They spent the next twenty minutes harvesting, basically scavenging any drops. As for Yamamoto, he wasn't so much as bothered with the drops or what profit they would make from the dungeon, as he already received even better system rewards. He didn't get any equipment or consumables, but he got extra experience points, a mystery chest and 10 gold coins.
Looking at the trajectory of things, money wasn't going to be an issue he would have to deal with in this life. This thought alone was always a relief, especially because of his experience in his life on earth.
Throughout the time they spent gathering stuff, Yamamoto worked mechanically, his mind elsewhere. The fight had lasted nearly two hours from entry to completion as the cave was also decently big. In the game, he could have cleared this dungeon in fifteen minutes, maybe less. Even now, if he went solo, he might have done same, using different tactics to blitz through without worrying about formation or coordination.
Nevertheless, team approach, while slower, was safer. He did suffer some injuries, but no one had taken critical damage, resources were conserved, and everyone was ok.
Even with all this, he still preferred solo play.
The walk back to Mashlow was quieter than the journey out. Everyone was tired, splattered with goblin blood, and ready for a good bath, hot food and rest. Looking at it now, he could see why the guild's quarters would care to provide baths.
Yamamoto walked near the back of the group, lost in thought. His ribs still felt numb despite the healing from Donovan, a reminder of how close he'd come to a serious injury, and the fact that these were still low level players—adventurers.
Beyond that, the goblin chief's adaptation replayed in his mind. Having to face monsters and enemies that didn't follow the set pattern was going to be an even bigger problem the more he continued to do things within the confines of a team—with others who had no idea how to go about things.
For a brief moment, it made him think of how much of his game knowledge he could trust, but thinking about that was just going backwards. He just took note of the different disparities, taking deep mental notes.
The main story quests came to his thoughts, something that had been looming at the back of his mind. In the game, they'd been server-wide events—massive coordinated efforts involving hundreds of players, and the first major quest following the opening quest had been designed to be completed by level 20+ players working together.
The boss, while there were many ways to deal with it, the standard was that it wasn't even meant to be killed. The quest objective had been to seal it, not defeat it. Players who'd tried to fight it directly had died in droves… for the most part.
Now that he was in a real world, he could only think of how these things would be. While players could just pick their standings and positions to play during such quests, which meant all roles were always filled and serviced, this was real life. Who would know that there was supposed to be someone working a specific job of a guard at a long abandoned location? Or some other unsuspecting roles?
'Kai… I really don't want to think about it.' He thought to himself.
"Yamamoto?"
He looked up to find Ninia walking beside him. She had fallen back from the main group, her expression showing concern.
"Are you alright? You seemed hurt during the fight."
"Priest Donovan healed me. I'm fine."
"That's not what I meant." She studied his face. "You seemed... frustrated, toward the end of the fight."
"Did I? Haha, I'm just used to fighting alone. Team tactics are... an adjustment." He said, choosing his words.
"I understand. I was the same when I first joined." She smiled slightly. "I used to just cast spells whenever I wanted. Didn't coordinate timing with the others. Cole nearly burst his veins in anger the first time I dropped a Frost Burst on enemies Kenneth was engaged with. Oh yeah, you don't know, do you? Kenneth used to help us with runs back then."
"I didn't. But, were you also a solo adventurer before?" Yamamoto asked.
"No?" She answered with a smile on her face, throwing Yamamoto off. She had just consoled him, speaking as though she was one before. Even then, he couldn't help but go on with the play.
"Wha-what changed?"
"I learned to trust the team. You know? To communicate, to understand that my role wasn't to do maximum damage, but to do the right damage at the right time." She said as she glanced ahead at the others. "It's slower than solo work, less efficient in some ways, but we all go home alive."
They walked in silence for a moment.
"Silas didn't mean what he said," Ninia added quietly. "About you being sloppy. He's just... dealing with some things."
Yamamoto said nothing to that. 'You broke the guy's heart with a rejection, of course he's going through a lot.' He laughed dryly in his mind.
He'd seen what had happened during the fight—Silas taking a goblin spear to the leg while covering Ninia from an attack she hadn't seen coming. He couldn't tell if it was pure team play, or if love was speaking.
Yamamoto could see it, though. Silas was busy protecting the woman he cared about, while Yamamoto who was close to Ninia at the time did nothing. Well, in his defence, he was maintaining formation and following strict orders, and according to design, Silas had done his job perfectly, protecting the mage.
"He's a good fighter," Yamamoto said finally.
Ninia looked at him with surprise, then something softer. "That's, generous of you."
"No, I really mean it."
Despite their exhaustion, Ninia still found ways to talk to Yamamoto from time to time, keeping him almost constantly engaged the entire journey back.
…
Once they got to the city, there was still some time before dark, so Cole and Ninia took the collected materials to sell while the others dispersed to clean up and rest.
Yamamoto returned to his room, grateful to find it empty.
Switching his clothes to the old ones he had in his inventory, he decided he would get new clothes. Sitting on his bed, he couldn't help but wince at the pain he felt on his chest from the bruise. Weak skills really weren't so effective.
Checking for the rewards, the mystery chest to be precise, it had materialized in his inventory, and opening it, he got three lesser healing potions.
"Should I use one now?"