54. Rocky Island ⭐⭐⭐
That night, as always, Major Deri stood beneath the night sky.
He delivered his daily report to the heavens, summarizing all the important information gathered by the Garuda Nation's Pioneers that day.
From resource development to Rangga's latest discoveries. About the Nautical Scanner. About the Nautical Radar.
The ability for Pioneer islands to exchange coordinates with one another and the concerns that came with it.
"In my opinion, this feature has tremendous potential for cooperation."
"However, it also carries equally significant risks. If Pioneers are able to visit one another... then it won't just be cooperation that's possible."
"Conflicts may also arise... resource theft... seizure of islands... even conflicts between Pioneers from different countries."
"End of report."
Inside the monitoring room of the Garuda Nation Presidential Palace, the entire report was received in real time.
At first, the analysts on duty simply took notes as usual. But the longer they listened, the more their expressions changed.
One analyst abruptly stood up.
"Get General Suryo here immediately."
His colleague looked up.
"Right now?"
"Yes. Right now. This is important."
A short while later, General Suryo entered the monitoring room.
"What is it?"
One of the analysts immediately replayed the final portion of Deri's report.
The room fell silent once again as Deri's voice echoed through the speakers.
"...conflicts between Pioneers from different countries."
When the recording ended, the analyst turned toward General Suryo.
"General... we believe this is the biggest turning point since the Pioneer world began."
General Suryo frowned.
"Go on."
The analyst pointed at the screen displaying the Pioneer development chart.
"Until now... every Pioneer has lived in isolation."
"Their only interaction has been with their home world through the seven-day communication system."
"But now..."
He pointed at the words Nautical Scanner displayed on the screen.
"Once a ship reaches Level 3... Pioneers gain the possibility of connecting with one another. And not just fellow Pioneers from the Garuda Nation... but every Pioneer in the world."
The room instantly fell silent and another analyst continued.
"Which means... diplomacy will no longer exist only between nations on Earth."
"It can now take place directly between Pioneers themselves..."
"...or, conversely... conflict."
General Suryo folded his arms, his gaze fixed on the screen. After several moments, he spoke quietly.
"Major Deri can't receive our response... He can only send reports and the next communication window... is still four days away."
Everyone nodded.
That meant whatever decision the Garuda Nation made could only be delivered during the third seven-day transmission.
General Suryo looked around the room.
"Tomorrow morning... We'll gather every relevant ministry."
He paused briefly.
"This is no longer merely a matter of exploration... It now concerns relations between Pioneers on a global scale."
The room fell silent once more and everyone had realized the same thing.
Until now, the world of the Pioneers had consisted of isolated islands.
But with the arrival of Level 3 ships, the bridge connecting every Pioneer across the world had begun to open.
The next morning, Rangga was already standing on the deck of his ship before the sun had fully risen.
He had barely been able to sleep the previous night, eager to set sail as soon as possible.
His ship had finally reached Level 3. Which meant new islands had become accessible.
"Hopefully there's something new..."
He muttered as he opened the blue interface. Several options immediately appeared.
Tropical Island ⭐
A-625272
20 hours remaining
Swamp Island ⭐⭐
C-629272
18 hours remaining
Rock Island ⭐⭐⭐
B-118462
16 hours remaining
Rangga frowned.
"Huh? Now there are numbers too."
He studied the screen for a moment.
"So these are the coordinates from yesterday?"
His eyes shifted to the final option.
"Only Rock Island gets three stars?"
He glanced at the remaining time.
"And the time limit's even shorter."
Rangga shook his head.
"Whatever... Might as well give it a shot."
Without hesitation, he selected Rock Island ⭐⭐⭐. His ship slowly departed from the dock and began cutting across the sea.
During the journey, Rangga opened the regional chat.
Rangga: Morning, everyone.
Replies appeared almost instantly.
Fajar: Morning, bro.
Andre: Morning.
Rio: Where are you heading today?
Rangga smiled.
Rangga: Three-star Rock Island.
The chat immediately exploded.
Andre: Damn...
Fajar: You sure, bro?
Rio: Looking forward to your report, Bang.
A moment later, Deri joined the conversation.
Deri: Mas Rangga, wouldn't it be better to continue exploring two-star islands first?
Deri: I'm worried it'll be too dangerous.
Rangga smiled as he read the message.
Rangga: Relax.
Rangga: If it's too dangerous, I'll head straight back.
Rangga: Besides, one of us has to be the first to gather information about the new islands, right?
A few seconds later, Deri replied.
Deri: Understood.
Deri: But please be careful, Mas Rangga.
Deri: Don't push yourself too hard.
Rangga gave a small nod, even though he knew Deri couldn't see him.
Rangga: Will do.
Then he typed again.
Rangga: You guys better level up soon too.
Rangga: So we can meet as quickly as possible.
The chat filled with replies again.
Fajar: Don't worry.
Andre: I'm working like a slave gathering materials right now.
Rio: Hardwood is driving me crazy.
Bima: I'm still short on Iron Ingots.
Fajar: When we finally meet, Bang Rangga, you're buying us rice.
Rangga burst out laughing.
Rangga: Yeah, right.
Rangga: Bring your own side dishes.
The chat was once again filled with laughter and jokes.
Meanwhile, Rangga's ship continued sailing toward its new destination.
A three-star Rock Island that no one from the Garuda Nation had ever explored before.
Gradually, the island came into view in the distance.
Rangga, who had been leaning against the ship's railing, immediately stood up.
"Hmm?"
He stared ahead, frowning. This trip felt different. Normally, he would have arrived in under an hour. But this time, his ship kept sailing for well over an hour.
Rangga scratched his head.
"That's unusual... It's been more than an hour."
He looked out over the surrounding sea.
"Could it be... Because the island's farther away?"
His gaze shifted toward the ship he had upgraded the previous night.
"Oh... That explains why the ship had to be upgraded. Maybe it's meant for reaching places farther away."
Rangga nodded to himself.
"Makes sense."
He had no idea whether his theory was correct, but it seemed like the most logical explanation.
Not long afterward, the island became much clearer. The smile gradually faded from Rangga's face.
"Damn..."
The Rock Island before him was far larger than any island he had visited before.
Towering stone cliffs rose on every side. Its surface was covered in interconnected rocky hills.
There was almost no gentle shoreline except for the small stretch where his ship had docked.
As soon as the ship came to a stop, Rangga checked all of his equipment.
Longbow on his back. Five javelins neatly secured. An axe and a pickaxe hanging at his waist.
After making sure everything was ready, he stepped onto the rocky shore.
The moment both feet touched land, he looked ahead once more.
"Holy crap... This place is huge..."
He tried to see the end of the coastline. But all he could make out was an endless chain of cliffs and rocky hills stretching into the horizon.
"I might not even be able to explore the whole island before the time limit runs out."
Rangga let out a quiet sigh before casually shrugging.
"Well... First things first... Let's see what's on this island."
Without wasting another second, he began climbing the small rocky hills near the beach.
He wanted to find higher ground.
So he could get a better view of the entire three-star Rock Island—the place no one had ever set foot on before.