The messages kept coming.

Nathan sat at the apartment table, interface glowing in the dim morning light. Lucy had left for school an hour ago, toast unburned and backpack properly packed. The apartment was quiet except for the soft rustle of bunny fur and the occasional chime of another guild offer arriving.

He had stopped counting after fifty.

Mirko and Kuro were curled on the bed in their small forms. Mirko watched him with a quiet concern. Kuro appeared asleep, but her ears twitched every time Nathan muttered under his breath, which happened with increasing frequency.

’You are overthinking it, master’ Mirko observed.

"I’m thinking the exact right amount."

’You’ve been staring at that screen for two hours.’

"Three actually." He scrolled past another offer of a mid-tier guild promising "unlimited growth potential" and "a family environment."

Deleted.

"And I’m almost done."

He sorted offers into categories. The Prestigious Five dominated the top tier: Silver Drake, Celestial Peak, Red Dragon, Golden Hawk, Goldcrest. Below them, a dozen mid-tier guilds jostled for attention. Below those, independent sponsors with more money than sense, hoping to attach their names to the fresh Climber who’d defeated a Level 51 Berserker on live broadcast.

Each offer promised the same things in different fonts: resources, training facilities, exclusive Tower access. Some included signing bonuses that made his eyes water... sums that would let him move Lucy out of the studio apartment into a real home with separate bedrooms and a kitchen that didn’t double as a living room.

But every offer came with strings: guild obligations, guild politics, guild enemies.

The party had already agreed that they’d follow his lead. Whatever guild he chose, they’d join. The trust that had carried them through the Veiled Colosseum extended beyond combat. But that trust meant the weight of the decision sat squarely on his shoulders.

’The green one is right,’ Kuro said, mental voice dry, eyes still closed. ’You are overthinking. The correct choice will be obvious once you have sufficient information.’

"And if I am not able to get sufficient information?"

’Then try harder. You are not helpless, Summoner.’

Nathan almost smiled. "You sound like Mirko scolding me."

’I sound nothing like Mirko. I am concise. While She is verbose.’

’I am eloquent,’ Mirko corrected. ’There is a difference.’

’There is not.’

The banter was comforting, a familiar rhythm that had developed over the weeks since Kuro’s summoning. Nathan let it wash over him as he returned to the offers, but before he could resume deleting, a new message chimed... not a form letter but a direct invitation, marked with Goldcrest Guild’s golden seal.

//Climber Cross,

Your recent performance in the Veiled Colosseum has caught the attention of Goldcrest Guild’s recruitment division. We would be honored to host you at our headquarters for a personal consultation regarding your future. We believe Goldcrest can offer you opportunities that no other guild can match.

Please respond at your earliest convenience. We are eager to meet you.

— Aldric Vain, Senior Recruitment Director//

The tone was flattering. Insistent and too eager.

Nathan read the message twice. "Fine, I want to hear what they have to say."

---

Goldcrest Guild’s headquarters occupied an entire block in the capital’s financial district. The building was marble and gold trim, its lobby a cathedral of polished stone and soft lighting. The receptionist welcomed Nathan with a professional smile.

"Nathan Cross. Aldric Vain is expecting you."

Nathan was escorted to a private office on the fifteenth floor. The windows overlooked the city’s skyline, Towers gleaming in the distance. The furniture was leather and dark wood. Everything smelled expensive.

Aldric Vain rose from behind his desk as Nathan entered. Tall, silver-haired, impeccably dressed in a suit that probably cost more than Nathan’s entire monthly stipend. His handshake was firm and practiced. His smile polished to a mirror sheen.

"Climber Cross. Thank you for coming. Please, sit."

Nathan sat. Mirko and Kuro remained in bunny form on his shoulders, a deliberate choice. He wanted Aldric to see them. To understand that any offer would have to account for what Nathan already had.

Aldric’s eyes flicked to the bunnies. Once. Twice. Cataloging. Assessing. The smile never wavered.

