The sun rose on the city of Halcyra like a spotlight on a stage — warm, dramatic, and full of incoming trauma.
For most people, that meant another day of work or quests.
For us?
It meant Guild Ranking Trials.
"Alright, listen up!" barked the mustached announcer from atop a floating crystal podium. "Today begins the Regional Guild Ranking Exams! Your performance will determine your official guild rank, access to advanced quests, housing benefits, AND whether or not your group gets roasted in the local papers!"
"Wait, there are local papers?" I whispered.
Lina nudged me. "Focus, Guild Master."
"Temporarily-elected Guild Master," I corrected.
"No take-backs," Iris said, eyes buried in a book labeled "How to Not Accidentally Become a Cult Leader."
Kaela just yawned. "This better not take all day."
The rules were simple. Too simple.
Phase 1: Trial of Combat.Phase 2: Trial of Coordination.Phase 3: Trial of Charisma (why tho).
Points awarded by performance. Cheating is allowed but discouraged. Survivability is expected.
I, in my infinite wisdom, had a plan.
A flawless, brilliant, absolutely idiot-proof plan.
Act Weak. Fly Under the Radar. Avoid Rivals. Don't Get Targeted.
Which lasted exactly four minutes.
Combat Trial: Begin!
We were thrown into a stone arena filled with summoned beasts: goblins with wings, wolves made of smoke, and what may or may not have been an angry teacup with legs.
My plan?
Flail around.Scream a little.Let the girls do the real work.
Which was going great until I slipped on Kaela's boar tracks and accidentally roundhouse-kicked a flying goblin into the stands.
DING!
+100 points for style."Crowd Favorite" Buff Activated.
Lina, blasting fireballs, turned mid-cast. "Did you just aerial combo a goblin?!"
"It was an accident!"
The crowd cheered.
Iris sighed. "Congratulations. You're officially a main character."
In Phase 2 — Coordination — the goal was to guide a giant rubber duck across a flooded obstacle course while avoiding magical cannons and illusionary walls.
You know. Normal guild stuff.
We tried to be discreet. Really.
But Kaela ended up riding the duck like a war chariot, yelling commands like a beast general, while Lina surfed on a geyser of flame and Iris manually froze each cannon with surgical precision.
And me?
I fell off the duck. Twice.Got yeeted by a water trap.And somehow landed on the judge's refreshment table.
Bonus Points for "Unexpected Comedy Relief."
Phase 3 was the worst.
Charisma Trial: The leader must give a passionate speech about the guild's goals… in front of everyone.
"MC," Lina whispered, "you can't just say 'we want money and friendship.'"
"Why not? It's honest!"
"Say something cool. Something powerful. Something inspiring!"
I stepped forward, heart pounding.
All eyes on me.
I raised a hand…
And blurted: "We are… the guild that does stuff! Fun stuff! Also dangerous stuff! But mostly together!"
Awkward silence.
Then wild applause.
"Relatable!""He's just like me for real!""Guild of Chaos! Let's gooo!"
By the end of the day, I was exhausted.
So was everyone else. We regrouped at a vendor cart, feasting on suspiciously spicy skewers.
"Your plan to stay low-key?" Iris asked, deadpan.
"I think it died in Phase One," Kaela added, chewing.
"I tripped into stardom," I muttered, face in my hands.
Lina grinned. "Well, look at it this way—win or lose, we made a splash."
A squirrel peeked out from my pocket, saluting me with a peanut.
I sighed.
"Yeah. Splash. Explosion. Tsunami. Same vibe."
End of Chapter 23