Shocking Alliances Ignite the World
Korea (1) | South African Union (15)
Western European Union (9) | Arab Union (6)
Northern European Union (5) | South American Union (10)
Southeast Asian Union (11)
Central Asian Union (10)
(...)
The moment the countless alliance lists appeared, the world erupted in flames once more.
Lively debates and analyses erupted everywhere.
But the hottest spot of all was one particular alliance.
The composition was simple.
America, China, Japan—literally.
The entire world froze in shock.
At the center of the controversy and buzz, the US-China-Japan alliance acted immediately.
A massive wave of American and Chinese Awakeners showed up at Japan's Tartarus subjugation site.
An overwhelming force.
All armed with Z3 gear.
"Cover the rear units!"
"Entering phase 2!"
Boom! KABOOM!
Under the command of the American Awakener squad, the raid wrapped up in seconds.
Japan has successfully subjugated Tartarus #2.
Steals 2 million points from China.
China's Tartarus fully recovers HP.
Japan stole points.
2 million from China.
But since they were in the same alliance, the total score didn't change.
And just like that, the US-China-Japan Awakeners boarded private jets and vanished.
Where to next?
Not hard to guess.
And in the spot they left behind.
The Japanese people cheered.
The entire archipelago shook.
America and China, usually trashed nonstop, were chanted endlessly.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world plunged into chaos.
US Management Agency operations room.
Gail Crafton, the bear-like hulking director, exhaled cigar smoke as he spoke.
"There's only one picture our great United States is painting. The downfall of Korea and the Hitchhiker, right?"
"Yes, exactly."
Elliot Hesson, the deputy director, snapped to reply.
No trace of his usual arrogance—just tension.
It made sense.
His opponent was Director Gail Crafton.
In terms of influence on America, he rivaled the president.
He'd been prepping for retirement, off the front lines, but rushed back.
Why? The catastrophe of America dropping to 2nd place.
"Elliot, I'm deeply disappointed. I was pleased with you as my successor, but to make such a fatal mistake..."
"S-sorry, sir."
His eyes were fierce.
Felt like he'd get devoured.
Gail was notoriously savage even in daily life, sparing no means for his goals.
His thick hand fiddled with the ashtray.
As if about to hurl it.
But.
"I'll give you one more chance."
The hand returned to place.
"Th-thank you!"
"Is the assignment done?"
"Yes, of course!"
Elliot snapped his fingers.
Aides rushed in, setting briefcases on the table and opening them.
Click! Click! Click!
All tactical items.
"Items transferred from China and Japan. They've hoarded tons maintaining top 3 ranks for years. We selected only types America doesn't have."
Securing more tactical items.
One main reason America pulled China-Japan from the swamp into alliance.
Individual items might not dent Korea much.
But combinations opened endless possibilities.
Gail examined them carefully.
"Hoo—."
Exhaling smoke, he spoke casually.
"We'll use our newly acquired Trial Defense Right here."
America's biggest edge right now.
Holding the world's top climber, Killdragon.
Via achievement bonuses, they had intel on Trials appearing every 5 floors from 70 up.
Elliot caught on, impressed.
"Killdragon's challenging 71 now. Use 4 skip tickets, straight to 75. New Trial overlays worldwide."
The new Trial: Trial of Speed.
Monsters inside the Tower get 1.5x action speed.
Applies from floor 40+.
"Spot on. Hitchhiker's at 41, can't avoid it."
Of course, variables exist.
Opponent's the Hitchhiker.
No guarantee his score streak stops.
But that's fine.
This wasn't just to snipe Hitchhiker alone.
"Korea's other high-rankers will take a real hit."
Hitchhiker's national achievements.
Letting Korea bloom points despite harsh conditions.
As of August 8.
Excluding Hitchhiker, daily output ~250k points.
Not ignorable.
"Can't target Hitchhiker directly yet. Start by cutting off Korea's limbs."
"Excellent strategy, Director."
Not just Korea hit.
Strong 1st-place contender.
Western European Union including high-avg-climber Germany (last round 3rd) takes big damage too.
America, however.
Defends against the next Tower Trial applied to the designated nation (1 time only).
The sole exception to the Trial.
China and Japan?
Flooded with naturalization tickets from halting mercenary ops in weak nations.
Just use 'em to shift high-rankers to America.
Plan's perfect.
1.5x monster speed.
Factoring task types, actual difficulty spikes 2-3x.
Everyone but US-China-Japan dreams the nightmare of Speed Trial.
"Korea won't be exempt."
"Yes. Guaranteed."
Chance Korea got Trial Defense Right like America from last round reward?
Analysis: under 0.05%.
"Execute two days from now, after minimal recon on other alliances."
"Yes, sir!"
Next agenda.
"How's intel ops?"
"Security's tight, hard to infiltrate Korean Agency. But monitoring external movements max."
This target's not the elusive Hitchhiker.
Yuhoyen, Lee Sera, Park Jinwoo.
S-ranks besides Hitchhiker.
"Plus, signs of a new S-rank spotted, unconfirmed."
"Show what happens when you mess with America. Eliminate on sight."
Gail stubbed his cigar hard into the ashtray.
America's cruelty and savagery.
No more hiding it.
Beyond shocking—a combo verging on traumatic.
"This actually happened."
I'd thought it possible, but never that it'd become reality.
A voice from behind.
"Lady Carmina, time to pay up?"
"N-no way! How'd you guess this?!"
Carmina handed over top-grade mana stones to Yulia, on the verge of tears.
What was this scene?
Results of alliance prediction bets.
"Sigh, I told you, Lady Carmina never beats Lady Yulia at anything. Why challenge her?"
Yulia beamed at me.
"You too, Your Holiness?"
