DanMachi: It's destined to lose its self.

The time dragged on like molasses, and as Kopii approached the guild, he felt a slight tremor of uncertainty creeping into his heart. But he gathered the remnants of his composure, trying to maintain a brave and determined facade. Crossing the threshold, he surveyed the bustling ant-like activity of the guild. The murmur of voices, like a swarm of agitated bees, deafened him: adventurers arguing about quests, sharing tales of their exploits, boasting of trophies, and weaving captivating stories that took the breath away. Kopii decided to stay in the shadows for now, observing these battle-hardened warriors, not daring to interrupt their flow of eloquence.

Soon, the Loki Familia was expected to return triumphantly from the depths of the dungeon.

"Yeah, that's right, I think. But why don't they team up with the Freya Familia? Just imagine: the two strongest familias side-by-side, who knows how far down they could go!"

"Do you even understand what you're saying? That will never happen. They have a feud; how could they possibly team up?"

"Okay, let's not talk about that. Before the Loki Familia went to the dungeon… I mustered the courage and confessed to Aiz Wallenstein herself."

He didn't even finish speaking before his interlocutor burst into laughter.

"Are you seriously thinking you had even the slightest chance? If I were a girl, I'd reject you myself, knowing you! But seriously, who are we, and who is she?"

Silence hung in the air, saturated with bitterness. Kopii felt how unfair their words were. "We can only watch people like them from afar…"

"Okay, enough with the gloomy stuff. Let's go to the dungeon, the ore won't mine itself."

"Let's go."

They got up and headed for the exit, and Kopii watched them go, greedily absorbing every word.

"I finally leveled up!"

"Oh, congratulations! Leveling up in three years – you definitely have talent. I've been stuck in the same place for six years now."

An envious gaze bored into the newly minted hero.

"Why are you so quiet?"

"I knew it. We're from the same familia, after all. And don't compare yourself to him, you're a squire, and he's a swordsman. It's obvious why there's such a difference. Besides, you know that experience is distributed across the entire team. It's always harder for non-combat classes to grow."

"And how long did it take you to reach the second level?"

"Five years."

"Not fast either."

"You're just more talented than us, that's all. But don't look down on us, don't forget what we were taught."

"I remember: never look down on the enemy."

Kopii stopped listening with slight irritation. This information was useless to him and, as he knew, would be forgotten in a minute. He decided to take action and began to study the teams he had noticed earlier. Gathering his courage, he approached one of them and said:

"Hello, can I join your team?" Kopii bowed, hoping for a favorable response. The answer came immediately:

"No."

"What?! Why?! Can't you at least ask me a few questions…"

"Don't you understand? I said 'no'! Get lost!"

Kopii didn't argue. In the eyes of these adventurers, he saw only arrogance and contempt. A flame of anger began to rise inside him, but he suppressed it and, restraining himself, muttered:

"Sorry for bothering you."

With these words, Kopii headed to the next group without further ado.

"Hello, do you need help in the dungeon?"

"No, go back where you came from!" he was answered rudely.

"Sorry for bothering you…"

Kopii hesitated for a moment, but quickly pulled himself together. He began to offer his services again, but the answers were invariably the same – "no." He didn't understand why they wouldn't even give him a chance to talk about his abilities. They chased him away, not wanting to listen, or, at best, listened, but as soon as he mentioned that he had only descended into the dungeon a month ago, they immediately ended the conversation.

Upset and depressed by the failures, Kopii trudged home. There was a dim light in Miach's pharmacy, and the air was filled with the soothing aroma of herbs and potions. He decided to ask Naaza for advice on how to find a team.

"Oh, Naaza, can I bother you? Are you busy?"

"No, I'm free, Kopii. What happened?" Naaza looked at him with her sleepy eyes, and her tail, as always, swayed slowly from side to side.

"I decided to take your advice and find myself a team, but no one wants to take me. They didn't even give me a chance to talk about myself, they just refuse me. What should I do?"

Naaza sighed and said:

"There's nothing wrong with that, Kopii. They can be understood. Why should they take a newbie who only descended into the dungeon a month ago? They don't want to deal with ballast that will interfere with them, you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, Naaza, but I don't want to admit it."

"Kopii, they may have just not accepted you because you're from different familias. Understand, if they accept you on the team, you'll go down to the dungeon with them, and then betray and rob them. There are no rules in the dungeon except one – survival of the fittest. Adventurers don't trust each other."

"But how do I find a team then? I need it to go lower, I understand that I can't cope alone anymore."

"I understand you, Kopii. The only advice I can give you is to create a team with other newbies. And remember which familia they're from, it's very important."

"Okay, Naaza, I understand. Thank you for your advice, I'll go take a shower."

Kopii thanked Naaza and headed to his room. Undressing, he stood under the cool streams of water, thinking about her words. Create a team with newbies… sounds logical, but where to find them? And how to make sure they can be trusted? Naaza's words about betrayal, which Kopii had heard from the very beginning, made him wary. He didn't want to find himself in a situation where he would have to defend himself from his own comrades.

Coming out of the shower, Kopii felt a little refreshed, but thoughts of the team did not leave him. He knew that Naaza was right: experienced adventurers are unlikely to want to bother with a newbie, especially one who only descended into the dungeon a month ago. Creating his own team seemed like the most logical way out, but it was not as easy as it seemed at first glance.

He remembered Naaza's words about the importance of familia. In the world of the dungeon, where trust was rare, belonging to a certain familia could become at least some guarantee of loyalty. But Kopii's familia consisted only of him and Naaza. And Naaza is afraid of monsters after that incident. Why doesn't anyone want to join the Miach Familia?

Kopii sighed. The problem was obvious: the Miach Familia was not popular. Perhaps it was the debt, as he suspected, or some old feud. But Kopii liked his familia: Naaza was cold, but kind, and Miach was cheerful and always kind to him. They just don't understand how kind Miach is… oh well.

Kopii dried his hair with a towel and got dressed. His mind was racing. If the Miach Familia doesn't attract new adventurers, then he'll have to look for like-minded people in other ways. Maybe he should turn to those who are also having trouble finding a team? To those who were rejected because of inexperience. Well, basically, just like him. Kopii decided that tomorrow he would go to the guild and take a closer look at the newcomers. He would look for those who looked just as lost and lonely as he felt today. Maybe he could offer them to create their own team, where everyone would support each other and learn together. He understood that it would not be easy, but he had no other choice.

Lying on the bed, Kopii pondered. He needs to look for newbies whose familias were from a low class, like his own. Falling asleep, Kopii imagined the future team. He saw them together, fighting side by side with monsters, helping each other overcome difficulties, and sharing the joy of victories. He knew it was just a dream, but he didn't care.