In the post-game interview, Beatrice clearly expressed their team's ambition to claim the top spot while thanking her supporting viewers for their kind encouragement each day while they trained.
Almost every game was a treat for the viewers since the players' skill levels were similar.
Unfortunately, teams with Foundation or Golden Core participants held a significant advantage due to their higher combat experience.
This was also something Michael was helpless against since it could only be chalked up as 'skill issues.'
After all, a higher cultivation realm in reality didn't mean any extra attributes or skill levels in the game.
The tournament continued with an average of ten games played daily, much to the viewers' enjoyment.
Recently, the most socially discussed topic in Riverside City and its surroundings was The Battlefield of Heroes and the lavish rewards given to these 16 teams.
Even the last place would receive 5,000 spirit stones, while the top spot was rewarded with 100,000 and five incredibly rare pills.
It wasn't just the participants who earned incredible rewards, but the sponsors, too. Among them, the Bright Moon sect experienced a surge in popularity, with them even able to recruit three freshly promoted Golden Core cultivators.
After all, the more visible a sect was, the better its potential in the eyes of the cultivators. And indeed, this visibility helped the Bright Moon sect considerably, as they forged new partnerships with other sects for various cultivation materials at cheaper prices and even offers for investment from the great sects in this newly created entertainment sector.
Michael also benefitted considerably, with his game's sales reaching 920,000 after these few days and inching closer and closer to the one million mark.
On December 28th, the finals finally happened.
After curiously asking sect master Helena, she confirmed that the online viewers reached 24 million, and it was estimated that it would cross 30 today.
Just like he initially theorized, the cultivators and regular people of this world were mentally tired of the continuous wars against the demons.
That's why the tournament organized by the Bright Moon sect was a breath of fresh air for them.
As expected, carried by the momentum of their previous wins, Beatrice's team put on an incredible show for the audience through their beautiful teamfights.
The enemies weren't slowpokes either, punishing each mistake made by their opponents.
With the finals being a Best of Seven format, the first team to reach four wins would emerge victorious and undoubtedly etch their names in the annals of history.
Because of nerves and the two teams' similar skill levels, the score was 3-3, which kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
Unfortunately, Beatrice's opponents made a huge mistake in the 7th game's drafting stage.
Noticing that Beatrice hadn't picked Marci in the first and fourth games, where they left it available, they didn't in the final game either.
And this mistake cost them greatly.
In a surprising turn of events, not only did Beatrice grab her favorite hero, but she also went mid with it, sending Henry to the top lane.
With an unfavorable matchup, the enemy mid-player was dominated, allowing his opponent to grow faster.
Then, once she unlocked her ultimate, all hell broke loose.
Unlike the previous games, which were neck to neck, this one was an absolute stomp. Beatrice would use Henry's ultimate, Fiend's Gate, to gank the enemies when they least expected.
Furthermore, she would audaciously take fights where she ambushed two or more enemy players and emerge victorious before swiftly retreating before reinforcements could punish her.
All this was thanks to her superior items.
The final game ended in half the time all other six lasted, cementing Beatrice and her teammates as the champions of the first Battlefield of Heroes tournament.
Those watching online could only shake their heads with pity upon seeing the morose expressions on the faces of the second-best as the sect master of the Bright Moon sect tried to lift their spirits with a rousing speech and encouragement.
Finally, the two teams shook hands in the arena, and the remaining fourteen participants were also called forth for the rewards ceremony.
[With this, the first tournament in the history of the Secret Realm comes to an end. I want to thank all the participants for their incredible performance and use this occasion to let you know that this competition won't be the last.](Helena)
Pausing for a moment and allowing everyone to process the news, the sect master of the Bright Moon sect continued.
[Using this occasion, I want to let everyone know that besides a yearly tournament featuring the best teams The Battlefield of Heroes has to offer, smaller tournaments will be held in the big cities partnered with our sect.
The top teams in each of these smaller competitions would earn points, which would grant them a spot in the biggest tournament next year.
Of course, the top three teams of this year will receive an extra prize for a guaranteed spot.](Helena)
Michael suggested this after recalling how E-sports functioned back on Earth, a suggestion very well-received by the sect master and the other sponsors.
This way, they could milk this new industry more than once yearly, drawing even more attention from the great sects who finally began paying proper attention to this Tier 1 Secret Realm.
[Finally, a gift from the genius who created this new and exciting Secret Realm for everyone watching at home!](Helena)
A promotional video appeared on the online stream, showcasing three new heroes and their backstories.
Using this opportunity, Michael also introduced the first event and the Battle Pass.
Since the new event went live on January 1st, he added a ton of missions that could unlock various cosmetics for the heroes the players picked.
There were two tiers available for the Battle Pass: the free and the premium version.
For the free version, every win would reward a certain number of points, which could then be used to unlock Battle Pass levels. However, certain levels - containing the best-looking cosmetics - could only be unlocked by buying the Premium version, costing one spirit stone.
These cosmetics were sets of items that didn't improve attributes or abilities and instead only made the players look... better.
Furthermore, priced at only one spirit stone, it was almost a certainty that more than 60 to 70% of the players would buy it.
For Michael, this meant an extra 700,000 spirit stones, possibly even more.
--------Scene Break--------
Closing the stream, Helena thanked the 16 teams for their participation one more time. Before sending them off, she left them with the parting words, 'I'll see you at the next tournament.'
