As the first player to own an official Union recognized by the Lifestyle Union, Kieran was presented with several benefits, many of which appeared in the form of numerous system notifications.
〈System: As the first player to legitimize their «Union», you may link the Union to a property free of charge once you have completed the necessary steps.〉
〈System: As the first player to own a «Union», you have received a «Maintenance Voucher».〉
〈System: As the first player to own a «Union», you have received a «Specialized Guidance Ticket».〉
〈System: As the first player to own a «Union», you have received an «Attraction Boost (Temporary)».〉
〈System: Would you like to announce your feat to the world for special rewards? [ Y N ]〉
"Announce it," Kieran indifferently replied.
Why would he hide his feat and reduce the rewards he could obtain?
Making progress within Zenith Online was all about braving the dangers that accompanied great success. A little competition or being targeted wasn't enough to deter him from making his crucial decisions.
At the end of the day, his aspirations would not be bogged down by anyone.
Ding!
┌───────────────────
«Xenith World Announcement» -
Congratulations to the player, Aatrox, holder of a UNIQUE profession, for being the first player to own a «Union». Due to these actions, he has become the first player-based Union Leader!
As his feat is unprecedented and has pioneered the path for several others to follow in his footsteps, he has been rewarded handsomely!
└───────────────────
Ding!
〈System: You have received the Sole Legendary Title «Momentous Pioneer».〉
〈System: You have received 10,000 Gold.〉
〈System: You have received one «Union Expansion Order (Inferior)».〉
'10,000 Gold? Interesting. I wasn't expecting such a huge reward. But… considering the expenses of managing a Union, it's not that large of a prize. Nevertheless, it should suffice to keep the Union afloat for some time.'
…
Meanwhile inside the city gates of Aeredale City…
"No way! Did you guys just see that message?! Aatrox has become a Union Leader! But wait… how does that make any sense? I thought only a Lifestyle player could become a Union Leader."
"Hold on… Aatrox has gained a Profession! Wouldn't that make him eligible for the Union Leader position?"
"No, no, I doubt it! That alone isn't enough because others have tried to take that route but their lacking skills as Profession-wielders led to them being ultimately judged as an Adventurer. It's all recorded within the forum post."
"Well, then that's dumb! How could Aatrox possibly accomplish this? He's an Adventurer and he has poured more time into streaming than anyone else. Where could he have possibly found time to quickly raise a Profession?!"
The audience in the streets of Aeredale was thrown into an uproar as they tried to wrack their brains to come up with a plausible answer.
If Kieran was originally a Lifestyle player, they wouldn't doubt the reasoning for him becoming the first Union Leader, but he wasn't!
The longer they thought about Kieran's circumstances, the more heated the discussion in the city grew. In fact, such conversations were birthed across many continents as they were completely stumped.
"It's a known fact that being an Adventurer leaves little time for other matters. This Aatrox fellow is truly ridiculous. More power to him, but I wouldn't want the headache that will undoubtedly follow this limelight."
…
Inside one of the inns within Aeredale City…
A young man with dark blue hair bearing a naturally detached demeanor sat before a table accompanied by a few other players while swirling a cup in their hand.
Their armor was simple, but the simplicity gave off an enigmatic and ghastly feeling that made their audience cower in subservience.
Coupled with the young man's eyes that hid unquestionable power, it was understandable why those surrounding him acted in this way.
"Heh," the young man chuckled. "To think this individual never ceases to surprise us. First, he has gathered an unprecedented following, and now he's attempting to rally his forces and begin attracting other Lifestyle players. I wonder… does he take the other guilds as some sort of a joke?"
Coldness flashed in this young man's eyes as Despot, who sat close beside him gasped.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Despot opened his mouth to voice his opinion. "It's as I said before, that Aatrox fellow has zero respect or regard for the hierarchy of guilds. It's as if he's stepping all over us! How can we condone such behavior and not interfere to let him know his place!"
"Oh? It would seem this Aatrox character is not the only individual that should know their place. Did I ever give you permission to speak or input your two cents?" The young man countered, lackadaisically flashing his cold gaze in Despot's direction.
"A-ah… no Vice-Guild Master Soulless, I just… I couldn't contain my fury any longer! Just his mere presence makes my bones ache with anger. Where does he get off having everything handed to him so easily when we toil?" Despot aggrievedly spoke.
"Mm," Soulless lightly grunted, shifting his gaze from Despot to Vielens. "Have you made any moves since you have been here?"
