Chapter 150: Another Meaning of Cooperation
Hat Mita's blunt words landed like a slap, yet none of the three Player teams in the clearing stood up to argue.
Anyone who could arrive here this quickly was, by definition, a high level Player with enough strength and intelligence to read the room.
Was Hat Mita telling the truth?
Honestly, it didn't matter.
The facts were simple. She had sought them out first, and no matter how long her team had been waiting here, they had arrived earlier than everyone else.
More importantly…
A girl who dared to appear alone in front of multiple unfamiliar Player teams would never be as harmless as she looked.
Starting a pointless verbal fight and offending her without understanding the situation would be something only an idiot would do.
"In that case…"
Kaguya Shinomiya stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Hat Mita. Her tone was flat, but every word carried weight.
"Tell me… no, tell us. What exactly is it that you want to discuss with our three teams?"
"Mm, yes, yes. Everyone's traveled far and you must be tired, so I'll keep it simple."
Hat Mita's smile faded. She looked around at the three teams and spoke slowly, as if laying down rules.
"Everyone here should understand that Player teams who don't know each other can't truly cooperate. We can't trust each other. If we act together, we'd have to split our attention to guard against each other the whole time."
She paused, then continued calmly.
"But if we want to break through the research base defenses, it's unlikely any single team can do it, even the team I belong to. So…"
Hat Mita's lips curved again.
"There's only one way to achieve the effect of cooperation without actually moving together."
She raised a finger.
"We attack from different directions at the same time."
"Hmm… this plan…"
The Players around the clearing, including Kaguya, fell silent as they thought it through.
It was, in fact, the most workable approach.
The research base was massive, spanning over ten square kilometers. If four teams broke in from four different directions, then even after entry, the teams were far less likely to run into each other or follow the same internal route.
Different directions lowered the chance of contact.
And attacking simultaneously meant the defensive forces would be split and drawn apart, preventing any one team from facing the entire base alone.
"Agreed. It's reasonable," Kaguya said, then immediately pressed the weak points, her eyes steady on Hat Mita. "But…"
"With four directions, the initial resistance won't be equal. Some areas will be harder to breach. Others will be weaker."
Her voice stayed calm, almost cold.
"How do we decide who takes which direction? And how do we ensure all four teams truly attack at the same time, instead of someone letting others draw fire first and then swooping in to steal the result?"
"Let me answer your second question first."
Hat Mita replied without hesitation, as if she had already been prepared for it.
"Twelve hours from now, twenty four hours after we entered this Dungeon, the research base will be attacked by an Ajin named Sato."
She tilted her head.
"His goal is to rescue an Ajin named Nagai Kei who is being held there."
"Nagai Kei…" someone murmured.
Kaguya's team and the other two teams had clearly gathered information too. Even if the situation wasn't being broadcast on television, there were still online discussions about an Ajin appearing. The name Nagai Kei, a high school student, had circulated.
But Sato was unfamiliar.
That wasn't surprising. After Sato attacked a research facility once and successfully rescued an Ajin test subject, and with his radical ideology and methods, information about him became highly classified. Only high level officials in the Anti-Ajin Special Forces would know.
"Sato's individual combat ability is extremely high," Hat Mita continued. "Once he forces his way into the research base, most of the defense personnel will be drawn to him."
She smiled lightly.
"But his goal is Nagai Kei. He'll leave as soon as he succeeds. That means our window to break in and obtain the experimental data is limited."
Hat Mita looked around at the Players present.
"You were all willing to take the risk of fighting the Anti-Ajin Special Forces head on, leaving your starting city and coming all the way here. That proves you're the kind of Players aiming for the highest clear evaluation and the best rewards."
She spread her hands.
"Waiting and letting others take the heat might sound smart, but I don't think anyone here is that stupid."
Her voice sharpened just slightly.
"Even a few minutes late could mean another team gets the experimental data first and clears the Dungeon."
Then she smiled again, as if stating something obvious.
"After all, we Players are competitors too, aren't we?"
Kaguya agreed internally.
Every team here had suffered to reach this mountain. No one would willingly hand over experimental data that represented the highest clear evaluation and the most valuable reward.
Avoiding enemies only to lose the chance at the prize was not a wise trade.
And ultimately, who here had come this far because they were afraid of risk?
"As for your first question," Hat Mita said, "the Anti-Ajin Special Forces is extremely wary of Sato, and the base is holding Nagai Kei. The moment Sato is detected, they'll pull back a large portion of their forces."
She shrugged.
"Because of that, the difference between directions won't matter as much as you think."
Her eyes sparkled with confidence.
"Still, since this discussion was proposed by my team, we'll take the south side. The front direction with the strongest defenses and the strictest vigilance."
Kaguya and Hayasaka exchanged a glance.
Volunteering for the main entrance meant Hat Mita's team was either absurdly strong, absurdly confident, or both.
The leader of the three man team spoke first.
"We'll take the west side."
The leader of the five person team followed.
"We'll take the north."
Kaguya didn't hesitate.
"Then we'll enter from the east."
"Okay. Everyone here is reasonable."
Hat Mita clapped her hands, smiling brightly.
No one else joined in.
The mood was tense, heavy, and serious. Celebrating with applause felt almost ridiculous.
Hat Mita's smile wavered for a fraction, as if she had suddenly realized she was the only one making noise.
Then a fresh round of clapping rang out.
"Yay!"
Kaguya and Hayasaka turned and saw Fujiwara Chika wearing a dazed, adorable smile as she clapped along enthusiastically. She even cheered like she was watching a festival performance.
"You…" Kaguya said, completely speechless for once. "I genuinely don't know what to say."
"Thanks for the support," Hat Mita replied, instantly bright again.
Then she turned and vanished into the trees. A moment later, she returned carrying a large plastic bag.
"Here. Food and mineral water. Free."
She said it so casually, like it was obvious.
"If you don't recover properly, you'll die too quickly during tomorrow's attack. And then no one will be around to help share the firepower."
…
After taking the supplies and moving back into the forest, Kaguya looked down at the rice ball in her hand, her thoughts turning heavy.
"What kind of team does that girl belong to… She doesn't feel like the leader."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yet she can present a plan like this and even hand out food and water to other Players. That's rational. Calculated. Almost… too clean."
"What kind of person is she?"
"She must be really capable," Fujiwara Chika said between huge bites, her face shining with the same pure happiness Iwanaga Kotoko had shown earlier. A few grains of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth, making her look even more absurdly content.
"Mmm. The rice ball is delicious. I'm so happy."
"Just eat," Kaguya muttered, sounding helpless more than anything.
But Chika didn't respond.
Her smile stayed simple and cute, yet her eyes held a faint, thoughtful glint.
Among the first four Player teams to arrive here…
Utsunomiya wasn't present.
Did he never enter this Dungeon?
Or was he not actually a Player, and she had been mistaken?
Or maybe…
Was that overly cheerful girl with tear drop makeup actually a member of Utsunomiya's team?
"Tomorrow, we attack…"
Chika finished the rice ball in a few quick bites, then let out a satisfied sigh. She smiled to herself, her voice light.
"That's really something to look forward to."
TL: Check out my newly released fanfic
Germany: The Thousand Year Empire
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