“Now we have are the semi-finals. Our first match is the sponsored team from Esperanza on the Green side. On the Red side we have the city sponsored team from Normandy.” Both teams raised yellow flags. They each had a single person going in for them. The field rule really was popular to gain an advantage. Also, the field members had no tethers. They were clearly trying to implement the strategy of running away from attacks.

I had noted over the course of the tournament, that teams had refined their strategies and actions. Now the lone person on the field, hid at the back far away from the opposing side and just ran away from any monsters. It was not required but it seemed it was the preferred strategy to duke it out first.

That might work for the earlier matches with a longer time gap, but that would be rough for the finals if too many monsters were lost or damaged on one side. I could see damage on the equipment the various goblins wore. Just switching it out and getting everything ready took time and matches moved quickly. It was too difficult to refresh an entire team for every match.

“Green side ready?” They waved their green flag on a stick. “Red side ready?” They waved their green flag as well. “Fight!”

“Both teams are employing a goblin shield wall with two supporting wolves with slimes. The green team has gone with two blue slimes while the red team has gone with a blue and brown slime. Both field members have retreated to remain near platforms.”

I heard some boos from the crowd at that. They wanted blood and death. “Both shield walls are impacting each other and the Red side has launched the brown slime into the air and into the Green side’s goblins. It has died, but the splatter has created entangling roots, messing up the shield wall.”

“It is quickly collapsing. The wolves from the Green side have rushed in, but it is too little to late.” I looked over at the Green platform. They were choosing to fight it out, but a wolf from the Red side was making its way over to their field member. Before he was attacked they waved a white flag.

“Cease attack! Red side wins!” The meta had quickly solidified quite a bit, but the next match was one I had been looking forward to. Goblin crystals were going to be selling very well after this. Both teams cleared the field and the next teams for the next semi-final match made their way out.

“On the Green side we have the city sponsored team of Hong Kong. On the Red side we have the independent team with the moniker Intrepid Duo. The last remaining non-city team.” One of them went up on the platform and controlled all twelve of their summons. While the other individual took to the field with a shield and sword. No field member for the Green side. That had been a mistake previous teams had made.

“Green side ready?” They waved their green flag on a stick. “Red side ready?” They waved their green flag as well. “Fight!”

“Green side deploys their goblins and slimes. No wolves. Instead, they have two blue butterflies. Fragile but quick fliers. The Red side deployed twelve white deer monsters. Each monster is targeting another monster directly with mental attacks, disrupting its ability along with the summoner.” I announced this since the white deer didn’t seem to be doing much, but the other side was already having issues.

“They are still advancing and the Red side’s field member is rushing forward, sword in hand. He is cutting down their monsters quickly.” As the battle continued the Red side lost six deer to the weak butterflies. But their field member broke through and got to the opposing flag.

“Cease attack! Red side wins! Will their overpowered strategy sweep the level one tournament?! Place your bets. We will be having a fifteen minute break and then the finals will start.” I returned up to my private box. I was handed some flavored water and sipped.

“Mental attacks really are game breaking,” Clarissa said.

“Hmm, they are. But they also have weaknesses. Finding combinations, improving one’s skills are just as important. Everyone got caught up in the goblin hype this Intrepid Duo found a gap in the competition to come out ahead,” I replied.

“The teams have been trying to find crystals,” Clarissa replied.

“Why didn’t Heaven field such a team?” I asked.

“They got caught up in the hype and didn’t market themselves well. The Forbidden City sits on a nexus of roads which makes travel easier. But Heaven is all by itself past Purgatory. Only the East Bastion goes through the city to get to Purgatory, but that is even a less popular place,” Clarissa explained.

“That still doesn’t explain why people didn’t think mental attacks. The Ritualist used loads of them?” I replied.

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“And those people still alive aren’t competing in the level one tournament. Some lessons people forgot. It is good to remind them how overpowering and disruptive mental attacks can be. But biggest challenge is the composition of one’s summons. Too much in any direction exposes critical weaknesses, but spreading out one’s strengths makes things much harder,” she speculated. I nodded at that.

“Hmm, well maybe next tournament, we could increase the numbers to twenty on twenty. Larger teams and more options to make things more exciting,” I suggested.

“That is up to you. I am just enjoying the show. I speculate that every city will have a Monster Battle Arena in the next deek, if they don’t already have one,” she said.

