The blue haze around Zihad's body slowly faded as he returned to the capital city, Azerin, after completing the hidden dungeon. The adrenaline still surged in his veins—the fight with the Whispering Lich had taken every ounce of concentration, and yet he'd come out victorious.
But what came after was what really had him thinking.
[You have obtained a Soulforge Node – Unique Item]
This item allows the foundation of a unique Guild Hall in a hidden location.
Only the one who conquered the Whispering Crypts may use it.
He hadn't programmed this. Not exactly. The original code base included modular guild systems that were planned for updates—but they weren't implemented yet. At least, not by him.
That meant the AI system—Dream Land's procedural narrative engine—hadn't just adapted. It had created.
Zihad leaned back on a stone bench near the city fountain, surrounded by NPCs and low-level players celebrating quests, duels, and events. The hubbub of life in Azerin flowed around him, but he was silent.
"So this is how it begins," he muttered to himself.
His character, cloaked in black with a crimson-lined hood, drew looks from nearby players.
Some whispered.
Others kept their distance.
Many didn't even realize he was the player behind the Phantom Reaper.
Not yet.
Real World, 3:15 AM
Zidan burst into Zihad's room again, phone in hand. "Bro, wake up!"
"I'm not asleep."
"Oh. Good. You gotta see this."
Zihad raised an eyebrow.
Zidan threw his phone into his lap. A livestream played on-screen—an international gaming analyst breaking down the sudden system announcement.
"Dream Land Fantasy has just surprised the entire gaming world. A new system, the 'Soulforge Guild Node,' has been activated. No one knew about this—not even the closed beta testers. Some believe it's an early event or a secret feature designed by the devs. But insiders claim—this wasn't even in the official roadmap."
Zidan glanced at his brother. "That's your stuff, right? You didn't plan this part?"
"No," Zihad replied, tone neutral. "It evolved."
Zidan's eyes widened. "What do you mean evolved? Like AI went rogue?"
"No," Zihad replied again, voice colder this time. "Like it grew."
Back in Dream Land Fantasy…
Zihad followed the new marker on his map. The Soulforge Node glowed faintly in his inventory, pulsing with dark-blue energy. As he reached the desolate southern sands, the terrain shifted—mountains crumbled into low hills, and the sun dimmed as if entering twilight.
An enormous ruined palace came into view. Broken towers. Cracked marble gates. Ghostly banners waving despite the lack of wind.
[Location Unlocked: Forgotten Empire's Heart]
You may now establish your Guild Hall.
He stood silently for a moment, absorbing the view.
The Soulforge Node lifted from his hand and began to spin in the air, then shattered into motes of light. Pillars of energy erupted from the ground, rebuilding parts of the ancient ruins into a dark, gothic structure of shadows and steel.
A massive door stood before him now, sealed shut except for one glowing prompt:
[Name Your Guild Hall]
Zihad smirked. "Let's go with something simple."
He typed:
Phantom Nexus
The system accepted.
[Guild Hall Created: Phantom Nexus]
You are now the Leader of a Unique Guild. This hall cannot be found through public maps or portals.
Recruitment: Invite Only.
[System Notice: WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT]
A mysterious Guild Hall has risen in the southern reaches of the world. The Phantom Nexus awakens.
Guild Leader: [Hidden]
Location: [Unknown]
Global Player Reaction (Forum Threads):
Thread: Is this the Phantom Reaper's Guild??
User1: That HAS to be him. Phantom Reaper = Phantom Nexus?
User2: The name fits, but no one has confirmed it.
User3: Why can't we find the guild location?
User4: Because the game's hiding it. That's not even fair.
Thread: Devs just dropped a secret update?
UserX: Bro, I checked the patch notes. This Guild system wasn't in them.
UserY: Either this is planned content from the devs… or the game's AI added it.
UserZ: Isn't that super dangerous?
Real World: Morning
In Zihad's school, the classroom buzzed like a hive.
"DID YOU GUYS SEE THE ANNOUNCEMENT?"
"That Guild has to be linked to Phantom Reaper."
"He's not even human at this point."
"I stayed up till 5 AM grinding and didn't get a single rare drop, and this guy made a whole base appear."
Zihad sat quietly in the back row, sipping bottled water and flipping through his math notes. His classmates buzzed around him, oblivious to the fact that he was the cause of the global uproar.
"If they knew it was me... they'd never stop talking."
He almost chuckled.
But he didn't.
Later That Day, In-Game
Inside Phantom Nexus, Zihad walked through the newly formed halls—empty for now, but filled with potential. The architecture was unlike anything in the main world. The AI had truly created something eerie and majestic—void-lit chambers, murals of ancient battles, and long dining halls lit with ghostfire.
As he reached the throne room, a new prompt appeared:
[Would you like to assign Officers?]
Zihad paused.
He had no members yet.
But he wouldn't stay solo for long.
Somewhere Else in Azerin…
A female player stood near a PvP board. Her name floated above her head:
Player: Valkra
Class: Shadow Blade Mage
She had sharp eyes, a crimson scarf, and a reputation for hunting griefers in low-level zones.
She'd seen the System Announcement.
And now she was on a mission.
"Phantom Nexus…" she whispered. "Let's find out who you really are."
End of Chapter 17