Chapter 287: Imperial Ranking War: Victory!

[Congratulations to the Heavenly Bronze Empire Team for surviving six months in the Imperial Ranking War!]

[Due to your outstanding performance, you have successfully eliminated every competing team and become the only remaining team in this secret realm.]

[Your achievement has overturned the established expectations of the Imperial Ranking War. The World System acknowledges your exceptional performance.]

[However, the complete elimination of all competing teams before the scheduled conclusion of the Imperial Ranking War is unprecedented. Consequently, additional time was required to evaluate the current situation and determine the appropriate course of action.]

[The evaluation has been completed.]

[The Heavenly Bronze Empire Team has officially secured 1st Place in the Imperial Ranking War!]

The announcement appeared in the sky above The Rock, accompanied by a series of golden letters that were visible to every surviving representative. For a moment, the entire base fell silent as its occupants read the message, making sure they hadn’t misunderstood what the World System had just declared.

Then the place erupted.

"We won!"

"WE ACTUALLY WON!"

"HAHAHA! DID YOU SEE THAT? FIRST PLACE!"

Cheers broke out across The Rock as representatives who had spent six months fighting for survival finally allowed themselves to celebrate. Some raised their weapons into the air, while others embraced their companions or laughed so loudly that they startled people standing nearby. A few simply sat down, exhausted by the sudden release of tension, as though they had only now realized how much pressure they had been carrying.

They had survived the calamities, endured the polluted environment, fought monsters, and lived through months of uncertainty. When the forced confrontation began, they had expected a desperate struggle against four rival teams, each containing roughly fifty representatives. Instead, they had watched their enemies disappear one after another until Heavenly Bronze stood alone.

And now, the World System had officially confirmed their victory.

They had done it.

The Heavenly Bronze Empire Team had secured first place in the Imperial Ranking War.

For a group of people who had arrived in the secret realm with sealed inventories, confiscated equipment, and little more than coarse leather clothing, the result was almost unbelievable. They had started with limited resources and no guarantee that they would survive the first month. Now, they were the undisputed winners of a competition that was supposed to last much longer.

Naturally, the celebration became even louder when the next announcement appeared.

[In recognition of your achievement, the Heavenly Bronze Empire Team will be transported to a designated location to receive its rewards before the end of the week.]

[Your inventories have been unlocked.]

[All confiscated possessions and equipment stored within your inventories are now accessible.]

For a brief moment, the representatives stared at the announcement.

Then the shouting started again.

"Our inventories are back!"

"Finally! I can use my own equipment again!"

"I want my armor! I’m never wearing those leather clothes again!"

"Forget the armor! I want my food!"

The last declaration earned a round of laughter from those nearby.

The return of their inventories meant far more than simply recovering a few personal belongings. Many had entered the Imperial Ranking War with valuable equipment, weapons, consumables, martial arts manuals, and resources they had spent years accumulating. Losing access to those possessions had forced them to adapt and rebuild their capabilities from whatever they could find inside the secret realm.

Now, they could finally recover everything.

The fighters were particularly excited about their original weapons and equipment. Even though Ren had ensured that Heavenly Bronze was properly armed during the competition, there was still a difference between using issued equipment and wielding something they had personally selected, maintained, and trained with for years.

Some representatives immediately began checking their inventory interfaces, eager to confirm that their belongings had truly been restored. Others started discussing what they would do once they returned home, already imagining the looks on their families’ faces when they learned that the team had secured first place.

The World System wasn’t finished, either.

[The rewards for your outstanding performance and contributions to your empire will be officially announced before the end of the week.]

That message only added fuel to the excitement.

They had won first place, regained their possessions, and were now waiting for rewards that could potentially change their lives. Nobody knew exactly what the World System had prepared for them, but considering the significance of the Imperial Ranking War, it was unlikely to be something trivial.

The team had every reason to celebrate.

After all, they had earned it.

Ren observed the commotion from a short distance away, sitting comfortably while the representatives around him celebrated their victory.

