Guilds officially unlocked at noon.
Not game time — real time.
The server countdown clock had been ticking since day one, teasing every ambitious player with the promise of leadership, legacy, and shiny banners. System messages blinked across the interface every few hours:
⏳ Guild Functionality Unlocks in 1 Day, 3 Hours, 17 Minutes…
⏳ Unlocks in 1 Hour, 24 Minutes…
⏳ 10… 9… 8…
I was already standing in line at the Guild Registry NPC when the timer hit zero.
Now, here's the thing most people didn't know: there's no real line. The first hundred guilds are processed based on your server ping, reaction time, and some behind-the-scenes server lottery magic. All that matters is how fast you can click "Register" and submit your name.
And today, I wasn't alone.
Everyone was here.
I recognized names from my old timeline — hotshots, streamers, megaguild alts, kids who thought they could buy their way into dominance.
Most of them laughed when they saw me.
I mean, I got it.
There I was — a mid-level mystic with no public PvP record, no guild affiliation, and two party members who looked like they'd just crawled out of a practice arena.
But they didn't know what I knew.
They didn't know who I'd recruited.
And they didn't know what we were about to build.
"EchoPrime, right?" a familiar voice sneered behind me.
I turned to see Kyros.
Slick armor, glowing cape, probably already dropped a hundred bucks on premium cosmetics. He was leaning on the registry desk like he owned the place. His tag read [GRAIL], and his ego was three sizes too big.
"In the flesh," I said.
"I saw your team clear the Obsidian Trial yesterday," he said, smirking. "Impressive. Kinda lucky, though."
"Luck's a skill," I replied.
He chuckled. "Sure it is. Hey, listen, I'll save you the trouble. GRAIL's buying up guild names this week. For branding, y'know? You give me the name you're registering, we'll toss you 5,000 gold and a rare gear crate."
I blinked. "Five grand? For a name?"
"Don't act surprised, man. We've got streamers coming in. Brand partners. You give us a clean, marketable name — we give you a head start."
"And if I say no?"
His smile thinned. "Then you'd better register fast. Names get snapped up in seconds."
I turned back to the screen and opened the guild window.
Create New Guild?
Name: [ ]
I typed it slowly, deliberately.
Oblivion Core
The words fit perfectly into the text box.
I hovered over "Confirm."
Kyros leaned in. "Last chance. 6,000 gold."
I pressed Confirm.
A chime echoed.
Congratulations! You have successfully registered the guild: Oblivion Core.
Kyros froze.
A few people around me muttered.
I exhaled, finally letting my shoulders relax.
And then the real system message flashed:
🛡️ System Announcement 🛡️
Guild #002 Registered: Oblivion Core
Guild Master: EchoPrime
Kyros cursed under his breath. "You just burned a fortune for a name."
"No," I said, turning to face him, "I just claimed the only name that matters."
I logged out of the registry and walked away.
Brutus was waiting in the town square, armor polished to a hilarious shine.
"You got it?" he asked.
I tossed him a guild invite.
Guild Invitation: BrutusOfTheVale has joined Oblivion Core.
Aiko appeared from a side alley, flipping a coin between her fingers.
"Took you long enough," she said.
"You could've come and watched," I pointed out.
"Watching you type into a box doesn't thrill me."
Sera logged in behind us, silent as ever. She didn't say anything. Just nodded and accepted her invite.
Guild Invitation: Sera_213 has joined Oblivion Core.
And just like that — we were official.
Oblivion Core [3/50 Members]
Guild Perks: None
Guild Level: 1
Guild Bank: 0 Gold
Guild Buff: … lol
We had nothing.
No headquarters. No custom banner. No passive XP gain. Just a name and a fire in our chests.
But man, it felt like everything.
"Okay," I said, calling a quick meeting by the town's central fountain. "We've got a couple hours before the first guild challenges unlock. I want to prep for the PvE gauntlet in Silverpine Ridge. If we clear it by tonight, we get Guild XP and access to the tactical board."
"Cool," Aiko said. "What's in Silverpine?"
"Wolves, poison traps, and a giant boar that can cast Fear."
Brutus nodded solemnly. "I'll tank the pig."
Sera just opened her spell menu and started reading.
Then a pop-up flashed on my screen.
Guild Message Received:
From: Ardent [GRAIL Guild Officer]
Message: "Impressive move. Let's see how long you last :)"
I closed it.
Didn't reply.
They were watching us now.
Which meant we couldn't afford to mess up.
"Alright," I said, shouldering my wand. "Let's make history."
We set off toward Silverpine, just four scrappy players in starter gear, no sponsorships, no flair.
But as we walked out of the town gates, I couldn't stop smiling.
They didn't see it yet.
But we were going to change everything.
One raid. One win. One name of fire.
Oblivion Core had been born.
And soon?
The world would feel us.