CHAPTER 272: GUILD EXPANSION [4]

One of those who caught wind of it was naturally ChaosKnight. Currently, it was only IceQueen, ChaosCleric, and a few members of the ChaosKnight guild.

IceQueen had once again topped the official player level chart at Level 48, pushing Ragnarok99 to second place at Level 47.

They had just completed another quest when ChaosCleric walked up to her with a pale expression, looking like he was about to take a dump.

The squad had been actively taking quests with little time to rest. They hadn’t even gone on the forums to see what was happening. None of them wanted to risk being caught slacking by IceQueen.

"What is it again?" IceQueen asked, her breathing rising and falling rhythmically, sweat glistening on her forehead.

"Broken Dawn has officially started recruitment, and players are flocking in!"

IceQueen’s face darkened when she heard this, her grip tightening on the frozen staff.

’I knew it... this was his initial goal from the beginning... build a reputation and easily pull in all the gullible players,’ she thought with a deep frown.

"Guild Leader, their numbers are climbing fast... they’re already at five hundred. He’s basically building an army of players," ChaosCleric said with a grim look.

"We can’t let him grow that much."

"Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do. Our strength isn’t enough. If we faced him, we’d just get killed. Or worse—what if he decided to spawn-kill us?"

Although ChaosCleric appeared like a benevolent saint who cared for everyone’s safety, in truth, he was simply watching out for himself.

So far, Sir Broken had been overlooking them. To him, they were pests not worth bothering with.

However, even pests get smashed if they become too persistent.

What he meant by smashed was being spawn-killed repeatedly until they dropped to Level Zero and lost all their treasures.

"How’s the research on White Phantom? Has he shown himself again?"

"Not yet," reported ChaosCleric. "He hasn’t been spotted again, but the last sighting was somewhere near the black market in Stellar City."

"Keep looking. If there’s anyone who can get rid of him, it should be the White Phantom."

Ever since the one-sided massacre at the Monkey Paradise dungeon, ChaosKnight had been searching for the White Phantom. But finding him was nearly impossible—it was like looking for a ghost in a storm.

Not even IceQueen’s father, the head developer himself, could find any trace of him.

That alone sent shivers down every developer’s spine.

The only thing confirmed was that he wasn’t a player. All players were registered in the database, easily tracked and identified. However, this information was presented as "secure" to give the public a sense of trust and privacy.

"Five hundred members in two days," she muttered. "At this rate, he’ll have a private army—higher numbers than even us."

"Should we... leak something?" a higher-ranking member suggested nervously. "Maybe claim he’s using cheats?"

"No," ChaosCleric’s voice was sharp. "If we accuse him and it backfires, it’ll only boost his fame. Broken thrives on notoriety."

IceQueen exhaled slowly, the air cooling around her. Frost began to crawl along the ground beneath her boots.

"Continue searching for White Phantom... no matter what, we’ll get him on our side."

Back in Stellar City, recruitment proceeded smoothly. No one dared cause a ruckus thanks to the presence of Ragnarok99. The last time a player guild tried to disrupt the gathering, its leader was personally spawn-killed by Ragnarok and sent back to the beginner village.

That incident scared off most of the players who disliked Gabriel or Broken Dawn.

The guild’s emblem—a blazing crimson sunrise—was given to all who joined. It quickly became a hot topic on the forums. Players wore it proudly on their cloaks, even in neutral zones.

"Another one joined Broken Dawn? Damn, they’re everywhere now."

"Being a top player sure has its perks," said a small guild leader with a bittersweet smile.

Players were coming from all directions, not just from within the capital. When news about the guild spread, players from neighboring towns like Stoneheart and those who had reached Level 10 in beginner villages like Iron Gate, Red Fang, and Whitebridge also started heading to the outskirts.

The most surprising part was that some members were leaving their own guilds to join Broken Dawn.

When Alfonzo heard that several members of the Holy Church guild were abandoning them for Broken Dawn, he was furious.

Currently, at the Holy Church’s branch office, the High Cardinal’s eyes were bloodshot with rage upon hearing the news.

