Endless Evolution as a Centipede in a Game-Like World

The moment I mentioned forming a guild and entering the player university, Alfred went completely silent to the point where I could still hear him breathing on the other end of the line.

After a few seconds, he finally cleared his throat and spoke in a casual tone.

"You were serious about that? I assume Miss Amelia has already told you the risks in going through with this."

"Yes, she already did, but I still plan on going through with it."

"I see..."

He paused again, and for a few more seconds, nothing but silence remained between us.

I was about to speak up, but just then his voice cut through from the other end.

"It’s best not to speak about these kinds of things on the phone. Let’s meet in person. Come to my office."

This would probably be the best choice plus, I had to sell the items I brought back from Vesperia.

"Sounds good," I responded before hanging up.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the train station and waved my card in front of the machine, which produced a ticket.

Usually, residents of the slums weren’t allowed in the more prosperous section of the city, but by producing a holographic ID which held my gamertag and rank, I was allowed to use the Sky Train.

Entering the train, I quickly took a seat by the window and waited until we were ready to depart.

"Welcome to Arial-Vision Express. Please find your seat or hold on tight. Levitation begins in 3... 2... 1..."

A sweet-sounding voice flowed from the speakers. Soon, a sound akin to a jet engine rang in my ears, and I could feel the ground beneath my feet shift as we were lifted up.

Though it was called a Sky Train, the train only levitated about 10 inches off the ground, but it was enough to reduce traction like when regular trains would move on tracks.

As a result, the train was able to travel above the speed of sound. This was all possible because of the monster cores we carried back from Vesperia.

In less than 10 minutes, we arrived at our destination.

This section of the city hosted towering skyscrapers and was more technologically advanced than the rest of the city.

The people here enjoyed luxury, and looking at them, you wouldn’t be able to tell the planet they lived on was dying.

They were all dressed in expensive clothes. Some were in groups, others were by themselves, while a few were walking their pets.

There were even large smart boards showing the trailer for a new upcoming movie.

This movie, of course, starred two players. It looked like some kind of action movie.. Players were usually treated like celebrities, and just stepping out into the street would cause you to be surrounded by fans eager to take pictures.

You didn’t even have to be a high-ranking player. The reason I wasn’t drawing attention was that I wasn’t publicly known, and no one would think that someone dressed like me would be a player.

There were smart boards all over the city that showed real time data of the player rankings. Players were cheered and celebrated for their achievements. Some players even had fan groups that were crazy about them.

A player’s popularity depended on high how ranked they were, how attractive they were and whether or not they were active on social media.

This place was really good at distracting people from the real problem.

Top players were rarely seen, since most of them traveled by private aircraft. Some even had large estates that could span several communities.

They would spend months in Vesperia, and whenever they returned home, it would make news headlines.

I felt a bit out of place here maybe because of the way I was dressed.

I threw my hood over my head and kept my hands in my pockets as I walked briskly forward until I arrived at the building where Alfred’s brokerage was.

His secretary remembered me from last time, so luckily I was swiftly escorted to his office.

Alfred was dressed in his usual suit and tie. His hair was slicked back as he leaned back in his office chair. A small smirk appeared on his face as he saw my arrival.

"ApexHunter101, come, have a seat," he directed me to the chair in front of his desk.

Behind Alfred stood a young man also dressed in a suit and tie. He had a pair of glasses and seemed young. He also carried with him a briefcase.

"This is Hal. He’s a representative from the player association. I’m friends with the president so I asked him to send a agent with all the necessary documents you’ll need to sign and submit to create your own guild."

The young man smiled at me before stepping forward.

"It’s nice to meet you, Apex. I’ve been watching your progress ever since your first big jump in the rankings," the young man said, bowing his head.

I nodded slightly in response before returning my attention to Alfred.

"Just like a broker, every guild needs a representative from the player association to make sure they are following the rules set by the association."

The player association worked with the government, ensuring the players were kept in line.

The association president himself was a high-ranking player and would hunt down any player who caused too much trouble to be ignored.

Hal then placed several documents on the desk and began explaining.

"You first need to fill out an application to create a guild, along with the application fee. Afterwards, an agent will come to see if you have the necessary requirements. There are three things you need to establish a guild. First, you need an agreement with a kingdom or town to operate a guild in their land. Next, you’ll need at least three members who are able to exit and enter the game world. And lastly, you’ll need an office space or a building that is up to compliance to act as the headquarters of your guild," Hal explained.

As he spoke, I nodded along and filled out the application. Afterwards, I paid the required application fee.

"Alright, that’s good enough. I’ll contact you within a few weeks after we are done conducting our checks."

Hal bowed once again before placing all the paperwork inside his briefcase and leaving.

"As for you entering the player university, I think it’s a good idea, since that university holds a lot of information about the world of Vesperia, which includes its history, politics, and locations," Alfred said.

I would need all of this information if I was going to find and locate flags. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The threat of the Forest Nymph was a flag, but it may have been part of a bigger story.

One which I could only fully comprehend after entering the university and get all the details needed. Other players have done the job of investigating this world. Now I needed the information they gathered which I could only get at the university.

But to enter, I needed something crucial.

"I need a recommendation. The university doesn’t just allow anyone inside, since certain information could get leaked," I explained, but from the look on Alfred’s face, I could tell he already knew all of this.

"That is why you contacted me. Since you’re not a part of a guild, it’s hard for you to get a recommendation from a guild master. So I’m basically your only choice."

Alfred smirked at that realization. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what his answer would be, but then he stood up and reached out his hand in a friendly gesture.

"I’ll send out the recommendation today."

Smiling, I accepted his handshake and thanked him.

"Thank you."

Afterwards, we commenced our business, and I gave him all the items I brought back from Vesperia.

I was impressed by his professionalism, since he didn’t ask a single question, even when he saw the armor and items that obviously didn’t belong to me.

I left his office soon after. I went home and immediately entered the game world.

I urgently needed more biomass, and I couldn’t waste a moment.