Chapter 426: The Conservatives and The Progressives

Chapter 426: Chapter 426: The Conservatives and The Progressives

’A Level 3 Player with a muscle enhancement and a transformation Ability... He seems pretty strong.’

Seraphina Sullivan mentally assessed Simon Young.

’But against Sean Chandler...’

She glanced at Sean Chandler. He remained expressionless, but his entire aura was locked onto Simon Young, as if he could unleash a devastating strike at any moment. Seraphina shook her head to herself.

’He’s probably not enough to be a threat.

Sean Chandler’s combat experience, fighting techniques, and especially his preternaturally calm combat instincts aren’t things that raw Power and Beastification alone can compensate for.’

Still, Simon Young’s Weaknesses were rather interesting... ’Itching?’ Seraphina Sullivan made a mental note of this information.

The atmosphere on the scene eased slightly with the arrival of Brandon Barton and his men, but the tension remained thick.

All eyes were focused on the heart of the conflict.

The RV that had started the dispute and the two unyielding sides.

Brandon Barton immediately recognized the troublemaker, a young man named Ethan Soto.

His expression darkened instantly, his voice stern and filled with undisguised disgust. "Ethan Soto! Causing trouble again! Do you really think your brother-in-law runs the whole Central Base?!"

Ethan Soto was startled to see Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp, and a sinister, wary look quickly crossed his face.

Of course, he recognized Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp. He knew they were Gordon Chandler’s men, and the faction his brother-in-law belonged to... was not on friendly terms with Gordon Chandler’s camp.

"Brandon Barton! Victor Sharp! Well, well! I was wondering who had the guts to go against me. So it was your people all along!"

Clutching his bruised eye socket, Ethan Soto said through gritted teeth, "Fine! You’re tough! Just because you have Gordon Chandler backing you, right? Just you wait!"

His words were tough, but inwardly, he was already looking for a way out.

His brother-in-law did indeed hold a high and powerful position on the Central Base Administrative Committee.

He was an important figure in The Resource Faction, also known as The Conservatives.

But Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp reported directly to Gordon Chandler.

They were core members of the "Military Faction," or the "Progressive Faction."

The two factions disagreed on numerous issues, including the base’s development strategy, resource allocation, and Player management, leading to occasional friction.

If this escalated into a direct conflict between the two factions, his brother-in-law might not be willing to openly fall out with the other side over such a trivial matter. And if that happened, it wouldn’t end well for him, either.

He may have bullied people with his brother-in-law’s backing, but he wasn’t a complete idiot.

If Sean Chandler’s group were just some pushovers from a local safe zone with no connections, he could have pushed them around as he pleased.

But now that Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp were clearly taking their side, things had become complicated.

If he kept this up, it could easily turn into friction between the two factions. When that happened, not only would his brother-in-law not go all out to protect him, he’d probably get an earful for causing trouble. ℴℴ𝘮

Weighing his options, Ethan Soto suppressed the Fury and humiliation in his heart and shot Sean Chandler a venomous glare.

His eyes were practically laced with poison. "Stone-face, you just wait! Don’t think I can’t touch you just because Brandon Barton and his cronies are protecting you! We’re in the Central Base now. There’s plenty of time for me to get back at you! Let’s go, Simon Young!"

With that, he turned and stormed off, not even bothering with his lackeys who were still groaning on the ground.

The muscular Simon Young gave Sean Chandler a long, hard look. His eyes held a mix of scrutiny and a faint, almost imperceptible... gravity?

During their brief confrontation, he had clearly sensed a dangerous Aura emanating from the silent man across from him. It was a presence forged through countless life-and-death battles—an air as unyielding as bedrock, yet as swift as a hunting leopard.

He said nothing, silently following after Ethan Soto.

A conflict that had been on the verge of erupting thus fizzled out anticlimactically thanks to the intervention of Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp.

But the provoked party was far from pleased.

Dexter Luther watched Ethan Soto and his cronies leave, then glanced at the conflicted expressions on Laura Lowell’s and Brandon Barton’s faces. He couldn’t help but vent his frustration. "No offense, but how in the world do you people manage this Central Base?

A base this huge, supposedly one of humanity’s last hopes, and you have spoiled brats like that running around, bullying people and acting completely lawless?

Are there any rules here at all?!"

At his words, Laura Lowell could only manage a bitter smile that looked more painful than crying.

What could she say?

That the leadership was rife with factions and that the administration was full of holes?

That some people were simply above the rules?

Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp also looked awkward and resigned.

It wasn’t as if they didn’t loathe people like Ethan Soto.

But most of the time, they were just men on the front lines who had to follow orders. They were powerless to change the decisions and compromises made by their superiors.

Seraphina Sullivan walked over to Sean Chandler and confirmed he was unharmed. Only then did she turn to the others, her voice calm but with an unmistakable hint of detachment. "Since that’s over, let’s drive back to the farming zone and get settled."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp, her tone mild but with a hidden edge. "If anyone else wants to cause trouble, we’ll be ready. The Central Base may be large, but it’s not our only option."

Her words were spoken evenly, but they sent a chill down the spines of Brandon Barton and Victor Sharp.

They understood the subtext in Seraphina Sullivan’s words: if the Central Base couldn’t provide a reasonably fair and safe environment, her group might not be willing to stay.

Whether it was Seraphina Sullivan’s demonstrated healing Ability, Flora Sullivan, or Sean Chandler’s immense combat Power—

not to mention the Growth Potatoes and the Four Seasons Deer Herd they brought with them—they all represented power and resources the Central Base desperately needed.

Losing them would be a huge loss for the base.

Brandon Barton quickly interjected, "Comrade Sullivan, please rest assured, we will absolutely report this to our superiors!

As for Ethan Soto... we’ll keep an eye on him and do our best to make sure you aren’t harassed again.

For now, just focus on getting settled. Drive the RV over and get your new quarters set up."

He hesitated, then lowered his voice to add a warning. "But after this scene, Ethan Soto’s fiercely protective sister is sure to find out, and I doubt she’ll just let it go. The higher-ups... might make some ’moves.’ You should be prepared."

Seraphina Sullivan frowned. "It seems this is even more troublesome than I thought."

Victor Sharp scratched his head and added with a sigh, "Actually... Ethan Soto’s brother-in-law is a pretty reasonable man, and a competent administrator.

The problem is his wife, Ethan Soto’s older sister. She dotes on her little brother and has a relentless personality.

And her husband... well, he dotes on his wife and is, shall we say, a bit henpecked.

So, a lot of the time, even when we’re clearly in the right, we’re forced to make compromises in the end."

After listening, Seraphina Sullivan gained an even deeper understanding of the tangled web of relationships within the Central Base.

It wasn’t just a conflict of ideologies; it was entangled with personal emotions and family ties, making everything that much more complicated.