There were three days between the first and second rounds of the Finals.
During those three days, Vought International not only set up a new venue but also worked with mobile carriers to install a power grid and cellular base stations.
Providing reliable electricity and communications across this deserted stretch of desert in so little time was an enormous undertaking.
Yet before the second round began, the entire temporary city had power. The utility company had even put up simple streetlights.
At night, campfires and electric lights glowed side by side. In just a few days, the once-deserted landscape had become a blaze of light.
With infrastructure and supplies secured, everyone's attention returned to the competition itself.
After all, the thrilling matches ahead were the heart of this celebration.
The day before the second round, Vought International released the match schedule to the public.
Two matches on the schedule drew particular attention.
No one had expected such fierce clashes between top contenders so early in the elimination rounds.
It meant some competitors who might otherwise have gone much further were about to be knocked out.
For some spectators, it brought back memories of a heavyweight matchup that had come too early in the California regional competition.
In her match against Crash Boy, Psykos, an exceptionally powerful Psychokinesis User, had been eliminated ahead of her time.
And the two matches coming in the second round could well be just as intense as hers.
Chen Long (Master Gu) would face Night Owl, while Superalloy Darkshine would face Metal Bat.
These early clashes between powerhouses sent excitement over the competition soaring.
Aside from those two anticipated matches, something else had piqued the spectators' curiosity.
After Vought International designated a three-kilometer-wide area at the center of the desert as the competition zone, it erected