“If you fail the strength evaluation, then even as the global champion, you still won’t be able to participate in the Sector Tournament.”

  “After all, even among global champions, the difference in strength can sometimes be far greater than you’d imagine.”

  “This is also a protective measure meant to avoid internal conflict.”

  “But for you, it won’t be a problem. Based on the strength you’ve already shown—”

  “You’ll have no issues passing the assessment. The only question is whether you’re willing to participate in the Sector Tournament.”

  “These consecutive competitions can take a heavy toll on your familiars, so if you choose not to participate, it’s understandable.”

  After hearing the referee’s explanation, William immediately understood and gave his answer without hesitation.

  “I’ll participate.”

  The rewards from the global tournament were already this generous.

  For a more advanced tournament with stricter entry requirements, William had no reason to refuse.

  Hearing William’s firm and decisive reply, confirming his intent to compete in the Sector Tournament,

  the referee nodded in satisfaction.

  “In that case, I’ll help file your registration directly.”

  “Do your best and try to achieve great results in the Sector Tournament ten years from now in the Realm of the Gods.”

  With that, the referee waved his hand, signaling that William was free to leave.

  Next, the referee began distributing rewards to the top 50 contestants.

  After returning to Zous’ side, William briefly told him what the referee had just said.

  “I was planning to mention that to you later,” Zous replied, “Don’t worry. With your strength, qualifying for the tournament shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

  Zous was clearly very pleased that William had chosen to participate in the Sector Tournament without hesitation.

  Time flew by as the referee continued handing out the prizes.

  The entire process moved quickly, and once all the rewards were distributed,

  the referee officially announced the end of the competition, then vanished from the arena with his massive god domain in an instant.

  Only then did the remaining people in the arena relax,

  many heading toward the university admissions representatives who had come to observe the event.

  As for Zous, he didn’t stop at all—he directly teleported away with William.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Once they returned to the school’s base, the two demigod incarnations floated in the void.

  Only then did Zous speak to William in a warm tone:

  “You don’t need to pay any attention to the university recruiters from Elvia Star.”

  “With your strength, as long as you perform decently in the Sector Tournament,

  you’ll have a very good chance of getting into one of the top-tier institutions within the civilization itself.”

  “That should be your real goal. As for the universities on our planet—just treat them as backups.”

  The moment the tournament ended, Zous had rushed to bring William back to base.

  Although William was confused at first, after hearing Zous’ explanation, he instantly understood.

  Zous was worried that the young man might get persuaded by the university scouts and make a decision too early,

  which could limit his chances for something better in the future.

  Even though William knew himself well—having already lived through one life, there was no way he’d be easily swayed—

  he still felt a warm sense of gratitude.

  It felt good to have an elder who genuinely cared about him.

  “Zous, I understand,” William said.

  “Can you tell me more about these top-tier institutions you mentioned?”

  Seeing William’s serious attitude, Zous nodded in satisfaction.

  He began explaining the top-tier academies.

  “There are four top-tier academies in the civilization.

  Each of the three major sectors governs one, and the last one is located on the capital planet of the civilization.”

  “They are: the Central Academy of the Civilization, the First Sector Advanced University,

  the Second Sector Advanced University, and the Third Sector Advanced University.”

  Hearing this, William couldn’t help but complain, “Zous, these names sound way too plain and lazy.”

  Zous smiled broadly at William’s comment.

  “I had the same reaction when I first heard them,” he said.

  “But later I found out—it was due to historical reasons when these schools were established.”

  “At the time, the first, second, and third sectors had just merged into one civilization.”

  “It was a very early stage of unification, and to speed up ideological integration,

  a lot of labels that emphasized division were forcibly removed.”

  “It was during that time that the highest academies from the three former nations were renamed to what they are now.”

  “As time passed, the civilization achieved full ideological unity.”

  “But cultural traditions, customs, and habits from the three sectors still remain to some extent.”

  At that point, Zous seemed to realize he was drifting off-topic and quickly brought the conversation back.

  “You’ll learn all this gradually in the future—what matters now is understanding the difference between universities.”

  “The civilization’s annual resources are limited. The share allocated to education is just a portion of that.”

  “The better the university, the more resources it receives.”

  “Many rare resources are only available to these four top-tier academies.”

  “Some of those resources can massively help with igniting the divine flame—ordinary universities wouldn’t even have access to them.”

  “So don’t be blinded by short-term gains.”

  “If there’s any chance to get into a better academy, you must go for it. That’s the right choice.”