Chapter 480: Empire's Duel Tournament
"Cassius, please wait for my good news."
The silver dragon soared across the sky, its streamlined body exceptionally graceful. Its silver wings shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
"Finally, she's convinced."
"Now we just wait for reinforcements from the good-aligned factions. I believe that old Oszedro still has some decency."
Watching the silver dragon disappear into the distance, Cassius nodded slightly, then looked back at the refreshed information panel.
[The NPC faction you created, [Ember Empire], has reached a combined power level of: 3]
[New module unlocked: Faction Activities]
This didn't come as a surprise to Cassius. A level 3 faction was already significant on the continent of Faianth.
It's worth noting that the once-mighty Holy Fadlan only rated as a level 5 faction under the system's evaluation.
After a year of development, the Empire's political, economic, and cultural spheres had all seen considerable progress.
The Matra mega-farm was fully operational, supplying food to the entire nation. The Empire's military-industrial system was taking shape and flourishing. The parliamentary system was becoming a customary practice, steadily perfecting the political framework.
Advances in productivity, a more prosperous populace, and—player influence—had led to rapid social and cultural development, with countless new ideas emerging.
A confident and martial spirit spread across the nation.
In just a few years, the remote, impoverished lands of the Anzeta Wasteland saw a dual peak in material and spiritual prosperity.
Though behind this prosperity lay the sweat of countless workers and the blood and tears of southern peoples, it was all concealed beneath the Empire's shining exterior.
"So, faction activities have arrived."
Cassius smiled faintly.
Faction activities would allow him to secure a prominent spot on player panels, fully integrating the Empire's events into the players' lives.
With version 2.0 launching, faction activities would attract even more players, positioning the Ember Empire as their "main faction."
After all, the next version would open up numerous ancient teleportation arrays—commonly known as "respawn points."
Currently, the Ember Empire could rely on its home-field advantage to draw in nearly all the players.
But in the next version, things might change: the High Forest's Elven Kingdom, Silvermoon Bay's Free Trade Federation, the warring three kingdoms of Fadlan, and the orc clans of the Rosa Desert would all become highly appealing starting points.
Cassius recalled various key moments from his memory.
"Now it's the third era, May 2nd, 1789. There are two months until the end of the Northwind Tempest version and the first server shutdown after open beta."
"So, let's have the Ember Empire host the first official, server-wide PvP event."
In Cassius's previous plans, the first large-scale PvP event was supposed to appear in the [War of Kings] version, organized by several elite guilds.
But now, this grand event would be brought forward.
This was Cassius's plan: to prepare a large-scale PvP event before the server shutdown, squeezing out the last bit of experience and gold from the players during the final moments of the [Northwind Tempest] version.
At the same time, it would solidify the Ember Empire's status as an "official faction," attracting even more players down the line.
Two years ago, Cassius had personally proposed the "Empire Grand Arena" concept, leading to the construction of that magnificent building in Isthalia in preparation for this day.
About three months ago, Cassius handed the preparations for this event over to Langpu. Now, everything was nearly ready, just waiting for the official announcement.
"Everything is in place; we're just waiting for the right opportunity."
Cassius once again summoned his panel. As he exhaled a thin stream of white smoke, a gleam appeared in his golden vertical pupils.
[Would you like to announce a large faction activity to players?]
[Yes.]
[Please name this faction activity.]
Cassius pondered briefly but couldn't come up with anything particularly striking. He settled on a simple name tied to the Empire—just as he had done when naming the Empire Grand Arena.
[Named: [First Ember Empire Gladiatorial Tournament]]
[Faction activity announced!]
On May 3rd, 1789, nearly 400,000 [Erezaghe] players simultaneously received the faction activity notification.
The announcement set everyone abuzz.
Players were ecstatic!
Almost immediately, threads discussing the "Empire Gladiatorial Tournament" flooded the forums. Before long, it seemed like everyone was talking about the upcoming event.
"Whoa?"
"The rewards are amazing! Titles and costumes too!"
"Has the dev team finally grown a heart?"
"I'm definitely joining!"
"I was planning to stay low-key and chill, but now I have to reveal my true skills!"
