Mr. Sato sits behind Sho. She tries to ignore him. A small smile crosses her face when he leans in and whispers to her, though I don't catch the words.
"Dad!" Sho yells. "I wouldn't do that."
She shifts and looks at Pendant. Shock flashes across her face.
"Where's Thorne?" she asks, her voice colder than usual.
Lilith looks embarrassed. A flash of light fills her pale face. "He couldn't make it," she says, looking down.
"I specifically requested your guild leader," Sho says. "Why isn't he here?"
"Thousand-Eyes and Throne are sick."
"Fine," Sho says, though she doesn't press further. She exhales. "How many of you played the game?"
I scan the room. Almost everyone raises a hand. The only ones who don't are Mr. Sato, Veil, Ezekiel, Lilith, Ripley, Shino, and Yin. They're older, so it makes sense. Shino stays quiet, likely because she's fused with the Slime Queen.
"That explains a lot," Sho says. "In the game, guild wars are challenges between two guilds. They fight for floor resources or political reasons. The battle takes place across an entire floor."
"Obviously," Anya says, "we don't have that setup after the merge. So RG and the World Government allow guild wars on designated floors. They need enough space."
"Is that why the Goblin Forest is stripped of resources?" someone asks.
"Correct," Anya says. "It's the best choice. There are no NPCs left. The monsters fled into the dungeon or beyond the mountains into the Dark Forest."
Sho nods. "It's perfect. No players. No monsters. No one visits it anymore."
"What is a guild war?" Circe asks.
Lyra answers, "It's a fight between two guilds. Like a ranking match, except the entire guild participates."
"Sounds chaotic," Circe says, nerves in her voice.
"We haven't had one yet," Anya says. "There hasn't been a reason."
"Guild rankings," Anya continues, "come from World Government data. If a guild wants to rise, there's no direct method. They rely on individual player ranks."
"Being a top guild means nothing," Sho says. "No one in my guild besides me ranks above twenty, maybe thirty. Yet we're ranked second."
"There is a reason," Yin says. "We're here to take G2's tenth place slot."
I glance at Reyna. She looks uneasy.
"Guild wars usually end with one guild disbanding," Yin says. "That shifts the rankings upward. Isn't that right, Anya?"
"That's your prerogative," Anya replies. "But it's still relevant to ask what you gain."
"What do you gain from G2 disbanding?" Adrian asks Yin.
"They killed Wan. They're the only guild to replicate guns. Isn't that concerning?"
"I don't think so," Adrian continues. "Every guild cultivates something. Food. Magic. Skills. G2 has the right to keep their weapons secret, like Pendant does with anti magic."
"What's anti magic?" Sho asks.
"We're getting off track," Mr. Sato says. "We'll add that to the magic agenda."
Sho smiles. "Fine."
"If the only reason to challenge G2 is their weapons," Adrian says, "then there's no reason for them to disband. Your rank wouldn't increase."
"That's one view," Yin says. "But anti magic is something anyone could develop in theory. Thousands of guilds and players try to replicate guns. Only G2 succeeds."
Yin looks at Ezekiel, then Veil. "GlassThorn, and Cog have been trying for months. They fail every time."
"Sounds like a skill issue," Adrian says. "G2 has guns since floor one. It isn't a knowledge, material, or authority problem. Every other guild fails at it."
"Alright," Yin says with a sigh.
"I've always believed G2 should patent guns," Adrian continues. "They don't because a patent forces them to reveal the method. What stops Hex, Archer, or any other guild from copying it?"
"Don't firearms inflate their ranking?" Anya asks. "They're a top guild because of those weapons."
Rei shakes her head, ready to speak, but Adrian cuts in.
"That's false. I've only seen them use guns in boss fights for an edge. I watched Lilith fight Reyna. She didn't use one. G2 ranks high because of resources, player rankings, and their ability to use soul magic."
Adrian pauses as realization hits. "What if the weapons are soul magic? I haven't seen any other guild use soul force skills."
"That's possible," Pendant says. "A weapon tied to the soul. Back on Earth, they obsessed over firing ranges."
"Let me speak," Rei says. "Our weapons combine magic and materials. It isn't one discipline. Glassthorn lacks mechanical skill. Cog lacks magical skill. The final piece is a gunpowder variant we invented. You need all three to replicate them."
"Would you patent it?" Sho asks Rei.
"I agree with Adrian. If we reveal it, others reproduce it."
"That doesn't change rankings," Ashen says. "No one below A rank shrugs off a bullet."
"If guns become public knowledge, the damage spreads fast," Rhy says.
"That's why we keep them in our guild," Rei replies.
"Back on track," Sho says. "Yin, you're free to challenge them to a guild war. I doubt your guild wins."
"Why?" Yin snaps.
Valen answers. "Ignore Reyna and Viri. They still have Seraphina, one of the best snipers and recon players alive."
"That's a ..," Yin starts, but Hex interrupts.
"You expect Rhy to beat all of them? The only reason you're here is because Rhy joined your guild."
"I doubt Rhy beats Tenshi," Sho says with a laugh.
The room falls silent. Teruki looks at Sho, uneasy.
"I wouldn't fight Rhy," Teruki says.
"Me neither," Rhy adds. "If our guilds fight, G2 loses."
"And why?" Archer asks.
"They have five players. Even if only main members fight, we outnumber them one hundred to one."
"A hundred pawns stay pawns," Adrian says. "If G2 and Pale Branch fight and sub members join, Shino fights for G2. No one beats her."
