[UNIQUE NARRATIVE QUEST ISSUED: THE STRAY DOG'S KENNEL]

[Description: As the top-ranked prospect, your choice of guild will create a significant narrative ripple. The Audience is watching. The Sponsor is intrigued. Choose your path wisely. Your decision will define the opening act of your legend at NVA.]

[Path of Perfection (Argent Sentinels):] Join the elite. Your reward will be... [REWARD OBSCURED BY SPONSOR'S WHIM].

[Path of Power (Scarlet Phantoms):] Join the berserkers. Your reward will be... [REWARD OBSCURED BY SPONSOR'S WHIM].

[Path of Plots (Cobalt Vipers):] Join the schemers. Your reward will be... [REWARD OBSCURED BY SPONSOR'S WHIM].

[Path of Unity (Verdant Strikers):] Join the soldiers. Your reward will be... [REWARD OBSCURED BY SPONSOR'S WHIM].

[Path of the Discarded (Onyx Hounds):] Join the rejects. Your reward will be... [REWARD OBSCURED BY SPONSOR'S WHIM].

What the hell? A blind choice? That's not how this system works. It's always been clear what I'm getting.

A second notification appeared, this one with a flaming border that pulsated with aggression, almost burning through the air in front of me like a brand searing into reality itself.

[Message from the Sponsor: Apollo]

"Feeling lucky, protagonist? Each path offers a unique boon to kickstart your little university drama. But you only get one option. No re-rolls. No take-backs. Make your choice... and pray you chose the one that leads to the most entertaining show. Do not be boring. I hate boring."

That smug, manipulative bastard.

I looked back at the five professors arrayed before me, my mind racing through possibilities and probabilities like a supercomputer on overdrive. This was no longer just about choosing the optimal guild for my advancement—this was a cosmic gamble with potentially astronomical consequences. Each path might offer a game-changing ability that could catapult my plans forward by months, or something so worthlessly mundane I'd want to punch Apollo's perfect teeth down his immortal throat.

The logical choice was the Argent Sentinels—prestigious, powerful, with the best connections to the top guilds post-graduation. Everything about them screamed "safe bet" and "guaranteed success."

But that was before I knew there was a hidden System reward tied to my choice, dangled like bloody meat before a starving wolf.

Think, Satori. The System rewards me for being a scumbag, for causing chaos and drama. Would joining the straight-laced, rule-following Sentinels really lead to the most 'entertaining show'? What would Apollo consider the most deliciously chaotic option?

My eyes drifted to Braxton Miller, the perpetually disheveled instructor of the Onyx Hounds. His slouched posture and half-lidded eyes couldn't quite hide the predatory intelligence lurking beneath.

He caught my gaze and raised an eyebrow, as if silently asking, 'You're not actually considering this, are you?' The unlit synth-cigarette bobbed between his lips as he smirked.

Headmaster Luna stood again, his imposing figure casting a long shadow as he held a sleek datapad that glowed faintly in his weathered hands. "The draft will now commence. Prospects will be called in order of their final examination rank."

The hall went dead silent. Every prospect held their breath, knowing that sixty of them would walk out with nothing but crushed dreams and the burning shame of failure.

"Rank 1..." the Headmaster's voice boomed through the hall, echoing off the vaulted ceiling like thunder.

"Satori Nakano."

All eyes turned to me—some envious, some calculating, some simply awed. I felt Soomin's trembling hand clutch my sleeve for a brief second before she caught herself and let go, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

I stepped forward, making my way down the central aisle. Each step echoed despite the size of the hall. As I approached the dais, I could see the faces of the Guild Masters more clearly.

Petrova was examining me like a specimen under glass. Takamura was grinning broadly. Valentine's eyes held a disturbing hunger. Mori looked mildly interested for the first time. And Miller... Miller was watching me with a calculating intensity that belied his lazy posture.

I reached the spot directly before the dais and stopped, looking up at the six figures who would decide my fate.

"Satori Nakano," Headmaster Luna said. "You have ranked first in the entrance examination, an impressive achievement." His voice held no warmth, merely acknowledging a fact. "The Guilds will now present their offers, if any."

Professor Petrova stood immediately. "The Argent Sentinels extend an invitation to Satori Nakano. Your performance demonstrated precision, control, and adaptability—qualities we value highly."

Takamura leapt to his feet next. "The Scarlet Phantoms want you, boy! That fire in your gut, that killer instinct—that's what makes a true Hunter!"

Valentine rose. "The Cobalt Vipers recognize your strategic mind, Satori Nakano. Join us, and we'll hone that cunning to a razor's edge."

Mori stretched lazily before standing. "The Verdant Strikers see your potential as a team leader. Your decisions under pressure saved lives. We could use someone like you."

There was a pause. All eyes turned to Braxton Miller, who remained slouched in his chair, taking another drag from his cigarette. He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling around him like a lazy serpent.

"The Onyx Hounds..." he began, then paused, examining me with those tired eyes that suddenly seemed much sharper. "The Onyx Hounds have no need for glory hounds or spotlight seekers. We take the broken, the weird, the misfits that nobody else wants."

He leaned forward slightly. "But occasionally... very occasionally... we also take the wolves clever enough to hide among the stray dogs." A small, knowing smile curved his lips. "The Onyx Hounds extend an invitation to Satori Nakano. We think you might be interesting."

Headmaster Luna looked down at me. "You have received offers from all five Guilds—a rare occurrence. The choice is yours, Satori Nakano. Choose wisely."

I stood there, facing the six figures on their thrones, feeling the weight of every eye in the room on my back. Natalia would expect me to choose either the Argent Sentinels or the Scarlet Phantoms. The logical choice. The prestigious choice.

But what's the fun in that?

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