Xican and Logan said their farewells after a long discussion about local events, the most noteworthy being his lifted restrictions when it came to guilds and dungeons. A great weight was lifted from Logan’s shoulders as he breathed almost as easily as ever.

With plenty of free time ahead of him, after completing his more recent quest and the ending of the timer for the Ice King’s revival, Logan was certain to fill it with many activities. Unsurprisingly, the top order was that of forming his guild.

Being a guildmaster opened many avenues for Logan, the Spellthief. He could use the power of his guild to warrant a vote in congress sessions, get around some local laws, and be considered an army within his party. Dungeons were easier to get his hands on, while he could form larger creation facilities within the city.

One major part was the advertisement. Logan was sure that the below PCs knew of his presence by now, but any of the above ones he knew of met via chance or investigation. A guild name would make an awesome marker for others to see and recognise as Earthly.

A lovely side-along venture was also that Logan could protect the unprotected. Mess with a guildie and you mess with the guild. So many casters and newcomers to adventuring were stepped on and taken advantage of, including the outcasting of seven-dayers who hadn’t survived a week as adventurers.

Regrouping with Marcus, Logan double-checked his ally’s status to find the diligent training had brought the Devout to level 17, just 2 below Logan. Training against his elementals did wonders for repeated experience gains, combined with Marcus’s devotion to guard routines at the training yards.

The next stop was the alleyways of Logan’s homeless workers. Some had recently paid off their debts and got small shacks together, so the numbers dwindled in the backstreets, but many came at their master’s call. As the homeless levels were slowly increasing, Logan dropped off a shipment of daggers, swords, axes, and crossbows, plus an assortment of armour.

They would be a fully-fledged adventuring party at this stage, taking a group of a dozen to do the work of four they would be more secure than most starter parties. Logan wanted to make use of his elementals in the coming days, so he couldn’t loan them out any further.

The summons’ time in their guardianship did see Servoir and Umbra reach level 10 each, just 2 below the previous limit of 12. However, with Logan increasing his mastery of the spell used to summon them, he increased the limit by a further 5. At their current levels, Logan could absorb a total of 37 MP from them in a day.

Just so they weren’t used only as pack mules and servants, Logan made sure to read skill tomes for each of them to gain a ranged skill if they hadn’t already. It was more of a distraction than anything, but five volleys would add up throughout combat.

Logan eventually arrived within the northern tip of the north district known as Classed-End. The district for all things guild-related. There were establishments dedicated to solely adventuring, while others only had hands in crafting. It seemed a new part was added to the district recently, people asking Logan to join their guild.

Waves, pats on his shoulder, and yells were hurled at the Spellthief. The news of his eradication of the Frost Monarch’s Cavern had spread quickly, and everyone wanted another Cassius in their fold. It was a stark contrast to his previous treatment, but that was when he was untested. It was fact now that the man could handle himself, and beyond most common adventurers.

The Spellthief did his best to decline politely, hurrying to the end of the district to find the Guild’s Association. As the main government body for the creation, control, oversight, and dictation of guilds within Gauntlet, this was the place to go when you wanted to make your own guild.

A few saddened faces were met with the closing door, seeing their wanted man off to make his own. The interior was clean and expensive. Lavish rugs donned the stonework floor while marbled pillars held up polished stone walls and ceiling. Several paintings adorned the walls with depictions of each guild that had successfully been created.

Passing by the image of Lightbeam, Logan found the entrance desk manned by a vampire woman with grey-tinted blonde hair. “Morning to you”, Logan called.

The lady’s black sclera eyes looked over Logan for a minute, “Welcome, cousin-kin. How may I assist you?”

“There’s that detection again”, Logan thought to himself as he was so easily identified as a demon, “I am looking to form my own guild, may I get the process started before all requirements are met?”

The lady smiled and softened her demeanour as she held out her hand, “May I see your signet, sir?”

Logan looped his necklace off his head and showed the metallic signet to the woman.

“Good, you meet the rank requirement. And the gold?”

Logan placed five gold coins on the counter.

“Wonderful. I can get the paperwork ready, the process typically takes one week to finalise. In that time you can complete all other criteria noted in this handout”, the woman explained as she handed a folded piece of parchment to Logan.

