"Menace!!" yelled the crowd, gathered in front of the stone platform where the participants of the fifth floor had appeared.
"We're the Quivering Lake guild! We'll provide you with all the support you require! Please join hands with us!"
"Sir Menace! I'm the vice guild leader of the Earth Eagles! Join u-"
"I'm the guild leader of the White Hawks!! Ple-"
The countless shouts were buried under each other, making one unable to understand anything being said.
The crowd of at least a hundred people all aimed to recruit Nox for their respective guilds. It made sense since he was the only one in a few millennia who had managed to fix his place in the top five of the all-time rankings on every floor he had climbed.
'This is a bother,' thought Nox. There was no way for him to escape the crowd.
The participants of the fifth floor, who had been teleported along with Nox, had somehow managed to get away, leaving him standing alone on the stone platform.
The individuals kept yelling, with some pushing each other near the platform so that Nox would notice them.
Suddenly, the sound of a loud air horn could be heard. Then, the sound of marching hoofs followed it.
The group of recruiters, who were uncontrollable a moment ago, made way for the group that had just appeared.
The new group consisted of around fifteen knights riding on beautiful white horses.
At the front of the crowd, two horsemen carried a huge white banner with a golden sword and shield, the 'Golden Guards' insignia. All of them wore white, dazzling armour, with the insignia of their guild at the centre of their chest plates.
The man leading the crowd wore the same armour but rode on a black horse instead of a white one. He was huge in size, and it was a wonder how the horse could carry him.
"Menace," the man called out, stopping his horse before Nox.
'I don't think I'll be able to ignore these guys like the other recruiters.'
Taking a deep breath, the masked man asked, "What business does the 'Golden Guards' have with me?"
"It makes this easier since you know us. Kindly follow us," the man replied. Even though his voice was calm, what he had said was not a request; it was an order.
**********
Name: Arturus
Level: 106
Class: Warrior
[Due to low proficiency, no more information can be seen]
**********
Since his proficiency in his *Librarian's Eyes* had increased, he could see more information.
'It's possible to go above level hundred!?'
Nox had taken level hundred to be the peak until now. The fact that a knight had such a high level made him wonder just what a monster the king would be.
However, if he fought the knight, then his defeat was obvious. Therefore, there was no way other than to follow what the knight had ordered him to do.
"Lead the way," he replied, jumping down the platform.
.
.
.
Although the city's beauty could hardly be described, the scene behind the huge walls, that blocked the people in the city from seeing the castle grounds was beyond fantastical, whose true charm wasn't possible to express in mere words.
It was like a whole, another small city beyond the walls. Such that, when standing at the gate, the ends of the castle's region couldn't be seen.
The castle grounds' lush green grass that had been properly trimmed was a treat to the eyes. Small, beautiful bushes, along with properly maintained trees, added to its beauty.
A considerably wide stoned path ran across the middle of the ground, leading from the gates to the castle buildings.
To the left of the stone-path was a lake, formed by the waterfall on top of it. The hill that the waterfall poured down from was covered in beautiful flowers and vines. Beautiful golden, orange and white fishes swam in the lake, increasing its beauty a hundredfold.
To the right of the stone-path was a substantial, white-stone building. A huge door facing the path led inside, while the massive windows high up let the light pass through. Massive banners of the 'Golden Guards' hung on its wall.
The great castle, at the end of the stone path, was too magnificently architectured to be described in mere words. A massive white building with tinges of gold stood firm at the centre, with four towers rising from the ground on either side. It radiated a charm, making it difficult to look at anything other than it.
Stairs led up from the ground to the castle doors bigger than the city gates. Mighty pillars could be seen supporting to huge doorway.
The gold-on-red banners of the 'Golden Guards' hung on each of the towers and the central building. Each marble brick of the castle was masterfully placed, not leaving a single irregularity in the massive structure.
