The courtyard was quiet that evening. The sun had dipped behind thick clouds, casting the city in muted shadows. The first recruits had dispersed, exhausted but alive, carrying the lessons of the day with them.
I stood alone, watching the lingering sparks of my lightning wraiths flicker in the air. Vyre coiled through the shadows silently, Eldrin standing guard, its massive frame unmoving but ever-present.
Then, as always, the system pulsed in my mind.
Update detected.
The jagged interface flickered, purple lightning arcing along the edges. A calm voice, faint and impossible to locate, echoed inside my skull.
System of the Nameless God
[Status: Active]
[Level: 21 → 23]
Reward unlocked: First Guild Members Recruited
The text glowed, almost alive, the shards of violet crystal forming before my hand. Three small keys, jagged and humming faintly, hovered in the air. They weren't dungeon keys. These were new — symbolic, but potent.
System Notification:
Experience gained: +15% (recruitment, training, guild management) Ability unlocked: Guild Nexus – allows limited enhancement of members' latent potential under Ashura's observation System Reward: 3 "Guild Keys"
The Guild Keys pulsed like a heartbeat. Each one was attuned to a recruit. I didn't need to touch them to understand their meaning: these keys enhanced what they could already do, gave subtle guidance, and ensured that the first recruits would never falter under my absence.
I flexed my fingers, letting the purple lightning coalesce. The Guild Nexus activated instinctively, linking me to the five first members — Darian, the berserker girl, the black-flame wielder, Selvara, and Kaelen. I could feel their energy, faint but distinct. A whisper of control, a nudge toward growth.
The rewards were not merely experience points. They were confirmation. The system had acknowledged my strategy, my foresight, my ability to turn raw potential into the first sparks of a growing storm.
Good, the system said. The foundation has been laid.
I leaned back against the wall, letting the lightning pulse across my arms and chest. My mind ticked through possibilities.
Darian would strengthen the guild's backbone, training fighters in precision and endurance. The berserker would temper rage into focus. The black-flame wielder would hone control over destruction itself. Selvara would learn to harness her latent divinity. Kaelen would continue to refine instinct into skill.
And I? I remained the storm. The eye. The spark that guided and disciplined without ever stepping fully into their battlefield — unless necessary.
A thought occurred to me, faint but persistent:
The world is noticing.
Even now, beyond the city, whispers of a small guild led by a boy with blank stats and lightning-wreathed wraiths were spreading. Guilds were curious. Mercenaries cautious. And unknown forces — powerful enough to test continents — were beginning to stir.
But none of that mattered tonight. Tonight, the first members had survived. The guild had grown, not in numbers, but in precision and potential.
I allowed myself a small smirk. The system had acknowledged me. The first step had been rewarded.
And soon, the storm would demand more than sparks.