Logan quickly looked over the leaflet, he was already familiar with most if not all the requirements. Level 15, 5 gold cost, 3 signatures to start, and a guild house with bedrooms equal to half your guild’s size. The leader must have completed a minimum of 100 quests, 5 dungeons, and be at least 18 years of age. Alongside many other legal matters, Logan could not be part of any other guild or restricted from making them.

Ticking off several parts, Logan also cleared the 100 quests as it allowed both adventuring and hunting. The only portions he had to work on were the last signature, 3 more dungeons, and the guild house.

All three were easy enough to do, if anything the dungeons might just have been difficult if there were none left after the Cassius business.

Logan handed a filled-in parchment to the woman a few minutes later, though her face only added to her surprised voice, “Vip? Is that some new type of slang?”

Logan had named his new guild VIP, but the lady read it as a word and not letters. People from Earth would recognise it while anyone on Avanar would just see it as a cute and short name. It had also been a joke between him and Amalia before, reminiscing of her time as a bouncer.

“The name isn’t too short, is it?”

“Not at all, we have a handful of guilds with only a single letter to their name.”

“Are we fine to get things started while I clear up the last parts?”

“Yes, but if you’re unable to do so you may need to pay extra fees.”

Logan waved it off, “That’ll be fine.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Alright, I shall take this sketch you brought and work up a prototype signet design with it for your guild symbol. It is quite intricate and unique, better than just a sword and shield I’ll tell you.”

“Those are fine to me”, Logan laughed it off.

With only a few more words shared, Logan and Marcus left the building to go purchase their own. The Spellthief already had his eye on one near the end of Classed-End, it wasn’t a prime spot for adventurers as it was on the outskirts, but it was prime for advertising as it hit a t-junction in the roads.

Having contacted the seller earlier, Logan met the man at the building and handed over a sack of gold coins, getting a writ in return.

The front entrance was situated near the right side as you looked at the front, a large glass window on the left to peer into the entrance hall. With a ground floor and first floor, it could hold quite a few people inside.

Entering, there was a bar counter on the left of the door with several stools upside down on the countertop. To the right was a door to an interviewing chamber. Ahead were four sofas looking towards a large table in the centre, an empty bookshelf at the side. A hallway went past the seating area into the back, with a staircase just at the archway leading to an overlook of the first floor and several bedrooms.

In total, the place had twenty bedrooms up top, four large meeting rooms below, and a small indoor training area at the back. If Logan bought up the building behind and on the left he could combine them down the road if he needed, but forty spaces was enough for now.

Marcus closed the door behind them, which left the interior a bit dark from dust and grime, but Logan could sort that out later. “Looks promising”, Marcus thought aloud.

“We’ll fill it soon enough”, Logan answered as he turned to the front door.

“Setting up security?”

Logan nodded as he picked out a small pylon in his hands, just half a foot long and made of some form of white rock. Snapping it, Logan chanted, “Spellforce, bind this boundary, hallow these halls, and protect my property from those who wish it harm”, causing the rod to crumble to dust and form a large magic circle on the door and its frame.

This was a fifth-level Devout spell, so the rod was quite expensive. But it allowed Logan peace of mind when away from home, and proved this was a guild house proper. Anyone who entered without permission would find themselves violently thrust back, be it from the door or the walls. This was Marcus’s part of the guild price.

“That should do us for a while”, Marcus calculated as he sat on a stool he took from the counter.

“Thanks for the heads-up on it.”

“No problem.”

“We’ll fill the pantry with foodstuffs later, and the bookshelf. For now, let’s go drop in on Amalia.”

“But I just sat down”, Marcus teased.

Warping to Amalia’s forge, the pair invited themselves in to see the smith hard at work as usual.

“Mornin’”, Logan greeted.

“Morning, Amalia”, Marcus added.

Amalia hammered the sword a few times before replying, “Oh, was that today?” she asked as if she had forgotten something.

“Yeah, but no rush. You got a week”, Logan calmed Amalia as he sat down.

“I’ll get it sorted tonight then”, Amalia blushed.

“Work been treating you good?” Marcus asked.

“That it has. A few shops have been putting in orders due to an influx of buyers.”

“That because of the quest?” Logan asked.

