Morning sunlight spilled across the streets of the Town of Beginnings.
After nearly three straight weeks of chaos, bloodshed, hidden bosses, betrayal, and impossible battles…
the town somehow still looked peaceful.
Players moved between shops carrying crates of monster materials.
Blacksmith hammers rang rhythmically in the distance.
NPC vendors shouted daily discounts like nothing in the world had changed.
And in the middle of it all—
Rio and Ryota walked side by side through the crowded streets looking completely exhausted.
Ryota stretched his arms behind his head with a groan.
"I still can't believe we survived that dungeon."
Rio snorted.
"Barely."
Her left leg still hurt from the gunshot wound Magumo's men had inflicted earlier. Even after several healing potions and emergency treatment from Hinabi, the injury still throbbed whenever she walked too quickly.
But despite that—
her expression looked lighter than usual.
The battle with Allure had changed something.
Not just in strength.
But mentally.
Ryota glanced sideways at her.
"So… about this guild."
Rio immediately looked away.
Ryota narrowed his eyes.
"That reaction means something expensive is coming."
Rio coughed awkwardly.
"Well…"
"How expensive?"
Rio raised one finger.
"It depends."
"That's never a good start."
Rio ignored him.
"There are different guild classifications in Evermount."
Ryota listened carefully while they continued down the stone pathway toward the massive Guild Office building visible at the center of town.
"Normal guilds are the most common," Rio explained. "Guilds like Burning Pride and Eternity Lions fall into that category."
Ryota nodded.
"Okay… sounds reasonable."
"At the start, normal guilds can hold up to one hundred members."
"That's actually a lot."
"It is. But upgrading it later caps around one hundred fifty unless you expand through special territory systems."
Ryota blinked.
"Wait… so how much does making one cost?"
Rio answered casually.
"Fifty copper coins."
Ryota instantly stopped walking.
"FIFTY?!"
Several nearby players turned toward him.
Rio sighed.
"You're yelling."
"That's because fifty copper coins is insane!"
Rio crossed her arms.
"That's just the registration fee."
Ryota froze.
"…What do you mean just?"
Rio pointed ahead.
"Guild bases cost money too."
Ryota's soul visibly left his body.
Rio continued mercilessly.
"Location affects pricing. Guild territory inside major towns is extremely expensive because of traffic and player accessibility."
She pointed toward the western district.
"Eternity Lions built their headquarters in one of the reserved guild zones here in the Town of Beginnings."
Ryota stared.
"How much?"
"Seventy copper."
"…JUST FOR THE LAND?!"
Rio nodded calmly.
"Pretty standard."
Ryota looked physically ill.
Rio continued.
"If we built ours near the hidden dungeon where we fought Allure, it'd probably cost around one hundred thirty copper because of the dungeon proximity bonus."
Ryota grabbed his chest dramatically.
"I think I'm dying."
Rio smirked slightly.
"You'll survive."
"No I won't."
They continued walking.
The Guild Office grew larger in the distance.
Players entered and exited constantly while NPC guards monitored the entrance.
Ryota rubbed his forehead.
"So… what about the other guild types?"
Rio's expression sharpened slightly.
"Super Guilds."
Ryota immediately recognized the term.
"Those are the company-backed ones, right?"
"Most of them."
Rio nodded.
"Super Guilds are basically organizations with real-world funding."
She raised three fingers.
"They come with larger starting member caps, NPC hiring permissions, advanced commerce systems, and political influence."
Ryota looked surprised.
"You can hire NPCs?"
"Yep."
Rio looked ahead thoughtfully.
"You can buy NPC contracts and assign them jobs. Guards. Merchants. Craftsmen. Even information brokers later on."
"That sounds broken."
"It is."
Ryota swallowed.
"How much?"
"One hundred fifty copper."
Ryota immediately looked ready to jump into a river.
Rio couldn't help laughing.
"The starting member cap is two hundred though."
"That doesn't help!"
Rio ignored him again.
"Starway is a Super Guild."
Ryota's eyes widened instantly.
The number one guild.
Even in only three weeks, their name had already spread across Floor One like wildfire.
"They're funded by a gaming corporation from the real world," Rio explained. "Royal Knights too. Dominion Pledge as well."
Ryota muttered quietly.
"So that's why they grew so fast…"
Rio nodded.
"Money equals progression in Evermount. Especially early."
Ryota looked at her.
"…Then what are we making?"
Rio smiled.
And for some reason—
that smile made Ryota nervous.
"I'm not aiming for a Normal Guild."
Ryota already knew this was bad.
