He examined the emblem options. There were dozens of templates: dragons, swords, shields... But one design caught his eye—a flower blooming behind a rising sun. This emblem symbolized both new beginnings and growth.
He thought about the guild slogan: "Growing Together, Growing Stronger."
He determined the entry requirements:
Minimum Level: 1
Activity: Striving to be the best
Communication: Daily party chat participation required
Character: Must be helpful and a team player
He selected membership type as "By Application" so he could get to know and evaluate members.
He activated all guild features, with special focus on the guild journal and quest system for tracking members' progress.
He established the guild rules:
Respect and mutual assistance between members is essential
Guild secrets cannot be shared with third parties
Unfair gains and cheating are strictly forbidden
Regular participation in guild activities is expected
Toxic behavior will result in immediate expulsion
Weekly Dues: 50 gold
Guild Treasury Distribution:
Guild Development: 50%
Member Rewards: 20%
Events: 20%
Emergency: 10%
Member Contribution System: Active
Finally, he planned the authority distribution:
Leader:
Manage all guild operations
Authority to add/remove members
Determine guild policies
Assistant Leader:
Manage daily operations
Organize events
Evaluate members
Advisor:
Mentoring new members
Strategy development
Guild training sessions
Senior Member:
Form dungeon groups
Help new members
Take on roles in guild events
Member:
Participate in all guild activities
Use guild storage
Voting rights
Novice:
2-week trial period
Limited storage access
Receive mentoring
Boran reviewed all the settings. Everything was ready. His finger hovered over the "Confirm" button as he hesitated, thinking about William's offer. The Crimson Lion's shadow would be over his guild, but perhaps this was an opportunity for both himself and his members.
He pressed the "Confirm" button. A blue light filled the room, and a voice rose from the system:
"Congratulations! 'New Dawn' guild has been established. Guild level: 1. Current member count: 1. Guild Rank: F"
Boran smiled as he lay on his mat. Tomorrow, a new adventure would begin with Noemi. As William said, this guild would be like a river—some would flow to the ocean, some would stay in the river. But what mattered was the journey itself.
"Now that the day is over, I need to level up. Three points to endurance... Looks like shield evolution is back! But I still have to go down one path... Though after the next upgrade, dozens of new paths will open up!"
[Bone Shield]
Bonuses:
Endurance +30
Maximum HP +40
SAP 30
"I can't choose new abilities or improve them either. Well, time to look at the things that dropped from the boss."
[Items dropped from Guardian of the Empty Flame:]
Void Halberd (Rare Weapon)
Damage: 45-60
50% chance per hit to deal 50 Void damage to target
Guardian's Essence (Legendary Material)
Used to enhance equipment with void element
Void Crystal (Valuable Item)
Can be sold to merchants for a high price
Used in crafting powerful spells
He took the Halberd from his inventory and held it in his hand. It looked just like the Guardian's weapon, only slightly smaller.
"I wish I could use this—it looks really cool. Well, now that I have a guild, I'll donate it there."
[Guardian's Essence properties:]
Increases armor level by +2
Provides 25% Void resistance
Has high trade value as it's a rare material
Can only be used by A-Rank and above blacksmith masters
Boran sighed as he finished examining the items. "I'll use these later," he murmured. His eyes grew heavy. It had been a long and tiring day—the boss fight and guild establishment had worn him out.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a message chimed. Opening the notification, he saw it was from William:
[William: New Dawn. You've chosen a very good name. I'll inform the Crimson Lion tomorrow that you've established your guild. I'm sure you'll get lots of members in no time.]
He was too tired to respond. His eyes grew heavier, and the message became a blinking light on the screen. Though he tried to move his fingers to the keyboard, his body wouldn't respond. As William's message and thoughts of tomorrow's adventures danced in his mind, he drifted off to sleep.
At dawn, Boran's communication panel woke him with a gentle vibration. Opening his eyes, he saw a message from Noemi:
"Let's meet at the same place."
He quickly sat up in bed. Despite his lingering fatigue from establishing the guild, the prospect of meeting Noemi energized him. He reached for the wooden bucket in the corner, splashing cool water on his face. As droplets dripped from his beard, he caught his reflection—there was a new sparkle in his eyes. Before leaving, he checked the system panel one last time. The "New Dawn" guild was still there, real and tangible.
The Infinite Tavern's center was already lively despite the early hour. Noemi sat at yesterday's table, elegant as always. Her red hair fell to her shoulders, her blue eyes scanning the surroundings as she sipped her drink.
"Good morning," Boran said as he approached.
Noemi looked up and smiled. "Good morning."
"I came as soon as I got your message," said Boran, taking the seat across from her. "Actually... there's something I want to tell you."
Noemi raised an eyebrow. "Something happened last night, didn't it? I can read it on your face."
Boran took a deep breath. "I established the guild already, Noemi. It's called 'New Dawn.'"
Noemi's eyes widened, and she set down her drink. "What? When? How?"
"Last night... I met with William. He helped me." Boran paused. "Actually, it's a bit complicated. William wanted me to make a deal with the Crimson Lion clan."
Noemi's expression changed. "The Crimson Lion? Boran, they..." Her unfinished sentence conveyed clear concern.
"I know," said Boran. "But this could be an opportunity. Think about it—our own guild, our own rules. We can help people, we can change things."
Noemi leaned forward. "What about the Crimson Lion's demands? Do you really want to be in their shadow?"
"Maybe we can be beside them, not in their shadow," said Boran. "As William said, this is like a river. Some will flow to the ocean, some will stay in the river."
Noemi fell silent, thoughtfully stirring her drink. "So what are the guild's features??"
Boran explained enthusiastically about the membership requirements, hierarchy, and economic system. As he detailed each feature, he noticed the concern in Noemi's eyes gradually turning to interest.
"And its name is 'New Dawn.'"
A slight smile touched Noemi's lips. "It actually sounds good. I'm the first member, right?"
Boran's face lit up. "Of course you are! Actually, I was thinking of making you Assistant Leader."
"Slow down," Noemi laughed. "Let's start as a regular member first. We'll see what happens."
Boran immediately opened the system panel and sent Noemi a membership invitation. A blue light flashed, and the notification "New Member Joined: Noemi" appeared.
"Now we're two," said Boran proudly. "This is the first step of our new beginning."
Noemi nodded. "Yes, a new dawn. But why does the guild leader's name only say 'Dawn'?"
"I didn't want to use my real name—I want to keep my identity secret in this new beginning. That's why I chose 'Dawn' as the guild founder's name—like our guild's name, representing the start of a new day."