There are guild rankings in Beyond, the ones that update once a year. They’re more or less similar to the last time I checked them, with the exception of two guilds that have apparently swapped places.

Guild Rankings

1. Bloodline

2. Frontier

3. Crimson Forge

4. Primordial Knights

5. Astral Brotherhood

Crimson Forge is ranked higher than Primordial Knights now.

As one of the five top guilds, they even have a branch here in Rookie City. It's possible they have more in the other two cities, but I haven't asked about that yet. Actually, most of the guilds try to maintain some sort of presence here.

It almost seems like a custom for the guides to catch some random attendee and recommend that they visit Guild Square. It's usually one of the first things attendees do, as joining a guild can often extend the duration of your stay tokens. Apparently, the first-place guild doubles the duration. The rest of the top five increase it by 50%. Ranks 6 to 10 increase it by 30%, and ranks 11 to 100 by 15%.

There’s clear value in that, but it’s not something I’m currently interested in. Neither am I interested in the salaries guilds offer their more talented rookies.

I leave the merchant's house, where Lochi is probably still collecting his cut. The old man seemed fair, so that little jerk of a guide will likely walk away with at least a few thousand shards.

As for me, a nice number of shards appear in my status, likely an insane amount for so "young" an attendee as I.

Shards: 2,319,196

It's a good problem to have, but now I need to think about what to do with my passives.

Passive skills (5/5):

Mana Kinetic Conversion Reservoir (Unique Epic)

Mana Fortified Mind (Low Arcane)

Mental Attunement Loop (Mid Arcane)

Mana Wavelength Tyrant (Mid Arcane)

Subdermal Combustion Weave (Mid Arcane)

Upper arcane passives start at around two million shards. Not even a few weeks ago, I would’ve never expected to save up for one this soon. Hell, most of the Beyonders I know don’t even have a low arcane passive. Meanwhile, the members of Group 4 got one million shards each thanks to Lissandra killing the mimic Absolute, and now I’ve got over a million more. At this rate, I’ll likely be able to use an upper arcane passive skill combination token before the end of the tutorial and get a unique arcane passive.

I’ll need to sit down soon and give this all some serious thought. The most reasonable move would be to buy an upper arcane passive right away, but that would mean replacing either Mana Kinetic Conversion Reservoir or Mana Fortified Mind, both of which I really like. With my construct built for mental defense and all the other things I’m working on to strengthen it actively without relying entirely on passives, I think it would be a mistake to get an upper arcane version of Fortified Mind. I also don’t want to remove it just yet, even the low arcane version is plenty powerful, even if it’s not entirely effective against people like Faora.

As for Reservoir, although it's a unique epic, it’s a really good one, and I don’t think I’d be able to find another with a similar effect. I’m still learning a lot from it, especially now that I’m working on creating my own crown with [Manifestation], and Reservoir is a great point of reference.

Well, it’s a future problem for future me. Screw that guy.

Now I start making my way toward the place where the Information Guild is. Surprisingly, it's the only guild dealing with information in the city, and it’s directly supported by the local King. Part of its staff even consists of locals, but there are also attendees working there, and the two sides seem to cooperate.

The building it resides in is unassuming. Just another structure along the street with a scant few boards to mark it as an important place. But I guess if you can’t even find it, you’re probably not worth dealing with.

I enter, and I'm immediately directed to a table, from which I take a slip with a number on it. Then I head to the waiting area and sit with the other attendees.

Most of them are dressed simply, travel-worn clothes, a few enchanted accessories here and there, and some upper epic items. Some fidget impatiently with their numbered slips, others stare ahead, focused. No one’s talking. It’s not like it is forbidden, but the atmosphere just doesn’t invite it.

I glance around and choose two individuals to practice on. I split my mind into two parts and try to make these parts exactly the same, doing the same things. The goal is to put myself in a state where, at least temporarily, I won't be able to tell which one is the real me. One of the parts I’m practicing with observes a human woman, the other a male lynthari.

