Chapter 210: Swimming in Love, while others Struggle

The City Qualifiers for the Inter-Academy Selection Tournament continued.

From City A to City B, and now to the countless other cities scattered across New Liberty, the tournament was becoming less like a single competition and more like a year-long national spectacle.

The City Qualifier stage alone could last two or even three months, depending on the number of participating academies, the complexity of each city’s challenge, and how long it took to determine which teams had earned the right to advance.

And the entire Inter-Academy Selection Tournament? That could easily stretch across an entire year.

City C

The City C qualifiers were held within the Verdant Ruins, an enormous abandoned metropolitan region that had been reclaimed by nature and monsters. The challenge revolved around exploration and territory control.

Academies fought over ancient structures scattered throughout the ruins while simultaneously dealing with increasingly powerful monsters.

In the end, Northstar Academy, Crownridge Institute, and Aurelian Academy secured the city’s advancement positions.

Northstar claimed first with Crownridge following closely behind. Aurelian took third after defeating two rival academies during the final twelve hours.

City D’s qualifiers were considerably more brutal.

The organizers dropped the participating academies into the Red Maw Wastes, a desert region notorious for massive subterranean monsters.

The competition lasted nearly three weeks instead of the usual 72 hours. Sandstorms separated teams, monster migrations destroyed camps, and several academies were eliminated without ever encountering another participant.

When the dust finally settled, Ironcrest Academy emerged as the city’s first-place qualifier. Valorian Institute and Stellaris Academy followed. And they only secured their wins because the organizers decided to step in.

City F took a different approach.

Instead of placing the students inside a wilderness, the organizers transformed an abandoned industrial district into a massive urban battlefield.

The competition became less about individual strength and more about coordination. The winning team reportedly completed their final objective with less than six minutes remaining.

City H became famous for an entirely different reason.

The organizers had designed the qualifier around survival. The only requirement was simple: Survive. The competition was expected to last ten days. It ended in six.

Nearly half the participating academies withdrew after encountering a monster migration that had not been predicted by the organizers.

By City J, the tournament had become impossible to ignore.

Major broadcasting networks were dedicating entire channels to the competition. Analysts discussed promising students. Academy rankings fluctuated daily. Merchants sold replica academy uniforms. Betting, official and unofficial, had exploded. And whenever an S-Rank student appeared on-screen, social media practically exploded.

City L produced perhaps the biggest upset so far.

A relatively unknown academy entered the qualifiers with almost no expectations placed upon them. Three weeks later, they had defeated two of the city’s strongest academies and claimed first place. Their name became known nationwide almost overnight.

Horizon Vale Academy.

They weren’t considered a powerhouse before the tournament. Now everyone wanted to know what they would do in the Regional Selection.

And so the tournament continued, city after city, academy after academy. Some qualifiers ended peacefully. Others ended with ruined battlefields, injured students, and entire academies being forced to withdraw.

There were prodigies, underdogs, and monsters. Some students entered the tournament unknown and emerged as national celebrities, and there were students who entered as favorites and disappeared before anyone could learn their names.

The tournament was still young, yet already the hierarchy of New Liberty’s younger generation was beginning to change.

***

City M.

The massive screens across New Liberty flickered, and the image of a gigantic stadium appeared.

The announcer’s voice echoed through millions of homes, public screens, academies, restaurants, transportation hubs, and training facilities.

"Welcome to the City M Qualifiers of the Inter-Academy Selection Tournament!"

The crowd erupted.

The camera swept across an enormous arena. Unlike the previous cities, City M had chosen a mountainous region as its battlefield. The peaks stretched beyond the horizon, dense forests covered the lower elevations, and enormous artificial barriers surrounded the entire region.

"Ten academies have been selected to compete!"

The camera moved across the waiting participants.

"Representing City M!"

One academy stepped forward.

"Dawnfall Academy!"

"Titancrest Institute!"

"Moonveil Academy!"

The crowd became louder.

"Everpeak Academy!"

"Crimson Vale Academy!"

The announcer paused dramatically.

"And finally..." The screen zoomed toward the final group. "Astral Crown Academy!"

The stadium exploded with noise. The students stood beneath enormous screens displaying the tournament emblem.

Some looked excited, some looked nervous, and others looked completely indifferent. The announcer raised his voice.

"Ten academies!"

The screens changed.

"One city!"

The crowd grew louder.

"Three advancement positions!"

The students began preparing their equipment.

"And an entire nation watching!"

The countdown appeared.

[10]

The cameras moved toward the battlefield.

[9]

Weapons were drawn.

[8]

Abilities began activating.

[7]

The spectators rose from their seats.

[6]

The academy representatives lowered their stances.

[5]

The announcer shouted.

"LET THE NEXT BATTLE FOR NEW LIBERTY BEGIN!"

[4]

The gates began opening.

[3]

The wind rushed through the arena.

[2]

Ten academies stared into the wilderness.

[1]

Silence engulfed the stadium for a full five seconds. Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The City M Qualifiers began.

And while millions watched the newest battlefield unfold, elsewhere in New Liberty, the qualifiers from City A and City B were already becoming history, the tournament progressing until only the strongest remained.

***

While City M and whatever city was left were trying hard to survive the objectives and win, Silas was literally swimming in an ocean of love... maybe lust. One couldn’t really tell.

Silas lay in one of the many pools in the estate, steam rising off his exposed body. This pool turned out to be a modern kind of hot spring, hidden somewhere in the estate, which only he initially knew of and had access to.

This hot spring he instantly designated for only himself and his women. No one else would know, and even if they somehow found out, he would be the only one with access to it.

There were some stuff in the estate that he couldn’t and would not allow others to have access to. Not even Alpha.

He lay alone in the hot water, his eyes expectant. It was literally glittering with anticipation as he looked at the door, with an image of a woman to his left. He could hear giggles and light laughter from it, causing his member to twitch.

"They are taking too long..."

[You are really beyond saving.]

"I have my priorities set."

The door suddenly opened, a pair of slender, fair legs stepping out. Silas shifted forward, and if he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging by now.

Bro was too far gone.