Global Game: Developing a Knight Clan

"Unbelievable. We’re still here on Blue Star fighting for our lives, and the Chief Player? He goes and founds an empire in Karte World."

"Damn, I really wish time in the real world would pass faster."

"Forget everything else, it’d be great if real-world time was just one-to-one with the game’s. I wouldn’t even care about the Inference Day rewards at that point."

The founding of the Star Empire in Karte World had a massive impact.

It had long since caused a massive uproar on the game forums and Blue Star’s internet.

On a familiar street, in a familiar breakfast shop, a group of young men were discussing the news over their meal.

"You talk as if you’re a Player. Why don’t you actually get access to the game first?"

The young man’s companion teased with a casual smile.

"I will, sooner or later. Besides, isn’t the game opening up new slots this time?"

"Two million of them, in fact. I refuse to believe I won’t be able to snag one this time."

"It’d be perfectly normal if you didn’t. There are tens of billions of people in the world, you know. Probability is a tricky thing."

Their back-and-forth piqued the curiosity of a person at the neighboring table.

The man suddenly chimed in:

"Hmm? Hearing you two talk, it sounds like someone with bad luck might have to wait until hell freezes over to get into the game."

"That’s probably about right."

"But the situation isn’t all that bad. After all, the number of slots the True Game opens up increases each time."

"Increases? It was 1.5 million last time and only two million this time. That’s not much of an increase. Besides, the elimination rate is super high!"

"Just take that Star Empire the Chief established. The death rate in the Underground City is way higher than on the Oakland Continent or in the Green Saturn campaign."

The man eagerly joined the discussion, sipping his soy milk as he turned to them.

"It wouldn’t work if the death rate wasn’t high. Haven’t you seen the analyses from all those bloggers? The number of Transcendents each world can support is limited."

"The Magic Environment and its resources are just like land in the real world—there’s a limit to the population it can sustain. So, if the True Game didn’t eliminate other Players, how would it ever be our turn?"

"Things haven’t been too peaceful in the real world lately, either. Venomous bugs and wild animals attacking people keep popping up everywhere. What’s more, didn’t you see the news the day before yesterday? A freighter out on the ocean was rammed by a blue whale and sank."

"Without a Player slot and no Extraordinary powers... to be honest, it’s terrifying!"

"Who isn’t terrified? The Green Saturn campaign is at a stalemate, and who knows when the Insect People might show up and attack us."

"They won’t make it over here. Haven’t you seen the videos from the Players in the campaign? They’re all howling about how much they love war. The benefits those guys are getting are enough to make anyone jealous."

"You get clones, you can earn War Points, you can resurrect, and you can rapidly increase your power all at the same time. Who wouldn’t love a war like that?"

"Damn it, the more we talk about it, the more pissed I get. When is it going to be our turn to get a slot?"

"..."

——————

Time passed in the blink of an eye. It was the same familiar breakfast shop on the same familiar street.

Inside the breakfast shop, the owner was yelling.

"You Bee Person, how can you be so clumsy? You, working across worlds? I doubt you can even support yourself."

"Just tell me, how many meals have you spilled this month alone? You know what, maybe you shouldn’t be working at all. Do you have any idea how much this Transcendent nutritional breakfast I sell is worth?"

A meal that looked like fried rice noodles was scattered on the floor. It appeared to be an ordinary dish, but its ingredients were vastly different from those found on Blue Star just three years prior.

The short Bee Person, only about 1.3 meters tall, stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move as they were being yelled at. Tears welled up in their eyes.

Finally, one of the familiar young men spoke up with a smile:

"Boss, it looks to me like this Bee Person hasn’t even started cultivating. It’s normal for them to be a little clumsy."

"Alright, don’t be so hard on them. I’ll pay for the spilled noodles, okay? This Bee Person looks like they’ve just come of age. It’s pretty pitiful, seeing them so far from home."

"Pitiful?"

"Forget it. I can’t even be bothered to argue."

"As for the spilled noodles, I’m not so cheap I’d make a customer pay for it. You, kid! Get in here and help! What are you doing just standing there like an idiot?"

The owner sighed in resignation at the young man, then barked at the disappointing Bee Person.

"Oh."

Hearing this, the little Bee Person scurried nervously toward the back kitchen.

Most of the other customers chuckled at the scene before returning to their meals.

Meanwhile, the young man who had spoken up shook his head with a smile and looked at his two companions.

"Green Saturn is getting more and more interesting. I mean, who else sends huge chunks of their population to work on Blue Star?"

"It can’t be helped. Given the state of Green Saturn after the great war, the lower-class Insect People are lucky they aren’t starving to death. In the year since the war ended, haven’t they been relying on humanitarian aid from our Human Alliance for most of their supplies?"

"That’s true. I heard not even a blade of grass grows in the areas destroyed by the Forbidden Curse. The chaotic Magic Power will take decades to stabilize, and that’s only with High Tier or even Saint Tier experts channeling it."

"Damn, those Insect People were ruthless in the final battle. The destructive power of a Forbidden Curse is way worse than a nuke. After all, back in the old magic-free environment, nuclear radiation only caused genetic mutations. It wouldn’t scorch the earth so nothing could grow."

"Alright, there’s no use talking about this."

"Still, you have to admit these Bee People are lucky. At least their appearance is somewhat acceptable to our aesthetics. If they looked like giant green caterpillars, they probably wouldn’t even be able to get a permit for the Star Gate."