"I’ll be direct," Aldric said, settling back into his chair. "Goldcrest is one of the Prestigious Five. We have resources, connections, and influence no other guild can match. Our development program has produced three of the current Top 100 Climbers. We have exclusive access to Towers that other guilds can only petition for. And we want you."

He paused, as if expecting gratitude. Nathan didn’t.

"You should feel honored," Aldric continued, a slight edge creeping in. "We don’t typically recruit F-Grade Climbers, regardless of duel performance. But your summons..."

His eyes flicked to Mirko and Kuro again.

"...represent a unique opportunity. Goldcrest is willing to invest in that opportunity."

"What’s the offer?"

Aldric’s smile widened. He produced a holographic contract with a wave of his hand. "Top-tier resources. Exclusive Tower access. A personal trainer assigned to your development. A signing bonus triple what any other guild is offering. And, of course, the prestige of the Goldcrest name behind you."

Nathan scanned the contract. The numbers were impressive. The signing bonus alone would buy a new apartment. But he kept reading.

"What about party autonomy?"

"We prefer a hands-on approach." Aldric’s tone was smooth, practiced. "Our development program is structured. Climbers who follow our curriculum see the best results."

"So my party would be assigned missions? Told which Towers to climb? No freedom of choice? "

"Guided. We prefer the term guided."

Nathan nodded slowly. "And the contract length?"

"Five years. Standard for our development track. We invest heavily in our Climbers, Cross. It’s only fair that we see a return on that investment."

Five years. Mandatory assignments. A "hands-on approach" that sounded a lot like control. And throughout the meeting, Aldric’s eyes kept drifting to Mirko and Kuro. Not looking at Nathan.

He wasn’t interested in Nathan Cross the Climber. He was interested in Nathan Cross the asset.

Nathan stood. "I’ll consider your offer."

Aldric’s smile didn’t waver, but something behind his eyes hardened. "Of course. Take all the time you need. But understand, opportunities like this don’t come often. Especially for someone of your... background."

Nathan left without another word. The marble halls of Goldcrest felt colder on the way out.

’That one is dangerous,’ Kuro observed.

’Agreed,’ Mirko added. ’He looked at us like livestock. Like items to be appraised.’

"We’re not joining Goldcrest."

’Obviously.’

---

Nathan was walking home when his interface chimed again. The sender ID made him stop mid-stride: Professor Helena Ridge, TCA Liaison — Celestial Peak Guild.

The message was brief: //Nathan. I’d like to talk. Not as a professor to a student. As a guild representative to a prospective member. Coffee? My treat. —Helena //

They met at a quiet café near the academy, a place Nathan had walked past a hundred times as a student but never entered. Helena was already there, seated at a corner table with two cups of coffee. She looked exactly as she had during graduation... sharp-eyed, composed, her silver hair pulled back in its usual neat arrangement. Her Thunderbird summon was nowhere in sight, but Nathan could feel the faint static charge in the air that suggested it was nearby, within her summon mark.

"Nathan." She greeted him warmly, almost maternally. "Sit. The coffee’s still hot."

He sat. Mirko and Kuro hopped onto the table, and Helena’s eyes crinkled with something that might have been amusement.

"I watched the broadcast," she said, getting straight to business. "Every minute. I always knew there was something unusual about your summoning. That magical phenomenon during your ceremony—the golden light, the pressure, the way the entire hall shook. I’ve been teaching for fifteen years. I’ve never seen anything like it." She took a sip of her coffee. "Now I understand."

Nathan tensed. But Helena waved a hand.

"Relax. I’m not here to interrogate you. What you’ve done with your summons...the Knight, the assassin... that’s your business. I’m here to recruit you."

She explained her role. After the graduation semester ended, she got scouted by Celestial Peak. They wanted an experienced strategist who understood the academy system, someone who could identify promising graduates before other guilds snapped them up. She had accepted.

