The Guild Hall was louder on the inside than Ryota expected.
Dozens of players crowded the massive chamber.
Some stood near recruitment boards desperately advertising their newly formed guilds.
Others negotiated trade agreements.
A few high-level players walked proudly through the center wearing matching insignias above their usernames.
The entire building felt alive.
Like the center of a growing civilization.
Ryota slowly looked around in amazement.
"So this is where everything starts…"
Rio nodded quietly beside him.
"Guilds shape Evermount."
Her blue eyes scanned the hall carefully.
"Power."
"Territory."
"Politics."
"Wars."
"All of it starts here."
Several nearby players glanced toward the two of them.
Mostly because they looked exhausted.
Their armor was damaged.
Ryota's sword was literally broken in half and strapped to his waist.
Rio's left leg still showed signs of injury despite the bandages beneath her gear.
To most players—
they looked like rookies who barely survived their first dungeon.
One nearby player chuckled while leaning against a pillar.
"Feels good being clueless at the start of the game."
Another laughed.
"Yeah. They still got that fresh player energy."
Rio ignored them completely.
Ryota awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"…Should we tell them?"
Rio immediately answered.
"No."
Ryota nodded.
"Fair enough."
They approached one of the registration counters.
An NPC receptionist greeted them politely.
"Welcome to the Guild Administration Hall. Are you here to register a guild?"
Rio nodded once.
"Yes."
The receptionist smiled warmly before sliding over a holographic application screen.
"Please fill out the necessary fields."
Rio immediately began typing.
Ryota leaned slightly closer curiously.
The first field appeared.
[Enter Guild Name]
Rio's fingers paused for only a moment.
Then she typed confidently.
Crowned Era
Ryota blinked.
"…Crowned Era."
Rio nodded softly.
"It symbolizes the beginning of something new."
Below it—
another field appeared.
[Enter Guild Abbreviation]
Rio typed immediately.
CERA
Ryota smiled slightly.
"Sounds cool."
"Obviously."
The next field appeared.
[Guild Decree]
Rio's expression shifted slightly.
More serious.
More focused.
Slowly—
she began typing.
"Never provoke the sleeping dragons, for its awakening brings not just fire, but the dawn of a new era."
Ryota read the line silently.
Then looked at Rio.
"…That goes unbelievably hard."
Rio smirked proudly.
"I know."
The receptionist's eyes widened slightly while reading the decree.
Even nearby players glanced over curiously.
Then—
the final selection appeared.
[Select Guild Classification]
Normal Guild
Super Guild
Apex Guild
The moment Rio selected Apex Guild—
the atmosphere changed.
The receptionist froze.
Nearby players immediately noticed.
"…Wait."
"…Did she just click Apex?"
"No way."
"An Apex Guild?!"
Ryota looked toward Rio quietly.
She looked back at him.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Only determination.
Ryota smiled.
Then nodded.
Full support.
Rio returned the nod.
And pressed confirm.
The receptionist looked genuinely shocked.
"Miss… Apex Guild registration requires a payment of four hundred copper coins."
Rio calmly placed her hand against the confirmation scanner.
The system recognized her instantly.
Then—
she transferred the full amount.
[400 Copper Coins Deducted]
Several nearby players gasped loudly.
"No way…"
"They actually paid it?!"
"Who ARE they?"
The receptionist quickly regained composure before bowing respectfully.
"Guild registration confirmed."
A massive system window suddenly appeared before Rio.
[Congratulations.]
[You are now the Guild Master of the Apex Guild: Crowned Era.]
At that exact moment—
a faint silver crown icon appeared beside Rio's username.
CERA_Rio
Ryota stared.
"…That actually happened."
Rio slowly smiled.
"We did it."
The words felt surreal.
Not just because they created a guild.
But because Rio understood exactly what this moment meant.
In her previous life—
Crowned Era never existed.
This was something entirely new.
Something beyond the future she remembered.
