Chapter 318: Resolution

"I’m in support of Alex’s decision. We’re already struggling to defend ourselves, and the monsters are only becoming stronger. We need every ally we can get, whether they’re humans, Beasts, or something else," Tina said.

"That’s not how it works, Miss Tina," the principal replied, shaking his head.

Tina clicked her tongue at the principal, clearly displeased with his response. She had attended the same high school as Alex’s and Kevin’s sisters, which was also how she knew the principal. Apparently, the two had known each other for quite some time and were somewhere between friends and acquaintances, something Alex had only discovered recently.

Alex shook his head before turning toward the two pigeons. "What do you two have to say about this? Since it concerns your alliance as well, I’d like to hear your opinion."

"We need to work together, humans. It seems you haven’t fully realized what’s happening in this world. Do you think you can continue avoiding other Beast Kingdoms forever? Soon, many Beasts will begin fighting to establish their own territories and take control of this world. You cannot fight all of them alone, so you will eventually need allies," Hoot replied.

Everyone looked surprised when the pigeon began speaking, although their expressions became considerably more serious as they listened to his explanation.

Alex nodded, since Hoot had brought up something he had also been considering.

"Hoot is right. If Beasts receive Faction Quests similar to ours, they’ll eventually need to increase the territory and population under their control. That means conflicts between humans and Beasts will probably become unavoidable. Instead of treating every Beast as an enemy, wouldn’t it be better to establish friendly relationships with those willing to cooperate?" Alex asked.

The principal remained silent for several moments before shaking his head. "Perhaps we can consider that later, Alex. Right now, people have lost too much, and their emotions are already unstable. If we suddenly tell them that intelligent animals are joining our Base, I doubt they’ll react calmly."

"Allying with you, not joining your Base. We have agreed to cooperate, but we haven’t agreed to become your subordinates," Hoot corrected.

The tent fell silent again, and everyone gradually turned toward Alex, waiting for his response. He considered the principal’s argument carefully, understanding that the older man wasn’t necessarily wrong about how people might react.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have the luxury of avoiding every difficult decision simply because someone might become upset. The situation in Hell Difficulty was already dangerous enough, and Alex wasn’t willing to reject potential allies without even giving them a chance.

"The people who have survived until now aren’t incapable of thinking. Explain what Beasts are, why they’re different from monsters, and how cooperating with them could benefit everyone. I’m sure most people will understand once they hear the explanation," Alex replied.

"Alex, we can’t simply—" the principal began, but Alex interrupted him before he could finish.

"Then will you take responsibility if we refuse this alliance and something goes wrong?" Alex asked. His question made the principal frown, apparently realizing that Alex had reasons for insisting on cooperation beyond what he had already explained.

"We still don’t know what the Second Assessment will involve, but there’s a good chance the number of survivors will matter. If Hell Difficulty fails again, will you take responsibility for the thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands, of people who could die when Origin Energy becomes denser and more powerful monsters begin appearing?" Alex asked.

The principal fell silent, and Alex continued before anyone else could speak.

"We need to bring more Ascenders into Hell Difficulty, but the portal there is guarded by four High Rank Species monsters that are practically the size of mountains. There are also hundreds of smaller monsters surrounding them, and our entire group doesn’t even have twenty members."

He took a breath before continuing, "We’re preparing to fight an army that’s considerably stronger than us, and we’re willing to risk our lives because conquering that portal might be necessary for everyone’s survival. Yet you’re telling me that the people here can’t even think rationally for a moment and consider accepting two intelligent Beasts as allies?"

Only after finishing did Alex realize that he had somewhat snapped. He knew the reason. He was the one encouraging his companions in Hell Difficulty to conquer the portal, despite knowing how dangerous the attempt would be.

If they failed, the entire group might be wiped out. Mia, Petra, Joseph, Yulia, Frank, Emma, Matthew, Samuel, Daniel, and the little kid who had recently joined them could all die in a foreign land while attempting something that was ultimately meant to protect the people on Earth.

Since Alex was the one pushing everyone toward that objective, he considered it his responsibility to improve their chances of survival as much as possible. And if establishing an alliance with intelligent Beasts could help accomplish that, he wasn’t willing to abandon the opportunity simply because some people might dislike the idea.

The tent remained completely silent, with everyone staring at Alex in shock. Until now, none of them had realized just how dangerous the situation in Hell Difficulty had become.

"What... what’s happening over there?" Sophia eventually asked, looking visibly disturbed. "Four High Rank Species monsters that are as big as mountains? Alex, you’re exaggerating a little, right?"

"I wish I were," Alex replied, noticing that several of his friends looked as though they wanted to convince him to remain on Earth.

Before they could say anything, he raised his hand and continued.

"Don’t worry too much. The smaller monsters aren’t really a problem anymore, since we’re already strong enough to deal with them. The four larger ones are the main issue, but we’re training and preparing for that fight. If our plan goes well today, we’ll have a much better chance of succeeding. Still, there’s no reason to reject additional help when we clearly need it," Alex explained.

The principal lowered his gaze toward the map, apparently reconsidering everything Alex had said. The others remained silent as well, although their expressions suggested that their concerns had shifted considerably.

"Gather everyone in the open area outside. I’ll explain the situation to them myself," Alex said, deciding that there was no reason to continue arguing. He turned toward the entrance, with Pipi and Hoot following him out of the tent.

..

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