Chapter 313: Tournament Bracket

As the realization of her successful ascension settled into Ava’s mind, she instantly ran downstairs.

The second she made eye contact with Michael, she stuck out her chest in a prideful manner.

“Do you sense anything different?” She asked with a faint grin.

Michael blinked a few times.

“You became a Grandmaster so fast?”

He flashed her a charismatic smile that melted her resolve.

“You really are incredible!”

“…”

Ava fidgeted with her hair bashfully. It felt awkward being complimented, especially by Michael, yet strangely she didn’t want him to stop.

“O—Of course! I don’t plan to remain on the sidelines!” She declared.

Since they were participating in a tournament and Michael had expressed his desire for them to win, she was going to give it her all.

Eager to experiment with her newfound powers, Ava went to the training grounds.

With one more Grandmaster in their ranks, their options had broadened. As such, Michael settled onto a sofa in the lounge and began to think.

Though before long Scarlett and Isabella joined his side.

“Brother, you okay?”

Michael arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, why?”

His sister gave him a tablet.

“It’s about this… It has been on my mind since your battle with the Eternal Blade.”

Intrigued, Michael scanned the screen. It was a trending page displaying his faction’s battle in the tournament’s opening round.

There were thousands of comments pouring in quickly. Apparently, the public opinion was divided.

[Miracles do happen: Did you see how Michael handled three Lords simultaneously? Doesn’t that make him like… the strongest Grandmaster ever?!]

[Fan girl: Indeed! They will wipe out everyone in the tournament!]

[Rational Thinker: Strongly disagree. I fail to see a way for them to win. Don’t forget that the Eternal Blade was one of the weaker factions. If they are struggling so much from the start, their chances of emerging victorious are next to null.]

[Gambling Enjoyer: Chances, you say?! That is my specialty! Imagine the return on investment if I bet my life savings on them!]

Michael sighed. His sister’s enthusiasm to join the tournament made sense now. Instead of letting the euphoria of victory cloud her judgment, she viewed things with objective clarity.

Even though the Indomitable Alliance had done the impossible, there was a limit to how much they could achieve. Would they really stand a chance against the mid-sized and large-sized factions later on?

Truthfully, there was merit to the concern. It wasn’t as if they could keep coming up with strategies all the way to the end of the tournament.

“What to do…” Michael muttered, realizing they were in a bit of a pickle. Ava had ascended, but that hadn’t changed the circumstances much.

At that moment Isabella proposed an idea.

“The tournament has 128 factions participating, right? Since it’s a single-elimination format, it’ll take at least a week for the first round to finish before it’s your turn to fight again. You could use that time to train, maybe?”

Michael scratched his chin, his gaze settling on the tournament bracket, which had been published for the world to see.

The upcoming battles wouldn’t involve the strongest factions, as the Indomitable Alliance would be facing off against smaller and mid-sized groups.

The real challenge lay with the largest factions. The Immortal Legion, one of the top contenders to win, was on the opposite side, likely to meet them only in the finals.

On Michael’s side, however, the Golden Vanguard and the Sacred Order were set to clash in the quarter-finals, with the winner meeting the Indomitable Alliance in the semi-finals.

Whoever emerged victorious, one thing reigned true… Surpassing either of these behemoths would be an immense challenge, regardless of how many clever strategies Michael could deploy.

The only saving grace, at least, was that Kings and Queens were forbidden from participation. Which greatly limited their options considering that they were the major reason the factions had risen so high in the first place.

Michael pondered for a while.

Usually, this wasn’t something he would bother with. But the unexpected quest the system had given him promised a great reward.

He doubted that the chance to evolve Heaven’s Judgment would ever present itself again. As such, he felt compelled to complete the task, not willing to give up on it.

’Maybe I could… No, it will cause repercussions outside of my control. I’ll leave it as a last resort…’

Isabella couldn’t help but smile as she watched her son, deep in thought.

“This is not something you solve in an instant. Take your time.” She reassured him, gently caressing his head.

Very few would dare to touch the soldier, recently branded a Demon by the general masses, in such a manner… Though his loving mother’s affection was, of course, an exception.

Deciding to change the topic, her expression grew stern.

“I haven’t spent much time here, but something has caught my attention. This place is huge… too huge. And there are too few people. Dust has gradually started to accumulate. The outside backyard will eventually be overrun with weeds. Not to mention, the pools and the gym have to be cleaned regularly along with all the other things I’m forgetting to mention off the top of my head…”

She crossed her arms dramatically, making it clear this won’t be tolerated.

“My son will not be living in such conditions!”

She paused briefly.

“I’m not suggesting that you or the girls bother with cleaning, considering how much is already on your plate. But hiring maids and butlers is in order! Don’t tell me you don’t have the funds after acquiring such a lavish base!”

Michael chuckled warmly. What were the chances that his mother would propose the same thing that Devil had? Though, with entirely different intentions…

’She had indeed always cared about cleanliness…’ He thought, about to respond.

But before he could, a knock on the entrance of the base interrupted him.

“Don’t tell me that Francesca is back…” With a sigh, he stood up to greet the newcomer.

But to his surprise, a male voice sounded.

“Oh, thank God! I got the right place!”

Michael’s eyes narrowed as he saw several familiar silhouettes waiting.

The violet eyes of the handsome man at the front sparkled. His long green hair trailed freely in the wind as he chuckled at Michael’s stunned expression.

“Why do you look at me like I’m a ghost? Didn’t I tell you our paths will cross again?”

It was Lord Robert.

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