Chapter 104: Opportunity

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Opportunity

His father, however, didn’t seem particularly bothered.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked. "Complain?"

Jide shook his head.

"They won’t change it."

"Exactly."

His father picked up his tea again.

"Then let them have their little competition."

Jide stared at him.

"You’re not angry?"

"Of course I’m angry."

The old man’s smile remained.

"But being angry doesn’t suddenly give us another candidate."

He took a sip.

"For the last few years, we’ve barely had anyone worth putting forward. If I sent someone merely because I didn’t want to look weak, I’d be sending them into a competition they couldn’t survive."

Jide nodded slowly.

That was the part that hurt.

Their branch wasn’t being disrespected for no reason.

They had simply fallen behind.

The other branches had produced talented young cultivators while theirs had struggled to produce anyone who could stand alongside them.

His father sighed.

"So I’ve decided to endure it."

"For now."

"For now."

He placed his cup down.

"One day, we’ll have enough talented youngsters that they won’t be able to treat us like an afterthought."

Jide smiled faintly.

"I think we may have a candidate."

His father’s eyebrows rose.

"You?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Tolu."

The old man’s relaxed expression disappeared for a moment.

"Tolu?"

"Kenny’s friend."

"I know who you mean."

His father leaned back.

"The young man who stayed here?"

"Yes."

"What makes you think he’s suitable?"

Jide told him everything Kemisola had told him.

Tolu’s combat experience.

The fact that he had already fought and defeated multiple Adept cultivators.

His age.

And Kemisola’s assessment that he was approaching the Advanced rank.

The old man listened without interrupting.

When Jide finished, he was silent for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

"So our daughter-in-law found us a candidate."

Jide laughed.

"She seems quite confident in him."

"That woman has always had good judgment."

His father picked up his tea again.

"How far do you think he can go?"

"I don’t know."

Jide paused.

"But if he reaches the top ten, I think we should invest in him."

"And if he reaches the top five?"

"I’ll personally make sure he receives whatever support I can provide."

His father’s eyes narrowed slightly with interest.

"That confident?"

"Not confident he’ll reach the top five."

Jide smiled.

"Confident that if he does, we shouldn’t waste the opportunity."

His father chuckled.

"Fair enough."

He leaned back in his chair.

"For years, I’ve watched our branch slowly lose influence."

His tone remained easygoing, but there was something heavier beneath the words.

"Not because our elders became weak. Not because our resources disappeared. We simply stopped producing young people who could make the rest of the family look toward us."

He looked at Jide.

"Maybe this young man can change that."

Jide nodded.

"And not just within the family."

"Exactly."

His father’s smile returned.

"The other forces will be watching the competition too. The families, academies, merchants, cultivators... everyone wants to know which young talents are emerging."

He tapped his fingers against the table.

"If Tolu performs well, people won’t see him as merely our candidate."

"They’ll see which branch supported him."

Jide nodded.

"And if he performs exceptionally?"

"Then our branch gets attention again."

His father laughed softly.

"Perhaps we’ve been given an opportunity without even looking for one."

Jide smiled.

"I’ll speak with him."

"Do that."

His father picked up his tea again.

"But don’t pressure him."

Jide paused.

"What?"

"Don’t make him think he’s carrying the future of our branch on his back."

The old man waved a hand dismissively.

"Let the boy compete because he wants to. If he’s as capable as you say, he’ll show it."

Jide nodded.

"Understood."

He turned toward the door.

"Jide."

He stopped.

His father smiled.

"It’s been a while since I’ve been interested in watching this competition."

Jide smiled back.

"Then perhaps this year won’t be boring."

His father chuckled.

"Let’s hope so."

Jide left the study.

For the first time in several years, his father wasn’t simply preparing to watch their branch lose gracefully.

He had someone worth watching.

And perhaps, just perhaps, someone who could remind the rest of the family that their branch had not disappeared.

....

Tolu was sitting in the manor’s courtyard when Kemisola approached him.

He looked up.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

She sat across from him.

"I actually came to ask you for a favor."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"A favor?"

"Yes."

She briefly explained the upcoming third-generation competition.

Tolu listened quietly.

"Our family has three branches," Kemisola said. "The other two branches are allowed to present two candidates each. Our branch can only present one."

Tolu frowned slightly.

"That doesn’t sound fair."

"It isn’t."

She shrugged.

"But that’s where our branch currently stands."

"And you want me to be that candidate?"

"Yes."

Tolu leaned back.

"Why me?"

"Because I have heard of your fighting prowess from kenny."

Kemisola smiled.

"You have more experience than most people your age, and you’re stronger than Kenny. More importantly, you know how to fight."

Tolu thought about it.

"What exactly do I get out of this?"

Kemisola smiled.

"That’s why I wanted to speak with you."

She explained the significance of the rankings.

"The competition isn’t just about winning. The people who perform well will attract attention from families, academies, businesses, and other forces."

Tolu listened carefully.

"And our branch would benefit from having someone perform well," she continued. "If you make the top ten, you’ll already be considered a young talent worth nurturing."

"And the top five?"

Kemisola smiled.

"That is where things become much more interesting."

