Chapter 180 - 161: Setting a Goal: Building My Own Faction

Chapter 180: Chapter 161: Setting a Goal: Building My Own Faction

The unrest among the players—especially the commotion in the major group chats of the Sea Survival Shop—naturally did not escape the eyes of Zelda Parrish and the others. This was especially true for Zelda.

She completely agreed that as the Sea Survival Game progressed to its endgame, it would inevitably evolve into a Territory mode. She didn’t know what kind of "game" they would face after establishing a Territory, but she understood that the stronger they were, the better. To ensure her own safety, she was inclined to build her own faction. However, in these early stages, she felt it was best to focus on her personal development.

Unexpectedly, the emergence of the Sea Survival Shop instantly connected over a thousand districts, giving many ambitious players the opportunity to develop their factions. Whether formed by shady associates or those harboring ulterior motives, these factions had ultimately taken shape.

Zelda was also very willing to form her own faction, but she knew very well that her Skill development path would limit its potential. Even if she could expand rapidly now, her faction would inevitably become a target for others later on. One misstep, and she would merely be paving the way for someone else’s success. Of course, if she couldn’t find a suitable target to follow, she would naturally just continue developing on her own.

But as it happened, she already had a candidate in mind! She had her eyes set on Rowan Rhodes. Whether in terms of strength, character, or any other aspect, Rowan was top-tier. They also shared a slight bond of friendship. Because of this, with Rowan as the benchmark, Zelda simply couldn’t look up to any other player.

She wondered why Rowan was still unwilling to build her own faction when so many players were practically offering themselves to her. Now, watching the top-ranked players actively pulling strings and scheming, Zelda wanted to communicate with Rowan once more. She didn’t think Rowan was blind to the future direction of the Sea Survival Game, so she must have some reservations.

If Rowan still refused, Zelda would have no choice but to develop independently. This process would undoubtedly require a tremendous amount of effort. The same applied to other players. In the future, if Rowan wanted to recruit suitable candidates, she would definitely have to pay a much higher price. Starting now, while everyone was still trying to make their mark, was the absolute best time! With this in mind, Zelda sent Rowan an invitation to formally pledge her allegiance.

***

Meanwhile, Rowan was conducting a carpet search of the woods alongside the Seagull Family, the Big Turtle, and Void Beast Atticus, reaping a bountiful harvest. The animals they found included pheasants, wild hares, goats, and wild boars. The plants included orange, peach, and pear trees. The former were standard animals, while the latter directly filled the void of fruit trees in her inventory. Rowan was absolutely thrilled by the discovery. After all, with these trees and their seeds, she would have a steady supply of fruit.

Setting everything else aside, even Void Beast Atticus seemed rather excited at the sight of the fruit.

"These are edible!" it exclaimed.

"You live on this Void Isle and you didn’t know?" Rowan asked, somewhat surprised. Although Void Beasts couldn’t interact with these resources, surely they had explored the Void Isle!

"I’ve never wandered around the Void Isle, nor do I recognize these. How could I know? These are new varieties where we come from. So are those vegetables and melons you gave me! The elders in the clan said they were delicious!" Void Beast Atticus spoke with a hint of excitement. "These must be products of your species, right? There are so many varieties!"

Upon hearing this, Rowan’s eyes flickered. Void Beast Atticus’s words undoubtedly confirmed her previous suspicions. The Sea Survival Game hadn’t just extracted these players from Azure; it had also extracted Azure’s resources.

"Did the species within the Deep Sea Region also bring you many local specialties?" Rowan continued to ask.

"Yeah! The clan elders say that every time a new species appears, a massive amount of resources appears with them!" Void Beast Atticus said very casually.

However, a tempest had been stirred up in Rowan’s heart. This meant that the Sea Survival Game’s extraction of Azure’s resources wasn’t just to supply the players, but also to supply the other species in the Deep Sea Region. Or, to put it another way, it was a resource trade with the species of the Deep Sea Region.

After all, there were many special resources that Azure didn’t have. For instance, the Acidic Mushrooms they harvested today, or the extra Skill Cards and Equipment the players now possessed. It seemed like a simple exchange of resources, but Rowan felt the truth behind it wasn’t that simple.

"Does a new species have to go through raft upgrades in the Shallow Sea and the Coastal Waters before entering the Deep Sea Region?" Rowan inquired.

"Yes, it’s always like that!" Void Beast Atticus nodded.

So, the Sea Survival Game hadn’t just descended upon Azure; it had descended upon other planets as well. Pulling different planets into the Sea Survival Game to extract their species and resources—wasn’t this just endless resource plundering? Then, would they ever have a day to return to Azure? Were they doomed to accept their fate, living forever in this Sea Survival Game, repeating the same destiny as the other species? This worry unconsciously surfaced in Rowan’s heart.

"You have so many good things; you’ll definitely be popular. As long as you can protect yourselves, you’ll absolutely be able to secure a place for yourselves in the Deep Sea Region," Void Beast Atticus said sincerely. It felt that it got along quite well with Rowan. If Rowan could build her own faction, perhaps their two species could interact more in the future. In a way, it was also establishing a stable supply channel for the Void Beast Clan.

Listening to this, Rowan’s mind stirred. Regardless of what the future held or what happened to Azure, her primary goal right now was to gain a foothold in the Sea Survival Game and establish her own faction. After all, her personal strength was sufficient for the Shallow Sea Region and the Coastal Waters Region, but entering the Deep Sea Region would be a completely different story.

Just as Rowan was mulling this over, she noticed several consecutive messages from Zelda Parrish on her control panel. She immediately shifted her attention to the panel and checked the contents.

When Zelda informed her about the activities of some prominent players recruiting others, and revealed her desire to formally align herself with her, Rowan was moved. She hadn’t taken action before because she felt the time wasn’t right, and she was also wary of betrayal. However, after conversing with Void Beast Atticus, she had discovered some of the hidden secrets behind the Sea Survival Game. Now that she knew, she naturally couldn’t fight alone.

Her concern wasn’t the other players, but the various species within the Deep Sea Region. Since they needed resources, they naturally wouldn’t be polite to players who delivered themselves right to their doorstep. When that time came, the Azure players would be besieged on all sides. Therefore, she had to establish her faction early.

As for the other factions currently under construction, Rowan felt that having more of them was a good thing. A multitude of factions would allow ordinary players to rely on the top-tier players, increasing their survival rates while elevating the overall strength of the Azure players. Her task was to try her best to steer this competition into a healthy one. As for those factions that engaged in malicious competition, they would deserve to be wiped out.

After all, human nature was unpredictable. How could she guarantee that people who maliciously competed against their own compatriots wouldn’t stab them in the back once they entered the Deep Sea Region?

With her plans finalized, Rowan sent a reply to Zelda Parrish.