"That raises a key issue," Anya says. "Do sub members fight in guild wars?"
"Should we vote?" Lyra asks.
"First decide if NPCs count as sub members or their own class," Anya says. "It's near impossible to track how many NPCs a guild controls. News Guild excludes them from rankings."
"If sub members fight, RG gains the largest edge," Archer says.
"Not only RG," Hex says. "Mana benefits too. They gain the most from sub members."
"We vote at the end of this agenda item," Sho says. "Next topic. The ranking system."
"What's wrong with it?" Ezekiel asks.
"I want an Elo system, like chess," Sho says.
"Why?" Valen asks.
"I'll explain," Anya says, shifting forward.
"I think most of you know," Anya says. "In chess, everyone holds an Elo score. When you beat someone, your points rise. If an E rank beats an S rank, the gain is large because the win wasn't expected. If two players share a similar rank, the gain stays small."
"What stops someone from farming weak players?" Archer asks. "Like Hex."
"Hey," Hex says. "I don't fight fodder."
"As I was about to say," Anya continues, "beating someone lower gives you little to no points. The system expects you to win."
"What's the math behind it?" Yin asks.
"We copy the chess model," Anya says. "We're here because Sho wants approval."
"Basically," Sho says, "this is a rankings reset. Do we reset everyone to one thousand points, or assign values based on current rank?"
"If we change it," Reyna says, "assign each rank a point value. Reset everyone in that rank to the same number."
"That's our idea," Anya says. "S rank starts at 3000 points.
A rank at 2500.
B rank at 2000.
C rank at 1500.
D rank at 1250.
E rank at 1150.
F rank at 1000.
Unranked at 250."
"Why is F so far from unranked?" Ripley asks.
"So we don't disrupt the current system too much," Anya says. "We already hold ranking fights. We'll also block challenges against unranked players."
"I agree," Adrian says.
"So every S rank resets to three thousand?" Hex asks.
"Yes," Anya replies.
"When do you plan to implement this?" Veil asks.
"If approved, we reprint IDs and distribute them through the News Guild," Sho says. "We push it live before the new year."
"I see no issue," Ezekiel says.
"Doesn't this require a way for anyone to challenge anyone?" Yin asks.
"My guild wants to build a massive coliseum north of this city," Sho says. "We'll add a teleport rune. The arena will host official matches."
Risto looks at her. "So you plan to turn this floor into a city with a coliseum at the center?"
"Yes."
"What's the point?" Orin asks.
"So she monopolizes it," Lilith says.
"I don't," Sho replies. "Some players want peace. Some explore safe floors. Some chase rankings. I want fights handled openly. No ambushes. No backroom deals."
"We'll vote on this too," Lyra says.
"I'll manage my floor as I see fit," Sho answers.
"Then should we vote on whether buying floors stays allowed?" Arthur asks.
"Every guild benefits from owning a floor," Sho says. "Ascend controls the capital. No one complains."
"Because they don't alter it like this," Yuto says.
Sho glances at him, a faint smile on her face.
"Every floor changes," she says. "The Goblin Forest is nearly stripped. The Butterfly Floor looks nothing like before. The Graveyard stays mostly the same. The First Floor remains stable because of Crusaders and Infantry."
"Is that why you deforest half your land?" Ashen asks.
"That's one reason," Sho says. "I'm also clearing the remaining monsters."
"I think we've discussed enough," Mr. Sato says.
"Fine," Sho says. "We vote."
She looks around the room.
"First item to vote on," Mr. Sato begins.
"Wait," Arthur says. "If we reset rankings to three thousand, when do I challenge you, Sho?"
"Arthur, no offense," Sho says, "but I beat you with one arm behind my back, blindfolded, using earth magic."
"Sho, you promised you'd fight me."
"And I will. You're nothing personal to me. I'll fight you as the opening act of my coliseum."
"If it even gets built," Veil says, gripping his beard.
"Let's vote," Mr. Sato says. "Only guild leaders vote. Raise your hand for yes. Keep it down for no. There are eleven guild leaders. No revotes for ties."
"Agenda one, item zero. Should guilds retain the right to own floors?"
Every guild leader raises a hand.
"The vote passes."
"What qualifies a guild to buy a floor?" Mr. Sato asks.
"If a guild defeats the floor boss, they get first rights to purchase it," Arthur says.
"Then shouldn't Ascend own this floor?" Shino asks.
"We did," Risto says. "We sold it to Sho."
"For how much?" Hex asks.
"A few hundred platinum," Risto replies.
"Agenda one, item one. Convert the Goblin Forest into a floor used only for guild wars."
All eleven guild leaders raise their hands.
"The vote is unanimous."
"Agenda one, item two. Are NPCs considered sub members?"
No hands rise.
"The vote is unanimous. NPCs are not sub members."
"Agenda one, item three. Allow sub members in guild wars."
Anya, Ripley, Yin, Lilith, and Lyra raise their hands.
"The vote is not unanimous. Sub members are not allowed."
"Agenda one, item four. Allow Sho's guild to construct a coliseum for registered fights."
Every guild leader raises a hand except Lilith and Ripley.
"The vote passes. Sho may build the coliseum."
"Agenda one, item five. Overhaul the ranking system, replace the current model, and reset ranks to base values."
All hands rise.
"The vote is unanimous."
Sho smiles. "Good. We still have four agendas left."
"Agenda two," she says. "Boss fights and Shino."