Two Weeks After the Silver Guild Meeting
Aro,Gwayne,Bryan and Jerry had committed themselves to rigorous training,sharpening their auras and refining their combat skills.
Bryan,in particular,needed to master his newly awakened power—Aetherium Forge after achieving SYNC with Aro.
Seeing its benefits,Gwayne and Jerry also formed a SYNC connection with Aro,striving for perfect synergy.
Gwayne's support abilities evolved,no longer just amplifying his allies but also enhancing his own martial arts and assassin-like combat style,filling the gaps where traditional support roles fell short.
Jerry's Phantom Stride,which once let him move at extreme speeds and seemingly vanish, had transformed.Now,his movements left afterimages, further disorienting enemies.
His enhanced agility made him a nightmare to pin down, granting him seamless evasion and devastating surprise attacks.
Meanwhile,Bryan had gained full control of Aetherium Forge,allowing him to generate and absorb bluish ethereal fire.
In his metallic blue form, his strength,speed and durability skyrocketed.
What once required SYNC,he could now wield on his own—a major breakthrough in his growth.
---
EPISODE 9: GUILD ᜄᜓᜃ᜔ᜆ᜔
Aro, Gwayne and Bryan were heading out of school when they spotted Jerry jogging toward them.
"Hey, guys! I'm here!"
Jerry called out excitedly. "Bryan told me Silver and Jony have an update about the guild and"
"Hey!!" Bryan cut in, shooting Jerry a sharp look while subtly motioning for him to keep quiet.
Jerry scratched his head. "Oops. Got carried away."
Bryan sighed.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
---
Silver's House – Training Room
Silver gathered the group in his spacious training room. Aro,Bryan,Gwayne and Jerry stood before him,while Jony stood at his side.
Silver's sharp gaze swept over them.
"All right, listen up."
His tone was serious.
"The Leaders Guild Association has approved your membership after a brief evaluation,but entering LEADER,the institution of protagons is another story."
He crossed his arms.
"To get in,you need to pass an official assessment.
This test determines if you're a protagon and assigns you a level.
Even reaching Level 1 is enough,but if you fail… you'll be erased from the guild's records."
Gwayne frowned."But we've already shown you our abilities.Isn't that proof enough?
Silver shook his head. "LEADER has strict standards. If they let in someone who isn't a protagon,they could die
"Even a highly skilled fighter could be killed by a prank from one of the protagonists there."
Jerry raised an eyebrow.
Wait you're saying LEADER has bullies?
Silver smirked.Of course.
But these aren't ordinary bullies.
They're protagons—individuals with abilities far beyond human limits.
Their presence bends the battlefield,their strikes ripple through the air with unseen force and their very will shapes the flow of combat.
In a guild where raiding portals and vortexes is the core mission,these extraordinary gifts determine survival.
A single weak link can unravel an entire operation, and one mistake could mean the guild's complete annihilation.
A tense silence settled over the group.
Then Aro's eyes lit up with an idea.
"Jony,"
he said.
Jony blinked.
"Yeah?"
You and Silver went through the assessment,right?
Yeah… why?
Aro grinned.I think I can replicate it.
Silver and Jony exchanged intrigued glances.
How?
Silver asked.
My Eternal Residue:Vision lets me extract past information and merge it with the present,Aro explained.If I SYNC with Jony,I can transfer the ability to him. Then,with Spectral Overwatch, he can analyze it and reconstruct the assessment process.
Jony's eyes widened.
That… might actually work.
Excitement flickered in Bryan,Gwayne and Jerry's eyes.Silver smirked.Let's try it.
---
Testing the Theory
Aro stepped forward,closing his eyes.
"SYNC."
A faint blue aura swirled around him before flowing into Jony.
"Eternal Residue: Vision!"
A bluish glow spread across the floor,connecting Aro and Jony.
A notification flashed in Jony's mind:
> [Vision is active. Gathering past data…]
Spectral Overwatch,
activated by jony
[Processing… Complete.]
[Assessment Replication Initiated.]
Jony's eyes widened.
"What the hell?!
It worked!"
Bryan grinned,
punching the air.
Gwayne gave a nod,rubbing his nose.
Jerry smirked,barely containing his excitement.
Silver exhaled,impressed.
"All right.Who's going first?"
Bryan stepped forward.
"Me."
The others looked at him in surprise.
I wasn't born with any abilities,
Bryan said.
If I fail… I'd rather know now.I won't hold you guys back.
Jony materialized a glowing sphere.
Place your hand on it.
Bryan hesitated.His heart pounded this was his moment. Taking a deep breath,he pressed his palm against the sphere.
[calculating..
...
...
[complete]
[Protagon Level: 2]
Jony's lips curled into a smile.
Bryan… you did it. Level 2.
Bryan's eyes widened.
"I passed?"
See for yourself," Aro said.
SYNC.
A blue aura enveloped Bryan, and a notification appeared before him:
> [Level 2 → Level3
Jony and Aro gasped in unison.
"WHAT?!"
Bryan's knees buckled.
"Wha—my level… jumped?"
Silver stepped forward,his expression dark.
"Let me see."
Aro nodded.
"SYNC."
The connection formed,and Silver's eyes narrowed.
Jerry and Gwayne stepped forward.
"Let us see too,"
Gwayne said.
"Yeah, don't leave us hanging,"
Jerry added.
Aro activated SYNC once more, allowing everyone to witness Bryan's sudden power surge.
Silver clenched his fists. "This… this SYNC ability… It's a cheat code."
