Chapter 58: New Friends ?

Chapter 58: New Friends ?

Leonard, deep in thought while examining the new features of the system, suddenly remembered something that had piqued his curiosity earlier: Global System Chat Access. 

He stopped for a moment and muttered to himself, "Wait, what does that mean? All hosts in the humanity camp?" He decided to ask the system directly.

The system responded immediately, explaining: 

[There are three systems possessed by multiple hosts, all divided into three factions.]

[Hope System: "This is the system you, host, is affiliated with. It has been assigned to all hosts belonging to Groups of Interest (GOIs) and organizations dedicated to protecting Earth or maintaining normalcy. The goal is to defend humanity from the threat of hostile anomalies."]

[Chaos System: "This system belongs to the GOIs that seek to destroy or conquer the world, opposing the efforts of the Hope System."]

[Esoteric Systems: "These systems are varied and assigned to GOIs that do not align with the objectives of either Hope or Chaos. They neither aim to protect nor actively seek to harm the Earth."]

Leonard's eyes widened at the information. "So... there are three major factions now?" He shook his head, trying to absorb the scale of the changes.

Still processing the shock, Leonard opened the Global System Chat Access out of sheer curiosity. As soon as he entered, he was immediately greeted by a message from an unknown individual.

NPES: "Hey guys, the Foundation guy finally showed up!"

Before Leonard could type a response, another user popped in with a message:

The Millionaire, Mr. Royer: "Finally, my biggest client! @SCP Foundation, do you need funds?"

Leonard was taken aback, "Client? Funds? Who are these people?" He started typing but was interrupted by another message:

Mages Academy: "Wait… SCP Foundation? Don't tell me that whole mess in the Black Forest was you?"

Leonard stared at the screen in disbelief. So many unfamiliar names. Who were these people, and how did they know so much about him and the Foundation past activities?

He cautiously replied:

SCP Foundation: "Uh, yeah… the Black Forest incident was kind of us. What is this place exactly, and who are you guys?"

Almost immediately, responses came flooding in:

NPES: "Ah, I knew it. The moment I saw that report, I figured it had to be Foundation work. I am the host of the National Paranormal Emergency Service, based in South Korea. "

The Millionaire, Mr. Royer: "I supply multiple organizations under the Hope System. You're one of my top clients. If you need any financial support, just let me know. I've got the best rates for Foundation-backed projects!"

Mages Academy: "Black Forest, huh? Well, you're not the only one cleaning up messes. We've had our fair share of strange anomalies too. At least the mages here are keeping things under control. Just be careful next time."

Leonard tried to keep up with the messages but was still bewildered. He glanced at the user list, which showed a mixture of different groups and factions. Mages Academy, The Millionaire, Mr. Royer, and NPES all seemed to be interacting freely in this strange chat system.

He decided to ask for more clarification:

SCP Foundation: "So, this Hope System... is everyone here part of that? Are all of you working with GOIs or something?"

NPES responded: "Yup! We're all part of various GOIs or organizations with a shared goal—keeping the world safe from whatever crazy anomalies pop up. Everyone's working towards the same objective, more or less."

The Millionaire, Mr. Royer: "Exactly. I fund efforts for containment, protection, and sometimes a little experimentation… You know, just to keep things interesting."

Mages Academy: "Some of us have different methods, but the end goal is the same—stop the world from going to hell. Well, at least under our watch."

Leonard nodded to himself, slowly piecing together the mechanics of this new system. It wasn't just the Foundation, or even traditional GOIs. This was something bigger, a coordinated effort spanning multiple groups of influence across the world. 

As Leonard mulled over the implications, another message popped up:

The Millionaire, Mr. Royer: "So… how's containment holding up after that Black Forest debacle?"

Leonard smiled to himself. Maybe this chat would be useful after all. He leaned forward and began typing his reply, ready to explore what other surprises this new system held.

Leonard had barely begun to digest the information from the global chat when his interface suddenly pinged again. This time, it was a private message from a user named Order of Light:

Order of Light: "Uh, @SCP Foundation… I knew that was you in the chaos in Paris and Strasbourg. I'm based in France myself… PLEASE DON'T DESTROY ME."

Leonard blinked in confusion, staring at the message. Destroy him? Why would he do that? He quickly typed a reassuring response:

SCP Foundation: "You don't have to worry. We're not here to destroy anyone unless you're a threat to humanity."

There was a long pause before another message came through:

Order of Light: "Oh, thank God. In that case… do you think we could meet? You know, just to clear the air and maybe work together?"

Leonard hesitated. Meeting someone from another organization in person? It wasn't the usual Foundation protocol, but then again, nothing about this new system was ordinary. After a moment of consideration, he typed his reply:

SCP Foundation: "Alright, we can meet. Where and when?"

The reply came quickly:

Order of Light: "How about the cathedral at Mont Saint-Michel in four days? It's neutral ground, and we'll keep it quiet."

Leonard agreed, making a mental note of the meeting place. But before he could close the chat, another ping sounded—this time from the global chat.

As soon as he switched tabs, a new conversation unfolded in front of him:

Serpent's Hand: "@SCP Foundation, I promise I won't attack you… as long as you dont torture innocent and humanoid anomalies."

Leonard didn't even have time to respond before another message popped up below it:

Global Occult Coalition: "@SCP Foundation, don't listen to that idiot. If you have any anomaly that's too dangerous to contain, just hand it over to me and I'll destroy it cleanly."

The Serpent's Hand immediately fired back:

Serpent's Hand: "Shut the fuck up, GOC."

Global Occult Coalition: "No, you shut up, you piece of garbage with anomalies issues."

Leonard rubbed his temples in frustration as the messages kept coming.