"Yeah right, it's just a playground for top guilds and pros. We regular folks are here to watch and have fun."
"This is probably the last big event of this version, right?"
The reason was simple: the prizes were unusually lavish, more generous than anything before.
For example, the player who won the solo championship would receive not only a substantial amount of gold and experience, but also the unique title and costume [Dragonflame Champion].
[Dragonflame Champion] would change the player's name color to golden red and grant a precious charisma point boost.
The costume was even more eye-catching, with a gilded, ornate shell, intricate claw engravings, a commanding dragon-head shoulder piece, and even a pair of gently flapping flame wings on the back—utterly dazzling!
The effects were maxed out!
It was perfectly tailored to the fantasies of wealthy players.
In fact, Cassius had crafted this piece of equipment effortlessly with his extraordinary mastery of fire elements. It was barely at the rare quality tier.
Cassius could produce seven or eight such items in a single day, but only released one to maintain its rarity.
The robes and armor prepared for the top-four and top-eight contestants were merely byproducts of Cassius's elemental experiments—originally meant to be thrown out as scrap.
While these items weren't especially powerful in terms of stats, they certainly scored high in appearance.
Some individuals claimed to be Imperial mid-level officials who had also participated in organizing the tournament.
Indeed, this event was not only prepared by the Empire's officials but also involved various player guilds and clubs, which had issued a joint statement.
"The First Ember Empire Gladiatorial Tournament is officially open! This is a festival for players! This is [Erezaghe]'s grandest stage!"
"Blades, fists, magic, beasts—unleash your dazzling techniques and fight with all your might! Bring unparalleled visual and auditory delight to this grand festival!"
"Faction leader [Ember Emperor - Cassius] will personally oversee the elimination rounds, witnessing your performance and bestowing rich rewards and supreme glory upon the ultimate victor!"
Once the statement was issued, the players became even more fired up.
Over the past two years, Cassius had rarely shown himself, spending most of his time in the palace.
To the players, the Emperor was no longer just another NPC; he had become more of a legendary backdrop, an omnipotent figure from the lore.
Many Paladin players in the Dragon's Oath class treated "Cassius bless" as a catchphrase—because according to extensive testing by top players, it actually improved the success rate of Oath spells.
Whenever Cassius appeared, veteran players knew it was time for a cutscene. The red dragon seemed like an exclusive cheat code for the Ember Empire faction; every appearance ended in the enemy's total destruction.
To be personally recognized by the Emperor was akin to seeing a mythical figure step into reality.
How could anyone not be thrilled?
Members of niche guilds like the "Dragon Enthusiasts" and the "Cassius Fan Club" were especially ecstatic. Their reasons were self-evident.
They wanted the Emperor's attention!
[The Empire Gladiatorial Tournament] had a straightforward format. Due to time constraints and the imminent server shutdown, there would be no playoffs or point-based rounds.
The competition offered three categories: individual, team, and guild matches.
In the individual matches, two players would duel in a designated arena, with the first to surrender or be defeated considered the loser.
Team matches featured classic four-player squads fighting it out, with the first team to surrender or be wiped out deemed the loser.
Guild matches had the largest number of participants, with each guild limited to fifty members. Battles took place on specified battlefields, and the first guild to surrender or be wiped out was considered the loser.
Due to the tight schedule, the tournament was divided into two phases: group rounds and elimination rounds.
During the group rounds, participants were divided into groups for head-to-head matches. Winners earned 3 points, ties 1 point, and losses 0 points. The top-ranked individuals or teams would advance to the elimination rounds.
The elimination rounds were a brutal series of knockouts. From the top 100 down to the final showdown, each victory propelled contestants to the next stage, while defeats sent them home in disappointment—until a final champion was crowned.
This event was also the last major activity of the [Northwind Tempest] version, and nearly every player had their eyes on the championship throne.
Naturally, some professional players and strategy experts received support from their fan bases, and the forums became a battleground of power discussions.
The hottest topic was undoubtedly [Who Will Be the Individual Champion?]. This thread had already amassed thousands of replies and was still growing. The comments reflected a wide range of opinions.
