--
The announcement of the Berserk Mountain God Empire's elimination spread across the secret realm almost immediately.
For the teams still making their way toward the Rock, however, the news arrived at the worst possible time.
They had been moving with confidence.
After all, the World System had practically placed a bounty on the Heavenly Bronze Empire's heads. Killing one of their representatives would yield five times the normal merit points, and with the Heavenly Bronze Team sitting so far ahead of everyone else, the temptation was enormous. The four remaining teams had spent the previous several days making their preparations, discussing possible strategies, and moving toward the exposed location of the Rock.
Some had already begun imagining what would happen after they arrived.
They would break through the defenses.
They would overwhelm the Heavenly Bronze Team with numbers.
They would claim the enormous bounty attached to their opponents.
It was an attractive thought.
