Ch.132Busy, Yet Not Busy. (3)

Unlike other mid-sized and small clans that were helplessly collapsing due to internal divisions…

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Title: Breaking News) Loki Clan Operating Normally

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Loki Clan’s message to all: “Get out if you want to engage in faction fighting”]

Those pathetic bastards trying to start faction fights

Looks like the clan leader will grind them up together with other clan members

And considering Loki Clan usually doesn’t even touch clan members, let alone make announcements, sending a message like this means

There must be quite a few idiots causing trouble with factions these days

Comments:

-[???]

-[Why do these guys only evolve into normal humans at times like this]

-[Pursuing free gameplay (not really)]

-[Usually free-spirited but becomes more oppressive than anyone during crises, kind of like a yandere;;]

-˪[Are you crazy?]

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The “Loki Clan,” led by Betelgeuse, a former man who evolved into a high school girl(?), crushed factions from the start by eliminating those who joined not for their original purpose of trolling, but just to engage in faction fights and cliquish behavior.

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Title: Justice Clan posted an announcement-!

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Message stating faction fighting is meaningless]

They’re also cracking down on factions here

They’re not massacring people like Loki, but it seems they’re expelling members who cross the line

Comments:

-[Wow]

-[Looks like they’re somehow holding on too]

-[But what happens to the expelled members? Do they just go somewhere else?]

-˪[Probably?]

-˪[I don’t know about people who leave voluntarily, but when someone gets forcibly expelled due to faction issues, they seem to handle it in their own way](Author)

-[Hmm interesting;;]

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Similarly, the “Justice Clan” of “Arcadia,” which stood at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Loki Clan, also showed no intention of tolerating factions formed by “powers” running amok.

Of course, these two clans were massive enough to rank among the top five clans overall.

Unlike other clans centered around a single faction, they had accepted all factions and even “neutral” users from the beginning.

The clan leaders, executives, and members were all expressing their determination not to be swayed by what they called “ridiculous” faction fighting.

And even besides these two major clans…

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Title: Stop talking and settle it with duels

Author: Raksha

Content: [GIF of a half-naked ugly man in underwear outmaneuvering 5 cruisers with a single corvette]

Yeah.

Next.

Comments:

-[Declare the start of a duel, Isono!]

-[Duel start!!!]

-[Who the hell is this guy?]

-˪[He’s the oil bastard who’s currently on a 30-win streak, saying if you want to make the clan a specific faction, beat him with skill]

-[This is driving me crazy damn it]

-[What the hell did he do to that corvette?]

-[Forget the corvette, why is that disgusting face wearing only underwear and causing trouble?]

-[Aaaaargh it’s the flying underwear!]

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Like Raksha’s “Rotten Water,” which was physically crushing all rebellious factions through duels, clans where rankers themselves were members or clan leaders were quite free from the current faction problems.

But apart from ranker clans, large clans that could crush faction fights through sheer size, or small clans where the clan leader maintained effective control due to their compact size…

The situation for mid-sized clans that formed the “middle layer” of the clan system was truly dire.

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Title: The faction controversy seems really serious right now

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Clan ranking comparison table 1], [Clan ranking comparison table 2]

As you can see from the tables, most of the mid-tier clans that formed the backbone of the clan system are completely falling apart

Even the surviving clans, unless they had no faction issues to begin with

Most have already split once and regrouped with survivors, reborn like patchwork golems

Comments:

-[What]

-[Wow, they’re splitting up that badly?]

-[That’s right, we also had a ton of people who ran away because of faction fights, so I heard we’re completely merging with another clan]

-˪[You too?]

-[This is serious for real]

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It was truly a mass extinction period for clans, to the point where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it that.

Users were beginning to wonder if this might be a surprise event from the developers.

Of course, regardless of what situation others were experiencing…

Icarus, who had half-lost interest in community activities, only looked at the wiki tab or deleted reported posts, except when accidentally clicking on the gallery.

“Ah, it’s finally built!”

“Wow!”

Completely uninterested in how the situation was unfolding, he was deeply focused on his own tasks.

==========

After a long two weeks that somehow felt like reading a very long monologue or third-person narrative…

“Finally!”

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<<<Fleet Long-Range Teleport System Construction Complete>>>

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With the message that appeared right before my eyes,

I was looking through a hologram at the massive “gate” that had been installed, almost embedded into one side of the base.

Seeing its scale, I could definitely understand why it consumed 191,500 minerals.

But just as I was appreciating that feeling…

“Icarus, I heard that the facility you desired has finally been completed.”

‘How did she already notice and get here?’

As Oxianor, who probably wanted this facility built even more desperately than I did, appeared, I managed my expression and nodded in response.

“Yes, once we finish preparing the ships, we can immediately resolve your request.”

“Ohhh.”

However, contrary to my bold declaration, Jessica beside me shook her head.

“Commander, but if we send over 100 ships along with Partia, Pashtra, and Berial… who will be responsible for base defense?”

“Hmm.”

“To be more precise, there’s no one who can defend our territory, including the resource zones.”

Regardless of rank…

In our current base situation, there was no one who could fill in for others except Ignis-Partia.

While Griyanar could command to a limited extent…

Griyanar was convinced that her command skills were objectively worse than Berial’s.

And no one at our base could replicate Pashtra’s ultra-long-range beam bombardment.

I nodded at Jessica’s point and had to take a moment to contemplate.

But that didn’t last long.

As the three of us were pondering in the command center, Marian suddenly appeared.

“What’s going on that has the three of you looking so intrigued and worried?”

When I saw Marian’s expression showing pure curiosity, I realized—and so did Jessica—that the key to solving our problem was right beside us.

After briefly exchanging glances and nodding to each other,

We gently approached our Marian and explained the current situation.

And finally…

“We need someone to defend the base and territory, but at this rate, it would be quite difficult to defend against invasions from other commanders or forces…”

“Is that so?! If my darling is in danger, I absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing!”

As soon as I drove the point home, we got exactly the response we wanted.

Behind Marian’s line of sight, Jessica and I quietly high-fived, careful not to make any sound.