[CENTER][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210130/e0cb160ca3d86f8cb8540be25e5665b5.png[/img][/CENTER]

[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=#98A9B1][b]Location:[/b][/color] Fountain Square -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
[hr]

[i]Kazuki was going to make them late.[/i] 

[color=98A9B1]”Look, if you want to finish your little performance, go ahead. But I’m going to check us in at the Wayfarer’s Retreat. I added the location as a waypoint for our party; so you can’t get lost.”[/color] His brother’s little concerts were impressive enough that other players did enjoy watching them. Hell, they’d received a few guild invites because of Kazuki’s popularity-okay, not [i]they[/i] just Kazuki. Raid groups didn’t hate Kazuma-[i]Benkei’s[/i]-skills as a tank. In fact he was an extremely reliable tank in most dungeons and encounters. 

It was the attitude that rubbed groups the wrong way. 

[color=98A9B1][i]”The DPS died during the trash pull. That’s unacceptable.

The off-tank didn’t pull the right groups. It took us 15 seconds longer than average to defeat this boss. 

The DPS isn’t committing enough damage to skip the second phase. If you can’t parse, why the hell are you even playing the game?[/i][/color] 

Kicked. Removed. No commendations. This was normal. People needed to play perfectly if they wanted to be the best, and these chumps were in it for “fun” and to “relax”. They had no idea how important it was to be regarded as a top player. As a reliable tank. As someone people could look up to. Accepted. 

Kazuki was the opposite. His brother was more concerned with mastering the music in the game than healing in dungeons. And being forced to carry his older brother through these events while shouting down everyone else? It hadn’t made a good impression on anyone. 

Benkei made his way into the Wayfarer’s Retreat. Even though he’d customized his avatar, he’d spent hours making the avatar resemble himself IRL. In a world where everyone else made themselves look fantastic and wonderful, Bekei’s obsession was making himself look...well, like himself.  It didn’t matter that his avatar looked a little silly with the oversized sword nearly the size of its wielder.  He wanted to [i]be[/i] the best version of himself in the game, since outside he was...well, he was Kazuma. Second son, second best, completely forgettable and average.

But here? 

He scanned around the room, surprised at some of the top level players that had been invited. He’d recognized a few of them; he had to know the competition he faced in his dream of becoming number 1. He found a seat away from the group, eyeing up the ones talking and chatting amongst themselves. Raids were cooperative experiences, but in his mind, it was just as much player vs player as any arena match. These people were his competitors on his journey to become the best. There was the one girl; the tank everyone hated. Still, she was one of the best in the game, and it made sense she’d be invited here to complete a raid before anyone else knew about it. 

There were other big names showing up as well. Former members of famous guilds, players who just wound up in nearly every party eventually...all sorts. Benkei wondered if they’d be reliable. 

[/indent]



[/indent][/indent]