Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge

Ethan Walker was determined to establish his guild. He assigned the task of managing the entire process to Avalon Guild. Starting a guild wasn't an easy task, as Ethan had learned from a guide for newcomers. First, a substantial amount of money was required to register the guild's name. Then, a series of documents had to be submitted to the Player's Association, proving the guild's operational capabilities. Although the requirements seemed few, each was challenging to meet. Due to the difficulty in meeting these requirements, players who wanted to start a guild often formed a studio first, a smaller-scale guild. The operation of these studios closely resembled that of official guilds, easing the transition once the requirements were met. But Ethan didn't want to go through such complexities. He knew of a shortcut: if a guild ranked in the top twenty on the leaderboard agreed to vouch for him, he would be granted the qualification to start a guild. Avalon Guild had recently ranked 18th, fulfilling this condition.

Usually, large guilds were reluctant to provide such endorsements, considering it a thankless task that could bring trouble. However, Avalon Guildr now owed Ethan a significant favor; he had rescued the guild leader's sister. Ethan had promised not to make any requests that would put Avalon Guild in a difficult position.

Lucas Anderson and Alex Johnson exchanged glances, the latter speaking up. "You've proposed a condition we never anticipated," he said. Nobody expected Ethan to start his guild. As a top-tier player, he wasn't short of offers from major guilds. Ethan's performance in his second dungeon run was widely acknowledged, and many guilds were eager to recruit him, ready to lay contracts on his table. Although Ethan didn't have enough points to be on the leaderboard yet, his strength would undoubtedly place him high on the solo rankings.

Initially, Alex thought Ethan's refusal to join Avalon Guild indicated he had higher aspirations, like joining one of the powerhouse guilds. But it seemed Ethan preferred to start his own rather than join someone else's. Perhaps for someone else, this would be seen as arrogance, a desire to stand on their own. But Alex guessed that for Ethan, it was simply a matter of not wanting to be under someone else's control.

Being an independent player wasn't unheard of, but many dungeons required guild affiliation, and events like all-star tournaments organized by the major guilds also required guild membership. As an independent player, Ethan would face significant limitations in the current scenario. He had considered all these factors in deciding to start his guild.

Alex had much to say, but when the words reached his lips, he didn't know where to start, leading to a prolonged silence.Lucas Anderson and Emma Anderson, both introverted by nature, were also at a loss for words in this situation. The only one left to speak was Emily Johnson.

"What are you trying to do, Ethan?" Emily asked. "If you don't want to join Avalon Guild, you could easily join another guild. Now, you want to start your guild and have our people handle the paperwork. Isn't this just making things complicated?"

"If the money is an issue, I can earn it myself by running more dungeons," Ethan replied, his thoughts clear. "But I need Avalon Guild's endorsement."

The room fell silent. Ethan had nothing more to say; he waited for Avalon Guild's response. Finally, Alex spoke again. "Your request is a bit sudden for us, and I'm not very familiar with the guild establishment procedures. All of this requires preparation time. For now, you should rest. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Ethan didn't press them for an immediate answer.

"Alright then."

Overnight, Ethan slept under the covers in the treatment room, waking only to eat. He spent the time leisurely. During this period, Emma Anderson stopped by for a short visit, chatting with him about the White Tower, the Association, and guilds. Ethan needed to catch up on this knowledge.

Emily Johnson spent even more time with Ethan Walker, but his presence annoyed Ethan. Unable to ask him to leave, Ethan resorted to covering himself with a blanket, pretending not to hear anyone speaking.

Alex Johnson didn't keep Ethan waiting too long after promising a response. The next morning, as soon as Ethan got up at 8 o'clock, there was a knock on the door. "Let's go, hero," greeted Susan Harper, whom Ethan hadn't seen for a few days. "Our vice guild leader wants to see you."

Susan led a drowsy Ethan through the training room for the players. They passed a transparent glass wall, and several players inside stopped their chatter to watch Ethan yawning. Noticing this, Susan's lips curved into a smile. "You're now a big star in our guild," she remarked.

"Uh, as expected," Ethan replied nonchalantly.

"Not very modest, are you?"

"Just stating the truth."

Susan, leading the way, her high heels clicking crisply on the polished dark floor tiles, mentioned, "I heard about your condition from the vice guild leader. Are you not joining our guild? Avalon Guild is quite considerate. You won't be mistreated here."

Ethan, massaging his neck to ease the stiffness from prolonged sleep, responded, "I've been advised by many already. Thanks for your kindness, though." "Alright, if you're adamant about not joining, there's nothing we can do. But our vice guild leader is astute; he won't easily agree to your conditions," Susan said. Ethan's expression remained nonchalant. "Yeah, I have a feeling."

As Susan had predicted, Alex wasn't going to let Ethan go easily. They arrived at Alex's office. After ushering Ethan in, Susan left, leaving the two men alone.

Alex invited Ethan to sit. "We at Avalon Guild have agreed to your conditions, Ethan. Here's a proposal we worked on overnight. Take a look."

Ethan browsed through the thick stack of papers detailing the operational plan for the new guild, which needed to be reviewed and assessed by the Association's professionals. Alex had spent half the night working on this with the manager and assistant.

"Starting a guild takes about two weeks for the application process," Alex explained. "During this time, it's best if you avoid entering particularly challenging or time-consuming dungeons. This way, our people can contact you whenever necessary."

"Okay," Ethan agreed readily. After two challenging dungeons, he was looking forward to a break.

Alex, understanding Ethan's personality, said, "I won't go into unnecessary details. Just follow the process, and you'll be fine. But remember, Ethan, Avalon Guild will only provide a guarantee; we won't assist in operations. These operational plans are feasible on paper, but to sustain the guild long-term, you'll need investors and sponsors. Otherwise, you won't even be able to pay the players."

Ethan nodded, seemingly agreeing but not fully absorbing the advice.

Alex sighed. He figured Ethan, with no significant backing or support, had impulsively decided to start his guild, likely a fleeting interest. Once the initial excitement waned and the financial challenges hit, Ethan would probably opt to join a guild.

Ethan flipped to the last page of the proposal and looked up. "No objections from my side. Now, what's your condition?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, slightly surprised.

"You must have a condition, right?" Ethan said, his eyes clear and direct. "Just say it."

Alex, almost resigned, acknowledged that Ethan was not as simple-minded as others thought. "Alright, since we're being upfront, I'll be clear. I hope you'll sign a lease contract with our guild. Also, we'd like to invite you to tomorrow's press conference."