The Joes was a party or the official of the United Sovereign called them a mercenary group. The reason they were called a mercenary group was because they were not part of the United Sovereign. They were a free group with no attachment to the United Sovereign.
Freedom was the reason why they did not join the United Sovereign. Of course, they must pay the price for their freedom. They were not allowed to get talent from the smart base, and they could not take the dungeon without the United Sovereign's consent. In order to delve into a dungeon, they must pay a certain price. It was based on the rank of the dungeon. Not only that, they must share thirty percent of their loot in the form of "tax".
Despite the drawback, they remained in the United Sovereign instead of moving out. They heard that in other places, they were forced to join the faction if they wanted to stay in their territory. Despite their bad situation, they remained because this was where they were born and raised.
"We can't keep doing this! We are now far behind those people who joined!" One of The Joes's leaders complained after he chugged his drinks in one go, slamming the glass on the table.
"That's not the worst part, our biggest problem is the dungeon. Even if we have the money, we can't buy a slot for a dungeon. This is getting worse, John. We need a solution!" Another one voiced his concern.
The leaders of The Joes gathered in their quarters for the big discussion. The Joes had forty-five members, each leader led by ten people as a party. The business was getting worse, and the access to the dungeon got even worse in the last week.
Four leaders were currently entering a discussion for The Joes' future, three men and one woman. The United Sovereign had started it, using their power to force a group like them to join them where they sold their body and souls. The contract was clear that they must listen to the order from above. The contract was strict, and the punishment for breaching the contract was stricter.
The main leader of The Joes was John Joe, followed by the second in command, the three sub-leaders: Cody Joe, Sam Joe, and Amy Joe.
John Joe let out a sigh, massaging the space between his eyes. He knew that it was just a matter of time until the United Sovereign forced them to sign the ludicrous contract. The main reason he did not sign and join immediately was because he wanted to raise his and his team's value so they could get a better contract. He just did not expect it would be this early. He expected another two or maybe three years, but he knew he did not have that much time.
He must find a solution, or his members will find their own solution, leaving the team and joining the United Sovereign. The big issue was that this came so quickly that he could not think of a better solution than joining the United Sovereign. He was caught off guard, thinking he had a few years before reaching this point.
John had heard a lot of bad things about the USF (United Sovereign Force) from his friends that joined earlier. The newbies would be placed in the front, becoming canon fodder for the force. If they survived they might get promoted and earn a better contract. They would get there if they survived. The key was if they survived, the main reason why he and his people agreed to move separately from the United Sovereign. Because everyone knows the mortality rate for the latecomers was high.
The problem was not him, but the people who followed him. He managed to get a talent before the United Sovereign took over North America. But his team members were not so lucky like him. The four leaders were the only ones with talent, and he was the strongest one to be able to reach Ancient Rank not long ago.
He could get a better contract with his rank, but not his people who did not have talent and were not even ranked yet. They would receive the worst contract from the United Sovereign, and he could not allow that to happen. He was the leader, they were his responsibility, but he was out of options right now.
"I…" John let out a sigh, rubbing his face in frustration, "I don't really have any solution but joining USF. Unless we want to clean out from our business and get a new life."
He knew his people, and they would not stop what they were doing. The Game might be a disaster, an apocalypse for most, but not for them. For them, this was a chance to achieve success, an opportunity where everyone had the same start. If they gave up now, they would live in mediocrity for the rest of their life, something they would regret in their old age.
The three sub-leaders knew John did not have a better solution for their problem. His reply was responded with a stillness, a depressing silence for being powerless.
"We might have another option, but we will take a gamble on this option!" Amy Joe broke the silence.
The three immediately looked up at Amy. At this point, they might as well take the risk if it was a better option than what they had right now.
John, Cody, and Sam were shocked to hear the name that Amy brought up. They never thought of the Tang Empire as their option before. Many of their friends moved to the Tang Empire, and they never heard anything back from them. They thought they might not make it in the Tang Empire. The reason why they never heard anything back from their friends.
Without a doubt, the Tang Empire was the powerhouse on Earth. They had heard all the greatness of the Tang Empire, but they also heard about the dark story about the Tang Empire. Slavery as punishment, and executions for the criminals that had been held three times. Just like any other factions, once they entered the Tang Empire, they had to join the Tang Empire's factions and sign the contract. The moment they signed the contract, the Tang Empire's law would apply to them.
"I don't think that's a better option than joining USF, Amy. At least, we are working with our own people in the USF, fighting for our homeland," Sam frowned, shaking his head, clearly disagreeing with the suggestion.
Amy shrugged, "I am being honest, I already made the decision for myself. The moment The Joes disbands, I will go to the Tang Empire instead of joining USF. I have told my decision to my team members, and they expressed their willingness to join me."
Sam was about to burst out at Amy, but John stopped his friend from making the discussion into a quarrel. They were here to discuss a solution, not to fight. Cody remained calm and listened to the conversation, not involving himself in the quarrel or trying to be the middleman.
"You must have your reasons why you want to join the Tang Empire. We have heard all the dark and f*cked up shit they have done, Amy. The slavery, execution, the inhumane dungeons, and more."
"Who do you hear it from?" Amy asked with a solemn tone.
John opened his mouth, but no words were coming out. Cody had a surprised expression, and Sam furrowed his brow. They heard it from the people from USF.
"But—" Amy cut Sam off, "It's true for the execution and the slavery, but what you hear is an exaggeration. Not all criminals received the same punishment. Do you know who got executed? Do you know who gets enslaved? What kind of crime do they commit?"
The story and the rumors did not include what those people did to receive the punishment. They only heard that the Tang Empire executed the criminals in public. That was it, the crime was never mentioned.
"They are traitors and rebels. Those are the people who got executed," Amy raised his hand at Sam, "Can you let me finish it first before interrupting me, Sam?"
"Do you remember Kate, John? Does that name ring a bell to you?" She turned toward John.
John furrowed his brow, trying to recall the name but Cody beat him, "Ah, yes. We were her customer before she disappeared…" His voice trailed off.
The Joes were Kate's customer, an unaffiliated alchemist. They bought their stocks from her, and they sometimes took a commission from her to find the herbs and medical plants for her. They heard the story about how the working class was exploited and neglected by the United Sovereign until recently. That was the reason why Kate opened her own shop despite the difficulty of getting resources.
"That's right, she disappeared more than a year ago. Do you know who I met five days ago in Dimensa City? That's right, it's her, Kate. She is wearing the most reputable coat of TEAA (Tang Empire Alchemist Association), and she was escorted by a group of ten Tarriors."