Cherreads

Chapter 14 - Chapter 14 – Guilds, Factions, and the War of Banners

> "You are not alone in this world, but that does not mean you are safe." — Nexus Lobby Inscript

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[Location: World Nexus Lobby – Faction Hall]

The World Nexus Lobby stood as a monument to unity, chaos, and ambition. Towering portals ringed a central plaza large enough to host a small city, while crystalline kiosks hovered like sentient observers. From this place, organizations, guilds, and factions formed the backbone of power.

Aric walked into the Faction Hall, a colossal dome covered in floating banners. Each one represented a power bloc, some born from Earth survivors, others alien collectives of unknown origins.

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[Guild System Overview]

Guild Creation Requirements:

Minimum Establishment Rank: Village+

Core Item: Founder's Sigil (obtained via quests or trade)

Guild Name & Emblem: Must be approved by System

Starting Member Cap: 10

Guild Ranks & Member Capacity:

F Rank (Startup): 10 members

E Rank: 50

D Rank: 100

C Rank: 250

B Rank: 500

A Rank: 1000

S Rank: 3000

SS Rank: 8000

SSS Rank: 15,000

EX Rank: Unlimited (requires World Title)

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[Faction vs. Guild – Core Differences]

Guild: Player-created group focused on territory growth, dungeons, trade, and war

Faction: System-defined alliances or ideologies (e.g., Celestial Tribunal, Abyssal Legion)

Joining Factions grants:

Passive buffs

Special faction-only dungeons

Access to Faction Leaderboards

You can belong to one guild and one faction simultaneously.

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[Aric's Decision]

Aric approached the Founder's Pillar, inserting the Founder's Sigil he earned from defeating the Chimera Lord of the 7th Floor.

> System Prompt: "Create Guild: Enter Name."

He typed: "Infinite Dominion"

> **Guild Created. Welcome, Founder." Starting Emblem: Ouroboros wrapped around Tower Spire Founder's Title: Eternal Lord of Expansion

The emblem burned into his Nexus HUD. A new tab opened:

> Guild Management Console Unlocked

Member Assignment

Resource Control

Territory Integration

Research Development Tree

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[Guild Development Tree Snippet]

> Tech Branches:

Military Might (troop boosts, summon sync)

Economic Power (tax rate, trade mastery)

Mystic Knowledge (spell libraries, ancient tomes)

Territorial Defense (barrier cores, guardian statues)

Each level required Guild EXP, earned by:

Members completing quests

Successful dungeon runs

Defending or capturing Nexus Outposts

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[Event Notice – War of Banners Incoming]

A red icon blinked in the upper HUD.

> World Event Incoming: War of Banners – Initiation in 7 days Objective: Capture and Hold One of the 13 Floating Citadels Entry: Open to all Guilds above E Rank Reward: Legendary Guild Relic + 500 Territory Cores

Aric's eyes lit up. He needed those Territory Cores to upgrade from High-Town to full City Rank, unlocking more Summon Slots and Guild Facilities.

But this wasn't going to be easy.

Across the Hall, he spotted banners from other strong guilds:

Heaven's Chain (SS Rank) – Earthborn tyrants turned conquerors

Fangroot Dominion (S Rank) – Beastfolk Alliance

Abyssweavers (Unknown Rank) – A shadow guild with no visible members

And then there was one banner still forming—an eldritch symbol constantly shifting.

> [ERROR: UNKNOWN GUILD EMISSION] [SYSTEM UNABLE TO DECRYPT SIGIL]

A shiver went through the Hall. Not even the Nexus System could identify it.

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[End Scene – Plans for the Coming Storm]

Aric turned back to his HUD. He began assigning roles to clones: recruiters, tacticians, logistics. Kaelis, the Broken Chronoknight, would oversee Summoner Management.

> "Let the banners rise. I'll turn this guild into the backbone of reality."

The War of Banners was coming. And Aric would not stand beneath another flag. He would be the storm.

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End of Chapter 14

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