"How can you be so distracted?" the lady asked Rex. The question left him momentarily speechless.
"How?"
"I've been trying to get your attention, but you seemed completely lost in your own world."
"True," Rex affirmed. He had been so engrossed with his AI that he hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings.
"Hello! I'm Elera, and my friend over there is Ironblade," Elera said, pointing to a heavily-built guy about Rex's height but with noticeably more muscle mass. He was clad in full standard armor, the kind appropriate for most Swordsman-type classes.
Ironblade reacted to Elera's gesture with a thumbs-up in their direction.
"What's your name?" she asked, her tone friendly.
Rex had an inkling of what was happening and decided to play along.
"I'm Rex."
"Oh, no Ascendant name yet?" Elera inquired. (Ascendant names were nicknames players chose and could opt to display when others looked at them.)
"Yeah, none yet."
Elera continued with the pleasantries, slowly steering the conversation toward her goal—a goal Rex already saw from a mile away.
"Do you know about guilds?" she finally asked.
Rex nodded.
"Have you considered joining one?"
Rex shook his head.
A flicker of annoyance flashed across Elera's eyes—so quick, Rex almost missed it, but he didn't. It was expected; he knew his lack of desire to join a guild immediately undermined a key part of her sales pitch.
It had been three years since the launch of Cosmic Ascendance, and the existing societal structures from the real world had greatly extended their influence into this virtual one. Guilds were a cornerstone of this influence—organizations wielding tremendous power within Cosmic Ascendance. They were built from the amalgamation of individuals united in purpose, a purpose often dictated by the powers at the pinnacle of their hierarchies.
Rex gave a wry smile. If circumstances were different, the conversation would have gone exactly as Elera intended. He would have eagerly taken the bait to achieve his own objectives. Joining a guild greatly accelerated a player's growth, offering access to expert guidance, exclusive intel on quests, ruins, and dungeon explorations, not to mention discounts on guild-offered services and access to exclusive potions, equipment, and artifacts.
The only downside was the creeping realization that the thrill of exploring a vast virtual world would slowly be replaced by the monotonous grind of furthering the guild's influence, enriching its leaders, and meeting constant development goals. His recruiters were a perfect example: instead of butchering monsters or enjoying the game's vibrant lifestyle, they were loitering in the Dome hall, scouting for promising newbies.
"Oh! Well, allow me to introduce our guild then," Elera said, her voice regaining its earlier warmth. "I'm sure you'll realize how lucky you are to be receiving this invitation."
Rex's eyebrows rose unconsciously. 'Just what is this lady on to think her guild's name will elicit such a reaction from me?'
"I represent the Void Keepers."
Boom! Rex's mind reeled.
'Void Keepers!'
They were the undisputed number one guild in Cosmic Ascendance. Every single member was an elite among players. He took another, more appraising look at Elera and her companion, who was now walking over to them.
'Why the heck would the Void Keepers be trying to recruit a newbie like me?' He hadn't even thought it was possible. He'd pegged them as scouts from some third-rate guild, at best. He'd never imagined it would be the kings of guilds trying to recruit him.
True to Elera's word, Rex was beginning to reconsider his initial reluctance, even though he was utterly confused as to why the Void Keepers would extend an invitation to him.
"How can I be sure you're actually from the Void Keepers?" Rex asked, voicing his skepticism.
Ironblade, who had now joined them, brought up a hand. A badge materialized, bearing the emblem of a triangle with a suspended purple liquid in the center that constantly morphed its shape.
Rex stared at the badge. 'That's the official sigil of the Void Keepers, but it could definitely be a fake.' His mind was already conjuring up a scenario where he signed up only to find out it was some pathetic young guild that had just added an extra 's' to 'Void Keepers' to scam unsuspecting players.
"Use INSPECT on it!" Ironblade ordered, noticing Rex's skeptical expression.
'Inspect,' Rex thought. The moment he did, a tab appeared in his view displaying a brief description of the guild, complete with an official seal. Rex didn't know much about how these things worked yet, but it looked legitimate enough.
'Yes, it is legitimate,' his AI's voice chimed in his mind.
Rex gave Ironblade a thumbs-up to signal he had confirmed what he needed to.
'I don't really feel like being a subordinate now that I have this class,' Rex thought to himself. Joining the Void Keepers was practically a shortcut to achieving his goal of being among the peak players of Cosmic Ascendance, yet he wasn't as excited about the offer as he might have been. He knew his Prismatic-tier class was going to do a great job helping him ascend the ranks.
'Maybe not as quickly as the Void Keepers could help me, but I'll get there, as long as I don't die.' Joining them would even help him mitigate his class's critical rule of not dying, as few players would dare mess with a member of the Void Keepers.
"It's really surprising to receive an invitation from the Void Keepers," Rex finally replied to the two, "but I'd like to think on it for a bit."
Ironblade's face contorted in annoyance. 'Who does this kid think he is? Even top players from other guilds would grovel for this opportunity!' He turned away angrily, ready to stomp off. 'Even if he comes to our guild hall to apply later, I'll make absolutely sure he's thoroughly vetted,' he fumed internally.
As Ironblade began to stride away, he noticed Elera wasn't following.
"Well, Player Rex," Elera said, her voice smooth, "I'm very sure you're quite capable. After all, you've already reached Level 5 in less than a day of playing Cosmic Ascendance."
"What?!" Rex exclaimed, genuinely amazed. "How did you know that?"
"I'm a Scholar Class," Elera explained with a slight smile. "I can easily infer player stats, especially when you haven't taken any measures to hide them."
"Ohhh," Rex breathed out, understanding.
"If you agree to join our guild," Elera continued, leaning in slightly, "I can assure you that before the day's end, you'll have climbed at least one more level."
Rex froze. It was a very enticing offer indeed. He didn't yet have a good feel for how difficult leveling up was, but based on Elera's implication, it wasn't going to be easy.
"If you join," Elera added, tilting forward just enough for the light to catch her fair-skinned cleavage, "I'll even personally join the leveling party you'll be paired with today."