"I'm not aiming for a Super Guild either."
"…Rio."
She stopped walking.
Then slowly turned toward him.
Golden morning light reflected softly in her blue eyes.
And then—
she grinned.
"I'm aiming for an Apex Guild."
Ryota stared blankly.
"…What."
Rio pointed upward dramatically.
"The highest classification."
"How much."
"Four hundred copper."
Ryota nearly collapsed on the street.
"FOUR HUNDRED?!"
Several players nearby stared openly now.
One NPC merchant looked concerned.
Rio grabbed Ryota's sleeve and pulled him forward before he embarrassed her further.
"You're too loud."
"TOO LOUD?! RIO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE HALF OF THAT!"
Rio coughed awkwardly.
"…We have one hundred forty-seven."
Ryota stared at her in disbelief.
"We are broke."
Rio looked away.
"I know."
"We are catastrophically broke."
"I KNOW."
Ryota held his head.
"Then why are you aiming for the most expensive guild type in the game?!"
Rio's expression slowly softened.
Because unlike before—
this time her answer carried certainty.
"Because Apex Guilds change everything."
Ryota blinked.
Rio continued walking while speaking calmly.
"Unlimited member capacity."
"Full NPC assignment systems."
"Autonomous guild functions."
"Player-owned territory."
"Dedicated teleportation networks."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And most importantly…"
Rio looked back at him.
"We can build something permanent."
Ryota fell silent.
Rio continued.
"Super Guilds rely on money."
"Normal Guilds rely on numbers."
"But Apex Guilds…"
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…become nations."
The air itself felt heavier hearing those words.
Ryota slowly realized—
Rio wasn't thinking about Floor One anymore.
She was thinking far ahead.
Much farther.
"The free headquarters crystal is the biggest reason," Rio explained. "Once planted, it establishes permanent guild territory."
Ryota's eyes widened.
"Anywhere?"
"Almost."
Rio nodded.
"We can build in exploration zones, hidden biomes, special regions…"
Then she smiled.
"And I already know the perfect location."
Ryota blinked.
"…Floor 3?"
Rio grinned.
"Exactly."
Ryota stared at her for several seconds.
Then finally laughed.
"You really planned all of this already, didn't you?"
Rio crossed her arms proudly.
"Of course I did."
"…You terrifying woman."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"It sounded like one."
Ryota shook his head helplessly while laughing.
Then he looked ahead at the massive Guild Office.
"So what now?"
Rio looked toward the building too.
Her blue eyes reflected determination.
"Now?"
A small smirk formed on her face.
"We create the guild that'll shake Evermount someday."
And together—
the two of them walked toward the Guild Hall entrance.
The Guild Hall stood proudly at the center of the Town of Beginnings.
Massive stone pillars supported the structure while banners bearing different guild emblems hung across the entrance. Players continuously walked in and out of the building—some excited, others nervous, and a few carrying the exhausted look of people who had clearly spent too many hours grinding.
Ryota stared upward in awe.
"So this is where guilds officially start…"
Rio nodded.
"The heart of Floor One."
The moment Ryota stepped forward—
Rio immediately grabbed the back of his shirt.
"We can't go in yet."
Ryota stumbled backward.
"Huh?"
Rio crossed her arms while sighing dramatically.
"We're still missing the most important thing."
Ryota blinked.
"…Money?"
"Exactly."
Rio opened her inventory window in front of him.
Several empty slots appeared.
"I already sold everything I could from my inventory earlier."
Ryota looked surprised.
"All of it?"
Rio nodded weakly.
"Monster drops, excess crafting materials, low rarity weapons, duplicate boss fragments…"
She lowered her head.
"And after all that…"
A tiny notification floated beside her currency tab.
[Current Currency: 147 Copper Coins]
Ryota winced.
"That bad?"
Rio looked emotionally wounded.
"Do you know how many hours I grinded for those materials?"
"…A lot?"
"Thirty-two hours."
Ryota nearly choked.
"And that's all you got?"
Rio pointed angrily at the invisible heavens.
"This game's economy is corrupted."
Several nearby players turned toward her.
Rio ignored them.
Then she sighed.
"But it's fine."
Ryota looked at her.
Rio forced a confident smile.
"Five days."
"Hm?"
"Give me five full days of grinding."
Her blue eyes sharpened with determination.
"I'll get the remaining copper."
Ryota stared at her quietly.
Then—
he slowly opened his inventory.
"Rio."
"Hm?"
"Look at mine. Maybe we could sell something useful"
Rio blinked.
Then casually glanced toward his inventory window.
A moment later—
she froze completely.
