After a couple seconds of walking, I came to a sharp right-angled corner. The narrow hallway stretched on, dimly lit by a faint golden glow emanating from the flame torches along the walls.Turning the corner, I found another door waiting at the end of the passage. Unlike the first, this one was made of dark wood veined with faint traces of light that flowed like veins beneath the surface.
Gripping the handle, I twisted it slowly, and the soft click of the latch was followed by the faintest creak of hinges. As the door swung open, a warm, earthy scent rolled over me, the smell of polished wood and faint smoke, like a hall that had once been alive with conversation and firelight.
Peering inside, I was greeted by a surprisingly spacious chamber, well-lit and crafted with a level of care I hadn't expected. A large round table dominated the center of the room, surrounded by ten sturdy chairs carved from rich timber, their backs etched with faint symbols that pulsed softly with divine energy. The surface of the table gleamed with a mirror-like polish, reflecting the room's gentle light.
To my right, stretching nearly the length of the wall, stood a bar counter. Behind it were shelves stocked with bottles of various colors, amber, crimson, and even shimmering blue liquids that faintly glowed from within. Yet there was no bartender, no sound of movement, just the faint hum of stillness. The stools in front of the bar seemed untouched, waiting for guests who had not yet arrived.
To my left hung a large wooden board with 2 peices of paper hung upon it. The papers fluttered slightly as if stirred by a breeze that wasn't there. Each was pinned neatly, the writing crisp and glowing faintly with golden script. The quiet ambience gave the space an almost reverent feeling, like a place meant for decisions and planning rather than chaos.
Seeing nothing else of immediate note, I approached the board. My footsteps echoed softly across the polished floor as I reached the board and began to read. The glowing text was perfectly legible.
[Quest Name: Find a Vice Leader]
[Quest: Recruit a vice leader]
[Reward: 10 Guild Points]
[Quest Name: Recruitment]
[Quest: Recruit 3 normal members to the guild]
[Reward: 5 Guild Points]
I read both notices carefully, understanding their intent almost immediately. These were system-generated objectives meant to push me toward expansion. My newly created guild would grow through completimg these quests simple, but effective. I assumed that new quests would appear every now and then and that they wouldn't just be recruitment ones like the two on the board.
My curiosity deepened. If the quests had appeared here, that likely meant other functions of the system had changed too. The thought drew my attention to the guild tab once again. Pulling up the interface mentally, I reopened the guild store.
Sure enough, the menu had shifted, now displaying several new listings I hadn't seen before.
[Common Blessing Statue]
[Cost: 15 Guild Points]
[Effect: Upon purchase, a statue will be placed in the guild hall. The leader may interact with it to select a common blessing to apply to all member planets.]
[Note: The blessing remains active indefinitely until changed.]
[Guild Expansion]
[Cost: 50 Guild Points]
[Effect: Increases the maximum number of guild members to 20.]
[Guild Hall Expansion]
[Cost: 75 Guild Points]
[Effect: Adds a second floor to the guild hall.]
[Guild Artifact (B)]
[Cost: 150 Guild Points]
[Effect: Grants a random B-rank guild artifact to the guild.]
[Guild Artifact (A)]
[Cost: 300 Guild Points]
[Effect: Grants a random A-rank guild artifact to the guild.]
I studied the list carefully, committing each item to memory. The sheer potential behind them made my mind race. A blessing statue could strengthen every guild member simultaneously,a global advantage across worlds. Hall and member expansions would shape the guild's size and influence, while artifacts could grant abilities or protection on a divine level.
This wasn't just a simple organization feature, it was a foundation for growth, for dominion. The guild system seemed built to encourage cooperation among gods, rewarding those who could lead effectively.
As I considered the implications, I found myself glancing back at the silent room. The table, the chairs, the bar, everything here was waiting for life to fill it, for members to sit and converse, for plans to be made. The thought of seeing this hall filled with allies, strategizing the future of countless worlds, was strangely satisfying.
But that dream was still far away. I was alone for now, the only member of "Infinite Evolution." To unlock this system's full potential, I'd need to bring others into it, people I could trust, or at least control. The more powerful they were, the faster we'd rise.
The first task, then, was clear. Before anything else, I had to find a capable vice leader, someone who could share the burden of leadership and guide the guild in with me.
It was only then that I realised just how little I'd actually interacted with other gods outside of the competition. Since my ascension, I'd been focused entirely on developing my planet, experimenting with my powers, and keeping track of my creations. Social interaction had never really been a priority. Still, if I was going to build a guild capable of competing with Fission and Nova's, that had to change.
As I thought back to the tournament, one name immediately surfaced in my mind. Among the countless gods I'd encountered, there was one who had stood out, not because of raw strength, but because of how he approached every situation with calculated precision. He hadn't been among the top three, but in my eyes, he was their equal. Intelligent, composed, and endlessly resourceful.
Pharmacist.
I remembered our conversations on the occasions when we had met. He left me with the feeling that he wasn't being truthful but that's to be expected especially when the one your talking to could possibly become your enemy. It above all else what truly impacted me was his intellect and his champion.
If anyone could make a good vice leader, it was him.
Decision made, I opened the chat interface. And navigated to the new private message function. Clicking the serch bar, I typed in his name and waited for the system to search. It only took a second before his familiar username appeared.
Found him.
I opened the chat window and, after a moment of hesitation, began typing.
[Nexus: Do you have a moment to talk?]
The message sent with a soft chime, and I leaned back slightly in the chair i had sat in at the round table, watching the faint glow of the interface fade from my vision. Now, there was nothing to do but wait for his reply.
If he accepted, this could be the first true step toward expanding Infinite Evolution.