Horizon Initiative: "Ah shit, here we go again."

The Serpent's Hand and Global Occult Coalition continued to bicker, their argument filling the chat with insults and threats. Leonard, feeling a headache forming, exited the global chat, deciding it wasn't worth his time to intervene.

He switched back to his private messages with the Order of Light, confirming the details of their meeting at Mont Saint-Michel. Four days from now, he'd be stepping into unfamiliar territory to meet with another GOI. He could only hope it would be worth the trouble.

Leonard opened the system shop with eager anticipation, immediately spotting two new categories: MTF Bundle and Paratechnology. Intrigued, he clicked on Paratechnology first, only to be slightly disappointed. The selection was sparse, accompanied by a small message at the bottom that read:

"More Paratechnologies will become available as you level up. For now, your options are limited."

The current available items were:

Scranton Reality Anchors: 1 Unit = 5000 Golds

SCP-148 "Telekill": 10K Golds per 10Kg

Kant Counter: 1 Unit = 1000 Golds

Leonard blinked at the prices, feeling his excitement deflate a bit. 5000 golds for one Scranton Reality Anchor? He did a quick mental calculation—he didn't have that kind of money yet. For now, these were out of his reach, though he made a note to save up.

Leonard navigated through the MTF Bundle section in the system interface, excitement bubbling as he checked out the newly available task forces. The possibilities seemed endless, and his mind was racing with plans. However, when he clicked on the prices, his enthusiasm slightly wavered—these MTF units weren't cheap, and he'd have to be cautious with his purchases.

First up was:

- MTF Gamma-5 "Red Herrings"  

  Price: 25,000 Golds  

  Size: 70 MTF Operatives  

  Specialty: Containment of public information regarding anomalies. This team was all about suppressing widespread knowledge of anomalous events, especially when normal Foundation protocols couldn't stop leaks. They were also experts in deploying advanced amnestics and covering up anomalies with intricate memory-fabrication techniques.

Leonard squinted at the screen, mentally calculating the cost. He knew how valuable Gamma-5 could be—there was always the risk of the general public getting too close to an anomalous event. But still, 25,000 Golds for just 70 operatives? That price tag stung.

Next on the list:

- MTF Epsilon-6 "Village Idiots"  

  Price: 18,000 Golds  

  Size: 50 MTF Operatives  

  Specialty: Epsilon-6 was a more localized team, perfect for handling containment in rural or suburban areas. Whether it was a haunted barn in the middle of nowhere or some eldritch horror lurking beneath a sleepy town, they'd be on the scene. The team wasn't as large as Gamma-5, but their niche role in protecting remote locations could prove critical.

He winced at the price again, thinking, Why is everything so damn expensive?

Then, he came across the largest and most impressive option:

- MTF Xi-8 "Last to Fall"  

  Price: 100,000 Golds  

  Size: 1000 MTF Operatives  

  Specialty: This was the big one—Xi-8 was all about tackling Sarkic threats, from cultists to bio-organic horrors. Their global presence, along with naval support from the Foundation, meant they were equipped to handle just about any Sarkic-related menace. But for 100,000 Golds? It was a small fortune. Leonard couldn't help but feel torn between the unit's undeniable power and the steep cost. The selection was accompanied by a small message at the bottom that read:

"More MTF Bundles will become available as you level up. For now, your options are limited."

Just as Leonard began strategizing, weighing which MTF to prioritize, his phone buzzed loudly on the desk. He glanced at the screen and saw his mother's name flash across the display. 

He sighed, bracing himself for what was likely going to be an unpleasant conversation.

"Hey, Mom," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

The voice that responded on the other end was filled with fury. "What the hell are you doing, Leonard?" she snapped. "School started over a week ago, and I've been getting call after call from the school about your absences! I covered for you this week, but you need to show up next week. I swear, if you don't, I will come back just to knock some sense into you!"

Leonard flinched, holding the phone away from his ear slightly to avoid being deafened by her angry tirade. "Mom, it's fine. I've just been—"

"Fine? Fine? You've missed an entire week of classes!" she yelled. "Don't make me come down there, Leonard."

"Okay, okay," Leonard muttered. "I'll go next week, I promise."

"You'd better," she warned, before hanging up abruptly.

Leonard stared at his phone, shaking his head in frustration. His mind was still racing with plans for the MTF purchases, but now, this latest problem weighed heavily on him. How was he going to balance school with everything the system was throwing at him?

He quickly brushed it aside, though. For now, there were more important things to handle.

After the call with his mother, Leonard wasted no time. He picked up his phone again, this time dialing a secure line to Commander Graves, the leader of MTF Resh-1.

Graves answered promptly, his voice sharp and professional as always. "Boss ?"

"Graves, I need you to prepare a transport," Leonard began. "I've got a meeting scheduled with the leader of another organization. This is going to be an in-person deal, so I want security airtight."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Graves responded. "Understood. I'll make the arrangements and have the team ready. Any specific location or details I should be aware of?"

"We're heading to Mont Saint-Michel," Leonard explained. "This needs to go smoothly. Make sure we've got the right gear, and I don't want any surprises."

"Got it," Graves confirmed. "I'll assemble a team for protection and make sure transport is discreet. I'll personally see to it that everything's ready to go."

Leonard nodded to himself, feeling a bit more at ease. Graves had always been reliable, and with Resh-1 handling security, the meeting would be as safe as possible. "Thanks, Graves. I'll fill you in on the specifics once we're closer to the date."

"Understood, sir," Graves replied before the line went dead.

As Leonard placed the phone back down, he allowed himself a moment to exhale. Things were moving fast, but he felt like he was keeping pace. Now it was just a matter of preparing for whatever came next.