Then he turned to Aro.
"Your turn."
Jerry grinned. "Come on, Aro. Level 4 would be a huge advantage for us."
Jony placed a hand on Aro's shoulder.
"Ready?"
Aro nodded,determination burning in his eyes.
"I'm not the weak Aro anymore. I'll be the one to carry them."
He placed his hands on the spehere.
Silence.
Nothing happened.
Jony frowned.
"Aro? Try releasing your aura."
"Okay…"
Aro activated Ethernal Residue—combining past and present strength into one.
-2x strength amplification
a bluish aura burst around him before surging back into his body.
Jony's mind raced.
> [Calculating…]
[Level…]
[Level 1]
Jony's mouth fell open.
"Huh?"
Aro's chest tightened.
Level 1.
The words echoed in his mind like a cruel joke.
His vision blurred slightly as frustration and disbelief clawed at him.
Why?
He had trained harder than ever.
He had pushed himself beyond his limits.
He had fought alongside them, stood on equal ground…
hadn't he?
Silver's expression was unreadable,he exhaled.sharply.
"Maybe the assessment replication didn't fully recognize Aro's potential."
It was created using his own SYNC,and Jony was just bridging the process.
Jony nodded quickly.
"That could be it.
But at least he reached Level 1.That's all we needed."
Aro took a slow breath, unclenching his fists.
Level 1.
It wasn't what he wanted but it was enough.
For now.
Jerry hesitated before slapping Aro's back with a grin.
"Hey,at least you passed, right?"
Aro forced a small smile.
"Yeah…"
But deep inside,something burned.
A promise to himself This isn't where I stop.
The path to becoming a Protagon was finally open.
Then,Gwayne and Jerry followed the assessment that Aro and Jony had replicated.
Gwayne reached Level 2,the same as Bryan,and Level 3 when in SYNC
Jerry,on the other hand, started at Level 1,
but when in SYNC,
he surged to Level 4 surpassing even Silver and Jony.
Everyone,including Aro,was shocked.
Level 4 protagons are powerful enough to own and lead a major guild.
Silver leaned forward,a thoughtful smirk on his face.
If the assessment shows Aro is only Level 1,that's actually an advantage rather than a loss.
The group turned to him in surprise.
"Think about it."
Silver continued.
"We won't need to hide Aro's ability anymore.'SYNC'is our cheat code,and no one would ever suspect a Level 1 Protagon of casting something that powerful."
Then,he smiled,eyes gleaming with confidence.
Now,let's talk about the rest of you.
He turned his gaze toward Gwayne.
"Gwayne,you move like an assassin-fast,unpredictable, and able to launch surprise attacks while dodging at the same time.
But what makes you even rarer is that you're a Support-type Protagon.
That's like having two Protagons in one.
Gwayne raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"That's huge for us."
Silver continued.
"You can assist and protect us while staying on guard.
In guild battles,other teams will target our Support first,but in your case…
you can protect yourself"
That means in raids especially against Vortex and Red Portals you won't need a protector.
You are the protector.
Gwayne crossed his arms and gave a slight nod of approval.
Silver shifted his focus. "Now, Bryan."
Bryan straightened,listening intently.
"You're our guild's shield a tanker.
Normally,tankers just absorb damage and defend allies,
but you're different.
You have the raw strength of a Fighter.That means,once again,we have another 2-in-1 Protagon."
Bryan cracked his knuckles, clearly pleased.
Silver's eyes landed on Jerry next,a teasing grin forming.
"And you, Jerry…
our very own legitimate Level 1."
Jerry's face turned red as Gwayne and Bryan burst into laughter.
He rubbed the back of his head,
embarrassed.
"But…"
Silver added,leaning in slightly.
"With SYNC,
you have the ability of a Level 4 Protagon.
That makes you one of our hidden weapons and probably the most powerful base on level.
Jerry perked up,blinking in surprise.
"Why?"
Silver smirked.
"Because everyone will underestimate you.
They'll assume you're weak,but with SYNC your a level 4 protagon that can even surpass them,
and remember inside portals and vortexes,levels don't matter against demons and fallen angels.
To them,we're just enemies,not numbers on a chart."
Jerry grinned,his confidence rising.
Silver took a deep breath. "If you all pass the assessment…maybe it's time to rename our guild.Right,Jony?"
Jony simply gave a small smile and nodded.
Silver clapped his hands together.
"So? Any suggestions?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then, Bryan raised his hand. "I have one."
Silver crossed his arms.
"Go on."
Bryan hesitated for a second before speaking.
"Can we use the name of my old gang?The one I founded?"
Silver's eyebrow twitched. "Gang?"
He asked with slight sarcasm.
Bryan nodded.
"And what was it called?"
Bryan smirked.
"Good Old Days Or… G.O.D."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Silver let the name roll in his mind for a moment before chuckling.
"G.O.D., huh? Sounds pretty good."
He turned to Jony,
who simply gave an approving signal.
Bryan's face lit up with a wide grin.
"So? Does everyone agree?"
The group seemed satisfied, nodding in approval.
Then,Jerry raised a finger. "Wait, wait, wait."
He grinned mischievously.
"I have a better idea. Why don't we call ourselves… 'Backstabber Gang'?"
For a second,there was silence.
Then,laughter erupted across the room—even Bryan and Silver couldn't hold it in.
Jony, as usual, remained calm,
but there was a faint smile on his lips—a silent sign that he approved of their decision.
And just like that, the Guild of G.O.D. was born.