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Chapter 11 - Guild Terapis Overload

I Accidentally Became the Guild's Therapist

Chapter 11: Guild Terapis Overload

Livia Marcelline Quinn, Mental Supporter Lv. 4 and accidental server sensation, was drowning in her own Therapist's Log. Its pages were a chaotic record of the Bloodbath & Beyond guild's dysfunction: Bron: Plushie mania, fear of irrelevance. Nyx: Dark phobia, awkward crush. Phina: Slime romance, need for connection. Alaric: Gambling escape. Miles: Trust issues, betrayal trauma. Seeking a break from the guild's chaos, she'd slipped into the Celestial Spire, a towering MMORPG hub where guild emissaries negotiated alliances, holographic envoys peddled "Faction Buffs: 80% Off!" and a glitched system oracle—a floating crystal eye—droned, "Server Event: Symposium of Sanity in 00:08:19!" Livia perched on a marble bench near a starlit atrium, its constellations shifting unnaturally, muttering, "This place screams 'trap,' and I'm just the bait with a notepad."

The Celestial Spire buzzed with political intrigue—players in ornate cloaks bartered guild contracts, faction recruiters shouted about "Server-Wide Peace Accords," and a leaderboard flickered, ranking Bloodbath & Beyond as the top guild. A vendor bot with a warped halo spammed, "Error: Trust Module Overheating!" Livia's introverted soul craved a server disconnect, but her HUD buzzed with notifications, and the guild's lunatics were always nearby. I'm their shrink, meme queen, and emotional punching bag, she thought, her dry humor kicking in. Flunked psych, memed across dimensions, and now I'm the glue for a guild of walking disasters.

A notification pinged: [Achievement Unlocked: Spire Snoop. +10 Suspicion Points (Justified)] "Suspicion's my default now," Livia muttered, flipping open her notepad. Her progress bar read Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 2100/4000 EXP. She'd earned EXP soothing Bron's fears, Nyx's phobia, Phina's slime love, Alaric's bets, and Miles' trust issues, unlocking Therapist's Insight Lv. 1 to glimpse hidden traumas. Her Empath Surge and Mental Defense +10 kept her sane, but her viral fame—spawning subreddits, ASMR videos, and a cursed Livia plushie—was a constant thorn.

As she scribbled Issue: Spire's too fancy. Approach: Don't trust shiny things, a holographic envoy materialized, its avatar a glowing knight named AetherGuard. "Livia, Mental Supporter, you are cordially invited to the Symposium of Sanity, hosted by Eclipse Covenant, the server's second-ranked guild," it announced, projecting an ornate scroll. "Your expertise is requested as guest speaker." Livia's Empathic Insight pinged: Hidden Motive: Deceptive, High. Her sarcasm flared. "Guest speaker? Sure, and I'm the server's next raid boss."

A notification flashed: [Achievement Unlocked: Smelling a Setup. +5 Instinct Points (Early)]Livia's gut screamed trap. Eclipse Covenant had a reputation for poaching talent, and her subreddit buzzed with rumors of guilds wanting her exclusive therapy skills. She scribbled: Issue: Rival guild invite. Approach: Smells like kidnapping. "No thanks," she told the envoy. "I'm booked. Forever." But the envoy's eyes glinted, and her Therapist's Insight pinged: Entity Intent: Coercive.

Before she could bolt, Bloodbath & Beyond teleported in, their banner blazing. Bron "Bronie" Ironslam stomped forward, clutching his Livia plushie. "Nobody poaches our Buffer!" he roared. Phina glided in, her slime Glimmer pulsing ominously. "Defiler of the Empath's sanctity, begone!" she declared, runes flaring. Nyx slunk from the shadows, his Hello Kitty flashlight trembling, muttering, "Uh… stay away from her." Alaric staggered up, reeking of ale, shouting, "I bet 500 gold this is a scam!"Miles Vexley stepped beside Livia, psychoblade humming, smirk deadly. "Nice try, Eclipse Covenant," he drawled. "Think you can snatch our therapist? Big mistake." Her Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient: Miles. Trust Deficit: Spiking with Rivals. Livia's stomach twisted—not at the envoy, but at the guild's ferocity. They're ready to start a war over me?The envoy's hologram flickered, voice cold. "Refusal is unwise. The Symposium requires your… presence." The atrium darkened, constellations twisting into chains, and Livia's HUD glitched: Warning: Binding Ritual Detected. Her Mental Defense +10 dulled the threat's edge, but her panic surged. "What part of 'no' didn't you get?" she snapped, activating Group Therapy Lv. 2. "Everyone, chill! This is a setup, not a speech gig!"Her Empath Surge amplified her words, and the guild rallied—Bron raised his shield, Phina's runes glowed, Nyx gripped his daggers, Alaric brandished his holy mace. Miles' smirk sharpened. "Last chance, envoy. Back off." The envoy laughed, and the atrium's floor pulsed, chains of light erupting to trap Livia. Her Therapist's Insight screamed: Entity Intent: Kidnapping Confirmed.

Livia dodged a chain, her sarcasm flaring. "Therapy's not a loot drop, you creeps!" She activated Phobia Breaker Lv. 1, shouting, "Guild, focus! Break the chains!" Bron smashed a chain, Phina's slime dissolved another, Nyx sliced through shadows, and Alaric's smite shattered a link. Miles' psychoblade cut the ritual's core, dispersing the chains. The envoy vanished with a screech, leaving a glowing scroll: Symposium Canceled.A notification pinged: [You detected betrayal. +1000 EXP. Stat Unlocked: Instinct +5] Her progress bar climbed: Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 3100/4000 EXP. Her HUD chimed: Instinct +5: Increases detection of hidden motives by 5%.Livia scribbled: Eclipse Covenant: Tried to kidnap me. Issue: They want my therapy. Approach: Guild smashed their trap. She muttered, "I'm a therapist, not a collectible." But as the atrium's constellations dimmed, a mysterious voice echoed:

"The binding ritual begins…"

Instinct +5 pinged, her blood chilling. This isn't over.

Miles clapped her shoulder, smirk softer. "Nice instincts, Buffer. You sniffed out their game." His Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient Trust: Slightly Improved. The guild cheered—Bron flexed, Phina composed an ode to Livia's "defiant spirit," Nyx smiled shyly, Alaric bet on the next trap. The Spire's chaos resumed—recruiters shouting, the oracle blaring, "Next Event: 00:07:01!"

A final notification flashed:[You thwarted a guild's betrayal. Achievement Unlocked: Trap Dodger] Livia closed her notepad, muttering, "I'm either paranoid or a genius." As the mysterious voice lingered and Miles' gaze held a flicker of trust, she knew her role was pulling her into deeper dangers—and she wasn't sure she could outrun them.

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