Chương 54: Guild Wars

Contribution Points (CP): 21, 500 Ladder Rank: 96 Name: Gray Kim Level: 5 (2. 72%) Rank: Awakened Class: Shroud Abilities Identify Unlocks information regarding targets or items. Hollow [Legacy] Cooldown: 5 minutes Active: Summon the smoke cloud of the Primordial Shroud. Shroud Mastery – TIER I Passive: Clear visibility through smoke. The ability to produce and manipulate the form of smoke.

Shroud Domain [Signature] - TIER I Cooldown: 5 hours Duration: 30 seconds Active: Disperse a shroud of smoke from your location, enveloping you and everyone within. Enter WraithForm while inside your domain. Initiating combat ends this state. Soul Blade Effect:??? Gravity Well [WIND] - TIER I Cooldown: 10 minutes Duration: 8 seconds Active: Designate a point as the center of gravity, pulling the surrounding area toward it. Wraith [Smoke] - TIER I Cooldown: 10 minutes Duration: 5 seconds Active: Enter WraithForm.

Equipment Nimbus Robe [Common] [Evolution] [Armor] [Disabled] Serves to protect the bonded Tobari [Common] [Soul Blade] The tension finally drained from Gray's body after he crossed the Top 100 threshold, as avoiding a life of servitude remained his absolute priority—even with the chip's weight still pressing on his shoulders. His class marked him for certain death, but an equal source of his stress came from the System's final remark: avoid Hyun at all costs.

He spent the last hour of the fourth level in the locker room of the soccer stadium, sorting through his thoughts in the quiet. No matter how he turned it over, he couldn't work out Tim's reasoning for the warning. Did it stem from their argument at the cafe over morality? Or did Tim worry that Hyun's level-headedness would rub off on him, keeping him from repeating Shroud's rampage against the Primordials? Yet hadn't he chosen Hyun to inherit the legacy specifically for that same rational nature?

The contradictions piled up until Gray gave up trying to untangle them. Tim's intent didn't matter. Nothing and no one was going to stop him from seeing his brother again. Once the level ended, Gray consumed the ability shard he'd earned for clearing it. Shroud [Legacy] Cooldown:??? Duration:??? Active:??? Soul Blade Effect:??? He tried to will the spell out, running through every gesture and hand-sign he could think of. The result never changed. Nothing.

He tried reaching his mentor for answers, but Gozen never responded. Gray was teleported to a safezone—a tavern-style pub, its walls plastered with English food posters. A bar dominated the side, and round oak tables sat evenly spaced across the floor, ringed by plain wooden stools. Safezones had been disabled for the third round, likely eliminating the majority of the participants. So this one felt sparse next to the crowded fitness gym he'd stayed in after level two.

Only ten participants occupied the dining hall; a handful more slumped over the bar, throwing back mouthfuls of vodka and whiskey, gagging up the dry sand that filled their throats, then reaching for another swig anyway. Gray had never set foot in a bar, let alone a tavern. Unsure how to act, he tucked himself into a dim corner and shrank his presence, hoping to avoid anyone's notice. A boy with shaggy hair and rimmed glasses had clearly had the same idea.

He had a device clutched under one arm, shoulders hunched, eyes darting warily around the room from the opposite corner. A blonde woman seemingly in her thirties, pigtailed and freckled, sat at a round table with three other participants. Gray couldn't hear her, but from the way her face lit up, she seemed to be telling the story of her life. A moment later, she shaped her hands into finger guns and jerked them upward.

The table erupted into laughter, her audience slapping the wood and howling, nearly toppling out of their chairs. She wiped a tear from her eye and took a breath to compose herself. Then she turned her head, and Gray's eyes met hers by accident. A wide grin split her face. She pushed back her chair and stood. Gray's body seized up, panic etching itself across his face.

She had a revolver holstered at each hip, but the guns weren't what filled him with dread—the real horror was that this extrovert was making a beeline straight for him. A System prompt cut through the air, sparing him from the interaction. The fifth and final level has begun! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Theme: Guild Wars Reward 7, 000 Contribution Points 50% EXP Ability Shard Guilds in this new world of yours are a quintessential part of thriving as an Awakened. You can either apply to join one or lead one of your own! This level will test your leadership abilities as a Guild Master, or your resolve as a Guild Member—testing your willingness to cooperate and submit to a single authority. You must form a guild of four and appoint a member as the Guild Master.

This role will receive a 25% bonus to their Contribution Point reward at the conclusion of the level. Be aware: ALL points acquired during this level will be funneled to the Guild Master for redistribution. Not everybody has a chance of succeeding. With the maximum number of passing slots limited to 100, only the guilds ranking in the Top 25 will receive a reward for this level. Upon designating a leader for your guild, they will receive a pylon. Once planted, it will generate a makeshift base to protect itself.

The destruction of a pylon will immediately end the level for its respective guild. Ladder placement is determined solely by your Guild Points. Points can be obtained through the following means: Slaying Riftborn and clearing Contribution Rifts Slaying other participants Destroying guild pylons Forming an alliance Astral Rifts will be scattered across the battleground.

