Chapter 258: Local Competition Finished (Patreon)

Daevic

The C rank Universal Tournament consisted of three parts, each with the same basic mechanics. First there were the local competitions, where the C ranks representing between a few and several thousand galaxy clusters fought for the top three places to move on to the regional competitions. Next there were the regional competitions where the C ranks who’d passed through the local competitions fought for the top three spots to move on to the finals. And then, lastly, there was the finals, where the best C ranks in the universe fought to become champion.

Each local and regional competition had the same rules. Every round, each competitor not yet eliminated would randomly draw an opponent to face and, after any competitor lost twice, they were out. The last remaining competitor, whether they had never lost or only lost once, was the champion, the second to last eliminated was the runner up, and the third to last eliminated was third, etc.

Sometimes this required tie breaker fights, but, overall, it was quite fair, and, more important, it was difficult for the powers of the universe to rig as who would fight who could never be known until right before any bout.

This didn’t mean, however, that no powers would try, especially when it was very obvious who the top three in any of the competitions were, so there were a lot of rules to keep the universe’s powers from interfering with the tournament’s integrity, and these rules were very strict.

If another competitor threatened a C rank competing in the Universal Tournament, his protections as a competitor would be stripped during the threatening action, he’d have to pay a large fine, and, if he was killed by the person he was threatening, everything he owned would go to the killer. If a competitor stole from or attempted to steal from another competitor, the punishments would be mostly the same, only the personal fine would be larger and the force behind the competitor would have to pay a large fine as well. But, if a non-competitor attempted to kill a competitor, like that idiot Grimloc had done, the punishment was much worse.

In addition to the large fines and the transfer of wealth if the competitor managed a reverse kill, a bounty would be placed on the offender which would almost guarantee his death, and, more important to the current situation, if the offender was at least an elder of a force such as Grimloc had been, the force behind the offender would have a bounty placed on it as well unless the competitor asked for another form of reparation, such as Vanar Tedros had done in this case.

“How do you know about ‘Ms. Horval’s Guide to Fungi and The Dissolving of Corpses’?”

When Vanar Tedros arrived back in the ready room, Daevic was surprised by just how calm his father’s voice and aura were. Kimion Carvan, the third most powerful of his father’s C ranks, had been killed, and Amalia was injured to the point she wouldn’t wake up for at least another few hours, making her unable to compete in at least her next two matches and thus lose the Universal Tournament before barely even starting. Normally, this would have sent his father into a rage, to the point at least four or five servants would be fried by lightning, but there was nothing, no reaction.

“You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about that, Taravan.” Vanar Tedros moved to one of the room’s benches—this time conveniently at an angle where if he dodged a powerful uncontrolled attack it would almost certainly affect the VIP guest area of the stadium. Then he leaned back against the wall and closed his three eyes. “Just get me the book and all its contents or, better yet, attempt to kill me. I’m sure Sunrise Valley would treat you well afterwards.”

Daevic’s father’s aura shook with anger, bolts of concentrated lightning appearing and disappearing all over the room, but he didn’t make a move. Instead, he just sent a message over his bond with Daevic. “Don’t do anything stupid outside the tournament rules, but, if you face him in the tournament, kill him.”

Then, without another word, Thunderstrike Taravan, a man who put fear into the hearts of billions, disappeared from Daevic’s senses, likely to go get that book for the white-haired C rank who didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

Sunrise Valley was the force under Daevic’s Uncle, the Lord of Twilight Flame, and most weren’t aware Daevic’s father was an external elder of the force, but Vanar Tedros seemingly was. And he also seemed to know something special about the book he’d asked for—Daevic guessing it was a hidden spatial storage device where his father had hidden resources he hadn’t reported to Sunrise Valley. Given the rules of the C rank Universal Tournament, however, Daevic’s father was already between a rock and a hard place, so he could only go along with the C rank’s request and give the book to him, even when he could normally kill the man with barely any effort at all.

“How often does he beat you?”