104 Iron Ore
4 Dragon Scales
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Rio slowly turned her head toward Ryota.
Her expression was terrifyingly blank.
"Ryota."
Her voice sounded unusually calm.
"Yes?"
"…Since when did you go mining for iron ore?"
Ryota scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I didn't?"
Rio pointed aggressively at the screen.
"THEN EXPLAIN THIS!"
Ryota looked genuinely confused.
"Oh."
He thought for a moment.
"Maybe from the World Legacy dungeon?"
Rio stared.
"…What."
Ryota nodded innocently.
"You know when I kept throwing rocks at the dragons?"
Rio's eye twitched.
"…Yes."
"Well the earth dragon exploded a lot."
Rio remained silent.
Ryota continued.
"So maybe I picked them up accidentally."
Rio's soul nearly left her body.
Iron Ore.
One of the most valuable early-game crafting resources.
Debris ore drops had less than a one percent drop chance from earth-type monsters.
And Dragon Scales?
Those were even more absurd.
A 0.3% drop rate.
Rio slowly looked back at Ryota's inventory.
104 Iron Ores.
4 Dragon Scales.
She genuinely wanted to scream.
Or murder someone.
Maybe both.
"…You absolute cheating bastard…"
Ryota blinked.
"What did I do?"
Rio grabbed her forehead.
"I spent thirty-two hours grinding."
Ryota nodded.
"You threw rocks at dragons."
Ryota nodded again.
"And somehow YOU made more money than me."
"…When you say it like that it sounds bad."
"BECAUSE IT IS BAD!"
Several nearby players immediately looked over again.
One guild member whispered.
"Are they fighting?"
"No idea."
Rio ignored them entirely while staring at Ryota like the universe had personally betrayed her again.
This was the 2nd time this happened... She remembering the Yakolith Ores
Ryota coughed awkwardly.
"Well… should I sell them?"
Rio instantly pointed at the market terminal nearby.
"Go."
Ryota walked toward the system terminal while Rio followed behind him in emotional devastation.
He selected the Iron Ore stack.
[Current Market Price: 4 Copper Coins]
Ryota blinked.
"Oh."
Rio nodded proudly.
"See? That's valuable."
Then suddenly—
the market numbers flickered.
[Current Market Price Updated: 6 Copper Coins]
Both of them froze.
Ryota blinked twice.
Rio stared at the screen in horror.
"…No."
Ryota looked at her.
"Did it just—"
"DON'T SAY IT."
Ryota slowly pressed the sell button.
[624 Copper Coins Added To Inventory]
Rio looked like she was about to collapse.
Ryota stared at the amount too.
"…That's a lot."
Rio slowly turned toward him.
Her expression was empty.
"You are not human."
Ryota laughed nervously.
"I'll keep the dragon scales for now."
Rio didn't even answer.
She was still mentally processing reality.
Ryota then casually opened his currency menu.
A transfer window appeared.
Rio blinked.
"Hm?"
A notification suddenly appeared in front of her.
[Player Ryota has transferred 600 Copper Coins.]
Rio froze.
Her eyes widened.
Slowly—
very slowly—
she looked up at him.
"Ryota…"
Ryota smiled softly.
"You're the one leading us."
Rio remained speechless.
Ryota scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I don't really understand all the future stuff like you do."
He laughed lightly.
"But I trust you."
Rio's eyes trembled slightly.
Ryota continued.
"And if making an Apex Guild is your dream…"
His smile softened.
"Then I'll support it."
Something inside Rio's chest tightened painfully.
Not from sadness.
But because she understood—
more than anyone—
how rare it was to have someone genuinely believe in you without asking for anything back.
Back in her previous life—
people praised her strength.
Admired her achievements.
Feared her skill.
But very few ever stood beside her simply because they wanted to.
Yet Ryota did.
Without hesitation.
Without conditions.
Rio quickly turned her face away.
Ryota blinked.
"…Rio?"
"…Shut up."
"Huh?"
"You're making this embarrassing."
Ryota laughed.
Then suddenly—
Rio stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
Ryota froze instantly.
Nearby players immediately started staring.
Rio buried her face against his shoulder while gripping his shirt slightly.
"…Thank you."
Her voice came out quieter than usual.
But genuine.
Very genuine.
Ryota slowly smiled.
Then carefully hugged her back.
"Always."
For a brief moment—
the noise of the busy town disappeared completely.
No bosses.
No raids.
No betrayals.
No world-ending threats.
Just two exhausted players standing quietly in the middle of Evermount's busiest street—
holding onto the future they wanted to build together.