Alius, Emily, and Kim appeared in the small dimension Sora had created, each reacting differently.
Alius' gaze immediately landed on Karim, who sat in front of Sora, while Emily and Kim's eyes darted between Sora and Alius, their expressions filled with surprise.
Emily was the first to speak. "ALIUS!! You lied to me! You two look exactly the same!! Kim, tell them, they're identical!"
Sora smiled upon hearing these words. 'Some people never change.'
He waved his hand, materializing three additional seats out of thin air, and spoke, "Welcome, everyone. Thank you for coming. Take a seat."
Before Emily could interrupt, he continued, "Let's not discuss my resemblance to Alius. It's a private matter, and I have no intention of explaining it."
Emily pouted at his words, but Sora ignored it and pressed on. "I invited you here because I've been in 'hibernation' this past month and missed most of what happened. Can you fill me in on the situation inside the thirty cities?"
Alius, understanding what Sora meant, looked toward Kim, who hesitated for a moment.
"You can trust him like you trust me," Alius assured.
Kim sighed before raising his hand. A projection of the planet materialized in the air.
"Everything started with the second world update. Right after it happened, there was a massive rush toward the top thirty cities. However, all the cities were already surrounded by enemies, preventing most people from entering. Most people who managed to get inside did so by using teleportation scrolls specifically linked to these safe zones."
The projection showed people running toward cities, just like what Sora had witnessed in South Korea before Kara died. Then, the scene changed, showing individuals tearing scrolls apart and vanishing from their locations.
"There was a huge market for these scrolls. Anyone with access to an [Auction House] could purchase one to teleport inside a city. But they were extremely expensive, and hundreds of millions couldn't afford them. Others didn't have access to an [Auction House] or never encountered a [Wandering Merchant], leaving them trapped outside. After the first few days, most cities around the world have been under the watch of our enemies, and players were imprisoned in their homes."
Kim waved his hand again, changing the projection. Sora watched as cities rapidly transformed.
"Cities adapted. Some players made fortunes selling solutions for housing, pocket dimensions, magical locks, and even large-scale city remodeling services. Portals connecting cities started appearing, accelerating trade and movement. These businesses thrived worldwide, reshaping all thirty cities in similar ways."
Sora observed how the wealthy people established safe, luxurious accommodations while the poor were stacked on top of each other in small districts and tiny pocket dimensions.
Emily snorted and crossed her arms. "Doesn't matter where or when—it's always the same. The moment a civilization forms, the rich trample the poor to climb higher, and the poor get buried under their feet."
Sora raised an eyebrow at her remark before asking, "Who exactly is in power? How is humanity organized?"
Kim was about to respond, but Emily cut him off. "You take too long to explain. Let me handle it."
Ignoring Karim's chuckle, she continued, "There are thirty cities, and each has a leader. Sometimes it's an old-world political leader, other times it's a guild master. In some cases, it's an alliance of guilds. These thirty cities are divided into over twenty different factions, each acting in its own interest."
"New York City stands alone, controlling the northeastern part of America. Los Angeles dominates the northwest. Mexico City leads Central America. In some cases, neighboring cities have formed alliances, like Osaka and Tokyo."
Sora absorbed the information in silence, his mind piecing together the fragmented state of humanity. He rubbed his forehead in irritation and continued listening.
"They're playing with taxes, manipulating rules, and controlling the lives of people who have no choice but to submit."
"There are also seventeen guilds that control their own territories, outside of the major cities. These territories are marked as safe zones, but their capacity is limited by the guild's level."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Guilds are actually protecting people?"
The four players in front of him nodded in unison.
"How many people can they protect?"
Emily responded, "Depends. A level 1 territory holds 100 people. A level 2 territory holds 1,000. Our guild is level 9, and it can accommodate 250,000 players and citizens."
Sora sighed. "There are almost nine billion people left on Earth. Two hundred fifty thousand is nowhere near enough."
