Chapter 128: Duties of Official Guilds

One might be confused regarding how a guild could find themselves in this circumstance in the first place; after all, if they don’t have promising rookies, they just shouldn’t buy the contract for the dungeon from the association.

The issue arose from the duties of official guilds. While it was true that the standard process was guilds paying for exclusive access to dungeons, it was not the only way they could gain entry into one.

The second method was to be instructed by the association to clear it. The contract between guilds and the association stated that the latter could give a dungeon to the former, which had to be cleared. Naturally, such dungeons were the ones that had annoying clear conditions and were evaluated as ‘too much trouble for little return,’ and as a result, no guild wanted to buy it from the association.

Dungeon gates were not just mere portals connecting two different dimensions but also acted as restrictors. Some dungeons had an entrance limit where the maximum number of awakened who could enter was lowered, others had level limits, class archetype limits, weapon or artifact limits, and the like. These restrictions were often randomized, forcing guilds to adapt or fail.

These dungeons could be bought for cheap, but if no guild went for them, then the association would force it upon guilds. Each guild tier, namely low, mid, and high, had to accept and clear a different number of forced dungeons each year. Failing to do so was one of the easiest ways for a guild to fall to lower tiers. Guilds that couldn’t fulfill their assigned quota faced audits, budget cuts, or even dissolution in extreme cases.

However, as Nova Circuit was already a low-tier one, the penalty for them would be to lose their full rights as a guild. They would either have to merge with another guild or get absolved.

All that is to say, Guild status wasn’t merely a title; it came with responsibilities, obligations, and a constant pressure to prove their usefulness to the association.

“That’s right…” Tessa nodded in response to Nyx’s observation.

She sighed dejectedly before explaining, “Our guild fell upon dire times, we’re struggling with recruiting promising rookies. There’s only a single A-tier awakened in our midst, and she’s eligible to enter the dungeon, but her presence won’t be enough to clear the dungeon, I fear.

We can’t afford to pay for the help of other guilds, while asking for help from the association would mean we failed to clear it and get penalized, so our best bet is to search the country for independent awakened who happen to be below level 10. One of my scouts saw your stream, and she estimated that you had to be around levels 5 and 9, which made you prime candidates for us to reach out to.”

“Your scout estimated correctly. What’s the dungeon’s difficulty rating?” Kaiden asked.

“It’s a D-rank dungeon.”

That was a two-rank jump from the F-rank dungeon they had experienced thus far. It explained why the low-level A-ranked awakened wasn’t believed to be enough to clear it.

“Have you sent an exploration party in?” This time around, it was Aria who asked the question.

“Yes, a sandy biome awaits inside, and the main enemy types seem to be scarabs, desert felines, and mummies. Our goal is to organize a party consisting of around twenty awakened, sixteen of which are our guild members, but we felt our forces to be insufficient.”

If sixteen people were not sufficient for a D-rank dungeon, that likely meant they had very few high tiers among them. By reaching out to outsiders, the guild admitted to its weakness, so it was a last resort. Thus, Kaiden thought they must firmly believe that their forces stand almost no chance at success.

It was recommended that the average of an awakened group that enters a dungeon should be at least one tier above that of the dungeon’s rank to clear with acceptable casualty figures. Therefore, 16 people who averaged C-tier among their ranks should be more than enough to clear it, making it almost certain their members were mostly low-tiers.

“You do realize we’re F-tiers, right?” Luna spoke up while eyeing Tessa.

“I did my research on you four while I was traveling here. I’m aware. I don’t know how you got that assessment, but I’m confident it was the result of a malfunction. But even if it’s right, it doesn’t matter to me. All I care about is that you’re incredibly competent for low levels, the exact type of people our expedition force needs to bolster its ranks.”

“If you’d done your homework diligently, then you would also know we’re not just combatants. Is that no problem for you?” Nyx asked tactfully.

Tessa nodded. “I know of your adult videos and other non-combat content. You’re right in that I normally wouldn’t want to associate my guild with your brand, but the more I saw of your dungeon clears, the more I thought that you four are something special, which made me reconsider. We had a few more outsiders who were in consideration, but I was adamant about reaching out to you four first. I can’t explain it well, just that my senses were telling me to go with you. Call it a risky investment if you will,” she finished with a friendly smile.

“If we accept, do you consent to us broadcasting the clear and then uploading an edited video to our platform?” Kaiden inquired. It was a unique chance to make his combat-oriented content more varied. After today, they would have two clears of the F-rank forest biome dungeon. He wanted to switch things up, and there were not many things more exciting than an unexplored, fresh dungeon.

“Yes. When a guild reaches out to outsiders for help, it’s customary to treat them as mercenaries, and mercenaries don’t work for free. I’m ashamed to say our finances are in the deep red, I can’t pay you in the literal sense. My proposal is as follows: I’ll provide you with written consent to broadcast the dungeon descent, ensuring you retain all rights to any revenue generated from it. Furthermore, you’ll be eligible for one-third of all the loot found during the duration of the expedition, including monster drops, mined minerals, and valuables found in chests.”

It was a weak offer, considering the trouble Nova Circuit was in. Mercs were usually paid a down payment before even setting foot into a dungeon, and guilds typically offered additional compensation for career-ending injuries or death. Still, Kaiden wasn’t dismayed. His main goal had always been to gain access to a dungeon like this; getting paid as well would’ve merely been the cream on top.

“Have you estimated how much time we have to prepare for the clear?” If a dungeon wasn’t cleared within a certain timeframe, a dungeon break would occur, allowing the monsters to spill out through the gates and invade Earth. The window for clearing a dungeon before a break was unpredictable, varying greatly from one to another, but the association possessed artifacts capable of measuring it.

Tessa had an ashen, embarrassed expression as she replied, “… Until tomorrow morning.”