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  Matthew whipped his roped dagger around the ogre's hammer and yanked it out of its hands. He then swung the rope and hammer overhead, cracking the ogre in the skull with it. The ogre dropped to the floor, broken and motionless. Matthew loosened the hammer from his rope and clutched it with both of his hands. He used the hammer to decimate the equipment in the data center. Finally taking notice of the spreading fire, he ran out of the temple.

  Matthew was satisfied with the results of his onslaught. He looked up and was shocked when he saw the Alverez family standing near the ziggurat, checking out the fire. They were each clad in royal blue and white military outfits that had a symbol of a golden sword hilt on their shoulders.

  “Matt!” Leila shouted as she rushed over to him. “Are you okay? What are you doing here?” A flood of emotions rushed through him when he laid his eyes on her. He was happy to see her, yet his feelings were hurt. She knew about this place and never brought me here?

  “I came to destroy this place. These guys steal data from people's minds,” Matthew said casually. “What are you guys doing here?” The Alverez family had dumbfounded looks on their faces.

  “Our guild accepted a commission to gather herbs in this area, then we saw the fire...Did you seriously take on the Pirate Guild by yourself?” Leila asked, seemingly concerned.

  “I don't know anything about guilds. I probably took out about a dozen of them though,” Matthew said, as if it were no big deal. Domingo laughed.

  “He beat us to it,” Carmen said, smiling amusingly.

  “Wow, you're crazy man. Aren't you a noob? Where did you learn to fight bro?” Domingo asked.

  “It's a long story...Leila, why didn't you tell me about this place?” Matthew asked.

  “I didn't want to put you in any danger. I never would've thought that you would have found this place on your own,” she said, surveying the area. “We should leave before their reinforcements arrive.”

  “Let them show up, I'll take them all out,” Matthew said confidently.

  “Well, aren't you the tough guy? Are you sure that you could even take me on?” Leila challenged. Matthew entered into Amezarak's balanced combat stance.

  “Honey, I don't want to bust up your pretty lil' face. Feel free to have your siblings lend you a hand,” Matthew teased with a smug grin. Domingo and Carmen's eyes smiled at Leila. She entered into a kickboxing stance and glared at Matthew as if he had forced her to discipline him for his insubordination. He was still a noob, after all.

  Leila launched a barrage of punches and kicks at Matthew and none of them could penetrate his defenses. Matthew put her down with a series of fluid counterattacks that ended with a push kick. The encounter reminded him of how easily Amezarak outclassed him during their first sparring session. Matthew was impressed with Leila's speed, which was much faster than any opponent he had faced before, aside from Amezarak.

  Matthew nodded to Domingo, who entered the fray with unpredictable, low, spinning kicks. Domingo's attacks looked like dance moves. Domingo initially caught Matthew off guard, opening up his defense momentarily. However, Domingo was not able to take advantage of the opening before Matthew adjusted to the rhythm of his kicking motions and counterattacked with his own spinning kick to Domingo's chin. Carmen threw a series of horizontal palm thrusts that Matthew easily blocked while countering with a ducking, vertical palm strike to her midsection.

  The Alverez family took a couple of steps back to regroup, before lunging at Matthew at the same time. Domingo attacked low, Carmen attacked high, and Leila attacked from a flanking angle. Matthew was able to block and attack simultaneously, a technique he learned from Amezarak, to keep them each at bay. Eventually, they overwhelmed him and Leila pounded him with a powerful jumping knee to his chest, knocking him to the floor. She jumped on top of him and her fierce countenance shifted into a wide smile. She kissed him on the nose.

  “Damn, I guess you are pretty good for a noob,” she said playfully, hopping off of him. Domingo extended his hand, helping him get back on his feet.

  “I think you should join our guild,” Carmen suggested. They were all clearly impressed with his fighting ability.

  “Hell yeah! We'd be overpowered with Matty on our squad,” Domingo agreed.

  “How do I join?” Matthew asked.

  “You have to pass the recruitment trials, which I'm sure will be easy for you,” Leila answered. Carmen closed her eyes for a moment and created a rift. Matthew followed the Alverezes through the rift. On the other side of the rift, Matthew found himself inside of a small building in the Guild District.

