Chapter 242 - Candidate for Wargame
The call connected. “Han Wu, due to your stellar performance in the previous major class and your impressive strength, the college has decided to break its rules and select you as a candidate for a very rare game.”
Saliya’s voice carried excitement, hinting at how rare this opportunity truly was.
“What kind of candidacy is this?” Han Wu asked, curiosity sharpening his tone.
“You have been chosen to represent a Godking in a wargame!”
Han Wu’s confusion deepened. Saliya patiently explained the situation, revealing just how precious this chance was.
The Divine Civilization was backed by numerous Godkings—beings of overwhelming power. These Godkings never fought each other directly in war, even if grudges ran deep, because their battles would wreak irreversible destruction on the world around them. Instead, they stepped back and settled their rivalries through wargames.
These wargames occurred almost every year. This year, the contest was between the Life Godking and the Death Godking, two polar opposites who clashed in nearly every aspect. Their opposing natures kept tensions high, so wargames between them were frequent.
The requirements to join were exceptionally strict since the representatives would directly impact the Godkings’ reputations. Naturally, they could not settle for just any candidates. The Godkings almost always sought out the elite students from the colleges to represent them.
These top-tier students were usually Demigods, still limited in power but with promising room for growth. Through the wargames, the Godkings could assess their abilities and recruit the most promising candidates into their own ranks. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“Professor, the chance to join this wargame must be very valuable, right?” Han Wu asked.
Saliya nodded. “Of course. This is a rare opportunity to prove your strength in front of a Godking. Many Demigods have tried and failed to earn this chance. Normally, first-year students wouldn’t even be considered. Most of you are still new to your powers and lack the necessary experience.
“But Han Wu, you’re an exception. You’ve only taken one major class, yet the college has already recognized your potential. That’s why the rules were bent to give you this opportunity. If you perform well, the Godking might even reward you.”
Han Wu recalled the bankrupt Godking, whose true title was the True Martial Godking. He had once ordered Hu Hai to kidnap Han Wu but ultimately failed. As compensation, Han Wu received Hu Hai’s corpse and divine realm.
Han Wu’s recent growth came from exploiting Hu Hai’s resources. Without that divine realm and corpse, he would not have reached this stage. In a way, this showed just how wealthy the Godkings were. The more powerful ones, like the Death Godking and Life Godking, were known to be even more generous with their rewards.
Han Wu accepted the privilege the college had granted him. “Thank you. I will work hard and not disappoint the college.”
Saliya nodded approvingly and explained, “The wargame will take place in two weeks. You can use this time to improve your strength. I’ve heard you earned many rewards from the Warring Kingdom Civilization. If you use them well, you should easily become the valedictorian among the first-year students. That said, do you know what rewards come with being valedictorian?”
Han Wu shook his head. He had never bothered to check.
Saliya sighed. He doesn’t even know about the rewards of being valedictorian? What could be on his mind to ignore something so important?
She then recalled the information she’d reviewed about him. A Godking’s subordinate had kidnapped Han Wu, but the latter escaped. As compensation, the Godking had handed over a God’s entire corpse and associated resources. That explained why Han Wu had never bothered to look into the valedictorian’s rewards. Compared to the remains of a God, they were insignificant.
Curious about the rewards, Han Wu asked, “Professor, please tell me what I will receive if I become the valedictorian.”
Han Wu was wealthy and didn’t have to worry about money, but now he had a few hundred billion units in his divine realm. If he only spent without earning, his fortune would vanish quickly. Not even a God could sustain such vast resources for long.
“The rewards for being valedictorian must seem small to you. You’ll get one Rank 4 Sacred Object each week and 10 Divine Essence per month,” she said.
Han Wu’s eyes widened. Did Saliya really think 10 Divine Essence was nothing to him? Even the Rank 4 Sacred Object held value, especially if he received one every week. With enough time, he could stockpile them and turn a decent profit.
“Professor, I will become valedictorian. I mean every word,” Han Wu grew serious when discussing rewards. He could joke about anything except money.
“I’m confident that you can do it,” Saliya encouraged him before ending the call.
Han Wu returned to his divine realm and surveyed its current state. From above, he saw that his units hadn’t waged war against each other this time. A breath of relief left his chest. He had hoped that all his units would coexist peacefully.
As if sensing his gaze, every sapient unit in the realm showed him reverence.
Han Wu made a rough assessment of his forces. The locusts remained his largest faction, numbering close to 400 billion. His strongest unit, Dark Locust, had risen to the rank of High Lord.
Next were the Tigermen, totaling around 10 billion. He had indoctrinated them from Hu Hai’s divine realm, converting their faith to follow him instead of Hu Hai. Since then, they had been delivering a steady stream of Faith Points daily.
The fiercest Tigermen, Hu Chi and Hu Yong, had both risen to the rank of High Lord. Though battle wounds from a previous fight kept them from front-line combat, they now served as Saints, generating Faith Points equivalent to what 100 million locusts produced in a day.
Third in number were the skeletons. After countless battles, the skeleton population in his divine realm reached a few hundred million, all Unique or higher. The Osteomancer and Skeleton Reanimator stood as their strongest champions at High Lord rank.
The remaining races formed a minority—Epistians, minotaurs, Scorching Dwarves, half-dragons, treants, and others. Even combined, their numbers barely reached 100 million, yet they remained vital components of his divine realm.
As Han Wu was admiring his divine realm, his Saint Steely prayed, “Glorious God, please accept my request and check the Sky Palace.”
Han Wu’s heart pounded. The Sky Palace housed the Origin of Mutation. Had something happened to it? He rushed to inspect what could have gone wrong.