"Nope, I haven't. However, I did amass some interesting information."
"What would that be?" Soulless questioned, his eyes displaying hints of intrigue.
"Advent is apparently looking to team up with Aatrox to clear an upcoming dungeon. I'm unsure of the location, but I suspect it must be extremely useful if it has attracted Aatrox's attention, who has already amassed several accolades," Vielens inputted.
"I see. Not every dungeon is worth running, but those that are, yield an unimaginable return. If what you say is true, I believe it'd be in our best interest to find out the nature of said dungeon. As for Advent…"
Soulless' expression grew playful in a dark sense as he slowly moved his glass to his mouth. "I'd like to see if Khaos has any issues with our intervention. It's been a while since the Exemplar Records have been refreshed. I'm curious to know his progress."
"Vice-Guild Master Soulless, rather than wait… since we know where Aatrox currently is, can't we just launch a preemptive strike?" Despot voiced.
However, in response, Vielens and Soulless gave him a disdainful look.
"This is precisely why your Shadow Cartel has experienced little to no growth. All you care about is revenge you fool. What idiot ignores profit and opportunity for revenge? Vengeance takes the backburner in the presence of certain opportunity!" Vielens scolded.
"Excellently said," Soulless chimed in.
Despot's expression turned green with fury due to them belittling him, but he swallowed his grievances because he was powerless against both of his superiors.
"Then what do you propose we do? Why not teach me?" Despot mumbled, not daring to meet their gazes anymore.
"Are you suggesting that we have never once tried to guide you? Or, is your bullheadedness interfering with your ability to recall?" Vielens questioned, his gaze becoming increasingly hostile.
"That's enough," Soulless suddenly commanded. "There is no need to bicker further when us members of the Underworld have a common prey and enemy."
The hostile atmosphere soon settled down as Soulless made his stance clear. Afterward, they went on to discuss their actions in further detail.
While that occurred, the uproars around the globe continued to happen, even stretching so far as to precipitation the creation of many forum threads.
Many of them speculated the name of Kieran's union since that information wasn't divulged by the system.
For them to discover that information, they'd have to wait for Kieran's official announcement and perhaps even a recruitment event. After all, an empty Union was a pointless Union since it required members and employees.
…
Inside the Lifestyle Union…
Stockholm congratulated Kieran on his success before asking a few additional questions. "As far as your Union Medallion goes, what design would you like?"
"A mighty hand overlapped by a regal violet and gold-colored crown to symbolize the meaning of the name. All those who step inside the Godhand Consortium are destined to become royalty of their craft provided that they put sufficient effort forth," Kieran unhesitantly answered.
This reply had been in his mind for quite some time after recalling Hamon's moniker.
Though Hamon was known as the Godhand Hammer, he had no ties to any organization. Thus, even if Kieran borrowed upon his future title, it shouldn't have much of an effect since the Hamon in his memories didn't travel the path of widespread renown.
While his name was known, Hamon didn't capitalize on it being famous unless he was targeted by vicious forces, such as people looking to bribe, blackmail, and threaten him with physical harm.
As much as one wanted to keep their identity an everlasting secret, such a matter was impossible, especially once fame entered the picture. One would eventually need to conduct meetings, handle endorsements, or appear for official events!
Kieran understood that his identity being revealed was also a matter of time, but that's why he challenged himself with tasks that could result in tangible gains in the real world.
After learning that his class produced far better results than a normal Berserker, Kieran understood the quickest route to regaining his former strength—honing his character with tough tasks.
"One moment please as I handle it," Stockholm said.
Despite not looking like it, Stockholm was a unique type of Arrayist, capable of forming array tokens also known as the medallions that could be handed out to members of the Lifestyle Union.
One of the prerequisites to holding Stockholm's position was the ability to make such coins.
The whole process didn't take too long, but during that time, Stockholm asked for a droplet of Kieran's blood. It created an ordeal Stockholm wasn't prepared for, but thanks to his expertise, he managed to preserve the situation, completing the badge without any major hiccups.
〈System: You have received the Union Leader Token: «Godhand Medallion».〉
Upon receiving this medallion, Kieran gained access to an entirely new feature of his user interface. Whenever he felt like it, he could call up the information on the Godhand Consortium and view its progress.
With this matter out of the way, Kieran moved on to viewing his rewards from the announcement. Out of all the rewards, the one that truly caught his eye was the Momentous Pioneer title.
