Everyone returned from the search dusty, tired, but in good spirits.
Giselle tossed a handful of bronze coins onto a nearby table, making everyone gather. "Seventy-five bronze total. Some were hidden in old vents. We also found this stuff tucked behind a panel."
She then dropped a stack of items that could be found in the Beginner's Store: a Beginner's Guide to the System, a pair of Leather Work Gloves, a Wooden Buckler, a Wooden Club, and a Rusty Dagger.
The Beginner's Guide was thicker than I expected—plain tan cover, stiff paper binding, no flashy titles or magical inscriptions. Just a thick, no-nonsense manual with smudged corners and pages that had clearly been thumbed through more than once. Definitely written for utility, not style.
The gloves looked old and worn—weather-darkened leather with faded stitching and creased palms. Still flexible and useful. The kind of thing you'd toss in a toolbox and forget about until winter or working on the farm.
The buckler was a round slab of wood with a metal ring bolted into the center. Nothing special. Just functional and battered from use.
The club was just that—a roughly carved hunk of wood, slightly tapered with an old grip wrap still clinging to the handle. Heavy enough to break a bone, if not split it.
And the dagger… it was sad. Rust climbed the blade like it had been dug out of a shipwreck. The leather grip was cracked and the blade pitted. Still sharp enough to stab someone—but I wouldn't trust it in a real fight unless I was desperate. I could probably find a better knife anywhere in this mall.
I was surprised I didn't see any of the Chosen using these items, but maybe they were equipped from earlier raids. Either way, this was a good haul—especially the Beginner's Guide. Viktor picked up the items one by one, most likely appraising them.
Viktor leaned over the pile. "No skill books?"
Laney shook her head. "Didn't see any."
He sighed dramatically, and I was a little disappointed too—until I noticed Laney holding up the Beginner's Guide.
"I flipped through this. Skill books disappear once used, just like skill scrolls. Scrolls are one-time use spells. Skill books teach you a skill permanently—but only one person can use each book," she said, making everyone focus on her.
Nicole looked at her. "You read the whole thing?"
"Skimmed. Everyone should read it themselves," Laney replied, handing it to me.
I nodded. "Anything we should all know now?"
Laney paused, then spoke. "The Party System unlocks at level five. Anyone who's level five can form a party of up to five people. People with high leadership skills can expand their party limits. It's something like +2 people per level."
"Why join a party?" Sol asked.
"Experience sharing," Laney replied. "Kills split XP among members. You also get pinged if someone's health drops below fifty percent, and again at ten. You can also sense your party's location."
Nicole glanced around. "A lot of us are almost at level five and this is great for everyone's safety."
"It helps newbies too," Mitch added, arms folded. "Letting the strong carry the weak might be annoying, but it keeps people alive."
"Unless the weak start leeching," Amber muttered. "Then they better learn fast."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Laney took the book back and flipped through a few more pages. "There's also Classes, Guilds, and Bases. I haven't finished those sections yet, but I think they are important things for us to know now."
I crossed my arms. "Let's go over them together. Everyone needs to understand what we're building toward."
"Okay, classes. So the System says everyone unlocks a class when they reach Level 10, which we all knew, but we didn't know how the system decides to give us classes."
Nicole raised an eyebrow. "So how does it?"
"You don't just get a class. You're offered a list of classes to choose from based on what you've done. The system scans your behavior, past, skills, and combat style. If you fight with swords and stealth? You'll get assassin-type options. If you heal people or brew potions? Maybe support or alchemist types."
Viktor leaned against a busted monitor. "So you shape your class before it's even offered."
"Exactly," Laney said. "The Beginner's Guide said there are three kinds of class paths: Combat, Support, and Hybrid. Combat focuses on killing. Support focuses on healing, crafting, buffing, and gathering. Hybrid blends both. Some of the rare classes come from doing really specific things—like surviving a near-death experience or mastering two completely different weapons."
I nodded slowly. "Makes sense. So what we do now matters. I should keep using my sword and knives if I want a close-combat class."
"Right, but for someone like you and some of the others, our classes will probably be more tailored to soldiers or defenders. You would most likely get an assassin class since you have been doing assassinations for years. Also," Laney added, flipping again, "once you accept a class, you get new skills and passive bonuses, and you unlock class quests. Those help you evolve your class later—every 25 levels and evolution is based on everything you did between levels so your class could evolve into a hybrid class."
