Chapter 13 – The First Guild
The golden gate hanging above the sky slowly faded.
Yet its message remained engraved in the minds of every awakened human.
Earth was not alone.
It was merely one world among millions.
The streets of Elysia fell into an uneasy silence as survivors stared upward, unable to comprehend the truth they had just learned.
Azrael dismissed his System panel with a sigh.
"So..."
"We’re basically at the bottom."
Elena chuckled.
"Not basically."
"We are."
Seraphina laughed softly, the tension finally easing from her shoulders.
"At least we know what we’re aiming for."
Azrael smiled.
"Straight to the top."
She bumped his shoulder playfully.
"You’ve always been ambitious."
"And you’ve always been the sensible one."
The twins shared a brief laugh before Elena cleared her throat.
"If you two are done..."
"There are still people depending on us."
Their expressions became serious again.
The survivors slowly gathered around them.
Without realizing it, everyone had begun looking to the three awakened fighters for guidance.
An elderly teacher stepped forward.
"What do we do now?"
"We don’t even know where it’s safe."
Another survivor spoke up.
"The military isn’t answering anymore."
"We’re running out of food."
"My son needs medicine."
Panic began spreading once again.
Azrael looked around.
Everyone’s faces were filled with fear.
He wasn’t a leader.
At least...
He had never thought of himself as one.
Before he could answer, the System appeared.
Main Quest
Establish Humanity’s First Safe Haven
Objectives:
Gather 100 Survivors (40/100)
Secure a Base
Form a Guild
Rewards:
10,000 Evolution Points
Guild Hall Blueprint
Rare Summoning Token
Azrael blinked.
"A guild..."
Elena nodded.
"I was wondering when that feature would unlock."
She opened her own System panel.
"I can create one too."
"So can we."
Azrael looked toward the shopping mall.
"It already has supplies."
"A defensive barrier."
"And enough space for hundreds of people."
Seraphina smiled.
"Then let’s make this our home."
The survivors erupted into cheers.
Two Hours Later
The atmosphere inside the mall had changed completely.
People who had spent the afternoon hiding in fear were now working together.
Some searched the supermarkets for food.
Others gathered blankets, medicine, and bottled water.
A group of engineers reinforced the entrances using metal shelves and construction materials.
Doctors established a temporary clinic inside one of the clothing stores.
Children finally began smiling again.
Watching everyone cooperate, Seraphina felt warmth spread through her heart.
"This..."
"...feels nice."
Azrael nodded.
"For the first time today..."
"It feels like people still have hope."
A little boy suddenly ran toward them.
He couldn’t have been older than eight.
"Mister!"
He handed Azrael a poorly wrapped chocolate bar.
"I found this."
"You should eat it."
Azrael looked surprised.
"You don’t want it?"
The boy shook his head.
"You saved my mom."
"You deserve it more."
Azrael smiled before kneeling.
"Thanks."
He accepted the chocolate.
As the boy ran away, Seraphina couldn’t help laughing.
"You’ve already got fans."
"One fan."
"Still counts."
She reached over, broke the chocolate in half, and took one piece.
"You were going to eat the whole thing, weren’t you?"
"I was considering it."
She rolled her eyes.
"Greedy."
"You literally stole half."
The two laughed together.
Standing several meters away, Elena watched the siblings with a faint smile.
"They’re surprisingly normal..."
Despite everything that had happened.
Despite monsters.
Despite evolution.
Despite halos.
They still laughed together.
It reminded her of what humanity was fighting to protect.
That evening...
The survivors gathered in the mall’s central atrium.
Azrael stood on the second floor overlooking everyone below.
He looked nervous.
Seraphina noticed.
"You’ve spoken in front of class before."
"Not to over a hundred people."
She smiled encouragingly.
"Just be yourself."
Taking a deep breath, Azrael stepped forward.
"My name is Azrael."
"As you all know..."
"The world has changed."
He looked across the crowd.
"None of us asked for this."
"But hiding won’t save us."
"The monsters will only become stronger."
"So..."
"We have to become stronger first."
The crowd remained silent.
"We’ll gather supplies."
"We’ll rescue anyone we can."
"We’ll train together."
"And we’ll build a place where people don’t have to live in fear."
One by one...
People began clapping.
Then more.
Soon the entire mall echoed with applause.
Even Azrael looked surprised.
The System chimed.
Leadership Recognized
Title Earned:
Pioneer
Charisma +10
Azrael scratched his head.
"I didn’t even know Charisma was a stat."
Seraphina laughed.
"It suits you."
Later that night...
The mall finally grew quiet.
Most survivors had fallen asleep.
Azrael sat alone on the rooftop, looking toward the ruined city.
The lights of Elysia had almost completely disappeared.
Only fires illuminated the distant skyline.
"So this is our world now..."
A pair of footsteps approached.
He didn’t need to turn around.
"Couldn’t sleep?"
Elena walked over, carrying two cans of coffee she had found in one of the vending machines.
She handed one to him.
"I figured you’d still be awake."
"Thanks."
They sat in silence for a while.
The cool night breeze carried the distant sounds of monster roars.
Elena broke the silence first.
"You know..."
"I was wrong about you."
Azrael looked at her.
"I thought you were just another lucky beginner."
She smiled.
"But you actually care about people."
He shrugged.
"If we stop caring..."
"We’ve already lost."
She looked at him for several seconds before quietly looking away.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I guess..."
"...that’s why people are willing to follow you."
For reasons she couldn’t explain...
She felt strangely comfortable sitting beside him.
The apocalypse had only lasted a single day.
Yet talking with Azrael made the endless uncertainty feel a little less frightening.
Before either of them could continue...
The rooftop door opened.
Seraphina stepped outside carrying three steaming cups of instant noodles.
"I knew I’d find you two here."
She looked from Elena to Azrael and smiled knowingly.
"So this is where the coffee disappeared to."
Elena coughed awkwardly.
"I just thought he looked tired."
"Mhm."
Seraphina’s smile widened.
"Of course."
Azrael blinked.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She handed each of them a cup.
The three sat together under the night sky, quietly eating while watching the distant city.
For a brief moment...
It almost felt peaceful.
Then the System interrupted.
Regional Announcement
The first Guild Registration Hall has appeared.
Location:
Elysia City Hall
Distance:
4.8 Kilometers
Only the first guild to register will receive a Legendary Founder Reward.
Registration Window:
24 Hours Remaining.
Azrael immediately stood.
"A Legendary reward?"
Elena’s eyes lit up.
"If we’re first..."
"Our guild will gain a huge advantage."
Seraphina finished the last bite of her noodles and stood beside them.
"Then there’s only one answer."
Azrael smiled.
"We’re claiming it."
Far away, within the dark ruins of Elysia City Hall...
A pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened.
A deep voice echoed through the empty building.
"So..."
"The candidates are coming."
A massive crimson spear materialized in its hand.
"This time..."
"I shall greet them personally."