Earth's Alpha Prime

However, their Team was no longer in a position to issue a challenge, with three of their strongest members taking it rough in the previous Match.

They could only reluctantly pass on their opportunity to challenge over to the teams ranked above their own.

The teams in the 11th and 12th positions didn't challenge any other team and consolidated their ranks.

With that, the next Team to issue the challenge was once again passed to the Phudaclite Team, who sat in the 10th position.

However, they didn't do so and let go of their opportunity, seeming visibly satisfied with their performance so far for landing in Top-10.

As a result, the Vatruter team became the next one to choose. Among the teams above them, the only teams they could possibly contend with were the Owlites.

But they didn't risk it, especially since losing the challenge would halve their score and push them out of Top-10.

Moreover, the Queen of the Centaurs, Vral, had expended all her stored Stamina in the final attack against Halbor.

Issuing a challenge when their strongest member was in their peak state would only spell disaster for them. So, they quietly passed along their chance to issue a challenge to the Team ranked right above them, the Ragath Team.

Everyone's curious eyes lingered on the Lycanthropes, especially on Rex, waiting for him to challenge the Atlanis Team.

After all, the rivalry they displayed in the 1st Segment was so intense it was breathtaking for the spectators. Especially the fight between Rex and Akor.

Unknowingly, the clash between those two individuals turned into the most anticipated fight of the Tournament.

Under everyone's expectant eyes, Rex glared at Akor before turning to look at the Earth's seating area.

The onlookers could only see Rex let out a helpless sigh before issuing the challenge.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, he chose the Team in the 3rd position, the Silephe Team.

It wasn't just the spectators; even the Silephe Team didn't see that coming. They presumed that the Atlanis Team and Ragath Team would fight one another once again, and the losing Team would fall down the rankings, leaving them pretty much uncontested in the 3rd position.

However, all their optimism went down the drain with a single challenge issual.

The overwhelming prowess Rex displayed earlier would be a deterrent to any other team, but the Silephe Team didn't seem to be affected by that.

To be precise, the pride of the Silephe Team's Leader, Vorqen, didn't allow him to give up without even taking up a fight.

After all, he was someone who ranked 14th in the <Trial World Leaderboard>. Despite being at Tier-3 Mid-Phase, his combat power put him beyond Tier-3, somewhere close to those at Tier-4 Low-Phase.

Still, he decided to face off against Rex, who could legitimately compare to a lifeform at Tier-4 Low-Phase.

Before long, both combatants climbed onto the Stage and stood opposite each other, awaiting Felarial to commence their Bout.

At Felarial's signal, Vorqen went all out without any delay by clapping both his hands as hard as possible in a way the conjunction of them pointed at Rex.

The next instant, a thunderous clap shook the entire Colosseum, and a massive shockwave darted towards Rex at breakneck speeds, even exceeding the speed of sound.

Even the top bunch in the Colosseum could only catch onto the shockwave remnants and not the actual attack itself.

<Sonic Overburst> was the strongest skill in Vorqen's arsenal. With his current Mastery, he could compress sound waves in a single attack and launch it at 1.5 times the speed of sound.

Its attack power is so high it could slice even a Tier-3 High-Phase in one go.

However, each such attack consumes 30% of his entire Spirit Pool, making it only possible to launch three such attacks in succession.

If faced with an attack of such frightening speed, even the Tournament Manager wouldn't be able to evade it, much less the participants.

That would have been the case if Jay hadn't granted a Minor Origin Sigil to Rex. Along with the passive movement speed bonus of his upgraded Innate Talent and the quadrupled speed granted by activating <Acceleration Buff>, Rex's base movement speed of 120 meters/sec amounted to a mind-numbing 545 meters/sec upon activating his 2nd Innate Exclusive Skill.

Facing an attack that approached him at 1.5 times the speed of sound, at 515 meters/sec, Rex didn't even feel a hint of pressure.

He just tapped his feet on the Stage and vaulted over the sharp shockwave like it was nothing.

That stupefied Vorqen to the extent that he found it hard to believe his own eyes. Although Rex made it look like it was a walk in the park, the nimbleness and agility needed to pull that off was in completely uncharted territory for him.

But still, he didn't give up and launched his next strongest move, <Sonic Rippleburst>, at his opponent.

It was an AoE attack where a series of deadly sound waves reached every corner of the Stage, leaving nowhere for his opponent to escape.

Although it wasn't as powerful as his previous move, it would still pack quite a punch when those sound waves bounced back from the stage barrier and superimposed on his opponent.

Seeing that evading was out of option, Rex strengthened the Pseudo-Speed Energy enveloping him and disappeared from his spot.

Before the audience could even perceive where Rex had vanished, Vorqen was sent flying past the barrier and crashed into the top edge of the Colosseum.

Upon the Stage, Rex stood in the spot where Vorqen was previously at, with fumes emanating from his right fist.

With the Pseudo-Speed Energy protecting him, Rex just forced his way through the sound waves, and all it cost him was a bit more Spirit Energy expenditure.

From the start to the end, Rex didn't say a word. He simply ignored the unconscious Vorqen and looked at the Silephe Team's members with his brows raised as if asking who else would be his next opponent.

If you have any suggestions for this chapter, I am all ears. I will make any reasonable corrections based on your feedback.