Kazuma huffed as he dropped his backpack onto his bedroom floor, utterly relieved to be back home after another day of doing whatever it was a NEET did. Still, he did have some solace from the outside world and the constant badgering from his parents. To be more specific, that would be his gaming computer, which occupied most of his free time, especially after the drop of a brand new MMORPG that he'd gotten hooked on in the past few days.
Digging into his discarded backpack, the young hikikomori pulled out the plastic bag of food he'd acquired from the convenience store out of desperate necessity. Kazuma tried to limit his outings as much as possible, especially when that meant the potential of bumping into his disappointed parents, but thankfully today was one of those days where they were out of the house, allowing him to awkwardly resupply on candy, energy drinks, and instant ramen for his all-night gaming sessions. Such is the sad life of a shut-in such as himself.
Quietly unpacking his acquired snacks on a nearby table, Kazuma then rolled over to his waiting computer, firing it up and typing in his password on instinct alone. Without a moment of hesitation, he opened the gaming browser he'd installed and scanned row after row of the games he owned before his eyes fell back on the title that had held his interest for nearly a week at this point.
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
Total Playtime: 1096 Hours
Admittedly, he was surprised with how much he enjoyed this particular title. It was colorful and flashy, and even though the story was nothing particularly new, he still felt drawn to it for some strange reason. With a dismissive shrug, he double clicked on the game's icon and let it boot up on his desktop, briefly sliding back to his table and grabbing one of his energy drinks.
Even though he'd already seen the opening cinematic enough times to where he could recite the lines verbatim, Kazuma smiled and allowed the cutscene to play out as he sipped away at his drink. He listened to Eris, one of the main goddesses/important NPCs of the game, talk to the camera as though he were the main hero and give a speech about saving the land from the tyrannical Devil King. Again, the story wasn't anything new, but there was just something about the character and her voice actress that made Kazuma's lonely virgin heart beat wildly whenever she made an appearance on screen…
Either that or the energy drink was already kicking in.
"Greetings, brave adventurer! I, Eris, Goddess of Luck, call upon you in our time of need! A fearsome devil has corrupted a fearsome empire, and without your intervention, the kingdom of Belzerg will fall!" She recited with passion and certainty, nevertheless hyping the young man up as he sat up a bit straighter in his chair. "You are the last hope for this world before it falls into darkness and chaos. Go forth and slay the foul demon, and save this wonderful world from untold devastation! Fight on, adventurer, and be the hero I know you can be..."
"I will, Eris-sama," Kazuma said to himself quietly with a mock salute. While he recognized talking to a video game character like that could be viewed as a sign that he should seriously get out more, the young recluse couldn't help it; he loved immersing himself in whatever game world he was playing in. That's why RPGs ranked at the top of his favorites. Plus, he just grew really attached to the character of Eris. He couldn't find a whole lot on her voice actress' web page, so he had to assume KonoSuba was meant to be the launching pad for her voice acting career. In any case, Kazuma already considered himself one of her fans.
After a few seconds and a programmed flash of light, Kazuma was brought to the main title screen, and presented with the usual assortment of options that accompanied most games. After a few seconds of contemplation, he decided to start up a new playthrough with a fresh character...not that he'd change much, of course. He was fairly set in his ways when it came to playstyle, but it was fun to run through the campaign once or twice, even solo.
Being the otaku that he was, Kazuma made his first character wholly original, unique, and consistent with the game world since the day the game launched. By no means was he a stranger to these MMOs but those initial first day jitters always struck him whenever he played the hottest new release worldwide with other people. But, of course, after meeting quite a number of players who couldn't care less about the story or their ridiculous usernames, Kazuma decided he was brave enough to try and roleplay as himself stranded in the middle of a fantasy world with the most absurd adventurers. That was the internet for you; just gotta roll with the punches sometimes.
After finishing up his character creation, Kazuma exited back out to the main screen before selecting his preferred server and connecting. After a few seconds of loading screens he'd seen dozens of times at this point, he was booted into the main spawn area that all new players spawned in: Axel Town, Center. It was your standard MMO town, with the usual shops and such lining the streets, with the center of attention being forced onto the large building he appeared next to. Axel's Adventurer Guild Hall.
Already knowing what to do, Satou wasted no time entering the establishment and "immersing" himself with the local culture of the game world. That mostly just meant Kazuma talked to main NPCs and quest-givers and pretending he was just himself who got reincarnated from Earth. To all of the real players mingling about, he must've seemed like a new player joining in, nothing special. Kazuma himself was wondering if he should try soloing the main campaign this time around. He already helped defeat the Devil King with a group of other players with his first character, so what if he tried going for a "badass lone wolf" approach while adding his own spin to it for this one?