“Seems so. Lightbeam alone bought up over a hundred weapons to replace what they had used in the mobile dungeon.”

“I hear potions are a bit of a rarity too”, Marcus added.

“The quest wasn’t kidding then. I suppose things are better than they could have been”, Logan surmised.

Amalia nodded, “The work is nice, and thankfully it is a range of levels, so I can still gain mastery.”

“Hah, wish I could track that”, Marcus laughed.

“Are you still fine with joining our guild?” Logan made sure.

“Yeah. Outside of its protection, it’ll help my crafting life. If what you said about the system quests I’ll be found out eventually anyway”, Amalia shrugged.

“It certainly has many benefits. Having a capable smith will also help to gear up our new members.”

“My offer still stands, full sets of equipment on sign-up.”

“We’ll make the seven-day death timer a thing of the past.”

Another Dimensional Jaunt brought the duo to the G-Hall near the centre of the city. It was bustling, possibly more than usual due to the lack of an Ice King. Many adventurers were on standby and had to get work to fill in the space they were left with.

The interior was full of angered voices over death insurance being a waste, so many had paid for the service with the idea that the Ice King was coming back, since he wasn’t the investment was pointless. However, with how the system worked, they couldn’t just get their money back, they were safe for a good month or two.

This was going to be something the officials of the city would have to handle, an angry adventurer was one less likely to stick their neck out for you. Logan could think of a few ways to wash away their feelings, but it wasn’t down to him in the end. He was sure some recompense would come in the next few days regardless.

“Hail, Phasing Hunter!” an adventurer called as they waved from their table.

“Phasing Hunter, go get ‘em!” another bolstered.

Logan continued to feel uneasy with the change in attitude towards him. His popularity had been shifting with time, but this was probably the biggest boost since he gained the title of Phasing Hunter.

Making their way into the backrooms, Logan saw quite a few people there, more than usual. Around twenty people conversing and checking the board, it seemed Cassius was a common name on their lips. Rumour had it, that the Raid Master had picked up over ten dungeon quests all his own, a number not normally allowed to adventurers.

Wanting to pick up the easiest dungeons on offer, Logan scanned the parchments quickly but was met with notes pinned to them stating they had been reserved by other teams and awaiting other members.

Logan sighed, but it wasn’t all bad. This way he’d be helping low-level adventurers clear a dungeon that was most likely their first. He just didn’t want to give them the wrong idea.

Taking a quick step to the counter in the main hall to get his signet updated from his elementals’ quest completions, Logan approached a table with four scrappy-looking teens as a window appeared at his side.

“You have gained the ‘Experienced Adventurer’ title.”

“Experienced Adventurer: After completing fifty different adventuring quests, many see you as a person to count on for tackling monsters and scouting missions. Adventurers will rarely turn you down as a party member, with many more wanting to ask you to join them. You have gained 1 skill point to distribute.”

“Identify”, Logan mentally commanded.

“Alice: Fighter 2…

Jayd: Fighter 2…

Varuud: Devout 2…

Sooryah: Rogue 2…”

“Afternoon, adventurers, I hear you lot are gearing up for your first dungeon clear?” Logan asked as nicely as he could.

Marcus nodded in agreement with the question.

The leader, Alice, jumped up at the sight of such a strong mage, “Yes sir! Any advice you can give is most welcome”, she said, brushing her long black hair behind her ears and making herself look presentable and less uncouth.

“Sir, ain’t you that Phasing Hunter?” Jayd asked, the top-heavy man trying to keep his helmet’s visor open.

“That’s right. But, it’s not advice I am offering, It’s a helping hand”, Logan replied as he sat down.

Varuud, the gashriek man, choked on his drink, Sooryah the human rogue patted his ally to a clear throat. Spluttering, Varuud spoke, “Sir, we can’t possibly afford your price.”

“Too right, the coppers are going to be to repair and renew our stuff”, Sooryah added.

Logan looked over their gear. Most of it was tarnished, scratched, and cracked. If they were to take on the dungeon, it would be a very slow process, and if it were fast it would be their death.

“Don’t worry, since it’s your lot’s first time it will be cheap. Just the pick of the gear, a single item for myself and my friend here.”

“That’s right”, Marcus confirmed.

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