Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 411 A Huge Fortune!

“Jack, activate all attack systems,” Rex ordered. “Aim at its eyes and the base of its tentacles.”

“Received,” Jack quickly operated the ship’s weapon systems, and several high-energy lasers shot towards the Deep Sea Demon Octopus.

However, this seventh-tier sea monster had amazing defense; the laser attack only left slight scorch marks on its scales and did not cause any real damage.

“Conventional weapons have limited effectiveness against it,” Amy analyzed. “It requires direct intervention from martial artists.”

"I'll go!" Rex leaped into the air, unleashing a powerful surge of wind-elemental energy. "Wind Blade Dance!"

Dozens of sharp wind blades flew towards the Deep Sea Demon Octopus. These wind blades possessed attack power far exceeding that of ordinary weapons, leaving several bloody marks on the Deep Sea Demon Octopus's body. The Deep Sea Demon Octopus, in pain, let out an angry roar, and one of its tentacles lashed out directly at Rex.

Rex nimbly dodged in the air while continuing to unleash wind-based attacks. The other powerful members of the teams also joined the fray, their various colored attacks weaving together in the air to create a spectacular battle scene.

Morris unleashed a massive water dragon, which coiled around the Deepsea Octopus's two tentacles. Brad summoned a flaming spear, aiming at the Deepsea Octopus's vital points. Kurak's metal-based attacks were the most lethal; the metal blades he conjured were even capable of slicing through the Deepsea Octopus's scales.

"This guy's defense is really strong," Rowan commented to himself as he observed the battle, "but with the Alliance's strength, taking it down shouldn't be a problem."

Just as the main fighting force was engaged in fierce combat with the Deep Sea Demon Octopus, three other Tier 6 sea monsters surfaced from the seabed. These three sea monsters were relatively small in size, but their numerical advantage complicated the situation.

"Divide into teams," Kurak shouted during the battle. "Two teams will deal with each Tier 6 sea monster, while Rex, Morris, and I will handle this Tier 7 one."

As arranged by Kurak, the Flame Legion and the Tide Exploration Team were assigned to deal with one of the Tier 6 sea monsters. The warriors of the two teams quickly coordinated, with Brad taking the lead in the attack and Morris providing support and control.

Surprisingly, both teams displayed astonishing combat prowess in dealing with the sea monster. Brad's flame attacks and Morris's water-based control worked together flawlessly, successfully killing the sixth-tier sea monster in just fifteen minutes.

"Well done," the martial artists from the other teams praised the result.

But here's where the problem arises. Based on the sea monster's size and strength, this Tier 6 deep-sea giant ray is worth approximately eight million credits. The issue now is that the Flame Legion and the Tide Exploration Team have a disagreement regarding the distribution of the profits.

“Our Flame Legion undertook the main attack,” Brad proposed immediately after killing the sea monster. “I think it should be split 60/40, with us taking 60%.”

"Sixty-fourths?" Morris immediately objected. "Our Tide Exploration Team's control skills were key to victory. Without our cooperation, you couldn't have ended the battle so quickly. It should be fifty-fifty."

“A 50/50 split is unfair,” Brad insisted. “Our attack output accounts for at least 70%, so a 60/40 split is already quite fair.”

"Attack output?" Morris's tone turned hostile. "Without our water-based control to restrict the sea monster's movements, how many times would your attacks hit? I think it's a 30/70 split, with us taking 70%."

"30/70 split? Are you crazy?" Brad's face darkened. "We're the ones who bore the brunt of the risk, why should you get the lion's share?"

The argument between the two captains grew louder and louder, quickly attracting the attention of the other warriors engaged in battle. This act of fighting over spoils during the fighting made everyone uneasy.

"The battle is still going on, and you're already fighting over the spoils?" Kurak angrily questioned the two during a break in his fight with the seventh-tier deep-sea demon. "Can't we wait until the battle is over before discussing this?"

“We were just discussing the allocation plan beforehand,” Brad explained somewhat sheepishly, “so there wouldn’t be any disputes after the battle.”

