The Extra's Rise-Chapter 542: Gold-Rank Guild (1)

After Rachel’s birthday, there were a few weeks before it was Seraphina’s eighteenth birthday celebration. But I had pressing guild business that couldn’t wait.

The plan with the Eastern continent expansion would have to be delayed. Instead, I needed to focus on a more immediate advancement—it was time for Ouroboros to officially become a Gold-rank guild.

There were not many Gold-rank guilds in the Slatemark Empire. Fifty, to be exact. Each one commanded significant political and economic influence, with access to resources and dungeons that Bronze and Silver-rank guilds could only dream of.

And now there was going to be fifty-one.

I sat in my office within our guild headquarters, reviewing the digital documentation that would change everything. Using my eight-star adventurer license alongside our guild’s exceptional performance record, we had more than met the requirements for Gold-rank certification. This would grant us access to eight-star dungeons, significantly increase our operational budget, and most importantly, elevate our political standing within the Empire’s guild hierarchy.

"Is it not a bit early?" Kali asked, standing across from my desk with folded arms, biting her lower lip—a nervous habit she’d developed whenever she was genuinely concerned about something.

I looked up from the certification files on my holographic display. "Are you scared?"

"A bit," she admitted, her usual confidence wavering. "I mean, it is quite early in our development timeline."

She had a point. Kali was currently at the same mana rank as me—peak Integration-rank—making me the only eight-star adventurer in our guild. We had two official seven-star adventurers in Reika and Carrie, with several six-star members rounding out our roster. By conventional standards, most guilds spent years building up their membership before attempting Gold-rank certification.

What she was really commenting on was the unprecedented pace of our advancement. In less than two years, we’d gone from a startup guild to challenging for Gold-rank status. It was faster than any guild in recorded history.

I tapped my fingers thoughtfully on the desk, considering her concerns. "You’re right about the pace, but we’re not a conventional guild. Besides, I have something that will solve our membership strength issue."

"What are you talking about?" Kali asked, her analytical mind immediately shifting into problem-solving mode.

Instead of answering directly, I pressed the communication panel on my desk to summon Reika and Elias. We needed all the core leadership present for what I was about to reveal.

Both of them entered the room within minutes. Reika’s transformation over the past months had been remarkable—her confidence had grown alongside her power, and the flower patterns in her eyes seemed to shimmer with renewed intensity when she looked at me.

’Did I imagine that?’ I thought, noticing the way her gaze lingered.

’No, you didn’t,’ Luna commented with amusement. ’A fifth girl is madly in love with you. Your collection keeps growing.’

I pushed that observation aside for later consideration. "Anyway, I have something important to show all of you. Something that will give Ouroboros a significant advantage over every other guild in the Empire."

The three of them exchanged glances, their attention fully focused. This was the moment I’d been preparing for—time to reveal one of my greatest advantages as someone with knowledge from another world.

"What I’m about to tell you must remain absolutely confidential," I began, my tone serious enough to make them all straighten. "What I’m going to share could revolutionize not just our guild, but magical technology across the entire continent."

I stood and moved to the holographic map of the known world projected from my office wall. "Tell me, what do you know about mana conductivity?"

Elias answered first, his business background giving him practical knowledge. "Mana technology requires materials that can channel magical energy, but they’re limited and inefficient. Most conductive materials come from magical beast corpses—bones, blood, treated hide."

"Exactly," I nodded. "It’s grotesque, inefficient, and the supply is limited by how many magical beasts we can hunt. But what if I told you there was a material that could conduct mana with perfect efficiency? Something that could revolutionize everything from communication devices to dungeon exploration equipment?"

Kali leaned forward, her strategic mind immediately grasping the implications. "Such a material would be worth more than all the credits in the Imperial Treasury. Every continent would go to war over it."

"Which is why," I said, turning back to face them, "no one else can know about aetherite."

The name hung in the air like a revelation.

"Aetherite is a crystalline formation created under very specific magical conditions," I explained. "It’s imbued with the concentrated intent of living creatures, making it the perfect mana conductor. Think of it as magical fossil fuel—but infinitely more valuable."

Reika’s eyes widened, the flower patterns in her irises seeming to pulse with excitement. "Where can we find this aetherite?"

I smiled, knowing this would be the most shocking part. "The moon."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"The... moon?" Elias repeated slowly, as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

"The moon," I confirmed. "Aetherite exists naturally in lunar formations, created by centuries of magical energy absorption from our world below. And here’s the crucial part—we’re the only ones who know about it."

Kali was already calculating, her mind working through the logistics. "Even if this aetherite exists, how would we possibly reach the moon? Space travel technology exists, but it’s incredibly expensive and restricted."

"Actually, we have a more direct route," I said, enjoying their expressions of disbelief. "There’s exactly one place on this continent with the capability to transport people to the moon instantly—the Tower of Magic. They have a dimensional gateway that connects to a research station established there decades ago."

"The Tower of Magic..." Elias murmured. "That’s Master Charlotte’s domain."

"Exactly. And Charlotte Alaric happens to be one of my mentors," I said. "Which means we have a potential path to the moon, and therefore to unlimited aetherite."

The implications began to dawn on them. Kali was the first to speak, her voice filled with awe. "If we could monopolize aetherite... we wouldn’t just be a Gold-rank guild. We’d be the most powerful organization on the continent."

"Now you’re beginning to understand," I said. "But first things first—we need to officially achieve Gold-rank status. That will give us the political protection and resources necessary to pursue the aetherite project."

Over the next few days, we completed the Gold-rank certification process. The Guild Authority’s inspection was thorough but routine—our performance metrics were so far above the minimum requirements that approval was essentially guaranteed.

The certification ceremony took place at the Guild Authority’s headquarters in Avalon City. The building itself was a marvel of magical architecture and advanced technology, with holographic displays showing real-time guild rankings and dungeon clearing statistics from across the continent.

As I stood before the Guild Authority official, accepting our new Gold-rank charter on a crystalline data tablet, I couldn’t help but think about how this was just the beginning. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Congratulations, Guild Master Nightingale," the Guild Authority official said, transmitting the official documentation to my personal device. "Ouroboros is now the fifty-first Gold-rank guild in the Slatemark Empire. May your success continue to bring honor to our nation."

The assembled crowd of guild representatives and Authority officials applauded politely, but I could see the mixture of respect and wariness in their eyes. We’d risen too fast, achieved too much in too little time. We were now a factor they’d have to consider in their own strategic planning.

As we left the ceremony, Kali walked beside me, her expression thoughtful. "So what’s our next move, Guild Master?"

"Now," I said, looking up at the sky where the moon was barely visible in the afternoon light, "I pay a visit to the Tower of Magic. It’s time to have a conversation with Charlotte about our future plans."