ANNOUNCEMENT: This story, along with HxH: Unleashed, will switch from Daily releases to around five releases per week. I could lower word count, but I'd rather deliver you fun-to-read chapters instead of endless cliffhangers. Releasing two chapters daily costs me 5+ hours of time. Add to that a full-time job and household duties, and I do NOTHING else the entire day. I hope you understand.
------
Chapter Start:
"So this is just a recruitment event too... It's more personal and unique, but I'm still not that interested," Alex says, this time looking Qingfeng directly in the eyes.
Qingfeng calmly responds: "It might seem that way, but how about I tell you about my guild first? I took control of it a few years ago, but it wasn't founded by me. The name is Sundered Circle. Every single one of us is at least a very competent player who delivers strong results. If someone falls behind—which is clearly indicated by the door to our guildhouse—they'll get a few missions to catch up. If they fail, they're booted out. There are really next to no rules. No enforced behavior. No mandatory missions or tasks. I hope you'll consider my offer."
"So why would we join then?" Tereza asks, confused. "If everyone's just doing their own thing, what's the benefit?"
"While we have next to no formal rules, there are a few—plus some unwritten ones. For example, it's against the rules to intentionally fight other guild members. We also enforce privacy and forbid leaking information, especially if someone leaves the guild. These rules must be agreed upon by every member—you can think of it as signing a contract. Now, for your question—why join? The same reasons most other guilds offer: you can trade, make deals, exchange information and services, and team up. This is essentially a guild for talented people who prefer to operate independently. While we mostly go solo, some interaction with others is unavoidable if you aim for the top."
"We'll join if those are all the rules and obligations," Rishi says in a decisive tone.
"We will?" Tereza asks, clearly puzzled.
Rishi smiles at her and glances at Alex. "Trust me on this—a small gathering of elite players is what we're after. I assume activities, like trading rare items are not frowned upon in this guild?"
Qingfeng responds in a pleased voice, "I love talking to smart people—it saves time. While it's not an official rule, yes, we prefer trading within the guild. We only sell to outsiders if we can't get a decent deal internally. The stronger our guildmates are, the more opportunities they bring us in return. So while it's not enforced, most people act accordingly. Your identity also remains a secret—you'll simply be assigned a number. Specifically, your system number will represent you. No one will ask who you really are, but feel free to behave however you like."
This sounds good. We can do whatever we want, if that's the case.
"There is one more rule… If you know of anyone plotting to kill or harm a guild member or the guild itself, you're obligated to report it. You'll receive compensation for doing so. This rule is rarely used, but it exists to prevent betrayal and offer some protection within the guild."
"How many guild members do you currently have?" Alex asks, interested to learn more about the guild.
"Thirty-one. If you join, thirty-four. We also have a few Supporters who can interact independently with players. Most of us keep our Supporters completely hidden—unlike you, playing as 'Alex' with your Supporter visible. But in your case, I think you're doing the right thing. Menchi needs to interact with other players and strike trade deals to progress. For you, it makes perfect sense. Menchi can independently chat in the guild's special channel and is bound by the same rules as you, while also enjoying the same benefits. In fact, our guild lacks someone like her. She'll probably earn quite a bit of FC, especially with her ability to produce quality potions and food."
"So you already know about me… no, us," Alex asks, suddenly realizing they hadn't introduced themselves yet.
"Of course. You've attracted a lot of attention. Your Supporter isn't widely known yet, but she possesses one of the rare cooking specialties. Your pet is also seemingly very unique and rare. Anyway, Healing items are incredibly important. This isn't a game where you can afford to die. Having healing options is an absolute must, as you surely know," Qingfeng explains.
"I don't know much about your friends though—aside from their names," she admits.
"That's just fine," Rishi says with a friendly smile. "So what do you say? To be perfectly honest, I've heard rumors about your guild before. I agree with your philosophy—and this is one of the rare guild models I'm genuinely in favor of joining."
If Rishi is that sure about it...
"Guess we're in too, right?" Alex says, glancing at Tereza and Menchi.
"Sure," Tereza responds, while Menchi looks quite pleased.
"I think I'll be able to get a lot of high-quality ingredients and finally sell my more expensive potions and meals. This is exactly what I need," Menchi explains.
Princess Jewel may attain clues on how to evolve! She wants to join as well, and not stay hidden!
Okay, that argument alone is enough for me. Let's join, then. No obligations, no real rules. Worst case, we can just leave!
"Any rules if someone wants to quit? Aside from keeping quiet?" Alex asks.
"No. In fact, some members get forcefully evicted from the guild if their average mission rating drops too low. It's not unusual. Players also die constantly. There are no hidden rules. How about you read the contract?" Qingfeng offers.
[You have been invited to join 'Sundered Circle'. Do you want to join this guild? By joining, you agree to follow the guild rules, outlined HERE. These rules are binding.]
Alex, Rishi, and Tereza all notice the system invitation. They carefully read through the rules. Qingfeng is obviously telling the truth. The rules are minimal—limited to not spreading information about other members, not targeting or harming guildmates, and a duty to report serious threats. The rules fit on less than a single page, and Alex finishes reading them in under a minute. A few more pages list non-binding suggestions, which Alex checks out of curiosity, planning to go along if he sees no reason not to do so.
Alex looks at Rishi, who nods in approval—and makes his decision.
1337, I want to join! Accept the offer!
[Acknowledged, Host]
[You have joined the guild 'Sundered Circle' (Guild Rank 4/5)]
[New functions unlocked: Guild-chat, Guild-missions, Guild-housing, Guild-trading]
"Four new guild functions, huh?" Alex notes.
Qingfeng smiles. "Welcome to the guild. Allow me to explain some basic things, now that you're part of our elite group."