H2OwningU has sent you a chat request.
Kazuma blinked in surprise, staring at the notification for a few seconds. Truthfully, he'd only received a few messages from other players in his time on the game, usually the standard GGs or your typical brand of internet insults. Right off the bat, though...that hadn't happened before. Maybe it was a bot account or something?
Hesitantly, in what was likely a less than smart choice, he accepted.
Satou: Uh, hello?
H2OwningU: Heyo!
Satou: So...is there a reason you're messaging me?
H2OwningU: IDK. U look like a newbie. And I'M a newbie! Thought maybe we should teamup and save this land 2gethr!
Kazuma grimaces instinctually, considering his options. He really wasn't looking forward to playing with a new player on what was gonna be another solo run...but then again, he never really got to play through the game with a proper team before, let alone a partner. After a few moments of consideration, he grumbled quietly to himself as he typed out his response.
Satou: This is actually my fifth playthrough, but sure. Let's 'save the land together'.
There was a bit of a pause in between the messages, and for a brief moment Kazuma wondered if the player went AFK without announcing it. He would've been notified if they had left the private chat otherwise. Eventually, though, they replied back.
H2OwningU: Hol up…5 playthrough? Didn't this game drop like about a month ago tho?
Satou: ...let's keep it simple and just say that I have a lot of free time, alright?
While they probably (hopefully) meant no offense by it, Kazuma just felt as though he got personally attacked by them. He supposed holding himself up in his room all day, abandoning his school life and subsequently whatever social life that came with it just to wallow in his own self-pity with games and anime like a waste of space wasn't exactly normal. Damn it, he was supposed to be escaping from his current reality, not beating it over his head himself! He was already contemplating just blocking the user from his chat logs when they suddenly sent him a new message.
H2OwningU: Okie doki, if u say so! Is there a party feature we can use?
Satou: Oh, uh, yeah. Hang on, I'll send you a party invite…
Kazuma was surprised with how quickly the other player brushed the previous topic away, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining. Checking the lobby, he scrolled down the list of connected players before finding H2OwningU's gamertag, sending the invite before taking a moment to check their in-game profile. In order to even talk to other players, your adventurer had to be 'registered' in the Guild Hall, which was basically the tutorial mission.
Satou: Hey, couldn't help but notice ur profile pic is that water goddess from the game we're playing. Already know the character? Thought you said you were a newbie?
H2OwningU: Yeah, actually! I heard about her online, and thru that I heard about the game! Since I liked the character so much, I figured I'd give this game a shot! How hard can it be, right?
Kazuma snorted at that despite himself. Such an innocent reason for starting, yet not an uncommon one. This player really was proving themselves to be a newbie in his mind.
Satou: Right, well, just stick with me and you'll get the hang of things soon enough. First let's do some construction job minigames and earn enough eris for starting equipment. Then we'll go on our first quest. Cool?
H2OwningU: Sure, sounds gr8! I like minigames!
And before he knew it, Satou Kazuma had abandoned his idea of role playing himself in another world in favor of being H2OwningU's virtual wingman in the game. He supposed he shouldn't be upset or all that surprised things turned out this way; KonoSuba was an MMO after all. Most players ended up linking up into parties at some point or another. Online interaction was just an inevitability.
"Better than social interaction, anyway…" Kazuma muttered to himself numbly, shaking his head before he could space out and go down another spiral. Focus on the game, that was the name of the game…
After fifteen minutes or so, the two players managed to run through enough rounds of the construction minigame to get the minimum requirement of eris for their starter gear. Admittedly, Kazuma was surprised that they'd managed it so quickly, as it usually took a bit long with one player. Maybe having someone else to back him up, rookie or not, wasn't such a bad thing after all!
Once H2Owning finished arming their character, Kazuma selected from the board of beginner quests back at the guild: "Slay 5 Giant Frogs near town". Despite their size, they were no tougher than your standard slime enemy and respawned frequently in the hills outside of Axel. As Kazuma led his unexpected teammate to their destination, he opened the chat.
Satou: Btw, forgot to ask, do you know how to use your support magic? Your bio said you were an Archpriest so some healing spells would be nice to have before we get into it.
H2OwningU: Oh, uh...I kinda only bought emotes and this pretty staff with my points. How much does it cost for spells?
