The "Guild Hall" was technically an abandoned warehouse in the East District, but Kael had already reinforced the doors with steel, and Luna had set up ventilation for her fumes. It wasn't pretty, but it was secure.
For the first week, Elian forbade them from climbing past Floor 10.
"We aren't leveling up," Elian announced. "We are syncing up."
He turned to Valen. "Titan has the defense of a fortress, but the battle IQ of a... well, a seven-year-old. Valen, you're the best all-rounder. Teach him how to tank."
Valen crouched down in front of the small boy, who was holding a shield twice his size.
"Okay, Titan," Valen said, his voice unusually serious. "Being a Tank isn't just about getting hit. It's about making sure the monster hits you, so it doesn't hit Seraphina. You have to be annoying. You have to be the wall that refuses to move."
Titan nodded solemnly, gripping his shield. "I be the wall."
For the next few days, the party ran Floors 1 through 10 on a loop. They didn't use their ultimate skills. They focused on positioning.
"Titan, step forward! Block the Goblin Archer!" Valen shouted.
Titan stumbled but raised his shield. Thunk. The arrow bounced off.
"Good! Now bash!"
Titan swung the shield. Bash. The goblin flew back.
Elian watched from the backline, dismantling enemies with precise, efficient strikes. The team was growing. They were learning to breathe as one organism.
The Conference
After three days of grinding, the team collapsed in the warehouse lounge (a pile of crates and rugs).
[Global Announcement: Due to the anomaly on Floor 13, Floor 14 will remain locked for 30 Days.]
"A month," Elian muttered, wiping his sword. "That's a lifetime in the Tower. But it gives us time to fix the hole in our formation."
While the others slept or ate, Elian, Valen, and Caelum gathered around a map on the central crate.
"Something felt off during the dive," Elian started, tracing the formation lines. "We have the frontline (Titan, Valen). We have the damage (Me, Jax). We have the support (Seraphina, Luna). But when the mobs spread out, we lose time chasing them."
"We need a sniper," Elian said, tapping the rear of the formation. "Someone to cover the blind spots. Someone who can kill the archers on the ridges while Titan holds the line."
Valen shook his head. "A sniper is good, but we lack sustainability. Seraphina can heal wounds, but she can't restore stamina or mana. We need a Buffer. Or a Debuffer to slow the enemies down so Titan doesn't get overwhelmed. A Bard, maybe?"
"A Sniper," Elian insisted. "Control the zone with death."
"A Buffer," Valen countered. "Control the zone with stats."
They stared at each other. Both roles were critical. Both were missing.
From the shadows of the corner, a soft chuckle broke the tension. Caelum, the blind elf, was sitting cross-legged, his head tilted as if listening to music only he could hear.
"You two are loud thinkers," Caelum smiled.
He stood up and walked to the table, his movements fluid and unnatural for a blind man. He placed a pale hand on the map.
"We need ten members to register the guild," Caelum whispered. "We currently have eight. You are arguing over which limb to grow, when we need both to walk."
Elian and Valen blinked. They looked at each other, the realization hitting them simultaneously.
"Why not get both?" Caelum asked, his smile widening. "Since we are lacking two founding members anyway?"
Elian and Valen grinned. It was the perfect solution.
"Yes! That's right!" Valen shouted, slamming his hand on the crate.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Elian laughed, a rare sound. He turned to the Oracle. "Caelum, you can see the mana flow of the city. Use your skills. Where can we find a Sniper and a Buffer who fit our... unique requirements?"
Caelum nodded. He raised his head, the bandage over his eyes facing the ceiling. He extended his senses, not looking for light, but for the heavy, suffocating pressure of powerful souls.
He stood silent for a long minute. Then, he pointed to two specific spots on the map.
"I see them," Caelum whispered.
He tapped the Clock Tower in the center of the plaza.
"The first one sits on the needle of the city," Caelum said. "A man with a weapon that breathes fire, but he refuses to shoot. He is waiting for a target that is worthy of his bullet. He radiates boredom... and lethal precision."
Elian nodded. "A sniper who is bored of easy kills. Perfect. And the other?"
Caelum's finger slid down the map, away from the light, into the Red Light District—specifically, a run-down, underground gambling den known as 'The Devil's Dice'.
"The second one is drowning in noise," Caelum said, his voice dropping an octave. "A woman. She sings, but her song is not for coin. It is a song of ruin. Her mana feels like a curse. She buffs those around her, but luck abandons them shortly after."
Caelum turned his blind face toward Elian.
"A Sniper on the roof who craves a challenge. And a Gambler in the dark who twists fate."
Elian grabbed his cloak.
"Valen," Elian commanded. "You take Seraphina and go to the gambling den. Get the Buffer. If she twists fate, Seraphina's luck is the only thing that can counter it."
"And you?" Valen asked.
Elian looked toward the towering clock in the distance.
"I'm going to climb a tower."