The morning sun rose over Base 101.
For once...
There were no alarms.
No monsters.
No screams.
Only the sound of soldiers training.
Steel clashed against steel.
Archers released volley after volley.
Mages practiced controlling their mana under Zora's watchful eye.
The entire fortress moved like a well-oiled machine.
Dennis couldn't help but stare.
"...You've built something incredible."
Sam smiled.
"It wasn't just me."
"My people made this possible."
Dennis nodded.
"A good Commander always says that."
---
The two Commanders walked through the fortress together.
Dennis watched Goblin Warriors carrying lumber beside human builders.
Nearby...
Skeleton Warriors silently hauled massive stone blocks toward the expanding walls.
Dennis stopped walking.
"They're... working?"
Sam looked at the undead.
"They don't need sleep."
"They don't complain."
"So I put them to work."
Dennis laughed.
"I don't know whether to call that genius..."
"...or terrifying."
Sam shrugged.
"Why not both?"
---
Inside the forge...
CLANG!
George slammed another hammer onto glowing steel.
Sparks exploded into the air.
Dennis watched in amazement.
"You've got two blacksmiths?"
George grinned.
"The old man keeps saying I'm terrible."
Doran didn't even look up.
"You are."
George sighed dramatically.
"I walked into that one."
Everyone laughed.
---
Meanwhile...
Leon quietly appeared beside Sam.
Without warning.
Dennis nearly jumped.
"When did he get here?"
Leon tilted his head.
"I've been standing here."
"No..."
"You haven't."
"I have."
Dennis looked at Sam.
"He's creepy."
Sam chuckled.
"That's why he's my scout."
---
As they reached the Training Grounds...
Ben shouted across the field.
"Again!"
Hundreds of shields slammed together.
BOOM!
"Again!"
BOOM!
Dennis watched the formations.
"They're disciplined."
Ben overheard him.
"They have to be."
"The monsters won't give us second chances."
Dennis slowly nodded.
His own soldiers watched silently.
Some lowered their heads.
Compared to Base 101...
They still had a long way to go.
---
Later...
The two Commanders sat inside the command hall.
A large map of the surrounding region rested between them.
Dennis pointed toward the north.
"My scouts found another ruined city."
"No survivors."
"But..."
"They found this."
He placed a black crystal onto the table.
The room immediately grew colder.
Even Rex became silent.
Sam frowned.
"What is it?"
Dennis shook his head.
"No idea."
"It was buried beneath a mountain of Corruption Beast corpses."
Sam reached toward it.
The moment his fingers touched the crystal—
DING!
Unknown Item Detected
Scanning...
Scanning...
Scanning...
Item Identified
Corruption Core Fragment
Classification: World Mission Material
Current Use: Locked
Warning
Collecting these fragments may alter future World Mission objectives.
Sam slowly pulled his hand back.
Dennis looked confused.
"You got a notification?"
Sam nodded.
"Did yours not?"
Dennis frowned.
"No."
Before either Commander could speak—
Rex's voice echoed inside Sam's mind.
Your Class grants additional information.
Do not reveal everything.
Sam quietly nodded.
---
Dennis leaned back.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
"So do I."
The crystal remained on the table.
Neither man touched it again.
---
That evening...
Dennis prepared to leave.
His soldiers loaded the last supply crates onto the airship.
Before boarding...
Dennis turned toward Sam.
"I've been thinking."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"If the World Mission throws us into the same battlefield..."
"We fight together."
Sam didn't hesitate.
"Agreed."
Dennis extended his hand.
"Alliance?"
Sam shook it firmly.
"Alliance."
DING!
Commander Alliance Established
Alliance Name: First Dawn
Alliance Members:
• Base 101
• Dennis' Base
Alliance Benefits Unlocked
✓ Emergency Reinforcement Requests
✓ Resource Trading Bonus
✓ Shared Communication Channel
✓ Alliance Reputation
Dennis blinked.
"...I wasn't expecting that."
Sam laughed.
"I guess the System approves."
---
The airship slowly lifted into the clouds.
Dennis waved from the deck.
"I'll see you after the World Mission."
Sam waved back.
"Stay alive."
"You too."
Within moments...
The airship disappeared beyond the horizon.
Silence returned to Base 101.
---
That night...
Sam stood atop the western wall.
The wind carried the distant cries of monsters somewhere beyond the forest.
"Rex."
"What happens if a Commander dies?"
For the first time...
Rex didn't answer immediately.
Several long seconds passed.
Then—
A dead Commander loses everything.
Sam remained silent.
Their Base becomes abandoned.
Their followers become leaderless.
Their territory becomes available for conquest.
Sam's expression darkened.
"So..."
"The World Mission isn't just about defeating monsters."
Rex answered with a single sentence.
No.
It is also about determining who is worthy to lead humanity.
Before Sam could ask another question—
A crimson notification appeared across the night sky.
Visible to every person in Base 101.
WORLD MISSION COUNTDOWN
3 Days Remaining
The countdown...
Had begun to accelerate.