Uncharted Zone, Central Region
A man sat lazily on a throne, resting his arms on its sides as he stared at the man kneeling before him.
"What is it now?" the seated man said, his voice dripping with impatience. "Don't tell me the Black Desert Alliance still couldn't invade PAX, even with all the funding we provided?"
"No…" the kneeling man replied.
"The news concerns Gridlock. According to reports from the Black Inn in Sand Worm Oasis, he was last seen fishing inside 'Beyond the Fog.' Meanwhile, rumors are spreading across the Sunscar Kingdom about 'Cheaters' — individuals who can change equipment mid-fight without opening a bag. These Cheaters have been suiciding with Guillotine Blades, as reported by survivors of the attack."
The man on the throne clenched the armrest and abruptly stood.
"Gridlock!" he shouted. "So, he's not dead yet…"
He paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back. After a deep sigh, he spoke again.
"Scatter our forces across the Warring Kingdom. Find these 'Cheaters' the newcomers are talking about. Gridlock might be the one supplying them with Guillotine Blades."
"And confiscate every bag from those 'Cheaters.' We need more of them."
Then, the man touched the loosely hanging bag at his shoulder and summoned a staff — one that bore an eerie resemblance to the Cursed Staff of Rubik, the very weapon Gridlock had wielded in his battle against Dexter.
…
Dexter woke to the gentle kiss of Stella, who lay naked beside him, her arms wrapped around him.
"Morning, Stella…" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"How's your sleep?"
"Good… much better than yesterday," she replied with a smile.
After Dexter put on his default clothing — a simple loincloth — he swapped his bracers for a sleek, single-piece black suit and a pair of boots. Then, he helped dress his darling, his touch tender.
"Wow, Dex~ You look so hot in that suit…" Stella purred.
Dexter laughed.
"Tonight, you can take it off…" he teased, "but not now. We've got something important to do."
"What is it?" Stella asked.
"We're going to create a guild… just for the two of us. At least for now. If we get rich later, maybe we'll recruit some mercenaries to join us."
After leaving the inn, they headed straight to the market, where Dexter listed the Tier X Crossbow Masterpiece for sale.
To his surprise, someone actually bought it — for a staggering 21 million coins. After the 4% tax deduction, he now have a whopping 25 million coins in his bracers including the coins he looted in his killings.
'Good thing someone bought it. Now I won't have to go to Blackreach Throne for a while.'
After purchasing some Rolled Dry Leaf and snacks for Stella, they made their way to the Guild Registration Hall.
Upon entering, they saw numerous people clad in various Tier X equipment, actively recruiting.
Stella wandered around excitedly for a bit before rejoining Dexter, who had already approached the registrar.
"I want to make a guild," Dexter said.
"A minimum of three members is required to establish a guild," the registrar replied.
Dexter leaned closer to her.
"I think it's possible to make an exception for two members…" He opened a trade window and placed two million coins in it — but didn't confirm the transaction.
"Do you know that bribing an official is a crime in the Sunscar Kingdom?" she said sternly.
"Hey… keep your voice down," Dexter whispered with a smirk. "Who said I was bribing you? I just wanted to suggest that our third member isn't here yet. This is just compensation so I don't delay your work… right?"
He confirmed the trade, but the registrar continued staring at him, refusing to accept it.
"What's the name of the guild?" she asked, tapping the table.
"Name it 'Undying Craftroach.'"
The registrar wrote down the guild's name, including Dexter and Stella's names, along with some random name that may or may not have existed.
[Guild Successfully Created]
/////
Guild Name: Undying Craftroach
Alliance: N/A
Guild Master: FlyHighLikeAButterfly
Vice-Guild Master: Stella Arzois
Members: Mojomojo
/////
The registrar confirmed the trade and looked at Dexter with a smile.
"Congratulations on registering your guild. You can request someone from the Art Department to make an insignia for you."
"Thank you for your honest work," Dexter said sarcastically.
'/help.'
[Hi FlyHighLikeAButterfly! Long time no see!]
'/can I make my own insignia for the guild I made?'
[Yes, just say /Guild, /CreateInsignia [Description].]
Dexter asked Stella for her opinion about their guild insignia, but she simply replied:
"I don't know. The guild name sounds like a cockroach to me... maybe a cockroach?"
"It really is a cockroach! But with a twist — because I'll be like a Master Crafter..."
"Oh okay... then make it now so we can go somewhere else..."
Dexter described the insignia as a cockroach wearing a loincloth, with its wings spread wide and all its limbs touching different kinds of weapons.
After carefully reviewing the insignia, he accepted it. Another system prompt appeared:
[Hide Guild Insignia: Y/N]
'So I can hide it... Probably better to hide it anyway — it looks disgusting.'
He chose to hide the guild insignia.
Leaving the Guild Registration Hall, they proceeded to the Island Seller.
"Too much walking today, Dex... We really need to go back to the inn to relax~" Stella complained.
"I know what you're planning," Dexter replied. "Let's finish this first, then we'll go find lunch..."
"Okay!" Suddenly reinvigorated, Stella regained her energy despite the exhausting walk.
…
After arriving at the eastern part of the Sunscar Kingdom, Dexter met the man responsible for selling islands.
Dexter purchased an island for 1 million coins and upgraded it until he had spent a total of 10 million coins to maximize its level.
Afterwards, they walked back toward the center of Sunscar Kingdom to use the Traveler. Suddenly, Dexter's body warped to his personal island, leaving Stella behind in the kingdom.
After adjusting his island's settings to only permit himself and Stella to enter, he returned via the Traveler and selected Sunscar Kingdom as his destination.
"Where did you suddenly go, Dex?" Stella asked.
"To our island! Come, I'll show you. Use that Traveler and select 'Dexter & Stella's Island.'"
Stella followed his instructions and immediately transported from Sunscar Kingdom to their private island.
Her mouth fell open in amazement at the vast expanse before her — an island so large they could even build a castle on it.
Dexter approached her with a smile.
"We'll build our house right there..." he said, pointing toward the center while gazing at Stella.
"Thank you, Dex..." Stella hugged him tightly and kissed his lips.