Global Composite Master: Compositing an Undead Army from the Start Chapter 850 - 413: City of Origin, Guild Alliance! (Double - )_2

Shortly afterward, Chen Mo found himself welcomed by five individuals into a nearby tavern. The entrance step remained quite low, with the wooden portal marked by the passage of ages.

As he pushed through the door, a surge of cozy warmth immediately enveloped Chen Mo's heart.

Within, the tavern glowed with lively illumination, while old tapestries adorned with bizarre designs draped across the rugged stone walls.

Upon the lengthy wooden table, antique mugs and utensils rested, releasing a subtle scent of aged timber.

Near the crackling fireplace, a cluster of folks huddled, relishing tasty meals and chatting in an odd tongue.

Spotting the five newcomers, the group promptly called out to them.

"Is this our new brother?"

Gathered by the hearth were seven in total, and to Chen Mo's surprise, he recognized one face among them.

"Oh? It’s you?"

With those words from Chen Mo, a dark-skinned figure covered in peculiar golden markings chuckled and lifted his mug, "I knew you would surely make it to this second layer world."

The speaker turned out to be Cha Latu, the same one who had earlier assessed Chen Mo’s intelligence.

Yet this version of Cha Latu radiated far greater power than what Chen Mo had detected back in the lower realm.

"Senior, your presence feels vastly different from the lower realm." Chen Mo remarked, grinning.

Encountering a known ally once more brought a touch of comfort to Chen Mo.

Cha Latu chuckled and explained, "The figure in the lower realm was merely my projection, crafted solely for the Legendary Trial assessments. That projection held just a sliver of my true power."

"I see."

"Come on, take a seat first. Let’s toast to welcoming our newest brother into the fold."

With that, Cha Latu promptly poured a mug, and the others followed suit, quaffing deeply, though they held back from serving Chen Mo.

Once the drinks were downed by all, they grinned at Chen Mo and added, "Your attributes are still in the process of full evolution, so hold off on the tavern brew for now; we'll keep some for your later enjoyment, hahaha. Whenever you're ready for a sip, we've got loads of fine vintages."

At this, Chen Mo could only offer a wry smile, "We'll set the wine aside for the moment. Being fresh to this place, I'm clueless about the nature of the second layer in the Tower of Eternity—mind filling me in?"

"No need to fret; you won't require our rundown just yet. Until your attributes complete their evolution, simply relax. In due time, The Heavenly Path will guide you through it all."

The group responded with amusement.

This left Chen Mo even more at a loss for words; with attributes not yet evolved, he couldn't partake in drinks or food, leaving little in the way of relaxation.

It appeared his options boiled down to aimless strolls through the City of Origin.

"Good brother, as it's your debut here, you're bound to have loads of queries. Allow us to brief you first on our Legendary Guild's setup."

"By the way, I overheard you mention Sun Wu belongs to the Source of Chaos Guild—does that imply folks in this second layer world sort themselves by guild affiliations?"

"Precisely so; our second layer realm splits mainly into the Star System Guild Alliance and its included guilds."

"Star System Guild Alliance? What's that about?"

"In essence, the Solar System from your origins, along with rival star systems, form subsets of the grander Milky Way structure. Upon arrival here, prodigies from vast entities like the Milky Way unite under a Star System Guild Alliance.

Take our City of Origin, for instance—it hosts the Milky Way Guild Alliance, the Blood River Guild Alliance, the Sea of Suffering Guild Alliance, among others, making ten such alliances in total.

These operate in rivalry, rarely seeing eye to eye."

"I get it, then the intra-system guilds resemble our Legendary Guild and Sun Wu’s Source of Chaos Guild?"

"Spot on; though we hail from varying guilds, we all align under the Milky Way banner, keeping hostilities low. As part of the same system alliance, we might even band together against outsiders from rival guilds if the need arises."

