The New Form Party or Should I Say Gaming Buddies

30 Minutes Earlier

In a small convenience store in the abandoned ghost town of Hiroo, Yuu finally stepped outside after three days of nonstop gaming.

Still half-asleep, he wandered through the aisles, casually grabbing drinks and snacks.

"I need this," he muttered, picking up his favorite bag of chips.

Then, as he passed the beverage section, he paused.

"Oh, right. I need drinks too."

He grabbed a few energy drinks and a large two-liter bottle of water, placing them into his basket.

As he passed by the instant ramen section, his eyes lit up.

"I definitely need more of these."

Without hesitation, he dumped several packs of cup ramen into his basket, stacking them up precariously.

On his way to the counter, something caught his eye.

"Oh? They still sell these?"

He stopped in front of a bamboo steamer, the warm scent of freshly made nikuman (steamed meat buns) filling the air.

"Man… I used to eat these all the time when I was a kid. This is kinda nostalgic."

He grabbed a few and added them to his growing pile of snacks before heading to the register.

The cashier, a bored-looking teenager, scanned each item one by one, glancing at Yuu's haul.

"That's a lot of ramen," the cashier commented.

"Stocking up for winter?"

Yuu shrugged. "Nah, just for today."

The cashier gave him a blank stare before continuing to scan the items.

As the nikuman was placed into a bag, Yuu grinned.

"Man, I haven't had these in forever. Hope they still taste the same."

"That'll be 4,320 yen," the cashier finally said.

Yuu casually pulled out his wallet and handed over the money.

As the register beeped and the receipt printed, the cashier handed him his bags.

"Thanks for your purchase."

Yuu nodded, grabbing his bags. "Later."

With that, he stepped out of the convenience store,

As he was heading back home, the ground suddenly shook, and explosions erupted in the distance.

But Yuu remained completely unfazed, casually enjoying his nikuman.

He raised the steaming hot bun, letting its warmth seep into his hands. Taking a bite, he savored the soft, fluffy texture. The inside was tender, moist, and filled with a sweet-savory, juicy meat mixture that burst with flavor.

"Mmm..."

But then—

"Ahh—hot!"

He stuck out his tongue, fanning his mouth as he tried to cool it down.

After a moment, he took another bite—

"Agh—burned again!"

Yet, despite the pain, he couldn't resist. He took another bite.

"Mmm, it's so freaking good."

And once again—

"Damn it, hot!"

He waved his hand in front of his mouth, blowing on his tongue.

But that didn't stop him from taking yet another bite.

As he made his way home, Yuu suddenly noticed a man lying on the ground, covered in blood, with a fully armored individual standing nearby.

Casually passing by, Yuu muttered, "Oh… what is this? A shooting or something?"

His eyes lingered on the armored figure.

"Hmmm… that armor is so cool. Is he a cosplayer? He kinda looks like Kamen Rider."

Then his gaze shifted back to the wounded man.

"Wait… that guy doesn't look okay."

He called out, "Hey! Are you okay?"

But there was no response.

"This seems serious."

Without hesitation, Yuu opened his system menu.

---

[SYSTEM MENU]

▶ Player

▶ Equip

▶ Quests

▶ Collection

▶ Skills

▶ Inventory

▶ Map

✖ Hide Menu

---

He tapped on Inventory and searched for a potion.

---

Potion of Absolute Restoration

Rarity: Legendary

Description: A shimmering, viscous liquid contained within a crystal vial. The potion pulses with an inner light, swirling with motes of gold and silver. The air around it crackles with a faint, warm energy.

Effects:

Absolute Restoration: Instantly restores 100% of the user's maximum health.

Vitality Surge: Grants a temporary buff, increasing maximum health by 25% for 60 seconds.

Status Immunity: Removes all negative status effects (poison, paralysis, curses, etc.) and grants immunity to them for 30 seconds.

Regeneration Aura: For 15 seconds after consumption, the user emits an aura that heals nearby allies for 10% of their maximum health per second.

---

"Oh, I have a bunch of these. This should probably work."

