Chapter 3: The Bureau of Dungeon Governance
By the end of the month, the "Guild Wars" had turned bloody. Minor skirmishes over mana-wells were breaking out in the Wild Zones. To prevent a total collapse of the peace he had bled for, Leo Heart stepped out of his laboratory and into the political arena.
He sat at the head of a long, obsidian table in the Alliance High Hall. Surrounding him were the leaders of the top twenty guilds and the ministers of the New Alliance.
"The Dungeons are no longer 'Finders Keepers'," Leo announced, his voice carrying the weight of the Sovereign's Link.
The room went silent.
"As of today, the Alliance is forming the BDG: Bureau of Dungeon Governance. Every dungeon, from F-Rank to SSS-Rank, is property of the Fused World's collective heritage. If you want to harvest, you rent. If you want to own, you buy a lease through the Alliance."
"You're turning our blood into a real estate market!" shouted the leader of the Obsidian Seekers.
"I'm turning a bloodbath into a law," Leo countered, his golden eyes narrowing. "The rent goes toward the Global Mana-Stabilization Fund. If you refuse, the Heart Guild will personally oversee your 'eviction'."
It was a bold, cold move. Leo was no longer just the "Hero." He was becoming the Regulator. The era of the wild frontier was over; the era of the Licensed Sovereign had begun.