After the distribution of loot and leaving the dungeon area, the team regrouped in a lively inn within the city to celebrate their hard-fought victory. As they engaged in casual conversation, Ares suddenly proposed a shocking plan to his comrades. With a mischievous smile, he exclaimed, "I'm thinking of establishing a guild. Who's up for starting a guild together with me?
Frost, pondering about Ares' intentions and his noble status, cautiously asked, "Are you planning to create a guild solely because of your high rank?"
Ares chuckled and replied, "That's just one reason. The other is that I possess a guild creation order token, and I can establish the guild right next to the imperial castle. Moreover, most of the establishment costs will be covered by the princess."
While the rest of the team considered Ares' words as playful banter, Frost's eyes lit up with excitement. She eagerly questioned, "Is that really true? Did the princess herself confirm it? Well then, let's form a guild!"
The unexpected turn of events left everyone astonished, their jaws dropping at Frost's enthusiasm. Sword Fairy, concerned about the challenges they faced in their previous guild, asked Ares, "Are you sure about starting a new guild? After everything we've been through, we could easily join another guild. Why go through the trouble of starting from scratch?"
Frost interjected with determination, "No one has officially established a guild yet. The existing guilds are just clubs or conglomerates of powerful guilds from past games. We'll be the first ones, and I have high hopes for Ares." She pointed at him with conviction.
Gradually, the team deliberated on Frost's words and reached a unanimous decision to form a guild together. However, they realized that they needed a total of 15 members to officially establish the guild, and currently, only 9 members were present. They made plans to contact their other team members, such as Dizzy Dasher, who was renowned for leveling at an exceptional pace and ranked within the top 10 on the server. Messages were sent to Rich Kid, Night Owl, Captain Clumsy, Sir Slacker, Dizzy Dasher, and Wacka Whacker, informing them about the guild and discussing when it would be created.
Ares handed Frost a mysterious and elusive bow, along with its skill-enhancing attributes, with the instruction to give it to a skilled Archer who would join their guild. Finally, Ares had a moment to inspect his attribute panel, revealing his current state:
Name: Sword Sovereign
Level: 24
Class: Swordsman
Health: 4200
Mana: 7100
Attack: 3210
Defense: 3408
Attributes:
Strength: 113
Agility: 80
Intelligence: 69
Vitality: 82
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 6
Free Attribute: 50
Skill Points: 32
Skills:
Passive: Sword Mastery
Active: Heavenly Slash, Slash, Parry, Cross Cut, Blazing Fury Slash
Sword Arts: Val'Shara Sword Arts
Abilities:
Innate: Sword Heart
Gained: Sword Aura
Affinities: Supreme Thunder Affinity, Supreme Fire Affinity
Intents: Sword Intent
Martial Soul: Azure Thunder Dragon, Crimson Flame Phoenix
Physique: ?????? Unawakened (12% Awakened)
Equipment: Lightning Sword, Infinitude Dragon Armor, Boots of Elusive Shadows, Vaisnav Astra
While inspecting his attributes, Ares noticed the acquisition of his new supreme fire affinity and his newly awakened martial soul. Curiosity piqued, he clicked on his martial soul for further information:
[Martial Soul: Crimson Flame Phoenix]
[Supreme Fire Affinity Gained]
[Fire-based Attacks deal +200% damage]
[Strength: +1 per level up]
[Vitality: +3 per level up]
[Intelligence: +3 per level up]
[Agility: +1 per level up]
[Ability 1: Fire Healing (Level 1)]
[Ability 2: Summon Crimson Flame Phoenix, one rank higher than the user with the same level, for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours]
Ares marveled at the astounding power of his new martial soul, realizing he now possessed a healing ability alongside his formidable combat skills.
After bidding farewell to his new teammates, Ares finally decided to take the trial to acquire a special class. He wanted to have a special class before reaching level 25 and establishing a guild. So, he used all his mythological points and chose the highest level of trial for the class.
