The sky was completely dark, and the moon shone brightly overhead when Instructor Eve concluded the meeting. The remaining time was ours to finalize plans for the morning expedition. The night air was noticeably colder than what we were used to back on Earth—a refreshing difference, as I recalled the oppressive heat of my former home.
I sat with Fatty and the three other heroes we'd managed to group with. We were, essentially, the five people left over. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with the unspoken knowledge that we were the ones rejected by the "stronger" groups. The silence was becoming suffocating, so I decided to break the ice.
"W-why don't we start with introductions?" I suggested, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, that's right! A formal introduction is very important!" Fatty immediately seconded, nodding his head enthusiastically.
"What are you talking about? We're classmates; we already know each other," Edgar, a serious-looking classmate with glasses, stated deliberately.
"Of course, but this is for formality," I insisted. "And more importantly, if we share our skills, we can accurately determine each other's combat roles." I sensed their hesitation; trust was clearly a major issue.
"If you're worried about revealing everything, just share what you're comfortable with. I'll go first, if that's alright?"
Everyone nodded in strained agreement.
"Though we're classmates, we aren't close. My name is Andre, and these are my skills." I quickly pulled up my status window and shared the relevant information. "As you can see, I'm an all-rounder, but I'm not inherently strong. I have Swordsmanship Level 3, Spearmanship Level 2, and Bowmanship Level 1. Crucially, I can use a Ki Manipulation power boost to double my strength for a limited time."
Next up was Fatty.
"The name's Mario, but you can call me Fatty, just like this thin-bones here calls me," he announced, motioning to me. "As for my skills, they're all defense."
Fatty showed us his skill menu, and I nearly choked on my own spit. He had called them "trash."
Mario Delmundo (Fatty)
Skills:
Iron Hide Level 5: Greatly improves user defenses. Upon activation, grants iron-like skin.
Stone Castle Level 5: Defense is tripled when the user is stationary.
Provoking Shout Level 6: The user provokes the enemy with a shout, drawing all aggro. The enemy cannot ignore the user for a set period.
"What the absolute hell! You said you had trash skills, you liar!" I blurted out, stunned.
Fatty pouted petulantly. "They are trash skills! Who in their right mind wants to be a meat shield? I don't have any offensive skills at all!"
A vein visibly pulsed in my forehead. I seized his shoulder and threw him a killer glare. "YOU TRAITOR! I THOUGHT WE WERE COMRADES IN WEAKNESS!" I gritted my teeth, but Fatty looked at me with genuine innocence.
"Of course we are! These are trashy skills! Where can you find a tank in an MMORPG that has zero damage skills? Even the Shield Hero had one or two!" he argued, his lips sticking out.
"If you hate it that much, why not give me your skills, and I'll give you mine?"
"Who said I hate it? No way in hell!"
"Damn it! Fine! You're the vanguard from now on, meat shield! Show us your almighty defensive power! Catch all those fucking damages for us! And don't worry, we'll watch you till the end!" I declared, a cold, mock-serious glint in my eye.
"Huuuuh?! You're joking, right?"
"Of course not! You have that incredible defensive power; let's make use of it! Maybe five monsters simultaneously won't even be a problem. You'll most likely survive," I said with chilling calmness.
"Survive my ass! Why should I be the only one in front? You also have melee skills, so you can be a vanguard with me!" Fatty retorted, flipping me a clear, dirty finger.
"Well, you see, Fatty, I have this skill called Bowmanship, so you can tank all the monsters, and I'll shoot from a distance. Just resign yourself to fate, hahaha!" I shot the same dirty finger right back.
"You damn stick!" Fatty roared, lunging at me. I was slammed to the ground, crushed by his gigantic weight. We grabbed and pulled at each other's faces, our expressions distorted like rubber balls. This was common for us; trash-talking often escalated into harmless, physical roughhousing.
We rolled a few times on the ground before a sudden explosion of laughter stopped us.
"PFFT! HAHAHAHAHAH! What are you two? A comedic duo?" our groupmates roared, clutching their sides. The heavy, awkward vibe had completely vanished, replaced by a cheerful mood.
Fatty and I were momentarily dumbfounded. We hadn't realized that our idiotic argument had broken the tension. I gave Fatty a quick wink and an 'okay' sign.
"Niiiiiice! It was all thanks to Fatty."
Roles and Realization
After a moment of hearty laughter, we resumed the introductions.
"I-I'm next!" said the next member, a small, shy, blue-haired girl named Rika. She had shoulder-length hair and delicate, almost childlike features.
"As you all know, my name is Rika," she said shyly. "My skills may be lacking, but please bear with it." She showed us her menu, revealing an affinity for light magic focused on healing.
Rika
Skills:
Healing Light Level 5: Heals specific target within a 20-meter radius.
Light Wisp Level 5: Attached to a target to slightly increase regeneration and damage against demons.
Shield of Light: Creates a dome of light protecting the user and the surrounding area. Range: 5-meter radius.
Next was Edgar. His skills were long-range, utilizing his wind magic affinity.
Edgar
Skills:
Sharpshooter: Improves eyesight and allows the user to determine an enemy's weakness.
Bow Mastery Level 10: Grants advanced mastery over the bow.
Piercing Arrow: Uses wind magic to increase the arrow's penetration. Requires charging.
Controllable Arrow: The user can control the direction of the arrow after it is shot.
The last was Mark, an introvert with an affinity for both fire and earth magic. His skills were powerful but required concentration.
Mark
Skills:
Timed Fireball Level 5: Creates a ball of fire that can be triggered by the user's command. Requires great focus; no other skills can be used until triggered.
Earth Manipulation Level 4: Manipulates a portion of the earth. Maximum area of effect is 3 meters.
Mana Recovery Level 10: Constantly recovers a certain amount of mana.
Thank goodness, our team was surprisingly well-balanced. Seeing their competent skills made me feel a touch of insecurity, but I was genuinely relieved to have such capable teammates.
We were a 5-man cell, the most basic party number. We decided on the 2-2-1 formation: two vanguards (frontline damage/aggro), two rearguards (ranged damage/retreat support), and one backline support (healing/buffs).
It was decided: Fatty was the primary vanguard. His incredible defense and Provoking Shout made him the ultimate meat shield.
The bad news: I had to be the secondary vanguard. Given my diverse skills, I would be doing damage, but also constantly switching roles—attacking, and covering the backline in case of an ambush.
'I guess I'll be doing all the running.'
Fatty looked at me with a mocking face and whispered, "Welcome to hell, Meatshield Bro."
Damn it!
Edgar and Mark would serve as the rearguards, their long-range attacks providing reliable damage and cover for any retreat. Rika would be the dedicated backline support, focusing on healing and light buffs.
After cementing our roles and making initial plans for the morning, we finally settled down to rest, preparing for the challenging day ahead.