Kazuma had to do a double-take when he first read their reply. That…had to be a joke, right?
Satou: You wasted your starting skill points on…emotes? What, were you trying to soft lock yourself right from the get-go? Actually, I'm surprised that oversight hasn't been patched out yet…
H2OwiningU: They just looked pretty, and besides the staff they were the first thing that popped up! I should be fine, I still have my stick : )
Kazuma gawked at his computer screen. As much as he wanted to be annoyed at H2Owning's stupendous lack of video game competence, he actually got a small chuckle out of their response. The very notion that a literal trash weapon like the common stick was going to be enough to take out- -
Satou: Crap FROGS! Just use your melee key! Can't talk, gotta focus!
With a series of focused keystrokes, Kazuma's character lunged forward, using his base attacks to take out two of the frogs in a strange dance of striking, dodging, and striking again. H2OwningU, meanwhile, just kinda...emoted on the sidelines, which was an admittedly funny sight. One that only got funnier when their character was promptly chomped by one of the closer frogs.
H2OwningU: HELP HELP! EATING ME! WHAT DO!? HELP HELPEFPOSOSDSFJAYHFC
Kazuma was barely able to do anything as he exploded with laughter as the panic-text filled his chat, eventually managing to take out the frog that was attacking H2OwningU, killing off the first wave that they'd encountered in that area. He honestly hadn't been expecting that, even if he realistically should have since his newly adopted teammate had no way to fight.
H2OwningU: My party tricks had no effect ;_;
Satou: Of course they didn't, you dork! They're emotes, for show! It's almost like you were supposed to buy ACTUAL SPELLS to defend yourself!
H2OwningU: …they at least looked pretty tho, right?
Satou: ...yes, H2. They were very pretty. Just...stay behind me for the rest of this, alright? Since we're in a party, we share XP, so soon enough you'll level up and you can properly not get eaten. We only got a few frogs left for the quest anyway.
H2OwningU: Sure thing, Sat! Thx for the cute nickname btw! Thought I give u one two~
Kazuma quirked an eyebrow at that last exchange, before shrugging and continuing on. People were free to talk however they wanted on the internet, that was none of his concern.
After another minute, a fresh wave of frogs spawned not too far away. Kazuma started to approach the group with H2OwningU taking up the rear, only to stop halfway as a massive Explosion collided with the three freshly spawned enemies, destroying them in seconds and almost making the young man jump in his seat. He needed to turn his in-game volume down.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx has sent your party a chat request.
What the hell? Another one? Kazuma thought to himself as he hastily cranked down his in-game volume, before swiping his mouse over to the request and accepting, looping the newcomer into his chat.
Satou: Hello?
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: 'sup
H2OwningU: Hiya!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: say, my char just went limp on me again. can u guys help? thx
Kazuma blinked, before moving his character across the screen and realizing that just out of view from the blast radius, another player did indeed lay on one of the hills, waiting to be revived. Aside from how funny the animation was, since it was basically just this player's avatar laying face down on the ground in a classic faceplant.
Satou: You the one who cast that loud-ass Explosion? Nearly blew out my speakers and eardrums!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: lol, yeah. my b, man
H2OwningU: Oh! Sat, think we could invite them to the party? The more the merrier, right?
Satou: Ugh. Alright, fine. I can revive you faster if you're in our party anyway. Invite sent, if you're up to it, Crimson.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before Crimson accepted the invite, and once Kazuma got done reviving them, he led them and H2 back to town to complete the quest and cash out.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: oh, btw, i'm doing a self-imposed 'explosion only' run cuz i'm hardcore like that. hope that's cool with u guys
Kazuma's hands left his keyboard, promptly landing on his face as he released a long, frustrated groan. Of course. He was paired up with a newbie and a 'hardcore' runner. Well, there went any chance of this playthrough going well. Still...it was worth seeing how this was gonna play out. Explosion was a solid and high level attack, after all. Maybe Crimson knew what they were doing.
Kazuma was snapped out of his thoughts when the chat notification dinged him back to reality, and what he saw was…a meme. A random, out-of-context meme sent by Crimson out of the blue.
Satou: Uh…what is this?
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: comedy
...this was gonna suck.
Once Kazuma's character got done speaking with the main quest-giver NPC, Luna, he reunited with his improvised band of misfits to split the earnings evenly. Though Crimson only technically joined after the battle, they did still help him and H2 take out some of the frogs, so Kazuma felt it was fair to give them a share of the earnings.
