I ACCIDENTALLY BECAME A GUILD THERAPIST
Chapter 11 – Guild Therapist Overload
ARC II: THE BREAKING POINT
---
SYNOPSIS: Livia Marcelline Quinn seeks refuge in the Celestial Spire, but her viral fame attracts the attention of the server's second-ranked guild, Eclipse Covenant. When she declines their "guest speaker" invitation, they attempt a coercive kidnapping ritual. Livia is saved by the hyper-protective Bloodbath & Beyond, confirming that her therapy expertise is now a valuable asset—and a liability—that rival guilds are willing to fight a war over.
---
Livia Marcelline Quinn, Mental Supporter Lv. 4 and unwilling server sensation, was leaning on the familiar edge of burnout. She no longer jotted down Bloodbath & Beyond's dysfunction in her Therapist's Log; now, it was a memorized, burdensome neurosis checklist: Bron—fear of irrelevance; Nyx—dark phobia and awkward crush; Phina—slime connection need; Alaric—gambling escape; Miles—betrayal trauma.
Seeking an escape from the increasingly hyper-protective guild chaos, she had slipped into the Celestial Spire, a towering MMORPG hub where guild emissaries negotiated alliances. Livia perched on a marble bench near a starlit atrium. The stars there shifted unnaturally, triggering her new Instinct.
"This place screams 'trap,' and I'm just the bait with a notepad," she muttered.
I'm their shrink, meme queen, and the sole keeper of their terrible secrets.
Failed psych, memed across dimensions, and now I'm the indispensable emotional adhesive for the most broken guild on the server.
The Celestial Spire buzzed with political intrigue—players in ornate cloaks bartered guild contracts, and a leaderboard flickered, ranking Bloodbath & Beyond as the top guild. Livia now had Instinct +5 and Mental Defense +10, defenses she desperately needed to stay sane.
A notification pinged: [Achievement Unlocked: Spire Snoop. +10 Suspicion Points (Justified)]
"Suspicion's my default now," Livia muttered. Her progress bar read Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 2100/4000 EXP. Her Empath Surge and Mental Defense +10 kept her sane, but her viral fame was a constant thorn.
As she scribbled Issue: Spire's too fancy. Approach: Don't trust shiny things, a holographic envoy materialized, its avatar a glowing knight named AetherGuard.
"Livia, Mental Supporter, you are cordially invited to the Symposium of Sanity, hosted by Eclipse Covenant, the server's second-ranked guild," it announced, projecting an ornate scroll. "Your expertise is requested as guest speaker."
Livia's Empathic Insight pinged: Hidden Motive: Deceptive, High. Her sarcasm flared. "Guest speaker? Sure, and I'm the server's next raid boss."
A notification flashed:[Achievement Unlocked: Smelling a Setup. +5 Instinct Points (Early)]
Livia's gut screamed trap. Eclipse Covenant had a reputation for poaching talent. She scribbled: Issue: Rival guild invite. Approach: Smells like kidnapping. "No thanks," she told the envoy. "I'm booked. Forever." But the envoy's eyes glinted, and her Therapist's Insight pinged: Entity Intent: Coercive.
Before she could bolt, Bloodbath & Beyond teleported in, their banner blazing. Bron stomped forward, clutching his Livia plushie. "Nobody poaches our Buffer!" he roared. Phina glided in, her slime Glimmer pulsing ominously. "Defiler of the Empath's sanctity, begone!" Nyx slunk from the shadows, muttering, "Uh… stay away from her." Alaric staggered up, shouting, "I bet 500 gold this is a scam!"
Miles Vexley stepped beside Livia, psychoblade humming, smirk deadly. "Nice try, Eclipse Covenant," he drawled. "Think you can snatch our therapist? Big mistake."
Her Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient: Miles. Trust Deficit: Spiking with Rivals. Livia's stomach twisted—Are they ready to start a war just because of me?
The envoy's hologram flickered, voice cold. "Refusal is unwise. The Symposium requires your… presence." The atrium darkened, constellations twisting into chains, and Livia's HUD glitched: Warning: Binding Ritual Detected. Her Mental Defense +10 dulled the threat's edge, but her panic surged.
"What part of 'no' didn't you get?" she snapped, activating Group Therapy Lv. 2. "Everyone, chill! This is a setup, not a speech gig!"
Her Empath Surge amplified her words, and the guild rallied—Bron raised his shield, Phina's runes glowed, Nyx gripped his daggers, Alaric brandished his holy mace. Miles' smirk sharpened. "Last chance, envoy. Back off."
The envoy laughed, and the atrium's floor pulsed, chains of light erupting to trap Livia. Her Therapist's Insight screamed: Entity Intent: Kidnapping Confirmed.
Livia dodged a chain, her sarcasm flaring. "Therapy's not a loot drop, you creeps!" She activated Phobia Breaker Lv. 1, shouting, "Guild, focus! Break the chains!" Bron smashed a chain, Phina's slime dissolved another, Nyx sliced through shadows, and Alaric's smite shattered a link. Miles' psychoblade cut the ritual's core, dispersing the chains. The envoy vanished with a screech, leaving a glowing scroll: Symposium Canceled.
A notification pinged:
[You detected betrayal. +1000 EXP. Stat Unlocked: Instinct +5]
Her progress bar climbed: Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 3100/4000 EXP. HUD chimed: Instinct +5: Increases detection of hidden motives by 5%.
Livia scribbled: EclipseCovenant: Tried to kidnap me. Issue: They want my therapy. Approach: Guild smashed their trap. She muttered, "I'm a therapist, not a collectible."
But as the atrium's constellations dimmed, a mysterious voice echoed: "The binding ritual begins…" Her Instinct +5 pinged, her blood chilling. This isn't over.
Miles clapped her shoulder, his smirk softer. "Nice instincts, Buffer. You sniffed out their game." His Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient Trust: Slightly Improved. The guild cheered—Bron flexed, Phina composed an ode to Livia's "defiant spirit," Nyx smiled shyly, Alaric bet on the next trap.
A final notification flashed:
[You thwarted a guild's betrayal. Achievement Unlocked: Trap Dodger]
Livia closed her notepad, muttering, "I'm either paranoid or a genius." As the mysterious voice lingered and Miles' gaze held a flicker of trust, she knew her role was pulling her into deeper dangers—and she wasn't sure she could outrun them.
---
To be continued...
Chapter 12: Trapped in a Rival's Illusion