Setting up a guild was straightforward.
As long as you had the funds, you could establish one.
But a guild was different from a team.
Teams were usually informal groups of players primarily for leveling up.
Guilds, on the other hand, were officially recognized by the game.
While they operated like teams on a day-to-day basis, official announcements had clarified that guild-specific quests would be launched in the future.
This implied that players without a guild would miss out on these quests.
Furthermore, the strength of a guild also affected how NPCs viewed its members.
Stronger guilds usually enjoyed higher favorability ratings from NPCs.
Mia led everyone to the main hall on the ground floor.
After filling in the necessary information, she handed over 1,000 gold coins as a deposit to establish the guild.
Sebastian watched in mild astonishment, realizing Mia was quite wealthy.
"Please name your guild!" the staff member called out.
Without hesitation, Mia declared, "WindSong!"
"Alright. Since your guild currently has only six members, its location will remain where your team was based. As the membership grows, you can upgrade your room for free," the staff said with a smile.
With that, the "WindSong" guild was officially established.
After its inception, Mia assured she'd handle the upcoming tasks, suggesting that Sebastian, the guild's "mascot", should take his leave.
Exiting the guild building, Sebastian glanced at his personal profile, now adorned with the title of guild leader, and became momentarily lost in thought.
He hadn't expected to become a "guild leader" without lifting a finger.
Immediately, he returned to his room and momentarily logged off from the game.
In the real world.
Sebastian emerged from the game chamber.
Having experienced a sudden surge in wealth, he promptly ordered a week's supply of Nutrient Solution online.
In just half an hour, a delivery person dropped it off at his home.
Replenishing his chamber with the new Nutrient Solution, he once again reclined inside, set on quickly advancing to level 20.
Not only would this allow him to change his profession, but it would also enable him to equip a new set of gear.
Given his current title of [Darkstone Honorable Villager], he didn't want to waste the 20% experience boost it offered.
Back in the game, under the veil of night, Sebastian ventured outside the village to level up.
Concurrently, in the game's forum, within the Darkstone section, a post about the "WindSong Guild" was pinned prominently.
It was then that players of Darkstone discovered the formation of a new guild.
And this guild wasn't any ordinary one – its leader was none other than the renowned "ShepherdWind" big shot.
In a flash, the name WindSong Guild became a hot topic, sparking widespread discussion.
Mia, meanwhile, began receiving private messages from the leaders of the five major guilds, each essentially asking, "What do you think you're doing?"
Choosing to ignore them, Mia actively started recruiting members for the guild, offering a bounty of 10 silver coins for anyone who joined.
The prospect of an immediate 10 silver coins, coupled with the celebrity allure of "ShepherdWind", quickly drew a significant influx of players to the WindSong Guild, including members from the five major guilds.
To this, the leaders of the major guilds could only respond with a sense of resignation.
After all, no one wished for their guild stronghold to be struck by heavenly fire.
By dawn, after a night's grind, Sebastian stretched his weary muscles.
He was now only a fifth shy of reaching level 20.
As he strolled into Darkstone, he immediately became the center of attention.
"Look, it's ShepherdWind the big shot."
"He should change his name now, call him ShepherdWind the guild leader."
"I heard the WindSong Guild is even brazenly recruiting members from the big five, and their leaders don't dare to say a word, all because they fear ShepherdWind the big shot."
"It seems Darkstone might soon have a sixth major guild."
"But would the big five really let this slide?"
...
Whispers from players on the street filled the air, casting a shadow over Sebastian's gaze.
The five major guilds had been established since the start of [Original Realm], with most of Darkstone's players already divided among them.
The rise of the WindSong Guild would be no easy feat.
With this realization, Sebastian felt he couldn't remain just a figurehead for the guild.
Instead of returning to his room, he headed towards the Guild Hall.
He needed to have a serious discussion with the leaders of the five major guilds.
As Sebastian, accompanied by Breeze, made his way to the strongholds of each of the major guilds, he was received with grand gestures of respect.
Each guild leader treated him with an anxious reverence, especially WindSovereign, the leader of the Rock Guild.
Upon seeing Sebastian enter, WindSovereign turned ashen, mistaking his visit for a vendetta.
His body trembled uncontrollably, and he didn't seem to recover even after Sebastian's departure.
The sole purpose of the discussions was to seek their support for the WindSong Guild.
Which of the guild leaders would dare refuse?
They all readily agreed, assuring Sebastian they wouldn't cause any disruptions.
Word of these interactions spread among the players like wildfire, boosting Sebastian's fame once more.
Consequently, the number of players joining the WindSong Guild skyrocketed.
Back in his room and with time to spare, Sebastian decided to roll for intelligence again.
At level 19, he had only six intelligence rolls left.
Regrettably, his first roll yielded only a common white intelligence, leaving him slightly disheartened.
However, on his second roll, a burst of gold shimmered before his eyes.
Energized, he focused and saw that he had indeed acquired a golden intelligence.
[Enemies of Death (Gold Tier): The reason the ultimate Boss of Valley of Death, the Lord of Death, can resurrect continuously is due to a source stone hidden behind its neck. Shatter it, and it will be gravely wounded, losing its ability to revive.]
After perusing the intelligence information, Sebastian was taken aback.
An intelligence about the Valley of Death Boss!
He had heard bits and pieces about the failed dungeon raid.
The massive force initially had the capability to slay the Boss, but its resurrection power was the primary hindrance.
Clearly, the Boss had a vulnerability, but it remained undetected at that time, leading to the complete annihilation of the raiding party.
With this revelation in mind, Sebastian immediately halted his intelligence roll and sent a private message to Mia.
In essence, he conveyed his intention to lead the guild in challenging the Valley of Death.
Mia, on the other end, was astounded by this and hurriedly questioned his reasoning.
Sebastian, however, kept the intelligence details under wraps, assuring her that he was confident about defeating the Boss.
Moreover, clearing the dungeon would undoubtedly establish WindSong Guild's reputation in one fell swoop.
Skeptical of Sebastian's claims, Mia requested him to come to the guild's base to discuss the matter face-to-face.
Thus, leaving his room behind, Sebastian made his way straight to the guild hall.
At the guild base, Mia was the sole person present.
Upon spotting Sebastian, her immediate greeting was, "Are you truly set on entering the dungeon?"
Meeting her gaze, Sebastian replied, "Yes, this time I am absolutely confident."