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Chapter 674 A Subtle Coercion.

A powerful person doesn't mean a skillful person or someone with a powerful divine ability, it means all those things and most importantly, it means having feats It is that powerful person that must carry the crown. They are to command their group from afar where they are safe so that the golems don't focus on them. This person will also be very difficult to ambush and they will be able to respawn if they are killed.

A group that lacks numbers will be overwhelmed easily and a group that lacks a powerful leader can be eliminated by someone who has both powerful skills and divine abilities and can also respawn. The respawn became a cheat for those with feats. It granted them the chance to return after death and fight again. Powerful individuals with feats have no problem acquiring a crown but they need a group to maintain the possession of the crown.

The third challenge started with chaotic engagement. Everyone was fighting everyone else and they also fought the golems. People were snatching crowns from each other and running about trying to hold onto the crowns. There was violence and mayhem everywhere. But that changed quickly after the first hour. The reality of the situation and the difficulties of keeping a crown set in.

The reality of the situation is that not everyone can get a crown and most are better off prioritizing scores. The violence simmered down and people began to form groups. Then conflict slowed down. The leaders of groups had to think very carefully about who to fight and how to fight. 

A group is more complicated than an individual. A group is strong but it lacks the mobility of an individual. You can't just attack someone and run away. The leader has to take into account the safety of their subordinates. The dynamics of a group created the need for structure and the efficient transmission of orders. The chain of command was then introduced.

A group needs Order to function efficiently. Order was introduced by the lieutenant system. Lieutenants are the executors of the one that bears the crown. They execute the will of their leader either through personal action or delegation. They are the second in command of the leader.

Each crown has a limited number of lieutenant slots. The lowest rank of commander has a single lieutenant slot. The number of slots is in inverse correlation with the number of crowns. Commander crowns are 100 in number and have 1 slot each as opposed to the single divine crown with 100 lieutenant slots.

The lieutenant system fostered cooperation and the formation of a hierarchy within a group. Most importantly, it allowed for the unification of two or more groups. Different groups can join hands using the lieutenant system instead of fighting. They will be able to defend the crown better. 

The slots of lieutenant are used as negotiation and bargaining chips because those slots are valuable too. Lieutenants will also receive the assistance of the world in the next challenge so they are also coveted.

There are some rules that govern the use of the lieutenant system. Only those that are in possession of the crown for at least 1 hour can appoint lieutenants. Lieutenants can not be changed by the bearer of the crown once they have been appointed but all slots will be open for reappointment as long as another person gets hold of the crown for an hour.

The lieutenant system allowed large and vast armies to be created. The chaotic individual fights became structured skirmishes and engagements between armies. Many groups combined their might when their leaders come to an agreement with the crown and the lieutenant slots. 

It made a single person fighting for the crown a disadvantageous endeavor. An army can kill a feat owner several times over. The total number of competitors is after all more than 4 million. There's only so much a single person can do against an array of 100,000 people. 

So the crown and lieutenant system is subtly making competitors put themselves into leadership roles and enforcing the order needed for an army to work. The competitors are largely unaware of this coercion. They will just suddenly realize that whoever doesn't conform to this system of cooperation will find it difficult to either be a score or crown Chaser. This realization will then pressure them to conform.

Soverick became aware of this trend early on. He didn't ignore it because he thinks he is above it. Even he knows that he might need the help of an army for the upcoming challenges. But his job right now is to secure the crown. Someone else is already taking care of getting him manpower. 

He said to himself, "It better be enough or my enemies will drown me." 

The conflicts raged on all around Soverick. He ignored all the conflicts as he passed by. His eyes remained focused on the rainbow pillar. The conflicts didn't disturb him much. It helped that he is a blur most of the time so people didn't notice him at his full speed. He didn't face much opposition but his path was blocked sometimes. He can always avoid small blockages but large blockages like a horde of golems or two clashing armies can not be avoided. He has to go through them which he always did. 

He would just swing his blade and create a massive arc of energy to precede him. His attack tore every obstacle apart. It didn't spare the ground either. It carved the hard rock of the ground creating a canyon. He would then pass through the deep canyon unbothered by the fight on either side of it.

Most of the fights he passed by get interrupted whenever he passes by despite his effort to ignore them. The competitors can't be blamed for scattering to the winds when a deadly attack tears through their numbers like a knife through butter. That's just common sense.

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