Lisa stood beside Lohan, and they took their place in the center of the main hall of the fossilized tree; her white plumage and his blue gel reflected the mystical light emanating from the ancient wooden walls.
Although the place was still devoid of furniture and decorations, even in an empty space like that, the authority they exuded surprised the Players around by filling the void of the room.
The Players led by Alice and Dylan remained in reverent silence as the first strategic expansion meeting of Astralis Requiem began, not know how this first oficial meeting will be.
"I have received direct intelligence that Ivan’s guild has already surpassed the 100-member mark." Lisa began, her telepathic voice resonating with the firmness and confidence befitting an heiress of the Vance Group. "In the current Elysium landscape, this will likely create a snowball effect where players leaving the Novice Villages seek safety and prestige; upon seeing an organization growing so rapidly, they will migrate there en masse, consolidating Ivan’s power even before the Open World is fully mapped."
She looked at Lohan, who stood beside her in the form of a vibrant blue Slime.
"Even if our goal isn’t to form a guild of tens of thousands of people, having at least a few thousand members is essential to establishing a solid foundation and ensuring we aren’t swallowed up by the logistics of large corporations." Lisa concluded, thumping her tail on the fossilized ground.
Lohan vibrated his membrane, signaling agreement. He then projected his mental voice clearly to everyone present.
"I agree with the President’s analysis, but I want to emphasize a crucial point," Lohan added, surprising everyone that despite not having Lisa’s experience in this, he managed to make his presence just as imposing despite his size.
"We don’t need raw numbers if we have qualitative superiority. If we follow an Elite path, our development can surpass that of a guild with thousands of players from ordinary Bases. We need to create strict entry requirements. Accepting just anyone to inflate numbers is like putting foxes, and not Lisa’s kind, to guard the henhouse. A single spy or an incompetent player can compromise an operation even more than a lack of members."
Dylan, who had been watching the interaction closely, nodded vigorously. As someone who also managed groups in the real world, he understood the value of discipline.
"Halon is right," Dylan interjected. "In any setting, a group’s strength is dictated by its weakest link. Following the Elite route will allow us to focus resources on those who can truly make a difference in high-level Dungeons."
Alice, who until then had been distracted by the tree’s glow, took on a serious expression.
"By the way, I heard that Ivan is already implementing something similar," she revealed. "Despite the large numbers, he isn’t accepting just anyone. The current cutoff for his guild is a minimum Uncommon Base. He knows that the potential of Common Bases is running out as we advance in the Open World."
Alice’s revelation confirmed Lohan’s suspicions.
The player market was turning into a war of rarities. However, Lohan noticed a gap that the big corporations, in their possible arrogance, were overlooking.
"Dylan," Lohan called, focusing his attention on the man. "What’s the situation with players of non-human races, and specifically, non-humanoids?"
Dylan was surprised by the specificity of the question, but as he processed the concept, his eyes lit up with the realization of what the Slime intended.
"Non-human races, such as Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Werewolves, Orcs... are being highly valued," Dylan explained, gesturing into the air. "Guilds offer sky-high salaries for them because of their magical affinities, agility or strength bonuses, or any special traits. However, players of non-humanoid races, creatures with very different bodies, such as insects, complex quadrupedal beasts, or those with inherent communication difficulties, are being isolated and undervalued."
He let out a sigh, looking at Lohan’s Slime form.
"Even if they have Rare or Epic Bases, their market value is much lower. The major guilds view them as ’difficult to manage’ or ’aesthetically unappealing’ for corporate marketing campaigns. They aren’t openly ostracized, but they receive insulting contract offers compared to a human of the same rarity."
Upon hearing Dylan’s report, both Lohan’s artificial eyes and Lisa’s golden eyes shone in unison.
They looked at each other, and the telepathic connection between the Slime and the Fox sealed the plan without the need for words.
Lohan was a perfect example of this; being completely ignored by major guilds and treated like trash despite having a Mythic Race, he knew just how bad the feeling of rejection was, just as he knew about the potential these ignored Players could have.
Just as his Slime race had brought an extremely difficult and slow start, the potential he was able to show in the advanced stages far outweighed that period of slow growth.
And he imagined that, just like him, Players with specific races might face specific problems at the beginning, but that over time they could grow far more than other races.
"The other guilds are making a basic mistake," Lohan suggested, his voice sounding as if he were speaking with a confident smile on his face. "They ignore raw potential because of outward appearance. We, on the other hand, are the two greatest examples that the potential of races like this is immeasurable if managed well. Lisa is a Legendary Fox and I am a Mythic Slime; perhaps our example can even be used to attract these disillusioned Players."
Lohan turned to the Players present in the empty hall.
"If the world ignores them for not being human, Astralis Requiem will give them the value they deserve. We will recruit the monsters that the corporations reject and turn them into the most terrifying vanguard Elysium has ever seen."
Hearing that, the eyes of the Players around them lit up, realizing that they might have truly found a great opportunity for growth overlooked by their rivals, an opportunity that would give them a massive advantage!