"Yet does fierce rivalry exist among guilds in the same system too? From what I witnessed before, it looks like you lot aren't on great terms with Sun Wu’s crew?"

At Chen Mo's question, one of the five who had escorted him spoke up, "It's less about us clashing with them and more that their Source of Chaos Guild isolates from everyone. They're overly clannish, acknowledging only natives of the Chaos Origin Land, so our cool reception toward them comes naturally."

"Still, Sun Wu didn't strike me as carrying that superior air." Chen Mo reflected on his encounters with Sun Wu.

"True, a handful from the Chaos Origin Land lack that aloof vibe, but it doesn't alter their guild's overall standoffishness toward outsiders." Cha Latu interjected.

"So, excluding the Source of Chaos Guild, do the rest within the system coexist more peacefully?"

"You could put it that way, but strictly inside the City of Origin. Keep that in mind." Cha Latu warned gravely.

"How so?"

"The Sea of Cosmos brims with riches and allure. Away from oversight, even same-system guildmates might resort to slaying for spoils or snatching treasures.

Thus, never place blind trust in someone merely because they're from your system's guild."

These insights plunged Chen Mo into deep thought.

Then Cha Latu grinned and probed, "Are you pondering how, in such a setup, even fellow guildmates offer no guarantee of safety?"

It felt improper for a novice like him to voice this outright, but since Cha Latu raised it, Chen Mo saw no point in evasion—he had been mulling exactly that.

Without safeguards between system guilds during solo ventures abroad, surely same-guild members faced risks of betrayal and loot theft too. How did one counter that?

If unavoidable, wouldn't the Sea of Cosmos devolve into a treacherous realm governed by dark forest rules upon entry?

Trusting encounters would prove nearly impossible.

"Fear not; upon enlisting in a guild, you bind via a guild contract. This pact ensures any infighting among members alerts all signatories instantly.

In that scenario, none would risk treasure-hunting kills, lest they face exile from their guild and rejection elsewhere.

We'd broadcast their misdeeds outright, and with that stain, no other guild would accept them, rendering such betrayals rare within the same guild."

Cha Latu's reassurance eased Chen Mo's concerns considerably.

As a fresh recruit, he stood most vulnerable to stabs in the back, making it vital to grasp the lay of the land upfront.

Once briefed on the guild's broad dynamics, Chen Mo held off probing the Sea of Cosmos details, given Cha Latu's note that the Heavenly Dao would cover it, so they skipped deeper dives.

Next, they presented the attendees to Chen Mo for acquaintance.

They also sent him the visages and identities of absent members straightaway.

Through this, Chen Mo grasped the makeup of the Legendary Guild's roster.

The guild boasted thirty members in all.

It featured one president, two vice presidents, and five elite guild members.

These top eight formed the Legendary Guild's mightiest core, providing the intimidating force that secured their expansive holdings in the City of Origin.

Cha Latu ranked among those five elites.

Beyond him, the other eleven on hand were standard guild affiliates, albeit regulars tiered from one to five stars.

Five-star tiers neared elite status.

One-star tiers typically held the least prowess.

Joining as a newbie, Chen Mo would start at one-star. None among the eleven qualified as one-star; the weakest stood at three-star, underscoring their solid capabilities.

With a basic sense of this world's workings in place for Chen Mo, the group led him on a thorough exploration of the Milky Way Guild Alliance's domain in the City of Origin.

Guilds maintained numerous exclusive territories, alongside shared zones for inter-guild interactions.

Such spaces included trading districts, leisure spots, training arenas, and more.

Their purpose lay in fostering ties across guilds, enabling trades of goods and collective progress.

Given the expanse, Chen Mo spent considerable time absorbing the sights.

Following the tour of the Milky Way Guild Alliance's primary turf in the City of Origin, guided by his seniors, Chen Mo's attribute evolution at last concluded.

As his attributes finalized their evolution, notifications from the Heavenly Path started echoing relentlessly in his vicinity.