114. The Coalition Against Garuda

A month had passed since the Garuda government began relying on resource supplies from the Pioneer world.

The changes taking place on Earth were becoming increasingly clear.

Factories that had previously halted production resumed operations. Distribution channels that had once been chaotic began returning to normal. Raw material stockpiles in industrial warehouses were no longer at worrying levels because supplies from the Pioneer world were arriving regularly.

Public panic was also gradually subsiding.

Store shelves were being restocked. Long lines became shorter. Companies that had previously carried out layoffs began rehiring some of their workers.

Garuda had not yet fully returned to its pre-embargo condition but the country was no longer in a desperate position.

Quite the opposite.

Garuda's dependence on international trade had begun to decline drastically.

Resources from the Pioneer world enabled the country to rebuild its domestic supply chains. Local companies grew because they gained access to markets that had previously been dominated by imported products. The government also accelerated the construction of production facilities for strategic materials.

And one of the biggest factors behind this change was something Garuda had barely possessed in significant quantities just a few months earlier.

Vanadium.

The Vanadium battery technology previously developed by Green Jaguar had finally begun industrial-scale production through the facility in Cirebon.

The results far exceeded initial expectations.

The batteries proved effective for large-scale energy storage. As production continued to increase, Garuda was not only able to meet domestic demand but also provide stable supplies to Green Jaguar and Golden Lion.

The cooperation between the three nations was beginning to produce something larger than just a joint project.

Garuda had the resources, Green Jaguar had the technology and Golden Lion had the industrial capabilities and facility-construction capacity.

Together, the three were beginning to form an increasingly self-sufficient production chain.

At one government meeting, an official presented the latest report.

“Vanadium battery production has reached the first-stage target.”

Prabu looked at the data.

“Supplies for Green Jaguar and Golden Lion?”

“Stable, sir.”

“Domestic demand?”

“Also fully met.”

General Suryo smiled faintly.

“And other countries?”

The official opened the next report.

“Some of them have started reaching out.”

Prabu raised his head.

“Who?”

“Several countries that did not participate in the embargo.”

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The room grew slightly quieter.

“They’ve begun offering trade cooperation.”

Prabu understood what this meant.

Countries that had remained neutral were beginning to see Garuda’s changing position.

Countries that had previously depended on trade networks controlled by the Bald Eagle bloc were now seeing an alternative.

Garuda had something they needed, and unlike before, Garuda was no longer coming as a country asking for help.

Garuda was coming with goods that they needed.

Diplomatic and trade relations began moving again.

Slowly, the embargo that had initially been intended to pressure Garuda instead produced changes that many had not anticipated.

Garuda was becoming more self-sufficient but just as things on Earth began to settle down, the Pioneer world was entering a new period of tension.

Over the past month, the attitude of Garuda Pioneers toward foreign groups had not changed.

Whenever they encountered another group on a resource island, Garuda Pioneers would immediately stop what they were doing.

They kept their distance, prepared their weapons, and told the foreign group to stay away.

It didn't matter whether they were from Bald Eagle, Sakura, Eastern Dragon, Eastern Elephant, Brown Bear, or another country that had absolutely nothing to do with the conflict.

To the Garuda Pioneers, after what had happened on Tropical Island, every foreign group was considered a potential threat.

At first, the other Pioneers tolerated it, then they became annoyed, then they feel offended and after a month, their patience was beginning to run out.

The global chat, which was usually used to exchange information about resource islands, gradually turned into a place for arguments.

Sakura Pioneer 12: Why do Garuda Pioneers always drive everyone else away?

Eastern Elephant Pioneer 8: Our group wasn't even doing anything earlier.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: We just wanted to gather some wood.

Garuda Pioneer 19: Find somewhere else.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: This resource island doesn't belong to Garuda.

Garuda Pioneer 19: We never said it did.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: Then why are you telling us to leave?

The argument grew increasingly heated, and the Garuda Pioneer did not feel that they had done anything wrong.

They hadn't attacked first. They had only asked foreign groups to keep their distance.

But from the perspective of the other Pioneers, this treatment was beginning to feel like a unilateral claim over the resource islands.

Until finally, a name appeared in the middle of the argument.

Broto.

The former Garuda Pioneer, who was now in Brown Bear Nation, finally joined the conversation.

Broto: I think this has gone too far.

Several Pioneers immediately paid attention to his message.

Broto: Resource islands don't belong to any one country.

Broto: If they want to keep their distance because they're afraid, that's their business.

Broto: But if every foreign Pioneer who comes here keeps getting driven away, eventually everyone is going to get sick of it.

Not long afterward, a Sakura Pioneer replied.

Sakura Pioneer 12: Agreed.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: We've experienced the same thing.

Eastern Elephant Pioneer 8: Our group was even threatened while we were gathering stone.

More and more names began appearing. Pioneers from various countries started sharing their experiences.

Some had been driven away. Others had been warned with weapons.

Some chose to leave because they didn't want a fight but this time, they weren't merely complaining anymore.

Broto: If this keeps happening, let's form a group.

Sakura Pioneer 12: A group for what?

Broto: To put pressure on them.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: What do you mean?

Broto: If you encounter Garuda Pioneers on a resource island, don't leave immediately.

Broto: Tell them to leave instead.

For a while, there was no response.

Then a message appeared.

Eastern Elephant Pioneer 8: I'm in.

Then the Sakura Pioneer followed.

Sakura Pioneer 12: Us too.

The Eastern Dragon Pioneer followed.

Eastern Dragon Pioneer 21: Agreed.

Messages of support began pouring in from various other countries.

It wasn't limited to those three groups.

Pioneers from several neutral countries that had previously had no connection to the Garuda-Bald Eagle conflict also began expressing their support.

Their goal was simple.

If the Garuda Pioneers believed they could drive other groups away from resource islands, then this group would do the same to the Garuda Pioneers.

They didn't declare that they wanted to kill anyone. They didn't declare that they wanted to start a war. They simply wanted to show that the Pioneer world did not belong to any one country.

But for the Garuda Pioneers, this change would become a new problem. Because for the past month, they had grown accustomed to seeing every foreign group as a potential threat.

Now, for the first time, foreign groups were beginning to do the same to them and amid the increasingly heated debate, Broto posted one final message.

Broto: From now on, if you encounter Garuda Pioneers on a resource island...

Broto: Don't be the ones who leave.

Broto: Tell them to leave.

The message was immediately met with dozens of responses, and eventually, a group began to form.

And without the Garuda Pioneers realizing it, as they remained busy gathering resources for their country, the Pioneer world was slowly entering a new phase.

This time, they were no longer simply on the defensive.

They were beginning to be surrounded by the dissatisfaction of Pioneers from various countries.