Chapter 932 World Summit
All across the globe, from the deepest reaches of the Amazonian forests to the highest habitable peaks of the Himalayas, casts of leaders were meeting to discuss the rapidly changing world.
The new spawning monsters, often accompanied by changes in the ecosystems where they appeared, were wreaking havoc on the world, starting in the deepest reaches of hidden Earth.
They were desperately trying to hide as much of it as possible, but censoring every news outlet and kid with a phone was becoming a Herculean task.
They weren't even capable of dealing with the incidents, and mysterious organizations were springing from the shadows everywhere, killing the monsters and disappearing, adding to the chaos and confusion.
The fact that the governments were unable to discover who these organizations were was the cherry on top of this confusing sundae.
As if monsters appearing out of the blue weren't enough, people with abilities that could destroy the balance in power they had established over centuries of money control were now stalking the shadows.
This was enough to put every government in the world on high alert.
After many internal meetings, a summit was finally called, and the world leaders of the globe assembled in a virtual call, all wearing grave expressions, mixed in with a variety of emotions, ranging from anger to fear.
Once everyone was settled in, they stared at each other for a while, waiting to see who would talk first.
This stare-off would determine how things proceeded, as no one wanted to show weakness in front of the others, especially the larger countries, like Russia, Canada, the USA, and China.
With the largest land masses amongst everyone around, their countries also contained most of the natural resources shared among the world's inhabitants. This has shifted political power in recent years, as the economy boomed worldwide.
Russia's president was the first one to lose patience, and he slammed the table before him, making his hologram waver to the others.
"Will someone start talking already?! We did not convene to throw loving gazes at each other!" he shouted, spittle flying out of his mouth.
"Then why don't you start, you vodka-loving communist? Or are you afraid of admitting your frozen hell of a country is losing the fight against these monsters?" the Australian prime minister mocked.
"Careful how you talk to me, Kangaroo fucker," the Russian spat out, glaring at him.
"Come now, Agapov. No one has considered your threats seriously since the Cold War. Your predecessor made sure of that," an older man with a monocle said, smiling slyly.
"You stay out of this, Tea break. I don't need you intervening in my fights," the Australian groaned.
"All right, gentlemen. Can we just get to business?" A woman with pitch-black hair interjected.
"I agree with the Canadian prime minister on this," another man said, locking his fingers together.
"Where is your president, American?" the Chinese president asked in a rude tone.
The man smirked at the Chinese president, like his question wasn't worth answering.
The British prime minister huffed a laugh.
"Please, senator. We know how you dealt with it. With brute force and the discovery of mana. If you had the level of refinement required to deal with the problem adequately, everyone knows you would already be butting into our backyards, claiming you are there to help."
The senator clenched his jaw at being called out like this.
"And I suppose you think you have the better method?" he asked, his teeth clenched together.
"These monsters are from across the veil. Of course we know better. Where do you think the concepts and legends about magic come from? Who else than Britain would be prepared against a threat from across the veil?" the British mocked.
China laughed loudly, looking at the Brit like he was a joke.
"You call it magic; we call it Qi. But do you think your culture has a monopoly on it? My country has a longer history than all your countries combined. Don't dare presume you have invented the mystic arts, Laowai."
The British's face became stone cold.
"Then, by all means. Share with us your great techniques," he mocked.
The Chinese president immediately sunk back into his chair.
He could not share this secret with the world; it was not his to share.
And even if he could convince the people whose secret it was to share, he doubted they would share it outside of the country itself.
"That's what I thought," the Brit scoffed, seeing him clam up.
"On the contrary, the Men of Letters have willingly shared the secret with us, and are willing to share it with the world, at not but a small cost," he added, grinning.
Everyone became silent, anticipating the cost.
"With just the chance of establishing a branch in each of your countries, the Men of Letters have agreed to share the secret with everyone."
There it was.
This empty promise fooled no one in this room.
In time, they were all sure they would find a solution on their own that didn't involve letting a foreign country take hold in their backyard. The only issue here was time.
No one knew how bad the problem was, or how bad it would become. Was this the peak of it, or just the beginning?
How many would die before they found a cure for this plague of monsters?
"So? What will it be?"