Something that belonged only to them.
Rio immediately opened the guild management interface.
The amount of options available instantly dwarfed standard guild systems.
Advanced management permissions.
NPC assignment rights.
Territory authority.
Commerce systems.
Guild infrastructure controls.
Even Rio looked slightly impressed.
"So this is Apex access…"
Ryota peeked over her shoulder.
"That's… a lot."
Rio nodded slowly.
Then began creating rank structures.
Rank 1.
Rank 2.
Rank 3.
…
All the way to Rank 10.
Ryota blinked.
"You're making ten ranks?"
"Apex Guilds allow custom hierarchies."
Rio continued organizing the structure carefully.
Then finally—
she stopped at Rank 10.
The highest rank beneath Guild Master.
Rio typed a single title.
Draconis
Ryota stared at the word.
"…Dragon rulers."
Rio smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
Then—
she turned toward him.
A guild invitation window appeared between them.
[Guild Invitation]
Guild: Crowned Era
Invited By: Rio
Position Offered: Rank 10 — Draconis
Ryota froze.
"…You're giving me the highest rank?"
Rio looked directly into his eyes.
"There's no one else I'd rather have as my first guild member."
Ryota remained speechless.
Rio smiled warmly.
"And there's nobody else I'd trust with that rank besides you."
For a moment—
the noise of the Guild Hall faded away again.
Rio continued quietly.
"Even if I'm labeled as the leader…"
Her expression softened.
"…this is still our guild."
Ryota's eyes widened slightly.
"Your words carry just as much weight as mine, okay?"
Ryota slowly smiled.
Then accepted the invitation.
[You have joined the Apex Guild: Crowned Era.]
A silver crown icon immediately appeared beside his username too.
CERA_Ryota
Ryota blinked.
"…There's a crown next to my name."
Rio nodded proudly.
"It marks Apex Guild members."
Then her expression immediately changed.
"Hide it."
"Huh?"
"Immediately."
Ryota quickly toggled the visibility option.
The crown vanished.
Rio sighed in relief.
"We are NOT getting targeted by every guild in town today."
Ryota laughed awkwardly.
"Fair."
Then Rio suddenly paused.
"Hm?"
She noticed another available guild assignment option.
World Legacy Summons
Rio blinked in surprise.
"…You can join too?"
She immediately selected Auram.
[World Legacy Unit Registered]
Name: Auram
Assigned Rank: 7
Ryota smiled.
Auram officially joined the guild
Rio laughed softly.
Then Ryota looked downward toward the sleeping dragon wrapped around his shoulders.
Indra continued sleeping peacefully without a single care in the world.
Ryota raised his hand slightly.
"…Can Indra join too?"
Rio immediately burst into laughter.
"Of course he can!"
She quickly opened another assignment slot.
[World Dragon Unit Registered]
Name: Indra
Assigned Rank: 3
Ryota looked offended.
"Why is he Rank 3?"
Rio crossed her arms confidently.
"He's a baby."
Indra snored happily.
Then suddenly—
the entire Guild Hall froze.
A massive crimson system window materialized across the ceiling of the hall.
Every player looked upward instantly.
And then—
a global announcement echoed throughout the Town of Beginnings.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
[The First Apex Guild of the Town of Beginnings has been established.]
[Guild Name: Crowned Era]
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
the entire Guild Hall exploded into chaos.
"WHAT?!"
"AN APEX GUILD?!"
"Who made it?!"
"Crowned Era?!"
"Wait—I've never even heard of them!"
"Who are these people?!"
Players immediately began searching frantically around the hall.
Guild recruiters panicked.
Veteran players looked alarmed.
Even NPC staff members appeared visibly stunned.
And in the middle of all that chaos—
Rio slowly looked toward Ryota.
Then smiled.
Not the fake smile she used around strangers.
Not the cold smile she used during battle.
But a genuine one.
Bright.
Hopeful.
Excited.
"The fun part starts now."