Kim shook his head. "It's not that bad. We've only started leveling up our territory recently. With Alius' contribution and the period of peace ahead, we can probably raise it to level 15 or 16. That'd put us on par with a major city in terms of capacity. GODS have a level 15 guild and can shelter a hundred million people."
Sora narrowed his eyes. "Why do you need Alius' contribution?"
Emily grinned. "The experience required to level up a territory is ridiculous. And this guy is the best at farming EXP from beasts. That's without mentioning the other resources needed."
Sora nodded before asking another question. "I heard you were in a war against [GODS]. Mind explaining what happened?"
Emily's smile faded and turned into frown. "How much do you know about Hannah Stone?"
"I know about her power and this guy's past," Sora answered, gesturing toward Karim.
Emily shot him a weird look before pointing at Alius. "Our friend here attacked their guild headquarters a while before the update. His girlfriend was imprisoned there, and it took him weeks, alternating between fighting and negotiations to get what he wanted. In the process, Hannah's reputation was ruined, and she was on the verge of getting kicked out of the guild."
She paused, but before she could continue, Kim cut in. "Stop being so dramatic. If you keep dragging this out, we'll be here all day. Morgan Casey's investigation, combined with the evidence Alius provided and other factors, led to Hannah's downfall. The player responsible for the guild's prison eventually changed sides, abandoning Hannah's faction and cutting ties with her."
"That's how Hope was freed," Kim continued. "However, before Hannah could be expelled, the update happened. On the day of the update, she reclaimed all of her 'investments,' as she calls them, and became a monster no one could stop. Within days, she took over her guild and executed the faction leaders who opposed her."
Sora's jaw dropped. "A coup? In a guild? That's insane."
Emily turned back to Sora and nodded. "Doesn't matter if it's a guild, a city, or an entire region. The ones in power are the ones with the strongest fists."
Alius, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. "Why are you asking about the guild war?"
Sora smiled. "I'm planning my next four weeks, but I needed to understand the global and local situations first."
Noting the expectant looks on Emily and Kim's faces, he added, "Want some help with that war of yours?" Before they could respond, Alius asked, "Do you know how strong Hannah is?"
Sora gave him a look that spoke louder than words and asked, "Does it matter?"
Alius froze at the implication. "You're bringing everyone?"
Sora nodded. "I have plans for the future, and leaving threats of Hannah's level unchecked isn't an option."
Alius' curiosity was piqued. "What's your plan?"
Sora thought for a few seconds before answering, "Let's make the game fair for humans. I want to give everyone a chance to contribute to our kingdom's victory."
Emily, Kim, and Karim stared at him in surprise. Each had their own thoughts, but none of them believed such a thing was possible.
Alius, however, had stars in his eyes. "What's the first step?"
"After the stream, I've gained a bit of fame, maybe even popularity among viewers. However, none of the world leaders know where I stand. To them, I'm a nobody who appeared out of nowhere. I've already received gifts while I was streaming, and I expect them to try getting on my good side to gain benefits, or at least ensure I don't become their enemy."
"But I don't plan to enter their schemes, become their ally, or play by their rules. I will remain independent."
Emily looked at him, confused. "How is any of that related to Hannah?"
Alius turned to her and grinned. "He's too shy to say it directly, so I'll translate for you. He's going to wipe out [GODS] to send a message to every regional leader. Then, he'll offer freedom, wealth, and a ton of perks to naive people so they flock to the new force he's creating. That way, he'll have millions of underlings. Am I right?"
A vein bulged on Sora's forehead as he barely restrained himself from standing up and beating Alius to death.
In the end, he took a deep breath and sighed.
"You're still as stupid as ever."
Turning to the others, he coughed before saying, "I plan on making a friend's dream come true. He wanted to create a safe place for everyone. He wanted to see humanity united against our real enemies. And if I have to swat a few flies on the way to that dream, I don't mind doing it."
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