Marcus watched as his Honour Guard fought the next wave of adventurers. They had started using Amateur Rank spells and Dual Element spells. He was very satisfied with the prowess that his Honour Guards had displayed. He was a little surprised to see that Asura had such a talent for commanding but he expected it or rather he wished for it. He wanted to have his Honour Guards command their own Personal Guards in the future and act as the commanders of the army that he wished to build. He already had the foundations laid, strong and heroic commanders, a leader, and a way to get soldiers. The only thing he was missing was perhaps a Healer Division or Necromancers to command the dead. However, that was far off into the future. What he needed to do now was to solidify his foundations and fix any cracks that he may find. He also needed to train his commanders in the art of leading soldiers to battle and have them choose their subordinates and eventually set up a clear hierarchy.

After all, there is a saying that "most empires collapse on itself" which means that the empire had cracks in its foundation and didn't have a clear system to govern the empire. This led to the empire collapsing due to not having the foundation and legislation to support itself and any further growth.

"Brother big news!" Gaia suddenly said.

"What's up?" Marcus curiously asked. He had never heard Gaia this excited before.

"Heavens Will and the Will of the Aether just informed me that they will personally host an auction and a tournament very soon," Gaia said.

"Oh? What are the rules of the tournament and what is in the auction," Marcus was very interested in the competition but he was more interested in the auction.

"Let me explain the tournament first. It is called Gate to Vega which refers to the Vega of legends where all the strongest fighters and armies reside after their death. The rules are simple. Dungeon Masters are not allowed to participate; they will send representatives instead. They could send one person or an entire army, it is entirely up to them. The battle will last until all the members of one team die or the team surrenders. The Dungeon Masters can also make bets against each other to make things more interesting. The winner will be rewarded a random follower, a random armour, and a random weapon but the others don't get anything. The weapons and armour are guaranteed to at least be Master Grade but the follower can be Amateur Rank or even a child!" Gaia explained, "As for the auction, it is called Thousand Treasures Auction. It will be held before the competition but Dungeon Masters are unable to use the items won in the auction during the competition. The auction will always have at least a thousand items but it can be more depending on what the Will of the Aether can find. The auction can contain slaves, followers, rare materials, weapons, armour and even magic. The currency to be used is a new currency called Dungeon Dollars. We can exchange materials for them before the auction and they will be used by the Will of the Aether from now on when trading materials."

"Interesting," Marcus said as he rubbed his chin, "Who do you think we should send?"

"I suggest we don't send any of the Honour Guards," Gaia surprisingly suggested.

Marcus didn't against the idea as he simply stayed silent. He then sighed and said, "An ace must remain in one's pocket until the very end."

"Wise words brother," Gaia praised.

" Who do you suggest we send then? How much time do we have left?" Marcus said frowning.

"I am not privy to the exact opening of the tournament but I was told that it is at least three months later. That is enough time for us to groom a presentable squad but nothing that could possibly win the tournament." Gaia replied.

Marcus' frown deepened. He really didn't want to lose the chance at an extra follower however he could understand what Gaia wanted to do. It wanted to stalk its prey like a predator and strike once it has found the prey's weakness. Marcus wrestled with the thought of his enemies gaining an opportunity to get a powerful follower but then he looked at the screen in front of him and his eyes cleared up. So what if the enemy had a powerful follower? He had ten that he could groom to be even more powerful! The only thing he needed now was time and this plan would give him ample time. This plan would make his enemies think that he is weak and easy to deal with any time they want to. It would get them a false sense of complacency which would be their downfall.

"Alright let's go with your plan," Marcus acquiesced, "But I will but whatever I want from the auction."

It was Gaia turn to frown, or try to, "But brother that is counterproductive! If you pick up something good at the auction you will still be seen as a threat!"

"Yes it would cut down the amount of preparation time we have but it would be worth it," Marcus warned, "Gaia I have my own pride and I won't let anyone trample on it!"

Gaia sighed and relented. It knew that every being had its pride, much less a mighty Primalborn like its brother. Even it itself had its own pride and it hadn't wanted to suggest such a preposterous proposition, to begin with, but it thought that it was a needed investment. It had to admit that its ability to adapt was no were near its brother so it wanted to take the less perilous path. However, success comes with peril and only when one takes risks can one get stronger.