Even though I’ve experimented with this for a while, the results are still lacking. I can easily tell which mind is the “main” one. The second always feels like a copy to me.

That’s probably good. I’m sure there could be some messed-up side effects otherwise, but that’s not what I’m aiming for. It’s not my goal to create a clone of myself or a duplicate like I did back on the fifth floor, just something similar.

Well, I’ll keep working on it.

Eventually, a clerk calls my number, and I bring my training to an end. I follow the servant into a small side room packed with sparse furniture, a desk, and a few chairs. The woman behind the desk doesn’t introduce herself. She simply nods towards the chair, so I sit.

“May I ask what you’re looking for today?” she asks, not unkindly, but clearly pressed for time.

“Information on people.”

She raises an eyebrow. “There is publicly available information and rumors I can share with you, but our Information Guild avoids collecting or sharing too much information on individuals directly.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you. Now, before you ask, I will require a session payment from you before we proceed.”

Request to transfer -1,000 shards. Confirm?

Yes / No

I confirm.

The woman nods. “Thank you. Please ask your question, and before answering, I will inform you of the price.”

“I want information on Faora. She is a feylith and a 5th-year attendee, soon to finish the tutorial. And, a huge thylarin named Luan. He is also in his 5th year.”

“A moment, please.”

She closes her eyes. For a moment, an emblem lights up on her forehead before she opens them again.

“Both of them are A-ranks, so information on them is considered a high-tier request. Especially Luan, who is rumored to have the potential to reach S-rank before he finishes the tutorial. Information on Faora will cost 5,000 shards, and 20,000 for Luan. Would you like to proceed with one or both?”

“Just Faora first.”

Request to transfer -5,000 shards. Confirm?

Yes / No

The emblem on her forehead glows faintly again. There’s a silence that stretches for a few seconds before she speaks.

“Faora of the House known as Elvastra, as reported by attendees from her round of the tutorial, is a feylith of noble blood. She is a 5th-year attendee, currently on the 13th floor of the tutorial. She is rumored to possess powerful mental abilities, with a specialization in mental entrapment. An adept of Pride and a very... well, nasty personality, as confirmed by her slayings of at least a dozen other adepts of Pride. That number could be higher. Multiple record entries from her third and fourth year mark her as highly resourceful, and due to her usefulness, she is currently being supported by the second ranked guild, Frontier, which she is a member of.”

She pauses, still not making eye contact. “No information about her Handler. Several recruitment attempts were made by the Astral Brotherhood before she joined Frontier.”

I lean forward slightly. “Anything more on her combat records?”

"Sparse, but consistent. Selective participation in Beyond events, always in support positions. Other than some very high mental abilities, she seems to specialize in domains and disruption. Ability to fly at high speed confirmed. There are rumors of a teleportation ability. One unofficial report states that she performs well on the fifth floor of Beyond but prefers higher floors, though this has not been verified."

“Last known sighting?”

Her mark glows again, and then she shakes her head. “No trace for three weeks. The last activity logs come from the 1st floor.”

I nod slowly. “Anything else on her?”

"This is all we currently have. As I said, our guild doesn't spy on people, just gathers freely available information."

"I see. Please, I’d like the same for Luan."

Request to transfer -20,000 shards. Confirm?

Yes / No

The moment I confirm, the emblem on her forehead lights up again, a stronger pulse this time. She doesn’t move for several seconds, and when she finally speaks, her tone is more measured.

“Luan is a fifth-year attendee, thylarin with glowing lines on his forearms. Four arms. Widely considered one of the strongest attendees currently in Beyond. He recently joined Frontier, despite recruitment attempts from the other top five guilds, and especially Bloodline. The Fragment he possesses is one of the reasons he draws so much interest, but so far, it is unknown what Fragment he has.”

