Leo stepped between Karma and Clara, placing a firm yet casual hand on both their shoulders. His expression was light, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"Alright, so what happened back there?" he asked, his tone easygoing but laced with genuine interest. "I got knocked out, and when I wake up, I'm guessing you two took care of that bastard with your counter ability and Clara's strings, right?"
Clara shifted uncomfortably before shaking her head. "Not exactly," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "Actually… he beat it by himself."
Leo's eyebrows shot up. "What?" His gaze darted between them, confusion evident. "Wait, what do you mean? How?"
Clara hesitated, glancing at Karma before continuing. "It was… strange. The way he changed—it was like he wasn't even himself for a moment."
Leo locked eyes with her, the seriousness in her voice unsettling him. He turned back to Karma, waiting for an explanation.
Karma exhaled, his expression unreadable. "We can talk about it later. When we're alone."
Before Leo could press further, a soft, hesitant voice interrupted them.
"Um… excuse me?"
The trio turned to see a young woman standing before them. Her hands were clasped together, her posture unsure. "You're the group that placed second, right?"
Leo immediately stepped forward, offering her a warm, reassuring smile as he shook her hand. "Yeah, that's us. Do you need something?"
She nodded quickly, then motioned toward the gathering crowd, where a man in a suit stood at the center. He was older, his black hair streaked with gray, and golden-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. His presence alone exuded authority and wisdom.
"That man over there—his name is Rein," she explained. "Since there are still more trials ahead, he thought it'd be a good idea if we all worked together. You know, form a group, get to know each other, and keep each other safe. I don't really know how to explain it well, but… maybe you could hear him out?"
Clara, Leo, and Karma exchanged glances.
Karma shrugged. "No harm in listening."
With that, they followed the young woman toward the crowd surrounding Rein. The moment they approached, Rein's sharp gaze landed on them, his lips curling into a polite smile.
"Ah, the second-ranked group," he said with an appraising look. "Nice to finally meet you. You're all quite the capable bunch."
Leo smirked. "We could say the same about you. Your team must've been strong to take down the Tier 1 boss."
Rein's expression darkened slightly. "We didn't do it without loss."
Clara immediately looked down, her hands fidgeting with guilt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"
Rein raised a hand, shaking his head. "It's fine. Just unfortunate." He exhaled before shifting the topic. "That's actually why I called you over. While checking the system functions, I noticed something called a 'guild.' If you've played RPGs, you might be familiar with the concept."
Karma gave a small nod. "Yeah, a guild is basically a coalition of people working toward a common goal—safety, resources, missions. Strength in numbers."
"Exactly," Rein confirmed. "If we form a guild, it'll increase our chances of survival. We can pool our strengths, watch each other's backs, and make things easier for everyone in the long run."
Leo crossed his arms. "And everyone here is on board with this?"
Rein nodded. "Yes. We're just waiting on an answer from your group."
Clara tilted her head. "Okay, but where would we all stay? There are too many of us for something like an abandoned apartment complex."
Rein smirked. "That's the best part. Once a guild is created, the system automatically transforms the immediate area into a proper guild base—complete with living quarters, hygiene facilities, a kitchen, and even a guild control room. Of course, we'd still have to find our own food and resources."
Clara's eyes widened in surprise. "That's… actually really useful."
Leo gave an impressed nod. "Yeah, no kidding."
Karma remained quiet for a moment, then finally said, "Give us a few minutes to discuss it. We'll let you know soon."
Rein nodded in understanding, and with that, Karma turned away, leading his group a short distance from the crowd to talk.
Karma crossed his arms, his gaze flickering between Leo and Clara. "So what do you guys think? I mean, it could be cool, but trusting this many people? Having so many different personalities clashing? That could be a headache. Not to mention, we have no idea what the future holds for us."
Leo leaned back slightly, considering. "True, but there's also merit to it. Did you hear all the benefits? A structured base, safety in numbers, resources we wouldn't get on our own. Plus, you're right about the unknown. Maybe this guild thing will actually help us down the road. We have no idea how much the world has changed—or what's out there waiting for us. It might be good to have people to rely on."
Clara nodded in agreement. "I'm with Leo on this. At the end of the day, even if things go south, we'll still have each other. I mean, you trusted us pretty quickly, right?"
Karma exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That was different. You guys saved my life, so trusting you was a no-brainer." He paused, rubbing his chin in thought before finally shrugging. "But whatever. We can join their guild."
With the decision made, the trio turned and made their way back to Rein, who stood patiently, arms crossed as he watched them approach.
"Judging by your expressions, I'm guessing you've come to a decision," Rein said, his golden-framed glasses catching the dim light.
Karma gave a small nod. "We're in."
A pleased smile tugged at Rein's lips. "Good choice. With your group, that officially makes sixteen of us." He turned slightly, gesturing toward a glowing, semi-transparent panel floating in the air beside him. "[SYSTEM: CREATE GUILD]." The moment Karma and the others stepped closer, a new prompt flickered to life.
[SYSTEM: Select a Guild Name]
Rein glanced at the gathered survivors. "We should decide on a name before finalizing this."
Leo smirked. "How about something badass, like 'Titan's Might' or 'Shadow Reapers'?"
Clara giggled. "Sounds a little over the top, don't you think?"
Rein chuckled before glancing at Karma. "What about you? Any ideas?"
Karma thought for a moment before speaking. "We don't know what's ahead, only that we have to keep moving forward, getting stronger. How about…" His eyes flickered with something unreadable. "'The Vanguard'?"
