If Soverick is discontent with something, bitter, or just crazy, he can create a draw just to spite both sides. It sounds crazy that Soverick would want to offend two world gods instead of just one, but it is certainly possible. That's why there is a winning condition and why that winning condition cannot be changed. Another thing that cannot be changed is that there has to be a winning condition. Soverick can only add more winning conditions.
A sharp blade can cut your enemy just as it can cut you. This is especially true if the blade is double-edged. Even a single-edged blade is capable of impaling its wielder if he or she falls on it. This can happen either through carelessness or pride. As they say, pride goes before a fall.
The Sage sharpened Soverick so that he could cut his enemies. He also knows that Soverick can cut him too. So he won't be careless with Soverick or feel that Soverick can't betray him. That's why he had a conversation with Soverick to turn him to his side. He promised Soverick two requests if he won the competition.
He didn't order Soverick around. He is a world God, after all, and Soverick is a puny king of law. He has the right of power to order Soverick around. He could have done that. But he didn't. Instead, he offered Soverick a pleasant incentive. That was to safely turn Soverick to his side. He won't need to do that anymore as soon as his plans for Soverick are fulfilled.
It is not an understatement to say that the first Sage planned for every possible outcome. The only thing that can possibly stump such a clever schemer is something completely unexpected. Anyone that takes him for granted be they world gods, will regret it immensely. The serpentine world god is a very good example of this. The powerful ancestor of Vipers failed to prepare. He was only preparing to fail.
The fourth challenge is a mixture of changeable things and unchangeable things. The unchangeable things were suggested by the Sage. First, there is the need for a win condition. Then there is the recorded message. The Sage's speech was recorded before the competition, and it was planned to be played at the start of the fourth challenge. It can't be changed.
The Vipers also listened to a recorded message from their world god. Unlike the Sage's message that roused the battle sages and made them take the upcoming battle seriously, the serpentine world god's message was for the Vipers to think of this battle as a hunt. Just like any hunt, the Vipers compete to have the highest kill.
The serpentine world god promised to reward the Viper with the highest kills among the paragons and the normal Vipers with a request from him. Both the serpentine world god and the first Sage made promises of requests from them to motivate their key fighters, but the difference in their speech lay in the attitude and seriousness that they imposed on their sides.
The hunt and the highest kill competition is a good approach to a conflict if one side is overwhelmingly stronger than the other and there is no need to be particularly careful. That's what the serpentine world god thought of the battle sage monkeys before the competition. I think you should take a look at
His opinion of the battle sage monkeys has changed now, but he can't change the message he recorded, and neither can Soverick. The battle sage monkeys will be facing this challenge together as an army working together, while the Vipers will be facing it as a harmless hunt because of their recorded message.
As for the changeable things, they were the mechanisms designed by the serpentine world god. He didn't set a limit on the win condition. He didn't set a limit on the duration of the challenge or set down any rules. This means that Soverick can make a lot of changes too. Adding a single more winning condition is just half of what he can do.
"The sage really did a number on his opponent." Soverick thought to himself.
He is clear about the situation and can see some of the machinations of the Sage. It is enough for him to glean some of the planning that went into bringing about this situation. What he knows has made him pity the other world god.
The first Sage has really done a number on his opponent. It is an indisputable fact. But he kept his thoughts on the situation to himself. There is no use spouting his belief of how screwed the other world god is. Some things are best kept within the mind. Even then, one's mind is not safe from world gods. So he removed that troublesome thought from his mind and thought of other more useful things that won't make a world god cross with him if they peeked at his thoughts. He analyzed the situation, made plans, and waited for the fourth challenge to start.
The fourth challenge started when the barrier separating the two sections of the arena was raised. Now the two sides can interact with one another. Technically, the two sides don't have to fight. There is no rule that says they must be at each other's throats at all times. They can frolic and interact peacefully with each other. But the chances of that happening are almost zero.
The battle sage monkeys hate the Vipers, and the Vipers want to hunt the battle sage monkeys. They would have rushed at each other, craving blood, if not for the changes that he had made. Now both sides have to think about the repercussions of their actions. Not everyone can attack the other side. Some have to defend their flag so that it will not be taken. They can lose the challenge if their flag is stolen.
The battle sage monkeys have formed into squads and groups. Each group is accompanied by its leader. The 117 emperor crowns with their ten lieutenants plus Soverick's own 100 lieutenants make for a total of 1387 troop leaders. They form the three levels of leadership in the army. Each leader flew above the group that they were in charge of as they went into battle.