Logging into Antares, James exhaled deeply. The lessons about their new responsibilities had been even more grueling than the earlier ones, since so much needed to be crammed into so little time.
These past few days, his life had been entirely about training to ensure he had full control over his newly empowered body and prepping for the quizzes his teachers liked to spring on Team 0 so often. Luckily, now that they had been taught the most important things, they should be able to return to fieldwork.
Indeed, tomorrow, he would finally see the inside of a dungeon again, even though Team 0 would have to share it with a Guild team.
It’s unfortunate, but if it’s really as massive and as close to bursting as the reports say, we cannot afford to wait.
James clicked on the front page and started scrolling, curious to see what people thought now that the initial frenzy of the attacks had passed.
It seemed like the mods had finally managed to corral the discussion into the dedicated threads, so it didn’t take long to find the correct one.
“We should glass their stupid fucking bases to the ground and make sure no one will ever dare do anything similar, ever again.” One EmberLizard wrote, earning a lot of attention from supporters and protesters.
“America needs to mind its own business! If we had just put all that money into our own country, there would have been no attack, and we’d be much richer!” Another, SempiternalPine, countered, leading a small but vocal fringe of people who felt any engagement with the outside world would simply be a waste.
Of course, cutting the USA off the global economy - despite how reduced international trade was compared to before the Apocalypse - would be the height of foolishness. America was rich in minerals and oil, that was true, but they still needed to import a lot of fundamental things, like semiconductors, and selling off their surplus was how they kept getting wealthier.
Those few isolationists were always shouted down by more rational voices, but James wasn’t worried about them. No, what drew his attention were those crazed people who all but called for the complete annihilation of Kashmir.
It seemed that they all understood quite well how difficult rooting out the terrorists would be in between the mountain and forests. Their solution, however, was much more drastic than he would have liked.
“A carpet bombing campaign, and if it’s not enough, send the S-rankers to make sure not a blade of grass is left!” He read out loud, shaking his head at the utter foolishness.
Despite the region of Kashmir having become de-facto a lawless area where no state could properly enforce its rules, there were still many people living inside its borders. Millions, even. To attack so brutally would mean starting a genocide. Such a campaign would be immediately unpopular and the political death of any and all politicians who supported it.
Considering how much President McArthur had hitched his wagon to the response to the attacks, James sincerely doubted he’d make such a mistake. The man wasn’t exactly well-liked, but he had been voted in because he was a safe, solid statesman with experience in handling dangerous situations as Governor of Texas, which had been hit hard by the Apocalypse.
Luckily, not everyone was as bloodthirsty as those crazy few. Still, as he scrolled through the posts, James noticed a recurring theme: an overwhelming push for harsh repercussions, even from those who considered themselves moderate. The public's sentiment was clear - they wanted retaliation, and they wanted it to be decisive and powerful.
People had been shocked by the attacks, and James was ready to bet some of their frustration at how messy the world had become was spilling into their view of this incident. He couldn’t honestly say he wasn’t affected, too, since his instinctive thought had been to send the S-rankers and deal with any and all who were connected to the attacks.
But as James read on, something else caught his attention. Among the most vocal accounts advocating for the most intense repercussions were several he recognized. He had been trawling through Antares for years and had gotten to know its most influential and active accounts.
Some, he had learned, were guild plants, there to push the most recent propaganda, from smears against the AA to praise to America for having the most “free” system of all, what with its innumerable private Guilds.
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Most were pretty subtle, simply boosting other, less conspicuous accounts and any news piece that could undermine the AA. Others were more direct, calling the attacks on New York a sign of complete failure on the government’s part, no matter that it wasn’t even the AA’s duty to do counterterrorism.
James' suspicions grew as he pieced together the pattern of posts and comments. These Guild-linked accounts were not just pushing for extreme measures against the KLF but also subtly weaving a narrative that painted the AA and the government's response as inadequate. It seemed like a concerted effort to sway public opinion, fueling anger and dissatisfaction towards the official channels and redirecting trust and reliance to the Guilds.
The strategy was clever. By advocating for over-the-top retaliatory actions, they made the government's more measured approach seem weak in comparison. And every time an AA or government official called for a more strategic or restrained course, these accounts were quick to criticize and sow doubt about their effectiveness.
I knew, from what Miss Walker said, that they were already taking advantage of the situation, but this seems like too much, even for them. They must know how dangerous the situation is.
Despite how often he had clashed with the Guilds, James seemed to still have some hope that they wouldn’t go too far, but it appeared he had still been overestimating them.
But how deep did this manipulation go? Was it just a few rogue elements within the Guilds pushing their agenda, or was it something more organized and systematic? And what was their endgame? More control over the city's defense? A complete takeover of the AA's roles and responsibilities?