She told him about Jide’s promise.

"If you reach the top five, my husband said he’ll give you anything within his power to provide."

Tolu stared at her.

"Anything?"

"Within his power."

She emphasized the last part.

"He isn’t promising you a billion gold coins or making you the king of the entire kingdom. But his position and our family’s resources mean that he can provide quite a lot."

Tolu became thoughtful.

"How much is quite a lot?"

Kemisola laughed.

"I knew that would be your first question."

Tolu didn’t deny it.

She continued.

"Money, cultivation resources, connections, access to certain businesses, introductions to people you normally wouldn’t be able to meet. It depends on what you ask for and whether it’s something he can reasonably provide."

Tolu’s fingers tapped against his knee.

One hundred thousand gold.

That was what he needed.

The auction.

The opportunity to acquire something that might help the dungeon.

He had been thinking about how long it would take his shop to accumulate that kind of wealth.

Even with the dungeon’s resources, it wouldn’t happen overnight.

But this...

Tolu’s eyes slowly brightened.

"If I make the top five..."

"Yes?"

"I can ask for something valuable."

Kemisola nodded.

"Very."

Tolu leaned back, thinking.

He didn’t need to ask for ordinary resources.

He didn’t need another weapon.

He didn’t even necessarily need gold handed directly to him.

If Jide could provide something valuable enough, something that could be converted into wealth or directly exchanged for what he needed...

Then the competition could solve his biggest immediate problem.

Kemisola watched his expression change.

"You’re interested."

Tolu smiled.

"Very."

She laughed.

"I thought you might be."

Tolu stood.

"When is the competition?"

Kemisola looked amused.

"You haven’t even agreed yet."

"I think I just did."

"So quickly?"

Tolu looked at her.

"You said top five comes with a promise."

"Yes."

"Then I’m interested."

He glanced toward the sky.

One hundred thousand gold had seemed impossibly far away only moments ago.

Now, for the first time, he could see a path toward it.

Not an easy path.

But a path.

Kemisola smiled.

"I’ll tell Jide."

Tolu nodded.

"Tell him I’ll do my best."

She stood as well.

"And Tolu?"

He looked at her.

"Don’t let the reward make you careless."

Tolu smiled.

"I won’t."

He had no intention of fighting recklessly.

If anything, the promise had given him another reason to take the competition seriously.

One hundred thousand gold.

A possible ticket to the auction.

And perhaps another step toward everything he wanted to build.

....

The news spread through the capital within days.

It began in the cultivation districts.

Then the markets.

Then the academies.

Then the merchant quarters.

Before long, nearly everyone with even a passing interest in cultivation had heard the same announcement.

The Third Generation Competition was approaching.

It was not a competition open to everyone.

The requirements were clear.

Participants had to be under twenty years old and at least at the Middle Adept rank.

The seven major forces participating in the competition would each provide five candidates.

That alone meant thirty-five places.

The remaining sixty-five positions would be open to young cultivators from the general public.

A total of one hundred young cultivators would enter.

For many young cultivators, the announcement immediately became the most important topic in the capital.

"This year’s competition is going to be insane."

"I heard the seven forces are sending five candidates each."

"That’s thirty-five people already."

"And sixty-five open positions."

"Sixty-five? That’s more than I expected."

"More opportunities means more competition."

"Not really. Do you know how many Middle Adepts under twenty are in the capital?"

The answer became obvious as registration information began circulating.

There were far more than sixty-five.

The general selection alone would be brutal.

Young cultivators began training harder.

Some rushed to break through before registration closed.

Others searched for better weapons, pills, techniques, and teachers.

Families began studying the names of promising young cultivators.

Merchants saw an opportunity.

Training grounds became crowded.

Even some normally quiet cultivation halls suddenly had young people arriving before sunrise and leaving long after sunset.

The academies were no different.

Instructors began preparing their students specifically for the competition.

For the young cultivators who already possessed strong backgrounds, the event was an opportunity to establish their names.

For those without powerful families behind them, it could change their lives.

A strong performance could attract a powerful patron.

A good ranking could lead to academy invitations, business opportunities, cultivation resources, or connections that would otherwise take decades to acquire.

And then there were the seven forces.

Their candidates were already being discussed throughout the capital.

People speculated about which young talents each force would send.

Some names were already known.

Others were being deliberately kept secret.

The general public, meanwhile, had only sixty-five places to fight for.

That meant thousands of young cultivators would have to compete for them.

Every tavern, training hall, marketplace, and cultivation district seemed to have the same conversation.

"Who are you betting on?"

"Betting? I haven’t even registered yet."

"You’re already Middle Adept?"

"Of course."

"Then you should try."

"Try? I’m going to qualify."

Laughter would follow.

Then someone would inevitably remind them of the age requirement.

"Remember, you have to be under twenty."

That was when the boasting usually became quieter.

The competition wasn’t simply about strength.

It was about who could prove themselves among the most talented young cultivators of the generation.

And with only one hundred places available, earning a place was already going to be a battle in itself.

Far from all of them knew it yet, but one hundred young cultivators would soon enter the competition.

And only a small number would leave with their names remembered throughout the capital.