Earth's Alpha Prime

Although the fight between Akor and Rex made everyone understand ranking higher doesn't necessarily mean strength, the power gap between Rex and Vorqen was simply too wide to contemplate the legitimacy of the World Rankings.

In reality, it was just Vorqen's bad luck. Facing Rex, who has an overwhelming advantage in terms of speed, was the worst possible line-up for him.

Even against Akor, he wouldn't have lost so miserably, at least not as quickly as it did with Rex.

As for the Silephe Team members, they didn't dare to proceed with another Bout and altogether conceded the Match, losing half their massive score.

That sent their Team down, crawling to the 8th Position, while the Ragath team jumped up five ranks in one go to the 3rd Position.

The large screen floating above the Podium ground that displayed the Performance Score refreshed once again.

[Top 25 Trial Zone Teams]

1. Earth Trial Zone Team: 52,222,400 Points

2. Atlanis Trial Zone Team: 5,031,200 Points

3. Ragath Trial Zone Team: 4,526,550 Points (6↑)

4. Polyphaga Trial Zone Team: 4,044,800 Points

5. Tilephe Trial Zone Team: 2,824,300 Points

6. Falud Trial Zone: 2,493,300 Points

7. Owlite Trial Zone Team: 2,469,500 Points

8. Silephe Trial Zone Team: 2,149,750 Points (6↓)

9. Vatruter Trial Zone Team: 2,028,400 Points

10. Phudaclite Trial Zone Team: 2,009,500 Points (3↑)

11. Saphus Trial Zone Team: 1,409,000 Points

12. Pizion Trial Zone Team: 1,394,100 Points

13. Geigawa Trial Zone Team: 1,005,500 Points (3 ↓)

14. Zudars Trial Zone Team: 945,800 Points

15. Cremonope Trial Zone Team: 936,500 Points

16. Cegriea Trial Zone Team: 881,000 Points

17. Viogawa Trial Zone Team: 799,400 Points

18. Nuenia Trial Zone Team: 762,375 Points

19. Thyria Trial Zone Team: 567,800 Points

20. Auclite Trial Zone Team: 450,700 Points

21. Bucile Trial Zone Team: 381,670 Points

22. Ilara Trial Zone Team: 363,150 Points

23. Muitis Trial Zone Team: 324,510 Points

24. Relnara Trial Zone Team: 311,990 Points

25. Zapwa Trial Zone (124): 293,130 Points

Overall, only two challenge matches happened, and the four teams involved had a change in their positions.

With the Silephe Team falling down the rankings, they were given a chance to challenge another team, but with their strongest amidst recovery, they chose not to do so, especially if losing once more would push them out of Top-10.

Once they gave up their chance, it passed onto the Owlite Team, who did the same thing as they were content with their Position.

The Falud and Tilephe teams followed in the same footsteps and forfeited their chance to issue a challenge.

That more or less concluded the final rankings since neither the Atlans nor the Lycanthropes wouldn't challenge the Earth Team.

Those with keen observation had already caught onto the fact that the Earth Team was why Rex didn't challenge the Atlans.

If they clashed, the Team that loses would fall behind other teams in overall rankings, and so do the rewards garnered at the end.

Since there wouldn't be any more challenges, everyone awaited the 2nd Segment to conclude and for the Tournament to officially come to an end.

But that didn't go as anticipated with Pompa, the Leader of the Polyphaga Team, issuing a challenge to the Earth Team.

After a still silence, the audience erupted in discussions, mostly debating how dumb someone could be to challenge the Earth's Alpha Chosen.

They looked at the Polyphaga Team like they had set a new example for stupidity. Pompa paid no heed to them and walked onto the Stage.

Soon, the hot topic among the spectators switched to whom the Earth Team would send first. The most common speculation was that the Omega Chosen would be making a move against the Polyphaga Team.

After all, they wished to witness the legendary Tier-10 Innate Talent user live in action even once.

However, their expectations were soon met with disappointment as an Earth's Alpha Chosen with a pair of Gauntlets jumped onto the Stage.

The spectators didn't expect the Earth Team to send a Tier-3 Low-Phase member for the 1st Bout, especially when the opponent has the capabilities of a peak Tier-3 lifeform.

What seemed even more absurd was that the newcomer shouted in excitement without regard for Pompa's presence.

"Finally!! It's my turn now!"

Pompa wasn't offended by that; rather, he had a gleeful look plastered across his face ever since Henry hopped onto the Stage, almost as if he had hit the jackpot.

A six-foot Human and a four-foot Horned Beetle faced each other, staring at each other with excitement for different reasons.

While the former was equipped with a pair of Gauntlets, the former had a pair of knuckle braces.

Just as Felarial signalled the start of the Bout, Pompa activated his 1st Innate Exclusive Skill, <SELF-IMMOLATION>.

<SELF-IMMOLATION>: Burns away Health to proportionately boost the Strength and Endurance of the User. The percentage of Health burned is proportional to the increment in the User's base Strength and Endurance attributes for a maximum of 100%.

Duration: 40 minutes.

Cooldown: 120 minutes.

Pompa's shiny black exoskeleton exuded a poppy-red glow from within, and his Health halved in one go, which in turn raised his base Strength and Endurance attributes by 50%.

With an Innate Talent that provided him 40 times the base Health Regeneration speed, the depleted Health would be filled back up in a couple of minutes.

Including the bonus stats provided by his Knuckle Braces Spirit Weapon, Pompa was comparable to a Tier-3 High-Phase lifeform in terms of Strength and Endurance.

That wasn't even the strongest he could reach since he could raise those two Attributes to 100%, which would even exceed a Peak Tier-3 lifeform, almost nearing someone who just entered Tier-4 Low-Phase.

Meanwhile, Henry didn't stay idle and activated his own Innate Talent abilities, which were hands down the strongest ones any Martial Innate Talent user present in the Tournament.

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