The evening air in the town of Reindale was lively, the adventurer's guild tavern packed with rowdy mercenaries, travelers, and rookie adventurers fresh off their first hunts. Among them sat the Truck Survivors clan, occupying three long tables near the corner.
Takeshi (lifting a mug): "To not dying in the last three days!"
Everyone: "CHEERS!!"
They clinked their cups together, some filled with juice, others with the cheapest ale.
Daichi (grinning): "Alright, report time! Team 1 bagged that forest troll subjugation request. Wasn't easy. Thing threw a boulder at Sho."
Sho (rubbing his shoulder): "I caught it… with my face."
Yumi (smirking): "We're all Level 6 now. Daichi's at 7."
Takeshi: "Nice, nice. Truck level's still higher though."
Jun: "You don't get to flex that you're Level 15 just because you ran over an ogre."
Takeshi (grinning): "It was tactical vehicular warfare."
Team 2 leaned in next.
Ms. Sato (smiling gently): "We cleared the wyvern nest extermination. Kaoru did wonderfully charming the hatchlings away while Naomi and Ken took out the adults."
Kaoru (still petting a tiny baby wyvern sleeping in her lap): "I couldn't just leave them…"
Mari (nodding): "We're mostly at Level 5 now. I hit 6."
Usapyon (munching a steamed bun): "Bun power never fails."
Then came Team 3.
Takeshi (resting an arm on Nobu's shoulder): "We flattened an ogre. Literally. The Shogun's front bumper's a little bent, but he's a survivor."
Miki: "Fire magic's pretty effective if Takeshi softens them up first."
Aya (patting a small wolf pup beside her): "Picked up a beast companion too. Meet Kiba."
Haru (with a bruised face): "I may have gotten hit… twice."
Nobu (deadpan): "Three times."
Haru: "Details."
Jun: "We're between Level 5 and 7. Except Takeshi."
Takeshi (grinning smugly): "Still 15."
Daichi (sighing): "We get it, man."
The Backup Squad mostly stayed quiet, still green, but grinning as they nursed minor injuries and listened to the veterans.
Rina (to Team 4): "You guys good?"
One student: "We chased rabbits."
Another: "One bit me."
Everyone laughed.
After the noise died down a bit, Daichi stood.
Daichi: "Alright, listen up! This is fun and all, but don't forget why we're doing this. We need to get stronger. The Demon Lord won't care what level we are — and we can't stay Bronze adventurers forever."
Ms. Sato: "Agreed. Next week, we take on higher difficulty quests. No more rabbits."
Takeshi (raising a mug again): "And someday… we'll drive my Shogun right through the Demon Lord's front gate!"
Nobu (dryly): "Assuming the road's wide enough."
Miki: "Or if the Demon Lord doesn't have a speed bump."
Everyone burst into laughter again.
Mari: "So… who's leading tomorrow's quest requests?"
Daichi: "Me, Takeshi, and Ms. Sato'll pick 'em out. Same teams as before."
Takeshi: "And if there's a 'Large Monster That Needs Flattening' job, dibs."
They clinked their mugs again. The night went on with laughter, stories, and a growing sense of unity.
They might've started as random classmates, but now — they were adventurers.
And their clan Truck Survivors was just getting warmed up.