Satou: 'K, so…we need to talk about team balancing before we go any further.
H2OwningU M'kay. Oh, btw, I am now stocked up on spells, healing and buff wise! I also got some super punch called "God Blow"...but it's locked for another few levels…
Satou: Well, at least you're not TOTALLY useless anymore…
Kazuma sucked in a breath once he realized what he just typed. Was that too harsh or a response? Sure, the internet can be a tough place and worse things have been said, but was that response really necessary. H2 was making the game a tad frustrating for him, sure, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't still having fun. And now he sent that into the chat…
Kazuma stood up from his chair to pace around his unlit room as his brain went into overdrive and his heart began to race. Why was he getting this upset over a harmless comment he made? It wasn't like he's done that before with other gamers! Then again, he usually reserved it for when they were being toxic. H2 seemed to just be trying their best with them being a newbie and all and he had to go and be one of those toxic gamers himself.
...he had to apologize, NOW.
Satou: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're new to this game and for me to act like you should know everything off the bat is really shitty. If you want to bail out on our party, I get it.
H2OwningU: Woah, woah, relax Sat! It's okay, I'm not mad at you. I get it man, I'm a noob and you're a pro. I was sort of expecting this. We're still cool.
Kazuma nearly slouched out of his seat, a sputtery sigh of relief escaping him as he shook his head. He'd played with a helluva lot of other people who were a lot less forgiving. He was grateful for H2's leniency, and was about to make that evident...when Crimson dropped another stupid meme.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: srry i was in my meme folder. what'd i miss?
Satou: Dear god, you have a FOLDER of these cursed things? The ones you've pulled up so far were already dead in the water!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: i have a usb full of these bad boys and I will use them as i see fit :D
H2OwningU: I mean…I kinda like 'em tbh : )
Satou: Awful. You're both awful. You disappoint me so.
Darkest Knight has sent your party a chat request.
"What is this, my popular phase or what?" Kazuma muttered to himself incredulously. Given his current track record of attracting the weirdest players this server had to offer, the hikikomori hesitantly accepted the new chat request with bated breath.
Darkest Knight: Ah, hello?
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: yo
H2OwningU: Hi there!
Satou: Save yourself.
There was a bit of a gap in between the messages sent. Before Kazuma could ask if Darkest Knight was still there, however, he was hit with a formal wall of text. Not a common sight in MMOs such as this one.
Darkest Knight: Oh…well, uh, greetings. A friend of mine recommended this game to me and I just wanted to make a good first impression with some of the players. She does some voice work with one of the characters and, while I prefer games with a more in-depth story, I've seen many good reviews on this one regardless, so I thought I'd give it a try. How are you all doing this evening?
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: i'm doin' p good. these guys are cool, you'll like 'em
H2OwningU: I'm having a lot of fun, thank u 4 asking! Also, right back at ya, Crimson! Here's a party trick just for you~
Right on que, H2 started up one of their emotes, resulting in a particularly elaborate display of magical tricks. Kazuma shook his head and chuckled, painfully bewildered by what he was watching and having a great time.
Satou: Right, while H2 does that...what class did you main? I don't see you in the hall rn.
Another small delay before another message was sent by the newcomer.
Darkest Knight: Crusader. I've always had a thing for knights and the sort so that's what I went with. I believe I've allotted my points accordingly, though I am a touch overwhelmed by all the mechanics. Do you have any experience with this game?
H2OwningU: Oh yeah, Sat's super proficient with that jazz! This is his fifth playthrough, can you believe it? I think he's a speedrunner or something
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: shit, rly? impressive
Satou: Yeah, speedrunner, let's go with that. Anyway, if you're asking if you wanna join the party, knock yourself out. It's your funeral tho.
Darkest Knight: Truly? Thank you, I'd be honored to join your party! I'll do my best to be useful. Please, do not hesitate to ask me for anything!
Kazuma smiled as he sent Knight the invite. So far, this player seemed not only well-mannered and polite, but competent too! Maybe tonight's gaming session was about to turn around for the better. Hopefully having another player with their head on their shoulders to balance out H2 and Crimson's…eccentricities would be just the thing Kazuma needed to make good progress in this new playthrough.
Satou: Well, in the spirit of progression, you guys up to run another mission or two, maybe even one of the early campaign missions?
Just as Kazuma finished typing out that question to his party, he and all the other players in the server were alerted with a flashy, in-game notification in their quest logs.