Chaos erupted the moment the global announcement ended.
The Guild Hall transformed from noisy—
to absolute madness.
"WHERE'S CROWNED ERA?!"
"WHO MADE THE APEX GUILD?!"
"FIND THEM!"
Dozens of players immediately rushed across the hall searching frantically.
Some climbed tables just to look around.
Others spammed public search systems trying to locate the guild members.
And unfortunately for Rio and Ryota—
they were still standing right there.
A silence briefly formed near the registration counter.
Then suddenly—
everyone noticed the silver guild registration documents still floating beside Rio.
"…Wait."
"…It's them."
"THEY'RE CROWNED ERA!"
The crowd exploded instantly.
Players rushed toward the two like starving wolves.
"PLEASE LET ME JOIN!"
"I'M LEVEL 7!"
"I'm one of the best mages in Floor One!"
"I have rare crafting skills!"
"I'm a marksman build!"
"No, pick me! I'm top ranked in PvP arenas!"
One rogue-class player confidently stepped forward.
"I'm the best assassin in the Town of Beginnings."
That word "assassin" made Rio pause slightly.
A very specific crimson-haired psychopath immediately appeared in her mind.
Rio smiled faintly.
Ryota noticed instantly.
"…You're thinking about her again aren't you?"
Rio laughed softly.
"Maybe."
More players crowded around them.
"We'll help your guild grow!"
"You need elite members right?!"
"Please send an invite!"
Even veteran players had started approaching now.
Because everyone understood one thing.
The first Apex Guild in Evermount—
would immediately become one of the most influential forces in the game.
And every ambitious player wanted in.
Ryota looked slightly overwhelmed.
"…There's a lot of them."
Rio nodded.
Then raised her voice calmly.
"Thank you for the interest."
The crowd immediately quieted.
Rio smiled politely.
"But I already have someone in mind for our first official recruit."
The crowd erupted again.
"WHO?!"
"Is it a hidden ranker?!"
"A legendary player?!"
"WAIT ARE YOU RECRUITING STARWAY MEMBERS?!"
Rio ignored all of it.
Instead—
she suddenly grabbed Ryota's hand.
Ryota blinked in surprise.
"Hm?"
Rio looked at him with a grin.
"Do you trust me?"
Ryota smiled immediately.
"Always."
The moment he answered—
Rio turned dramatically toward the entrance.
"Run."
"Huh—"
And then she sprinted.
"RIO WAIT!"
Ryota nearly got dragged forward as the two bolted through the Guild Hall doors.
"THEY'RE ESCAPING!"
"CHASE THEM!"
"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"
The entire building erupted into panic as dozens of players rushed after them.
Rio laughed while running through the streets.
"This feels nostalgic."
Ryota was trying not to die from confusion.
"WHY ARE WE RUNNING?!"
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT FIFTY GUILD APPLICATIONS EVERY HOUR!"
"That's fair!"
The two disappeared deeper into the city streets while players desperately searched for them.
But the chaos didn't stop there.
Because the announcement had spread far beyond the Town of Beginnings.
Inside one of the most luxurious guild halls on Floor One—
members of the Royal Knights froze after hearing the system announcement.
"An Apex Guild?"
"Already?"
"That shouldn't even be possible yet."
Meanwhile—
inside the headquarters of Oblivion Pledge—
a silver-haired man slowly narrowed his eyes while reading the guild notification.
"Crowned Era…"
Elsewhere—
within the massive conference chamber of Starway—
multiple executives stared silently at the floating system message.
The first Apex Guild.
Not founded by corporations.
Not created by veteran beta teams.
Not established by sponsored players.
But by completely unknown names.
Rio.
Ryota.
And that alone made them dangerous.
Meanwhile.
Inside Eternity Lions' meeting room—
Fayzan was lazily leaning back in his chair while Elias reviewed loot distribution reports.
Kiraya sat nearby with bandages still wrapped around her shoulders.
