Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

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The Heavenly Star's Millennial Tournament...

It's one of, if not THE, grandest events that every human being in the Heavenly Star Chaos Realm looked forward to attending. It is a life-changing event, especially for upstart and hopeful life evolution experts that are looking for a brighter future.

"Hey there, customer! What can I get you?"

"Ah, well...I'm not really...I can't afford anything right now."

"Oh, well, that's...yeah, I'm sorry about that. Prices hiked up because of the upcoming event; you know how it is."

"Yeah, I understand. It's just sad that I can't relate to their celebration."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. But, if you're truly in need of anything, I'm sure we can discuss a credit plan that works for you."

"...I'll think about it; thanks for the offer."

Conversations like this are happening everywhere. The prices of goods increased, and resources became even more expensive, making life a little more difficult than normal.

Even though the tournament was supposed to be the grandest event ever, it's not for everybody. Only geniuses could truly deserve to anticipate such an event; those who aren't could only suffer in silence and wait until the event ends.

Their suffering wasn't enough to stop the excitement and the anticipation others felt, though. Most people probably don't even notice it at all.

With the tournament only two weeks away from taking place, everybody was busy preparing for it.

"Child, must you really push this far?"

"I'm just trying to see if I could make a last-minute breakthrough, Master. If I could, then I'd be able to get a higher ranking in the tournament."

"That's...well, don't forsake your future. This is just a one-time event. You're still young enough to participate in the next one, so don't bet your entire future now."

"I understand that, Master."

The master sighed, unable to truly comfort his disciple. He knew that his words didn't reach his stubborn disciple's mind, and there's nothing he could do about it.

He also didn't have the heart to tell his disciple that with his attainments, even a last-minute breakthrough wouldn't help him secure the ranking he thinks he could achieve.

The master had been in this exact same position before. He knows how this goes. His disciple was bound to be disappointed. The simple yet cruel truth is that, no matter how hard they worked, they simply couldn't match those who were born in higher places. They don't have access to the same resources and opportunities as they do. That's not a gap that could easily be crossed with hard work and talent.

But he also didn't have the heart to tell this to his disciple. He didn't want to break the child's heart even before the tournament started. So, he could only accompany him and be there when he eventually learned the cruel truth about this world.

This scenario isn't unique to them. It's happened all over the Heavenly Star Chaos Realm. Hundreds of young geniuses are trying to make a final push for a breakthrough before the tournament starts, hoping that by doing so, they could secure a better ranking not only for themselves but also for the people around them.

It couldn't be helped. The tournament was the grandest event in the chaos realm; it presented too many opportunities that none of them could ignore.

Some of the desperate ones are even staking their lives for this event, risking their foundation just to gain a little more strength to compete with others.

In their minds, this was worth it. Because if they performed well enough, they might gain the attention of the council or other sects, and if they could join them, then restoring their damaged foundation was within the realm of possibility.

However, they have to fight for that small chance, though. They simply have to do it to show their conviction.

**

"Time passed by so quickly. Before I knew it, it was time for the Heavenly Star's Millennial Tournament to begin again. The last one only felt like yesterday."

At some mysterious hidden realm, an old man wearing the vicissitudes of time on his face sighed at his age.

The past thousand years had been a blur to him. The majority of it, he spent in seclusion, only getting out once every 50 or 100 years to check up on his family, friends, and his students.

Speaking of his students, he saw his youngest one sweating buckets at the nearby training hall. A trace of relief and gratification appeared in his wizened eyes at the sight.

"How youthful. My youngest has the appearance of an Empyrean!"

He stroked his beard gently while nodding in approval. His youngest student was a true prodigy. He never expected that he'd have the pleasure of being his mentor, for this child makes even his senior students pale in comparison to him.

"Alas..." The old man's expression dimmed, though, as he was reminded of their shortcomings.

While his sect wasn't bad compared to most. It certainly couldn't keep up with the real powerhouses that stood at the very peak of this Chaos Realm.

In the old man's opinion, although the Heavenly Star's Millennial Tournament was open for all geniuses, its true highlight comes from the participants of those powerhouses who will definitely display just how huge the disparity was between their and others' backgrounds.

They are the real stars of this show. And sadly, his youngest prodigy might not be able to step into that same spotlight.

"I shouldn't expect too much." The old man shook his head. "It's fine even if this child couldn't do it now; there's always a next one. He's young enough to participate in the next tournament anyway. This one...let's just treat it as an experience for him, to broaden his horizons."

The old man sighed and decided to leave it like that. He didn't doubt the potential and dedication of his youngest disciple, but in this case, those alone wouldn't cut it.

Peeling his attention away from his youngest, his senses expanded to the entire realm that they're in.

He caught a sliver of movement skirting around his territory and noticed that it was the Space Marines.

"These kids are busy again, poor things." He sighed.

It's always like this whenever the tournament begins. The Space Marines will always be swamped with work because they have to be vigilant.

With how high-profile this event was, it's inevitable that it will catch the attention of other races. Their spies will be more active, and infiltration attempts will become more frequent.

The enemy will do what they can to doom the next generation of humanity to weaken them in this long and extended war they have going on.

This is why the Space Marines had to gear up and be more thorough, because if they couldn't crack down on the underhanded activities of the enemy race, then they would die too.

It's also for this reason that he prevented his disciples from coming out during this past decade. This forced them to sacrifice some opportunities, but it couldn't be helped. More opportunities will come; living was more important. They can't advance further if they're dead, after all.

"Should I even look forward to the surprises that will show up this time?"

The old man pondered as his eyes slowly lost their brilliance and his consciousness freely wandered around.

**

For Cedric, the incoming tournament was exciting, too. But unlike others, he wasn't really feeling pressured or anything. He was relaxed and serene.

In these past few months, if Cedric wasn't out exploring vistas and tourist locations, he remained in his residence meditating or accepting duels in the arena.

His moniker, Dawnbringer, has made a loud noise that hasn't faded since he went viral. He remained undefeated even after so long. His unique fighting style earned him a decent amount of admirers and fans in the arena. And all of them were expecting him to participate in the tournament.

Most of the duels are also scheduled right after the tournament ends. It seems that the majority of those in the Immortal League had taken a break from the arena to make a final push.

This didn't concern him at all. Cedric had grown tired of the duels anyway. At this point, he was confident that he blended in completely within his surroundings. He learned enough stuff to truly disguise himself amongst the natives of the Primitive Universe.

Of course, he will be participating in the tournament. His name has already been registered, actually. He's just waiting for the preliminaries to start.

But unlike others, Cedric didn't make a final push. It's not like he didn't want to; he just couldn't. It hasn't even been long since he became an Immortal. He's too far from another breakthrough, so there's no reason to make a push.

Cedric believed that he's strong enough. And even though he knows that there will be more formidable foes out there that he couldn't meet in the virtual arena, he's confident that he could stand proudly against them.

He's got everything ready. He even already received new clothes given to him by Philip, ones that would signify his collaboration with the company.

All that was left was to wait for the preliminaries to begin. And if the rumors he heard were true, then it will take place in the virtual world.