MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 340: One stone

Everyone sat together as the ship surged through the vast expanse of space, its velocity carving a silent path through the void.

As always, Anthony sat off to the side, engrossed in his phone, his expression unreadable.

Engaging in conversation with older men held little appeal for him, perhaps conversing with older women would be more intriguing.

Despite their victory, none of the delegates bore smiles.

A somber weight hung over them, their expressions clouded with unease.

The atmosphere was thick with tension, an unspoken apprehension settling over the group.

"We need to discuss the consequences of eliminating the Eclipsians"

Aurelius finally spoke, shattering the heavy silence that had settled over the room.

The others nodded in agreement.

Even Michael, a battle-hardened warrior with a thirst for combat, understood the gravity of their actions.

They had annihilated the Eclipsian squad, an act that could very well ignite a war.

A weary sigh rippled through the air as Iserios exhaled.

"If war comes, we will be wiped out. We are outclassed in every way"

He admitted grimly.

No one disagreed. The reality was undeniable.

Aside from the Null family, the rest of them had suffered crushing defeats, despite the fact that the Eclipsians had yet to reveal the full extent of their power.

If not for Klaus, their heads would have already been rolling.

Deep down, they all knew it.

Their planet was utterly outmatched in every conceivable aspect.

Strength.

Resources.

Technology.

Military.

Even expendable soldiers.

In every category, they were hopelessly inferior.

They simply stood no chance.

The worst part was that the Eclipsians wouldn’t even need to sacrifice their own kind.

As a race standing at the pinnacle of the galaxy, they undoubtedly had countless subordinate civilizations, lesser races that had sought their protection in exchange for unwavering loyalty.

Everyone understood this grim reality, and it made their predicament all the more terrifying.

The Eclipsians wouldn’t need to lift a finger themselves.

They could simply command their vassal races to wage war, watching from a distance as their planet was reduced to ashes, suffering no real losses in the process.

Even Baldor, often dismissed as little more than brute strength without intellect, had grasped this unsettling truth.

Though he relished the thought of battle, the idea of his entire race being wiped from existence was something else entirely.

His expression darkened into a deep frown.

"We need a plan"

Michael said.

All eyes turned to him.

A flicker of surprise crossed their faces, some even felt a brief jolt of disbelief.

Michael was like Klaus when it came to battle. Neither of them cared for strategy or status.

There were no elaborate schemes, no careful maneuvering, only raw combat, fists thrown without hesitation.

Hearing this very same Michael speak of a plan was unexpected, so much so that, for a fleeting moment, they forgot about their impending doom.

Even Mitchelle found herself staring at her husband in astonishment.

’Is this really my son?’

The thought crossed Collins’ mind as he studied Michael.

Michael frowned.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

No one answered.

They merely held their silence.

Because at this moment, it wasn’t about surprise or amusement.

It was about survival.

The fate of their world hung in the balance.

"Anyway, the Sword Saint is right. We need a plan"

Gorath said, his expression dark with contemplation.

"What is there to plan in the face of absolute strength?"

Mitchelle interjected, her voice laced with cold realism.

"Well... there is something we can do"

Aurelius said, a cunning smile curling at his lips.

Baldor, who had been idly toying with a stick, lifted his gaze just as the small object vanished from his palm.

"And what would that be?"

Aurelius leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying across the room with deliberate weight.

"The Null family should tell us why they are this strong. If I’m not mistaken, their son’s ridiculous power at such a young age isn’t just talent, it’s tied to their secret. If they share it with us, we might stand a chance of matching the Eclipsians, at least to some extent"

Silence fell over the room.

All eyes turned to Aurelius.

They knew exactly what he was doing.

He framed his words as if he were acting in the interest of their planet, a noble cause for the survival of their people.

But no one was fooled.

They all knew, this wasn’t about saving the world.

It was about power.

His power.

Even in this dire moment, Aurelius was still scheming, his mind fixated on uncovering whatever had made the Null family so powerful.

Slowly, the room’s collective gaze shifted from Aurelius to the Null family.