Sumi quietly organized potion supplies.
Matsuo was explaining casualty recovery rates.
Then suddenly—
the guild room doors burst open.
"LEADER!"
Ayame looked shocked.
Odion was completely out of breath.
"The first Apex Guild just appeared!"
Fayzan blinked.
"Oh?"
Elias calmly looked up.
"What guild?"
Odion swallowed hard.
"…Crowned Era."
The room froze.
Kiraya immediately sat upright.
"…Seriously?"
Odion nodded rapidly.
"And the guild leader registered under it is—"
"Rio."
Silence.
Then Fayzan burst out laughing.
"OF COURSE IT'S HER!"
Kiraya covered her face.
"Seriously…"
She laughed in disbelief.
"Is there anything those two do that isn't ridiculous?"
Even Elias looked genuinely stunned.
"An Apex Guild…"
He slowly smiled.
"That explains the ambition in her eyes."
Ayame looked quietly toward the window.
"…Crowned Era."
She smiled softly.
"It suits them."
Far away from the chaos—
Rio and Ryota had already left the crowded center of town.
The northern gates of the Town of Beginnings stood ahead of them.
Beyond it stretched endless wilderness.
Forests.
Mountains.
Rivers.
Unknown monster territories.
And eventually—
the path toward future floors.
Ryota looked toward Rio.
"So where exactly are we going?"
Rio adjusted the straps on her inventory pack.
"North."
"…That doesn't answer anything."
Rio laughed.
"In about a week, if I remember correctly…"
Her smile slowly sharpened.
"She should be waiting there."
Ryota blinked.
"She?"
Rio only grinned.
"You'll know when we arrive."
Ryota sighed dramatically.
"You always do this mysterious future knowledge thing."
"Because it's fun."
"It's stressful."
Rio laughed happily while continuing forward.
The morning sunlight illuminated the road ahead.
"We should arrive just before the Floor Two and Three update."
Ryota looked surprised.
"Perfect timing then."
Rio nodded.
"Exactly."
Then she smiled softly while walking beside him.
"Our real journey starts there."
The two continued northward together—
toward a future neither of them fully understood yet.
Far away from the Town of Beginnings.
Deep within a forest soaked in moonlight.
Blood dripped quietly onto the grass.
Four player corpses laid scattered across the ground.
Weapons broken.
Armor shattered.
Bodies torn apart with terrifying precision.
And sitting casually atop the corpse of a massive Crusader-class player was a girl with crimson hair.
Sayanaki.
Her violet eyes glimmered with amusement while she cleaned blood from her dagger.
A streak of blood stained her left cheek.
Yet her smile remained playful.
Almost cheerful.
"Hm~"
She hummed happily while checking the loot from the dead players.
"Not bad."
Nearby—
a surviving player hid desperately behind a rock.
Shaking violently.
"…H-HeLP—!"
His trembling hands activated a communication crystal.
"We're under attack by an assassin girl—!"
Before he could finish—
something flashed.
A wet sound echoed quietly through the forest.
And suddenly—
his head was hanging from a nearby tree.
His eyes remained frozen wide open.
Still staring directly at Sayanaki.
She smiled brightly toward the severed head.
"Don't think I left you alive without purpose."
Her violet eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Now your friends are coming."
She giggled softly.
"And I get more fun."
"And more free stuff."
Then suddenly—
a notification appeared before her.
Sayanaki blinked.
"…Hm?"
The sender name appeared.
Rio.
Sayanaki's smile slowly widened.
The message only contained six words.
[Let's meet up in a week.]
Silence filled the forest.
Then—
Sayanaki began laughing quietly to herself.
A dangerous laugh.
Excited.
Anticipating.
"…Rio."
She licked the blood from her thumb absentmindedly before standing up from the corpse beneath her.
A sharp smirk formed on her face.
"Now this…"
Her violet eyes glimmered beneath the moonlight.
"…sounds fun."