Daevic was broken from his contemplation by Vanar Tedros’s words, the man having opened his eyes, looking at Daevic with an expression of concern, his aura even matching.

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t seem to have any scars. But the fear is there.” Vanar Tedros stood up and placed a hand on one of Daevic’s shoulders, squeezing gently. “And I’m sorry that’s likely going to happen again, as you won’t be able to win.”

Vanar Tedros took his hand back and Daevic didn’t know what to do. All the other C ranks in the room were staring at him and his mind was spinning, his emotions alternating from anger, to fear, to sadness, and then back again. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course I do, child.” Vanar Tedros sat back down on his bench, again closing his eyes as he leaned back, but this time his expression showed a sad smile. “My level of talent threatened him so he had me poisoned, murdered my family, and tried to end my life.

“But your level of talent is above mine, and your mother is a goddess, giving you access to resources neither he or I could ever get our hands on. Of course he’s threatened by you. And a petty man like him, while he’s stronger than you, he’d take that frustration out on your flesh.”

Vanar Tedros opened his eyes and Daevic could see all three were teary. But they also showed anger, as did his aura. “It won’t last much longer, though. His actions have made him more enemies than just me, so he’ll be dying soon.”

Daevic didn’t know what to say—and he really wanted to just leave as the situation was making him very, very uncomfortable, especially how his instincts were telling him Vanar Tedros’s words and emotions were all genuine—but thankfully the System called him up for his next match, so he had a perfect excuse.

A few days later, however, after he’d seen his father hand over the book Vanar Tedros had asked for, he finally met Vanar Tedros in the arena and it quickly became obvious at least part of Vanar Tedros’s words had been true.

The man, who’d already shown two Empyrean grade blood swords and an Empyrean grade blood armor, took out four completely new Empyrean grade artifacts for their fight, a dark purple armor specifically designed to absorb mana created by the Stormlord Rebirth cultivation technique, making all of Daevic’s most powerful attacks boost Vanar Tedros’s speed rather than do any damage, and a set of three storm spirit slayer swords, specifically designed to damage and restrain Daevic’s summoned spirits, quickly making it so Daevic could only use his warrior abilities, his summoner skills completely countered.

And, as a warrior, it immediately became obvious he was not Vanar Tedros’s match.

While Stormlord Rebirth was one of the six best cultivation techniques in the universe, it was only two levels higher than the Bloodsword cultivation technique Vanar Tedros used, and Daevic’s six Laws were all only at the middle grade Law Scarab level, so his cultivation technique was only at level 14. Vanar Tedros, on the other hand, had his three main Laws all at least at the high grade Law Scarab level, allowing his cultivation technique to reach level 15, with his Law Scarab of Speed even having advanced up to peak grade, something usually impossible for C ranks.

Sure, Daevic’s stats were higher, and his racial abilities and uniquenesses were better, but Vanar Tedros showed a fourth Law he’d never used before, a peak grade Law Scarab of The Tactician, allowing the man to predict everything Daevic tried to do even before Daevic had made the decision. With Vanar Tedros’s speed, it took almost no time for one of his swords to nick Daevic’s left foot, blood poison entering into Daevic’s body, and from there everything went downhill.

Vanar Tedros kept growing faster while Daevic kept growing slower and, if Vanar Tedros had wanted to, he could have easily taken Daevic’s life.

Daevic eventually fell unconscious from the blood poison, not willing to surrender, and this made Vanar Tedros the winner.

The end result of this first section of the tournament had Vanar Tedros in first place, Daevic in second, and a lucky C rank of the Thunderstrike Empire at third, but this wasn’t good enough for Daevic’s father, it a heavy embarrassment not only how Daevic had lost but also how almost every other C rank who faced Vanar Tedros in the tournament immediately surrendered before fighting.

Then, knowing there would be an entire year between the end of the local section of the tournament and the regionals, Daevic’s father gave him one of the worst beatings of Daevic’s life, one which took even a C rank like him almost half a year to fully recover from.