Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 88: The win goes to

’Oh... it’s Vale of the Steelclaw Alliance now?’ he thought in amusement as he made his way over with his team. But he understood why she was calling him that. They’d tested him and found him worth... somewhat. ’The Rank 2 Steelclaw must be finding ways to turn me into a useful tool.’

Dozens of eyes immediately locked on him and his team, weighing and sizing them up. They must have been too impressed because most of them looked away immediately, but one lasted longer than the others. It came from a tall, thin man who was glaring venomously in his direction.

’That must be the Scuffed Bones. He looks as if he wants to tear me into pieces and put Xan into hot oil.’ 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Vale walked toward Jenna’s place, his eyes surveying them in return, trying to put faces to the names and positions he had. Most of the rank one to five sat in the middle with other team leaders around them.

Silence descended as everyone watched him, waiting for his move. He slowed down, then let his eyes pass through everyone once again as he got to the Steelclaw Alliance side. Then he said, "Algar, seems you have healed your hand."

Everyone immediately turned to the man in question, who froze and stammered before he squeezed something out. "Of course! But I had to travel here in a hurry against orders. I can’t miss this!"

Vale gestured to the coliseum and nodded with a smile. "Looks like fun."

’Good! Nice one, Vale. You warned them, reminding them that you are someone who beat a rank 16 and took his hand.’ The second reason was to study the leader of the Forsaken Tribes, but the man was expressionless.

Vale ignored the glare from the Scuffed Bones and turned to his own rank 2.

The man was middle-aged with eyes like a receding storm. He grinned. "Vale, right? I’m Dlodus. I heard someone from our Flag was causing trouble—it must be you!"

Vale’s eyes flickered to the team leaders around the man. He knew they were team leaders 6, 7, 17, 23, and 27. They all weren’t able to hide their emotions.

He shrugged and smiled easily. "But I haven’t really done anything. I’m just following the instincts of the strong."

Xan let out a short gasp. And he wasn’t the only one. All around, everyone turned to him in surprise. The mood soured as bloodlust aura began to leak out. Tension mounted in the air and made it tremble.

Dlodus’s expression quickly turned neutral.

Vale only grinned wider. This was the most powerful gathering in the second layer, and he had dared to call himself strong! They didn’t like that one bit. How dare this arrogant boy call himself strong just because he defeated a rank 34 and 16?

He scratched his head and pretended as if he didn’t know what he was doing. "But really, nothing has made me go all out yet. Must be the burden of the strong."

This time, some of them looked as if they would jump down and start fighting him then and there!

And then a female’s laughter broke through the tension like a clean stroke of a sword. Black hair and black eyes, wide mouth stretched into a smile. "Ohohoh! I like this Steelclaw, Dlodus! He’s got a bite of fire!"

’This must be the rank 1, Alyndra!’ Vale didn’t let the opportunity go to waste, and he let a lick of fire play on his finger. "Truer words haven’t been spoken."

She laughed again, but then suddenly quieted down. Her eyes glinted in ways that he knew wouldn’t immediately be in his favor. She gestured down to the pit stage. "Then you must be interested in this!"

The way people suddenly gave him an amused look, Vale knew he had walked into something. ’What type of trap is this now? Maybe I should have toned it down a bit.’

But still, he didn’t care about hastily saving face, so he asked, "What’s that?"

She gestured him closer, pointing down from the metal stand at the edge. He followed her pointed finger and saw what was happening below, something he’d been hearing since he came in—the clash of people fighting.

Two people were currently fighting each other. A man and a woman, clashing with essence and weapons.

"That’s definitely interesting," Vale said.

Alyndra nodded. "I know. You see those two? A member of a team from Steelclaw Alliance and The Exiled. From teams 17 and 15. They’ve each picked a member to fight for the right to clear a new ruin that just sprawled. See, the two teams discovered it at the same time."

’So this... is like a way to settle it? But they’re choosing members, meaning they don’t want the leaders to clash because that would be unfair.’ Vale understood immediately.

As they watched, the woman representing the Exiled team suddenly threw her weapon into the face of her opponent, distracting him as she immediately followed with a bolt of essence attack to the face.

The man stumbled back with a cry. He fell and felt a cold, sharp object on his neck.

Alyndra clapped and shouted, "The win goes to team 15! The Exiled!"

The team leader of team 17 was looking sour in his place at the stand behind Dlodus. But the rank 2 was still smiling easily. "Well, what do you say, Exiled? Do you want another round? Call any team member, and I’ll match it. I bet that I will win. I’m betting with two weapon artifacts and four million gold coins."

Vale jolted. He connected different dots at once. ’The real power belongs to the highest rank of each flag! And they’re the ones doing the real betting. The teams are like pieces on a chessboard... just how can I take advantage of this? I’m sure they’ll try to play me... I’ll pretend to be clueless.’

"Hummmmmmm, nah! I’ll pass." Serdan, holding a black bottle, waved her hand. "It’s tempting, but I’m not betting again. Unless it’s a sealed, five-hundred-year-old wine!"

Dlodus didn’t seem too worried. He just shrugged. "I’ll let you know when I have something like that."

"You do that!"