Not working.
Tried to slip by slyly.
Pulled the church donation box from my subspace (booze vault), dropped in 2 mana stones.
Clink!
Whoa, look at that pile inside.
Vessel of desire or what.
Moving things enchant men, shiny ones enchant women, they say.
Lustrous top-grade mana stones.
My aides coveted 'em, so I gift one per Tower run.
Half-joking, half-serious: Collect 100, any wish granted.
"How many now?"
"16th already."
"Lady Carmina's?"
"Hehe, 7."
"Gonna give 'em back?"
Click.
Yulia shut the box lid, yeeted into the booze vault, closed the portal.
"Wasn't mercy and charity church doctrine?"
Crack—the gap opened, her head peeked.
"That's old goddess church. Now the one true doctrine is dopamine indulgence."
Then poof, gone.
"Uuu... Master!!"
Carmina flailed.
Like a kid robbed of candy.
"Sigh."
Handed her 3 new mana stones.
"Take these, but no more challenges to Yulia, got it?"
"Ahh! Master! Best! Yulia! Bang bang bang! Come out! I reloaded!"
What'd she hear from my words?
This vampire's nuts too.
Only trust Hati?
Turned, and.
—Dopamine! Dopamine!
Silver fox bouncing madly on the bed.
Heh, we're screwed.
Bad influences sunk in.
Locked eyes then.
Hati grabbed the orb toy in mouth, leaped nobly, powerfully.
"Guh!"
—Human, warm, love it!
Hati curled tail and body on my lap, grrr-ing.
Tackle stung my gut a bit.
But petting these plump tails freely? 100x profit.
Roll.
Red orb fell from Hati's mouth.
Glowing bright crimson sphere.
What is it? Mini artificial sun.
Yesterday's Spiritia planet flashed back naturally.
The hurled sun exploded inside the black monster bird's gaping beak.
Light engulfed the planet instantly.
Vision cleared: monster gone without trace.
The hundreds of thousands of birds blanketing the sky too.
And also.
"Master! The trees shed the black grime, back to original colors!"
Rock, soil, mountains, dry riverbeds.
Ground colors changed too.
But farther out, still black.
"Difference based on artificial sun light reach."
Then message barrage.
Spiritia Restoration Progress
Restoration Increase: 5%
Current Cumulative: 5%
Galaxy Traveler's all stats +5%.
Ally Hati's all stats +5%.
Stat boosts standard.
Bond with Ally Hati greatly increased.
Gained 10,000 Tower Coins.
'Item Transfer' on Spiritia: Rare item drop rate greatly increased.
Side bonuses too.
But main event wasn't that.
Result: this in my hand.
"Give it to the century's vampire with killer looks and skills!"
"Faith in Your Holiness will explode universe-scale on receipt."
Yulia reappeared.
Eying the 3 stones in Carmina's hand too.
Pondered, then.
"Give to our Hati."
Not for other reasons.
Tower climbs already maxing scores per floor with Meteor and Black Hole.
Stronger Carmina/Yulia?
Great, sure.
But no immediate impact.
Better to.
Earth and other planets' S-ranks pumping points too.
Boost means to push our party and others—more efficient.
"Yay! Hati's cute!"
"Church holy beast gets the nod."
Aides approved.
"Strengthening your skill, cool?"
—Of course love!
Hati approved.
Ally Hati's 'Acceleration Orb Creation' skill has evolved.
Test-fired immediately.
On use: Gain effects.
Body Acceleration (Mid), Skill Acceleration (Mid).
Toggle buff on/off during duration.
Duration: 1 day.
A to S rank up.
Accel small to mid.
Duration 1hr to 1 day.
"Mid accel! 3-4x speed!"
"Duration huge boost?"
OP options alone.
—Now per human unit, easy 10k orbs!
Daily output doubled.
"What're we waiting for? Worship Hati!"
"Reverse Little Prince—fox waits now!"
"Ahh! The holy beast's miracle!"
We bowed deeply.
"Grrrng! Krrrng!"
Hati posed heroically, sun in mouth.
"Like a space wolf, so majestic!"
"Hehe, growing up. Outer space magic vids show wolves vanishing with planets in mouth sometimes."
What do they bite and vanish with...?
Anyway.
Cute and capable Hati.
Two suns wouldn't suffice.
But can't.
One's hovering over Spiritia now.
Proven fact.
Artificial sun erases black energy, raises restoration.
But tests showed.
Better to float than explode for efficiency.
So periodically portal, tweak position.
The other sun?
As seen.
"Hati! Fetch!"
"Krrrng!"
Hati's toy doubling as 'life regen' test dummy.
One solid fact.
Boosts nearby life vigor.
Thus overall performance up.
Idea sparked in accelerated thoughts.
"Float over Jeju skies?"
"Wise call, Your Holiness."
Restored natural Jeju.
Top relocation target?
Obviously original residents and revivers in shelters.
"Plus S-ranks in Korea."
Currently 5.
Old 3 + new 2.
Agency hiding 'em from assassins.
"Must be suffocating!"
"Yeah. Constant tension."
But hard for assassins/spies to infiltrate an island?
Breathing room.
Set up Agency branch on Jeju? Not bad.
Thoughts flowed to this round's race.
'If current score trends hold.'
Factor other planets' score factories.
Korea repeat 1st.
Worth betting on.
But assumes no international curveballs.
Fiercer than last round.
Global recon essential.
Especially watch US-China-Japan.
1-3 nations' tactical items combined.
Confident against any dirty combo, but no complacency.
Plan set.
"Lady Carmina. Comm to Cha Minhyuk."
"Yes, Master!"
And.
"Time to visit America."
Elliot poked around Korea nonstop.
Our turn to crash theirs?