The influence of Invincible was astonishing. Except for the five slots reserved for recruiting life players, all others were quickly filled, making the guild lively. Many familiar names from the World Channel could now be seen inside.
[Guild] Cain: Hahaha, greetings to all the big shots!
[Guild] A Lone Boat: Haha, finally made it in!
[Guild] Misty: It wasn’t easy. Luckily, I’ve been grinding levels like crazy these past few days and just barely made the cut for the entry requirements!
[Guild] Jia Tu: Just getting in is good enough! There’s a bright future ahead with the pros!
[Guild] Alice: Anyone want to run the 25-level Blackstone Mine Challenge Dungeon? Level 28 Priest with three skills here!
[Guild] Unbreakable Mountains and Rivers: I’m in! How about teaming up, pretty lady? Level 29 Warrior, dual skills, good at tanking and dealing damage—super safe!
[Guild] Cain: Count me in!
[Guild] [Sword at Fleeting Time]: Everyone is encouraged to team up for dungeons. If you encounter any problems, feel free to ask me in the guild channel.
[Guild] [Windstorm Jiangnan]: If you can’t clear a dungeon or need help, just let me know.
[Guild] [Bai Ran]: Questions related to life professions can come to me.
[Guild] Flowing Stream: Got it, got it. The three vice-leaders are awesome!
[Guild] Alice: The vice-leaders are amazing!
The three vice-leaders efficiently managed the guild’s internal affairs. Sword at Fleeting Time addressed members’ questions and coordinated relationships within the guild. Windstorm Jiangnan organized dungeon runs to help members familiarize themselves with one another and form stable leveling teams. Ran Qi handled internal matters like territory construction and resource allocation.
As for Night Owl and the other leveling fanatics, they had already headed out to grind monsters in the wild again…
Although they assured everyone they’d be available if needed.
Ran Qi dragged Gu Le along to help him, and the two of them traveled to the main city, located the Adventure Guild’s teleportation NPC, and transported to Pearl Island.
The scenery on Pearl Island was breathtaking—surrounded by the sea, with a town at its center where the sound of waves could faintly be heard. However, as a basic town, everything other than the walls and towers was empty space.
Night Owl granted Ran Qi and Gu Le territory management permissions, allowing them to directly access the interface and construct buildings.
The guild’s starting funds were 1,000 gold, and building a basic structure cost 100 gold each. It was crucial to budget carefully and maximize utility.
A guild warehouse for storing items and a guild hall for key activities were priorities. Then came a commercial zone, planting area, and livestock area, which immediately halved the funds. There was also an option to build a fishpond, but since the territory was by the sea, they could fish directly, saving some resources.
[Territory Info]
Owner: Invincible Guild
Level: 2
Members: 75/80
Funds: 500 gold
Structures: Warehouse (Level 1): Storage space 200; Hall (Level 1): Can recruit up to 80 members and post guild quests; Commercial Zone (Level 1): Can host 4 shops; Planting Zone (Level 1): 10 planting areas; Livestock Zone (Level 1): Can hold up to 10 animals.
Ran Qi arranged the buildings in a T-shaped layout. The guild hall and warehouse faced the territory entrance, with the planting zone to the left, the livestock zone to the right, and a large open space in the center for the commercial zone.
Ran Qi handed over the task of decorating the guild hall to Gu Le while he went to the commercial zone to set up a couple of shops, starting with a forge and a food shop.
These shops came with system-assigned NPCs that could be directed to produce specific items. In addition to the default beginner recipes, the NPCs could learn new recipes provided by the manager. With enough materials, they could automatically produce items for sale in the shops.
When materials were insufficient, the NPCs would post requests on the guild’s quest board, allowing members to earn contribution points by supplying them. The management often added rewards like equipment or rare items to the guild warehouse, which members could exchange using their contribution points.
This created a positive cycle where members were motivated to complete quests, contributing to the guild’s resources and funds.
Due to limited initial funds, Ran Qi started with just the forge and the food shop. Equipment was in high demand among members, and delicious food added buffs and satisfied everyone’s palate. Ran Qi had plenty of recipes to supply the shops, so they wouldn’t run out of items anytime soon.
As soon as Ran Qi uploaded recipes for the two shops’ NPCs, the task board in the guild hall immediately posted several material requests.
Gu Le, on the other hand, had been busy decorating the guild hall, paving the entrance path with marble and red carpet, and replacing the bulletin board with redwood for a grander look. From wall colors to framed paintings, ceiling ribbons, and window shapes, every detail was carefully chosen to achieve the best effect at the lowest cost.
Once the territory construction was more or less complete, they sent a message to Night Owl.
Night Owl and the others acted swiftly, putting all the unused equipment they found in the treasure cave into the warehouse. A continuous stream of deposit notifications left the new guild members stunned.
[Guild] Cain: [Wide-eyed emoji]
[Guild] A Lone Boat: Wow! So many amazing items! Looking at my own backpack makes me shed tears of poverty~~
[Guild] Sword at Fleeting Time: The guild warehouse is now open. Everyone can view its contents. Our management team has nearly completed building the guild territory. When you have time, visit the guild hall to pick up tasks and earn contribution points. All these items in the warehouse will be available as rewards, exchangeable for contribution points. Let’s work together to grow the guild!
[Guild] Jia Tu: Are the perks really this good? Long live the pros!
