It was late evening when Lucas finally returned to the dormitory. He had just completed three Nightmare-level spider cave dungeons—some of the hardest challenges available. After that, he spent the rest of the afternoon hunting wild monsters, grinding for experience points to level up. His body was exhausted, but his spirit was still fired up. He had been incredibly lucky today—he stumbled upon a rare material used for crafting the Spider Suit and managed to sell it for nearly 20,000 yuan. It was a solid profit and a satisfying reward for his efforts.
As soon as Lucas stepped inside the dorm, he heard a familiar voice.
"Eh? Boss Lucas, why are you back so late today?" asked Danny Quinn with his usual grin. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, chatting with Chris Morgan and Zhao Qinghe.
When the three roommates noticed Lucas walking in, they immediately turned their attention to him.
Lucas smiled and responded, "I went out to the wild zones today—fought some monsters, leveled up a bit. Got some good loot too!"
He spoke openly, not bothering to hide his progress. Ever since he declined further meetings with the remaining guilds who had tried to recruit him, he found himself with much more free time. That meant he could fully immerse himself in training and monster hunting—activities he actually enjoyed.
In his virtual backpack, he now had a Legendary-level Phoenix Ring, and his Pale Blade was just about ready to evolve into an Epic-tier weapon. With these powerful items at hand, his hunger to grow stronger intensified, and he wanted to use every second to continue his rise. Rest was necessary, of course, and night made it too risky to remain in the wild areas. So now he was back at the dorm, ready to recharge.
"Wait, did you say you were out leveling up in the wild?" Danny asked, eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Which guild did you join?"
Lately, the entire freshman class of career changers had been focusing on one thing—joining a guild. After the intense freshman competition, top-performing students were being approached by multiple guilds, hoping to bring new talent into their ranks. Guilds were the foundation for a career changer's future, and selecting the right one was crucial.
Danny, Chris, and Zhao were no exception. All three had received several invitations after doing well in the Secret Realm competition. So naturally, they assumed Lucas must've signed with one of the top guilds and was now reaping the benefits.
But Lucas shook his head. "Nope. Haven't joined one yet. I've narrowed it down to two that seem promising, but I'm still deciding."
"Oh..." Danny's smile faltered slightly, and he looked a bit disappointed.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Why the sad face? Shouldn't I be the one stressing over this choice?"
Danny let out a nervous laugh and scratched his head. "Well, actually... we were kinda hoping to join the same guild as you."
Chris quickly nodded in agreement. "Yeah! I want to follow Boss Lucas too!"
"Me... me too," Zhao Qinghe said timidly, raising his hand like a school kid afraid to be left out.
Lucas blinked in surprise. "You all want to follow me?"
Danny grinned. "Of course! I mean, how often do you get lucky enough to share a dorm with someone like you? You're strong, reliable, and your character is top-notch. We figured this was our shot—to stick together and ride your coattails to greatness!"
Chris gave a respectful clasp of his hands. "Couldn't agree more."
"+1," Zhao mumbled, but with conviction.
The truth was, none of the three had accepted any guild offers because they had all been waiting to see where Lucas would go. They hoped they could join the same guild and stay united—to become true comrades and partners.
Most freshmen career changers were currently capped at Level 20, stuck at the post-competition bottleneck. Only a few, like Lucas—who had reached Level 25—were ahead of the curve. This moment, right after the tournament, was a critical time. All the students were on relatively equal footing, and this was the best opportunity to form permanent teams that would shape their careers.
Once guilds got involved, these student teams would likely be torn apart. It was rare for five friends to be accepted into the same guild, and guilds typically extended invitations selectively.
So if you didn't act now, chances were, you'd all go separate ways.
That's why Lucas's roommates saw this as a final window. If they didn't take the initiative, they might never get a second chance to form a lasting bond with someone like him.
"Honestly, forming a solid team at this point is more important than anything," Lucas said seriously. "We're not just talking about short-term partnerships. The teams we build now could define our futures."
He wasn't exaggerating. His own parents, Frank and Martha, had met in a similar way during their early careers. They'd joined the same guild, supported each other through dozens of dangerous adventures, and eventually fell in love. Stories like theirs weren't uncommon. Lifelong friendships, rivalries, and even romances often formed during this stage.
This was about more than just gameplay. It was about life.
When students formed teams just to win tournaments, those bonds often faded after the event ended. But a guild-based team was different. These were the people you'd challenge dangerous dungeons with. The ones you'd rely on in lethal wild zones. The people you'd trust with your back when a misstep meant real death, not just a game over.
And if you didn't have a team?
You were on your own.
Sure, you could solo minor dungeons. But for anything serious—Epic or Nightmare-level raids—you'd need a party. And forming random groups every time was not only exhausting, it was dangerous.
Solo adventurers were easy targets. In wild zones, if you found a rare monster or a hidden treasure chest and no one had your back, stronger players could just take it from you—and no one would stop them.
Even worse were the high-risk areas like the Mysterious Tower, where even resurrection scrolls didn't work. If you died there, it was over. Without a team to watch your back, you might as well write your will before entering.
In short, being guildless and teamless meant you were vulnerable, lonely, and constantly at a disadvantage.
Lucas looked around at his roommates. Danny's goofy grin, Chris's determined nod, Zhao's shy but hopeful expression...
He couldn't deny it. These guys had stuck with him through thick and thin, respected him, and now they were offering their trust.
A rare thing.
"I appreciate that, guys," he said at last. "It means a lot."
Chris leaned forward. "So... does that mean... we're forming a team?"
Lucas smiled. "If we're going to do this, we do it right. Let's choose the guild together, train together, and rise through the ranks as a team."
That one sentence sealed their fate.
From that moment, Lucas, Danny, Chris, and Zhao were no longer just roommates. They became comrades. Partners. A team.
And for career changers like them, that made all the difference in the world.
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