"How can I help you?" The receptionist asked, his tone returning to bland professionalism as he faced Ethan and his group.
Ethan, determined to recover his dignity after the humiliations of the day, puffed out his chest. "We want to create a Guild. Where is the office for registration?"
The young man stared at Ethan for a moment, an expression of barely contained incredulity on his face. He coughed to hide a chuckle.
"Sir... all controls for Guild creation and management are located within your Galaxy Bracelet. You can add members or send invitations globally with the device. That is all."
Ethan's face flushed. 'Another rule I didn't know.' He quickly tapped his Galaxy Bracelet, and a translucent blue holographic screen snapped into existence, visible only to him.
"Huh? I didn't know it could do this," he muttered, quickly navigating to the Guild creation section. "Right. Guild Name... What should we call ourselves?"
"You guys decide," Angela said, still deflated from the encounter with Mirabella.
"I can't think of anything creative," Alice admitted, rubbing her temples.
"Warriors," Miranda declared, a small, aggressive smile returning to her lips.
"Who would have thought the second place beauty would suggest such a fitting name," Ethan beamed, typing the name. He created the Guild and sent instant invites to the three girls.
They nodded and accepted. Ethan immediately pulled up the Guild profile:
[Guild Name: Warriors.]
[Guild Level: Lv1.]
[Guild Strength: 10,000.]
[Guild Member: 4.]
[Guild Ranking: 101st.]
"Ten thousand strength... we are so low and weak," he muttered, quickly scrolling to the top of the rankings.
[Guild Name: Ghosts.]
[Guild Level: Lv1.]
[Guild Strength: 500,000.]
[Guild Member: 1.]
[Guild Ranking: 1st.]
[Guild leader: Spectral.]
"Oh my goddess! One person and the Guild power is five hundred thousand! This is insane!" Ethan exclaimed, his voice rising in shock.
"Spectral... I remember that name!" Angela snapped her fingers. "He's the one who kept killing all the Bosses in the Beginner Zone! The one who killed the World Boss! He must have the Neutral Reputation too!"
"Wait," Alice said, the realization dawning on her. "If he got the Neutral Reputation from a World Boss, and Mirabella also has it... did she kill one too?"
"Impossible," Miranda dismissed the idea instantly. "She's only Level 10, and there wasn't any world announcement with her name."
"Then how did she get it?" Ethan muttered, turning back to the receptionist.
"Please, do you know another way to get a Neutral Reputation?" Ethan asked, attempting to sound authoritative.
The guy looked up at him, then lowered his gaze again, maintaining the silent treatment.
Ethan sighed in frustration. He understood the game now—information had a price. He pulled out the remaining pouch of gold coins.
"Hey! What are you doing? That's almost all our starting money!" Miranda hissed, grabbing his arm.
"Think about it, Miranda! If we can get a Neutral Reputation, our lives will be secured here. No one will look down on us," Ethan reasoned, his voice low but insistent.
Miranda, still smarting from the earlier humiliation, hesitated. The thought of wielding that untouchable power was intoxicating, so she finally nodded stiffly.
Alice exhaled slowly, and Angela simply sighed, both agreeing through sheer exhaustion.
Ethan smirked, placing the pouch on the desk. "What about now? Two hundred gold coins for information."
The receptionist's gaze finally lifted, his professionalism momentarily slipping as he grabbed the pouch and weighed it. His expression remained flat as he pocketed the gold.
"I will tell you flatly, because you paid for it," the man stated. "There is no other way to get Neutral Reputation. Only by killing a World Boss."
"....?"
The group was stunned.
"We already knew that! Are you absolutely sure there aren't other ways?" Angela pressed, feeling cheated.
"Listen," the guy said, tapping his fingers on the desk, betraying a slight impatience. "For this gold, I will give you the most likely scenario: Mirabella might have joined Spectral's Guild just before the World Boss fight. They worked together, and either Spectral gave the final blow, which is why only his name was announced for the kill, or the system only announces the Guild Leader's name."
He continued, providing a logical, albeit flawed, deduction: "And I think she left the Guild after that battle to remain independent."
The four looked at each other and nodded, relief and a fresh determination washing over them.
"So that's how she got it..." Ethan said, his eyes glittering with understanding.
"Okay, now we must grow stronger and get a World Boss kill for ourselves." He turned back to the guy. "Any missions you think we can take?"
"Based on your current levels—all Level 5—and limited gear, you are eligible for D-rank to C-rank missions," the receptionist confirmed.
"I don't want to get killed," Miranda instantly interjected, her fear outweighing her ambition. "Let's start with something easy."
"A D-rank then," the guy said with a bored sigh. "Your task is to help a local farmer kill a Level 5 Infected Rat. Tips: The rat can heal rapidly if it is not constantly moving."
"Rewards: 150 gold coins."
"Huh? Only one hundred and fifty?" Alice was stunned at the low pay-off compared to the gold they'd just wasted.
"Come on," Ethan said, masking his own frustration. "We are helping a farmer. It means it's close to the town. Let's go."
As he turned to leave, Ethan quickly pulled up the Guild ranking again, checking the second spot.
[Guild Name: Fearless Soldiers.]
[Guild Level: Lv1.]
[Guild Strength: 300,000.]
[Guild Member: 21.]
[Guild Ranking: 2st.]
[Guild Lester: Fearless Jessica.]
'Huh?! She is actually the leader of the second-strongest guild...?!' Ethan gasped inwardly.
'...And with twenty-one members, that strength is entirely military based. That woman is more dangerous than I realized. Good riddance.' He tightened his grip on the single pouch containing their military daggers.
'I shouldn't have given him that money.' He chastised himself. 'We now have only the bare minimum of equipment. But we can do this. We can earn more money and get stronger, starting with this rat.'
The receptionist, now alone, leaned back in his chair, discreetly checking the gold.
"These guys are such fools... Newbies," he whispered to himself, adjusting his collar. "If a Guild works together and kills a World Boss, the Guild Name is announced, not a single person."
He shook his head. "In any case, their misunderstanding is not my business."