MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 743: I Object

Within a hidden realm, the sky was laden with stars, each one shimmering like fragments of ancient crystals scattered across the void. Cosmic dust drifted in elegant swirls, and nebulas shone in clustered formations, painting the sky with hues of violet, silver, and deep indigo. The realm itself felt untouched by mortal existence, sacred and distant, as though it stood at the edge of creation where time dared not flow freely.

Within this hidden realm, eight grand chairs floated in the air with absolute dominance, suspended effortlessly above a celestial floor made of nothing but starlight and energy. Upon these chairs sat eight beings, each one emanating authority and an overwhelming aura of supremacy. They were the Eight Supreme Monarchs, the mightiest figures of the military order, the pillars upon which humanity’s power rested.

In that moment, silence reigned supreme. It was not the silence of peace but the heavy kind that pressed against the soul, as though even sound feared to move without permission. The Eight Supreme Monarchs remained still, gazes steady, expressions composed, each as though waiting for another to speak first.

As though one among them could no longer tolerate the drawn-out quiet, a voice finally echoed across the starlit expanse.

”Didn’t we agree to reconvene twenty-four hours from now? Why are we being called back barely five hours after we parted?” It was the Fifth Supreme Monarch who spoke, Null Collins. His tone carried a faint edge of irritation. In his mind, he could have spent the remaining hours in peace with his wife, the woman known across all realms as the Saintess of the World, yet here he was once again, summoned back into duty without respite.

Silence briefly followed his words once again, only to be broken moments later when the First Supreme Monarch finally spoke.

”I’m sure you understand the urgency of the matter. After all, your grandson has touched the Planetary level at just the age of nineteen. That is unprecedented, not to even mention his other feats.” The First Supreme Monarch’s voice remained calm and flat, devoid of excitement or envy, yet its weight was undeniable.

”So? Could that not wait for twenty-four hours?” Null Collins asked, his presence anything but calm. Being pulled away from the warmth of his wife’s embrace so soon after returning clearly did not please him.

”I understand your sentiment since you were spending time with your wife, Fifth Supreme Monarch,” the Third Supreme Monarch’s voice echoed slowly through the star-filled realm, ”but this matter is of great importance.”

Collins’ eyes turned toward the Third Supreme Monarch, a subtle glare in his gaze, but he did not speak further.

”So, what exactly is the purpose of this sudden call?” the Eighth Supreme Monarch asked, a small smile resting on his lips as he observed the gathering of these titanic beings. His tone carried amusement, but his eyes were sharp, attentive.

”There are two matters to discuss,” the First Supreme Monarch said, his tone unchanging. ”First, the being who calls himself the Demon King. I am sure everyone here has realized that the one we saw in the battle recording was merely a clone. And considering Demon Lilith’s words, it is clear this being has at least ninety-nine Demon Monarchs under his command. This raises the question of when he intends to strike, and more importantly, how strong his real body truly is.”

The other Supreme Monarchs showed little visible reaction. To them, the so-called Demon King was just another Demon Monarch, another enemy to be crushed when the time came.

But if they knew how mistaken they were.

They had only watched Anthony’s battle through a recorded livestream; none of them had personally felt the oppressive intensity of Lilith’s power firsthand. If they had, none of them would dare dismiss Lilith as a mere Demon Monarch, much less the being arrogant enough to call himself the Demon King.

”And second,” the First Supreme Monarch continued, his tone gaining a faint imperceptible edge, ”is the matter of your son’s ascension to the rank of Supreme Monarch.”

At those last words, the silence in the hidden realm thickened, becoming almost tangible.

In that moment, none of them truly cared about the Demon King, the Demon Monarchs, or the threat of invasion.

Their thoughts shifted toward Anthony, or rather, toward the Null Family as a whole.

Although none of them expressed it aloud, troubling thoughts crept into their minds like shadows slithering across a battlefield.

The Fifth Supreme Monarch was Null Collins.

The Eighth Supreme Monarch was Null Michael.

The Ninth Supreme Monarch was Crimson Mitchelle.

The soon-to-be Tenth Supreme Monarch... would be Null Anthony.

And the Saintess of the World herself was Crimson Irene.

That meant that nearly half of the military’s greatest pillars, the very foundation of their supreme might, would be under a single bloodline.

A single human family.

The thought alone felt ridiculous, absurd to the point of defying all common sense.

But what law existed to prevent this from happening?

None. Absolutely none.

And even if a rule had existed to prevent such concentration of power, would any of them dare attempt to enforce it upon the Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Supreme Monarchs? What strength, what authority could they possibly muster to impose such a law?

Even if one were foolish enough to try... the law of the world was simple.

The strong made the law.

And the strong could shatter that law any time they wished.

Besides, even if one of them harbored the thought of objection, what justification could they possibly give? Age? Status? Personal discomfort? Laughable. Here, power was the only currency that spoke, the only weight that could tip the scales. Furthermore, it wasn’t as though a vote was required. A Supreme Monarch was not elected, they ascended by force, by merit, by overwhelming might.

But could they sit back and stomach the idea of a single family dominating the military entirely? Even the First Supreme Monarch, previously known as the strongest among them, did not possess such consolidated influence.

”The matter regarding the Demon King and his subordinate Demon Monarchs will be placed on temporary hold,” the First Supreme Monarch declared. ”We lack sufficient information, and as such, there is nothing to discuss further on that point. Instead, we will focus on Null Anthony, son of the Sword Saint and the Elemental Witch of Destruction. As he has touched the Planetary level, it is only natural that his eligibility for the rank of Supreme Monarch be addressed,” the First Supreme Monarch stated calmly.

”Any thoughts?” he asked flatly, his gaze sweeping over the assembly, his golden-ringed eyes glimmering under the starlight.

On the surface, he appeared composed, but beneath that serene exterior, his mind raced faster than lightning tearing through space.

He had once offered taking the boy as a disciple, but deep down, the First Supreme Monarch knew he could never teach someone to reach such a realm at such an impossible pace. Such a feat was beyond his own comprehension.

His thoughts drifted to a name.

Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos.

Anthony had spoken that name once, and after attempting to trace it through the currents of time, the First Supreme Monarch had found nothing. In his attempt, he had suffered a backlash so severe that even he, a Supreme Monarch, had required the personal healing of the Saintess of the World to recover. He had been unable to reverse time on himself.

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a sudden voice that reverberated through the realm.

”I object.”