"S-class is definitely taking the championship!"
"Stop fangirling. This is a professional league. He's a lone wolf with no resources and average skills. How's he supposed to stir up any waves?"
"I'm betting on the Overlord. The Royal Guild's resources are too strong."
"Nobody can match the Machine Cult. Who knows how far up the tech tree they've climbed? I heard their top players have powered armor. One might drop a can of death and scare you off!"
"What about Charlotte? With some preparation, mage PvP can be quite strong, no?"
"But he's too unlucky."
"My wife Summer Night Autumn Rain is the best!"
"This is a gladiatorial tournament, not a beauty contest. Calm down, fanboys."
"I've got something to say. I think Wave White is the strongest contender and most likely champion."
"Wave is using his alt."
"Ugh, Wave's just spamming with his minions again."
"???"
"Regardless of his reputation, the Three Families, especially Rainy City, are top contenders for the championship."
"What about Mantou? Why isn't anyone mentioning Mantou?"
"He's too weak. Needs more practice."
"Prisoner Mantou should stick to making videos. He's not cut out for this kind of event."
"Battle Maniac is invincible! Slash everyone down!"
"Not interested in the tournament. I just want to touch Cassius's tail. Heh heh heh. qwq Cassius…"
"What's that thing upstairs?"
"Obviously, it's one of those weirdos who like posting dragon art."
"…"
"In the original timeline, the first PvP champion should have been the leader of the Royal Guild. I wonder how things will play out this time."
Browsing through the heated forums, Cassius deliberately ignored a few odd comments, thinking to himself.
"Singo, I won't lose! That Dragonflame Champion title is mine!"
"Bam!"
In a tavern, Mantou slammed the table, making a spirited declaration.
Everyone around immediately stared at him like he was crazy, causing Mantou to shrink back a bit.
"Awoo—"
Outside the tavern, a noodle-thin dog tied to a post seemed to sense its owner's outburst and let out a howl.
"Oh."
Singo didn't even look up. He just kept flipping through his papers, replying perfunctorily.
Not getting a response to his challenge, Mantou felt like he'd punched a cloud, leaving him frustrated.
The surge of bravado in Mantou's chest deflated like a pricked balloon.
He stepped forward and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Singo kept flipping through the pages, replying casually, "Studying my opponents in advance to be fully prepared. I'm only looking at the stronger players, though."
Curious, Mantou peeked over and saw familiar names on the papers: Charlotte, Overlord, Iron Storm, Great Holy Dragon, Rainy City.
Each name was accompanied by detailed notes on their professional abilities, gear stats, and weaknesses—clearly a lot of effort had gone into compiling them.
"Wow, this is so detailed. Did you just put this together?"
"Of course not. I started collecting player data two months ago. Didn't you get the internal memo? Oh right, you're not a mid-level official. No clearance."
"…"
Mantou fell silent.
After a moment, he asked hopefully, "Hey, what about me?"
"Did you collect my data too? Let me see it! Wow, I never thought my teammate, someone I hang out with every day, would steal my info. It's so…"
Singo finally looked up, glanced at him oddly, and said calmly, "I told you, I only collect valuable data."
"Uh…"
Mantou gave an awkward chuckle and turned to someone else. "Battle Maniac, you're joining too, right?"
Battle Maniac rubbed his shiny, well-polished head and grinned. "Of course. I'm great at this kind of event. Who knows, maybe I'll end up chopping Singo in half!"
"I'm not holding back. If we meet, I'll split you in two."
Mantou glanced at the blood-stained great axe in Battle Maniac's hand, then at the smile on his face, and swallowed nervously.
To hear such brutal words delivered with such a cheerful grin—maybe that was Battle Maniac's unique charm.
"Sister Autumn Rain is so gentle—"
Mantou turned to Summer Night Autumn Rain.
Summer Night Autumn Rain's delicate face held a gentle smile.
But in the next instant, accompanied by the sound of air being torn apart, violent flames erupted from her golden eyes, uncontrollable and fierce.
"…"
Another moment of silence.
Mantou began to think his path to the championship might be a tough one.