"Discuss? I think it's more like arguing," Rex said, also dissatisfied with their behavior. "How can this kind of attitude lead to effective cooperation?"

But neither Brad nor Morris was willing to back down on this issue. As the argument continued, other members of both teams began to take sides, supporting their captains' views.

“The captain is right, we have indeed taken on a greater risk,” a vice-captain of the Flame Legion expressed his support. “The sea monster’s main attacks are all aimed at us.”

“Nonsense,” a member of the Tide Exploration Team immediately retorted, “Our control skills consume far more Law power, and without our cooperation, the battle would never have gone so smoothly.”

As the dispute between the two teams intensified and threatened to escalate into an internal conflict, the captains of the other teams felt deeply worried.

“This can’t go on,” Amy said worriedly to Rex inside the Wings of Freedom exploration team. “If the alliance has such a problem so soon after its formation, what will happen to future cooperation?”

“I didn’t expect the problem to be exposed so quickly,” Rex replied while directing the attack. “It seems the hastily assembled alliance is indeed very fragile.”

Rowan observed all of this from the sidelines, gaining a deeper understanding of human greed. Faced with enormous profits, even in life-or-death battles, people cannot suppress their inner greed.

"How ironic," Rowan thought to himself, "an alliance formed to counter external threats has cracked over the distribution of internal interests."

After the argument lasted for several minutes, the other fighting teams began to be affected. Some warriors became distracted by the dispute, causing their attack efficiency to decrease. More seriously, some members of the Flame Legion and the Tide Exploration Team even stopped attacking the remaining sea monsters and focused on supporting their captain's point of view.

"Enough!" Kurak finally snapped, roaring as he fought the Deepsea Demon Octopus, "If you keep going like this, everyone will die here!"

But Brad and Morris both seemed to think they were right, and the argument not only didn't stop, but escalated.

"I'll say it one last time, 60/40, we take 60%, that's the bottom line," Brad said firmly.

“I’ll say it one last time: it’s fifty-fifty, not a penny less,” Morris said, equally unwilling to budge.

Seeing that the two sides were completely unable to reach an agreement, the captains of the other teams began to consider intervening to mediate. However, the problem was that as competitors who also coveted the spoils, their mediation was unlikely to be fair.

“How about this,” suggested the captain of a team called ‘Abyss Hunters,’ “that we, a few unrelated teams, act as arbitrators and determine the allocation ratio based on the actual situation.”

“No,” Brad immediately refused. “This is an internal matter between our two teams; we don’t need outsiders interfering.”

“I agree with Brad,” Morris agreed with Brad on this issue, “we’ll handle our own affairs.”

Seeing the two team captains agree to reject external mediation, the other team captains felt helpless. In this situation, they really couldn't forcefully intervene. "Then you two discuss it yourselves," Kurak said helplessly, "but please hurry, we still have to continue fighting."

However, what followed was even more dramatic. Just as Brad and Morris continued their argument, the remaining two Tier 6 sea monsters suddenly launched a counterattack. Perhaps sensing the death of their companion, these two sea monsters became even more frenzied and dangerous.

One of the Tier 6 Thunder Eels unleashed a powerful electric attack, targeting the arguing Flame Legion and Tide Exploration Team. The intense current spread through the seawater, instantly engulfing the area where both teams were located.

“Watch out!” Rex shouted a warning, but it was too late.

Because both teams were focused on the argument, they were a beat too slow to react. Although they eventually managed to defend against the attack, the process was very messy, and several members even suffered minor injuries.

“Look at you all,” Kurak angrily rebuked, “forgetting basic battlefield awareness for a little spoils is a fatal mistake.”

This unexpected incident finally made Brad and Maurice realize the seriousness of the problem. Fighting for interests in a life-or-death battle is indeed a very dangerous act.

“Alright, let’s focus on the battle first, we can talk about the allocation later,” Brad reluctantly compromised.

“Agreed,” Morris nodded in agreement.