“The popularity is immense, and it will get trade and unique combinations going. But the selection isn’t as great for level 1 monsters. But the focus is more on control and composition,” I replied while thinking of the level 2 matches. There were a lot more varied monsters to select from. This was pretty tame in my opinion.

My exhibition match was going to get really wild. I had no doubt about that. Level 4 monsters were just going to blow people away. Level 3 monsters were already very dangerous, but level 4 monsters were just insanity to a large degree. I felt excited thinking about it.

Selling level 4 monsters would be big business for me, since I was the only one who could capture them with a Rod of Taming. That 100 minute time limit of touching a monster with a rod made it a nightmare. You just needed so many more stats than the monster in question to subdue them without getting injured. Even for me it was a struggle. Anyone else it would be death.

Capturing and subduing a monster a lot harder than killing one. In fact, that was now my defacto requirement for engaging a monster a level higher. I needed to be able to subdue a level 5 monster before I thought about fighting a level 6 monster.

That was probably more safety margin than I needed, but it would give me a much better benchmark than just estimating and hoping for the best. Also, I had high hopes for selling monsters. It felt like a scam. I would get the points from the sale, and they would be used to grind. Which would in turn increase my tax revenue.

With a level 4 monster, level 3 monsters could be swept aside quite easily if someone wasn’t an idiot in controlling it, didn’t get swarmed or allowed for a bad match up. But swarming wouldn’t happen, since level 3 monsters didn’t attack in packs. Yeah, they would be huge sources of income for whomever purchased them to grind the heck out of level 3 monsters.

After finishing my water. It was time to get the final match started. “Alright people. Let’s get this final started. For the level 1 monster team bracket. On the Green side. Showcasing their incredible control with multiple monsters and coordination, the city sponsored team of Esperanza!” There were cheers for them.

“On the Red side, battling past countless odds, showing the power of mental attacks. Using a method other teams have overlooked. And excellent skill from the two individuals on the team, the Intrepid Duo!”

Both sides made their way out. Oh, Green side seemed to have a plan up their sleeve. It was honestly hilarious, but it was allowed under the rules. They didn’t send out a field member and the Red side sent out their fighter.

“Green side ready?” They waved their green flag on a stick. “Red side ready?” They waved their green flag as well. “Fight!”

“Green team lifts their flag into the air under the control of four beetles. While eight butterflies move in at the white deer on the Red side. Red side’s field member has no ranged attack and can’t respond.” The red summoner quickly pulled out a yellow flag and I went over. If they complained about making a flag airborne, they were in for a world of surprise.

“Can I give equipment to my teammate?” the woman asked holding up a bow and a quiver of arrows.

“Toss them off the platform and you are good!” She did just that and I moved away as her teammate caught the bow and arrows. “A field ruling allowed the platform to toss off gear in a non-attack method at the base of their platform!”

There were cheers at this at the sudden twist. The fighter had quickly began shooting arrows into the air. Clearly, they had prepared for aerial opponents. Daring to risk a field ruling, but they were the only team to request one and it had been a decent request.

The woman probably thought of it, but was carrying the equipment and got worried that I would call a foul. That was an acceptable use of the yellow flag. An innovative move during combat was something the crowd loved.

The flag carrying monsters all struggled and an arrow was shot. The flag was hit. “Cease battle! Red team wins!” Another reason I allowed this was that I wanted more people to use bow and arrows. Hopefully in time people could figure out a way to make them combat capable at high levels.

With how the Body stat worked, they weren’t gaining much traction, but after this I expected there would be a surge in popularity. With time people would figure out how to make ranged attacks work.

That was the main purpose of the tournament anyways. To push forward innovation across the Empire so we had a wide pool of combat methods that had been refined over time to draw on. While power was power, dealing with unique attacks would fluster anyone.

The Intrepid Duo collected the opposing team’s flag. I got the wooden case with their prizes. “Intrepid Duo come to the center of the arena,” I called out. They made their way over and lined up their monsters behind them.

“You have triumphed in this tournament. There are no prizes for second place. Only for winners. As your reward. It is worth quite a bit.” I opened up the box. “Four Rods of Taming, a voucher for four million points that can be reclaimed with the Imperial Government, and two gold licenses for level 3 monster summoning. They allow you not to have to pay a renewal fee when they expire every 100 days. Finally, you have a letter from myself, to request one personal meeting with me.” I closed up the wooden case and handed it over to the man.

The last prize had been something I had come up with. Champions earned the right to petition me directly. That would get people excited. “Give it up for your first tournament Champions, the Intrepid Duo.”