Skye felt the pressure coming off Halon weighing on her shoulders, both as a silent way of showing dominance, and as a startling confirmation that the promise of independence and power he had made back at the hangar was real and that it was under his control.
At the same moment, a neon blue notification window appeared in the vision of all seven Silver Lotus members.
[The Player "Halon" invites you to join the Guild "Astralis Requiem". Do you wish to accept?]
The relief that swept through the group was almost physical. They exchanged quick glances, and one by one, confirmed their entry.
The instant the last contract was sealed, the Astralis Requiem emblem lit up and appeared as a new tab in their Elysium systems.
"Alright, everyone. Enough with the silent introductions," Lohan finally spoke, his voice sounding in each of their minds through the guild link. "You came looking for a home and a purpose that the corporations can’t give you. Astralis Requiem is ready to welcome you."
"Welcome to the stars," Halon’s voice sounded again, now with a warmer tone of camaraderie. "Follow me. I’ll show you what will be your new home in Elysium."
Lohan slid off the pedestal and started rolling toward the entrance of the tree.
The scene was, technically, very cute, a small glowing blue ball leading a group of armed warriors, but none of the Silver Lotus members dared show the slightest disrespect.
They walked behind him with the same discipline they would have following an army general, fully aware that that little "ball" could wipe out a band of mercenaries in seconds.
Even the Players who didn’t have sharp Mana perception could feel the powerful pressure Halon gave off, let alone after seeing the shock the three sensors had shown, no one dared to relax just because Halon looked harmless.
As they entered the main reception hall on the tree’s first floor, shock hit the group again.
The interior was vast and welcoming, with walls of fossilized wood that gave off a soft, natural glow. The hall was filled with furniture made of woven roots and plant sofas that were surprisingly extremely comfortable.
Lohan noticed several other guild Players from the original group led by Alice were there, relaxing after a morning hunting session.
Dee was sitting at a round table, counting silver coins with a satisfied smile, while Tunder and Samantha sorted through Cockatrice hides and Mana cores to sell to the guild’s funds. Noticing the newcomers approaching, the veterans stopped what they were doing, looking at the Silver Lotus group with friendly curiosity.
"Hey, Halon! Brought some fresh blood for the team?" Alice shouted from one of the upper couches, leaping down with great agility and landing gracefully near the group.
"Everyone, these are our new members. They’re our new vanguard of scouts," Lohan introduced them briefly, without mentioning their origin from the Lower Zone. "Wyrm, Tunder, take good care of them. They just arrived from the Open World and still need to adjust to Mythlorien’s pace. To be honest... I hope you all help them out with starter gear too."
The Silver Lotus members looked at the veterans and felt a fresh wave of pressure. Dee and the others radiated a confidence that only came from real power. Everyone there was, on average, Level 14, which made them qualitatively far superior to the Level 11 newcomers.
"Level 11, huh?" Dee remarked, putting away his coin pouch. "Welcome to the real grind. Don’t get discouraged for being behind us now. Elysium is merciless when it comes to progression, and Astralis is the only place where you’ll actually have a shot at catching up to us."
Devon looked at his system interface, comparing the experience needed for the next level. "Halon... I just noticed something. If the experience doubles at every level, to reach where they are..."
"Exactly, Vonde," Lohan cut in, having already done the math. "Considering each level requires double the energy of the one before it, the math is simple. For a Player to go from level 11 to level 14, they need to accumulate an amount of experience equal to seven times everything they’ve earned from level 1 all the way to level 11. That means, even though you’re only three levels away from them, the gap in effort and playtime is enormous. But don’t worry... with Astralis’s group bonuses and support from the veterans, you’ll close that gap quickly, since more powerful monsters also give more experience per kill."
The Silver Lotus group fell silent for a moment, processing the monumental scale of the challenge ahead of them. Belonging to Astralis’s elite would demand a level of dedication they hadn’t imagined existed, but that didn’t discourage any of them.
"Continuing the tour..." Lohan started to say, but he stopped suddenly when a rhythmic movement echoed from one of the spiral ramps leading to the second floor.
A white fox, its fur so pure it looked made of starlight snow, appeared silently in the hall. She walked with an elegance that froze the air in the room.
Her two tails swayed with a lethal grace, and her golden eyes gleamed with high intelligence.
Sara, Vonde, and Lotus froze again.
If Halon’s energy was an oppressive, dense pressure, that fox’s energy was a cold, sharp flame that seemed to cut straight through their perceptions.
They felt the powerful integration of that creature, instantly realizing they were standing before at least a Legendary Race of extremely high level.
"Halon, I see the new subordinates have finally arrived," Lisa said, her telepathic voice carrying a professional coldness she used to maintain authority in front of other Players. She stopped beside Halon, looking over the seven Silver Lotus members as if assessing the quality of the investment in them.
Skye (Lotus) felt a chill run down her spine as she met the white fox’s gaze. She realized that, behind that mystical animal appearance, was likely the girl she had constantly mocked back at the hangar, before knowing their true identity.
Feeling the power the fox radiated just by standing there, Skye’s confidence in having an Epic Base completely fell apart, as she realized the gap between them was far bigger than she had imagined!
"This is Lisa, your Guild Master," Lohan finished, vibrating with satisfaction at seeing the total shock on his new soldiers’ faces.
The Lower Zone scouts gave a deep, sincere bow, both to the Slime and to the Fox. Their journey in Elysium had just begun again, and in the heart of the white tree, Lohan Hayes knew that the symphony of sovereignty was only just beginning to play its most powerful note.