Early Afternoon - Late Summer : Arlington, Virginia | Uates

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  - Kazzaer Aldinn ~

  ""Breaking news! As global tensions rise, the rumored treaty between the Uates and Russia has been officially firmed." Setting a stack of papers on the desk, the news reporter's exhausted gaze fell on the camera. "Although the details of the agreement are still unknown, it appears that gress will be holding a public stream tonight to discuss the details. The only thing we currently know is that it involves a deal between them and Leyfa Askr to purchase vast volumes of mana cores."

  Flipping the s to the view of a young elven boy standing with his back to the runway of an airport, he was quick to tinue. "Starting about a week ago, there has been a plete exodus of mana cores from both the Uates and Russia respectively. Totaling about eight huhousand tons, it appears that both the Uates and Russia are emptying their stockpiles, sending nearly everything they had in reserves to Leyfa Askr. Many have suspected this would affect the market, however, as of now, the only abnormal movement in prices is from specution."

  Flipping back to the exhausted man at the desk, he gently motioo the s behind him. "In other news, yet another major city has fallen. This time, B+ Rank City, Omaha, Nebraska. As of this m at 09:12, all unication with the city has ceased, and by the looks of things from the air..." Looking back at the s, showing a massive, slender creature walking along the wall of the burning city, his expression further stiffened. "Thankfully, the civilian popution had already been evacuated to Kansas City prior to the attack, but the losses ot be prauged yet. Meraries have been dispatched to iigate further, and we will keep everyone updated whe more information. Now to Theron who is on-site in Brazil for iional news."

  Sing one more time to an older, mrizzled demihuman man sitting in a forest with a sword id over his legs, the camera shook slightly, as if hand-held. "Thanks." Speaking through lethargy, the man tinued with a rasp. "For iional news, it's.. not aer thaerday... ht, two more tries have fallen, this time Paraguay and Rajasthan. Although not as bad as the colpse of Sudaher day, both tries have officially dissolved and bee part of their neighbors. This now makes the total colpsed nations five i two weeks..."

  Falling silent for a moment, you could hear murmurs behind the camera before the grizzled maually tinued.

  "In any case, the rank-up seems to only be getting worse, and just like the past several days, there was not a single fn system merary reported to appear oh today. We currently don't know why. The church has been rather quiet over ret weeks, but as of the appearance of the infamous 'destroyer' that appeared in Arlington, there hasn't been a single doted fn system merary to arrive here. As of now, experts believe it has to do with a system error..." Looking down at his still-bloody bde, he grimaced. "Regardless, the reason no longer matters. Until it's shown otherwise no one is going to save us." Looking up at the camera as he stabbed his sword in the grouo him, his eyes sharpened with a bze. "So it's time we save ourselves for once.""

  *Flicker* Turning off the television with a motion of my hand, I looked over the meeting room, filled with the gloomy faces of gressmen and guild leaders before pressing a button oop of the table. -Looks like everyone is here...- *Woop* Almost immediately, a holographic globe appeared before everyone, color-coded with a spectrum from green to red.

  But at first g didn't even look like Earth.

  It was a risk map of the world, and while it was something people in our positions would look at only.. the sea of red shades that greeted us was something we weren't used to...

  "We have much to discuss, so let us begin." Bringing everyone's attention bae, I spoke as firmly as my sleepless mind would let me. "Over the st week, global casualties have pushed ht million, and nearly thirty pert of our developable nd has been occupied by monsters exceeding a level at which we hah just the military. As such, I have received an ultimatum from the military. Starting today, we will designate overly dangerous areas as 'lost nd' and give them up until further notice. From now on, we will turtle up in our cities and focus pletely on the growth of infrastructure and the defense of important POIs. Are there any objes?"

  Raising her hand, a browhered avian woman scooted forward and id her elbows oable. "What about dungeon raiding?"

  She was the guild master of a rather fast-growing guild called 'The Hawks', a group of elites that would raid and clear dungeons at record speeds. "We discuss it today, however, I expect dungeon raiding to cease from today onwards. If accessible, they be used, but 'hunting' will likely bee the dominant form of harvesting monsters during the rank-up. Any other questions?" Watg her lean back I looked over the others in silence before eventually turning to move on.

