Conflict
"So, is that a yes to our guild?"
"Wait!" A voice was heard from the back of the two.
There, almost thirty people came.
'Oh? They're all here?'
Inside Zypher's mind, the four guilds are here now, but only the Magic Night Guild's true guild can be seen.
The others have their vassal guild,meaning, they are connected to the guilds, but are not welcome because Acias is the territory of Magic Night, or so they thought.
This is just their place of activities, a den of sorts. The same can be said for the other guilds.
"Oh my, who do we have here." A man with white sword and wing insignia on their capes came forward. Leading them is a slim man with a rapier on his waist, and a manic expression.
"Lenard, this is not your territory." Pietro said as he walked with André.
"Territory or not, the strongest ones rule." A group of people with silver pauldrons appeared. The leading one is a pale tall male with a stern look and sharp eyes.
"That's true, Harris."
This time, a lady with pink hair and soft gaze appeared. Her black complexion is her good factor, plus the huge axe she carries. Gold is the theme of this guild.
"Do you want war?" Pietro said as André was starting to draw his sword.
"Tsk. Pietro being loud means he got another toy. Right, Amie?" Lenard said as he walked towards Zypher.
Ash wanted to go in between, but Zypher stopped him and walked towards Lenard instead.
"Oi, no headstarts." The four then walked towards the confident Zypher.
As they were near Zypher, Ash decided to come as well.
Seeing this, an evil thought appeared in the head of Zypher, making him smile.
"Hi, my name is Zypher, and this is my new guild, Solar Glass. She is my scout, Miss Ash." Zypher said, emphasizing the word new.
"Wha-"
"Nice to meet you!" Zypher cut off Ash as he shook hands with the other four.
"Come on, Manager, shake their hands."
As if a devil, the words of Zypher came straight to the heart of Ash.
'This guy...' The sheer problem this guy can bring to the guild is huge, but what she can see today will mitigate that problem.
A wariness appeared inside her, but her heart tells her to trust the guy beside her, like he is connected to her one way or another.
"Such a shame." The first one to show his displeasure was Harris, but Zypher just took it in.
"Anything she offered you, I can double it." Amie said as she pointed towards the still shaking her hand Ash.
"2117--"
"She did not offer me anything. I joined in my own accor-"
"If I show you my undies now, will you change your mind?"
"That's wro-"
"Or you want to see what's under the undies?"
"NO!" Zypher said as he became flustered.
He forgot.
Little Devil Amie. The Dark Berserker.
She got the nickname from her axe and her complexion, but she is fine whatever, and is pretty aloof.
But in his past life, she was betrayed and hunted. Too bad, Caelestia came late on rescuing her. If they came a little early, they would saved her, and she becomes their ally.
The problem in her is that she says whatever comes to mind, blockhead but not stupid, and one of the Battle Geniuses.
"Oh? Do we have a little perv here?" Pietro said as he leaned his hand on Zypher, but that created something that the four, no, five of them will always remember.
A frightening bloodlust appeared that also made the other guilds fall down in fear.
This made Pietro, who was leaning to Zypher, fall down on his knees, clutching his neck.
André also can feel the bloodlust, and was unable to unsheath the sword in his back. It was like sea, but not of water, but of corpse and blood.
*CLAP*
"Oh, sorry, I leaked that. I thought an enemy came to kill me." With an innocent face and happy smile, the bloodlust disappeared all of a sudden, making everyone breathe, but not the four.
André, Harris, Amie, and Lenard. They pulled their weapons as soon as Zypher released them.
"Wait!" Ash ran in front of him and shielded him.
Pietro, who was still inhaling air, collapsed right after.
Seeing this, André lunged towards him, but was blocked by the three others.
"Kid, don't lose your head, calm down!" Harris said as he pushed the broadsword by using a knife.
Amie is also using her axe to block it.
On the other hand, Lenard is already hugging André's waist and pulling him.
"He's still alive." Ash proclaimed as she pulled Zypher away.
"You-!" André wanted to dash, but Amie held her.
"CALM DOWN!" With a shout, Harris pushed André until he is sitting on the floor.
"Don't think that I can protect that guy! I'm protecting you!" Lenard said as he keep on pulling André.
"Pietro is alive, calm down." With a last push, Amie told him as he calmed down.
By the time they all were fine, Zypher and Ash were already ouf of sight.
Silence enveloped the four as they looked at each other and smiled.
Especially André who was filled with indignation.
"Kid, is this the first time you felt anger?" Harris couldn't help but ask.
A moment of silence after, André answered.
"It was not out of anger. But out of fear."
- - - - -
"YOU! WHAT ARE YOU!"
"Enough with the 'you'. I have a name, not like Jewish people who was used to be called by their numbers!"
Joke was for fun only, no harm intended.
"How would I know?"
"Aren't you a scout? Do you just let them in the guild and won't remember their name?"
With a blank face, Ash nodded and Zypher was flabbergasted.
'Is this another regressor cheat called "everyone around me is a blockhead or stupid for some reason for the sake of plot" trope?'
