Laying the Groundwork (5)

"Hey, why didn't you come out when the chef was called?"

"M-me?"

"Yeah, you. Chloe, right?"

"Yes…"

"From now on, you're the cook."

[Chef Recommendation List!]

['Chloe (★)']

[Would you like to appoint 'Chloe (★)' as the restaurant's chef? The current chef will be dismissed from their position.]

[Yes (Select) / No]

Good, Isel.

Well done.

"W-wait. I'll make it again!"

"You lied even though you didn't know how to cook?"

His quick wits were commendable, but it was a lie that would have been caught anyway. The gaze of the people, including Jenna, turned cold.

The stares grew even more intense when Chloe brought out her potato dishes. She presented various dishes such as potato salad with a fresh sauce, buttered potatoes, crispy potato fries, and warm stew.

"This is delicious! Potatoes can have such a variety of flavors."

"It's because of the variety of seasonings…"

At Jenna's praise, Chloe shyly bowed her head.

Dolf squatted in the corner, unable to say a word. I spoke.

"Listen while you eat. I won't repeat myself. The things you heard today, you'll have to pass on to the next newcomers. If you don't want to see them die foolishly."

I explained the basic rules of this world to those gathered in the dining hall.

The existence of the Master. That we need to complete missions to survive. That every time we complete a mission, we advance a floor, and reaching the 100th floor will set us free.

After some hesitation, I also talked about synthesis. They would find out eventually anyway.

"Is… is that true?"

"Believe it or not, the decision is yours. But you bear the responsibility."

The people seemed to accept it somehow, though they were trembling with anxiety. At least no one was going crazy or acting out.

"If we prepare diligently, we can definitely survive. I had never fought before coming here, so let's all do our best."

Jenna said in a lively voice.

"Do we have different tasks?"

A young carpenter raised his hand.

"You and Chloe are a carpenter and a cook respectively. Help us in your own ways."

"I-I'm also a carpenter…"

"If you lie again, should I recommend you as the first sacrifice for synthesis? You would make a good example."

Dolf closed his mouth.

It was true that non-combat positions had a higher chance of survival than combat positions, but they couldn't afford to be complacent. Positions were limited, and there was no guarantee that heroes more skilled wouldn't be summoned. If one were displaced, there was only one fate waiting. Thus, non-combatants also had to continuously hone their skills.

[Master, would you like to log out?] [Yes (Select) / No] [Goodbye then!]

Satisfied to some extent, Amkena also left the waiting room.

After the meal, we allocated the rooms in the lodging.

This time, I decided to stay here instead of my original room.

It seemed that Amkena's connection time would increase.

It was uncertain whether that room was visible to the Master, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. I didn't want to stand out in a strange way.

"By the way, I didn't expect you to care about others."

"How can you judge someone you've just met?"

"I have a good eye for people. I can tell at a glance."

"This is the last time anyway."

Given the Pickmeup system, it's impossible to ascend all the floors with a small number of people, so I just took minimal measures. As long as they don't all die, they'll relay the necessary information to the new recruits.

From the next day, our monotonous routine began to change a bit.

When I woke up early in the morning, Chloe was peeling potatoes in the dining hall. Her eyes were swollen, as if she had cried all night. Jenna came out not long after. Except for the three of us, no one else was in the lobby yet.

We had a snack and headed to the training ground.

The training ground, now at level 2, was much larger. If the previous training ground was the size of an auditorium, it now resembled a playground. The straw-stuffed scarecrows had been replaced with wooden ones. There was also a shooting range for archery, a sandpit, and an obstacle course.

Aaron, who arrived earlier, was training. He was thrusting his spear with a shout into the air. Jenna and I joined the training.

We had roasted potatoes for lunch at the training ground and continued training until evening.

A few people arrived at the training ground, but none joined the training directly. They seemed to understand but hadn't fully realized it yet.

In the evening, the Master logged in.

This time the interval was one day. Considering the previous minimum interval was three days, it was a significant decrease. Given the different flow of time between the waiting room and Earth, it seemed Amkena was logging in during free moments in the morning or at lunch.

This time, Amkena's target was the newcomers, not us. Even Aaron couldn't join the party. One person didn't return.

The next day, as expected, people gathered at the training ground.

"Please teach us how to fight!"

A small boy bowed.

It felt like the same thing happened a few days ago.

I looked at the new recruits at the training ground. Three boys around the same age.

'One person died yesterday, leaving us seven. Five excluding the cook and carpenter. But only three are here.'

It was unclear where the other two were.

"I was getting tired of fighting Aaron. This will change things up a bit."

I threw a wooden sword to each of the new recruits standing awkwardly.

