"It says here that Gamemaster Sparks has been demoted from Blue Tail to White Tail for getting caught running a massive brothel franchise across the Nine Sky Provinces... He was exposed by a Rattoki, who found out that he wasn’t paying his taxes. He snitched on him to the Cricetii Clan (Hamster Clan). They found him guilty of tax evasion and revoked his Blue Tail privileges."
Shia read from an article on a dimensional screen... the moment she typed his name, it was the first thing that popped out.
Levi and the others were left speechless for a moment at the ludicrousness of the situation... however, they knew that the four Murinori Clans weren’t just silent puppets under Nocturn’s Authority.
They were people with their own free will and an omnipotent authority only lower than Nocturn himself... As long as they didn’t betray Nocturn or ruin his realm, he didn’t seem to give a shit about what they did on the side.
That’s why the Cricetii Clan’s job was to act as Judges & Ethics Wardens across the Boundless Expanse; their authority was the highest of the four clans, keeping even their race members in check.
While the Ratokki and Sciurani clans were at odds with each other, the other two clans remained outside of such conflicts.
"Is this good luck or not?" Nurah wondered with a finger on her lips, "I am sure many viewers will tune in to watch our game because of him, but he doesn’t seem that interested in it."
A Blue Tail Gamemaster was of a high caliber when it came to presentation and commentary... many viewers paid insane amounts of money to watch their games... It was like they were a fan of the Gamemaster, not the Rifters themselves.
It wasn’t that bizarre when considering that such Gamemasters could turn the most boring slop into a finale if they wanted.
’Knowing my luck in the games... I doubt it.’
Levi’s brow twitched, realizing his cursed misfortune seemed to follow him in every game he took part in.
"Back so soon? How did it go?"
Lord Idriss and Madam Naima came back to the training room after they were singled out for their return.
"Well, our Gamemaster is having an internal crisis after getting demoted from Blue Tail, and our enemies are a bunch of assholes who want to torture us more than winning the game." Shia said while opening up another lollipop, "What do you think?"
Shia’s parents’ expressions turned solemn after hearing the first part... the second one? It wasn’t any news.
"A demoted Gamemaster... this changes everything."
"Hmmm?"
"Changes what?"
Arthur and the others raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting such an extreme reaction.
-Our team’s exposure...-
Jasmine sent a holographic message, pushing herself to be more proactive in their conversations... as an introvert since childhood, this was actually harder for her than slaying nightcrawlers.
So, once in a while, she threw a message in to let them know she was alive and then returned to the corner.
"Team exposure?" Jojo questioned.
"Yes, we were planning to apply for your team to join The World’s Regional Alliance Conference after you won a couple of raids and increased your team’s exposure." Lord Idriss’ eyes gleamed, "But now... this raid might be more than enough to propel your team’s name across the globe if you ace it."
"We may not even need to apply for it like beggars... You will be invited to the Conference just like the rest of the best Raiding teams registered in the Campaign."
Hearing this, Jojo and the rest seemed to remember reading about such a Conference when they were collecting information about the Raid Campaign.
At the time, they didn’t think much of it after they found out that the Conference was highly exclusive, and only Raiding Teams from the top twenty Holy Regions had a chance to get invited.
But now? Everything changed...
"Gamemaster Sparks will most definitely promote this game to the best of his ability, even if he hates commentating in such a low rank." Madam Naima smiled, "He needs all the ammo for his appeal to restore his privileges."
"This means your first Raid might actually cross the hundred-million viewership mark, which is an insane number of viewers for two unknown teams." Lord Idriss narrowed his eyes, "This is an amazing opportunity, and I want you to make the best of it... The WRA Conference; you have to join it if you want to evolve beyond your current battle skills... I dare say, the mentorship and opportunities you will receive there will be nothing like what we can give you."
"He is right... They have Blazewarden Daywalkers as the supervisors, and teams made out of the greatest talents in the world, competing against each other to better themselves and secure the qualification to the final eight." Levi nodded in agreement, "They also run side missions to Distorted Ancient Sites, Rescue Missions, and such."
Levi had read that the purpose of this conference was to prepare the teams with the highest chances of qualifying to increase their odds of winning the campaign... since Solar Aegis Sanctuary was sponsoring them and the reputation of their planet was also at stake, of course, the World’s Regional Alliance would take it most seriously.
