he quickly looked away.

"Oh, I want to go back and eat."

Jenna, who was sitting in a chair, swung her legs back and forth.

I lightly knocked her on the head.

"Why did you hit me?"

I couldn't tell if she had any sense or not.

The two survivors of the first battle looked grim. Jenna glanced at them and said,

"A good meal and a good rest will make you feel better, right?"

"Ugh, waaaagh!"

One of them, who had been holding his mouth, started to vomit.

"Ah. He's clearing his stomach to eat more."

The other survivor standing next to him grimaced.

Jenna whispered quietly in my ear.

"Success."

"What is?"

"He smiled."

"...That?"

"He definitely smiled."

Jenna whistled as if she knew nothing.

Aaron and his party returned.

No casualties. All five returned.

I asked Aaron,

"How many goblins did you handle?"

"One."

"Good."

He understood the intent.

I checked the status windows of the four individuals. Each had leveled up by one stage. This meant they had all participated in the battle somehow.

When I mentioned setting a precedent, I was referring to Aaron's first battle when he joined. At that time, Aaron and I fought while the other three watched from behind. Eventually, two of them ended up in the fusion room.

I knew their futures but had no confidence or need to convince them.

In that sense, Aaron might have had a different talent than I did.

"Is today's schedule over?"

[Hold on, it seems to be... over...] Isel trailed off.

The rift in space closed, but the light in the sky remained on.

"Then let's go back."

"Yahoo!"

Jenna jumped up first and ran toward the dormitory.

Aaron approached me with a worried look.

"Brother, the sky is still bright."

"They're watching."

Like a god overseeing the world.

Like a lord inspecting the city.

Observing the process and outcome of what they created. Our voices don't reach them. Conversations are not conveyed. This waiting room is filtered through dozens of layers, with most of it omitted, and only a fraction reaching the master. Even so, this game must feel like another world to him.

I could never forget the excitement I felt then.

"Are you going to stay here all day?"

I called out to the newcomers lingering behind.

They hesitated but followed.

Through the door that Jenna had opened, we entered the dormitory.

Jenna was rubbing herself against the leather sofa. She punched it lightly and even sniffed its scent.

I decided to leave her alone for now.

The dormitory had become significantly more spacious.

The first room upon entering was the living room, now expansive enough to be called a lobby. Even with 11 people, it didn't feel cramped. The floor was covered with a soft carpet, and warm light flowed from the fireplace.

'The facilities have definitely improved.'

I headed to the dining room inside the lobby.

The neatly arranged interior housed a large dining table and chairs. Further inside was the kitchen. Various cooking tools like knives and ladles were visible on the shelves.

I opened the lower cabinet.

Besides potatoes, there were jars of salt, sugar, butter, and other seasonings. There were also a few types of fruits like apples and grapes.

'Still, the main food is potatoes.'

Well, it's better than just baked potatoes.

Things will improve over time. When the daily dungeon opens, we can get fresh ingredients ourselves.

I returned to the lobby.

I spoke to the man who was sweating profusely.

"You said you could cook, right?"

"Yes, but..."

[Recommended list of chefs!] ['Dolf(★)'] [Do you want to appoint 'Dolf(★)' as the chef of the dining room?] [Yes (select) / No]

It seemed that Amkena had the same thought as me.

A message appointing the facility's manager came to mind.

"From now on, you are responsible for our meals."

"R-responsible?"

"Why, don't you like it? If you don't, you can go out and fight like the others."

Dolf's face turned pale.

He shook his head. Dolf had also seen two people not return to the square.

"Eleven portions of dinner. Can you do it?"

"I-I'll try."

Dolf staggered into the kitchen.

"Finally, we are getting away from baked potatoes!"

Jenna, who was fidgeting on the sofa, cheered.

I looked at the sky again. It still showed no intention of ending the connection. This way, I couldn't return to my room. If I opened the door to the accommodation, it would clearly lead to a different place. I didn't want to show a troublesome side to Amkena.

"Brother, isn't it about time you explained?"

"I was about to do that. Now that dinner is ready, we can talk while eating."

When more people gather, a few necessary items are required.

'Give me a clock.'

['Han(★)' wants a 'clock' in the accommodation. Would you like to install it?] [3,000 gold will be consumed.] [Yes(Select) / No]

A striking clock appeared in one corner of the lobby.

"Gasp!"

The woman who saw the scene gasped.

I checked the current time. 6:45 PM. Just the right time.

I said, "Gather in the dining room. I will explain the rules of this world."

They also need at least a minimal explanation.

The waiting room was never a place that operated solely by one's strength.

We each took our seats at the dining table, and shortly after, Dolf brought out the food.

It was baked potatoes.

Jenna frowned.

['Jenna(★)' expresses dissatisfaction with the cooking.]

"Th-these were the only ingredients available."

I peeled the potato and took a bite.

It was the familiar taste.

['Han' expresses dissatisfaction with the cooking.] [Tips/When many heroes express dissatisfaction with the cooking, either procure new ingredients or replace the cook.]

I sighed.

As expected, it was no different. Dolf's status window showed no cooking skills.

Just because he lacks the relevant skills doesn't mean it's impossible, but it doesn't seem likely either.

I silently watched the woman peeling the potato skin. At best, she looked in her early twenties. She had long black hair braided down. Her status window indicated her name was Chloe. The lower section clearly showed a cooking skill.