I am about to crush the dungeon core when a window pops in front of me.

Dungeon Battle Won! Winner: Flesh Monstrosities - The Mad Rat’s Lab - Disguised Koala Rewards Obtained ...

“... Yeeees! I finally won one match against her!” I look at the other player’s progress screen and see her still inside the Tunnel Mimic. “So she died? I was so close to settling the match anyway...”

I’m holding the dungeon core in my hand. I crush it. Why? To satisfy my own ego. I won this game, and you lost it. Both at the same time! Hahaha!

“Ooooh, sweet, sweet victory! How good it feels to win a match after losing two consecutive times! And not simply losing, but losing to unfair matches! Hahaha!”

“See? You only won the first two matches because they were rigged! In a fair dungeon battle, I’m better than you! Hahaha!”

Relieved after displaying my real might, I decide to leave the game. After taunting Laura about her defeat, of course.

Only a little. Well… you got me. A LOT! Hahaha!

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It’s Saturday morning. Today we are having a barbeque party for lunch. Who’s gonna come? I’m not sure, but everyone from the Computer Science degree is invited. I only know that Ricard and Laura are coming too.

“Hey, Andreu!”

“Good morning, Òscar!”

He’s Òscar, the house’s owner. Well, his family is. We are having the BBQ at his house.

“You came very early today!”

“Yeah… I couldn’t stay still this morning, so I came earlier than usual.”

It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just that after yesterday’s victory I’m extremely happy. I finally managed to set things right: I didn’t lose because I was worse, but because the opponent had a wide advantage over me.

Now, I feel like I can fly. As if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

“So… want to give a helping hand? I would appreciate it if you could take care of starting the fire and preparing the embers. So that I can focus on the drinks and greeting the others!”

It looks like Òscar noticed my extra energy, and asked me for help. Not to brag, but usually I am sleepy during mornings, because I go to sleep late, wasting time with internet videos or playing games.

“Yeah, sure. I don’t have anything to do until everybody comes, so why not.”

“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Ahahaha! Don’t exaggerate…”

Next to the grill, there’s the coal sack. I prepare everything and start the fire. It isn’t that hard when you have done it a bunch of times already.

Soon, Òscar comes with several trays full of meat. Chicken, lamb, ‘botifarra’ (catalan sausage), hamburgers… Mmmm… They look delicious. Well, not yet. But they will once they are cooked.

“Here you go. As soon as the embers are ready, you can start grilling the meat. I’ll now bring the rest.” Says Òscar, putting the trays next to the grill.

When he returns, he has two more trays: one with vegetables cut into slices, and another with cheese.

“And to accompany the meat, or for those who don’t like it, we have veggies and cheese. What do you think, Andreu? Will this be enough?”

“I’m sure they will.” I answer.

With this mountain of meat and the two smaller ones with veggies and cheese, I believe we could feed twice the number of people than those who are coming today… Maybe more?

Some people believe that barbeques are only about meat. Those people don’t understand anything. The appeal of grilled veggies, in special sliced courgette or eggplant, or even onion, can’t be underestimated.

And don’t make me start on the cheese. Half-melted grilled cheese. Just by remembering it, my drool starts to accumulate and finally drops. On top of the grill.

Uuups! Nobody saw, right? I look around, but the only one present, Òscar, looks busy with the drinks.

Wow! That was close! Luckily, nobody saw, so I wipe the drool as best as I can. Before the others see what I did.

“Andreu, want a beer?” Says Òscar, extending one beer bottle to me.

“Yes, thanks!” I say.

*Ding Dong!*

“Ooh, seems somebody else has come! I’ll go open the door.”

And he leaves me alone. Alone with the food. Nobody will notice if I take a bite now, right? I mean, it is already starting to smell delicious, and I can barely hold myself…

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

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Everyone has arrived, and is eating and drinking. I’m currently with Ricard and Laura, as usual.

“Say aaaaah!”

“Aaaaaah!”

There is one guy from our class that brought his girlfriend. And they are sticking together while acting like a stupid couple of lovebirds.

Why don’t you go to some other place? Did you need to come this close? Do you want to get us angry? Look at Ricard, he looks like he’s going to explode! If you continue, you’re going to face the wrath of an angry geek! Hahaha!

“Say aaaah!”

Again!? I try to send them a killing gaze, but when I turn my head to look in their direction, I bump into something. It’s a fork with some chicken.

“Hhmmmm… Laura, what are you doing?” I ask.

“Just say aaaah, come on!” She answers.

“Uhh… ok. Aaaahhh!” I say, without any motivation. And she quickly shoves the chicken into my mouth. But she does it with so much force that almost makes me choke.

*Cough Cough!* “Hey! Are you trying to kill me!?”

She makes an innocent pose while looking away. What the hell are you doing? Well, I’m going to forgive her because I’m feeling generous today.

“It looks like you are really happy today. You even got here early and helped with the cooking. It’s been a long time since I last saw you like this. Does this mean you won yesterday’s match?” Asks Ricard.

