Chapter 419 Second Stage

Chapter 419 Second Stage

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants, welcome to the second stage of our grand event," Zero announced, his voice projecting across the virtual expanse with a sense of authority and enthusiasm.

"I know that every one of you enjoyed the last round due to the beauty of the diverse biomes and the thrilling moments that the participants offered, but rest assured, this stage is set to surpass it by many folds,"

"This stage is going to make the teams defend cities, but it is going to have a big twist, so I can't guarantee that this stage will be to everyone's liking," Zero declared, his voice brimming with excitement and anticipation, and after a moment of silence, he continued.

"In this stage, the original teams will be disbanded, and new teams will be formed through random assignment, ensuring that no more than two members from the original team are placed together."

"This reshuffling of teams injects an element of unpredictability and challenge, forcing participants to adapt to new dynamics and strategies, as they work together while also watching their backs."

"As for the island, it will be familiar yet also in a completely different state, enveloped in a perpetual state of the eclipse, casting a twilight that evokes not only beauty but also a sense of foreboding and dread." Zero said as the darkness dissipated, revealing a bird's eye view of the transformed mythical island.

Alex was standing alone in a dark, empty space, with the system screen showing the live stream, and like every other viewer, he saw the changed island.

The skies and ground hung heavy with oppressive darkness, punctuated only by the feeble glow of the sun struggling against the shadow of the moon that stood frozen before it.

It was not hard to realize that even though the island was the same as before, with various biomes, it was different, not only because of the state of twilight, with dense areas shrouded in pitch darkness, and others having enough light for even a common man to see things with clarity.

But the real change was the large cities situated all over the island, each located in a different biome, and the density of lifeforms inhabiting them.

"There are twenty-five cities, and four teams will be sent to each city, and while there will be no day and night cycle, the timing will stay the same,"

The players could not only earn individual points but could also work on bringing down the city and massively benefit from it, and many teams who could care less about their public image were going to take this route.

Zero knew that this stage was going to be filled with betrayal and bloodbath, but he couldn't care less about it because the stage was to teach every watching player a lesson.

Besides strengthening the player base, the event's purpose was to mentally prepare them for the incoming calamity that was the Devourer beasts.

The top twenty teams wouldn't be affected by much as they had figures like Alex, Killian, Odin, and such to carry them, but for the rest of the balanced teams, separating them meant taking away their powers, which was indirectly forcing them to do everything they would be able to to stay in the competition.

Every team was destined to earn great rewards, but only the top fifty would receive extra, with the rest only getting what could be acquired with the number of points they earned in the event.

Zero gave a few moments to let everybody digest the information before revealing a hundred teams, the most keeping their names but many of them being nameless.

Alex would be able to not assist but raise an eye, looking at the lineup of team members, quite surprised by his luck, but an instant later, the surprise turned to a frown, knowing the better the team, the worse the city they would receive to defend.

Alex's team had Lady Rosalba, the Grand Elder of the Frozen Flower Guild. Nereus, The leader of the Hydra Guild. Gregnor, The Mountain, the First Elder of the Celestial Vanguard Guild, and Halagax, the Shadow of the Unyielding Legion Guild.

The team was filled with heavy hitters, but it seemed Alex was not the unluckiest or luckiest, depending on how one saw it in the group, as Andrei had surpassed him.

Andrei's team had Killian, the Dragon Butcher, and Tyrant, Olympian Guild Second Elder, and, for lack of better words, both happened to be enemies that would come for blood when given a chance.

Venedikt, Saahira, and Ravyn happened to be additionally in for a challenge, as each of them were in a team with one or two heavy hitters from the top twenty teams.