Three days passed since the Forgotten Catacombs victory, and yet Zero Origins still remained a ghost in the public eye. No forum posts. No fan-made discussion threads. Not even a mention in the official guild rankings. But Akhil wasn't surprised nor disappointed.
He knew how the system worked.It didn't reward quiet excellence. It rewarded loud spectacle.So he let the silence grow.
Beneath that silence, Zero Origins was hardening. The members trained daily, now more synchronized than before. Lira's ambushes were faster. Fenn could now cast barrier spells without chanting. Daxton and Torren had refined their switch-block formations. Selina had even started landing double-shot techniques with just five arrows left.
It was working. Their foundation was real.
But Akhil knew one thing remained incomplete: Zero Origins didn't have a home.
A warehouse was fine for secret meetings, but not for growth. They needed territory , not flashy halls or thrones, but a base where underdogs could gather. A place to return to after missions. A symbol of presence.
The issue? Territory wasn't cheap.
Guild bases cost thousands of Credits, not just in founding fees, but also in defense maintenance, customization, and local tax.
Akhil didn't have thousands.But he had something else: memory.
Back in the beta forums, buried deep in the archives, he had once seen a theory about a forgotten guild base slot , a ruined outpost on the border between two zones that no one claimed because it wasn't officially marked on any maps. It was broken, remote, and surrounded by monster-infested forest. Technically, not worth the effort.
Perfect.
If it still existed, it could be repaired and claimed before anyone even knew it was back in play.
Akhil didn't wait. That afternoon, he left a message to his guildmates, packed light, and began the long journey alone heading east beyond Beginner's Rest, toward the edge of the Verdant Scar Woods.
The Verdant Scar wasn't a typical leveling zone. It was wide, wild, and rarely visited except by herb-gathering solo players or those hunting low-spawn rare beasts. Trees grew crooked, and the ground was uneven, with roots large enough to trip a horse. Small animal mobs darted through the undergrowth, not strong but quick enough to cause distraction.
Akhil moved carefully.Not just to avoid the mobs , but because he could feel it.
He was being followed.
At first, it was just instinct. Then came the faint rustle of leaves without wind. The occasional absence of bird calls. A tension in the air, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
He didn't react. He continued walking casually, following the terrain map he'd memorized.
Eventually, he reached the half-buried ruins. Cracked stone pillars, a collapsed forge, and moss-covered flagstones made up the broken outer wall of what once must have been a guild fortress. Even though nothing official marked the area, a faint system prompt confirmed it.
[Hidden Structure Detected: Broken Outpost – Restoration Possible.]Requirement: 800 Credits + Restoration Kit (0/1)Status: Claimable (Unclaimed)
Akhil knelt to study the base layout when the sound of crunching leaves reached him from behind.He stood up slowly, not drawing his weapon yet.
From the treeline emerged a tall male player in black armor trimmed with green. His guild badge floated over his shoulder: Nightborn Eclipse — one of the fastest-rising PvP guilds in the game.
"Strange place to walk alone," the man said casually. "Are you lost?"
Akhil didn't respond.
The man chuckled and tilted his head. "Name's Kael. Scout. Noticed some activity near the Forgotten Catacombs last week. Impressive clear time, but no known guild claimed it."
Akhil remained silent.
Kael smiled wider. "So I followed the data. Found some rumors. Saw one quiet name repeating: Akhil. No guild alliances. No history. But you? You don't move like a beginner."
Still no reply.
Kael shrugged and drew twin blades glowing faint red. "No offense, but we've had too many nobodies making noise lately. You understand. I just need to check something."
He lunged forward.
Kael moved fast. Not with the untrained speed of arrogant beginners, but with fluidity — every step calculated, every swing clean. His guild wasn't famous by chance. Nightborn Eclipse had made a reputation by recruiting strong PvP players and testing rising talents in real field encounters.
Akhil didn't dodge the first attack.He stepped into it.Kael's blade cut across his arm, drawing a sharp damage tick, but more importantly, it gave Akhil his timing. He turned his body with the blow and responded with a short-range elbow to Kael's ribs, forcing him to stumble back slightly.
"So you're not just luck, then," Kael muttered, amused.
He came again, this time feinting low and striking upward. Akhil parried with the flat of his dagger, redirected the blade, and kicked backward into Kael's knee.
The forest around them echoed with the clash of steel and snapping branches.
Kael threw a smoke bomb, trying to vanish into stealth mode, but Akhil didn't chase. He crouched low and activated Whisper Sense — feeling the faint tremor in the roots behind him.
Kael reappeared with a jumping slash from above.
Akhil sidestepped half a step, letting the blade pass by, then slashed upward across Kael's exposed arm.
[Critical Hit — 52 Damage]
Kael growled, spun, and went full aggressive, unleashing a PvP combo — dual slashes, pivot, spin kick, backstab.
Akhil didn't block it all.He let the combo push him backward, absorbed two hits through armor, and then rolled low under the final backstab, ending it with a dagger jab into Kael's thigh.
[Bleed Status Inflicted][Opponent Movement -20%]
Kael backed off, panting.
"Damn," he whispered. "You're not just a ghost. You're a phantom."
Akhil didn't gloat. He watched.
Kael stood straighter, lifted his hands slowly, and chuckled. "This wasn't official. Consider it… scouting. But I've seen enough."
He sheathed his weapons.
"You're not a threat now. But you will be. And when that day comes..." His smile faded. "Don't expect a friendly duel."
With that, he turned and faded into the forest.
Akhil didn't follow.He returned to the ruins.He had found what he needed.
Not just a base.But confirmation:Zero Origins had drawn attention.
And now, the guilds had started to circle.
The next day, Akhil returned to Beginner's Rest.He didn't mention the ambush to the others , not yet. There was no need to cause panic or distraction. What mattered now was preparation.
He opened the guild window and initiated the next step.
[Outpost Restoration Initiated.]Cost: 800 CreditsStatus: Repair In Progress (Time: 36 hours real-time)Base Type: Hidden Fortified Structure (No Public Map Presence)Member Access: Manual Only
The rest of the guild was excited. Not for the look of the base — it was still broken — but for what it meant. A real home. A symbol.
That night, Akhil sat outside the warehouse, watching the stars above the quiet city.He didn't speak. He just watched. Calculated.This world didn't need another flashy guild.It needed a reminder that greatness could come from nowhere.That power didn't always shout.
Sometimes, it waited and now, Zero Origins had a flag.
Invisible.
But planted.
TO BE CONTINUED.............
[Player Status: Akhil]
Class: Glitchborn (Hidden Class)
Level: 10
Health (HP): 450/450
Mana (MP): 140/140
Stamina (SP): 200/200
Strength (STR): 18
Agility (AGI): 14
Intelligence (INT): 3
Vitality (VIT): 12
Dexterity (DEX): 11
Luck (LUK): ??? (Hidden)
Title(s):
- Survivor of Crimson Hollow
- Silent Predator
- First Scourge of the Forgotten
Skills:
- Night Predator (Passive)
- Whisper Sense (Passive)
- Minor Poison Resistance (Passive)
Equipment:
- Weapon: Iron-Edged Dagger
- Armor: Reinforced Leather Armor
- Boots: Scout Boots
- Accessory: Broken Miner's Amulet
Guild:
- Zero Origins (Guildmaster)
- Base: Broken Outpost (Under Repair)
- Fame: 145
- Members: 6
- Status: Rising
Credits: 80
Quest Active: None