Chapter 22: GRB

I was returned to the same spot I’d been, standing just outside the village. The glow faded, and in an instant, the world spun around me. It was the same sensation as when I was first sent here, only this time I wasn’t as injured. As soon as I appeared, the women approached, led by Manaia, forming a semicircle around me. These ten women would be my recruits, my future warriors. Manaia stood at the front, her face a mix of curiosity and concern. I opened the guild panel. The screen unfolded before my eyes, revealing a skill tree with many locked options: Blacksmith, Potion Shop, Combat Training Ground, Magic Training Ground, Weapon Shop, Spell Shop—an endless array of choices. But when I selected any of them, a message blinked: "Monster Cores required to unlock." Each shop required a specific number and minimum rank of monster cores. I continued checking the other options, but there was nothing that could help me make them strong right away. I was naive to think I could grant them experience directly from the guild. "Attention! Line up, quickly!" I shouted, my voice ringing with authority and seriousness. The women moved, forming a line in front of me. I observed them one by one, the guild system projecting their details before my eyes. Here they were: * [Name: Zela] * [Lvl: 2] * [Age: 18] * [Occupation: Warrior] * [Name: Lira] * [Lvl: 3] * [Age: 18] * [Occupation: Archer] * [Name: Leila] * [Lvl: 4] * [Age: 18] * [Occupation: Healer] * [Name: Vira] * [Lvl: 5] * [Age: 30] * [Occupation: Warrior] * [Name: Zyra] * [Lvl: 5] * [Age: 30] * [Occupation: Warrior] * [Name: Anya] * [Lvl: 4] * [Age: 29] * [Occupation: Mage] * [Name: Kareli] * [Lvl: 4] * [Age: 29] * [Occupation: Mage] * [Name: Elnara] * [Lvl: 7] * [Age: 35] * [Occupation: Archer] * [Name: Riven] * [Lvl: 6] * [Age: 31] * [Occupation: Warrior] * [Name: Lyra] * [Lvl: 1] * [Age: 17] * [Occupation: Healer] Their levels varied greatly, but they were too low overall. There was a lot of work to be done. "From now on, you are this village’s army. Your duty is to protect your people and secure the future of this place. But for that, you’ll need to be strong. Very strong. I’m offering you hellish training. This won’t be easy. There will be pain, sweat, and tears. This is your last chance to back out. Once we start, there’s no turning back. Are you ready?" Not one of them moved, not a single one backed down. A smile formed on my face. They had guts. "Good. Training starts right now. Let’s run! Around the camp, no stopping! Follow me!" We started running laps around the camp. I pushed them until their legs burned. Then, without rest, I ordered: "Push-ups! Sit-ups! Squats! Until you can’t do any more!" My level had been reset, but the goddess hadn’t lied: on my skills screen, I still had the passive abilities "Physical Training Lvl 9" and all weapon masteries at Lvl 9, so I wouldn’t need to waste time leveling them up one by one. The girls, however, would have to suffer to earn theirs. Standing amidst these beauties exercising, I watched Anya, the mother of one of the children who had been on guard when I arrived. Despite not having slept, she was here, and I respected her tenacity for that. However, she couldn’t do the push-ups correctly. I approached her. She was trying hard, but her form was terrible; her arms were in the wrong position, causing her to wobble every time she pushed up. "Not like that, Anya," I said, positioning myself behind her. I placed my hands on her waist, adjusting her stance. My fingers brushed the edges of her buttocks, and I felt her body slightly tense under my touch. "You need to keep your back straight and go all the way down. Feel the muscles working." Anya let out a small moan as I moved to adjust her shoulders, my arms wrapping around her, my body gently pressing against hers. "That’s it. Feel the tension. Every rep makes you stronger. Not just your body, but your mind too." I could feel her breathing quicken, but she said nothing, so I continued "helping" her with the exercise, my hands sliding lower. I was no longer holding her by the hips but directly kneading her juicy ass as she went up and down. A few hours later, I made them run again until some started to puke by the side of the path. "Don’t stop!" I yelled. "Until a skill appears! There are only two ways to gain abilities! Through divine blessings by leveling up, and through sheer effort! We won’t go hunting to level up until you all complete your basic training and can, at the very least, survive out there!" The sun began to set as I watched them. One by one, messages popped up on my panel: * [Zela has unlocked the skill: Basic Resistance] * [Lira has unlocked the skill: Archer’s Concentration] * [Leila has unlocked the skill: Tenacity Lvl 1] * [Vira has unlocked the skill: Basic Resistance] * [Zyra has unlocked the skill: Muscular Fortification] * [Anya has unlocked the skill: Tenacity Lvl 1] * [Riven has unlocked the skill: Additional Strength] The "Training" skill was on my own list, showing me their progress. I remembered that when I called roll, I had already assigned their roles, explaining what each profession did. Warriors were the vanguard, Archers provided ranged support, Mages were the heavy artillery, and Healers were the life support. The training finally ended. The women, exhausted but with a new spark in their eyes, limped towards the food area. I did too, my stomach growling. Sitting down to eat my ration, I opened the guild panel again. My eyes fell on the [Defensive Shield] option. "I desperately need this," I thought. It cost 20 cores just to activate it—a considerable price. But the guild’s safety was paramount. Besides the cores, it also required the guild to be in the top 300. "How the hell are we supposed to level up the guild?" I wondered. I returned to the main screen and looked for our rank. The rank blinked blue and red, so I pressed it. An alert popped up, like a tutorial. [Welcome to the Ranking] [As a new Guild, your guild will be protected for 1 year. Other guilds will not be able to see your progress, location, level, or members during this time, but you will be able to participate in the Ranking Tournament, also called GRB or Guild Ranking Battle. On the last day of each month, members who wish to will be sent to the combat zone to fight for their guild’s honor. Good luck to all!]