As expected, he picked up his ax almost immediately, cockily smiling at Sam as if he had proven something. Sam scoffed and closed in as his opponent wrested the ax from gravity’s grip, swiping his mace across in a feint. What he really wanted was for that ax to be to the side. Because of its sheer size, even when used unintentionally, it acted like a shield. Even worse, because of its weight backed up by the strength of its bearer, Sam’s strikes would simply bounce off of it. Luckily though, the other fighter fell for the bait, and knocked away Sam’s mace with his ax. Darting in and letting go of the mace with his left hand, Sam punched with all of his might into the joint between two plates of the man’s cuirass, causing him to twitch in pain. Sam flitted back as the ponderous ax came in for a return swing, leaving his opponent to choke on the bitterness of his own defeat…
“Ok, too far there, Sam. You’re not trying to be some edgy anime character here,” Sam thought with a small grin as he moved. There was a simple truth that whenever one person found himself superior to another, they would almost inevitably gloat about how much better they were in order to make themselves feel better. There was no need for Sam to do that. He had no need to make himself happier based on how he fared against some random alien. Instead, he focused on the battle. It would be a shame if he lost because of his own ego.
Sam gripped his mace with two hands again and leaped ten feet up, passing over an horizontal swing of the ax, and landing on its end. Such was the strength of the other man that the ax did not even dip in its path. That was a mistake. He should have let it drop. Sam used it as a springboard to launch himself towards the alien’s face, and he watched as the man’s eyes widened in surprise. It was very clear that this man had never been forced to use, nor deal with, much skill in battles.
Sam smashed the man into the unyielding ground with a single hit, causing him to limply let go of his ax. With a whoosh, Sam felt his senses deaden once more, and the force field retracted. Before him the body of his opponent disappeared.
You have gained the remaining Interweb time of your opponent.
So that was what happened if one won a duel here. Their enemy was banished, and their time within the Interweb was bolstered by the time that their opponent had possessed. Sam walked off from the site of the duel, ignoring the inquisitive looks that he was getting. Soon the attention dissipated, and he eventually made his way to a booth. It was time to find out what was up with this place. The booth was manned by a slight, vaguely feminine looking alien with tentacles instead of arms. She seemed to be normal in every other way however, even having a skin tone similar to that of a human. Sam broke off his stare a moment before it got weird, and then cleared his throat.
“Ahem. How exactly does one join the Adventurer's Guild faction?”
“Ah, a freshie. I see. Do you wish to join, or log a mission with us?” The woman asked, pulling out a piece of parchment and a strange golden quill.
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“Will joining supersede my own faction?” Sam asked. There was no harm in telling this woman that he was part of a faction.
“No. All factions that are designated as guilds of a various craft or vocation are allowed to take on members from any faction, as long as that faction is of a lower rank to themselves. I am assuming that will not be a problem with you?”
“No, it will not. What are the requirements for me to do so?” Sam asked. Even if it turned out to be something requiring a contract, which would make him abandon it immediately, he still wanted to find out.
“There aren’t really that many rules. You must not be a fugitive from the System, which would have been picked up upon entry to this building, you must at least have a class, and finally you must promise to not stand against the guild as long as you are a member.” Sam nodded and considered what he should do here. Thai seemed like a good deal, as he would gain the benefits of guild membership, and maintain most of his autonomy. Speaking of that…
“What are the benefits of joining the guild?” Sam asked the woman.
“Well, you gain the backing of the Adventurers' Guild for starters. This will not protect you from attack, as only our most valued members gain the full protection of the guild, but you will at least be seen as someone with more authority. In addition, you gain access to the mission board, a special concession from the System that allows you to teleport through the Interweb to anywhere that needs an adventurer. Wait, I recognize you. Where did I see you before?” The woman said, suddenly frowning.
“I have no idea. Perhaps I was shown on the sports channel somewhere? I recently participated in an initialization tournament.”
The woman snapped her tentacle.
“Yes! I know you know. You’re Sam Atlas, the Arbiter! I was rooting for you the entire time. But, that is quite unfortunate. You will not be allowed to use the mission board for out of universe travel because of the laws that your ruler put into place. Still, if you prove yourself enough, perhaps the Guild can put a word in for you with your ruler,” she said, looking off into space inquisitive. Sam’s heart skipped a beat.
“Really? That would be possible?”
“Oh yes, the Guild is a B Ranked faction. Your lord would listen to us. However, don’t count on it. Only the most exemplary of specimens would even gain that privilege. You seem quite strong, based on how you dealt with that man at the door, but you're not really anything special in the context of the entire Multiverse.”
Sam didn't bother to tell the woman that he had been barely using any of his power during that fight. Actions would speak louder than words for this situation. As it was, he thought that this was probably a good idea.
“Alright. I’ll join then,” Sam said, smiling. The woman nodded and wrote something down.
“Come with me,” she said a moment later, walking towards a small portal behind her. Sam followed and walked in after her, finding himself in a small arena a moment later. The feeling of realism that he had felt during the duel returned, and he noticed a hulking brute of a man standing at attention at the other side of the room. He turned around upon hearing them enter.
“Ah. More fresh meat then, Salicia?”
“Garn, what did I say about calling newbies fresh meat?” The woman said, folding her tentacles over her chest disapprovingly. The man chuckled and then looked at Sam, his eyes hardening.
“Not everybody is suited for the guild, even if they are strong enough. It takes a certain strength of character, a strong will if you would. Many do not possess that, having been pampered their entire lives. Now, I ask you, what do you think makes you worthy of joining the guild?”