The Glorious Evolution

Most of the teams had already played their first game a day after the registration period, timing it to perfection, unlike them, who needed extra time to train together.

After all, those teams had been created months before the start of the Great Campaign... this allowed Levi’s team to see how each one had performed in their Raids.

”You have seen their performance... they utterly obliterated the nightcrawlers in less than two minutes.” Lord Idriss answered, ”Though luck also played a major role...”

”The titles,” Levi replied.

”Yes, they were fortunate enough to land in a game design that rewarded them titles by slaying the nightcrawlers in a specific way... they achieved it in under two minutes, which increased their points immensely.” Lord Idriss nodded.

”How is that fair... our game’s design forces us to wait for the Blood Rites to spawn before collecting them.” Jojo knitted her eyebrows, ”If we did that, the raid would take half an hour, which meant our points would be affected negatively.”

”There is no such thing as fairness in the Great Campaign.” High Chancellor advised calmly, ”The nightcrawlers’ nests in the event are under the mercy of the Raiders... they have no control over who challenges them, which means the weakest ones get taken out first, like what you did to the Drowned Court, while the strongest earn points by the duration of their nest’s survival and the number of successful defenses.”

Hearing this, the team understood that the event creators kept the raiding system as it was while rewarding points based on what they achieved in the Raids.

Although Levi’s team had earned the Genie wish, the title could be bestowed only after fulfilling its conditions, regardless of how strict they were or how time-consuming.

That’s because the Death Games were created by the CRS Platform’s Gamemasters and pooled into a single library, which the Gamemasters could filter out based on their desired conditions (environment, duration, and such), and then the game would be picked randomly by the system.

”Don’t sweat such details... unless your luck is absolutely horrendous, you will eventually be given games that can be ended fast while finishing whatever side-quest for the title... the rest of the teams will also eventually draw the short stick.”

Hearing this, Levi couldn’t help but sweat a little... it won’t be that bad, right? He thought, recalling his shitty luck in the games.

”It’s all probabilities, and the only way to defeat them is to remain consistent in winning every Raid.” The High Chancellor clapped his hands and added with a smile, ”Now, with your amazing performance, it’s assured we will be invited to the Conference in two months when they start bringing in more teams besides the ones from the top ten regions.”

Levi and the others nodded... they had already done their thorough research on the GRA Conference. They found some interesting, but understandable facts.

One of them was that the Conference was held a month before the Great Campaign registration started... In that month, only one team from the top ten regions was invited exclusively to help them enjoy all the resources without other teams crowding them.

It was one of the many benefits of the Solar Aegis Sanctuary for being ranked the highest in the world.

Meanwhile, for the rest of the teams, the invitations were handed off only after two months of the Conference launch... this gave all the applied Raiding teams plenty of chances to get some exposure from their raids. Considering that each raid had a fifteen-day preparation window.

Then, the best chosen ten teams would join the Conference next to the initial ten... most of those teams were almost always from the top twenty regions.

”Two months, huh... It’s not so bad. We can squeeze a couple of raids until we get invited.” Arthur said.

”You can... but unfortunately, Seraphis doesn’t have that kind of time.” Lord Idriss sighed helplessly.

He wasn’t a man of guilt, as he would do anything for the sake of his region’s survival. But the fate of his friend lay in his hands, and even he, a strong-willed man, kept having guilty thoughts eating him away ever since the expedition.

How could he forget what he had done to make him join their hidden scheme?

”What do you mean?”

Levi and his friends showed solemn expressions at once.

”His vitals are falling drastically for some reason... and the doctors have given him less than a month to live, from the predicted six months... we have already put him in a cryosleep, freezing his body to avoid any further deterioration.” The High Chancellor shared.

”Less than a month... it can’t be.”

Levi and the others were left stunned, not expecting such a curveball... they had been told that the government and three big agencies were doing everything in their power to find a potion, medicine, recovery totems, whatever was potent enough to restore some of his lifespan.

Unfortunately, exhausting one’s lifespan was incurable with less than Grade A healing items... if one was healthy and drank a Grade C or B lifespan-increasing medicine, chances were high of adding a couple of decades or more, depending on how rich his current lifespan was.

On the other hand, if it was already on its last legs, the medicine would do nothing to him. It was like drinking colorful water.

It made sense if we considered those potions, recovery totems, and similar items as nothing more than enhancement drugs... they boosted vitality, cured diseases, and did whatever they could to help extend one’s lifespan.

But what Seraphis needed was a miracle medicine... a medicine that could literally add more time from nothing.

Such miraculous treasures were graded A, but their rarity and price were so high, it might bankrupt their entire government if they dared to purchase one.

That’s why Levi and the others were advised not to waste their wish on a vitality potion or such from the Omnigenie... with his Order being level one, he couldn’t bestow a medicine higher than Grade B.

If there was a slight chance of it working, they wouldn’t have wasted a second and wished for a miracle.

”I hate to admit it, but we are out of good options... we have two alternatives left.” The High Chancellor sighed, ”The first one is to put him in a Boundless Immortality Resort... but we all know that can’t be sustained for more than a month based on our budget.”

Levi and the others nodded in understanding, their expressions grim... besides Jasmine, who didn’t have much interaction with Instructor Seraphis.

’Boundless Immortality Resort... that’s not something our region can afford.’ Levi thought to himself.

He knew that such Resorts were built in territories with a high omnipotent level, surpassing O5... In addition, only nobles at the Duke rank were given the license to build them on their territories.

Due to such extreme conditions, any Immortality Resort charged horrendous fees of ten thousand credits a day to their residents!

Although the price was so high that it could bankrupt regions in months, they were worth it for the right kind of people.

The name implied it... Anyone staying in the resort could not die, even if they had one last day in their life before they crossed over to the Boundless Expanse.

Nocturn’s Authority kept them alive no matter how hard the Grim Reaper tried to take their souls.

However, there was another negative besides the price... the Immortality effect was applicable only in the Resort.

The moment someone left its premises, Nocturn’s Blessing expired, returning their bodies to the same state they came in.

So, this option was a desperate Hail Mary to buy time for Seraphis... nothing more, nothing less.

”What’s the second option?” Levi asked, having a feeling that it was going to involve them.

He wasn’t stupid... if it had nothing to do with them, the High Chancellor wouldn’t have brought any of this to their attention.

”A few days ago, we got some news about the emergence of an Ancient Distorted Site from the rubble of the fallen Sphinx’s region.” The High Chancellor paused, ”It is believed to be a Grade A site.”

”Grade A?!” Arthur exclaimed.

Levi and his friends raised a brow in surprise at his reaction.

”You know what it implies?”

”Not really... but, I know Grade A is high.” Arthur coughed.

”Sometimes, I wish you had no mouth.” A muscle under Jojo’s eye spasmed in vexation.