NPCs aren't commonly included in player counts. A guild may have ten high-ranking humans, ten powerful players, and still employ hundreds of NPCs working behind the scenes.
The High Order is the name given to the top ten guilds. These guilds are home to the strongest players, the most powerful individuals who shape the world. While I haven't personally met every player from these guilds, I've heard countless stories from Rei. Players have developed very different views about the guilds, and Rei's tales paint a mixed picture of their influence.
Ascend, led by Teruki's brother, is an elite and ruthless guild infamous for crushing opposition. It recruits only the strongest players, and its leader ranks second in the world.
Black Cats operate from the shadows. This guild thrives on deception, ambushes, and robbery. A while back, they stole a valuable gem from the capital, yet no evidence was ever found. No one knows who leads this guild, though rumors are plentiful.
Sho is a tight-knit band of friends and family following the strongest player. While most of Sho's guildmates are weaker compared to other guilds, Sho's immense strength more than compensates.
10 Slayers is a deadly squad of ten fighters, each a master of their craft. Pendant holds the ninth position. No one knows exactly how the players are ranked. Some say by strength, others by usefulness.
Order stands as a bastion of unwavering resolve. Rei never tells me much about them, and I'm not even sure they attend the first summit.
Mana is the rival of the Crusaders. This guild consists entirely of spellcasters wielding devastating magic. I've met their leader once, and she is as terrifying as Sho. When it comes to magic, no one surpasses her.
Our Guild ranks seventh. We aren't the strongest or the best, yet we fight hard to claim our spot.
Crusaders are a group with unwavering faith in their leader, Adrian Kundra, one of the best combatants in the tower. He is younger than I expected.
The Reapers are a ruthless guild known for hunting and killing rival guild members. They thrive on chaos and conflict, striking fear into anyone who dares cross their path.
RG controls the ranking system and assigns guild statuses throughout the world. No one knows how they gain this much power or how they integrate so seamlessly with the people of this world.
Finally, we ascended to the top floor and walked to Reyna's room. She beckons Adrian to sit while I stand beside her. Another spider crawls in the corner, and I hope no one notices.
I can't tell if it's the same spider as before or a different one.
Rei speaks, jolting me back to my senses.
"Diplomacy is a very peculiar thing, isn't it?" Rei says.
Adrian smiles. "You're right," he replies. "At the end of the day, we're all just young adults thrown into this mess."
She nods. "That's why it's imperative we strike a deal that benefits both of our guilds."
"This is the first time I've had to handle something like this, so I apologize if I come off as too demanding."
"What are your demands?" she asks.
"I promised Viri that I'd support your guild," Adrian says. His voice darkens. "I want to make it clear that I don't particularly like you or anyone in your guild. In fact, Sho told me time and time again to let your guild plummet."
"Sure sounds like her," Rei says with an awkward smile. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
"I want to know the details of the deal you made with Ascend. I also want to know what powers and magic your guild uses."
Rei shakes her head and sighs.
"The weapons, you mean?"
"Please," Adrian says. "I know you wouldn't tell me even if I offered you thousands of dollars."
"I want to know the specifics of your magic. Your Phoenix Featherstorm, for example, and the dragon magic your guild uses," Adrian continues.
Will she tell him? I wonder.
Rei hesitates, so Adrian adds, "I won't tell anyone, whether we work together or not."
Rei exhales slowly. "I can't give you that," she says. "You might not understand, but magic is almost as important as life force. It's part of who we are."
"I don't think you're in any position to argue." Adrian freezes, placing a hand over his face. "You made a bet with Valen to reach the tenth floor!"
"Luckily," Rei says, "Valen is letting us attempt the boss first."
"Even so, I'm not going to send my guild into a meaningless fight with people who don't trust us."
Adrian stands.
"Please," Rei says. I see tears forming in her eyes. I feel a hint of pity, but I remain standing.
"I'll do anything. This... this is all I have."
"What do you gain from making a deal like that?" Adrian yells. "You're putting your guild on the line. You're putting your future on the line. I'd never make a mistake like that. A leader shouldn't make a mistake like that. Crying and begging others isn't going to make it better."
"Valen doesn't believe we can protect Tenshi," Rei says, taking a deep breath as she pulls herself together.
"If you truly valued your friend and your guild, you would've challenged him to a guild war."
