(Meanwhile Jacob Skyshard)
The four guardians were not the only ones to get an invitation to the rankers only event, as Jacob Skyshard got one too.
Having entered the top 10,000 rankings not too long back, he was one of the new players to be invited to this year's rankers only event, and just like everyone else who got the invite, Jacob felt hyped about it too.
The system invite described the event to be a 48 hours non-stop gaming marathon, where the invited players would get to test their mettle against powerful opponents and gain dozens of levels in the process.
While additional details were missing from the invite description, Jacob felt hyped about it, especially since he knew that both of his kids were most likely going to be there as well.
At this point, he had no idea that both of his kids were on the guardian team and not the player team, as in his head he envisioned an adventure alongside them.
"I need to make an excuse so that Elena doesn't worry if I don't show up in the real world for two days…." Jacob thought to himself, as the biggest hurdle to him joining this event was not the event itself, but rather how he would explain his absence during it to Elena.
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(Meanwhile the Ship Operators)
"Captain, are you certain you want to reduce the number of monsters leading to the guardian chambers by 30%?" Raven asked, concern evident in his voice as Captain Kid gave the order for a drastic change in the events set up.
"Won't that severely limit the leveling opportunities for the less talented players?" Raven asked, as he knew that this nerf was not going to affect the more talented rankers but only those who did not have the skill to fight for every kill.
"I know," Kid replied with a sigh. "This could mean most players will only gain 7 to 12 levels from the event instead of the usual 12 to 15. But it's the only way to give them a fighting chance—about a 50% shot—at defeating 'TheBoss' and claiming the ultimate treasure."
He paused for a moment, his expression serious. "With 'TheBoss' reaching the realm of a master, the balance has shifted dramatically. To even the odds, we need more players to make it to the boss room.
The organization funding this event is expecting us to maintain a 50-50 chance of either side winning the treasure, so we must go through with the monster reduction."
Raven sighed as he heard these words, as to him it seemed like the gap between the true rankers and the rest was going to widen enormously once more.
The longer that Raven worked at the Arc Ship and for the universal government, the more he realized about how the odds were always stacked against the common man.
It wasn't just about the event—it was about the cruel reality of the universe they lived in.
To him it seemed like the powerful could always find ways to get stronger, while the weak were left with scraps, and the second rankers' event, hyped as an exciting spectacle, was just another tool to solidify that imbalance.
"This world..." Raven muttered, shaking his head. "The strong get stronger, and the weak are left to cheer them on, not realizing they're sealing their own fate."
Kid glanced at him but said nothing. The event would be livestreamed on every forum, with multiple camera angles capturing the players' every move.
For the viewers, it would be an exhilarating watch, but it was nothing more than a misdirection.
Millions would waste hours of their gaming time watching the event right before the third evaluation and lose their chances to be promoted.
The common player would think that the rankers had it sweet and easy, however, the average ranker would gain a meager 7 to 12 levels from this event if they were lucky.
Meanwhile, the elites—those with real skill—would walk away with 20 to 30 levels, pushing them further ahead. And the guardians, along with 'TheBoss,' could easily amass 50 to 100 levels, leaving everyone else choking in their dust.
The worst part? The common players, those who didn't even qualify for the event, would still watch with joy, unaware that the gap between them and the elites was growing.
They'd debate the strategies, cheer for their favorites, and never realize that their place in this world was being cemented further with every passing day.
Their roles, their futures—it was all going to be decided in real time, and they were going to be too blind to see it.
"We don't set the rules Raven, there's nothing we can do about it.
The ascent to the top is a virtuous cycle and the fall to the bottom is a viscous one.
You, me, people like us— we can work earnestly for the universal government for decades and never recieve a mediation manual, however, individuals like Leo Skyshard, who are valued by the higher ups can recieve a Grandmaster level manual without even joining the organisation as an official member.
Currently his stars have aligned and he's rising, however, the moment he hits his ceiling and stops making the cut at the top, his demise will begin as well.
He will slowly see himself being demoted from the post of the top guy to one of the guardians, then he would fall to the ranks of a top ranker, then an average ranker and finally a commoner.
Out of 10,000 warriors who reach the realm of a Grandmaster only 3 transcend to become a Transcendental level warrior, and the road ahead is even tougher.
I hit my ceiling as a master, and maybe someday I may reach the realm of a Grandmaster but thats the end of the road for me.
For you, you still have to work hard to reach the realm of a master and be promoted to the post of a captain, but there's still a few years of your service left before you can achieve that–" Captain Kid said, as he ranted about the cruel reality of the universe.
The universe had never been fair, and it will never be fair, and hence, Kid asked Raven to stop ranting about it and just accept things as they were.
"Aye captain. I see your point–" Kid said, as he accepted the captain's words and made the changes that he asked him to make.
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/// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 3/5 ///