  But just as I turned away from the table, I heard the k of armor moving. "What about the Elven Kingdom? Is the mahey are supplying us too little to prevent the loss of nd? As far as I'm aware, they have sent enough to-"

  "Arthur," my gaze turned heavy in an instant. "If you wish to send yourself or yuildmates to fight to proteinhabited nd, then be my guest, but if not, then why should we send them over? Just because they are soldiers of another natio mean we should treat them like meat shields..." -For all we know, the Quee want them back... They very well might bee citizens here eventually...- "But you aren't wrong in that you should all know how Leyfa Askr's users are being utilized, so allow me to move on to that." Finally hushing him, I waved my hand to update the s with aensive list of names, numbers, and locations.

  Up until that point, we had received just shy of two huhousand users from Leyfa Askr, all exceeding the level of general military members, and with them, our usable military for many cities was directly multiplied. However, even with them, proteg anything beyond the walls was a fruitless effort.

  So, we used their skills and strengths elsewhere.

  "Currently, around 85% of the fn forces have been dedicated to civil development or stru efforts, with the remaining 15% stationed in more dangerous cities to assist with evacuation efforts. Sihe Uates is iing billions of gold into the defense industry, massive stru projects have been started all around the try, and as such, while the monster wave is still ramping up, we need all hands oo ehe neons being developed are installed before things get bad, any questions there?"

  Watg the room fall silent for a moment, I ged the s again, this time dispying a name of thirty high-profile individuals, all of which around level 600.

  "Now, for reements with Russia. Three days ago, they sent two elite squadroo help us with the dirty work, they are called 'The Snake' and 'The Lion', with the Snake squad specializing in dungeons, assassinations, or killing fast targets, while the Lion squadron specializes in more heavy-footed monsters." Seeing their unease, I was quick to tinue. "I know our retions with Russia haven't been the greatest over ret years, but it is time we set petty disputes behind us. For the survival of our world, we have to work together. I hope you all uand that."

  Quickly raising his hand, a young, robed elven boy was quick to interject. "For them to send over two of their top three squadrons.. we must have paid quite a price."

  Nodding, I updated their ss with images of a tract. "That is correct. The Eversor pany, as well as many other top defense panies will be expanding to Russia."

  Almost immediately, several gressmen flinched.

  "Before you get ahead of yourself, Lockheed and Aerojet Rocketdyne refused the deal, and will be remaining US-exclusive."

  ""Phew..."" Several people instantly let out breaths of relief.

  But I uood why. While the current minister of Russia was quite well-liked by people globally, their previous one was akin to Rubichev, a minister who, during the early days of the Great Split, killed tens of millions of his own people, and fired several nuclear armaments at the US before being assassinated by a 'third-party'.

  But we no longer had a choice but to associate with powerful allies.

  And so, without obje, the meeting tinued.

  Overviewing the many specifics of the Russian alliance, we discussed our pns moving forward, the use of the new, nigh-endless defense budget, the initiation of new projects such as public academies aimed at ensuring everyone who awaken, does, and the proposal of a draft for non-bat military positions.

  All-in-all, things were looking pretty good.

  But ohing we o keep in mind was that time wasn't our friend.

  With the rank-up only getting worse with ead every day, and no meraries ing to Earth through the system, we were gambling against the house. One day, the dice wouldn't roll in our favor, and we would lose the high ground... One day we would be forced to go into hiding.. and our world would regress to the days of old...

  It was just a matter of time.

  But as I walked out of the meeting room that evening with a dark, thought-drowned expression, my mind was frozen on the image of dozens of monsters getting misted in the upper atmosphere barely a sed after they dropped out of their gates.

  It was a dispy of power that took the voice of those who saw it away as if they saw the hand of god desd.

  A hand that I shook...

  Thinking ba it, my stomach twisted. When I first met her, I was certain she was simply a strong merary, after all she khe tradition of dwarves, and acted the part...

  But the momeouched hands, that view ged entirely. "Hooh..." Letting out a nervous breath, I looked down at my shaky, salm before closing my eyes and g a fist.

  The moment I shook hands with her, I felt as if I had teleported. As if revealirue self to me, the momeouched hands, space bent around us, all light ceased, and the crushi of infinity squeezed on me.

  Back then, it almost felt inspiring. Being able to greet su unfathomably powerful being was the pleasure of all dwarves, throughout our history, reatest power was es to the powerful, whether through crafting them armor or ons, or brewing them alcohol.

  But as time passed, that iion sat heavier and heavier on my mind.. brewing a mix of ay and doubt that I did something wrong.

  Even though there was nothing I could do but hope that my impression was enough.

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