The streets were full of those of different races. This is the beginner's valley or the land of new beginnings. The residents here were super-humans and races from the other world except for the demons and the vampires as they hated associating themselves with the other race.
There will be an upcoming festival and it's taking place in this district.
A cloaked group was heading towards the inn.
Even with such get-ups, everyone was still at ease. The calming aura coming from such a huge, dangerous-looking group was quite puzzling, but beginners just admire them from far away. Those were the images of how they want to be in the future. Someone strong enough that could easily kill enemies but also simple enough to not set others on edge. No one said a thing, but they knew exactly who the individuals were under those cloaks.
With a quick swish, the door burst open and the huge man announced, "Kid, we're here!" His voice boomed around as it disturb the silence inside. No one minded him aside from his petite companion, who scolded him for being loudmouthed.
The man sitting at the bar, shifted his seat and waved at them. "Wazzup old man, you look older than before!" he said, which irked the man who was now being held back by two younger, rough looking men as their leader tried to use all his force on him for a punch.
"He's so sensitive for his age. He's not even handsome." the woman in her forties beside him, muttered, and he was now all gloomy in the corner while being consoled by one of the guys.
"You really know how to rile him up, kid." the composed man patted his shoulders. "Four mega barrels of beer on the go, please, and two barrels of honey beer along with six huge mugs with anti-breaking for traveling." ordering the barkeep, who immediately nodded as the guy seated right next to him.
He smiled. "He should stop setting me up with his granddaughter. The woman was so busy, and he was even trying to tie me up with such a famously well-known person. Being his family member meant seeing him dance stupidly while drunk on family occasions and I will be posting every single one of them. That's a threat." he said, glaring at the sulking grandpa.
The woman laughed out loud as she knew that the old man liked to keep his cool reputation because his grandchildren would see it all over the world. Having three beautiful wives and almost a dozen children for each would make him regret the possible wrath coming from his wives once they saw his antics on the news. Their last raid went viral, and he was recognized by his favorite daughter after shaving his long beard, so his wives were able to contact him too. He used to be a lanky man, but he gained muscles after the merge, making him look like a towering wall that would make an individual shiver with just a glare coming from him. Even the whole team was surprised after seeing his old picture with his wives and children.
The woman, on the other hand, was looking for her daughter. The child was left in her cousin's care, so now, the purpose of their journey would be to look for her teen while visiting the old man's family members along the way. The three gentlemen were also looking for their relatives, so they would definitely roam around the world together, clearing the wilderness in the process and, with their skills, two months of journey should be enough for the personal quest to be completed.
He did want to travel with them, but with their reputation? He rather not. Besides, he's in contact with his sister, so he has no problem at all, especially since his cousin had their relatives connected through a group chat, so he's updated with every dungeon exploration and their daily activities aside from his introverted sister who just, sends likes to every picture sent in the group. Nothing has changed to their interactions, even after the merge. Even his heroic cousin still gets dissed whenever he gets injured for being 'stupid' and not taking care of himself. Such love and honesty.
He stood up and looked at all of them. "I reserved an area for us to celebrate in private," he said, but did not manage to get their full attention, nor their interest, so he added the most important detail. "I cooked for you."
With that, they energetically asked for the room, and he just shook his head in his mind, wondering how they would last this long without him looking out for them and how they would survive on the journey, knowing that they would just be drinking, eating exotic foods and shoving things in their mouths without even examining if it's poisonous or not.
He feared for the future, knowing that in their next meeting, he would have to double the amount of food as they would be craving more, as he remembered what a day without him cooking for them looked like in the past.
Food really is life for these mukbang adventurers. Yes you heard it right. These individuals here clear dungeons for food! Loots and money rewards were just bonuses. Beasts have the right to be scared of them as they are not viewed as threatening enemies but just food that fights back. The disappointment of defeating the boss with only armor drops and its body disappearing should make you question life! Such a big and delicious, exotic-looking food source just disappearing in thin air, turning into dust is totally heartbreaking for them, even if it's a giant king orc with poisonous and disgusting smelly meat with the quote, "How would you know if you never tried?"
How were they still alive? That's because he's there to examine it all for them and cook for the whole team. As a beginner, he saw them tried to eat uncooked and unseasoned meat, and he was beyond horrified!
Even his lazy sister could cook the most delicious foods without even knowing the recipe for the meal by just randomly putting ingredients in the pot! So seeing grown people being desperate, made him volunteer as a beginner guardian escort. He was the youngest among them, and he only ever worked for this team, but the experience of clearing fifty SSS class, two hundred SS class, five hundred S class dungeons and four doomed towers, should do the trick! Of course, no one knew about that but the whole group, along with his past. He knows his secret is safe with them. Always. As they were to carry each others secrets to their grave exactly as promised.
Their reunion ended shortly as they would have to start their journey, and he also had to meet up with his cousin as they were tasked by their aunt to buy an auctioned necklace that was deemed to possess holy powers and a holy blessing coming from the one true god.
He sighed. Religions had started to tick him off. The merged had made him doubt the whole existence of a higher being, as it all seemed like that 'almighty', 'omnipotent', 'god' got bored as he decided to throw his creations all together just to clash realities and destroy the world's balance.
Even the thought of meeting up with his cousin makes him hate going out for the day. They used to be brothers, but they got distant when they left for shelter. He knew it was not his fault, but it was just unfair. If not for his sister and her friends, he would've died. He was left in the house with his parents, who became undead. He was still young at that time and if his sister did not come back from college to their province after the outbreak, he would have been mauled by his own parents.
The experience was traumatizing till this day. Waking up to celebrate your father's birthday just to be greeted with groans and growls outside the house along with the existence of demon dogs sniffing around the area with blood all over them and witnessing as well as hearing your friends scream out for help as they were being bitten and being chased by your neighbors and other relatives would give you a horrifying memories to deal with.
Getting back inside the house just to be locked up with your parents who were hungry and feral that started chasing you around the house, which was hard for your little legs to carry.
It was a good thing that they were a physically active family. They play different kinds of sports and the chasing game with his friends was exactly as chaotic as escaping from the grasps of two adults who were persistent in running after him. He was the living and only food source inside the house as all the doors were locked. If not for their room door being left open, he would've been dead as they were only seconds away from him. The double lock worked like a charm, but just like what he saw in the movies, he moved the heavy bed towards the door for extra measure and that was his state when his sister saw him the next day. Exhausted, hungry and dehydrated.