The sudden image in William's mind nearly made him burst out laughing on the spot.
Thankfully, he managed to hold it in—though that brief moment of suppressed amusement did flash across his face.
Unfortunately, it happened to be caught by several other contestants who were releasing their divine sense, carefully observing their competitors.
In an instant, countless eyes turned toward William—some curious, some judging, some outright disdainful…
After all, in such a serious setting, his momentary smirk was far too conspicuous.
“Smiling just because he made it into the Sector Tournament? No depth at all…”
“What did he notice that I missed?”
“Trying to stand out and catch the attention of the university observers before the match even begins? In the end, it all comes down to strength.”
“15 million square kilometers of Divine Realm—pretty flashy. Not too big, not too small. What kind of followers would thrive in that space?”
“Typical poser. He’s definitely getting knocked out in the first round…”
“Ah, he smiled at me… kinda cute, actually. I wonder what planet he’s from. Should I go say hi later?”
...
Feeling all those eyes on him, William suddenly found himself under intense pressure.
Still, he maintained his composure, offering a calm smile and nodding slightly to those around him, signaling friendliness and confidence.
Internally though, he was screaming.
“Being stared at like this in public is hella awkward, okay!?”
“And you’re still staring? What are you looking at, huh?”
“Should I start performing? Show off a handstand hair wash for the crowd?”
“And then collect some tips while I’m at it?”
“Hmm… actually, not the worst idea.”
Stolen story; please report.
As the attention on William gradually faded and the collective focus returned to the tournament, the atmosphere once again grew heavier and more solemn.
At that moment, the presiding god, Jakeri, stepped forward, his voice firm and commanding as it echoed across the vast space.
“I am the chief referee for this tournament, Jakeri. These two beside me are the assistant referees and overseers. The match will be hosted by the three of us.”
As he spoke, two divine spirit forms—solidified manifestations of divine power—appeared beside him, introduced with a wave of his hand.
“Now, I will announce the rules for the Third Stellar Sector Tournament.”
“If you have any questions or anything unclear, feel free to ask at any time.”
He paused for two seconds. Seeing no one speak, he added firmly:
“The referee group takes no responsibility for any losses caused by a misunderstanding of the rules.”
Then, without waiting, Jakeri continued explaining the tournament details and regulations.
“This tournament’s battleground is a masterless Divine Realm, recovered from a resource well.”
“This Divine Realm planet has a surface area of 600 million square kilometers.”
Hearing this, William remained calm—he had already learned this tidbit during his three-hour banter session with Lex.
In this universe, when a demigod dies in reality, their Divine Realm quickly collapses into the void.
Only when a full god perishes can their Divine Realm remain intact.
These Divine Realm planets, once belonging to deceased gods, differ from living gods’ realms in one major way: their realm barriers.
Instead of being opaque, the barriers become semi-transparent, allowing a hazy view of the inside.
As long as the inhabitants within maintain their original faith, a continuous stream of belief energy will flow into the intact Divine Core.
This belief sustains the barrier, preventing the Divine Realm from shattering—ensuring the survival of the remaining followers.
Seeing that no one had any questions, Jakeri continued:
“The competition will follow a points-based system.”
“The native species inside the realm is the Monoculi—a humanoid race.”
As he spoke, Jakeri raised his hand, summoning a divine projection of the species before him.
The beings looked quite human—around 1.6 meters tall, with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head.
The key difference was their eyes.
Each Monoculi had a single, giant eye—about three times the size of a human eye—positioned awkwardly above the bridge of their nose.
Visually, it was downright unsettling.
In William’s words, it was summed up in a single word: “Ugly.”
Jakeri’s voice continued:
“Their population exceeds 70 billion. Roughly 30% are extraordinary-level—about 20 billion.”
“There are around 2 billion elite-level units.”
“More than 200 individuals qualify as hero-level, and another 500 units possess hero-level combat power.”
“Additionally, within this Divine Realm, there exists a unit with combat capabilities near lord-level.”
At this point, a visible wave of tension spread through the crowd.
Every single contestant’s expression changed.
William’s face also darkened slightly at the numbers.
After all, Jakeri had just mentioned this was a points-based competition.
And now, learning that this massive Divine Realm itself was the battleground…
Putting two and two together, William was already starting to form a pretty good idea of what kind of challenge awaited them.