"What about my sister and I? I have been in a couple fights before but I never killed anyone until this all happened. So how will the system give me a combat class?" Josh said, sounding annoyed.
"I guess you better be doing more killing," Viktor joked, making Josh shoot him a glare.
"Any one of us could spar with you and give advice if you ever need it. Maybe that would help," Briar said, patting Josh's shoulder.
Nicole crossed her arms. "That's a good idea and we all should spar with each other so we can keep improving. Now back to classes—can you change your mind once you pick a class?"
Laney shook her head. "No. Once it's chosen, that's it. You can upgrade or evolve it, but not change your core path. At least, not unless you find something called a Class Reset Scroll—and those are epic tier."
"So if someone chooses wrong," Mitch muttered, "they're screwed."
"Not screwed," I said. "Just… committed. And all they need to do is try to evolve their class into something they want. Sounds pretty flexible to me."
Laney flipped to the next section. "Alright—Guilds. This part's actually clear."
Nicole raised a brow. "Clear how?"
"There are only two types: Survivors Guilds and System Guilds."
I leaned forward slightly. "Guilds?"
"Basically us," Laney explained. "Any group of ten or more people can form a guild. You need a designated leader and a vice leader. Once it's official, the System recognizes it and unlocks features like internal quest boards, guild-wide buffs, ranks, and reputation bonuses."
Mitch scratched his jaw. "Can we join more than one?"
"Nope. One guild at a time. You can leave, but there's a cooldown—and if you keep jumping between guilds, people might not trust you."
Viktor looked up from tightening his belt. "So the System actually wants us to form teams?"
"Exactly, but guilds are different from bases," Laney said. "Guilds are like companies—focused on roles, progression, crafting, and missions. Bases are settlements—about territory, safety, and eventually government."
Nicole nodded slowly. "So guilds are for power and specialization. Bases are for stability."
"Yeah. Some guilds might live in the same base. Some might compete. But the key thing is: the guild controls its people, the base controls the land."
Laney flipped another page. "Next up—System Guilds. These aren't created by survivors. They're built into the System itself."
Nicole narrowed her eyes. "What's the difference between that and a normal guild?"
"System Guilds are basically the elite circles of this new world," Laney explained. "Think of them like magical academies, combat brotherhoods, scavenger networks, or scholarly orders. You can't make one. You can't buy into one. You get invited—either after completing specific quests, reaching a high enough reputation, or being personally scouted."
Mitch folded his arms. "So what do you get if you join one?"
"Resources," Laney answered. "System Guilds provide access to specialized teachers who can help you learn or upgrade skills that books or solo practice won't unlock. Some of them grant exclusive quests, advanced crafting, or rare items. And the more loyal you are to your guild, the more reputation you build with them which can open doors to other important people or even other guilds."
Nicole asked, "Can you join more than one?"
"You can join more than one System Guild," Laney clarified, "as long as they don't conflict. If two guilds have rival ideologies or goals, the System will block you from being in both. But otherwise, yes—you can be part of multiple. Just not more than one survivor guild."
I nodded thoughtfully. "So System Guilds are about specialization—stacking benefits—as long as you can handle the politics."
"Exactly," Laney said. "You gain reputation with each one, and that unlocks more from them. But just like with survivor guilds, leaving a System Guild usually requires a quest or comes with a penalty. Some won't let you walk away without consequences."
Sol tilted his head. "Why are they so strict?"
"Because they're aligned with larger world mechanics," Laney said. "Each System Guild has its own philosophy, structure, and end goal. Some focus on protecting survivors. Others want power, knowledge, or control. They compete with each other. Join one, and you inherit their allies—and enemies."
Jordan's tone was cold and precise. "So if I join one, I better believe in what they stand for."
"Exactly," Laney said. "They're not just clubs. They're ideological powerhouses."
Viktor snorted. "So they're basically magical corporations with attitude."
"Yeah," Laney agreed. "But if you get into the right ones? They can change everything."
Mitch squinted. "Alright, so who's actually running these System guilds? If they're not ours, who do we answer to?"
Laney tapped the book. "They're run by what the System calls Worldwalkers."
Viktor leaned in. "That a title or a race?"
"Neither. More like a classification," Laney explained. "They're real people—from other planets that went through their own System apocalypse. Some survived and chose to travel to new worlds. Others are refugees, just trying to live. A few still serve the guilds that brought them here. But not all of them are important."
