Gathering

"Damn, something's wrong here. The formula's off again. Looks like a Fourier transform won't work for this node model. I'll have to try another approach. Damn it, why are fourth-circle spells so complicated? This is making me lose my hair." Ryan gritted his teeth at the spell model for Dimension Door floating before him. The interwoven lines of magic and unevenly arranged spell nodes suspended in three-dimensional space gave him a splitting headache. Stumped, he was reminded of the crushing despair he'd felt in his previous life when he'd been dominated by the impossibly difficult math section of the graduate school entrance exam.

In the spacious, comfortable room at the Hearthfire Tavern, Ryan leaned against a round stool painstakingly carved from Huanghua Wood. In his spare moments, he was trying to master the spell model for Dimension Door as soon as possible and inscribe it into his own deck.

Though he'd successfully copied the spell into his Spellbook, the limits of his fourth-circle Spell Slot meant he could cast Dimension Door only once a day. Ryan still didn't feel secure relying on that alone, so he was trying to add another safeguard with his planeswalker abilities. No one ever complained about having too many trump cards for staying alive.

But even after copying it down, Ryan had underestimated the complexity of a fourth-circle spell model. He'd been working tirelessly to analyze and model it, but his progress was still painfully slow.

Time flew by. When someone devoted themself to a task, the hours always seemed to slip away like water. As Ryan buried himself in the study of magic, another full moon arrived.

He and Jelona had already agreed on a place and time to meet, but to be safe, Ryan had arrived early at their designated room in the Hearthfire Tavern to check it out. After carefully inspecting the room and confirming there was no one watching or spying on them, he made the most of every second, using the system functions at his disposal to continue his unfinished work.

"Thud, thud, thud." A string of heavy, hurried footsteps pulled Ryan out of his intense brainstorming. He came back to his senses and warily watched the door.

"Hahahaha! Arata, you idiot! I told you to behave, but you wouldn't listen. You had to go to a tavern and get into a drinking contest. And whenever you get drunk, you start causing trouble. This time, someone beat you up, didn't they?" A hearty burst of laughter came from the hallway outside.

"I didn't get beat up! I knocked that bastard flat! He only won because he attacked me by surprise!" Ryan heard the barbarian Arata roar indignantly from far down the hall.

The familiar voice put Ryan at ease, and he dispelled the spell he'd been holding ready. There was still about half an hour until their meeting, so he guessed Jelona and the others had set out early to prepare at the rendezvous point. He couldn't help but marvel again at his own luck. It was rare to come across such a reliable, steady adventuring party.

With a creak, the heavy solid-wood door swung open, pushed by the Half-elf Ranger at the front.

"Can you two settle down for once? And Kasla, stop laughing too. You've been laughing ever since we met. I mean, pfft, Arata does look pretty funny right now, but he's already had a rough time. You don't have to make fun of him."

The Half-elf Ranger kept chattering as she tried to talk her rowdy companions down, but she couldn't help laughing herself. She quickly caught herself, though, suppressed her smile, and continued with a straight face as she pushed open the door.

With her keen senses, the alert Half-elf noticed someone inside the room the moment she opened the door. She peered in cautiously, reaching for the short blade at her waist.

Ryan rested his intertwined hands beneath his fair chin and watched the wary Jelona with interest, curious about what had made the adventuring party laugh.

Under the curious, searching gaze of the blond youth, Jelona froze for a moment. Wondering if she'd made a fool of herself just now, she felt a blush creep over her delicate face. In a fluster, she slid her dagger back into her belt and hurriedly greeted him. "Ryan, it's you! Why did you get here so early?"

"Mm, I didn't have anything else to do, so I came ahead of time. I heard you all from a long way off. What happened to Arata?" Ryan asked curiously.

Jelona walked into the room. At his question, her expression stiffened, and she hesitated, embarrassed to explain. "Well... sigh. You'll have to see for yourself."

Just then, the Dwarf shield warrior and the barbarian came shoving each other into the room. Seeing Ryan, the frank Dwarf pushed the towering barbarian aside and greeted him. "Ryan, long time no see! I figured you were a reliable companion, and I'd been hoping we could work together again sometime. Didn't expect to see you again so soon. Don't worry about this job. We Dwarves are always dependable!"

Ryan smiled and nodded in reply. Then he looked at the barbarian, who'd settled into a corner and was keeping quiet, trying to blend into the wall. Ryan hadn't noticed him properly when he first came in, but now that he got a good look, he nearly burst out laughing.

The towering, fearsome barbarian still had a head full of lively, upright black hair, except that the top of his head looked as if a dog had chewed off a patch. The shiny scalp stood out all the more against the surrounding stubble.