In the end, he shamelessly threatened the defecting players, warning them that if they left, they would be hunted down and spawn-killed repeatedly.

After that warning, the atmosphere within the Holy Church’s player branch turned suffocating.

The Church was a powerful faction with deep influence among NPCs, and no one wanted to risk becoming its enemy.

Several members exchanged nervous glances, whispering among themselves.

"Did you hear what he said? He’s really going to spawn-kill anyone who leaves."

"Yeah, but that’s insane... the Church is supposed to be too righteous for that."

"Still, you don’t want to test it. The Church is righteous, but the High Cardinal’s been acting crazy ever since his defeat to Sir Broken."

The Church’s influence was slipping fast, and with Broken Dawn’s rise, even their loyal players were beginning to question the hierarchy.

At first, Gabriel thought recruitment would drag on for days—maybe even weeks—before gaining momentum. But within just a few hours, things spiraled out of control.

He had underestimated his influence.

The moment Bunny’s stream ended, over a thousand players had already signed up. Most weren’t even from Stellar City. Some had traveled across towns just to join Broken Dawn. Many arrived in worn gear, others in polished armor, but they all came for one reason—to follow the name "Sir Broken."

At this point, the first batch of recruitment had to be closed. The camp simply wasn’t large enough to house more than a thousand people.

And that was when the real work began.

The sound of axes and hammers soon echoed across the Broken Dawn camp. Refugees and players alike worked together, hauling in wood from the nearby forest. The building process had officially begun.

From the balcony, Gabriel watched the camp transform.

Rows of tents lined the dirt paths. Sophie directed the planting of wooden stakes while BrawlerX oversaw construction. Even Anna—usually calm and composed—was shouting orders at passing players.

It was noisy, but organized.

Gabriel folded his arms, his sharp electric gaze following the stream of new recruits entering the camp. Some carried logs, others brought food or weapons scavenged from the wilderness. What surprised him most was how fast everything was progressing.

"Master," Anna called, stepping up beside him. "The first batch of houses should be ready by nightfall."

"Good," Gabriel replied. "How many?"

"About forty units in total for the natives and around thirty resting spaces for the otherworlders."

For now, the guild didn’t need to provide luxurious rooms. If players wanted comfort, they could simply log out. The resting rooms were more than enough to regenerate health and mana while they stayed in-game.

Gabriel gave a faint nod, satisfied with the efficiency.

Anna hesitated before speaking again. "There’s... one more thing. Many of the new players are already asking to meet you."

Gabriel’s gaze shifted downward, his tone calm but dismissive. "Tell them no. For now, they don’t need to see me."

Anna bowed slightly. "Understood."

He didn’t want to be seen as an idol. Not yet. The less they knew about him, the better.

For now, Broken Dawn needed to feel mysterious—an organization that inspired loyalty without giving everything away. Furthermore, he didn’t want to appear too available or approachable to the players.

Down below, Bunny and Ragnarok returned from the recruitment area with a new batch of players. The moment they stepped into the camp, they were surrounded by cheering recruits. Some even saluted dramatically, as if they’d joined a military faction.

Gabriel shifted his gaze from the lively scene to the horizon and frowned. He needed to expand the walls.

He made quick calculations in his head, but since he wasn’t a builder, he wasn’t sure. He asked Anna to fetch the chief builder.

Moments later, a man with a potbelly and round face appeared, bowing respectfully.

"If we were to break the left-side wall and expand further, how many more wooden houses could we build?"

The builder quickly pulled out a clipboard from his inventory and flipped it open with shaky hands.

"Milord," he said, wiping sweat from his brow, "if we push the left wall by another eighty meters, we can fit fifty more wooden houses."

"Expand further—to one hundred sixty meters. I need hundreds more houses."

"Yes, milord!" The builder bowed again and hurried off.

That night, the Broken Dawn camp came alive under torchlight.

Players gathered around bonfires, laughing and chatting about their first day. Some sparred in open fields, others trained near the fences. A few even recorded clips for their channels—each trying to prove they’d joined the fastest-growing guild in the game!

...

Next Chapter drop in few hours!!! Stay Tuned!!