The inner hall was much quieter and more spartan than the noisy gladiatorial arena outside.
Rough rock walls were embedded with a few pieces of glowing moss that emitted a soft light, and a massive table, crudely polished from a single piece of meteoric iron, occupied most of the space, surrounded by several stone stools or metal chairs of varying styles.
This was clearly where Ruijia and a few core members discussed important matters.
Ruijia gestured for Mark and White Lion to take a seat, while she herself leaned casually against the cold iron table, arms crossed, the anger on her face long replaced by solemnity and a hint of exhaustion.
"You've seen quite a show, Mark."
She sighed, her voice much lower.
"The Alliance… the name sounds good, but in reality, it's a loose collection of individuals, and it's survived this long purely by luck."
"It's because The Old Ones' Tide hasn't truly made us their primary target yet, and…"
She pointed to herself.
"I can still barely keep some of the troublemakers in line."
Mark's gaze swept across the inner hall.
Besides Ruijia, several other alien beings had followed them in.
One was the corpulent, bubbling creature from the previous meeting, called Nurgle, who had spoken up for Mark.
Another was the flickering energy aggregate.
And there was a taciturn creature covered in black carapace, resembling a giant beetle, its compound eyes glinting in the dim light.
These few were likely the core members Ruijia could still barely trust.
"Survival is paramount; internal issues can be resolved slowly."
Mark spoke calmly, without a hint of mockery in his tone.
"I've seen worse situations than this; at least you're still resisting."
Ruijia gave a bitter smile.
"Resisting? It's more like hiding and occasional harassment. Our forces are too scattered, our technological levels vary wildly, and resources are scarce."
"As you said, The Old Ones' Tide hasn't fully focused their attention on us yet. Once they get serious…"
She shook her head, not finishing the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
"Therefore, we need to change."
Mark's finger lightly tapped the cold tabletop, making a crisp sound.
"Passive evasion and sporadic harassment will only lead to being defeated one by one. We need to take the initiative, concentrate our strength, and find The Old Ones' Tide's weaknesses."
"Take the initiative?"
The energy aggregate flickered, a voice full of doubt.
"Mr. Mark, we can barely hold onto our current strongholds; what do we have to take the initiative with?"
"Strength isn't about numbers, but how it's used."
Mark looked at him.
"On my journey here, I've seen many civilizations fighting individually, even isolated from each other."
"The greatest value of the Alliance isn't in its own military might, but in being a platform, an information node."
"How many struggling civilizations like yours are you connected with?"
Ruijia and a few core members exchanged glances.
Nurgle spoke.
"Through that unstable crystal communicator, we can intermittently maintain contact with seventeen different resistance strongholds."
"But the signal is unreliable, information transfer is difficult, and… there's not much mutual trust."
The bubbles on his body popped, sounding very helpless.
"Seventeen…" A golden light flickered in Mark's eyes.
"That's good."
"First step: integrate information. Collect and share all known information about The Old Ones' Tide's movements, the types of their minions, their weaknesses, combat patterns, as well as the coordinates of devoured planets, resource distribution… everything."
"Break down information barriers."
"Share?"
The beetle-like creature spoke for the first time, its voice hoarse and low.
"Some information was obtained by a certain stronghold at great sacrifice; they may not be willing to…"
"If they're not willing, then they'll just wait to be devoured by The Old Ones' Tide one by one."
Mark interrupted him, his tone brooking no argument.
"Tell them this is the only way to survive."
"Those willing to share information will receive limited support and protection from Earth and… from me personally. Those unwilling will have to fend for themselves."
He spoke decisively, with an undeniable authority.
Ruijia and the others felt an invisible pressure.
They realized that this man not only possessed personal power but also strategic vision and decisiveness.
"Second step," Mark continued.
"Establish a rapid-response force. It doesn't need to be large, but it must be the most elite, a sharp spearhead capable of inter-system deployment."
"It will be composed of me, White Lion, and the strongest warriors chosen by you, Leader Ruijia."
"Its mission isn't direct confrontation, but precise strikes: destroying key facilities of The Old Ones' Tide, rescuing important civilizations or technologies on the verge of being devoured, and executing decapitation strikes against traitors like Trigg and high-ranking minions of The Old Ones' Tide."
When White Lion heard "decapitation strikes" and Trigg's name, a terrifying murderous glint immediately erupted in his crimson pupils, and he let out a heavy snort, indicating extreme approval.
"Third step: technological and resource integration."
Mark looked at Ruijia.
"I know this is difficult; the technology trees of different civilizations vary greatly, but it must be attempted."
"Gather all engineers and scientists, analyze the weaknesses of The Old Ones' Tide's technology, and reverse-engineer it. Even if we can only create targeted defensive weapons or more stable hyperspace communicators, it would be a huge step forward."
"Regarding resources, Earth can provide some, but what we need more is to find and secure critical resource planets in the universe that have not yet been corrupted by The Old Ones' Tide."
Mark laid out his three initial plans clearly and concisely.
Each point directly addressed Starfire Alliance's biggest pain points and potential.
Silence fell in the inner hall.
Ruijia and her core members were all processing Mark's words.
They had thought of these ideas before, but lacked a strong core force and sufficient prestige to push them through.
Now, Mark's appearance seemed to bring that possibility.
"Information sharing… rapid-response force… technological integration…"
Ruijia murmured, her amber eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"It sounds very risky, but… it truly is the only way to survive. It's better than dragging on half-dead like this!"
She slammed her hand on the table.
"Let's do it! We'll follow your plan!"
"Nurgle, you contact all accessible strongholds and convey Mr. Mark's message, with a firm attitude!"
"Glimmer, you're responsible for organizing all our existing intelligence!"
"Iron Shell, take your people and bring out all those old junk… no, precious technologies from the warehouse. See if we can piece together anything useful!"
She was decisive and immediately began assigning tasks.
The core members were clearly inspired by Mark's plan and Ruijia's determination, and they all left to carry out their orders.
Only Mark, White Lion, and Ruijia remained in the inner hall.
Ruijia looked at Mark, her eyes complex.
"Mark, thank you, not just for saving me just now, but also for… giving us a clear direction."
"The Alliance will follow your command from now on."
Mark shook his head.
"Not follow my command, but cooperate."
"We have a common goal. You are the leader here; internal management and coordination still require you. White Lion and I will handle the toughest challenges."
Ruijia nodded heavily, a genuine, wild smile gracing her face.
"Good! Cooperation!"
Just then, White Lion suddenly twitched his nose, his crimson pupils gazing at a dark corner of the inner hall, and a low, warning growl rumbled in his throat.
Mark and Ruijia immediately looked over, alert.
The shadow twisted, and a small figure, cloaked in a tattered hood, almost blending into the environment, slowly emerged.
He lifted his head, revealing a wrinkled face like dry tree bark beneath the hood, but his eyes were unusually clear and bright.
"Leader Ruijia… and, esteemed guest…"
His voice was old and hoarse, speaking the universal language but with a strange accent.
"Please forgive this old one's presumption… regarding The Old Ones' Tide's weaknesses, and why they are so eager to accelerate their awakening… this old one here may have some… ancient information that might interest you."
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