There were more than 4000 channels still active, yet for the Species Tournament, it was an all time low. The billions of viewers, ranging from imps to overlords, took great pleasure in finding late game players early on. Bets would be organized by Demon Incorporated, and the winners would gain enough mana gems to conquer a planet.

Unfortunately, the remaining island groups were too few for the company to use this scheme. Instead of relying on numbers, they settled on a different strategy spearheaded by Amon Grigori.

“Our beloved contestants, may I have your attention?” The canopy shook as the sky guardians woke up from the demon’s words. “It has come to our attention this century’s second round is too difficult for some, while on the contrary, others are complaining it’s too easy.”

Alric felt the hair on his arms stand on end. It had only been a day since he went on his tirade, so Amon’s appearance couldn’t have been a coincidence.

“As a result, I have a surprise for all of you. The night time monsters have all been removed!

While the moons are still up, you can walk freely anywhere you want. Of course, you can also wait on the world tree for the round to end. It’s up to you.”

Secretly, Amon was hoping everyone would follow this advice. Sure, they could get more views if everyone fought each other, but they’d lose even more contestants, and it would distract from his other plan.

“As for those who can still hear this message, listen up.”

Suddenly, the demon host teleported himself on top of a certain world tree in front of a certain group. The shock was so visceral, Alric almost peed himself. He was having lunch with his friends, and most of them chocked and/or looked just as pale as he did.

“One of the contestants on this channel requested a proper challenge, something to test his might.”

Realizing this was his time to shine, the youth tried to stand up. Unfortunately, the sheer pressure exuded by the mana infused monster was so strong he could barely breathe. ‘It wasn’t like this the first time,’ he managed to think.

“Alric Klein, by the end of this round, you are to activate the crystal on the central island. Refuse or fail to complete this task, and you’ll not see the following round. Understood?”

Like a terrified child, the youth could only nod mechanically. ‘What the hell is wrong with me? I need to focus.’ While everyone stared at him like he jumped off a building, Alric struggled to move his body.

“As for the other contestants on this channel, you might be wondering why you are also hearing this transmission.” On the other islands, certain individuals were listening closely.

“Allow me to explain,” said the demon while turning his back on Alric and the group. “The crystals on top of each world tree can be used to communicate with your fans. However, they can also be used to summon reinforcements.

You haven’t noticed this option, since it only works when all the inhabitants of an island are eliminated. However, there are no inhabitants on the central islands. Furthermore, instead of summoning six contestants like the other crystals, the one in there can be used to summon 50.

Imagine what would happen if little Alric here summons 50 humans on this channel. Can you really afford it?”

After a small pause, Amon took a deep breath and prepared to leave. He wasn’t used to dishing out this much information. It was honestly annoying him to no end, but if the viewership improved, then it might be worth it.

With the other contestants staying put, the audience would flock here. They would lose the revenue from 4000 streams but gain a super channel with unlimited advertising potential. And, if they promoted it as an exclusive, once in a lifetime opportunity, the company might just recover its losses.

“Wait,” a trembling voice was heard just as the demon was about to twirl his finger. “What about the reward?” asked Alric while barely lifting his head. A second later, the invisible dome he summoned broke apart. The time it took to mumble one question drained all the mana out of his ring.

“Again with the rewards?” growled the demon host. While he turned around, his eyes took on a deep red color, and his teeth started showing. “How ungrateful can you be? You haven’t done a single thing to be worthy of such considerations. All you do is brag and complain.”

Every word out of his mouth was like a brick which struck Alric’s body. Noticing the state of his partner, Timofey walked over and placed his hand on his foot. The pixie didn’t know what the youth was trying to accomplish, but he still sent mana towards him. A moment later, the pixie collapsed as if squashed by a boot, and Alric managed to whisper a “Please…”

A pause followed. Veronika was crawling towards Timofey while Nym gritted his teeth. Finn had long since passed out, and Rachel was flat on the floor.

As for the demon, he watched them struggle with an annoyed expression. Finally after what seemed like forever, the host opened his mouth.

“Hmph,” he snorted. “Complete your task, and we’ll see.”