Chapter 1359: Preparation for the duel

This was an absolutely crucial point of contention. And perhaps, it was the only thing that could compare to the ownership of the Chasm itself.

After all, if the Reborn company won this duel and gained the 7th rank in the Upper Echelon rankings, the very hierarchy of power within their society would change completely.

They would not just become an Upper Echelon. But they would also become ranked at the very top of their rankings! The 7th title was not an easy thing to simply achieve!

If Reborn were to get that ranking in one swift move, then they would immediately be able to do the things that they hadn’t been able to do this entire time!

They’d be able to force their way into the Upper Echelon society! They would have influence within the Queens region that would basically allow the Reborn company to finally capitalize on their inventions to eventually take the 1st place in the rankings, effectively titling them as a company just below that of the Conglomerates!

It would have repercussions not only on the Western Pole company, but all the subsequent companies in the Upper Echelons.

It was actually a very smart move by Yuna. She made sure to bleed the company dry by dangling the bait of the Chasm right in their faces.

And now, they were forced into a corner. They had truly overstepped their boundaries and had bet more than what they had initially planned.

"Hahahaha! This is good!" Theresa was beside herself with joy. She knew exactly the kind of chaos and disruption that this would cause within the Conglomerates.

"Because of their greed on the Chasm, they basically gave you a ladder that led you straight towards their position high up in the heavens. By becoming one step closer to the Conglomerate rank, you are starting to make them sweat!"

Trilla was exhilarated as well. The ones who would lose the most out of this would be the Oscorpe Conglomerate. They were the ones who instigated this whole thing, meaning that if it went wrong, they’d be the ones who would suffer the fallout.

They’d be the ones blamed for allowing the Reborn company to rise up in ranks so fast.

"However, this would mean that they won’t be taking it easy on you regarding the duels. Are you sure you can take care of it?"

Michael redirected the question towards Caliburn. The Lionheart Patriarch had his hands crossed against his chest in a solemn mood.

"I’m betting that the Oscorpes are going to be supplying the Western Pole company with their own strength. Their own military resources.

And unfortunately, I was the one who empowered their army in the first place. I know how they work. I know how powerful they could be. And they are not someone that we can so easily disregard.

But that’s also the good news. I know all of their tricks. I’m the one who taught it to them in the first place. Meaning, I know how to deal with them. Don’t worry. I’ll be prepping the swordsman division for battle."

Michael was very glad to hear that.

After all, the only thing that they had to worry about in this duel would be their offense. Could they hit their enemy and successfully defeat them?

Defense was easy. Michael had a lot of measures in place in order to protect his army. Talismans, Mithril Artifacts, consumable skills... These were all the things that he could purchase in the System Emporium to boost his army’s survivability.

It cost him almost a billion Sand Dollars. But thankfully, the automobile business was still steadily giving them the profit necessary to neutralize the army’s budget costs.

Of course, he could also give them their own weapons. Perhaps give them guns that shot Prismatic Unity beams that could even defeat a Nascent Spirit cultivator.

However, that would completely neutralize the very reason why he wanted this duel in the first place.

This was practice. This was the sandstone that they were going to use to sharpen their weapons and skills in preparation for the All-Tournament.

And besides. Those guns were still his trump card. It wouldn’t be ideal to use them in a situation like this.

They made sure to have a vow of secrecy within the confines of the duel itself. But it was always good to have precaution. Better to not give away that secret so easily.

Anyways, he was confident with his own army. Especially now that their numbers were boosted with the Red Mankeys.

As expected, the new demi-human recruits had proven themselves as a tremendous battle asset. Their talents allowed them to easily grasp the essence of the Eternal Flame sword style, eventually adapting it to their own skills.

Caliburn was actually shocked. Not only did the Red Mankeys master their heirloom sword style faster than the Rebornian soldiers, but they were also able to adapt it to their own specialties easily.

Once again, the Lionheart Patriarch could only curse the heavens. Why were their own family inferior compared to others in their own sword style?

Anyway, the Rebornian army had become a completely different beast than they were before.

Only a few days after their odyssey in the demi-human kingdom, they had fully evolved into an unrecognizable group.

The Red Mankeys easily assimilated with the human soldiers. No friction whatsoever. This was because they were already familiar with each other before this.

Back in the Chasm, they had fought against each other. Drank beer with each other. Cheered and played baseball together.

Their chemistry had grown even before they became a solidified unit of an army.

So, there were no problems with them already being deployed into battle despite only having a few days of practice with each other.

Trouble and hardship would only make their bonds stronger, which was one of the reasons for this duel in the first place.

"I have no doubt we’ll be ready," he said to everyone. "Now, we just have to wait."