Unlike the rifts outside this competition—where you must physically enter a dungeon and bond with the Rift Core to complete the instance—you are forbidden from entering these portals. Instead, the Core will be placed just outside the portals for you to establish a connection to. Upon a successful link, the rift will close, and the core will hollow out—securing Guild Points based on the simulated difficulty. Guild Points can also be obtained by slaying other participants.

Contribution Points will be rewarded just the same. Destroying an opposing guild's pylon will net you points based on the parties leaderboard ranking. Everyone must participate in this round. However, nobody is forced to stay. You may leave your guild at any time, which will immediately teleport you to the nearest safezone. Every guild is permitted to form an alliance with ONE other guild. However, much like the real world, friendly fire will not be disabled.

The purpose of this alliance is for a shared objective: Guild Points. The main benefit of forming this bond is the reward bonus. Upon the level's completion, every member involved in an alliance will receive a payout far surpassing the base reward. The bonus reward will be revoked if there is a fatality caused between alliance members. Only ONE Guild Master within the alliance can be designated to receive and re-allocate ALL points acquired during this level.

Guild Masters are not required to distribute Contribution Points to their members and may hoard them for themselves. Choose your team wisely. Level duration: 5 hours Time remaining to form guild: 10 minutes 9: 59… 9: 58… Gray's eyes went wide at the timer.

"Ten minutes? Are you kidding me?" Past the edges of his text box, panic had already set in. Everyone in the tavern was scrambling, voices overlapping as they raced to form their guilds. Gray swiped a finger through the air and dismissed the blue wall of text. The interface was replaced by the blonde woman's face. She was leaning in close, beaming a smile that teetered somewhere between endearing and horrific. Gray recoiled and slammed the back of his head against the wall with a loud thump.

The woman winced, pressing her palms together.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you there, survivor."

"You're fine," Gray muttered, rubbing his scalp to soothe the ache.

"Survivor?"

"Oh, it's just what we call the people who've made it past the Top 100 cut-off. So, how about teaming up with me?" She leaned over and lightly nudged him in the chest with her elbow.

"I might not quite be in your league yet, but I can handle myself." She aimed a finger gun at him and dropped her thumb.

"I'll even vote you as Guild Master. Sounds too good to pass up, right?" She gave his shoulder a friendly slap.

"Guild Master?" Gray raised a brow.

"Why would you want a kid like me leading?"

"Kid or not, if you aren't qualified, then who is? You're the only Top 100 participant in here!" She spread her arms wide, sweeping her arms across the tavern. The bustling conversations died at once. Every head snapped toward them, eyes locking onto Gray, and a beat later the room surged forward.

"Do you have a slot for one more?!"

"Please take me in!"

"I'll do anything to join!" The crowd mobbed him, shouting desperate pleas to join his party. This was a new experience for Gray. Aside from the times in middle school when his classmates begged to copy his homework, he'd never known what it felt like to be needed. Now that he had the pick of the litter, he deliberated on what to do. Was he supposed to draft the most optimal team comp, or simply recruit the highest-ranking players in the room? The blonde woman made the decision for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she roared, her voice pitched theatrical enough to cut through the noise.

"Mr. Kim will be selecting only the most dignified and qualified participants for his party. I advise you to stay calm and orderly until my esteemed Guild Master makes his pick!" She herded the eager participants back, clearing breathing room for Gray.

"Mr. Kim?" Gray crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"I'm only eighteen, you know."

"I'll call you 'sir' if I have to, survivor." She snapped off a crisp salute.

"Just call me Gray." He tilted his head, arms still crossed.

"And I don't recall ever agreeing to be on the same team as you."

"Now, now. Don't be like that. Who was the one who saved you from getting mobbed, hmm?"

"Huh?" Gray spread his arms in exasperation.

"You're the one who caused this in the first place by blurting out my rank!" She waved off the accusation.

"They were going to use Identify on you eventually. Be thankful I got to you first. Now, how about it, Guild Master?" She extended a hand. Gray's gaze shifted to the gesture, then back to her eyes. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Would you describe yourself as dignified and qualified?" She tapped her chin, tilting her head in thought.

"Dignity is a human construct. As for my qualifications… why don't you check them out for yourself?" She pressed a finger just beneath her eye. Gray grunted. Identify Name: Delilah Hall Class: Arsenal Level: 7 Rank: Awakened Ladder Rank: 179 Gray let out a low whistle, or at least he tried to.

"Rank 179. Seems pretty qualified to me.

'Arsenal'… what does that actually do?"

"Why don't I just show ya." Delilah unholstered the dual revolvers from her hips. She twirled them around her index fingers before snapping the grips back into her palms. Extending one arm forward, she leveled the gun at Gray's chest, then brought her opposite hand up to align the second pistol behind the first. A bright white light flared. The twin revolvers dissolved in the glow, replaced by a pump-action shotgun. Gray's mouth rounded in surprise.

"So, that's why it's called Arsenal."

"I ain't done yet." She cocked the shotgun with a satisfying chk-chk and brought the barrel dead level. Just like the revolvers, the shotgun vanished in a flash of radiance and shifted seamlessly into a sleek sniper rifle.

"That is some heavy artillery you've got there," Gray said.

"Ohhhh yeaaaah." The rifle pulsed with a final flash of white light before shrinking back down into the dual revolvers.