She pauses, then adds, “Reports indicate he’s currently moving with Faora for unknown reasons. His combat style is overwhelmingly physical, focusing on dealing wounds that either cannot be healed or heal very slowly. That’s supported by what’s likely a very rare and powerful set of traits. He uses no weapons, bare hands only.”

“Anything mental-based?”

The clerk shakes her head. “Limited to non-existent. He’s never shown signs of mental abilities, but most reports imply that he has ways of defending himself against mind mages, but that much is mostly expected from someone as powerful. He relies on physical overwhelming force as a counter.”

“And his personality?”

“Taciturn. Doesn’t speak unless necessary. There were even speculations that he may be mute, but that’s been confirmed to be false. Some information suggests he operates under a personal code, as he rarely attacks first. But if provoked, he rarely holds back.”

“Last sighting?”

“Eight days ago. On the third floor.”

I lean back slightly, processing. “No Handler for him either? Why is knowing who a person’s Handler is important?”

She shakes her head. “Unknown. This is all I have on him. He’s extremely private, and most attempts to learn more about his early tutorial years hit dead ends. As for information about the Handlers. Thousand shards for basic information. Ten thousand for more.”

“Ten thousand.”

Request to transfer -10,000 shards. Confirm?

Yes / No

The clerk nods after I confirm. “Each Handler has at least attained the rank of Champion, and some are Absolutes. They tend to be people from planets that lost their Pairing and managed to escape. Another option is that their planets were entirely destroyed. Another common case is Champions or Absolutes who received a quest from the system and tied themselves to Beyond for anywhere between ten years and a hundred, sometimes longer, serving as Handlers in exchange for quest rewards and a share of the opportunities Beyond might offer. Before you ask, they do not have access to the system shop. That is available only during the tutorial and to attendees. Outside of the tutorial, the shop is not available. This information is free.”

“Thank you.”

She nods. “Either through some aspect of their own abilities or with the help of items from the Ruler of Diligence, each Handler manages at least a dozen, if not several dozen, attendees, helping them orient themselves in Beyond, supporting their growth, managing Beyond quests for them, and providing other opportunities that will become available on lower floors. On the fourth floor of Beyond, it becomes possible to meet other Handlers as well, and there are areas where they can meet with attendees.”

“How are attendees assigned to a given Handler?”

“Usually, every Handler has a different quota of attendees they must manage and automatically receives assignments. Then, every Handler has low-grade access to records of the attendees and their performance in the tutorial. They also have a set quota of attendees they can pick themselves and take under their wing. If multiple Handlers are eyeing the same person, they negotiate over who will take them. From a certain perspective, a kind of competitiveness exists among Handlers themselves for the advantages that having someone so successful would bring. Just like attendees, Handlers are rewarded according to their performance.”

I listen carefully to what she says and use it to build a picture in my mind. But it is not like this concerns my Handler.

“As for your previous question about why knowing someone’s Handler is important. It tells you what kind of backing they have. A Handler does not fight in place of their attendee, but knowing who guides someone can hint at the kinds of opportunities they’ve had, the advice they live by, and the quests they’re being steered toward. Some Handlers are known for favoring certain strategies or for having better access to specific types of quests or resources. Other Handlers are known for taking only the most talented attendees, so knowing they picked someone can tell you a lot about that person’s potential. At the start, the Handlers are not as involved, but that changes slightly as the attendee spends more time in Beyond.”

"That makes sense."

“That is all I have for now. If you want more details on specific Handlers or the attendees under them, that will cost extra. Prices depend on the subject.”

“Understood. That’s all for today.”

As I move toward the door and put a hand on the knob, she calls out to me. “Would you like to know one more thing? It regards a rumor tied to you.”

“How much?”

“Two thousand.”

For the last time, I confirm the transfer and look at her.

"It is rumored that members of the Primordial Knights have been instructed to watch for a young man who might enter the second floor. He has black hair, gray-brown eyes, and a concentration-type skill."

“Got it, thanks.” I open the door and exit the room.