The Axel Town Cabbage Harvest event has now commenced! It's that time of year again, folks; the time where the kingdom's ripened vegetables attempt to fly away to parts unknown before they can be eaten. Before 12:00 AM (JST), kill and harvest as many of the little buggers as you can and turn in your haul for limited time rewards!
Huh, speak of the devil. This could work out. Kazuma thought to himself, nodding in acceptance and cracking a small smile as he typed out a new message.
Satou: Alright, new plan. The harvest event is starting pretty soon, that'd be a good way for us to wrack up some decent rewards to kick us off.
H2OwningU: I'll do my best! But if I suck 2 much, I'll just cheer u guys on from the sidelines!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: nah i'm sure you'll do gr8. u too, dark
Darkest Knight: Oh…well, just as a fair warning, I have really poor aim when it comes to most video games, FPS or otherwise. Still, thank you for the vote of confidence, Crimson. I'll give it my best shot!
Satou: I'm sure you'll do fine, lol. Early game combat is basically point and click, it'd be hard to mess that up, right?
Darkest Knight: …I will give it my best shot.
With that sentiment in mind, Kazuma pulled up the in-game map icon and selected the outer walls of the city. That's usually where the most enemies spawned at the beginning of the event, so they'd have a decent likelihood of getting a fair share from that area to start.
Satou: Right. Everyone follow me. If we hurry now we might find a good spot to camp before the other players.
H2OwningU: Okie Doki, Sat! Lead the way, we're right with u!
Kazuma made his character sprint downtown with his impromptu ensemble of noobs and challenge-runners. As he led the charge while avoiding bumping into the other players' collision hit boxes, he realized that he'd been smiling to himself during the whole exchange. He blinked once he finally did notice and felt slightly embarrassed over it. He reached down into his bag for a snack to keep himself from dwelling on the why of it. If there was one thing the internet has taught the young man, it's to never get too attached to the people you meet.
In other words, just like my life…Kazuma thought glumly as he took a bite out of his candy bar. So much for the good mood and escaping from reality…
Darkest Knight: So, what should I expect going into this? We aren't really fighting cabbages after all, right?
Almost like a gift from Eris herself, a new message from Knight pulled Kazuma from out of his depressing moment. Wiping his fingers clean with the tissues he kept in his desk drawer (don't judge), he typed away at his keyboard to answer their question.
Satou: Yes we are. Flying Cabbages to be specific. They're pretty fast, even for this early in the game, but they have low HP. U got this ; )
A few seconds later, they emerged into a clearing, where a handful of other players also resided, goofing around and emoting, likely waiting for the event to start proper. Honestly, there were just enough people there at the moment to keep the spawn rates high while still giving everyone an equal chance at a decent payout.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: yo, who's gonna b in charge of reviving my ass after explosion?
H2OwningU: I got you, Crimson! My spells should make it easy peasy!
Satou: You read which keys bind to which spells, right H2?
H2OwningU: 0-0
Satou: …it's the number keys.
H2OwningU: O, yeah! Ok, I got it now! Ready!
Satou: DON'T USE THEM NOW! Save your mana, doofus!
After that enlightening exchange, a series of chimes from the game accompanied an announcement; the event had officially started! Sure enough, after a few seconds, clusters of little cabbages with leaves for wings started to crop up. The horde was upon us.
Darkest Knight: Well…here goes nothing. Noble crusader mode: GO!
With that, Darkest's avatar charged forward, attracting a fair number of the closest clusters towards them in the process. When they collided, Kazuma noticed two things right off the bat. One, they didn't so much as scratch their armor, as their HP remained at full while their defense stat lowered tick by tick, slow as can be. The other thing, though...they had yet to land a hit on a single enemy...even as they literally swarmed around her.
Satou: Bro…What. R. U. Doing. Rn?
Darkest Knight: My best, Satou. I'm doing my best.
Satou: This isn't an FPS game, it's point and click!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: bout 2 drop the bomb on these low-lives. check it
Right on cue, Crimson made use of her Explosion spell, vaporizing almost all of the cabbages that had been harassing Darkest up until this point. Of course, this was followed with her avatar instantly flopping to the floor, incapacitated. Once H2 moved to start reviving her, Kazuma was comfortable enough to move forward and take care of the stragglers around his crusader.
Once the first wave of the cabbage swarmed was moped up by him and all the other attending players, Kazuma pulled open the chat and began typing furiously.
Satou: So, tell me Knight…how did you spec your build again?