  “Welcome to the Ordered Chaoz guild hall,” Leila said, with an inviting smile.

  * * *

  The Ordered Chaoz guild hall was a rustic, wooden and stone building with arched ceilings. Its name was appropriate since the entire building was one giant hallway with only a single room at the end of it. To the right, shabby furniture and a podium was placed out around a large fireplace. Banners colored with broad, diagonally aligned, royal blue and white stripes were hung along the walls. In the middle of each banner was the same golden hilt icon that the Alverezes wore on their shoulders.

  A clean-shaven young man, dressed like the Alverezes, stepped out of the room. He had chiseled facial features, sky-blue eyes, and shimmery, white hair. He eyeballed Matthew suspiciously.

  “Hey, Trance. We have a prospective recruit,” Leila said to him.

  “You've vetted him, Aftershock?” Trance asked, speaking as if Matthew were not there.

  “Aftershock?” Matthew asked Leila with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Yes, we've vetted him,” Leila replied. She turned to Matthew. “We all have code names here in the guild.”

  “Crescent,” Carmen nodded at Matthew.

  “I'm Stormspiral. Yo Matty, we need to come up with a code name for you!” Domingo exclaimed.

  “I already have one in mind,” Matthew replied. He immediately thought of his online gamer handle.

  “So, we're recruiting noobs now?” Trance scoffed. The derogatory term alluded to someone who was new to the spirit world. It did not bother Matthew until now. What a prick. Stormspiral laughed.

  “Matty is somewhat of a...noob prodigy. He can probably beat you, Trance.” Stormspiral said. Crescent let out a soft chuckle.

  “You can't be serious,” Trance said incredulously.

  “Trance, this is Matthew. Matthew, this is our field leader, Trance,” Aftershock said, formally introducing them to each other. She was clearly embarrassed by Trance's rude tone but did not seem to be willing to comment about it. She was more formal than usual as if she was a soldier in an army and was unwilling to question a higher-ranking officer. Matthew and Trance were both uninterested in the formality of the typical introductory handshake.

  “Well, the GM is out so I guess I'll have to administer the trials,” Trance said as he went into the room and came back out with a piece of parchment in his hands. He handed it to Matthew. “This is a list of items that you must retrieve in order to proceed to the next phase of the trials. We will accompany you, but we cannot help you at any point during the trials. If you find yourself in trouble, and call out for our assistance, you will automatically fail the trials.”

  “Am I allowed to use my weapons?” Matthew asked, taking the parchment.

  “In this phase, yes,” Trance answered.

  “Fair enough,” Matthew said.

  He reviewed the list's contents: N2O4-sky grain, W3G3-panther herb, E1B2-nymph water, W2V5-haunted grape, S2R9-stone olive, E3Y8-cursed salt. The alphanumeric codes were surrounded by a series of glowing, interconnecting shapes. Matthew stared intently at the first one of them and unwittingly created an orange rift. Alphanumeric, hmm...are these rift coordinates? Stormspiral smiled at Trance, who appeared shocked that Matthew was able to create a rift so quickly. Matthew and the Ordered Chaoz guild entered the rift.

  They found themselves near the edge of an enormous chasm that appeared to be bottomles
s. There were fields of grain on the other side of the chasm. A holographic arrow projected out from the parchment and pointed toward the grains beyond the chasm. A navigational arrow? Wow, this is just like a Celestial Warrior's quest. Matthew caught the vibration of a wind and flew over the chasm. Ordered Chaoz followed him on the wind; Stormspiral rode a board across and surfed on the winds. They landed and Matthew plucked up one of the grain stalks and handed it to Trance.

  “Sky grain collection confirmed,” Trance said, as he checked off a box on the ledger that he brought with him. They appeared near Pirate's Temple after entering the next rift that Matthew had created. The navigational arrow led Matthew to a cluster of herbs that was next to one of the jungle beasts that he encountered previously. Matthew locked eyes with it, as he did with the beasts before, and gathered the herb next to it without incident. Ordered Chaoz seemed to be surprised about how docile the dangerous feline creature was. After Trance confirmed Matthew's collection, they entered another one of Matthew's rifts.

