Chương 13: Global Chessboard

The night was thick as ink, blanketing the skies above Japan's bustling cities. A neat, elegant three-story private apartment stood quietly in a peaceful residential neighborhood. Its exterior was clean and understated, and the soft interior lighting was well insulated from the noise of the streets outside. On the second floor, in a study lit by dim, steady light, a middle-aged man sat upright at his desk. He was in his forties, with a pale, sharp-featured face and narrow, penetrating eyes.

Fine lines around his eyes spoke of years spent in positions of authority. He wore a crisp, dark formal suit, his posture rigid and proper. He held a private communicator to his ear and spoke in a low voice. The call connected, and a deep male voice came through.

"Matsumoto, how is your progress in the game?"

"Things are going smoothly, Councilor. We have made contact with most of the empire's dark factions. The light factions are being handled mainly by the Koreans; we are only assisting them. As for the Americans, we are cooperating with their requests as well."

"Be careful not to leak any sensitive information to outsiders. Though we are cooperating with the Americans and Koreans, remember that this is more than just a game. Once we gain control of the core, that will be our moment of ascension. Matsumoto, we must respect the strong, but we must also cultivate the will to become strong ourselves."

"Understood, Councilor. Should we continue sending agents into the China server?"

"Of course. The Chinese are a formidable competitor. In this game world, they have the largest player base by far, making them the strongest server overall. We must stay updated on their latest developments. However, we will not establish a guild in the China server. Have our members join their guilds and gather intelligence from within."

"Understood, Councilor. In the previous game, Lezhendes, we clashed with the Chinese many times. They are a strange people. When cross-server wars occur, they unite and fight with incredible strength. But when there is no external threat, they turn on each other and waste their own resources."

"That is normal. Every nation has its internal conflicts. But the Chinese are simply too numerous, a quarter of the world's population. Their factional divisions are complex, and they will fight among themselves without any need for us to stir the pot. We only need to send our best agents to infiltrate their major guilds and gather intelligence."

"Understood, Councilor." On the other side of the ocean, the sun was setting, painting the hillside villa district in shades of orange and red. The air was dry and crisp, and vast expanses of green lawn stretched out smoothly. A grand white villa stood atop the hill, exuding quiet luxury. On an open terrace, a tall, broad-shouldered white man stood with a respectful, serious expression, slightly bowing toward the man before him.

That man leaned against the railing, a cigar between his fingers, smoke curling slowly upward. His face was hard and sharp, his presence commanding and authoritative.

"Colonel, should we keep all our people in the Americas server? Do we need to send anyone to other servers?" the young man asked. The colonel exhaled a plume of smoke, watching it dissipate in the wind. His gaze was calm and distant.

"No need. Every server has its own path to the divine realm. We should focus all our strength on the Americas server and aim to be the first to enter." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He took another drag and continued, "Jack, you need to understand that as the world's leading power, we do not need to intervene in everything. A simple working relationship is enough. We just need to stay informed about other nations' progress.

Getting involved in every detail will only slow us down. That said, we should reach out to India. Their player base is massive, and in this game world, player numbers matter. They also have a long historical tradition, and in this game, the more ancient and mysterious a civilization's heritage, the greater its advantages. We should also communicate with China, but I doubt they will be interested in cooperating. After all, this game was developed by a Chinese company.

The China server is the main server, and its cultivation world is the primary setting. They only need to focus on their own server to stay ahead of us." In South Asia, where the climate was warm and humid, an old, dignified private residence sat in quiet seclusion. The air inside was cool, the lighting soft and calm. The furnishings were simple and elegant, carrying the weight of an ancient civilization. A young Indian man stood respectfully, his posture upright, his expression serious.

"Mr. Pandit, the Americans just called. They want to establish a cooperative relationship. How should we respond?" Pandit sat in the main seat, calm and composed. He was older, his face weathered and steady, his bearing that of a seasoned leader.

"Cooperation is fine. America is a powerful partner. But there is no need to grovel. We can communicate with dignity. We are a nation with a long and proud history."

"Understood, Mr. Pandit. I will reply to them at once."

"Good. Singh, what is our current progress?" Pandit asked. Singh's eyes gleamed with pride.

"We have already made contact with Brahma, one of the three great gods. I believe no one is ahead of us."

"Well done, Singh." Across the globe, winds were stirring in every server. European nations were either cooperating or clashing within their own regions. In China's online spaces, discussions were equally heated. Players flooded social media, forums, and guild chats with messages.

"Did you hear? Iron Blood Gate and Divine Sword Guild are fighting!"

"That intense? Two of the top ten guilds going at it?"

"What's the deal? Everyone is still low level. Shouldn't they be focusing on leveling and class advancement?"

"Yeah, a guild war now is just a waste of time. It will only slow down their development."

"None of our business anyway. Let them fight." Amid the chaos, Sima Duwei stepped in to clarify.

"Do not be misled. It is only a small skirmish. They may talk a big game, but it is mostly just trash talk. No large-scale battles have broken out. For now, leveling is still the priority. A full-scale guild war would be counterproductive." Meanwhile, in a modest Chinese apartment, the lights were warm and the atmosphere quiet. Yang Fan sat lazily in front of his computer, a steaming bowl of instant noodles on the table.

Wispy steam rose gently as he ate slowly, scrolling through the group chat with a relaxed expression. He had spent the entire previous day grinding in the wilds of Guiyang Prefecture in the Southern Province. The landscape there was open and lush, the forests peaceful and safe, a far cry from the tense, dangerous atmosphere of the Western Province. In just one day, he had steadily pushed his level from 6 to 10. His decision to leave the Western Province had been the right one.

The grinding had gone smoothly, with none of the bizarre encounters he had faced before, no Elite wolf sentinels, no wall-ramming Spider Kings, no hidden boss monsters. The moment he hit level 10, he equipped his new Bronze gear. The full set gleamed with a cool, refined light. The intricate patterns and snug fit gave him a sharp, commanding presence. He looked like a completely different person, a far cry from his earlier plain-clothed appearance. At this stage of the game, this equipment was top-tier.

Walking through any prefecture city, he would turn heads. As for the village chief's heirloom sword, he had stored it deep in his backpack. It was a family treasure after all. He would return it to the chief someday when he had the chance.