"The available guild functions are limited at first. Guilds, of course, start at rank 1. Every member who completes a mission contributes points toward the guild rank. Without enough points, the rank may stagnate—or even degrade. With enough points, however, it will improve. Rank 5 is sadly impossible to achieve with our current number of members, but the additional functions at that level aren't impressive or relevant to our individual goals. The most important functions are the guild chat and missions. Housing and trading are more about convenience and luxury.
Trading allows you to trade remotely—as long as both parties are in the Realm—at a small cost of FC. This allows for anonymous transactions. Guild missions are rare and only happen when we obtain a very rare and profitable mission item, and enough people want to spend the FC needed to join as a guild. This only works for certain mission items, mostly high-level ones. As for housing, it's purely about luxury, comfort, and having a useful meeting spot. Except maybe, adding another teleportation spot to your default room and allowing you to leave or enter the Realm at your new room. It's like a secondary entry and exit point. As you might've noticed, our guildhouse is almost empty—only my brother and I are publicly known to the members, so most avoid this house. Feel free to drop by if you want to talk or need a place to stay. You're always welcome. You can pick any free room in the mansion. We even have a few Realm workers who maintain the place. So if you're tired of your standard room and want something more luxurious, you can switch any time."
"If you're offering, I'll take it, I am probably exposed already, and I don't care about my hidden identity at this point. Thanks to Menchi and her business, It will be impossible for me to remain hidden," Alex says with a resigned smile. "More options are always good, in any case."
"I'll stay in Alex's room as well!" Tereza grins.
"...Get your own, please!" Alex replies. "You can still stay over… maybe…"
"Fine. Make it two—no, three adjacent rooms. Menchi needs one too! Having rooms on floor zero will be convenient for you Menchi," Tereza says.
"That would be helpful indeed," Menchi adds. "That'll save me a couple of minutes every trip to the market."
Only Rishi calmly states, "Not interested."
Meanwhile, Alex opens the guild chat, and 1337 displays a floating screen in front of him.
[Player 1337 has joined the guild]
[Supporter Menchi (belonging to player 1337) has joined the guild]
[Pet Jewel (belonging to player 1337) has joined the guild]
[Player 108 has joined the guild]
[Player 6543 has joined the guild]
[Player 895: Oh, newbies? This is the guy who got Menchi while still in the Tutorial Realm? There've been some rumours about him. Welcome—and of course, welcome to Player 108 and Player 6543 as well.]
[Player 1337: Thanks, glad to be here!]
[Player 6543: Hi!]
[Menchi: Hello everyone. If you have decent ingredients—especially herbs and cooking ingredients, preferably intact corpses—please contact me. I'm willing to pay fair prices, and I'll offer my dishes and potions to guildmates first. If your wares are good enough, I might even throw in future discounts.]
[Player 9861: I'm interested, Menchi. I have a few Blue-quality corpses. I'm not looking for FC, but I want a percentage of the dishes. Let's talk privately when you're free. Feel free to contact me any time.]
[Menchi: You've piqued my interest. I'm certain we'll be able to come to an agreement. I'll contact you later Player 9861.]
[Guild-Leader Qingfeng: Player 1337 and Player 108 are S-class players, while Player 6543 is an A+-class player. Everyone, including their Supporter and Pet, is now part of our guild and will be treated as such. Please remember the rules.]
[Vice-Leader Ziyou: Welcome!]
Alex looks at Qingfeng. "You and your brother are the exceptions, huh?"
"Though we try to avoid it, sometimes we have to communicate with other guilds. At least two public figures are needed," she says with an annoyed tone.
"I see," Alex comments.
That makes sense.
[Player 17: Welcome. I'm in need of various organs and bones. If you find anything, contact me—I'll make it worth your while.]
[Player 99: If you have Gold-quality items to sell—any type of item—contact me.]
Around a dozen more players send their welcomes too, which catches Alex a bit off guard.
Solo players, but they're chatty. They know they can profit from new, highly skilled members.
[Player 1337: Since I'm already pretty exposed—thanks to my well-known Supporter—I might as well announce it: I'm participating in the upcoming auction, with a small selection of my own, which will be presented as part of a small collection of items. A lot of items from Naruto will be included. I've already committed to this auction, so I can't sell my spoils to guildmates this time. Next time will be different, though.]
This is kinda fun.
Alex, Rishi, Tereza, Menchi, and Jewel nod at each other and say their goodbyes to Qingfeng, who seems to be in a decent mood.
"With you joining, the guild rank should at least not decline. If you need anything or have questions, feel free to contact me. I'd also like to message you from time to time and talk to you about various matters—but if you prefer I'll refrain from doing that and I'll only reach out in emergencies."
"Just contact us whenever something's going on," Alex says. Rishi, Tereza, and Menchi seem to agree.
"Susi!" Qingfeng calls out, and a black-haired woman with cat ears and a tail promptly enters the room. She is wearing a classical Japanese-style maid uniform.
"Yes, mistress?" she asks, eyeing the group with curious eyes.
Really?! Probably her brother's idea…. He has some weird tastes, can't say I dislike this, hehe.
"This is Susi, one of our internal workers. She's a cat-girl, as you can see…. My brother made that foolish decision, and I've already punished him for it. Anyway, Susi's a good girl. Please pick out three of our high-quality rooms for this man here and these two lovely ladies," Qingfeng orders.
"Yes, mistress!"
Alex continues to stare at Susi.
If cat-girls are a thing… what else exists?!
------------------------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
60+ Early chapters available - I will still release on WN daily!! Thank you!
Bored? Complains? Demands? Check out the Discord: https://discord.gg/puVqWsf3y9
Thank you for supporting the story with Power Stones!