The Shards of War: Balancing Power

Chapter 14

After what seemed like hours of sifting through aplications, Matsu leaned back with his face covered by his hands, groaned, "These applications are so bad. Most of these people are amateurs."

Blaze chimed in, "Yeah, I agree. None of them have even played ranked. They're all casual players."

Calie, curious, asked, "What's wrong with playing casual?"

Marie, sharing her perspective, explained, "Playing casual is fine for fun, but if they haven't had experience playing professionally or at a competitive level, they may not be a good fit for the team. Tactical Takedown at a higher level requires a different level of skill and teamwork."

Matsu sighed and added, "We need individuals who understand the intensity and strategy of professional gameplay. Without that experience, it's hard to gauge how they'll perform in the high-stakes matches we play."

The group collectively sighed, realizing that finding the right teammates would be a more challenging task than they initially thought.

Calie, flipping through the stack of applications, excitedly exclaimed, "Hey, I found one with ranked experience!"

Matsu took the application from her, scanning through the details. As he did, he noticed the name and quickly searched for the player in the Tactical Takedown community app. After a brief review, he nodded in approval, "This one seems solid. Well-rounded player, at a pretty average rank class."

However, Matsu's discerning eye caught something. He suggested, "But before we make a final decision, let's check his social media profiles. We need to make sure he's not a liability – you know, check for anything that could reflect badly on the team and everyone's reputation."

Blaze agreed, "Good call. We can't afford to have someone with a questionable online presence. It could damage the team's image and affect our standing in the community."

Calie and Marie nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of not only skill in the game but also the character of those they bring into the team. The group then set off to investigate the potential new recruit's digital footprint before making any final decisions.

Matsu, with his trademark efficiency, swiftly navigated through Exander's social media profiles. He discovered a photo of Exander with other players on the Tactical Takedown app, providing a link to his broader online presence. As they scrolled through his posts, they found one questionable entry, but overall, everything seemed fine.

Calie and Marie shared a nod of approval, signaling their acceptance of Exander, while Blaze concurred that he appeared to be a valuable addition to the team. Matsu, taking their consensus as a green light, declared, "Alright, Exander is now part of the team." He instructed Blaze to bring the necessary details to his home office so they could contact Exander later.

As Blaze left to fetch the paperwork, Matsu leaned back, stretching his arms, and said, "Now, let's find another teammate candidate and call it a day. We've got a team to build, and I'm sure there's someone out there with the skills we need." The group began discussing the next steps in their search for the perfect additions to their team, eager to build a formidable roster for the challenges ahead.

Then Blaze returned with the paperwork in hand, announcing that everything was ready for Matsu to call Exander. Matsu expressed his gratitude, acknowledging her efficiency. However, when Marie suggested taking a break, Matsu readily agreed, realizing they had been at it for quite some time.

Standing up, Matsu offered to make snacks for everyone. He asked for their preferences: Calie wanted ice cream, Marie opted for milk and cookies, and Blaze requested a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Matsu nodded, taking mental notes, and headed to the kitchen to whip up the requested treats. As he prepared a bowl of ramen for himself, Blaze couldn't help but comment, "Are you seriously going to eat a bowl of ramen now?"