"When your duel broadcast aired, I immediately recommended you for recruitment. I watched you grow from a student everyone dismissed into a Climber who outsmarted a Level 51 Berserker in front of the entire capital." She met his eyes. "That’s not luck. That’s potential."

"What’s the offer?"

Helena slid a tablet across the table. "Celestial Peak isn’t like Goldcrest or the other prestigious guilds. We don’t want to own you. We want to support you. Party autonomy is guaranteed... written in bold, right there, Article Three. You choose your climbs. You choose your pace. We provide resources, intel, and backup when you need it. And once in a while, you help out the guild too. We scratch your back and you scratch ours. Nothing more. Nothing less."

Nathan read the contract. The terms were straightforward. No minimum commitment. Resources scaled to performance. A mentorship program that was optional, not mandatory. The signing bonus was smaller than Goldcrest’s offer, but the contract was a third of the length and written in language he could actually understand.

"What’s the catch?"

Helena smiled. "The catch is that we expect results. Not immediately... but eventually. You’re an investment. They’re betting on your potential. And they’ve never lost a bet."

She paused.

"Also, Our Guild Master wants to meet you personally. She’s... eccentric. But she’s the real deal. Top 100 Climber, retired from active climbing but still sharper than anyone I’ve ever met."

Nathan set the tablet down. "I need to discuss this with my party."

"Of course. Take a few days." Helena leaned back in her chair. "But Nathan? It’s good to see you again. You’ve come a long way from the student who summoned a bunny in front of a laughing crowd."

Nathan almost smiled. "That bunny saved my life more times than I can count."

"I know. I saw." Helena’s expression softened. "And I’m happy you’re safe."

---

The Grinding Stone café was quiet in the late afternoon. Nathan had claimed their usual corner table, both bunnies curled on the bench beside him. Garrett arrived first, Dillon followed minutes later, Elise came last, precisely on time.

Nathan laid out the two contracts. "Goldcrest and Celestial Peak. These are the serious offers."

Garrett picked up the Goldcrest contract first. His expression soured as he read. "Five years? Mandatory Tower assignments? ’Hands-on approach to development’?" He looked up. "This isn’t a guild contract. This is a leash. "

"They seemed to think we should be grateful"

"Because nothing says ’join us’ like telling us to be their quiet loyal dogs." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Dillon took the Celestial Peak contract. "Party autonomy. No minimum commitment. Resources scaled to performance." He raised an eyebrow. "This is... actually reasonable. Suspiciously reasonable. What’s the catch?"

"Helena says there isn’t one. They’re betting on our potential."

Elise was quiet, reading both contracts side by side with the same intensity she brought to combat formations. Finally, she set them down.

"Goldcrest has Derek Stone. They’re trying to collect promising Climbers like assets... acquire them young, lock them into long contracts, and control their development. The recruiter didn’t see you as a Climber. He saw you as a resource." Her finger tapped the Celestial Peak contract. "This is the opposite. They’re offering us freedom because they understand that free Climbers climb higher. It’s not generosity. It’s strategy. But it’s a strategy that benefits us."

"We’re all agreed?" Nathan asked.

Garrett nodded firmly. Dillon grinned. Elise met his eyes with that steady, unreadable gaze of hers. "Celestial Peak."

Nathan opened his interface and composed a message to Helena: //We’re in. When do we meet the Guild Master?//

The response came almost immediately: //Tomorrow. 10 AM. Don’t be late. Valerie hates lateness. She also hates formality, so don’t wear anything fancy. She’ll probably challenge you to a sparring match. Don’t take it personally.//

Nathan stared at the message. Sparring match?

He looked at Mirko and Kuro. "Tomorrow’s going to be interesting."

’Define interesting,’ Kuro said.

"The Guild Master might try to fight me."

’That is concerning.’

’I like her already,’ Mirko added, ears twitching with anticipation."nothing says familiarity than a good spar!"