After brushing off the Guild creation prompt, I tapped open the System Codex and selected the newly-unlocked tab.
It shimmered into view with an official-looking interface:
[ Guild System – Overview ]
Welcome to the Guild Framework.
In the face of the coming Annihilation, unity is strength. The Guild System enables advanced cooperation between Climbers, offering exclusive benefits based on structure, influence, and achievements.
▸ Guild Creation Requirements:
– Must have cleared at least Floor 3
– Requires 1,000 Credits
→ (Credits are earned through Floor Clears. Each cleared Floor grants 500 Credits by default. Additional bonuses are awarded for First and Fastest clears.)
– Must input: Guild Name, Guild Sigil, and a Founding Statement
▸ Rank Structure:
– Guild Founder (1 total – also functions as Captain)
– Vice Captain (1 total – second-in-command)
– Elite Core (Up to 6 core members with officer privileges)
– Standard Members
– Initiates (New Recruits, trial period)
▸ Core Features:
– Shared Buffs (based on group achievements)
– Guild Vault and Inventory (unlocks at Guild Level 2)
– Raid Contracts (Guild Level 3 and up)
– Rivalry/Alliance system with PvP modifiers
▸ Credit System Summary:
– Floor Clear: +500 Credits
– First Clear: +1,000 Credits
– Fastest Clear: +1,500 Credits
(Credits are quietly deposited to prevent looting and infighting.)
At the bottom, a quiet notification blinked:
[ You are eligible to create a Guild. ]
[ You have sufficient Credits: 9,000 / 1,000 ]
[ Create Guild – Requirements Met ]
I scoffed and dismissed it with a flick of my fingers.
"Not now."
Too early. I wasn't here to babysit recruits or host meetings. Let the others scramble for banners and backers. I needed time—time to bleed, learn, and cut deeper into the Labyrinth while they were busy building houses of cards.
Instead, I swiped over to the Astral Community tab. The feed was chaos. Posts flew by—arguments, jokes, panic theories, stat dumps. My name was still lighting up the trends.
#BlankTheBreaker
#Floor3Solo
#MadFangBracers
I ignored the noise and tapped into what mattered right now is the progress.
"System," I muttered. "Show me the Global Credit Rankings."
The Codex shimmered again, shifting into a ranked display:
[ Global Credit Ledger – Vassal Rankings ]
Sorted by total accumulated Credits (including Floor Clears, Raids, Astral Contributions)
▸ Credit Tier Benefits
Bronze Tier (0 – 999)
– No perks yet.
Silver Tier (1,000 – 2,999)
– +5% Stamina Recovery
– +3% Resistance to Common Ailments
Gold Tier (3,000 – 5,999)
– +5% Skill Activation Speed
– +5% EXP Gain
– Personal Combat Log Unlocked
Platinum Tier (6,000 – 9,999)
– +10% Ability Casting Speed
– +10% Passive Health Regen (Out of Combat)
– +5% Damage to Elite Enemies
– +1 Active Skill Slot
Emerald Tier (10,000 – 24,999)
– +15% Damage to Dungeon Bosses
– +10% Status Effect Potency
– +5% Debuff Resistance
– Unlocks Auto-Reflex Protocol (3% Passive Evade)
Diamond Tier (25,000+)
– +20% All Combat Stats
– +10% Cooldown Reduction
– Immune to Crowd Control under 1s
-
[ Current Standing ]
User: Blank
Credits: 9,000
Tier: Platinum (Edge of Emerald)
Guild Eligible: Yes
Fast Travel: Floor 1 ↔ 3
Note: Ranking visibility is restricted until Vassal status is confirmed.
-
'So I'm not even visible yet… and still nearly Emerald.'
I scrolled down to the top of the board.
"Let's see who's playing king of the hill."
-
>> Top 10 Vassal Credit Rankings <<
Astraia – Tokyo, Japan | Scorchwing Hall
DrakeValen – Seattle, USA | Iron Oath
KuroYasha – Busan, South Korea | Independent
Auris – Munich, Germany | Sanctum Circle
Riftborn Echo – Cape Town, South Africa | Depthwalker Syndicate
FangReaver – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Bloodroot Clan
NovaTrace – Toronto, Canada | Spearhead Division
WardenOfAshes – Melbourne, Australia | Verdant Aegis
ZeroLimit – Dubai, UAE | Horizon Watch
ChronoRune – London, UK | Temporal Guild
-
The ones that are listed on the rankings are the ones who made it big before. Everyone of them had an Astral backing, and teams.
'I remembered Astraia, she was once one of the greatest swordsmen. She wiped out an entire guild just for PKing someone inside the Labyrinth. I might need her soon… especially for that boss.'
New alerts pinged the moment I closed the Codex.
[ You have received 5 Vassal Pact offers. ]
I opened the message and began checking them one by one.
-
[ Astral Patron 'Valkyn the Tempest-Eyed' offers you a Vassal Pact. ]
Domain: Storm, Judgment, Warfare
Reputation: Commander of the Bound Tempests, breaker of siege realms. Patron of elite tacticians and high-pressure combatants.
Perks:
– Stormbrand Edge: Offensive skills gain Chain Lightning on crits
– Warlord's Patience: The longer you go without taking damage, the more your damage ramps (max 30%)
– Judgment Protocol: After defeating an Elite enemy, all cooldowns are reduced by 20%
I narrowed my eyes. Valkyn didn't offer pacts lightly—his Vassals were warlords in training, and his gifts were made for frontliners who didn't flinch under fire.
-
[ Astral Patron 'Nymera of the Thousand Veils' offers you a Vassal Pact. ]
Domain: Illusion, Secrets, Espionage
Reputation: Mistress of memory, veiled queen of knowledge networks. Often favors manipulators, spies, and adaptive soloists.
Perks:
– Veilstep: Gain short-duration invisibility after dodging
– Mirror Mind: Immunity to mental manipulation and false status screens
– Shadow Archive: Access hidden intel from cleared Floors others can't see
A dangerous offer—subtle, deceptive, and perfect for someone who wanted to move through shadows. But with Nymera, you always paid in secrets eventually.
-
[ Astral Patron 'Eresh-Ka, the Pale Flame' offers you a Vassal Pact. ]
Domain: Entropy, Death, Purification
Reputation: The White Pyre. Ascendant of Last Rites. Known for empowering glass-cannon builds and high-risk, high-reward playstyles.
Perks:
– Flame of Ends: Kills explode with AoE Purge
– Burn the Rot: Debuffs placed on enemies are intensified by 20%
– Ashen Rebirth: Once per day, survive a killing blow with 1 HP and go immune for 2 seconds
Eresh-Ka's followers didn't live long unless they were very good. But when they lived, they burned entire zones to ash.
-
[ Astral Patron 'Iskaran the Hollow Star' offers you a Vassal Pact. ]
Domain: Void, Time Fracture, Forbidden Lore
Reputation: The Empty Prophet. Whispers at the edge of sanity. Most who contract with him become phenomena more than people.
Perks:
– Black Echo: Abilities leave afterimages that can detonate or rewind
– Fracture Drift: Gain random boosts from alternate timeline echoes
– Null Sigil: You are immune to first-time detection and scans by others unless they are Tier Emerald+
Iskaran wasn't just power. He was erasure and recursion, breaking rules just by being present. Some called him a cheat code. Others called him a trap. Both were right.
-
My eyes widened because four of the strongest had sent me offers. But there was still one left.
My thumb hovered over the final alert.
[ Astral Patron '—' offers you a Vassal Pact. ]
I tapped it open and froze because the one I'd been waiting for all along was finally reaching out to me.
'THIS IS IT!'