As Ares opened his mythological interface, he eagerly scanned through the available trials, hoping to choose one that would test his limits. However, to his disappointment, there were no options for him to select. The system operated on a random selection process, tailoring the trial to the individual's strengths and weaknesses. Undeterred, Ares decided to invest 8000 mythological points and opted for the highest difficulty level available.
In an instant, he found himself transported to an unfamiliar and eerie location. The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, reminiscent of a scene from a chilling horror movie. Ares cautiously ventured forth, acutely aware that his level had been reset to level 1. Perplexed about his objective, a system notification suddenly echoed in his ears.
Ding! [Trial 1: Trial of Courage and Bravery now begins]
[Target: Eliminate monsters and collect their soul essence to form a pet.
(Minimum soul essence required for trial completion: 10,000)
The greater the quantity of soul essence collected, the better the rewards when forming a pet.]
Equipped with nothing more than basic beginner's clothing and a rusted steel sword, Ares set out to find the monsters he needed to defeat. His eyes caught sight of a level 1 goblin, and with determination in his heart, he charged forward, swiftly slashing down the creature. The goblin fell with relative ease, and Ares retrieved its soul essence. Despite his victory, he did not experience a level increase.
Ares pressed on, encountering more goblins one after another. Each successive battle showcased his growing skills, culminating in the defeat of five goblins in a row. With each vanquished foe, he collected their soul essence, and at last, he felt the surge of power as he leveled up. The final goblin dropped a proper sword, a fitting reward for Ares' relentless determination.
Driven by his thirst for progression, Ares continued his onslaught, leaving no goblin in the nearby village unscathed. With each defeated foe, he claimed their treasures and amassed a substantial amount of soul essence. However, in the grand scheme of things, the village's population of 200 to 300 goblins was but a drop in the ocean, barely making a dent in his overall goal.
As Ares ventured deeper into the unknown. He encountered a variety of formidable monsters, each presenting a unique challenge. With his newly acquired sword and honed skills, he fearlessly faced his adversaries.
First, a towering Minotaur crossed his path. The beast's massive form loomed over Ares, but he refused to be intimidated. With swift footwork and precise strikes, he evaded the Minotaur's thunderous charges, retaliating with well-placed slashes that pierced its thick hide. The clash was fierce, but Ares emerged victorious, claiming the Minotaur's soul essence.
Next, a group of agile Harpies swooped down from the skies, their sharp talons poised to strike. Ares, undeterred by their aerial advantage, unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, intercepting their swooping attacks with skillful parries. His determination never wavered as he swiftly dispatched the Harpies, their soul essence adding to his growing collection.
The earth trembled as a colossal Rock Golem emerged from the depths. Its stony exterior seemed impenetrable, but Ares knew no obstacle was insurmountable. With every swing of his sword, he aimed for the creature's weak points, chipping away at its formidable defenses. The battle raged on, but through sheer perseverance, Ares shattered the Rock Golem into fragments, securing a substantial amount of soul essence.
Undeterred by the challenges he had already overcome, Ares pressed forward, encountering even more formidable adversaries. A fire-breathing Half Dragon tested his resolve, its scorching flames threatening to consume him. Ares deftly maneuvered through the inferno, his blade cutting through the dragon's scales with a relentless fury. The dragon's demise marked another significant addition to his ever-growing collection of soul essence.
With every victory, Ares grew more relentless, more unstoppable. He clashed with a legion of undead skeletons, cutting through their brittle bones with each swing of his sword. He engaged in a tense battle against a fearsome Chimera, its multiple heads each bearing a deadly attack. Through precise strikes and unwavering focus, he toppled the beast, claiming its soul essence as his own.
As the battlefield grew littered with defeated adversaries, Ares stood amidst the remnants of his triumphs. The pile of soul essence before him had exceeded his initial goal of 50,000. The journey had been arduous, demanding every ounce of his strength and determination. Yet, he had persevered, emerging victorious against all odds.