A murmur of approval spread through the group.
"I like it," Rein said, nodding. "Short, strong, and fitting."
The moment he confirmed the name, the system's interface pulsed.
[GUILD: THE VANGUARD CREATED]
[Processing Environment Transformation…]
A sudden tremor shook the ground beneath them. A bright golden light engulfed the station, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The very air seemed to shift and warp, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate their new status.
When the glow faded, their surroundings had completely changed.
What was once a ruined, abandoned train station was now a fully functional base. Towering metal walls enclosed the perimeter, providing a fortified defense. Inside, several newly constructed buildings stood tall—dormitories, a kitchen area, a central command center. Even a training yard had appeared.
Clara gasped in awe. "This is incredible…"
Leo looked around in shock. "Damn, now this is an upgrade."
Rein adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable as he scanned their new surroundings. "Looks like we just took our first real step into this new world."
Karma remained silent, gazing at the transformed landscape with a quiet intensity
[SYSTEM UPDATE: GUILD CREATED]
When you complete a guild, you receive the following incentives:
• Higher difficulty during trials when guild members accompany you (scaled by number)
• Better and more plentiful rewards for completing trials with guild members
• Increased Soul Points (SP) acquired when completing trials with guild members
• Guilds in the top three rankings receive special guild buffs from the System
Karma glanced at the notification window, then casually swiped it away.
Rein stood at the head of what used to be the dilapidated train station—now transformed into the guild base for The Vanguard. His voice boomed across the room, steady and authoritative:
"Alright, everyone, you're free to explore the guild base. Head to your living quarters, settle in, and get some rest. But please, do not leave alone or without informing someone—for your own safety. Let's all meet back here in an hour. Enjoy yourselves."
The announcement echoed in the hushed space as the survivors dispersed.
Turning to his closest companions, the trio exchanged knowing glances.
"Hey, Karma, what are you going to do?" Clara asked softly.
"Probably find a room and rest," Karma replied with a tired shrug. "What about you guys?"
Leo scratched his head, his stomach grumbling. "I'm pretty hungry after everything that's happened. I think I'm off to the kitchen for some food."
"Alright then, I'll see you both later," Karma said, watching them part ways before turning his attention to his own status.
He activated his stats window, and a soft purple glow illuminated his face as he reviewed his current attributes:
[Stats]
• Strength: Rank F
• HP: Rank F
• SP: Rank E
• Vitality: Rank F
• Agility: Rank F
• Intelligence: Rank E
• Awareness: Rank F
Soul Points: 200
Karma frowned slightly as he reviewed his stats. "Hmm… my stats haven't changed much," he muttered to himself, his eyes drifting down to the lower section of the status panel. A soft hum accompanied the display as he noted, "Wait—these Soul Points… they're the ones I earn every time I kill something, right? So they must function like stat points."
He tapped the display thoughtfully. "I have 200 Soul Points right now, but most of my stats are still stuck at F. I guess I should focus on raising those F-rank stats first." With that, he spoke aloud, more to himself than anyone else: "Alright, let's boost Vitality and Strength for starters."
Almost immediately, the 200 Soul Points vanished from the panel, and a smaller pop-up appeared with a prompt:
[You have passed the threshold. Would you like to advance your stats: Strength F → E, Vitality F → E?]
Karma's mind raced as he considered the implications. "Hmm… so it works like this—you allocate a certain number of SP into a stat until you hit the threshold, and then the stat advances. I accept." He was intrigued by the system's mechanics, though he couldn't help but feel both excited and apprehensive about his future potential.
Before he could mull it over further, a new message flashed across the screen:
[System] Error, Error. System corruption detected.
The display flickered violently, shifting into the same red and black colors that had haunted him inside the trial boss room. After a few agonizing seconds, a new notification appeared:
[System]
User "Asgardian Prankster" has gifted 1000 SP.
Note: "Have fun growing stronger. We will talk soon when security loosens. Try not to draw attention to yourself."
Karma's eyes widened in disbelief as the message faded, returning the panel to its familiar purple hue. He couldn't help but murmur, "What the… it's just like during the first trial when I got my class change. Who is this 'Asgardian Prankster'?"
He put a hand to his chin, lost in thought, and then a memory surged through him—a vivid recollection of a mural on the ceiling he had seen during the trial. His eyes lit up with recognition. "Loki!" he whispered.
There was no way; it had to be. The memory was unmistakable.
"If I truly have the help of someone like Loki…I'll become someone who can't be tossed around anymore." Karma's tone hardened with a mix of determination and newfound hope.
Setting aside the revelation, he focused on the immediate opportunity. "That aside, he gave me a lot of SP. I have to put this to good use." Karma scanned his status screen once more, mentally calculating the optimal distribution of points.
"Let's see… I'll invest 100 points each in Agility, Awareness, and HP to shore up my physical capabilities, then funnel 500 into SP to boost my overall magic and endurance, and the remaining 300 can go into… well, maybe a little extra Agility."
As soon as he finished speaking, the 1000 SP were allocated, and the system confirmed:
[System]
Agility: F → E
Awareness: F → E
HP: F → E
SP: E → D
Karma let out a slow, measured breath as he studied the updated stats. They were still low—but at least they were beginning to shift in his favor. He closed the status window and sat down on a bed in a room filled with many others, a communal sleeping area that now served as his temporary sanctuary.
"Alright," he murmured, running a hand over his battered arm as the remnants of his previous battle still throbbed faintly. "This should be good for now. I'll just get some rest and be ready for the meeting later."