Chapter 319: Naming The Faction

"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.

However, he had barely walked a short distance when Tina and Sophia hurried after him. Both looked worried, and Alex could already guess what they wanted to ask.

"Alex, are you really going to be all right? Those monsters sound completely different from anything we’ve encountered here. Can your group actually defeat something that large?" Tina asked.

"And what was that plan you mentioned earlier? You said you were doing something today to prepare for the fight. What exactly are you planning? Is it something dangerous" Sophia added.

"We can handle it, so don’t worry too much," Alex replied, trying to reassure them. "As for the plan, we’re going to clear an underwater Dungeon today. There are High Rank Species monsters inside, so fighting them should be good training before we attempt to conquer the portal."

Both women stared at him, apparently finding his explanation considerably less reassuring than he had intended.

"Underwater? Are you sure the environment is safe?" Sophia asked, looking increasingly concerned. "There could be poisonous gases trapped somewhere, and if you don’t find an air pocket for too long, you could end up drowning before you even encounter any monsters."

"It’ll be fine," Alex replied, stopping and turning around to face the two women. He could understand why they were worried, especially considering what they had experienced earlier that morning.

Although Tina and Sophia knew that Alex regularly fought powerful monsters, neither had properly witnessed him fighting Mid Rank Species. Even his battle against the mantis had mostly taken place inside the house, away from their eyes.

However, after fighting five Mid Rank Species monsters themselves, they finally understood how terrifying those creatures could be. Naturally, learning that something even stronger existed made them considerably more worried about Alex’s safety.

"You guys are worrying too much. I’ve already killed a few High Rank Species monsters, so defeating them isn’t as impossible as you think," Alex said with a faint smile.

Both women widened their eyes, but before they could question him further, Alex remembered something else he wanted to share.

"Anyway, I have some good news. I found Mia, and it turns out she’s also a Beast. She’s currently with me in Hell Difficulty, although you shouldn’t tell anyone about her identity. For some reason, she’s determined to keep it a secret," Alex explained.

Tina looked genuinely surprised, but Sophia’s reaction was considerably more restrained. Although she tried to appear shocked, Alex noticed the slight hesitation in her expression.

"Wait, you already knew Mia was an Ascender?" Alex asked, narrowing his eyes.

Sophia flinched slightly, which was enough to confirm his suspicion.

"W-What? Why would you think that?" Sophia asked, apparently considering whether she could still deny it. However, after looking at Alex’s expression, she eventually sighed.

"Her body is actually sleeping in my room," Sophia admitted. "I think she was worried you’d become concerned if you discovered she was in Hell Difficulty, and might take huge risks to find her in Hell Difficulty. Every time I tried telling you, she would get angry and start scratching me."

Alex pressed his lips together, finding that explanation entirely consistent with Mia’s personality. However, he couldn’t understand why she had chosen Sophia instead of Kevin, who had probably fed her more than anyone else.

’That glutton really prefers people who look good, huh? Kevin will probably cry if he finds out about this,’ Alex thought, shaking his head inwardly.

"Anyway, I’ll go speak with everyone now. The sooner we settle this Beast alliance, the sooner I can return to Hell Difficulty," Alex said, looking toward the open area where people had begun gathering.

"Go break a leg," Tina replied, although her concerned expression hadn’t completely disappeared.

Alex smiled at them before creating a Mana Shuriken and rising into the air.

Several surprised gasps immediately reached his ears as people noticed him flying above the Base. Most of the survivors were already gathering in the open area, while others continued arriving from the surrounding tents and buildings.

Alex looked down at them before taking a deep breath. He strengthened his lungs and throat using mana, hoping to increase the volume of his voice enough for everyone to hear.

However, he quickly realized that wouldn’t be sufficient, so he attempted something different. Since mana could reinforce everything that was "his", perhaps he could also reinforce the sound waves traveling through the air after leaving his mouth.

The process was surprisingly difficult, but after several adjustments, Alex managed to stabilize the mana around his voice. When he spoke again, his words echoed throughout the entire area.

"Everyone, I know these times have been difficult. We’ve lost friends, families, and people we cared about, while the world we’ve known our entire lives has practically disappeared," Alex began.

[Loud Voice Spell detected.]

[Would you like to learn the Loud Voice Spell?]

[Yes/No]

Alex ignored the notification, since he had no intention of spending his limited Spell Slots on something he could already accomplish through mana manipulation alone.

"But I want everyone to remember something. We’re still here, and as long as we’re alive, we haven’t lost everything. The System might have changed our world, but that doesn’t mean we have to surrender it. We survived yesterday, we’re fighting today, and we’ll continue fighting until we can build a place where our families can live without constantly fearing for their lives," Alex said.

The crowd gradually grew quieter as people listened to his words. Alex looked across their faces before continuing, his voice carrying clearly throughout the Base.

"We’ll rebuild our homes, our schools, and everything else we’ve lost. It won’t happen immediately, and we’ll probably face more disasters along the way, but we’ll do it together. The new world has given us power, and we’ll use that power to protect what belongs to us rather than allowing monsters to take everything away."

Several people began cheering, and Alex smiled before raising his voice further.

"From today onward, this Base will be known as Carpe Diem! It means seize the day, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. So what if the world is ending? We’ll survive, we’ll grow stronger, and we’ll make every day count until we take back our future!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, with several Ascenders raising their weapons into the air. Alex felt somewhat embarrassed by his own speech, but seeing everyone’s improving expressions made him believe it had been worthwhile.

[Faction name chosen: Unnamed → Carpe Diem.]

[Hidden Quest completed.]

[Gold Reward Box gained.]

..

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