The potion materialized in his hand, and without much thought, he casually tossed it toward the wounded man.

The glass bottle shattered as it hit Ryo's head, spilling the potion onto his body.

Slash!

The moment the liquid seeped into his wounds, they instantly healed—closing up as if nothing had ever happened. It was like a miracle.

Yuu nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, glad that worked effectively."

Ryo, still lying on the ground, was utterly confused.

"What… what just happened?"

As he scanned the area, he noticed someone standing in the distance. Concerned, Ryo called out, "Hey! What are you doing here? Run!"

Yuu, noticing the guy shouting, pointed at himself. "Me? Are you talking to me?"

But before he could react further, the armored figure suddenly burst forward, charging straight at Yuu.

With a swift motion, it swung its blade in a wide, arching slash.

CRACK!

Its blade shattered upon impact the moment it struck Yuu, breaking apart as if it had hit an unmovable object.

Yuu dusted himself off and looked at the armored figure, clearly annoyed.

"Hey! What's your problem attacking people out of nowhere?" he said. "Where are your manners? How would you feel if someone attacked you?"

Then, without hesitation, Yuu simply raised his hand, mimicking the shape of a blade.

With a lazy, half-hearted swipe—

SLASH!

In an instant, the armored figure was cleaved in half, its body splitting apart effortlessly.

But the attack didn't stop there.

The force of the slash continued farther, carving through the street itself, leaving a deep, devastating mark that stretched far beyond where the armored figure once stood.

Yuu blinked at the destruction he had just caused.

"Oops… I didn't mean to do that," he muttered.

Ryo just stared in shock, his eyes wide and his jaw practically hitting the floor.

"Whaaaaaaat?!!"

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

MANTIS SWORDSMAN HAS BEEN SLAIN

[+15,000 EXP]

[+2,000 GOLD]

Both of them received the notification.

Yuu let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God it was just a monster. I thought I accidentally killed a Kamen Rider cosplayer."

Ryo, still in shock, stared at Yuu before grabbing his arm and shaking him vigorously.

"Hey, y-you're Player One, aren't you?! There's no way you're not! I'm sure of it!" Ryo exclaimed.

Yuu, completely unfazed, blinked in confusion.

"What is wrong with this guy?" he thought as his body was being shaken relentlessly.

Finally, Yuu responded, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I was just passing by."

Ryo, still determined, shook his head.

"No... I'm 100% sure it's you! You're Player One!"

"No, you're probably mistaken. My face is kinda common," Yuu said, trying to brush it off.

"I'm telling you, there's no way I'm mistaken! Your strength alone screams Player One!" Ryo insisted.

Ryo continued rambling excitedly. "I've known about Player One ever since the first dungeon raid. With his overwhelming power, he was the first player to truly showcase the system's potential."

Still caught up in his excitement, Ryo went on. "I remember watching your fight in that raid on my computer two years ago. You were fully equipped like a knight, and with just a single strike of your sword, you defeated the Goblin General—and destroyed the whole building in Shibuya along with it!"

Yuu's eyes widened in shock.

(Wait… how did he find out that was me? Is he a government official trying to sue me for destroying that building? Wait… I've been hiding all this time! I thought they had already forgotten about it! Oh shit, this is not good!)

Yuu quickly shook his head and waved his hands dismissively. "N-N-No! That definitely wasn't me!" He tried to convince Ryo.

But Ryo wasn't done yet. "And just recently, a Great Harpy tried to escape during our raid and headed toward this town."

Ryo pointed toward the direction where the Great Harpy had been defeated.

At that moment, Yuu completely panicked.

(What the hell?! I need to get out of here right now! This guy is insane! Shit, the government is after me now!)

Without another word, he instantly vanished into thin air, fleeing from Ryo.

Ryo turned back toward Yuu. "And I'm pretty sure it was you who defeated it, right? R-Right? Huh?!"

He blinked in confusion.

"Wait… Where did he go?"

Ryo was convinced after he suddenly disappeared.

"He is definitely Player One. I'm sure of it," Ryo said to himself.

"But to be honest, I expected something grand… not a guy who looks like a NEET, introverted gamer in a tracksuit."