  They appeared on a long beach of pure, white-colored sands. The crystal waters reflected light from a fire pillar that Matthew could see on an island far off in the distance. The navigational arrow led them to a waterfall nearby. Matthew was swarmed by many tiny, aggressive, pixie-like creatures when he approached a waterfall. He swatted them all down with precision and ease. Trance confirmed Matthew's collection after he had secured access to the waterfall, and they entered the next rift.

  They appeared in a large field of fragrant, violet-colored flowers. Off in the distance, Matthew saw a fire pillar next to an elaborate, golden temple with three ornate, domed structures on top of it. The navigational arrow led them into a willow tree forest. The area was full of ghastly, moaning apparitions. Matthew readied a combat stance until he realized that the apparitions posed no threat and were simply trying to frighten them. Matthew gathered a cluster of grapes from a vine that he found, and they entered the next rift.

  They appeared in a foggy land, laden with jagged obsidian as far as the eyes could see. The air was thick, hot, and acrid. A monstrous volcano spurted out of the region's fire pillar high into the air. The navigational arrow pointed to a set of thorny, olive trees. The trees were guarded by a group of stone-colored gargoyles, who perched on the branches. One of them swooped in to attack Matthew when he approached the trees. He flailed his roped dagger around its legs and swung it violently into the other gargoyles, causing them all to retreat. They entered Matthew's final rift after Trance confirmed Matthew's olive collection.

  They appeared in a barren, desert wasteland. The region's fire pillar was obstructed by a distant mountain range. The navigational arrow pointed to a nearby cavern. The cavern was crawling with slow-moving, grotesque monstrosities. Matthew shot the ghouls down with his pistol, going through clip after clip until they all collapsed. He used his dagger to pick out a chunk of salt from a large rock in the cavern. Matthew arrogantly tossed the salt over to Trance who caught it in mid-air.

  “Cursed salt collection confirmed. Matthew has successfully completed the first phase of the Ordered Chaoz recruitment trails,” Trance announced. They went back to the Ordered Chaoz guild hall through a rift that Trance had created.

  “So, what's next?” Matthew asked.

  “The next and final phase of the trials requires five consecutive victories in the Brawler's Circle,” Trance answered.

  “Um...so yeah there are quite a few brawlers there that don't like me...I kind of beat up everyone there,” Matthew laughed. Stormspiral joined him in a cascade of laughter.

  “Oh, well, of course, he's already been in the Brawler's Circle!” Aftershock giggled. She gazed excitedly at Matthew; lust flickered in her eyes.

  “There's no point in bringing him into the circle. It'll be a waste of time. He's already beaten each of us,” Crescent said candidly.

  “Is that so? Okay, if you can beat me, I'll consider the final phase complete. You up for that, Mr. hot-shot?” Trance sneered. Matthew's face hardened into seriousness. He was hoping to get a chance to kick Trance in the face a couple of times.

  “Yeah, let's do it,” Matthew replied.

  Matthew entered into Amezarak's balanced stance while Trance entered into a stance that Matthew was unfamiliar with. Trance threw a few unconventional attacks that left little room for him to get hit with a counterattack. Fascinated, Matthew stayed on the defensive and observed what he could from Trance's style. Trance was slightly faster than Aftershock, but neither of them was fast enough to give Matthew a real challenge.

  As the fight went on, it was clear to everybody that Matthew was merely toying with Trance. Matthew did not intend to embarrass the fighters that he outclassed, but he did enjoy humbling Trance. Matthew smacked Trance with a couple of quick strikes, just to let him know that Matthew's previous attacks were merely scouting his defenses, and he could end the fight whenever he wanted. Trance's face lit up with anger after he heard laughter come from his guildmates.

  Trance shifted styles and icy-winds began to coalesce around his arms. As Matthew continued to fight with Trance, he noticed that his joints were stiffening, and his movement speed was slowing down. Trance was able to score a series of rigid shots on Matthew. The assault caused Matthew to take the fight seriously, and they exchanged fierce attacks on each other after the speed gap had been closed. They fought on equal terms until Matthew's movement speed was much slower than Trance's. At that point, Trance ended the fight, leaving Matthew with a thread of spirit vitality to hold on to.