The scale of all the buildings on the castle grounds was too large, yet their mystically crafted structures were a treat to the eyes.
People walked around the castle grounds, adoring the mighty buildings and gorgeous gardens. More than a hundred people sat in front of the waterfall, adoring its beauty while spending quality time together.
Wearing white-coloured full body armour, lines of guards marched the grounds, surveying if all was well. Even though they carried no weapons, the strength they radiated was more than enough to suppress any lowly intruders.
Nox was led into the huge building to the right of the stone path that served as the headquarters of the golden guards.
*knock* *knock*
"Come in," ordered the voice from behind a room on the second floor, where Arturus, the knight, had just knocked.
Arturus opened the white doors with golden seams and went inside, followed by Nox.
Either side of the room was covered in shelves filled with books. The wall at the other end of the room was a window, with no rod or pillars holding it in place, allowing a straight sight of the waterfall and the lake.
"Ah Arturus! I've been expecting you!" exclaimed the woman standing behind the desk at the centre of the room. The desk was filled with papers and files, which looked as if they had been hastily arranged.
The beautiful, tall woman, not more than thirty years old, had pale skin and blonde hair. On her small face, her eyes looked like small scarlet red marbles. She wore a white robe with golden stripes and opera gloves, which complimented her pale skin.
"Menace?" inquired the woman, placing the file in her hand on the desk.
Nox observed the woman before replying. Her body language radiated confidence, and her eyes were fixated on Nox, observing every twitch in his muscle.
**********
Name: Kaya
Level: 75
Class: Assassin
[Due to low proficiency, no more information can be seen]
**********
'An assassin? How interesting.'
"Indeed," replied Nox, looking the woman straight in the eye.
"My name is Kaya, the head recruiter for the golden guards. Normally, it's the job of the other staff to recruit people, but it is only right if I personally meet a person such as you," the woman said, gesturing for Arturus to leave.
Obeying her, the knight left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Please take a seat," Kaya said, gesturing to the chair in front of the table.
Nox sat down on the cushioned red chair and faced the woman. He didn't utter a word, forcing Kaya to be the one to break the silence.
"Menace, the man who broke the records held by legends themselves. It musn't come as a surprise that so many guilds are doing everything they can, to get you. We too, like any other guild, will go to any length to have you consider joining us," Kaya said in a calming yet powerful tone.
'Getting into a guild would only be a bother. But, since I'm here anyway, it would be better to at least hear her out.'
"What is it that you are willing to offer me?" Nox inquired in a stern voice.
Without wasting a second to think, Kaya yelled, "Anything!"
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Power, wealth, beauty, support, we will assist and provide you with anything you need! Plus, you'll get a private residence in the most lavish region that exists in the entirety of the Kingdom of Midland.
Not only that, but you'll also gain the authority of an elite knight as soon as you join, allowing you to exercise power over most of the zeroth floor. Not to mention that we shall give you five thousand gold coins monthly!"
The woman finally took in a deep breath, wearing a grin, sure of the fact that Nox wouldn't be able to reject offers such as these. After all, only a fool would reject a deal such as this.
'He has no other choice than to join us now. I'm sure he has already started imagining the lavish life he would leave from the moment he joins,' Kaya thought, laughing loudly in her mind.
She frantically tapped her fingers on the desk, waiting for Nox's answer, but all he did was look at her.
Nox looked over the woman's shoulder, outside the window.
In front of the lake, a little child had just tripped, falling face-first into the ground. The child cried loudly, holding his leg, which had scraped on the ground. But, no one batted an eye at the crying child.
The people sitting at the lake kept on enjoying the beautiful view of the waterfall, unbothered by the wounded child. Even the knights, who were marching around, ignored the little kid.
At last, a woman, probably the child's mother, came running towards it. She waved her hand over the wound, making it disappear instantly. After that, the child resumed playing and running around.
'The Tower isn't much different than the real world,' was the first thought that crossed Nox's mind.