[Guild] Alice: This is fantastic! I’ve stockpiled so many materials—just what I need to exchange for contribution points! Time to get that gear!
[Guild] A Lone Boat: Smart move, but why did you stockpile so many materials in the first place?
[Guild] Alice: To sell them, of course! When people start learning life skills, they’ll need tons of materials to level up their proficiency. That’s my chance to make a lot of money!
[Guild] Jia Tu: Haha, such a business genius! But why are you using them to earn contribution points now?
[Guild] Alice: Because the items in the warehouse are too tempting! Money is easier to earn; great gear is hard to find. I’ve already set my sights on the priest staff in the warehouse!
Ran Qi, observing the lively guild chat, thought Alice might have potential as a talented merchant worth nurturing.
The guild channel buzzed with excitement as those not in dungeons rushed to the main city to teleport.
[Guild] Sword in Hand: The guild hall is so impressive!
[Guild] Don’t Let Stranger In: Who worked so fast? The copper ore quest is already completed! Wasn’t each task supposed to require 100 units?
[Guild] Alice: Hehe, that was me! I completed three tasks at once and earned 600 contribution points—just enough to get my staff!
[Guild] A Lone Boat: Wait, weren’t you in a dungeon? How are you done so quickly?
[Guild] Alice: Yep! Elder No Happiness joined us. Having a pro lead made it super quick!
[Guild] A Lone Boat: So jealous… If I’d known, I’d have gone too!
[Guild] Cain: Haha, guess what I discovered? A shocking secret ***!!
[Guild] Cain: ??? Shocking secret ***. What’s with this censorship?!
[Guild] Jai Tu: Haha, I’m dying. Want me to guess or not?
[Guild] Cain: Hmph, head to the commercial zone. Whoever’s slow will regret it! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
[Guild] Evernight: Ahhhh!!! Commercial zone! Hurry up! First come, first served!
[Guild] Twilight: What’s happening? I’m dying of curiosity, but I’m stuck in a dungeon!
[Guild] Cain: Then you’ll have to miss out…
[Guild] Alice: Haha, I snagged something! Thanks for the tip, Cain!
[Guild] Clear Skies: I should rename myself Stormy Skies. I’m too broke to even stand here…
A dozen guild members soon surrounded the two shops in the commercial zone, with more rushing over.
The NPC smiled politely. “I’m sorry, all items are sold out. Please check back later.”
“Ah… When exactly is later?” someone who arrived late asked reluctantly.
The NPC maintained the smile. “When we have enough materials.”
“Quick, head to the guild hall and submit materials!”
“Ugh, I was too late. What exactly were these shops selling?”
“The forge workshop had several necklaces for sale! They’re blue-tier and decent for transitional gear since they’re hard to get from dungeons. And the food shop sold not just the usual sandwiches and steaks but also scallion pancakes and leek-and-egg pies! Dirt cheap, totally worth it!” Someone replied enthusiastically.
“What?! Really?! Let’s go do guild tasks now!”
The overwhelming enthusiasm of the guild members caused the guild’s contribution points to skyrocketing. It wouldn’t be long before the guild leveled up to level 3. At that point, they could recruit more members and unlock additional features.
Once the guild reached level 5, members would even be able to set up private shops in the commercial zone. With a monthly rent of just 10 gold, players could display their items and prices on shelves, much more convenient than searching through the marketplace.
By then, with 300 members, the guild would be considered mid-sized. The guild territory could also be open to the public during set periods, ensuring plenty of visitors.
[Private Chat] Night Owl: Did you upload recipes to the shop NPCs? How many?
[Private Chat] Bai Ran: Yes, three.
[Private Chat] Night Owl: I’ll send you the money later.
[Private Chat] Bai Ran: No need… Supporting guild construction is part of management’s duty. Plus, the necklace recipe came from the treasure cave, and the two food recipes are my own creations. They didn’t cost me anything.
[Private Chat] Night Owl: No, I insist. I’ll pay you back for everything, including what I owe from before, once the game allows top-ups.
[Private Chat] Bai Ran: Really, it’s fine! You already gave me so many Physical Exchange Coupons last time—more than enough!
Despite this, Night Owl sent him 30 gold via mail, leaving Ran Qi both exasperated and touched.
Physical Exchange Coupons were far more valuable than game gold, which could be easily earned by grinding or selling gear. The only way to get exchange coupons was through achievements. After the Abyss dungeon run, everyone in the team, including Gu Le, gave their 7 coupons to him—a total of 77 coupons.
The gear Ran Qi made for the team didn’t even use his own materials; they were all supplied by Night Owl and Jiangnan. For him, it was just a matter of using the system interface to craft items, a task that was trivial to him but invaluable to others. He often felt undeserving of their generosity.
If he hadn’t met Night Owl and the team, he and Gu Le might still be stuck in their 20s level-wise. Random party matchmaking often led to unpleasant encounters with people like Yue Na and Ba Ge. Achieving exchange coupons would’ve meant painstakingly cooking every day while worrying about malicious players.
In the game, smart people abounded, and many had already speculated that he was the creator of those unique foods. But being a member of Night Owl’s team made everyone else pretend they didn’t know.
Having such a reliable and pleasant fixed team was a rare blessing. Not to mention that the people in the team were easy to get along with, and Ran Qi genuinely cherished it.