However, judging from their expressions, they had only temporarily set aside the dispute and had not truly abandoned their positions. This reluctant compromise, on the contrary, made other teams even more worried about the stability of the league.

“How long can this cooperation last?” Amy privately expressed her concerns to Rex. “If we have to argue every time we distribute the spoils, our alliance won’t go far.”

“I know,” Rex said gravely, “but now we need the strength of this alliance to fight the Imperial Legion, at least to hold out until we break through the blockade.”

Listening to their conversation, Rowan gained a clearer understanding of the challenges to come. If the alliance was so fragile internally, then this loose cooperation could very well collapse at a crucial moment when facing a truly powerful enemy.

With all teams rejoining the battle, the remaining sea monsters were quickly wiped out. The Tier 7 Deepsea Demon Octopus was finally defeated by the combined attack of Kurak, Rex, and Morris. The other two Tier 6 sea monsters were also dealt with by the other teams.

After the battle, the sea returned to calm. The corpses of the four sea monsters floated on the surface, emitting a strong stench of blood. The spoils were worth over thirty million credits, a huge fortune for any team present.

“Now we can discuss the allocation,” Brad immediately brought up the previous dispute again. “I maintain my previous view: our Flame Chapter should receive 60%.”

“I also stand by my point of view, it’s fifty-fifty,” Morris said, equally unwilling to back down.

Seeing the two start arguing again, the other team members grew annoyed. This behavior of turning against each other over a small gain made everyone worry about the future of the league.

“How about this,” a young martial artist suggested, “we can find an impartial third party to judge, such as a mediator from Virtual Universe Company.”

Upon hearing this suggestion, Rowan's heart skipped a beat. Inviting a mediator from the Virtual Universe Company might expose his and Silver Moon's identities. However, it would also be a good opportunity to understand the true thoughts of the other teams.

"Are the people from Virtual Universe Corporation in Port Reno?" someone asked.

“There should be,” the young martial artist replied. “I saw their markings at the port yesterday.”

“I object,” Brad immediately objected. “Virtual Universe’s mediation fees are high and the process is complicated, unsuitable for an emergency like ours.”

“I object as well,” Morris echoed. “We are an exploration team, not a commercial dispute; we don’t need outside mediation.”

Seeing that both parties opposed external mediation, the others stopped insisting on the suggestion. However, the problem remained unresolved, and the dispute continued.

“How about we vote?” someone suggested a new solution. “All the teams present should vote on which allocation plan they support.”

“A vote?” Brad considered for a moment. “Sure, but the prerequisite for voting is understanding the specific details of the battle, not just subjective impressions.”

“No problem,” Morris agreed. “We can describe the battle in detail so everyone can make a fair judgment.”

Thus began a detailed recounting of the battle.

"Judging from Captain Brad's description, the Flame Legion did indeed undertake the main attack tasks," one captain commented after listening. "But Captain Morris also has a point; control skills also contribute significantly to the battle."

“I think we should consider both sides,” another captain argued. “Attack and control are both important, but taking risks should definitely be rewarded more.”

The team captains began to express their opinions, but there was no consensus. Some supported a 60/40 split, some supported a 50/50 split, and some even proposed a 70/30 split.

“It seems voting won’t solve the problem,” Amy whispered to Rex. “Everyone has different standards of judgment.”

“That’s normal,” Rex replied. “When faced with interests, it’s difficult to make a completely impartial judgment. Everyone will unconsciously consider their own position.”

The argument lasted for nearly an hour, but no agreement was reached. Neither Brad nor Morris was willing to compromise, and the other teams were unable to offer a solution that satisfied both sides.

“This can’t go on,” Kurak finally lost his patience. “Our time is precious; we can’t waste it all on this argument.”

"So what suggestions do you have?" Brad asked.

“It’s simple,” Kurak said coldly. “You two teams will fight one-on-one, and the winner will take all the spoils.”

“A duel?” Morris frowned. “That would cause unnecessary losses.”

(End of this chapter)