Undeniably, each one of the teams had their passion ignited, especially after seeing how generous the prizes were.
They all swore to get even better and claim the top spot next year.
Watching them leave the repurposed stadium, Helena grinned. Her smile appeared genuine, prompting her sister Livia to nudge her slightly, returning her to reality.
Coughing awkwardly as she was still in the presence of some Elders and the other sponsors, Helena thickened her skin and pretended nothing had happened.
[Let us return to the meeting room and take inventory of our costs and gains.](Helena)
Almost an hour later, the math was done, and the spreadsheets were thoroughly inspected.
The prizes were as follows:
1st place - 100,000 spirit stones and five Tier 3 Body Enhancing pills, which were the equivalent of another 50,000 spirit stones
2nd place - 50,000 spirit stones and five Tier 3 Body Enhancing pills, which were the equivalent of another 50,000 spirit stones
3rd place - 25,000 spirit stones and five Tier 3 Body Enhancing pills, which were the equivalent of another 50,000 spirit stones
4th to 10th place - 10,000 spirit stones and five Tier 2 Body Enhancing pills, which were the equivalent of another 25,000 spirit stones
10th to 16th place - 5,000 spirit stones and five Tier 2 Body Enhancing pills, which were the equivalent of another 25,000 spirit stones
The total cost for only the rewards was around 750,000 spirit stones. They spent an additional 100,000 on advertisements and other miscellaneous stuff.
[We got very close to one million spirit stones invested in this tournament alone, leaving aside the platform upgrades and the bribes needed to grease the wheels. But I can say it was worth it!](Helena)
Taking a page from Michael's handbook, Helena sold 'tickets' online for the finals at the fair price of just one spirit stone. Furthermore, once the price was paid, the viewers had unobstructed access to all games throughout the four days.
Using regular currency to exchange for spirit stones at the 100:1 rate, The Battlefield of Heroes gained an impressive following among both cultivators and regular people alike.
[The final number based on ticket sales is 43 million spirit stones. We lost 10% due to the fees we had to pay for online streaming platforms outside our influence, but even in that case, we still made a pure profit of 38.7 million.](Helena)
Gasps followed, and it was understandable. After all, their small investment paid off such an incredible amount back, and this was only ticket sales.
The trading agreements and alliances established would end up offering even more in the near future.
[I think this is enough proof to showcase how much potential this venue has. Isn't that so, seniors?](Helena)
The representatives of the two great sects, especially the Elder of the Descending Mountain, nodded in agreement.
Less than a million was invested in a tournament that lasted less than a week, yet only ticket sales brought such a large profit. The other businesses they set up would surely explode soon after.
[As previously discussed, this Secret Realm's creator permitted us to use the game's official website to advertise the products. 20% of the profits will be handed over to him from the sales made, while the remaining will be split among us.](Helena)
Adorable plushies of the heroes, T-shirts with imprints of various characters, mugs, and many other types of merchandise would go online starting today, allowing the fans to purchase them at discounted prices.
Furthermore, if any person spends more than five spirit stones on merchandise, they will receive a certain number of unlocked Premium levels for their Battle Pass, even if they don't buy the Premium version.
It was a bundle deal certain to be incredibly successful.
There was also the fact that they couldn't properly prepare for this year's tournament. Their plans for the next ones would include much bigger stadiums where people could buy tickets to attend in person.
Adding advanced 3D A.R. technology, they could display the matches to the public in a more interactive way.
There was also the deep-dive streaming option, which they couldn't accommodate yet due to the Heavenly Mirror and other streaming platforms lacking the needed resources for such a large undertaking.
The conversation quickly shifted to the following smaller tournaments, which were decided to be hosted every three months. The fourth minor tournament would end in late November, allowing the teams to prepare for the bigger event soon after.
Based on this competition's initial popularity, it was obvious that if adequately marketed, it could generate billions of spirit stones.
Their plans to expand the 'gaming' industry and connect it with other entertainment sectors, such as music and filming, were immediately put into motion.
Helena already planned to contact various popular singers and create at least an album's worth of songs related to The Battlefield of Heroes, while the A.I. and a couple of 'expensive' directors would prepare the script for the characters' background stories.
She planned to bring to life a series following the descent of the two divinity shards into this fantasy world and slowly showing their impact before the creation of the island.
They would end up raking in another fat piece of wealth just based on sales for concerts, songs streamed, and tickets sold for the series.
----------Scene Break----------
Yet unaware of the sect master's plot to drain his Secret Realm dry, Michael was enthusiastically working on his new project.
Ideas flowed like a cascade, his creation speed unable to keep up with them. He could only have Mildred make notes and adjust the planned Concept of this new world on the fly.
His two friends, Nolan and Selina, also spent a couple of hours daily conversing about the new game's background story, which made Michael worried about their capability of actually creating such a project on their own.
The trio's minds were flexible, and they could devise ingenious plots. However, their capability to put them into practice was another matter.
On the last day of 2025, they finished the promotional video and prepared for the presentation on January 2nd, during which they would pitch this idea to the sect master.
If everything went well, they would register this Secret Realm's intellectual propriety in the World Cultivators Alliance database and showcase it to the entire world to hype them up for the upcoming project.
This was a mandatory step to ensure their Secret Realm wouldn't be copied by other more capable Programmers and have the copies released before the original could.
"*Sigh* For now, let's head to the new place and spend New Year's Eve with my family."