"What?" Looking at Ash's dumb face, Zypher can't help but laugh.
Yes, this was the Ash he remembered. She was a blockhead who he loved to tease and bully, but a reliable teammate when it comes to fighting and strategizing.
"You!"
"Yes?"
"What's your name?"
"Zypher."
"How'd you know my name."
"You're famous."
"And my guild?"
"It's famous."
"Okay, I get it."
Ash said, defeated.
But then, she saw that she is holding his hand, and so, this is her chance to do it, but what happened next is a shock for her.
"So, what was their plans to get me?"
Ash was surprised by the sudden question.
"So, you do know my skill."
Zypher took a moment before nodding.
Ash's face become conflicted, but Zypher saw it.
Zypher sighed as he shook his head, and his eyes became bloodshot. He looked at Ash and the Skill activated.
After a few moments, Ash's face were filled with much more question and surprise.
"You are the owner of the dungeon? Let me see!" Ash's eyes sparkled with light as she looked at Zypher.
[You can't.]
"I can't--"
"Please!" With a googly eye, and shining ones, Ash looked at Zypher again.
{You can't.}
"As I said--"
"Pleaseee!" With a much brighter eyes, she looked towards Zypher.
'TOO BRIGHT! TOO BRIIIIIGHT!'
Zypher, enchanted by the kid like appearance, decided to show her, but then, the core did not manifest.
"What?"
(Kid, they told you, you can't. The Labyrinth already absorbed it.)
'What? Can't I just pull her to the Labyrinth?'
{That's possible, but only if you trust her.}
'Of course I do.'
[What made you so sure?]
'A lot of things, but Ash is the last person I can think of if it comes to betrayal.'
{Just make sure that nobody else sees this.}
"Are you done with your date?" A male voice woke Zypher up from his stupor.
After hearing the voice, a certain scenario played inside Zypher's head.
In his past life, one year into the game. There was a player who was banned for having unanimous votes from other players.
He was a player with a Hidden Rare Class called Tide Hunter, and his skill Liquid Body is a headache to other players.
Using his game sense, he can dodge almost all magic, and his body can't be damaged by physical attacks.
And then, he just made his character gain some free Magic Resistance, and he was hailed as the Unkillabe Killer Whale.
In addition to his almost wall like body, he also can use magic such as Ice and Storm, making him invincible.
The only time he lost is when Zypher and him fought for the position of Vice Guild Leader.
Though unknown to many, person who like him is weak to a physical attack with a magic attack.
Zypher, who know him from before, just prepared a magic gun and pierced him again and again. It was a humiliating defeat, but it happened privately, and only two people knows it, Lara and Zypher.
This time around, he will let others hit him, and couterattack much fiercer than before.
His name is Lucius Veya, the Mighty Thorn.
But, from this point of timeline, Lucius is still one week away from obtaining the class. And, Ash is here to boot, meaning, the information about the class will be late and Lucius won't have the same class as in his past life.
"We're not dating!" Ash glared at Lucius as he suddenly walked back.
Getting this opportunity, Zypher walked towards Lucius and extended his hand.
"Zypher Miracle." His eyes were determined, making Lucius baffled.
"L-Lucius Veya." He shook hands with Zypher as his eyes are a bit "idiotic".
As he said that, Zypher pulled him and whispered a thing in his ear.
After hearing it, Lucius became wary of him, but Zypher was already walking away.
Ash was surprised by the said development as she ran towards Lucius and asked if he knows Zypher.
Lucius shook his head, but a smile appeared in his face.
"Rare." Ash teased as she saw the smile, making Lucius' smile deepen.
"There are a few things that makes me enjoy this game, and maybe, that guy is one of those."
As soon as he said that, he walked the other direction Zypher walked, and glanced at him one last time. Ash decided to follow him and waved goodbye to Zypher, which he didn't see.
As soon as he got far, Zypher decided to leave the Tutorial City. The city is for tutorial purposes only, and are not involved in any stories of the game.
Except from the test from the production classes towards the players, and the tests in the training grounds, other NPCs are just deaf and mute, and no one can talk to them.
But, Project: Zerø is a groundbreaking game, so how did this happen?
A game with so much intricacies, that even gamers for the past 15 years are unable to unearth everything about it, having a place like this, were NPCs are not intelligent, and are a bit unsociable.
Zypher, who knows the answers walked towards the end of the forest.
Now, he can start his plan to recreate the guild, and help Lara and the others in their lives. From this moment forward, the battle for the best is ongoing, and no one can stop this battle.
And so, 10 meters away from the gate, Zypher decided to look back on Acias.
Leaving a Tutorial City won't let him get back. But, Legar is just a small city, together with Eldas and Elivne, that's why new players can walk in those three cities around.
But, the next city, Arkrai, is much larger compared to the cumulative size of the three. And so, Zypher decided to take his step.
[Caution: leaving the Tutorial City will cancel all Quest 3 to Quest 100. Are you sure?]