"All of you, attack at once."

Since it was my first time facing novices, I also grabbed an appropriate wooden sword.

The current basic method of weapon training involved practicing techniques on scarecrows and then applying them on Aaron. The training included not only simple blocking with a shield or cutting with a sword but also more advanced maneuvers like deflecting or parrying attacks with the sword.

Now it was time to move from one-on-one duels to one-against-many duels.

In most situations, I would have to deal with multiple enemies. Until now, we didn't have enough people for this, but finally, the opportunity had come.

The three were thoroughly beaten. Eventually, I got bored and included Aaron, but it was the same.

['Han (★)'s 'Basic Sword and Shield Technique' has risen to Lv. 4!]

Thanks to that, I leveled up one step. As if someone was directly infusing the knowledge into my mind, I started to feel the flow of swordsmanship. This was another unique feature of this world.

A few more days passed.

"Here I come!"

A boy with a buzz cut thrust his wooden sword.

I dodged lightly. Then, two other boys swung their swords from the sides. I swung my sword broadly, deflecting both wooden swords simultaneously.

Their attacks were slow enough to make me yawn, but I had been in the same position not long ago. Now, with each move of my sword, one of them fell.

"You're really strong, brother."

One of the three boys, Gid, said.

The term "three musketeers" referred to these three boys. They were named Gid, Hanson, and Dica, all under twenty. They had picked up the habit of calling me "brother" from Aaron.

"It's because my level is high, kid."

"Level?"

"You'll understand soon enough."

All three were at level 2.

The stat difference between us was at least 7 to 8 points, like the gap between a child and an adult. However, if it were just a difference in strength, it wouldn't be so overwhelming. My dynamic vision and reaction speed were also much superior, likely due to my agility.

And most importantly, the skill.

An unknown force was refining my swordsmanship. The source was undoubtedly my Basic Sword and Shield Technique. I could instinctively feel where to move my sword, shield, legs, and arms.

'It's absurd.'

On Earth, I would never have achieved such results with just a short period of training.

Across the training ground, Jenna was running while shooting arrows. Each time she pulled the bowstring, a hole appeared in a humanoid target 30 meters away. She had already reached level 5 in Basic Archery and level 2 in Basic Dagger Technique.

In contrast, Aaron was stagnant. Recently, he had reached level 2 in Spearmanship but hadn't progressed further. Despite being the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to leave the dormitory, he couldn't acquire skills that didn't exist.

The three boys each acquired level 1 in Swordsmanship.

These boys, who looked like wilted bean sprouts at first, were now strutting around as if they owned the place. They had bonded, calling each other brothers, likely because they were of similar ages.

Well, it was better than sitting around like the others. Despite the days passing, the remaining two hadn't come to the training ground yet. They seemed to be searching for an exit.

Again, it's futile.

I no longer cared.

They can do whatever they want.

A few days later, another free 10-draw was conducted.

This time, I didn't need to intervene. Aaron and the three boys handled it. Aaron, in particular, volunteered, significantly reducing the casualties in the initial battle. Only one person died during the 'screening' process.

"More people are coming."

Jenna said while sucking on a candy.

It was a lollipop made from hardened sugar water.

"By the way, Master, why aren't we going to the 5th floor? It's been a while since we cleared the 4th floor."

I knew that question would come up.

It has indeed been quite a while since we cleared the 4th floor, the Harpy and Goblin section. During that time, the main party, consisting of Jenna, Aaron, and me, has been repeatedly smashing through the 4th floor. The other sub-parties were still lingering on the 1st or 2nd floors.

"Of course we're not going."

The difficulty spikes every five floors. It's like a boss stage.

If Amkena has seen the strategy guides, he would know that recklessly diving into the 5th floor with our current setup is dangerous. Regardless of our levels or equipment, we lack the necessary numbers.

"We need two more people."

A party can have up to five members. The likely candidates to join our party are probably two out of the trio. Perhaps because they are young, they adapt quickly. They also have the will and determination. Gid even mentioned that this lifestyle seemed better than farming, smiling as he said so.

We'll see if that sentiment lasts.

Although the tutorial of "Pick Me Up" is over, the real tutorial isn't finished yet.

Aaron told the newcomers today that as long as they keep their minds straight, it's no big deal, and they will definitely survive.

For now, that's true. Up to the 4th floor.

I know.

How devilishly difficult it gets afterward. Even after multiple rounds of weeding out and continuous training in the training camp, the number of casualties in future battles will be staggering. Even I can't guarantee my own survival with 100% certainty.

Even below the 10th floor, there are countless trap missions with abysmally low success rates.

I didn't bother to share this fact with Jenna.