He decided to spend the next few hours collecting screenshots, noting patterns and tracking the activity of these suspect accounts. He would compile a report, presenting his findings clearly and concisely.
James made sure to also jot down the names of the accounts he suspected the most of being guild propaganda and sent them off in an email to Miss Walker so she could turn it in to the AA media department. They weren’t good at PR, but their reach was vast, and they could directly interact with Antares’ mods to have them remove or shadowban those accounts.
———
The following day, bright and early, James got out of the house, ensuring not to make noise, as he didn’t want to wake his grandparents.
Getting in Mr. Robinson’s van, he exchanged tired greetings with the others, having spent long hours into the night reading on Antares about the wildest speculations about the KLF attacks. His high stats allowed him to get by with only four hours of sleep, but that didn’t mean he was up for much conversation. Luckily, neither was anyone else, at least for the first half of the journey.
The AA-provided van rumbled along the forest road, its sturdy frame navigating the uneven terrain with a steadiness that belied its size. Inside, Team 0 was mentally and physically gearing up for the task ahead. The atmosphere was a mix of focused determination and underlying tension, as could be expected before delving into the dangers of their first G-rank dungeon.
Sitting beside the driver's seat, James finally gathered his strength and turned to face his teammates. "Okay, team, let's go over what we know. We're heading into a massive G-rank wolf dungeon. Reports indicate it's sprawling, with the forest around it already completely affected. The locals have seen a couple of monsters spill over the borders, which means we can expect heightened aggression and possibly altered terrain inside.”
Daniel, ever the pragmatic one, checked his shield's straps. “Wolves mean fast pack hunters, likely enhanced by the dungeon's influence. We'll need to stay sharp, stick close, and watch each other's backs, because ambushes are quite likely.”
Ezekiel nodded in agreement. "I'll focus on keeping our defenses up. G-rank dungeons can have unexpected area effects, and while the new masks they gave us will cover most harmful toxins, we should still be prepared for anything.”
Maria flexed her fingers, sparks dancing between them. "I'll take point on crowd control. If we get swarmed, I can hold them off while we regroup. It worked well enough in Saratoga, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t here.”
Flipping through the binder with the information they had been given, Lauren added “Apparently, we should expect at least one mini-boss, according to the Park Rangers. They met a wolf the size of a van sleeping by itself, which makes me think we’ll see a combination of packs of smaller ones and solitary, massive beasts.”
James listened to each of them, feeling somewhat proud of their professionalism. "Right. I’ve got scouting covered since Awareness is even better than it was in Saratoga, and I’ll also deal with the frontline attacks. But remember, we're not alone in this. We're working with a Guild team. Any guesses on who it might be?”
Daniel shrugged. "As long as they're competent and don't get in our way, I don't care which Guild it is.”
Maria rolled her eyes. "Knowing our luck, it'll be the Crimson Blades. They've been all over the news lately, trying to play heroes after the attacks.”
Ezekiel adjusted his straps. "The Crimson Blades are skilled, but their leader, Maxim, can be... difficult. I have seen clips of the man physically threaten reporters, only to turn around and act all innocent. We'll need to establish clear communication and boundaries from the start if it’s one of their teams. I wouldn’t want to give them any chance of twisting our words.”
Lauren smirked. "Difficult is one word for it. Let's just hope, for their sake, they're more interested in clearing the dungeon than boosting their ego. If they start playing games, I can’t be held responsible for what I’ll do.”
Everyone had a chuckle at that. The tensions between Guilds and AA had been dramatically lowered after the attacks, as everyone came together, but as time passed, things became strained again. James wouldn’t be surprised if whoever they would have to share the dungeon with wasn’t particularly friendly.
James nodded. "Whoever it is, we need to stay focused on our objective. Clear the dungeon, ensure no more monsters spill out, and earn as much EXP as we can. This is our first G-rank dungeon as a team. Let's make it count.”
The van continued its journey, the dense forest canopy casting shifting shadows across their determined faces. As they neared their destination, the sense of anticipation grew. The dungeon loomed ahead, promising challenge and danger.
Arriving at the designated meeting point, they saw another vehicle parked nearby – sleek and emblazoned with the Ten Thousand Eyes Guild insignia, a large eye at the center, with twelve feathered wings, all constellated by hundreds of eyes. The Guild team was already there, gearing up, and it took little time for James to recognize them. “Tea! What are you doing here?!”
“Same thing as you, handsome.” She replied as she finished tying her hair in a bun so that it wouldn’t fall on her eyes. The woman didn’t seem surprised to see them, which made James wonder if she had deliberately accepted the same mission as them.
James sighed before he moved to greet the other members of Tea’s team. “I think we should have a little brainstorming session first.” He said, earning nods from all, and they sat down, keeping a wary eye on the dark forest, where howls could be occasionally heard from.