He wasn’t particularly surprised by the announcement. He had known from the beginning that eliminating every competing team would produce an unusual result, although even he hadn’t expected the system to take an entire day to respond.

Apparently, ending the Imperial Ranking War months ahead of schedule had created a problem for the World System.

Well, that wasn’t his concern anymore.

He had already accomplished his objective, and the announcement had confirmed the result. Heavenly Bronze had secured first place, and the remaining rewards would be distributed before the end of the week. With their inventories unlocked, the team could also recover the resources they had brought into the competition.

Everything was going smoothly.

At least, that was what Ren thought until the World System produced another announcement.

[Additional Announcement.]

The celebratory atmosphere gradually quieted as everyone turned toward the sky again.

[The premature conclusion of the Imperial Ranking War is an unprecedented occurrence. In accordance with the competition’s original objectives, the rankings of the remaining participating empires must still be determined.]

[Therefore, the World System has decided to grant the eliminated teams an additional opportunity to compete.]

The representatives exchanged confused looks.

An additional opportunity?

What did that mean?

The answer appeared almost immediately.

[After the Heavenly Bronze Empire Team has departed from this secret realm, all previously eliminated teams will be resurrected and returned to this location.]

[The Berserk Mountain God Empire Team, the Free Heavenly Paradise Empire Team, the Deep Blue God Empire Team, and the Burning Firmament Empire Team will resume their participation in the Imperial Ranking War.]

[All resurrected participants will have access to their original inventories and equipment.]

[The remaining four teams will compete against one another to determine the final rankings from second place onward.]

[The results of this additional competition will not affect the Heavenly Bronze Empire Team’s confirmed first-place ranking.]

For several seconds, The Rock was silent.

Then someone finally spoke.

"Wait. They’re bringing everyone back?"

"All four teams?"

"And they’re getting their equipment back, too?"

The questions spread rapidly, but the announcement had already made everything clear. The four eliminated teams would return to the secret realm, fully equipped and ready to fight again. This time, they wouldn’t need to worry about surviving another calamity or preparing for a confrontation against Heavenly Bronze. Their only objective would be to determine which of them deserved second place and below.

The competition would continue without the team that had caused the entire situation.

Heavenly Bronze was done.

They had won first place, and the remaining contest had nothing to do with them anymore.

Some representatives found the decision amusing. Others were simply relieved that they wouldn’t have to fight another battle. A few expressed sympathy for the resurrected teams, who would have to return to a competition after experiencing complete elimination.

However, Ren’s reaction was rather simple.

"Oh."

He leaned back in his seat.

So the World System had decided to let the other teams fight among themselves after all.

That was reasonable enough. The Imperial Ranking War was meant to establish the relative strength of the participating empires, and while Heavenly Bronze had secured the highest position beyond dispute, the system apparently wasn’t willing to leave the remaining rankings undecided.

Still, Ren couldn’t help finding the arrangement somewhat amusing.

The other teams would be resurrected, receive their original equipment, and fight for the remaining positions. Meanwhile, Heavenly Bronze would be transported away to collect its rewards.

They had effectively been given permission to leave the mess behind.

"That’s convenient."

A nearby representative heard him and laughed.

"Convenient? Boss, we’ve just won first place! Who cares what happens to the others?"

Ren shrugged.

"Fair enough."

There was no reason to concern himself with the remaining teams. They had already been eliminated, and whatever happened after their resurrection would not change Heavenly Bronze’s ranking.

Besides, he had other things to consider.

Their inventories had been unlocked, their rewards would be announced before the end of the week, and they would soon be leaving the secret realm. Once they returned to civilization, the consequences of their victory would begin to unfold.

The empire would celebrate.

The other empires would react.

And the people who had spent six months watching Soren Marek Vire accumulate an absurd number of merit points would finally have to face the fact that he had led his team to first place by eliminating every competitor.

Ren was rather curious about their reactions.

But that could wait.

For now, he allowed himself to enjoy the celebration.

The Imperial Ranking War was over for Heavenly Bronze.

They had survived, they had won, and nobody could take that victory away from them.

Whatever happened next, they would face it after collecting their rewards.