It didn’t matter which region won it as long as it was them... thus, they were willing to invest extensive resources and talents to make it happen.
Of course, this offer was for only teams that showed amazing qualification potential in their raids, which meant a heated competition involving hundreds of Raiding teams across the globe.
"So, they will train us while simultaneously using our services for such missions?" Arthur wondered.
"Don’t worry, it won’t be for free..." Lord Idriss said, "Everything you do in the conference earns you credits that you can use to trade for much higher quality artifacts, totems, materials, and such resources that our region has no access to."
"After all, the Conference itself is held in Antarctica... where the Headquarters of the Solar Aegis Sanctuaries resides." Madam Naima added while showing them a dimensional picture of the site.
Arthur and the others had seen it before, and yet still... their eyes were left mesmerized by a towering holy pillar over the endless white of Antarctica... it resembled a shard of heaven piercing into the frozen expanse.
In the center of this holy pillar, which stretched for hundreds of kilometers, a gigantic Grove Willow sprouted into the sky... So vast, its uppermost branches vanished into the clouds while its golden leaves brushed the stratosphere... If compared to Heliodor’s Willow Grove, it would make it seem like a young tree.
This was the World Tree. .. A higher class of Willow Groves.
A tree, which was believed to have its powerful consciousness connected to every Willow Grove around the world... dimensionally and spiritually.
Each planet under the Saviors’ protection had a different species of World Trees, which acted as the headquarters of Solar Aegis Sanctuaries around the world.
Without it, the rest of the Willow Groves would wilt... without it, the world shall collapse as no Radian would dare step foot on a tainted planet.
No Radians meant no holy pillars. No holy pillars meant... extinction.
At the base of the tree, a small city clung to the trunk... to the untrained eye, it seemed almost fragile against the enormity of the tree. But this city was nothing but the appetizer.
The main dish was hidden inside the World Tree’s heart... a labyrinth of cities connected through aerial bridges suspended in the hollowed core.
The World Tree was not merely a tree... it was a vertical continent of life and civilization, a sacred axis keeping the balance of the world.
"If you got invited here during the qualification stage... You will experience the real world of Daywalkers in one place." Lord Idriss gazed at them solemnly, "Don’t miss this opportunity... it will rarely repeat."
"We understand." Levi nodded, "We will give it our best to grab their attention."
The others nodded in agreement, making up their minds to take this matter seriously... they knew that eight slots weren’t enough for the hundreds of Raiding teams that would register in the Campaign.
If they wanted to earn their slot, they had to train with the best to truly understand their competitors’ level.
"Good, now... let’s see what kind of game you will be dealing with so we can prepare for it thoroughly."
***
Fifteen days later...
The sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in a mesmerizing lavender light... Yet, only the citizens seemed to enjoy it from their balconies and the streets.
As for the Daywalkers? Most of them had taken half the day off from their farming missions and whatnot for a single purpose... to spectate the first Raid of Heliodor’s Raiders.
The citizens might still be left in the dark about the outside world, but the Daywalkers knew what was going on... or at least some of it.
The Great Raid Campaign, which had launched its registration a week ago around the Graduation Ceremony, was one of them.
After the Graduation Ceremony made the news for having Levi, Nurah, Arthur, and Jojo all graduating in less than two months as official Raiders, Heliodor’s Daywalkers were left astonished, but not surprised.
Even a fool would realize that those four monsters had no place in the Training Center after what they did in the Blood Hunters’ Expedition.
However, just when they were discussing which Raider Squads they would be joining, already having tens of teams lining up for them, a bombshell exploded.
Those four, in addition to Jasmine and Shia, had been sponsored by the Three Major Agencies and the Government to found a new team... Heliodor’s Raiders... and represent them in the Great Raid Campaign!
This news had set fire in the Daywalkers’ blood, as most of them believed that such a team of prodigies with government support would give the Campaign a legit run.
Since winning the Campaign blessed the region as a whole and Daywalkers on it, the majority decided to tune in and cheer for their regional team on their first Raid.
It wasn’t hard to find it, as every Raider had access to the dimensional map of the world and all the raids happening or about to happen... It was like a planetary schedule.
At the moment, Rayan, Sergio, and Jamal were chilling on the restaurant’s rooftop alone... Rayan, being the family’s cousin, also had a decent sway over the staff.
"It’s about to start... two minutes are left." Jamal rubbed his hands, his face expressing both excitement and nervousness somehow.