Darkest Knight: Ah, admittedly...I may have been a bit skewed in the defensive upgrades. In my defense, I thought it would be most efficient as a tank class to only take damage, so I didn't put any into my offensive traits.
"Oh, well THERE'S the problem!" Kazuma blurted out in frustration after reading their response. There was a fine line to being new to a game and just…lacking common sense it seems.
Satou: That would explain the inaccuracy rate. The higher ur offense skills, the higher chance you'll roll a hit. Look, players share XP when in parties, so wait a bit and start investing points into swords and shit. Should be golden after that.
Darkest Knight: Alright, I'll keep that in mind going forward! Thank you for the guidance, Satou, I appreciate it!
Kazuma smiled softly as he leaned back in his chair, pleasantly satisfied. This new player may have been a little rough around the edges like H2 and Crimson, but they seemed like the decent sort. Truthfully, they all seemed like good sports, stupid memes and all. Maybe…maybe asking them later if they'd like to link up again wouldn't hurt, even if it meant slow progress for him. Not like the isolated teen didn't already know the lore of this game like the back of his hand anyway.
As Kazuma was contemplating such an immense decision for someone as introverted as him, he eyed the chat display when he heard one of his…colleagues send a message.
H2OwningU: Dang Dark, u took a beating like it was nothing! Role playing as a crusader with a secret M side or what? Lol!
Darkest Knight: What?! Oh god, who told you?! Have I been doxed?!
H2OwningU: Huh? What, no! Nobody's been doxed! It was just a joke! A harmless goof! You ok?
Darkest Knight: Oh. Uh. Sorry about that, I was just joking. Heh.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: yooo dark's into that freaky shit. lol
No sooner was the message delivered did Crimson follow it up with yet another one of their accursed memes. This one being a short video of a guy doing a one-man skit. To Kazuma's mild surprise, it looked to have been recorded in America as the man was speaking in English. Thankfully, the video Crimson sent came with Japanese subtitles so he could understand what the speaker was saying. In the skit, the man calls another (played also by himself) out for a weird kink and, when told to stop kink shaming, reveals that kink shaming just so happened to be his kink. The video ends with a perfectly cut scream from the "victim" being "kink shamed".
Satou: It is horrifying that you have all that prepared for one meme.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: lol, i'm studying to become bilingual. gotta go international if i wanna perfect my craft : D
H2OwningU: She's too dangerous to be left alive.
Darkest Knight: I'm feeling things I probably shouldn't be feeling right now…I'm so sorry you guys, I understand if you wish to kick me out.
Satou: Nah, you're fine. Can't say I personally get it, but I don't think any of us are gonna kick you out over it, y'know? That feels unfair.
H2OwningU: Yeah, what Sat said! I don't care if you're into whips and chains! Learn to express and love yourself!
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: yeah, what these 2 said. we won't judge you or ask you to leave 4 being u
Darkest Knight: …Thank you all, truly. I've never actually opened up about this to anyone except my family and closest friend. I guess I should praise the good Lord that I was fortunate enough to encounter players as kind and understanding as you three on my first run. If it's not too much to ask…would you like to become friends? Chris has been insisting that I should branch out a little more (probably why she recommended this game other than to promote her voice acting career).
Kazuma couldn't prevent the smile rising on his face as he read those words, feeling uncharacteristically proud for a moment. These three were strange as all hell, but they were fun, and nice, and it really, really would be good to have people to talk to and hang with, even online.
H2OwningU: Hey, I was literally about to send you a friend request! R u psychic or something!?
Satou: H2, I seriously doubt that Darkest is psychic. However, I agree on the friend request front. You guys are pretty cool, and I'd like to keep playing with you.
xXCrims0n_D3monXx: i know i'm cool. but seriously, u guys r cool 2 and i wouldn't mind sticking around. make my explosion only run little easier anyway lol
And with a few simple invites, Kazuma had his first three friends linked up on his current favorite game, and he felt the strangest sense of excitement as he returned to the chat and continued to play with them. Maybe he was just that lonely that having three names on a screen was enough to keep him happy at this point, but it was something. Better yet, something that made him smile.
And even well past midnight, after the cabbage event had passed and the gang had to log off to attend their non-hikikomori lives, Kazuma still felt that lingering sense of gratification knowing that he would get to play with those weirdos again for another day. Though his traitorous heart and mind told him this was not meant to last forever, the young man managed to push those bittersweet feelings aside and focus on the positives for once. At least he had a reinvigorated reason to stick to this new playthrough.