Something Feels Off.

There was a reason why I named the adventurer party 'Dungeon God'.

It's not like I was the only person who played the online game 'Dungeon God'.

Is it really impossible that there are others, like me, who have become possessed as a character from such a game?

No.

My answer is, "There's no way that's not the case."

Of course, I have no concrete evidence. Just a feeling. That's why I'm trying to find out.

Only "players" would know the name 'Dungeon God'.

If someone recognizes it, it means they enjoyed the game, just like I did.

The reason I'm doing this is simple.

"Players should stick together."

In a harsh world, if you try to survive alone, you're bound to spill blood.

Some might say you're asking for trouble if you carelessly reveal yourself as a 'player'.

"Because you're a player, I'll kill you."

But really—who would think such a deranged thing? Anyone who does isn't sane to begin with.

It's not revealing I'm a "player" that's dangerous; they're just dangerous people in the first place.

That's why I chose "Dungeon God" as the name of the adventurer party.

Maybe another player will see the party name and leave some kind of message. That's what I was hoping for.

The next day.

"Fourteen posts have been registered on the 'Dungeon God' party forum."

A different receptionist from yesterday. His words left me flustered.

"What's a forum?"

Barkal seemed clueless about forums. Not surprising for a barbarian.

Forum.

You could say it's an open message board that lets others know the reputation of an adventurer party.

Wouldn't you feel lost if you tried to join a party or take a request without any information?

The "forum" is a policy from the Adventurer's Guild to solve just that problem.

Put simply, it's where you can leave 'star reviews'.

"...... Hmm."

Barkal let out a sigh. It didn't look like he understood, but that didn't matter.

When I heard that fourteen posts were already up, this thought crossed my mind:"Have players already noticed?"

It was only natural to think this way. What could a brand-new party called "Dungeon God" possibly have for so many posts to be registered?

So it would only be natural to guess they were written by "players"... but—

"Fourteen is too many."

I figured there might be some others in this situation, but fourteen? That's excessive.

What was the staff doing? Was there some kind of flash sale at the revolving entrance?

"I'll read them."

Trying to hide my confusion, I spoke. The receptionist handed me a square glass tablet and muttered something, and lines of text began appearing.

Let's read them, one by one.

[Thanks for beating up those three silver-rank adventurers yesterday!][Those bastards always picked fights with rookies under the guise of 'training'.Felt so satisfying.]

Hmm?

[If you were also hoping the Barbarian would pull a weapon instead of just using his fists, please like this post.][I'll start.]

What are these people doing on our forum? I looked at the receptionist with an incredulous face, and he gave a sheepish smile.

"This is pretty common when a new party forum opens up."

I looked back at the glass tablet.

I thought these posts were from players, but they had nothing to do with them.

From the looks of it, they seemed to be about the adventurers Barkal beat up yesterday.

That's that.

[But aren't those silver-rank adventurers the ones who believe in Ornil? Will the Barbarians be okay?][I'm an Ornil follower, and those guys deserved what they got.][Maybe don't talk bad about Ornil.][I was talking about them, not Ornil!]

The world of "Dungeon God" is certainly not modern, so why does the "forum" feel so familiar? Is this the power of anonymity?

"If you want, the party can restrict anonymity. Will you do that?"

What's the best choice? Stroking my chin, I considered the unruly posts.

If I leave things as they are, will someone cross the line? That thought occurred to me, so I figured it'd be better to shut it down.

[But why are the Barbarians in this party so strong?][Is it Thrag? I heard all Barbarians who believe in that god are like that.][Must be a powerful god.]

* 〈You have increased the fame of Thrag.〉* 〈You have acquired faith.〉

You can acquire faith from something like this? I suppose it counts if my name as a god is being spread.

"Leave it as is."

On second thought, I should leave it. It looks like I'll acquire faith automatically from this.

"Um, are you sure you want to leave it open?"

"There's something more important."

My real reason for coming to the Adventurer's Guild today was elsewhere.

"Where is our new companion!"

The minimum number required for a functioning party is three. I came today because they said they'd arrange a third member.

"Ah, there were three applicants for the party."

The receptionist, startled by Barkal's intimidating appearance, quickly handed over the documents.

Three sets of papers.Inside were personal details, class, and a photo.

Three people.Whom should I choose? As I considered, Barkal strode up to me.

"Barkal, if you could pick one companion, who would you choose?"

"I want someone strong! There may be no one like you, Dmihtan, who I can fight back-to-back with, but still—someone strong!"

"You can't really tell just by looking at this."

A famous adventurer would never apply to a brand new party. All three applicants looked like total rookies.

Of course, you could find an extraordinary rookie—like Barkal.

But would such a person join our party?

"I have a method."

"What is it?"

A spark appeared in Barkal's eyes. He must have thought of a great plan. Let's see.

"First, call all three of them."

"And then?"

"Lock them in one room."

This seems strange...

"Accept the one who survives as a companion."

"No."

"Ah, is that not allowed?!"

An idea only a villain would come up with—the receptionist was horrified.

Shouldn't have expected anything. Sighing, I looked over each application more carefully.

