On the bustling dueling platform, tens of thousands of meters away, in the space-based Watchtower orbiting Earth:
Kyle's true self was not in the Carl Nation; he was stationed in the main hall of the Watchtower. Here he used the God System to oversee and orchestrate the grand strategy of the superhuman competition.
Normally, his assistant - Raina - would handle these duties, but she was participating in the competition, and Vis had turned into Vision, leaving Kyle to manage things directly.
Logan, who had opted out of the competition, stood next to Kyle, dressed in a black suit. He puffed on a cigar, his eyes fixed on the numerous projection screens in front of Kyle.
"Master. There are now 36 contestants in the arena, divided into 12 teams. Please give the next command," The god system reported.
"Good, very good." Kyle nodded and looked at the team configurations sent by the God System. While the composition of some teams met his expectations, Lucy's team composition was...
A bit over the top.
Lucy and Raina were formidable enough, so why add Wanda? Was it to test the witch's powers or for some other reason?
Despite being reborn and living for over a century, Kyle still couldn't fully comprehend women's minds.
Logan, unable to hold back, remarked, "Lucy, Raina, and one of the superpowered twins... Even though it's an all-female team, it may be the strongest lineup yet.
The world's most powerful women joining forces made for an undeniably solid team.
"The strongest team? Not necessarily," Kyle said, shaking his head slightly as his gaze shifted to the Ancient One's team.
If Lucy's team represented the pinnacle of superhuman power, then Ancient One's team embodied the enigmatic nature of magic. The battle between innate superhuman abilities and acquired magical abilities was truly difficult to predict.
Also...
Iron Man, Black Panther, and Spider-Man formed a team unified by Kryon technology, advanced suits, and cutting-edge science, representing Earth's pinnacle of technological achievement. They held their own against the top two teams.
The teams of Hellfire, Quicksilver, and Agent Venom also stood out, showing different strengths.
"Now that the teams have been formed, let the second round of the competition begin. There is no need for me to intervene; proceed as planned," Kyle instructed the God System, a subtle smile curving his lips as he anticipated what kind of clashes would unfold between heroes of different evolutionary paths.
Magic, superhuman abilities, mutations, and technology - which would prove the strongest?
And there were a few competitors in the arena whose presence particularly intrigued Kyle.
"This contest is getting more and more interesting," Kyle muttered. His voice echoed in the vast, silent hall as the stars outside the Watchtower's wide windows twinkled brightly across the endless expanse of space.
The crowd surrounding the dueling arena cheered and roared nonstop.
After the teams were chosen, the contestants stood cautiously with their respective groups, eyeing the other teams. No one knew which team they would be facing.
However, the remaining participants had all passed the rigorous preliminary test, and each of them was a superhuman force that ordinary people couldn't hope to overcome. Underestimating any opponent here could lead to a harsh lesson.
"The team led by Iron Man is number one. The team led by Captain America is number two. The team led by Lucy is number three. The team led by Agent Venom is number 4..."
The God System assigned numbers to the twelve teams, labeling them from 1 to 12. It would then randomly select two teams to fight in the virtual arena.
Just as Kyle had said, the rules for the second round were simple.
The goal was for one team (Red) to defeat all members of the opposing team (Blue), or for one team (Red or Blue) to reach the Victory Condition first. Those were the only two ways to win.
"Now, selecting the Red team for the first match."
The God System projected a screen over the arena, which was closely watched by participants and spectators alike - and indeed, more than half the world's population was watching this event via the Skynet platform.
A digital wheel divided into twelve sections began to spin, gradually slowing until the hand landed on Team Number 6.
"Team 6 is..." Everyone stared at the screen as the 6th team was highlighted in Red and the names of the team members were displayed:
''Ancient One, Mordo, and Doctor Strange.''
As soon as they realized that the opening match was against a "Death Squad", the participants gasped while the audience cheered wildly at such an explosive start.
"Next, selecting the team to face Red Team 6," The God System announced.
The wheel began to spin again, and many contestants held their breath. The hand gradually slowed down and finally stopped at Team 1.
''Team 1 (First Round Blue Team):''
Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther.
With the Red and Blue Teams set for the first round, the other participants and spectators were excited. Two of the top three most powerful teams facing off right from the start, this was truly a death match.
"Interesting. This just got very interesting," Kyle chuckled in the main hall of the Watchtower. He hadn't interfered, letting the God System choose randomly, and it just happened to create this epic matchup.
Centuries-old magical forces defending Earth would now face off against Earth's rapidly advancing technology. This clash between the old and new powers was immensely exciting.
"Wait, we're going up against Iron Man and the others?" Doctor Strange was taken aback. He'd made it through the preliminaries, thanks largely to his Cloak of Levitation. Facing a superhero like Iron Man made him nervous.
"We're counting on you," Mordo said while patting him on the shoulder.
"What? Counting on me? You must be joking, Ancient One!" Stephen looked at the Ancient One in surprise, but she stood expressionless, lost in thought.
On the other side of the arena:
"Didn't expect to face the most difficult team," Spider-Man scratched his head, feeling the pressure as the self-proclaimed weakest member of his team and worried about letting Mr. Stark down.
"Relax. At least we haven't been matched against Raina's team. Just make sure you put on a good show," Iron Man shrugged. He'd always been curious about the magical power wielded by the Ancient One's team, and now he had a chance to explore it.
Black Panther, calm as ever, added, "Magic interests me as well. I wonder how it compares to technology.
...
With both teams ready, the God System transported them into a virtual space, displaying the battle scene on a massive screen above the arena. A system message appeared at the top of the screen:
''Random Battle Scene: The entire city of New York!
No time limit.
The "base points" for both the Red and Blue teams would be set somewhere in New York City. Victory conditions: Destroy the opposing team's base first, or eliminate all members of the opposing team.
The match officially begins!
'(Chapter end)'
I have finished translating this fanfic, IMUC (I Am In Marvel With Unlimited Cards) and have posted all the advanced chapters on Patreon (Last Chapter -- 706). (https://www.patreon.com/c/marvel6395). You can read all the advanced chapters there.