Word of Zero Origins' creation spread slower than Akhil expected and that was exactly what he wanted.
The large guilds didn't notice at first. To them, guilds were born and buried every day. Some were formed by friends hoping to farm together. Others were funded by rich beginners trying to flaunt their way into power. Most disappeared within weeks.
But Zero Origins wasn't meant to shine early.
It was meant to survive early.
The guild existed in silence. No banners, no base, no glory. Just six players gathering inside a forgotten warehouse with nothing but their weapons, ragged armor, and one thing they shared deeply — the will to rise.
Akhil led by example. No speeches, no overpromising. He trained alongside them. Fought with them. Ate with them during breaks, using whatever in-game rations they could afford. Every day, he ran drills with Daxton and Torren, helped Selina improve her bow control, taught Fenn how to cast defensive spells with better timing, and let Lira practice stealth strikes against him.
He never acted above them, even as Guildmaster.
To outsiders, it was just a small group training in the shadows of Beginner's Rest.
But inside the warehouse, something real was forming.
A brotherhood.
A code.
A silent bond that most guilds forgot once the rewards and fame poured in.
Still, Akhil knew that patience alone wouldn't be enough. Zero Origins had to grow. It needed proof that it wasn't just a shadow club of misfits — it needed a mission that would put it on the map.
That chance came three days later, in the form of a Quest Board post most players ignored.
Buried under larger team raid requests and promotional guild hunts, Akhil noticed a worn-out paper nailed to the bottom edge.
[Hidden Request – Forgotten Catacombs Clean-Up]Location: Underneath the collapsed districts near Beginner's Rest West GateLevel: 8+ recommendedParty Suggested: 4–6 playersReward: 320 Credits + Equipment Drop BonusNotes: High rot presence. Failed reclamation attempts. Proceed at own risk.
Akhil smiled.
Perfect.
(Part 2)
The Forgotten Catacombs were part of an abandoned beta-test dungeon, once used during Luminaria Online's closed phase. It was technically part of the game, but most players avoided it because of the confusing layout, decaying environment, and heavy debuff zones that drained stamina and light sources. Officially, the zone wasn't "closed," but it might as well have been. No top guilds bothered with it.
Which made it ideal.
It was dangerous, overlooked, and held just enough reward to prove Zero Origins could handle something real.
Akhil returned to the warehouse and gathered the guild.
"This isn't about farming XP or loot," he said simply. "This is about surviving where others fail. You're not here because you're weak. You're here because you fight like people who've lost before — and kept going anyway."
The team followed without question.
They arrived at the West Gate just before sundown. The collapsed zone near the Forgotten Catacombs was filled with broken buildings, sunken stone, and thick gray mist that didn't clear even during daylight hours. Cracked statues leaned against shattered walls, and strange red moss spread through the corners of the ruins, pulsing slightly underfoot.
The entrance to the dungeon was hidden beneath an overturned bell tower. A rusted iron door half-buried in rubble led down to the first chamber.
[You are entering: Forgotten Catacombs — Decay Level Zone Active.]
As soon as they stepped inside, torches flickered to life around the chamber, but the light was weak. The dungeon had its own rules — poison mist that drained stamina, cursed whispers that lowered focus, and undead enemies that didn't drop items unless slain a specific way.
"We move together," Akhil said. "No rushing. No loud skills. This dungeon punishes noise and greed."
They proceeded room by room.
Skeleton Marauders burst from cracked crypts. Rotten Bone Priests cast slow curses. Daxton and Torren held the front with tight formation. Selina covered the left flank with piercing shots. Fenn rotated between fire and ice control spells. Lira circled in the shadows, disabling traps before they triggered.
Akhil danced in the chaos like a phantom.
Every time a Marauder slipped through the defense line, his dagger found its throat.Every time a trap activated, he was already cutting the trigger rope.
The dungeon didn't fall easily.
But Zero Origins didn't break.
Not once.
By the third hour, the group had cleared nearly half the Catacombs. The torches on the walls burned lower, flickering dimmer each minute, and the air was heavier. The deeper levels began affecting player vision, forcing them to rely on torches and narrow lanterns to navigate.
Akhil paused the group in a dead-end chamber once used as a funeral chamber.
"Status check," he said.
