Ch.17Ready, Ready, Ready, Ready! (1)

They call it a chain quest.

Based on my increasingly hazy memories from three years ago, this event was a world event that practically forced all users to participate.

Of course, there’s a possibility my memory is wrong, so I quietly opened the community board to check the reactions.

—————————————-

-LMAO at everyone freaking out about this event

-Hey, can we escape to someone else’s base?

-MomIwannabeapirateMomIwannabeapirateMomIwannabeapirate

-From now on, call me the Pirate King

-Upvote if you’re gonna target those who just hoarded resources without preparing

-StopTalkingNonsenseStopTalkingNonsenseStopTalkingNonsense

—————————————-

The community was already buzzing with my bait and the pirate reinforcements.

With the appearance of this truly mind-blowing event, things had gotten even more heated with everyone shouting “Let’s go!”

And as I watched this mess unfold, I started contemplating what I should do next.

Of course, I wasn’t the only one thinking about this.

“Jessica, you’ve seen it too… what do you think we should do in response?”

“Hmm… hmm.”

With three of our base personnel away, I was brainstorming with Jessica, the only remaining member and our base’s Adjutant.

“Your IQ is 150, my IQ is 150.”

“…Pardon?”

“Combined IQ of 300, we need to come up with the best plan.”

“???”

We were racking our brains to establish a response system.

But unlike when I was playing the game before quitting, when we had various resources at our disposal…

“But Commander, we don’t really have much left at our disposal.”

“Hmm.”

“Honestly, our only options are to recruit more scout ships, install defense turrets up to the base command limit…”

“Hmm.”

“And finally, somehow help Pashtra and Berial gain enough experience to grow stronger before the real battle begins.”

“You’ve said everything I was going to say, but you’re right.”

As Jessica pointed out, all we could really do was hone our fundamentals.

“I think it would be better to discuss the details when Berial returns. Honestly, I’m only in charge of internal affairs… I don’t know more than the basics about combat.”

I nodded in agreement at Jessica’s words, which were delivered with seemingly crushed confidence yet methodically laying out the facts.

==========

A little while later.

“It should be about time.”

After summoning Berial, who was probably holed up in the training room, to the reception room in the base…

I went ahead and sat on the sofa, idly stirring a milk tea with plenty of sugar cubes to pass the time.

Just as I finished making my special sugar milk tea and was about to take a leisurely sip…

“I heard you called for me, Commander.”

At the most perfect timing.

She must have been diligently running simulations in the base’s “training room” while efficiently sucking up experience points from the linked Pashtra and Ignis.

—————————————-

<Berial>

<Level 12>

<Type: Army Mid-Range>

<Trait: Doll Manipulation>

<Stats>

Health: A

Attack Power: B-

Physical Defense: S-

Magic Power: SSS

Magic Defense: SS+

Mobility: S

—————————————-

Berial appeared with her level increased to 12, and for some reason, her attack power had been upgraded (from C+ to B-).

I put down the milk tea I was about to drink and invited Berial to take a seat.

“Ah, you’re here? Please, have a seat.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Though she complied with my words, Berial’s cool face was filled with genuine puzzlement about why I had called her.

So after moistening my throat with a sip of milk tea, I decided to get straight to the point.

“Ahem, hmm.”

“?”

“The reason I called you, Berial, is because we’ve received reports that pirate activities have intensified recently.”

The moment she heard my words.

The puzzled expression vanished completely, replaced by a face that embodied the word ‘cold-blooded,’ taking on the appearance of a typical commander.

“I understand. Are you perhaps asking me to use our fleet and forces to… launch a preemptive strike against the pirates?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I shook my head at her response and briefly explained why I had called her.

“We’ve been receiving frequent communications from other commanders about their bases being attacked.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so our base might also be attacked by pirates soon… you know what I mean?”

“Of course, Commander.”

I may have the title of Commander, but I haven’t received proper command training like a real military “commanding officer.”

Rather than rambling on with inadequate instructions that might just lower her loyalty, it was best to give her room to understand and act accordingly.

Of course, if the person listening to me had less intelligence than me, this could cause a very, very, VERY serious disaster.

“Then shall I take command of the fleet immediately and prepare a strategy?”

“That’s exactly it. I’ll leave it to you.”

“I will not disappoint you.”

The way she removed her hat and bowed her head with extreme courtesy…

It was the kind of sight that made the trust meter in my heart pump up just by looking at it.

==========

After entrusting the fleet command to Berial.

I opened the community board again, with the chat window open beside it, and started working.

Well, I say “working,” but it’s really just browsing the community…

‘There are people in the community!’

Unlike in reality, this is the only place to gather information here, and since my subordinates can’t access it, I had no choice but to browse through it whenever I had time to look for useful information.

Of course, as always…

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Title: This is my wife

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Rear image of SS-class scout ship], [Enlarged rear image of said scout ship]

Isn’t she sexy ㅠㅠ

This is s*x.

I’m gonna put it in the scout ship’s nozzle hole!

Comments:

-[She’s MY wife]

-[Well written]

-[You’re crazy]

-[You’re pathetic]

-[How did dozens of people already claim her as their wife?]

-˪[Even a city bus would have fewer]

—————————————-

—————————————-

Title: The main cannon is so sexy lolololol

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Enlarged image of pirate destroyer’s main cannon]

Damn, I’d wrap rice in seaweed and rub it against the inside of that barrel for a meal fit for kings

Having such a magnificent thing attached to a delicate virgin increases sexiness by 200% Kyaaa bartender!

Comments:

-[The cr*ziness is especially bad today]

-[These ship-obsessed lunatics]

-[Why on earth are you people like this]

-[Don’t the moderators work here? It’s always a mess]

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Whether they couldn’t handle the stress or were just naturally crazy, I’m not sure.

But right when I logged in.

The community gallery was blazing with an invasion(?) of sexual deviants.

So I closed the community window and was about to just ask a question in the chat window when…

-[Hey guys, I heard something called the Pirate Empress appears in this event, what’s that?]

Another newbie had already asked my question, so I lowered my hands that were about to type and decided to watch.

Before long, as I saw various replies to that question…

I tried to gauge how much attractive information our veteran players might have.

And at the same time, I’d gather some information by watching the chat.

‘Hmm, perfect.’