And on that rugged, savage face, two blackened fist marks ringed his eyes, making him look like a panda with enormous dark circles. Against his fierce expression, the effect was somehow all the funnier.

Ryan fought back a laugh, understanding the source of the argument he'd heard earlier. He was cracking up inside. Hahaha, a receding hairline really doesn't suit anyone. How unlucky can you get? Hahaha.

Though he was overflowing with amusement inside, Ryan's excellent control over his expressions kept his face calm. He casually greeted the barbarian. "Arata, nice new look."

The barbarian, who'd kept silent ever since entering the room, glanced miserably at the grinning faces around him. He rubbed his scalp and complained, "Go ahead and laugh if you want. That bastard was so damn shameless. He kept punching me in the face, and he even pulled my hair like a woman!"

"Pfft—hahahahaha!" The moment he finished speaking, the Dwarf burst into unrestrained laughter. Ryan couldn't help laughing too, and even the Half-elf beside them covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Alright, alright, stop making fun of Arata. He did win, after all." Once the room's boisterous laughter died down, Ryan began consoling the wronged giant, who was quietly drawing circles in the corner.

"Hahaha, that's right! Arata's a real man. Next time, try giving him a taste of his own medicine." The Dwarf was a true friend in the best and worst sense of the word, praising him with a laugh while still taking a jab at him.

Jelona stood quietly to the side, smiling as she watched her companions fool around. Only after they'd settled down did she speak, her voice gentle but serious. "Alright, don't forget we're here to take care of business. Let's have Ryan explain the details of this job."

At that, Ryan's smile faded. He folded his hands on the table, his expression turning serious. After looking around at his companions, he began solemnly. "Because of the nature of this job, I can't explain some of the details to you. But you need to know that this mission isn't as simple as it seems. We must be very, very careful."

Alexander had assured Ryan that the Mages Guild had already made an initial survey of the ancient ruins and had mostly figured out how they worked. That was why they dared to send the Guild's younger generation inside for a trial.

Even so, Ryan was still skeptical. It wasn't that he didn't trust the old Mage. It was just that what Alexander had said in their previous conversation had been so shocking.

What kind of preparations could someone who could cobble together a Gundam and an initial unit in another world have made? Ryan couldn't even imagine. But he was certain the ruins wouldn't be as easy and simple as Alexander estimated.

Going by Alexander's account, Ryan silently reasoned that if this big shot had reached such heights in the field of steel constructs, then his biological modification skills must have been equally peerless. Ryan figured that if he ran into Tyranids, modified half-orcs, magically altered Dragonblood Goblins, or all kinds of other bizarre things in the ruins, he wouldn't even be surprised.

At the thought of these beings that seemed utterly out of place in Faerûn—and were terrifying, even nightmarish, like living disasters—Ryan felt his blood pressure rising. I'm a newbie, and I have to face a Demon King–difficulty dungeon the moment I leave home? Isn't that a bit much, DM?! Ryan grumbled to himself. He'd rather level up first and lay low until he became the Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope before venturing out, but this time he had a reason he simply couldn't ignore.

He'd finally found information connected to his homeland, and Ryan absolutely, absolutely wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. No matter how uncertain the road ahead or how unknown the risks, he was willing to brave any danger and fight his way through. Besides, he had all the preparations and trump cards he'd accumulated over the years with him. He was confident he could keep himself alive.

"Arata, how are your injuries? Have you recovered from your berserk state?" Though countless thoughts flashed through his mind, in reality Ryan remained composed as he asked about the party's condition.

"I'm fine. Whenever you need me, I'm ready." Still downcast and in low spirits, the barbarian warrior nevertheless gave his firm assurance.

Ryan looked at the Dwarf, who was already sitting off to the side and downing a bottle of ale. Kasla wiped his mouth with his thick hand, patted the sturdy tower shield leaning against his chair, and declared boldly, "I'll guard the front line when the time comes. Don't worry. A Dwarf's shield is always worthy of your trust."

Ryan nodded, pleased that none of them had wasted the time they'd had. Then he leaned toward Jelona, sitting beside him, and said, "I have a few enchanted arrows for you. I'll give them to you on the road. Make good use of them."

Feeling the trust in Ryan's eyes, Jelona gave a slight nod. "Don't worry. I won't let you down."

Seeing how every member of the party was brimming with determination and confidence, Ryan stretched lazily and felt his own spirits rise. It seemed it was time to head to the Mages Guild. He spoke up. "Let's go, everyone. The adventure is about to begin."