Marr let out a long yawn as she sank into her chair. She had just finished a heavy meal with her brother, Dan, and was seriously considering taking a short nap before helping him oversee the different affairs of their faction. After all, she was now officially one of its representatives.
The thought still felt surreal. Never in her life had she imagined the faction would one day breathe so freely. Under the previous faction head, Grazer, every member had been worked to the bone. People were exhausted, overused, and constantly pushed beyond their limits. Grazer was a terrifying man who never needed a reason to overwork his people.
Ever since the new faction head had taken over, however, everything had changed. Strict work quotas had been relaxed, adventurers were encouraged to give feedback, and meaningful improvements had been made based on their concerns. The atmosphere within the faction had transformed completely.
As a result, life had become far better. The members were happier, everyone had enough to eat, and people could finally save money without living in constant fear of losing their lives on every mission.
Stretching her arms to shake off the grogginess, Marr turned on the monitor. A quick scroll through the internet won't hurt, she thought.
As soon as the faction's main social account loaded, thousands of notifications flooded the screen.
"W-Whoa... What's with all these notifications?"
Curious, she clicked on the latest alert.
Her jaw dropped.
The next moment, she shot out of her chair and sprinted out of the room.
...
Meanwhile, Quinn, Vorden, Erin, Ray, and the others were returning from their lengthy hunt when they noticed an unusually large crowd gathered near the headquarters. A wave of unrest had spread through the people.
Standing above the crowd was Dan, trying his best to calm everyone down. The adventurers' faces were filled with shock and disbelief.
"What's going on?" Ray's muffled voice echoed from inside his mech.
Quinn frowned. "I don't know... but we'd better hurry. Something important must have happened."
The heavy footsteps of Ray and Michael's mechs echoed across the ground as Quinn and the others approached. The crowd immediately stepped aside, allowing them through.
"Hey, Dan," Quinn called out. "What's going on?"
Dan looked at him grimly.
"We should discuss this inside."
Inside the council room, Dan, Marr, Quinn, Vorden, Erin, Ray, Michael, Sarah, and Amy gathered around the table.
Taking a deep breath, Dan began.
"Military Base Two was attacked a few hours ago. We only just received the news. Information is still limited, but from what we've heard, the situation is critical, and emergency assistance is being requested."
Michael's eyes widened.
"What? Military Base Two was attacked? Are you serious?"
Dan nodded.
"I'm afraid it's true."
"Was it the Dalki?" Quinn immediately asked, recalling the first stray Dalki ship that had interrupted the beginning of the academy's normal curriculum. That incident alone had nearly turned into a catastrophe.
Dan shook his head.
"No. We still don't know who was responsible. However, reports on the news claim that one of the Great Four was involved, although there hasn't been any official confirmation yet."
"I see..." Quinn muttered. "So what's the plan?"
"For now, there's nothing we can do," Dan replied. "Since we dissolved our old faction and ended our contract with the Sunshield Faction, this incident doesn't directly involve us. If the attacker really is one of the Great Four, then we should avoid rushing into something we don't understand. We're an independent faction now."
Quinn nodded.
"Keep monitoring the latest information," he said. "And increase security around the camp. We shouldn't let our guard down."
Sarah suddenly spoke, worry evident on her face.
"If Military Base Two was attacked... doesn't that mean the second-year academy students might have been caught up in all of this?"
"Oh, damn..." Michael muttered.
Quinn quickly shook his head.
"Don't worry. According to Logan, they're currently on Orobore, the Orange Planet. They should be safe from whatever happened at the base."
Sarah still looked uneasy.
"But if Military Base Two has fallen... then they won't have any way to return. They'll be stranded there for who knows how long."
The room fell silent.
Just then, Vorden's watch vibrated.
He glanced at the screen before looking at Quinn.
"Quinn... it's a message from Logan."
"What does it say?"
Quinn hurried over.
As he read the message, his expression darkened. One by one, the others saw the contents as well, and concern spread across every face.
"Quinn," Ray said quietly, "is there any way we can help them? They've helped us so many times... especially Logan."
Quinn turned toward Dan.
"Dan... can you arrange transportation to Orobore—the Orange Planet? Our friends are trapped there. We have to go."
Dan thought for a moment before answering.
"Yes, it's possible. But preparing the teleporter and setting the destination will take some time."
He paused before continuing.
"Are you sure you should leave? We may need you here. Even though we're independent now, if this attack is only the beginning of something much bigger, having you around would be a tremendous advantage."
Dan sighed.
"But I'm not stopping you."
Quinn stood up.
"I'm sorry, Dan... but I have to go. They're our friends. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't even be alive today."
He looked toward the others.
"And... it's been a long time since we've seen them. I just hope we're not already too late."
One after another, the rest of the group stood up.
"I guess all of you are coming too?" Quinn asked with a faint smile.
"Of course," Erin replied. "You're not the only one who's missed them."
She turned toward the door with determination.
"So... what are we waiting for? Let's go."