A few days later…

Knock, knock, knock!

"Player One! H-Hugh!" Ryo coughed, clearing his throat.

"I mean… Hoshino-san! I know you're in there! I wish to talk to you!" Ryo shouted in front of Yuu's house.

Inside, Yuu, who had been playing his usual online games, was surprised by the sudden visitor.

"Oh god, they found me! They found me! Oh god, they even know my name! I knew it—he's definitely from the government! Am I really being sued?!"

Knock, knock, knock!

"Come on, Hoshino-san! I want to know how you became so strong! I want to learn from you!"

"Wait… is he trying to experiment on me after finding out how strong I am? Am I about to become a government guinea pig?!"

"Come on, Hoshino-san! How about we form a party? You're so strong—we can definitely save the world together!"

Yuu only heard the word party.

"Party? Does he mean forming a party? Is he also a gamer? Aaah, he's definitely a gamer who wants to form a party! But damn, no one's ever invited me to form a party in person just to play games!"

Completely misunderstanding the situation, Yuu suddenly opened the door.

"Do you really want to form a party?" he asked.

Ryo was startled when the door swung open.

"Uhmm… yeah, I want to fo—"

Before he could finish, Yuu excitedly responded, "Alright! Let's form a party! Did you bring your laptop?"

Ryo blinked in confusion. "Laptop? What's that for?"

Yuu looked at him like he had just asked the dumbest question in existence.

"Really? You're inviting me to a party, but you didn't bring a laptop? How are we supposed to play and conquer dungeons?"

Ryo's eyes widened in realization. "Play? Conquer dungeons? Wait… is he talking about an online game?!"

"Wait… are you saying we're going to play an online game and conquer dungeons?" Ryo asked, trying to confirm.

"Uhm, yeah?" Yuu replied, looking at him strangely. "What do you mean by party? Of course, if you want to party, you probably want to team up and conquer dungeons, right?"

Ryo had a sudden realization.

"Wait… is this the secret to his power? Is he doing combat simulations in online games, fighting monsters, and then applying that knowledge in real-life battles?! That's genius!"

Now completely convinced, Ryo nodded. "Yup! That's exactly what I meant! But I forgot to bring my laptop, so I'll go get it and come back!"

Yuu grinned proudly. "Okay! I'll be waiting for you!" He clenched his fist, cheering Ryo on as if he were about to embark on an important mission.

As Yuu watched Ryo leave, he thought to himself, "Whew… glad he wasn't a government official but just a gamer like me."

Meanwhile, Ryo walked away, fully convinced that he had discovered Player One's training method.

And just like that, through a complete misunderstanding, the two were about to form a party.

Later on, Ryo was already in Yuu's room, sitting at another desk filled with books, while Yuu sat at his gaming setup.

They both stared at each other in silence.

Yuu was waiting for Ryo to invite him to his party.

"What is he doing? Isn't he supposed to add me and invite me to his party?"

Meanwhile, Ryo, who had no idea how to play the online game Yuu was talking about earlier, was waiting for Yuu to take the lead. "What now? What game are we supposed to play?"

Trying to break the awkward silence, Ryo finally spoke.

"By the way, I don't think I properly introduced myself. I'm Takeda Ryo. Nice to meet you, Hoshino-san."

"Oh, right. Nice to meet you too. But since you already seem to know me, I guess I don't need an introduction, right?"

"Yup! I know you—Hoshino Yuu, the Player One!"

"What? I already told you, I'm not!"

Ryo smirked. He's definitely trying to hide his identity.

"Alright then, Hoshino-san."

Yuu sighed. "Just call me Yuu. That's fine."

Ryo bowed and said, "Okay, understood, Yuu-sama."

"Nope, just Yuu."

"Okay… Uhm… what game are we supposed to train for?"

Yuu was shocked. "What?! You're the one who invited me, yet you—? Ugh, fine! I'll help you with that."

Ryo gulped. "Oh shit… is he really strict about training?"

Yuu moved closer to Ryo to assist him with his laptop.

