Small Guilds

Holding the heavy coin pouch, Su Ran couldn't help feeling a ripple of emotion.

This was the haul from just one run of [Crouching Tiger Slope (easy)], and that was with the experience gain greatly reduced.

In the early stages of a resource dungeon, material prices really did hold firm.

The forum was right. In a few weeks, once more people were farming it and the supply had stabilized, the prices of tiger meat and hides would inevitably drop considerably.

"As expected of a resource dungeon."

He murmured to himself. This ability to accumulate cash quickly was immensely attractive to a mage in urgent need of funds to buy spell models, potions, and all sorts of materials.

No wonder Shield Guard and the others were so excited.

After saying goodbye to Shield Guard and his two companions, who were also beaming over their substantial haul, Su Ran didn't return to his rented room right away.

With his newly earned silver coins in his pocket, he began looking around the Inner Ring District, visiting gathering places for relatively reputable small guilds and fixed parties that openly recruited members.

Now that he had decided to pick up the pace, it was necessary to find more suitable teammates or a better platform.

Going it alone was inefficient and risky.

He approached several small guilds that had posted recruitment notices on bulletin boards.

Most of these guilds had anywhere from dozens to over a hundred members. They controlled one or two relatively fixed low-level dungeon resource sites, organized activities regularly, and had internal systems for exchanging contribution points.

The benefits sounded quite good: basic dungeon information sharing, occasional runs to help newcomers, small discounts on internal trades, and even promises of regular "guild benefits."

However, when Su Ran asked to see the actual magical membership contracts, the problems came to light.

Without exception, the contracts were full of restrictions.

Some required members not to leave at will for a set period, such as a year. Otherwise, they had to pay a steep penalty, with contribution points applied toward it.

Others stipulated that any extra gains members obtained in a dungeon, rare items, special information, and the like that fell outside the guild's assigned tasks or expectations.

Had to be offered to the guild first at internal prices. The guild had the right of first purchase and usually had the power to set the price.

Worse still, some contract clauses contained an implicit obligation to take part in certain high-risk guild exploration operations, while the compensation terms for casualties were so vague they offered almost no protection.

Unlike ordinary documents, magical contracts, once signed, were binding under some sort of world rule or powerful contract spell. The cost of breaking one was extremely high.

For Su Ran, who was used to working alone, carried secrets, and had his own plans for the future, these terms were no different from shackles.

He presented himself as a young mage with some talent, but a cautious nature and a high regard for freedom.

After he tactfully expressed doubts about certain clauses, the attitudes of the guild staff receiving him would often shift subtly.

Their enthusiastic recruitment would turn into perfunctory formality, sometimes even tinged with an impatience that seemed to say there were plenty of others willing to sign if he wouldn't.

Clearly, these small guilds needed steady, controllable, obedient cogs more than a promising prospect who might fly away at any moment.

After running into walls several times, Su Ran understood. For now, relying on a small guild like this for stable logistical and teammate support wouldn't work.

The protection they offered fell far short of making up for the restrictions and potential risks imposed by those harsh terms.

Perhaps larger, more reputable guilds or official organizations offered different contracts, but as a Lv.4 mage.

Even with decent equipment, he was probably still nowhere near qualified to gain their attention and relatively equal terms.

Strength. It always came back to strength.

Without enough strength and value, he wouldn't get the respect and freedom to match.

Su Ran stopped wasting time and turned away from the last small guild headquarters, which bore the Ironthorn Brotherhood's sign.

Walking through the streets of the Inner Ring District as the lights came on, he touched the cool [Tiger Might Headband] on his forehead and felt the power contained within it.

The guild route was closed to him for now.

Perhaps he could try another approach: forming or joining an elite pickup party, loosely bound together but with a measure of mutual trust, focused on short-term goals.

Like his first party with Shield Guard and the others, but with higher goals and stronger teammates.

Or... take a more aggressive approach and try challenging a higher-difficulty dungeon solo?

With his current equipment and skill combination, it might not be entirely impossible, but the risk would be extremely high, and he would need more thorough preparation.

He needed more detailed information on high-level dungeons, more advanced spell models, and a larger supply of potions and scrolls.

And all of that required money.

Su Ran stopped and looked up at the starless night sky, illuminated by the faint glow of the city's shield.

A few more paths seemed to have opened up, but every one of them led to fiercer competition and greater danger.

He took a deep breath, and determination returned to his eyes.

With the guild route closed for now, Su Ran quickly adjusted his strategy. His immediate priority was to improve his own strength as quickly as possible.

And at the core of that strength, apart from level and equipment, lay skill mastery and proficiency.

As a mage, his means of attack were crucial. [Energy Missile] was the first and currently the only reliable ranged attack spell he had mastered.

Its level directly affected its power, range, casting speed, and even mana consumption.

More importantly, as the most basic evocation variant of [Arcane Missile], [Energy Missile] provided foundations in spell-model construction, stabilization, and energy guidance that were the basis for learning almost every subsequent evocation attack spell.

Including the famous [Fireball].

Training it to a high level would not only improve his immediate combat power, but also pave the way for learning more powerful spells in the future.

He could practice in actual dungeon combat, of course, but that was inefficient, and the risks were impossible to control.

Su Ran needed a safe, stable environment where he could repeatedly practice at high intensity.

He thought of training rooms.

In the Inner Ring District, there were paid training facilities open specifically to awakened.

These places were usually run by major powers or merchant associations and offered training rooms for various purposes: strength testing, speed and reaction, elemental resistance, and... spell ranges.

Su Ran soon found a well-regarded training facility, the Rock Training Center.

Its facilities were relatively comprehensive, its prices transparent, and, more importantly, it valued privacy. Each training room was a separate compartment.

The receptionist was a capable-looking young woman. When she saw Su Ran dressed as a mage, she immediately began enthusiastically explaining the services available at the spell range.

"We offer hourly billing and monthly passes. The hourly rate is one silver coin per hour. A monthly pass costs ten silver coins and gives you unlimited use of the basic range during the month.

"Standard energy targets, stationary and simple moving targets. If you need advanced features, such as attribute-simulating targets with fire or frost resistance, and targets with complex movement patterns.

"Or combat sparring partners, those require separate reservations and payment, with additional charges per session or by the hour."