Seeing that everyone was paying attention, I took a sip of my drink before setting it down and speaking up.
"Alright, first things first. We still have one quest that's unfinished. In order to complete it, we need to recruit one more member. That said, does anyone know any strong gods, or have any ideas on how we can find one?"
The room fell silent. The faint hum of divine energy filled the air, and for a few moments, all four of us seemed lost in thought.
Cosmos was the first to speak. "I don't know any other gods personally," he admitted, shaking his head. "Most I've met in the chats are... let's just say, not ideal teammates."
Pharmacist and I exchanged a glance and nodded. We were in the same position, powerful, but isolated.
"Same here," Stardust said, scratching the back of his head. His tone was casual, but I could sense he was thinking about something. For a moment, disappointment welled up in my chest. It felt like a dead end.
But then, with a sudden spark in his eyes, Stardust leaned forward. "But can't we just put a message in the god chat? There's bound to be someone looking for a guild. We can filter through the ones that meet our standards."
His suggestion made me pause. It was simple, almost too simple. but effective.
Pharmacist immediately nodded. "I agree with Stardust's idea. It's the most efficient way to recruit new members. We can set clear requirements right from the start."
"Exactly," I said, nodding as I began to open the god chat window. "It's the easiest way, and it keeps things fair."
The interface flickered before me, lines of chaotic messages scrolling endlessly across the screen. Dozens of gods were still spamming pleas for Nova to let them join his guild.
[Ocean: Please, big shot Nova! I'll do anything, just accept me into your guild! I promise I'll work hard!]
I shook my head slightly. It seemed Nova had become even more popular with the advent of the guild system.
I began typing my message carefully, making sure every word carried weight.
[Nexus: I am currently recruiting a members for my guild, "Infinite Evolution."]
[Nexus: In order to join, you must possess at least an A-rank talent. Before joining, you are required to send a screenshot of your talent information. If interested, send a message to either myself or my vice leader, Pharmacist.]
The message appeared in glowing text among the flood of chatter. Within seconds, replies started pouring in.
[BlueStar: A-rank minimum? What kind of requirement is that?!]
[ForgeGod: Asking for screenshots? Sounds like a scam.]
[WispLord: Who'd reveal their talent info? That's just asking for trouble!]
I didn't even bother responding. I had expected exactly this reaction. Those unwilling to meet the requirements weren't worth our time anyway.
Without another glance, I closed the chat window. "If someone's serious, they'll message one of us privately," I said, leaning back. "We only need one more, so I'd rather take our time than rush it. And if we end up finding more then one capable member all the better."
Pharmacist nodded in agreement, his expression calm as ever.
"Alright," I continued, "that's everything for now. Is there anything else we need to talk about before we wrap up?"
Pharmacist didn't reply verbally. Instead, he removed the glowing blue ring from his finger, the Ring of Insight, and handed it across the table to Cosmos. The motion was simple, deliberate.
Cosmos accepted it with quiet respect, his eyes glinting faintly as he examined the intricate design before sliding it onto his hand.
Realizing what Pharmacist was doing, I quickly followed suit, pulling the Ring of Divine Heal from my finger and offering it to Stardust. I had nearly forgotten about them until now, and I was grateful Pharmacist's memory was sharper than mine.
"Thanks," both Cosmos and Stardust said almost in unison before slipping the rings on. The air around them shimmered faintly as the system recognized their new ownership.
"Alright," I said, clapping my hands softly, "that should be everything. We'll meet back here once we've found our final member and earned enough guild points to purchase the statue for the hall. Until then, feel free to stay and do whatever you want."
With that, I stood, giving a subtle glance toward Pharmacist. He understood immediately and rose to follow me.
We left the table and made our way toward the large door leading out of the guild hall. In the hallway three new doors had appeared along the walls each labeled with the names of our newest members.
"Looks like the guild's growing fast," Pharmacist murmured as we walked.
I gave a small nod and stopped in front of my own door, its surface pulsing faintly with blue light. "Let's head to my area," I said, turning the handle.
The door opened smoothly, revealing the familiar expanse of my divine domain. Behind me, I heard Pharmacist take a step forward, but then stop.
When I turned, he had pressed a hand against an invisible barrier that shimmered faintly in the air. It was the same kind of protective field that protected my planet.
Before I could say anything, a notification appeared before me.
[God Pharmacist is attempting to access your area.]
[Would you like to grant temporary access?]
[Y/N]
[Note: Gods with temporary access cannot interact with your planet or other objects within your domain.]
I pressed Yes without hesitation. The barrier rippled like water, and Pharmacist stepped through smoothly.
He glanced around, taking in the soft glow of my world's atmosphere. "Interesting," he said, his voice thoughtful. "It seems we can enter each other's areas through the guild hall."
"Yeah," I replied, closing the door behind him. "But permission's required, and temporary access doesn't allow any interaction with the planet or its inhabitants. It's purely for observation or discussion."
"Good," he said firmly. "It would be catastrophic if gods could tamper with one another's worlds."
I nodded, moving to the open space near the center of my domain and sitting down. The ambient hum of divine energy made the air feel dense, almost alive. "Now that we're alone," I said, gesturing for him to sit, "we should discuss what we've learned."
Pharmacist took a seat a little over a meter away, his posture straight. After a moment, he spoke, his voice steady and deliberate.
"We need to utilize Cosmos as much as possible," he began. "If inter-world trade ever becomes possible, his planet could become the backbone of our guild's growth. With how his talent fuels intelligence and innovation, his people could accelerate our technological development faster than the rest of us combined."
I leaned back, considering his words carefully. The thought alone was staggering. If trade between worlds ever became a reality, Cosmos's creations could completely reshape the balance of power. His inventions could enhance every planet in our guild,and in turn, feed him even more divinity.
"I agree," I said quietly. "But what about Stardust? What's your impression?"
Pharmacist crossed his arms, thinking. "While Stardust's talent doesn't have the same immediate impact, it has potential, massive potential. If one of his organisms develops three high-ranked talents, they could easily become monsters. Especially if another competition like the previous one occurs, his world could produce champions."
I nodded. His reasoning mirrored my own. Stardust's energy and creativity might make him unpredictable, but he had the kind of spark that could lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
Pharmacist spoke again, his tone turning thoughtful. "If we can, I think our fifth member should have a support-based talent, something like Cosmos's. Those types of abilities have a larger impact on the guild as a whole, more than pure combat-oriented ones."
He paused, then gave a faint smirk. "Speaking of which, have you gotten any messages from interested gods yet?"
At his words, I opened my private messages. My eyes widened slightly at the sight. Over a hundred unread messages blinked in the corner of my interface. I sighed and began scrolling.
Fifteen minutes later, I let out another sigh, heavier this time. "Nope," I said flatly. "Just a bunch of people begging to join or complaining about the requirements."
Pharmacist chuckled quietly. "Same here. Figures."
He stood, stretching slightly. "Alright, I'll be heading back to my area. If anything important comes up, send me a message, I'll try to check often."
"Will do," I replied, standing as well and escorting him to the door.
He stepped through, and as the doorway shimmered behind him, a final notification appeared before me.
[Pharmacist has left your area. Temporary access revoked.]
I turned back toward my planet, Taking a deep breath, I started walking toward it. It was time to see how far my creations had come.