Chapter 14: Time to move
As soon as he left the place, Elliot headed straight to pay the debt, but his mind was soon overwhelmed by thoughts.
The Tournament of Stars.
A local tournament sponsored by the guilds, the Tournament of Stars, held no direct impact on the Global Awakening System, though it did receive its official approval. It took place periodically during the first year after the World Year.
The World Championship—the pinnacle of competition—was held once every 4 years, with the last one concluded approximately 10 months ago. The champions of that World Champions were still celebrated worldwide, their names and feats etched into the public consciousness.
Elliot had even seen them countless times on television. Their images were everywhere, promoted relentlessly. And why wouldn't they be?
It made sense since they were unimaginably powerful. So much so that Elliot and anyone from Loen City couldn't even imagine the realm they stood in and could only admire them from far away.
However, in the aftermath of the last World Championship, as the first year drew to a close, the Tournament of Stars was set to take place in every city naturally.
This tournament was significant and had a big impact in small towns, especially on the younger generation, since it provided an opportunity for the young talents—capped at 18 years old—to prove themselves.
The rewards were substantial, with one of the most coveted prizes being the opportunity to participate in the Leveled Leagues, a tournament officially sponsored by the System.
The Leveled Leagues represented the first of many and also the lowest level of the competitive hierarchy, its prestige depending on the country or region in which it was held.
However, qualifying to participate in the Tournament of Stars was no easy feat. It required the participants to undergo a rigorous selection process since the local guilds actually served as the branches of other larger guilds and were commonly known as 'Seeders.' Their primary purpose was to scout, train and eventually send the talented individuals from the lower-level leagues to their parent guilds, which competed exclusively in leagues or tournaments of greater importance.