"Are you insane?" Rei yells. "Challenge the second most powerful guild to a fight? That would be even worse. At least with the Slime Queen we stand a chance."
"And what if he goes back on his word? A public guild war would've had the backing of the Tower."
"Valen might be a scoundrel. He might be awful. But he only wants to see whether we can protect Teruki. That's what I intend to show him."
"You intend to prove you can protect his sister in private, on a floor where no one else can see?"
"If you don't intend to help, then another guild will step in to support us."
Adrian laughs. He breaks into loud laughter, filling the room. It continues longer than it needs to.
"Sho might," Adrian says. "She's always ready for a fight. But Mana (Guild) would never stoop so low as helping another guild fight a boss, especially with their low member count. Black Cats, Slayers, and Reapers would all demand your souls or something equally valuable as payment for their help. Order and RG would never interfere in your affairs."
"Well," Rei sighs. "What about you?"
"Of course," Adrian answers. "I'm willing to help you. Not because I'm a good person, I like you (as a person) or because I want to. I want this partnership to benefit my guild as much as it benefits yours."
"And what would you want besides detailed information about our magic?"
"To start, I want to know how you beat Sho."
"Beat... Sho?"
"Sho keeps talking about how your guild defeated her. I want to know exactly what happened."
"Look at this," Rei says, handing him an orb.
The purple orb glows in his hands before projecting a screen that hovers in the air.
"Is this a memory?" Adrian asks.
"Indeed," She confirms.
The memory engraved in the orb shows our fight with Sho.
-------
(From Reyna's Perspective)
"OverSoul_Phoenix_Flames," I etch into the air.
The moment the command forms, I ignite. My skin glows like molten gold, my hair thrashing wildly like a storm of fire.
I'm not just wielding fire. I am fire.
Heat ripples off me, distorting the air. The ground blackens beneath my feet. Then, with a single burst, I launch forward. The world blurs past me as I streak through the air like a blazing comet.
I barely register Sho's reaction before our weapons clash. Her steel met my flame. Sparks explode outward. She surges back, summoning a gust of wind that pushes me away, but I twist through it, flames coiling tighter around me.
I'm faster. Stronger. Unrelenting.
She throws up a defensive barrier, layers of mana thick enough to repel most attacks. I don't slow down. The fire surges from me in a wave, tearing through her defenses like parchment. The air ripples with heat. I see her flinch as the searing pain catches up to her.
I cut a burning arc through the sky, twisting my body mid-air. My flames push me forward again. Sho barely dodges, her barriers flickering against the relentless blaze. She retaliates with a precise strike.
A clean, practiced motion.
I burst to the side, redirecting myself with a blast of fire. My fist connects.
Sho stumbles back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
But it's not enough.
I pull deeper. The fire inside me shifts, twisting from bright orange to an eerie, unnatural blue. The heat sears my veins like molten glass. My breath turns ragged. The flames aren't just magic anymore … They're me.
I burn away my own strength, my own life, to keep the fire raging.
Sho barely has time to react before I strike again. Faster. Stronger. My power pours out of me, carving through her barriers as if they don't exist. Her sword arm trembles under the weight of my attack.
I hover above her, flames writhing around me like a living inferno. Power crackles in my outstretched hand.
"It's over," I sneer.
Sho doesn't move. She just... hovers there, her gaze sharp and unreadable.
Why isn't she scared?
Then I feel it.
Pressure.
An unseen force tightening the air.
Sho's grin fades. She inhales sharply, pulling from reserves I didn't know she had. A new energy swells around her. Not defensive, but something... different. Something final.
I lunge. Flames roar with me…
…and then it's over.
I freeze. My blade hovering inches from her throat. The flames flicker and die. Leaving behind only smoke and scorched earth.
My legs give out. I hit the ground hard, chest heaving.
Sho exhales and rolls her shoulders, wiping blood from her lip.
-------
"Sho bled," he says, shock clear in his voice.
"I'm sure we could overwhelm the Slime Queen ," Rei replied.
"I've been perfecting my skill more and more... it uses less of my life force now. More mana to compensate."
Why is she telling him this?
What use could a guild that doesn't even rely on magic possibly be? I should stop her. I should tell her to walk away. The last time I trusted someone, everything went wrong.
And yet...
I can't.
I have faith in her. A part of me still believes in her, in our friendship. One that hasn't cracked, no matter how much the world has tried to break it.
I trust her.