Absolute Craft-Chapter 84: Anonymous House (3)

Chapter 84: Anonymous House (3)

Since the leatherworker needed some time to finish his work, Blake and Joel decided to join Anonymous House immediately to check out its benefits.

<You have accepted the invitation to Anonymous House>

<You have joined Anonymous House (Lv. 5 Guild)>

Creating and leveling up guilds was handled entirely by the game system. There was no need for guild NPCs or anything of that sort. NPCs also acknowledged guilds, as it was normal for players to band together in their communities.

Guilds primarily leveled up through quests generated within their guild system. These ranged from daily or weekly missions to exclusive boss quests. Hunting monsters, gathering resources for sale, or fighting rival guilds could all appear as daily or weekly tasks.

Guild leaders had the option to tailor quests to match their current goals.

Moreover, simply adventuring or completing missions alongside fellow guild members granted valuable reputation and guild XP.

"Reaching level five this early isn’t bad," Blake observed, scanning the main details of Anonymous House. "He emphasizes hierarchy and servitude. At level five, the guild store is unlocked, and they can farm guild coins to purchase exclusive items or trade them for extra income. All of the buffs so far aim to boost team survivability."

Joel nodded. "That makes sense. We’ll need to stay alive as long as possible against the resurrected Rotten Leviathan. The longer we last, the more damage we can deal and the more contribution we’ll earn. There’s a decent window of time between dying and respawning, right?"

"Yeah," Blake agreed.

There was no room for lone wolves in Anonymous House. Whether it arose from Kyria’s mindset or the guild’s skills, everything demanded coordinated teamwork. Anyone who fell short would be kicked out and replaced.

While Blake wondered how long Kyria would remain in the tutorial zone, the guild chat exploded at the news that Superbia had joined them. The same player who had once made their efforts seem useless—and massacred them—was now on their side.

Even with all their buffs, Superbia had wiped out their guild with ease. He had even defeated their guild leader, whose epic class left no doubt about his strength.

Joel skimmed through the comments, grinning from ear to ear. "They’re more excited about you than Kyria, big bro!"

Blake shook his head and headed back to the store. "...strength alone doesn’t make a leader."

Joel barely caught those words, but they echoed in his mind, plunging him into deep thought.

—

"It’s on the house!" the middle-aged leatherworker announced, presenting Blake with a new scabbard.

The material looked different now—white like the rest of Blake’s equipment. The shape had changed the most, elongating to mirror the crescent curve of Blake’s Oni’s Avalanche. The sheath was cold and sleek to the touch, and its design was striking.

As soon as Blake sheathed his sword, new system messages appeared:

<The Winter Scabbard is now compatible with Oni’s Avalanche>

<You have received a new passive skill—Silence Before Blizzard (Epic)>

<Silence Before Blizzard (Epic)(Passive)(0 MP)(0 CD)—each time you sheathe your katana in the Winter Scabbard during combat, your next three slashes upon drawing it will deal 100—500% of your max damage, depending on how long the weapon stayed sheathed. Your other passive skill—Blizzard’s Howl—will also have its range increased by 300% for those three slashes.>

Blizzard’s Howl was a passive skill of Oni’s Avalanche that turned Blake’s basic attacks into short-range AoE attacks. Each slash conjured a small blizzard that further deepened his enemies’ wounds.

"I like it," Blake said. "Thanks."

Because the leatherworker insisted it was free, Blake saw no need to argue. He assumed the man had learned a lot from crafting the Winter Scabbard, and that was why he refused payment.

After stepping out of the store, Blake called Joel over. "I’ll grab Sol and Beatrix, then we’ll meet up with Kyria and Wolfang. Wait here."

"Okay!" Joel nodded.

He was still contemplating leadership qualities when Blake returned with a small dragon perched on his head and a short, black-robed figure trailing behind him. The latter was Beatrix, who could move around effortlessly with her eyes closed. Her hood was pulled low, hiding her face and armor. It still looked odd because of the helmet’s horns beneath it.

"Good to see you, big sis, lil bro!" Joel called out, getting a polite nod from Beatrix and a small flame-spitting whimper from Sol.

The four of them then headed to the rendezvous point.

Outside the village, near the Abandoned Village’s leveling zone, Kyria and Wolfang waited with two new guild members: a tank and a healer.

The tank was an Amazonian-looking woman with lightly tanned skin, defined muscles, short blue hair, and vibrant golden eyes. She wore a black bodysuit and a vest, keeping the rest of her heavy gear in her inventory.

The healer was tall and lanky, sporting a kind smile. He seemed to get along well with Wolfang; the two were chatting while waiting for Blake’s group.

All three of them were quite tall, making Kyria—wearing his mask and hat—resemble a small general, though appearances could be deceiving.

"I’m doomed if I get flustered and call her the wrong thing," Joel whispered when he saw the tank. He was already thinking of how to bond with the healer, who seemed calm and likely to help anyone in need.

Blake, ignoring Joel’s muttering, approached the group. The Amazonian woman leaned in close to stare directly into his eyes, trying to confirm his identity.

"You won’t figure out his social media like that," Wolfang teased, making the tank whirl around with an exasperated look.

She snapped, "That’s not what I was doing! I wanted to see if he was really the one who beat you all, not just some fluke!"

Wolfang shrugged theatrically. "Oh? And what’s your verdict?"

"He’s the real deal! He didn’t even blink!"

"Well, maybe he just finds girls like you attractive." Wolfang smirked, causing her cheeks to flush red as she backed off, clearly embarrassed.

Joel murmured, "So cute..."