Earth's Greatest Magus
Earth's Greatest Magus - Chapter 1988: Evaluation

Within minutes, a ship descended, carrying two emissaries from the Magus Alliance who joined the gathering. One was the middle-aged Magus Nathan, a familiar face who had visited a few times before—the same magus who penalized Emery in his first year. The second was an unfamiliar magus officer named Soto.

With the routine introduction, Magus Nathan identified himself as an appointed official and silently took out his notes, creating a moment of awkward silence. Fortunately, Magus Soto proved to be a bit more sociable, offering a friendly remark,

"Thank you for inviting us to this interesting event."

While maintaining a hospitable demeanor, Emery couldn't help but express his concern and sought an explanation from Klea through telepathy. Her response came promptly,

<They came to evaluate our strength; this is good for our planet's future.>

Emery could sense the ambitious purpose behind Klea's plan: to elevate Earth's status from a lower realm to a middle one. While this idea held the promise of solving numerous issues and unlocking new opportunities for Earth, the idea was undeniably ambitious.

<Took me months to make this happen, aren't you curious?... Just let them do their things.. Besides.. what could go wrong?> Klea's reassurance reached Emery through telepathy.

<Alright then..> Emery responded, acknowledging the complexity of the situation

To enhance the atmosphere, Klea began the hospitality, pouring some of the finest Egyptian wines for the two emissaries. "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Despite her warm welcome, Magus Nathan maintained a stern demeanor. His initial concern revolved around the tournament's rewards, promptly questioning the rationale behind sharing Magus universe resources with citizens of this low realm.

"No, of course, we won't dare to do such things"

Klea, with an air of confidence, addressed Magus Nathan's concerns. She explained that all the tournament's rewards were meticulously crafted by themselves. Emery's apothecary skills contributed high-grade spirit potions, Klea's formation expertise produced artifacts, and the divine skill offered as a reward was personally created by the grand magus, Fuxi.

Despite Klea's explanations, the skepticism lingered, and the questions persisted.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, marking the end of the day, the 5000 participants completed their attempts, and the 512 selected individuals for the tournament were finalized. The first category boasted an average battle power of 68, while the under-20 category averaged at 52 battle power.

"These numbers are far from impressive," commented Nathan.

With the day's events concluding, the tournament came to a temporary halt, and all participants were set to return the next day for the commencement of the initial rounds.

Nathan, once again expressing his discontent at spending a night away from his usual duties, found himself reluctantly obliged. However, Klea, perceptive to the opportunity, decided to utilize this chance to build a more favorable relationship with the magus emissaries.

Under Klea's orchestration, a Nexus ship was summoned, and she led the magus alliance officers, along with every magus, towards Rome—a showcase of Earth's most advanced city. With meticulous preparations, a grand feast awaited them upon arrival, accompanied by music and the presence of numerous beauties.

"Please enjoy," Klea gracefully offered.

Magus Soto appeared easily pleased, taking in the sights and sounds with apparent delight. On the other hand, Nathan, after partaking in a few bites, excused himself, citing the need for rest in the chambers that had been prepared for him. Despite his reservations, Emery couldn't help but admire Klea's persistent attempts to win favor.

"I'm not giving up," Klea declared with determination, fully aware that there was another day to sway the magus emissaries in their favor.

The next day, the entire group flew back to the Bodhi temple to witness the unfolding matches. VIA, the advanced Artificial beings, meticulously arranged a list of names in a strategic manner. The objective was clear – to disperse the highest battle powers, ensuring that the top fighters wouldn't face each other too early in the competition.

Emery couldn't help but be impressed by the sight of all 200 Roman centurions that Marc Anthony had brought managing to secure spots in the tournament. The second-largest contingent was the group of monks trained by Ashaka, totaling 122 participants. Together, these two factions covered more than two-thirds of the participants.

With the thorough preparation in place, the matches commenced, sparking excitement and anticipation among the gathered spectators. The energy in the air was palpable as the competitors readied themselves for the challenges ahead. The tournament had officially begun.

The scene was a spectacle of action as 16 arenas had been meticulously prepared, allowing multiple fights to unfold simultaneously. VIA's strategic arrangement resulted in most of the initial matches being somewhat one-sided, resulting in swift conclusions, some fights even ending in under three minutes. Despite the efficiency of the system, it still grasped four hours to complete the first round, successfully eliminating 256 participants.

What stood out most was the impressive showing of the Roman centurions.

A staggering 120 of them remained in contention, with 72 of them falling within the under-20 category, showcasing their dominance. This display only served to underline the strength of Rome, further increasing tension among the participants.

This anomaly also evoked a sense of unease in Emery and Klea, as the Romans' prowess had been significantly bolstered by the resources provided by Klea and Julian over the last 15 years. Such a fact could lead to more penalties and fines by the Magus Alliance.

Observing Magus Nathan quietly taking notes, Emery couldn't help but recall Klea's earlier words, echoing them in her previous telepathic message, <What could go wrong?.. i wonder>

As the number of participants dwindled to 128, the matches commenced to escalate in intensity, offering a spectacle that captivated Emery's attention. The remaining fighters showcased intriguing and diverse fighting styles, injecting excitement into the tournament.

The crowd's reactions were as diverse as the fighters in the arena. Some spectators fervently cheered for the downfall of every Roman centurion, revealing a mix of sentiments in the audience. Amidst this, Emery's attention was captivated by the Han swordsmen, who exhibited a graceful and skillful dance of combat, countering the Romans' fierce attacks with their nimble steps and precise strikes.

Soon after, another warrior emerged on Emery's radar—a Mayan combatant. Armed with two small axes which surprisingly charged with dark lightning. The warrior's tall figure, adorned with intricate tattoos, and a mysterious wooden mask that concealed his face, added an air of mystique to his persona. Emery, initially deceived by the appearance, was taken aback to discover that the Mayan warrior was a mere 16 years old.

"His name is… Kingrig,"

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Author Note

Bonus chapter in deep gratitude to Kingrig for his magical castle yesterday. It was a much-needed boost in income for me, and I sincerely thank you. In return, I've dedicated a new character for you. If all of you can guess, this guy will be part of the new Magus Academy students under Emery.

Also, there will be another character name needed if maybe anyone else kindly like to donate another castle. ^_^ + bonus chapter of course