“Hahaha! You guessed it right! I showed her who’s the best DMA player! Right, Laura!?”

“You mean the best between you two. Because you are still leagues below one such as myself!” Proclaims Ricard.

I look at him with serious eyes, then at his plate. Remember when my drool fell on the grill? It fell on top of a hamburger. The one he is going to eat right now. I was having regrets about giving him the hamburger on which my drool fell… but not anymore.

I look at him again while thinking ‘Enjoy your meal with extra love’. I can’t stop myself from grinning.

“So, how did the match go?” Asks Ricard.

I start explaining the Dungeon Battle, and my incredibly well-thought strategy for defeating A Lil’ Demoness. He asked for a lot of details about the two new units: the Not A Rabbit and the Tunnel Mimic.

“Wow, that’s nasty… I don’t think I could have come up with the idea to create a mimic that imitates tunnels and then swallows those that come inside…” Says Ricard.

“Yeah, me either… Please, if we ever have another match… Don’t use it, ok?” Says Laura as she shudders.

I can understand that girls don’t like the idea of being swallowed by a giant worm. Maybe she got a trauma after being swallowed by the tunneler-mimic?

If so… Hahaha! Serves her right! This is what you get by messing with me!

At this moment, Ricard stands up and says.

“Hey, I’m going to pick something more to eat. Do you want anything? I’ll bring it for you.”

I look at his plate again. It’s empty. So you DID enjoy the hamburger with extra love, huh? There aren’t any more like this one, it was an exclusive one, you know?

“Yes, another ‘botifarra’ and a grilled cheese, please! And thank you!” I answer. Mmmm… grilled cheese… Oh, no! The drool again!

“Ok. And you, Laura?”

“I’m fine like this, thanks!” She finally answers.

Is it me, or is she kind of absent today? She didn’t answer until Ricard asked her directly… Well, I can kind of understand after yesterday’s crushing defeat.

It happens after Ricard leaves. She comes closer to me, a worried look on her face, as she asks.

“So… are you still angry?”

“Hmmm… no, not anymore. Because I could crush you in revenge! Hahaha!”

“Then it’s good. I was worried you would never forgive me when you got so angry.”

“Hahaha… Maybe I overreacted at that moment. But you need to understand that I was feeling utterly useless and defeated because of something I couldn’t understand…”

“Then it’s fine.”

Ricard is taking his time. What the hell’s he doing? How can he spend so much time just to go and pick some more food?

“Hey, Andreu.”

“...yes?”

“Do you mind if I put my head on your shoulder and sleep a little bit?”

Surprised, I look at her and see that she’s trying to not look at me and her cheeks are a little flushed.

“Hmmm.. you know… I-I couldn’t sleep properly today after being inside that huge worm-like monster. T-this is why I’m sleepy right now… It’s your fault! S-so take responsibility!”

“Haaaah!? My fault? It was your fault for walking inside the monster! But ok, you can use my shoulder…”

“Ah… thank you…!”

After a while, Ricard finally comes back. With a nasty grin on his face as he sits down, he says.

“If I had known, I would have taken some more time to come…”

“Don’t you dare! I already waited enough time for you to come! Do you want me to starve to death here? Just hand over the plate already! Anyway, thanks for bringing the food. But you took too long! What the hell were you doing!?”

I extend my hand to grab my plate as I demand an explanation.

“Well… stuff happens. I had to go to the washroom and that’s why I took so long. Hahaha!”

I look at him suspiciously, with half-closed eyes. Then at the food.

“You didn’t forget to wash your hands, did you? Before touching the food.”

“Hey! Who do you take me for? This time I did, ok?”

This time!? So this means most times you don’t? I think I’m not going to give you a handshake any time soon.

After our short discussion, I immediately proceed to eat. I had to wait so much time that I almost died because of hunger. Ok… I exaggerated a little here. But I’m very hungry, ok!?

I pick the fork and knife. But it’s hard to move like this.

“Hmmm.. hey, Laura. I can’t eat properly like this. Umm… do you mind changing your position a little?”

In a very low and sleepy voice, she says. “Mmm… noo… just a little bit more…”

“But wouldn’t you be more comfortable sleeping on the sofa?”

“Nooo…. I’m fine here…”

*Sigh* Resigned, I decide to leave her be. It was my monster who gave her nightmares and the reason why she couldn’t sleep today. So I kind of owe her.

“Hey Ricard, can you help me a little here?”

But instead of answering, Ricard is grinning annoyingly while making a stupid face. He also kicks me under the table a few times.

Owww! That hurts, you know!?

“What the hell are you doing!?”

So I return the kicks, and it quickly devolves into a kicking competition. It turned so violent that we awoke Laura and she almost killed us both in a burst of anger. Of course, we stopped at that point.

By the time we left the party, we both could barely walk because of how much our legs hurt… But it was worth it. If you kick me, you get a kick in return! Hahaha!

[https://i.imgur.com/ZGSK4Pl.png]

“After this series of battles, I thought I could finally relax. But I was wrong. Because it was my turn to have nightmares next.”