  “Not so tough when the elements are involved, eh,” Trance chided. Aftershock rushed over to Matthew and handed him a vial filled with red liquid.

  “Here, drink this,” she said. Matthew drank the liquid and felt his spirit vitality return to him.

  “Thanks,” Matthew said to Aftershock. He turned to Trance. “Trance, I have to admit that you're an amazing fighter. Great fight.” He extended his hand to Trance in concession. Trance's countenance softened up and he shook Matthew's hand. For the first time, they saw respect in each other's eyes.

  “I know Matty lost, but you have to admit you couldn't have beaten him without using your ice, Trance. I say he passes,” Stormspiral said.

  “Agreed,” Aftershock and Crescent said at the same time.

  “You're right. We could use a good fighter like you, Matthew. You've passed the recruitment trials,” Trance announced, as he patted Matthew on the shoulder. The Alverezes cheered. Aftershock gave Matthew a long, tight hug.

  “So, what do we call you now, Matty?” Stormspiral asked with a cheesy grin.

  “You can call me Shade,” Matthew replied. Moments later, an elderly man walked into the guild hall from the room.

  “Good, the guild master is finally here,” Trance said. Shade looked up in astonishment. It was none other than Victor.

  “Victor! Long time no see my friend,” Shade exclaimed. Once again, the Alverezes were flabbergasted.

  “Matthew, I'm glad to see that you've made it into the guild,” Victor replied, as if he knew it would happen from the start.

  Chapter 4

  The Ordered Chaoz guild sat on the walnut-colored couches by their cobblestone fireplace, freshly lit by Crescent's delicate hands. Shade lounged on the largest couch with Aftershock nestled in his arms. All eyes were on Victor, as he prepared the finalization of Shade's initiation into the guild.

  “Life is full of mystery. This mystique is further complicated by the world that we're currently inside of. We don't have all of the answers, but we know for certain that this world is spiritual in nature. We also know for certain that activity in this world can directly influence the physical world.” Victor slowly stroked his chin plait and continued.

  “Ordered Chaoz is dedicated to producing something good out of the madness of life. We can use our abilities in this spirit world to protect our loved ones in the physical world. This task won't be easy. Neither will it be safe. But it will be worth it,” Victor said, as he looked into S
hade's eyes and addressed him directly. “Are you willing to risk your life to protect others?”

  Shade pondered for a while in silence, gazing deeply into the fire. It was not in his nature to give a hasty answer to such a serious question. It was also not in his nature to give an insincere answer to such a question. Was he ready to risk his life for others? He could not stand most people. Why should he risk his life for the sake of the foolish? On the other hand, he could not come up with a reason to justify his own life. Life was meaningless until he entered Callisto. If he was going to find a purpose for his life, he was probably going to find it in Ordered Chaoz.

  “Yes,” Shade answered resolutely, as he stood up. Aftershock stared at him with pride in her eyes.

  “Will you wear the colors of Ordered Chaoz?” Victor asked.

  “Yes,” Shade said as he focused his thoughts on his black attire. The colors shifted into royal blue and white. A golden hilt icon formed on his right shoulder.

  “As guild master of Ordered Chaoz, I hereby announce that Matthew, code-named Shade, is now a member of the guild.” A sword materialized in Victor's hands. “Powerful, ancient relics have been discovered in this world. Every member of the Ordered Chaoz is special and tried. Thus, they are each awarded with one. Shade, I present to you the Maelstrom's Edge. It is a weapon empowered with the might of the storm.”

  Shade's eyes filled with awe as Victor handed him the Maelstrom's Edge. The sword was slender and slightly arched, exactly like the weapon that Kylie had given him on his birthday. Its sheath was painted with a vibrant, electric blue color and engraved with exquisite designs. Shade unsheathed the sword and it hummed with power, occasionally sparking a flash of electricity.

  “Thank you!” Shade exclaimed, bowing to Victor in respect. He looked at his guildmates. “You guys have relic weapons?” Stormspiral smiled and stood up as a shiny, silver spear materialized in his hands.