Braag's eyes sparkled as he approached the boss's treasured stock. He first grabbed one of the many rocks carrying silver veins, reading its description.
[Ore of magic silver
Category: Uncommon
Effect: An unrefined material for crafting.
If mana concentrates for a long time it can alter the surroundings, producing magically inclined ore. ]
"Not bad. Blacksmiths will be happy about it. We should tell Cyclone to focus on attracting a few players preferring professions."
Braag glanced over his shoulders at Liam, who had appeared behind him.
"Well, you can take it."
The dwarf didn't appear overly excited. Despite picking a race starting with the blacksmith profession, he wasn't interested in spending his time in a smithy.
Liam shrugged his shoulders, picking the ores and putting them into the guild treasury.
Meanwhile the dwarf focused on the treasure chest, looting it with a broad grin. But when a new item appeared in his hand, his expression faltered.
"Uncommon staff, do you want it, Watchful Eye?"
"Sure."
Silver Blade watched her bodyguard replacing his weapon before urging the party to leave. Knowing that time was of the essence, they hurried down the mountain.
The few thieves harassing them didn't meet a good end.
A short while later the party was back in Duabalis City, talking to the Elder of Finance.
Cepaniar still sat behind his desk, his thick beard swaying with each movement of his head.
"Adventurers, I have already received a report. You did well this time! This mine will take a lot of pressure away from our coffers."
The party members nodded politely, waiting for the elder to continue but the man kept his mouth closed. Silver Blade asked with a puzzled voice:
"Elder, aren't you forgetting something?"
"Oh right. What was it that you wanted? More budget for… Fodor?"
"Fonor…"
"Sure. You can tell him that I approve.
And if you need some work in the future, don't hesitate to ask me. I will always have something to do for you."
"Thank you, elder."
Cepaniar focused back on his work, indicating the party to leave. They didn't stay longer, returning to Duabalis Harbor and meeting Fonor.
"Mr. Fonor, we accomplished your request."
"Adventurers, great! I have been getting tired of this construction. I am destined for something greater! I hope your guild can help me fulfill my inspirations!"
"Definitely!"
Silver Blade nodded confidently as a new prompt appeared in front of her.
[
[Evaluation: S]
[Receive 890EXP]
[Fonor Dragonpiss will join your guild Dream Avenue]
[Will you assist Fonor in making his name renowned throughout the world?]
The party members had just dismissed the quest message when movement came into their guild chat.
[Cyclone: Guys, you did it! Good job!]
[Silver Blade: Oh, you noticed so quickly?]
[Balm: Me and Cyclone received a notification.]
[Green Leaf: Hey, it's the bigshots!]
[Demolish Me: Silver Blade! You're the best!]
[Oblique Cactus: Hotpot is working, and we are still lazing around. Guys, we have to do something! Who's coming with me to gather materials?]
[Flows: Here, count me in!]
[Imbadu: +1]
[Perserva: Guild leader, what did Hotpot accomplish? Share with us. 😉]
[Bleary Mirage: Everyone, we just recruited the first NPC into our guild. His name is Fonor Dragonpiss and he is an architect.]
After a brief explanation Liam used his rights to invite the guild's higher-ups into a separate chat.
[Bleary Mirage: Let's use this chat to talk. The general guild chat is too chaotic.]
[Balm: I enjoy it though. Watching our guild come to life.]
[Radiant Shield: How many comrades does our guild contain already?]
[Sun's Knight: 159 and counting. Quite a few of them with great talent.]
[Cyclone: Guys! Fonor appeared in the guild menu!]
[Bleary Mirage: His attributes should be hidden for non-core members, right? Let's keep it that way!]
[Balm: Don't you trust our members?]
[Bleary Mirage: You will always have some spies. It's something to keep in mind.]
[Cyclone: Damn, that guy is so strong? I get why Bleary Mirage wants to hide him!]
Everyone was surprised by Cyclone's last message. They quickly went to the guild menu to check out the architect.