"Arrows low," Selina replied. "Down to six."
"Potions at three," Fenn added. "Mana's at 40%."
Daxton and Torren were bruised but breathing fine. Lira showed no fatigue.
Akhil weighed their options.
Most guilds would stop here, mark the safe zone, and leave to restock. But this was more than just a quest , this was a test of whether the guild could hold its ground when it mattered.
"We push one more chamber," Akhil decided.
The team nodded.
They pushed forward into the next zone: a long, torchless hallway that reeked of rot.
At the end of it was a thick black door, sealed in blood-rusted chains.
[Optional Boss Detected: Graveborn Eidolon]Level: 12Party Required: 5+Special Rules: Reanimates fallen players if not cleansed in time.
No one said a word.
They knew this was suicide for normal groups.
But they weren't normal.
Akhil turned to his team. "We don't win by stats. We win by rhythm. Trust your patterns. Call out weaknesses. Don't chase kills."
Torren and Daxton broke the door with a coordinated charge.
The Graveborn Eidolon rose from a throne of bone, its body a mess of tangled limbs and stitched-together torsos. It screamed in three voices at once, and the room darkened instantly.
The fight that followed wasn't flashy.
It was brutal.
Akhil coordinated every second — dodges, swaps, interrupts. When the Eidolon screamed and raised its claws, Fenn countered with ice binds. When it rushed Lira, Torren absorbed the blow, sacrificing half his health. Selina's last arrows pierced its exposed eye sockets. Daxton's twin blades cleaved through its legs.
Akhil ended it himself leaping from a broken column, driving his dagger into the creature's core before it could reanimate.
The boss crumbled.
Silence fell.
Then the system spoke.
[Optional Boss Defeated: Graveborn Eidolon][Rare Drop Acquired: Decaybrand Ring][Bonus Reward: 600 Credits (Split)][Fame +25][Guild Contribution Logged: Zero Origins — First Clear on Forgotten Catacombs]
No one cheered.But everyone stood a little straighter.They had done what no one else bothered trying.They had won.
Back in Beginner's Rest, Akhil and the guild returned quietly, ignoring the nearby players who were discussing flashy raid battles or showing off new cloaks. No one even looked at the six muddy, bloodstained players walking slowly from the West Gate.
But inside the system logs, Zero Origins now held the first clear record for a forgotten dungeon. The fame bonus wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
Inside the warehouse, Akhil laid out the boss loot — a rare ring, cursed bone materials, and a cracked weapon with hidden evolution potential. He didn't take the best item for himself. He handed the Decaybrand Ring to Selina, knowing her survivability needed the stat boost.
No one argued.
They trusted him now.
Later that night, as the others rested in their private inventory corners, Akhil stepped outside and opened the Guild Interface.
[Guild: Zero Origins]Level: 1Fame: 145Members: 6Recent Achievement: First Clear – Forgotten CatacombsStatus: RisingHidden Interest: 3 Observers (Scouting)
He paused at the last line.
Scouting.
Someone was watching.
Not with offers.
But with interest.
He closed the window slowly.
That was fine.
Let them watch.
Let the world continue underestimating the name.
Because soon, Zero Origins wouldn't just be a quiet name in the dark.
It would be the guild every power-player wished they had joined before it was too late.
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[Player Status: Akhil]
Class: Glitchborn (Hidden Class)
Level: 10
Health (HP): 450/450
Mana (MP): 140/140
Stamina (SP): 200/200
Strength (STR): 18
Agility (AGI): 14
Intelligence (INT): 3
Vitality (VIT): 12
Dexterity (DEX): 11
Luck (LUK): ??? (Hidden)
Title(s):
- Survivor of Crimson Hollow
- Silent Predator
- First Scourge of the Forgotten (New Title: +3% dungeon loot rate, +1 Vitality)
Skills:
- Night Predator (Passive)
- Whisper Sense (Passive)
- Minor Poison Resistance (Passive)
Equipment:
- Weapon: Iron-Edged Dagger
- Armor: Reinforced Leather Armor
- Boots: Scout Boots
- Accessory: Broken Miner's Amulet
Guild:
- Zero Origins (Guildmaster)
- Members: 6
- Fame: 145
- Status: Rising
Credits: 780
Quest Active: None
TO BE CONTINUED...............................