"So they're not in charge?" Nicole asked, brows raised.
"Not always," Laney said. "Some are just tailors, hunters, scribes. Others are higher level—trainers, guild officers, or quest handlers. It depends on their background; they've got free will, stories, lives."
Viktor gave a slow nod. "So they're survivors. Just... not from Earth."
"Exactly," Laney said. "Some roam the world as travelers. Some live in bases. Others stay with System guilds, teaching skills, giving quests, or managing reputation. Think of them like foreigners from different worlds with each having a different reason for staying."
Laney flipped through the final section of the Beginner's Guide, her voice steady. "Now lastly, Base Mechanics. This part's about survival beyond the dungeon."
Nicole tilted her head. "How so?"
"Because every tutorial dungeon drops one guaranteed item," Laney explained. "A Base Core. It only drops from the final boss."
Viktor rested his axe across his shoulders, arching a brow. "And what does it do?"
"Once placed, it converts a secure location into a Base. It doesn't just mark it on the map—it activates an entire system: buildings, defenses, and support functions."
I narrowed her eyes. "Do we need anything else to use it?"
Laney nodded. "At least ten people, a leader, and be cleared of all hostiles in the area. Once those conditions are met, the System activates the interface. It automatically forms a base."
Mitch scratched his jaw. "And if the base gets attacked?"
"The Base Core has its own health pool," Laney said. "If it drops to zero, the System collapses everything tied to it. Structures fall apart. Storage is wiped. Buffs vanish. Everyone linked to it gets debuffed. You lose everything."
Nicole folded her arms across her chest, lips thinning. "So we build smart, or we don't build at all."
"Exactly. It needs to be placed somewhere safe. Guarded. Hidden. The moment we activate it, the System starts monitoring its value and attracting attention."
Sol crouched near a broken shelf, inspecting a bolt with idle hands. "Can other people live there?"
"Yes," Laney confirmed. "More than one group can occupy a base. But the leader, whoever placed the core, controls permissions. That includes construction rights, storage access, and expansion choices."
I tapped her thigh thoughtfully. "What does leveling the base do?"
"Leveling expands territory, unlocks better structures, and improves defenses. But if another base is close, your growth is blocked unless one collapses or is conquered."
Viktor gave a low whistle. "So we're basically founding a city. Piece by piece."
"Pretty much," Laney agreed. "And once your base reaches a high enough level, you can invite System guilds to settle inside. They offer quests, gear, training, sometimes even class evolutions."
Jordan leaned his weight against a cracked table. "Any downside?"
"Yeah," Laney said. "Their goals and alignments matter. Invite guilds that don't get along, and you could start a conflict inside your own walls."
"And the base leader controls all of it?" Logan said in deep thought.
"Everything. Construction, defense upgrades, resource permissions. It's not just survival—it's governance."
Mitch exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "So whoever gets the Base Core… basically gets to start a country."
Nicole's voice was cool but decisive. "Then we better be ready to hold it."
A long silence followed.
Then Mitch exhaled sharply. "So who gets the Base Core when it drops?"
"We'll decide that when we find it," I said.
"You mean fight for it?" he asked, only half joking.
"No," Nicole said flatly. "We're not scavengers. If we've made it this far together, we're not starting a civil war over loot."
Logan spoke next, arms crossed. "We still need to find the boss first. No Base Core unless we beat it."
Devan nodded. "And if it's like any other system pattern, the boss is guarding something important. We find it, kill it, and then claim the reward."
Giselle leaned on a table nearby. "And then what? We pick a leader? Plant the Core? Just like that?"
"It's not that simple," Jordan added. "That Core isn't just some utility drop. It's basically asking you to build your own country."
The room went quiet again.
He glanced at the others. "That kind of power? People are gonna start fighting over it. Not just here. Everywhere. If there are other groups like us in other tutorial zones, they'll want to claim land, protect territory, and control supplies. That's how wars start."
Nicole's eyes were cool. "Then we either get there first—or get strong enough to hold it."
Laney closed the book softly. "The guide doesn't say what kind of boss drops the Base Core. Just that only one drop per tutorial dungeon."
"Then we'd better find it," I said, rising. "Before someone else does but first everyone should look into the Beginner's store then we can vote on what to get."