One is a rogue.Another is a fighter.The last is a cleric.

The fighter is out for now.

Two of our current members are melee classes.

Barbarian and Barbarian (Necromancer). There would be nothing for a fighter to do between those two.

"Rogue..."

Barkal picked up the rogue's application among the two left, glaring at it with hatred.

"Those rats never fight fair and square!"

He looked as though he was about to tear the application apart.

He didn't tear it—he seemed to be waiting for my permission.

"We don't need a rogue."

"Graaa!"

Rip!

Barkal tore the application.

Personally, I don't think our party needs a rogue.

I already have basic knowledge of dungeons, after all.

"The last one..."

A cleric?

A priest who serves a god. Their role is to support allies and heal wounds.

At the same time, they destroy evil beings like undead with the power of benevolent gods.

"I'm a necromancer, so it might not be a perfect fit, but..."

Right now, the party most desperately needs this kind of person.

It's a class that can support both frontliners.

"Should I pick this one?"

"Yes."

Barkal tilted his head when he saw the word "cleric."

"This one's a woman."

I know. Both the personal info and photo showed it was a woman.

"So what if it's a woman?"

"Women are weak!"

Cleric or not, gender makes no difference.

"That doesn't matter. She's the companion we need right now."

"...... Hmm."

Despite his dissatisfaction, Barkal eventually nodded in agreement.

Don't dislike her so much. Once you experience a cleric's healing, you'll be singing a different tune.

"There is a way to let in the other two as well, you know."

"No."

I rejected the receptionist's suggestion.

With Barkal as an exceptional frontliner, we hardly need another.

Besides—

"The fewer the people, the larger the cut."

This was the real reason.

* * *

Since we recruited a new party member, of course there has to be an interview.

The cleric who applied... Cerebri– ... What was it again?

"It's Serebrina Lightbringer."

"Serebri..."

"Sere or Serena is fine!"

So cheerful—Serebri... Why is her name so complicated?

Anyway, since she said Serena, I'll call her Serena.

Serena smiled. Her golden hair reached down to her waist, and her blue eyes stood out, brightening the previously somber consulting room.

"She's pretty."

She had the sort of appearance you'd expect a "Saintess" to have in a novel. But for some reason, I got a strange feeling.

"Why did you apply to our new adventurer party?"

A cleric.Definitely a prized asset.

Other parties would have been eager to recruit her—and she must have gotten a lot of offers.

So why did she join a brand-new party?

"It's because the god I serve told me they had business here."

Serena closed her eyes, beginning to pray.

"... The god?"

They told her directly to join this party?

Her answer left me convinced.

"Will you join our party?"

We have to bring her in.

In 'Dungeon God', even gods don't usually deliver messages or communicate directly to their followers.

The only exceptions are "I take them under my wing and deal with them directly" cases like me, or when they are chosen as an "apostle" like Barkal.

Judging from Serena's vibe, it's not the first case. So—

"The second one."

She's been chosen as an 'apostle', too.

An "apostle" is exceptionally powerful. Naturally, they're the agent of a god.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to join the 'Dungeon God' party?"

"Of course. We Barbarians never stop anyone coming or going."

"Thank you!"

Serena stood up and beamed.

She then took my right hand in both of hers and gazed at me.

"May the blessing of the god be with you!"

I couldn't figure out why she was so happy. A cleric would be welcomed anywhere.

Still, easily recruiting an "apostle"-level talent like this is a huge boon.

"... Huh?"

I looked down at Serena's hands. Thin, delicate hands—but her palm was strangely callused and hard.

What's this? Calluses?

"Ah, I'm sorry! Did I scare you?!"

"It's fine."

"Then, what's the plan for the 'Dungeon God' party?"

"We'll be delving into a lowest-level iron-rank dungeon."

"I see! Well, it makes sense for a new party!"

The information provided by the Adventurer's Guild is limited, and the differentiation is based on party rank.

It starts at the lowest, 'Iron', and goes up to 'Platinum'.

Higher rank means more information access and more dungeons you can explore.

Of course, to get a 'Rune of the Abyss', you have to tackle high-ranked dungeons.

We depart tomorrow.

It feels rushed, but with Thrag pushing me, I have no choice.

"Sounds great! See you at the entrance to the dungeon tomorrow!"

Even with the sudden schedule, serena didn't complain at all.

What a good-natured person.

After setting the date, she left. And thus, the "Dungeon God" party was officially formed.

"Brother."

With Serena gone, Barkal, who had been watching from the back, spoke up.

Was he going to object to bringing a woman in again?

"My earlier thinking was mistaken. I apologize."

To my surprise, Barkal apologized for what he said earlier. Guess you started to see the value of a cleric, too.

"She's not a woman, she's a warrior. She fits as a companion for Barbarians!"

What nonsense is that? Still, the day I will understand Barkal's off-the-wall comments isn't far off.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Haha, it's surprising that Barkal noticed what the MC didn't.She's probably a fighter too.With first 10 chapters, this novel is a fun read.A petty god with a pettier MC?Count me in!【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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