But as soon as Ryo opened it, Yuu's eyes widened in surprise.

"W-Waaa… K-Kyu—Kyumiki-chan's voice actress?!"

Ryo was also surprised by Yuu's sudden recognition of his wallpaper.

"Wait… you know Sakura-chan from 12ONE!?"

Yuu quickly replied, "No, I just heard she's a voice actress…"

Ryo found it amazing that someone actually knew about her idol activities.

"Yup, that's right! She's the voice actress for Kyumiki-chan. She really suits that character—they're both cute!"

Yuu nodded. "Yeah, Kyumiki-chan is the cutest fox girl character in history."

But then he quickly shook his head, realizing he was getting distracted.

"Agh! We're here to play games!"

Ryo awkwardly laughed. "Y-Yeah, sorry… I got carried away."

Yuu sighed. "Yeah… me too. Let's just download the game first…"

Both of them put on serious expressions, trying to hide the fact that they were just fanboys geeking out a moment ago.

Yuu finally finished downloading the game on Ryo's laptop.

Then, he asked, "You have an account, right?"

Ryo awkwardly shook his head. "I actually don't have one…"

Yuu bit his lip in frustration.

"What's wrong with this guy? He barges into my house, asking for a party, but ends up completely clueless about the game? Wait… is he just a newbie after all?"

Yuu took a deep breath and fixed his expression, trying to be gentle.

"Okay… perhaps you're new to this game?"

Ryo awkwardly nodded, scratching his head. "Yeah… I'm kinda new. Can you help me?"

"Wait… he really is a newbie?!" Yuu thought, shocked.

The phrase "Can you help me?" echoed in Yuu's mind.

"He seems innocent for someone trying to get boosted…" (a gaming term for being carried by higher-level players).

"Maybe he's just a total newbie who genuinely wants to enjoy gaming, like me."

Yuu let out a sigh.

"Alright, I'll help you. Let's create your character."

Ryo's face lit up. "Really? Thank you, Master!"

Yuu frowned. "Don't call me Master."

Later on, they finally finished creating Ryo's character.

Ryo was stunned.

"Wooo… this is so cool!"

His character was a Brawler class, which closely resembled him. It even had gauntlet-like weapons, just like the ones he used in real life.

"Look! My in-game character really looks like me. That's insane!" Ryo was mind-blown, experiencing an MMORPG for the first time.

Meanwhile, Yuu felt a sense of pride.

"Hah! Of course! You can select from a bunch of classes that suit you, and you can even customize your character however you want. That's what Black Diablo Online is all about—the top MMORPG of this generation!"

Ryo turned to him. "Hoshino-san, let's form a party now that I've created my account."

"Oh, right. Sure. What's your IGN? I'll add you."

Ryo tilted his head in confusion. "I…G…N? What's that?"

Yuu sighed. "Your in-game name."

"Oh, that's right! My name is Sakura1Fanatic."

Yuu paused.

"What kind of name is that?! That's so out of character!"

"…Ah, I see. I found you. I just sent a friend request—accept it, and let's start your first quest."

Ryo was about to accept when he noticed the sender's name.

"Wait… is this right? Pentakiller?"

Yuu nodded. "Yup, that's me."

Later, as they met up in the game for a dungeon quest, Ryo finally saw Yuu's character.

It was fully equipped with powerful legendary items, radiating an aura of strength.

Despite the impressive gear, Ryo only noticed one thing.

"…Ah, so your character is a loli? You're probably a loli fanatic, aren't you?" he said nonchalantly. Then, smirking, he added, "Should I call the FBI?"

Yuu was instantly pissed. "What's wrong with picking a cute little character?! I'm talking about her class! She's a Cleric, a really useful support class!"

Ryo grinned. "Mmmhmm. I think that's not your real intention. I'm calling the FBI."

Yuu panicked. "No, seriously! It's all about her classsssss!"

And just like that, they started playing games together—each with their own misconception.

Ryo believed this was Yuu's secret training method behind his overwhelming power, while Yuu simply thought Ryo was a newbie gamer who genuinely wanted to enjoy gaming with him.