I woke up early on the morning we were planning to go and examine the potentials for our teams. There were five of us. It was possible there would be people chosen that I had not chosen at all. Would I veto them all? Or trust in the people I had teamed with? I liked to think I could trust my team. But the truth was, I might not be able to at this moment. Faith was going to be required. If I couldn't have faith, then I might as well give up now. It was ironic.

I was an atheist in my original life. Yet, here I was in a universe in which gods existed. Hell, If I played it right, I would become one. So what did this make me? A pretender? An upstart? It troubled me. But the life I was living was proof there was something. Did I try to manipulate this, or did I just do the best I could with the info I had? I had agreed a deal to become a galaxy god, but there was no clear path for this. If I were to stumble and fail, I don't think it would be unexpected. I could then live however I deemed fit, without having to worry if I was about to step on a potential landmine. However, I had made the deal and whatever had been said of me, I always kept my deals. I wasn't about to change that now. It was time to have faith. In myself, in my new faction and people I had yet to meet. Sure it could go wrong, but so long I could get back up, I would carry on.

We sat around our table. We had all examined our dossiers. It was time to decide who we were going to go and look at. I decided to open up with the pair that I wanted to go and look at. The first demigod I wanted to look at was a big guy. While I was convinced that Kusog was right in that we would probably be not conforming to the stereotype of a party, I felt this guy was someone who would be able to fulfil a role of heavy hitter and tank in one go. Why he wasn't in a team? I likened him to Dougda. He was obviously on the lookout for something and wasn't willing to compromise on what he wanted. Which meant he would either be an easy recruit, or a hard pass from the start. The other person I had was a guy who was a bit of an enigma. A researcher at heart, from all I could work out. The reason he qualified to be part of a combat team was because he seemed to be a summoning specialist. I suddenly felt another pair of eyes looking through mine.

'Man has the blood of the beast masters running through him. Not a true summoner. However, cannot be dismissed, as he seems to have the talent of his bloodline.' Jack wordlessly spoke through me. Fortunately, I had come across information about the bloodline he was speaking about. They would not be able to summon inanimate or true humanoids, but would be able to call monsters and animals that they had established a relationship with. If he was a direct descendant of the original Beast Master, he would likely be a formidable presence. He had indicated to people from whom Mitsun had gathered information from, that he was not interested in a pantheon or pure combat groups. I felt we would be served quite well having the man on our team. I relayed my choices to the other around the table and the reasons for selecting them, including what Jack said. The other offered their choices. As it happens, Mitsun had also thought the Beast Master's descendant would be a good pick, while Charses having met the big guy that I had chosen for my first pick had chosen him as a possible choice as well.

"I think he would be very amenable to being a part of this team from the conversations I had with him in the past. He actually likes to craft as well, but people just keep seeing him as a point and pound guy. It annoys him." Charses said. Hopefully we could get both. I sent Charses to speak with the big guy, since he knew him. Mitsun went and spoke to the beast master. We had also determined on the three others that needed to be spoken to. One was a woman both Kusog and Dougda both chose. She was a healer, but from the skill set I was told about, she seemed to remind me of a herb witch more than anything. However, she also had a knack for plants, which sounded scary as hell. The other two were actually a pair that had worked together and refused to be separated from each other. One of them was not a combat specialist, but I found that he seemed to be a utility wizard beyond compare, which made me not discount him. The other guy was the one that everyone seemed to try and recruit onto their team, as he seemed to be a one-man wrecking crew, but he would not join without his friend. Dougda and Kusog went to speak with them, leaving me at the headquarters. I was looking through the remaining dossiers and debating on if we should add a sixth person in. while five man combat crews were normal, six-man teams were allowed as well.

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Charses came back with the big guy. His name was Sands. We made some conversation while waiting for others to come back. Mitsun was next and introduced Gethed to us. Dougda came back with the pair, who refused to be separated. It turned out they were a couple. Hekrys and Machre. Kusog came back with the herb witch, but he also had someone with him under guest right who wanted to speak to us. The herb witch introduced herself as Tuella. We then paid attention to the stranger who had come in with Kusog. She met our eyes and began to speak.

"I notice you now seem to have a five-man combat crew. However, I would like to be added to take it up to the six allowed. I am an elemental caster, and looking at the people you have gathered, I believe you would be served in having one." I thought about it. She wasn't wrong. But I wondered why she was angling to join. So I asked her. "It true I could probably get a slot in a normal combat team or in a pantheon. However, I have come to know some members of your team over the last few years. They have come to be people I respect. I believe that if they are banding together with you, it is for a worthy cause. I have heard your name spoken in recent weeks, and I believe life could prove interesting with you." She smiled. Upon seeing that smile, I was reminded of an old proverb that was often used as a curse in my old world. 'May you live in interesting times.'

However, I didn't have a problem with her joining, and he did indeed fill a gap. So I looked at the others and once they nodded, I gave her an invite to our faction. We then told them what we were planning to do, and I gave them the same spiel that I gave the others for staying over the long term. We then initiated the upgrade and had to portal out and then back in. The main room was suddenly a lot bigger than before. Along the longer lengths of the room were the combat teams doors on one side and the rest of us on the other side. Then on the widths sides was the library on one with the dojo on the other. We sat back down at the expanded conference table.

"The plan is this. We got three years left to gel as a team and set ourselves up the best chances for whatever comes after the doors open. I will not restrict or tell you what you need to focus on. That not what this faction is about. That said, if we can't compliment or help each other after these three years of preparation, we maybe fail. So please, think on what you wish to do. For myself, I have set myself with outfitting the team and doing some training. I can trade for materials and equipment and even make it. However, I also know some of you have skills in this department, so please do not hesitate to tell me what you need or how you can help." Kusog said he would work with the combat team and also do some training. The combat group said they would train together and focus on how to support each other. Dougda said he was going to pick up and train some new skills that he felt may come in useful. Mitsun and Charses agreed with him, saying they would endeavour to do the same. We then put together a shopping list, of items and materials that were needed. It would take me some time to gather all this, but I relished the challenge. I also suggested that each year we would do a training scenario in the underhalls to see if we could identify further issues when they felt they were at a stage in their training to step it up. Plus, it might also show us what working together could be like, and would enable anyone to drop out if they felt it wasn't working for them. It was always a possibility, after all. But I was hoping not. At the end of two years, we would pull everything we were willing to share to the faction and see if there was anything that was needed in addition. At the end of the third year, we would approach the doors and see where they lead to.

Everyone agreed and we went our own ways. Quite a lot of us into the library. I suspect to pick up or brush up a skill that would involve the teamwork needed. I smiled. I was fairly confident we had all chosen well. However, my smile faded. We had prepared as well as we could, but the truth was, only time would tell. With this in mind, I decided to start on the trading first. I headed to the portal, ready to go to the market and see what we could get, what I was going to have to commission for and what might be useful in creating. Gethed accompanied me as he was interested in seeing what he could use for creating as well. I found his crafting skills were above mine, but he could not add the effects I could add. I suggested that at some point we would hire Grane's workshop and see what we could make together. An offer he enthusiastically accepted.