[Fonor Dragonpiss (arrival in: 2 days)
Profession: Architekt
Potential: SSS
Territory bonus: Increases the speed of building military structures by 40%.
Guild war bonus: Decreases the cost of buildings by 20%.
Upgrade quest: Help Fonor Dragonpiss in constructing the building of his dreams: Dragonfort.]
Through Liam's explanations the last few days his friends already knew some things about NPCs, giving them a good idea about Fonor's strength.
His potential of SSS meant that his bonuses were way stronger compared to other architects, coming as a huge boost to the guild.
But this wasn't the end of it as each NPC could be upgraded once by fulfilling their quest.
Everyone looked forward to Fonor's arrival two days later, which would mark the beginning of the guild hall's construction. Cyclone and Balm used this information to boost the new members' fervor, urging them to gather materials.
Meanwhile, Silver Blade changed the topic as she just received a message, telling the guild leaders that a few people interested in sponsorships wanted to meet them.
Cyclone and Balm were quite nervous but luckily Sun's Knight and Silver Blade offered to accompany them, to which they readily agreed.
Unfortunately, this put the recruitment on hold for now. The party entered a brief lull as everyone decided to find something to do for themselves.
Liam made good use of the time. He browsed through the auction house, looking for materials which might be sold below their worth as people weren't that informed yet.
He luckily found a few bargains. While at the auction house he also considered exchanging some of his gold but rejected the idea.
Thanks to Star Gazer Liam wasn't short on cash now even though five million credits could hardly be considered rich. But currently it was more important to possess enough gold which could be invested in the guild.
Thus, Liam would rather work to acquire more of the shiny metal. One of the best ways to earn gold were professions, prompting Liam to train his blacksmithing.
A short while later Serena joined him and he even reached the rank of a basic blacksmith, putting him in an incredibly joyful mood.
Towards the evening, he decided to share his joy with his friends, dragging them to train. Unfortunately, the only ones appreciating his goodwill were Silent Acacia and Quickstep, who were getting more and more interested in PvP.
The couple spent the entire day in the arena, raising their rank to bronze 2, putting them among the top of the current players. They were, however, not without losses, which came as a surprise to the party. Obviously Falva Star was not without its own talents.
Soon the first day since the founding of Dream Avenue passed and the friends had begun to build a broad foundation for their guild.
Everyone was in high spirits as they logged off, vowing to work hard.
That evening, Cyclone, Balm, and Silver Blade met with more sponsors, trying to strike lucrative deals. Even Fortune went to see her father.
Only Liam didn't feel like doing anything. His body was still hurting as if he had run a marathon, causing him to laze around before falling into a deep sleep.
When he woke up the next day Liam felt much more refreshed. After a hearty breakfast with Merida and Serena he entered a black limousine.
Since the kidnapping, Serena had worked hard to get better security for Liam. Now two bodyguards drove together with him in an armored car, allowing Liam to remain worry-free on his way to the dojo.
But suddenly an influx of news caught his attention.
"Breaking news: This will raise the rank of your skills"
"How to train your skills"
"Do this before entering Fate of Crunaboul"
Liam scrolled through the articles, his brows rising in surprise. Finally, someone discovered that training in real life could increase one's skills in the game.
The entire Human Federation was startled by this news, discussing the wonders of the console.
When Liam arrived at the dojo he was surprised to see a large number of people. The reception was overcrowded with people bidding for training rooms.
As soon as the news hit, people became interested in training, but many didn't have suitable conditions at home. Thus, many people finally remembered the martial dojos again.
Liam avoided the crowd and headed for the main building. When he entered the training grounds, he was surprised to see Master Baker instructing a man with a rough appearance, a few years older than him.
"Good morning, master!"
"Ahh, Liam. Did you relax enough?"
"Yes…"
Liam scrutinized the master, finding his expression less joyous than one might expect. The sudden popularity of his dojo obviously didn't excite him much.
"What are you staring at? Come over here and greet your new junior brother!"
Liam dismissed his thoughts, approaching the two men and bowing with clasped hands.
"Welcome, junior brother. I'm Liam"
"Senior. Kieran."