Ch.404″I’m worth a lot.” (1)

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<Antares-Indefatigable-Menaldu Chat Room>

-[We can meet our power requirements if we bring in Icarus](Menaldu)

-[Last time we mobilized 450,000 ships for the Tannhäuser operation]

-[That number has probably increased since then, not decreased, right?](Indefatigable)

-[Hmmmteresting](Antares)

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Of course, such tempting thoughts were fleeting.

Just days ago, he had barely managed to clear his debt by leaking various high-level information through a spy team passing through Tannhäuser.

If he were to incur another debt here, there was no telling what price he might have to pay in the future.

Antares couldn’t help but feel a subconscious negative impression, thinking, ‘Even if I’m fine, one wrong move could screw over the entire Humanity clan.’

But then again, it wasn’t like he had any other clever solutions…

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<Humanity Executive Chat Room>

<Notice: Urgent Request for Countermeasures Regarding Earth Federation>

-[We’re starting to receive warning signals from clan members and sub-clan leaders]

-[What’s the issue?]

-[Ship replenishment speed can’t keep up, and at this rate, we might fall behind]

-[Ah shit]

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Despite the situation appearing chaotic but relatively balanced on the surface…

In reality, the system was designed so that users would be at a disadvantage as time passed.

Like it or not, Antares desperately needed some new means to escape this situation.

==========

And the users in the gallery felt the same way.

Though some users were bewildered, wondering what nonsense this was all about.

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Title: LMAO you idiots, of course users should win in a long-term battle

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Image of a toad staring straight ahead]

So why exactly does Humanity become disadvantaged as time passes?

If you don’t tell me, I’ll post disgusting images during this busy time for the moderators

[Collection.jpg of various disgusting images with “mosaic” censoring]

Comments:

-[Damn, throwing two curveballs at once]

-[I thought this was a newbie’s gallery-style question, but turns out it’s an armed robbery demanding answers]

-[Declaring he’ll post a page of disgusting images for every unanswered question]

-[“We will never negotiate with terrorists!”]

-˪[LOL what exactly can you do?]

-˪[So frustrating]

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And the gallery veterans, surrendering to such “threats,” eventually provided a concise answer.

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Title: Question-robber gay, read this post

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Image of a toad pointing a gun]

The system allows “NPCs” to replenish ships faster.

Of course, users have superhuman buffs and gacha ships, so it’s not a problem

But users need at least a day to produce even small ships when they’re destroyed

For larger ships, especially battleship-class and above, it takes almost a week.

Unlike NPCs who can mass-produce fleet-sized quantities at once, users can only build from 5-6 regular shipyards and 3-4 large ship yards when docked at a base

And nothing gets built without resources, that’s the issue

Now that you understand, immediately post 10 collections of 50 carefully selected sexy images

If you don’t, I’ll post disgusting images in the gallery first

[Collection of collections.jpg containing numerous “ammunition” disgusting images submitted]

Comments:

-[Damn, neither of them is normal]

-[If you’re going to fight, please just create your own chat room]

-[Please stop this mutual assured destruction, you idiots]

-[But if you look decent, couldn’t you just get along with the female superhumans?]

-˪[SHUT!!!UP!!!!!!!!!!!](Author)

-˪[Oh my]

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In the process, one unfortunate user with a fixed nickname suffered an indelible mental wound.

Insisting that he shouldn’t be the only one suffering, he proceeded to spam dozens of pages of disgusting images in the gallery.

As a result, other innocent users who had been minding their own business also experienced visual bombardment…

Ironically, Antares, the actual party involved, wasn’t even looking at the gallery.

Meanwhile, our protagonist Icarus and Koenig, who had nothing better to do, were moderating the gallery as “ranked moderators” when they were subjected to visual terrorism.

In their rage, they fired ban beams indiscriminately, resulting in mass bans for both the terrorists and innocent bystanders alike.

At least no one would suffer anymore, which was certainly a good thing.

==========

Anyway, while Icarus was enduring this painful time in the gallery…

After much deliberation, Antares and Humanity’s inner circle decided to request support from Icarus.

At this point, however, someone raised a rather obvious concern.

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<Humanity Executive Chat Room>

<Notice: Urgent Request for Countermeasures Regarding Earth Federation>

-[But Icarus has a high ranking]

-[Yeah]

-[He’s 3rd, but why does that matter?]

-[If we’re requesting support, doesn’t that mean our clan leader should personally approach him?]

-[Well, um…]

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The issue was that given Icarus’s high ranking, protocol dictated that Antares himself should directly request support from Icarus.

While this wasn’t fundamentally incorrect…

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<Humanity Executive Chat Room>

<Notice: Urgent Request for Countermeasures Regarding Earth Federation>

-[But that would mean making a public support request]

-[Icarus may be solo in name, but he’s essentially the clan leader of the Central Zone]

-[If it gets out that Icarus is moving at our request, our carefully crafted containment plan could fall apart]

-[Ah shit]

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If Antares were to request support from Icarus…

And if it became known that Icarus accepted and acted on that request, then Loki, Justice, and Biomass might conclude that Humanity’s operations weren’t going as planned.

They might then send a massive expeditionary force, even at great cost, to prevent Humanity from dominating the Earth Federation and becoming the overwhelming number one clan.

So despite being in the middle of a civil war with the Earth Federation, Humanity’s executives found themselves reviewing this additional matter.

As they racked their insufficient brains to the point where “hair loss” was about to be added to their character traits…

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<Humanity Executive Chat Room>

<Notice: Urgent Request for Countermeasures Regarding Earth Federation>

-[Can’t we just not do it directly?]

-[Our clan leader doesn’t have to do it personally; we could use Indefatigable or Menaldu as intermediaries]

-[True, I heard those two put Icarus in their debt recently]

-[That’s the answer, let’s go]

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With this conclusion drawn from their exhausted minds, Antares immediately contacted Indefatigable and Menaldu, who had joined as external mercenaries.

He requested they handle the “negotiations” with Icarus for support.

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<Antares-Indefatigable-Menaldu Chat Room>

-[For these reasons, I’d like you to negotiate with Icarus on our behalf](Antares)

-[Well, well]

-[You guys really make things complicated](Indefatigable)

-[OK OK]

-[I’ll take it since the compensation will be better](Menaldu)

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However… when Indefatigable and Menaldu actually contacted Icarus via chat, our Icarus replied:

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<Icarus-Indefatigable-Menaldu Chat Room>

-[Sorry but I don’t have resources so I can’t help]

-[Bye](Icarus)

-[???](Indefatigable)

-[You don’t have resources?](Menaldu)

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With this blunt refusal(?), the two rankers were left completely dumbfounded.