The forty survivors would fight each other until their number was down to twenty. After that, the real competition would begin. The Seeded Players would also have to fight until the Semi-Finals. As long as his people entered the next stage, Thirteen was sure to see some interesting battles in the future. For now, the survivors would rest for a day before they step into the arena to fight it out in one-on-one battles. Claude, who had seen the names of the Wanderers who’d be fighting each other the next day, couldn’t help but frown. He was hoping that Shasha and Mikhail would be clustered with the people whom he believed were in cahoots with Zion Leventis. However, none of the people who have some kind of connection with the teenage boy were fighting each other. As suspicious as it might be, he was there when everyone drew their ballots, and it was impossible to cheat under his watch. He wouldn’t think much even if Mikhail and Shasha didn’t face each other so early in the tournament. But coupled with how the entire Ashford Clan was eliminated from the first round of the tournament, he believed that something very strange was happening. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. ’They wouldn’t be so lucky in the next battles,’ Claude thought as he looked at the scenery outside the window of his office. Standing on the same stage as the teenage boy he hated took a lot of effort on his part. In the end, he decided to abstain from hosting, leaving everything in Zion’s hands. After making this decision, he felt a lot better, and the weight pressing on his heart disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, in the Summer’s Residence, a small party was held to congratulate Mikhail, Shasha, and Vincent for their victory against the other participants. "Remember, this tournament is far from over," Thirteen said in a serious tone to his two siblings. "Don’t let your guard down, and never underestimate your enemies." "Yes, Zion," Mikhail replied. Shasha nodded. "I’ll listen to you." Seeing the scene of the younger sibling lecturing his older siblings made Sherry smile. She had always felt that Zion was more mature for his age, and yet, he was also childish in many ways. This stark contrast, which Zion allowed only those close to him to see, made them feel that he wasn’t out of reach and was still human just like the rest of them. The members of the Hero Party, who saw this, didn’t find this scene unusual. After being trained by Zion in the Rigel Continent, all of them didn’t consider him as "young" and had subconsciously treated him as their superior. Even Roland and Joshua, who treated him as their rival, couldn’t help but look up to him as well. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire "Master, who do you think is the greatest threat in this tournament?" Derek asked. "Like, who do you think will be the Dark Horse and has the highest chance of winning?" "Alcapone," Thirteen replied in a heartbeat. "He is the current Dark Horse in this tournament." The people in the room thought about one of the oldest subordinates who served under Zion, so they couldn’t help but wonder why he thought that way. "Do you mean even I might lose against him?" Erica asked. "Yes," Thirteen replied without hesitation. "Right now, you’re too overconfident. You believe that since you can fly and have mastered some powerful offensive techniques, you are now invincible. "This tournament will be a good opportunity to make you understand that there is always someone stronger than you." Erica pouted, but she didn’t say anything to contradict the teenage boy’s words. If Zion said that Alcapone could threaten her, then she would believe him. She even made a vow to drop a meteor at the very start of the match if ever Alcapone was going to be her opponent. That way, not only would the man be obliterated, but the entire arena would be destroyed as well. Thirteen could guess what Erica was thinking, but he didn’t make any move to correct her. Alcapone’s Divine Ability was special. If he were fighting alone, then Erica would definitely win hands down. However, Alcapone wouldn’t be fighting alone in any of his battles. As long as the E4 Mafia cheered and supported him from the audience stands, his power would drastically increase. The more E4 Mafia members there were, the stronger Alcapone would be. "How about you, Zion?" Roland asked. "Is there someone stronger than you?" "Of course," Thirteen replied without hesitation. "I have already lost to this person in the past. However, I am currently doing everything in my power so that I will win in our rematch." He didn’t count his victory against the Avatar of the System God a true victory. Thirteen knew that if the System God fought without any limitations hindering him, the teenage boy would have no chance of winning. Even if all the restrictions on his body were to be lifted, the chances of Thirteen winning against his father were extremely slim. However, he had already found a way to overcome the difference in strength. As long as he reached that point, even if the Goddess of Fate joined hands with his father, both of them would stand no chance against him. When they heard that Zion had already lost to someone, Mikhail, Shasha, Derek, and Erica immediately asked who that person was. They planned to avenge the teenage boy because they believed that he was just bullied by someone stronger than him. However, Thirteen said that he would only tell them who that person was when they got strong enough to gain his approval. Unless they passed his standards, there was no way for them to challenge the person who defeated Zion. He only told them that he would tell them the identity of the person who defeated him when they were strong enough. But the chances of that happening were nearly zero. How could they possibly win against one of the strongest New Generation Gods of the multiverse? In the end, the others were forced to relent and settle with making Zion promise them that he would let them challenge the person who defeated him once they were strong enough. Thirteen had no problem making this promise because he believed that day would never come.