Before, they had a general sense of the Null family’s strength, an awareness, but not full comprehension.

When they witnessed Anthony’s battle, they had initially assumed he was simply a once-in-a-generation prodigy.

His talent alone had been so overwhelming that the Phoenix King had even entertained the idea of diluting his own bloodline, desperate to integrate such potential into his lineage.

But after the clash with the Eclipsians, they understood.

This wasn’t just talent.

Something deeper was at play.

Something beyond natural talent or bloodline inheritance.

Yet, no one had spoken of it.

Not because they hadn’t noticed.

But because they knew that if they could apply enough pressure, if they could corner the Null family into revealing their secret, every single one of them would benefit.

Their own power would rise.

Their kin and descendants would ascend to new heights.

Aurelius had merely voiced what many had already been thinking.

And now that the opportunity had been created, they had no intention of letting it slip away.

Their gazes remained locked onto the Null family, expectant, waiting for an answer.

And an answer they received.

But it was not the one they had hoped for.

A crushing pulse of killing intent exploded from Collins, surging through the spacecraft like a living force.

His aura flared to its peak, his piercing gaze sweeping across the room, meeting every pair of eyes that dared to challenge him.

The pressure crashed down upon them, crushing, suffocating, inescapable.

Lightning crackled in the air, streaking like wrathful serpents across the confined space.

The ship groaned in protest.

Cracks webbed along its reinforced walls.

Beep. Beep.

"The ship is ninety-five percent damaged"

The AI’s mechanical voice echoed, but no one paid it any heed.

The gathered patriarchs felt an unbearable weight slam onto their shoulders.

Their backs instinctively bent under the force.

Their chairs splintered into fragments.

With a helpless thud, their knees struck the ground.

Yet, amidst the suffocating presence, the Null family and Klaus remained seated.

Unmoved.

Unshaken.

As if Collins’ fury had never existed at all.

On this aircraft, aside from Klaus, Collins was the strongest.

But it seemed they had failed to realize this.

Collins had battled the most formidable Eclipsian in their ranks—the Abyssal Sovereign and emerged victorious.

Yet, they remained oblivious to this fact.

Anthony’s attention finally drifted from his phone, a small smile forming on his lips as he watched.

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Collins’ eyes glowed with a piercing white hue as he spoke, his voice carrying an unmistakable weight, imposing, absolute.

"I have no time for theatrics. Just because your bloodlines failed to keep up, you resort to this pathetic facade? There is no great secret to uncover. If you lack talent, blame your worthless lineage"

His gaze hardened.

"If such a misstep happens again… I won’t be so kind"

His presence lingered, the sheer force of his aura pressing down on them, allowing his words to fully sink in.

Then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, it vanished.

Their breaths came in ragged gasps.

Disbelief flickered in their eyes.

Their instincts screamed at them, their bodies trembling involuntarily.

They knew it.

They felt it.

They saw it.

Death.

If they ever stood against him, that would be their only fate.

Not a single one of them dared to flare their aura in defiance.

Then—

"Why the long faces?"

Klaus’ voice cut through the suffocating silence, lighthearted, almost amused.

"The universe has always been survival of the fittest. Sit down, and let’s continue this discussion"

He smiled as if he hadn’t even noticed what had just happened.

They had no choice but to rise from the floor, forcing themselves to regain composure.

Silently, they took new seats, unwilling to meet Collins’ gaze.

With a casual wave of Klaus’ hand, the aircraft instantly repaired itself, every crack, every fragment returning to its original state as if Collins’ destruction had never happened.

Then—

"There is nothing to continue"

Anthony’s voice echoed across the room just as they settled in.

Their heads snapped toward him.

"What do you mean?"

Klaus asked, his ever-present smile unwavering.

Anthony, unbothered, glanced at his phone, his tone indifferent.

"It’s simple. The Eclipsians won’t be coming"

"Why do you say this?"

Collins’ voice carried a rare hint of curiosity.

Anthony didn’t even lift his gaze from his phone.

"If they were coming, then there’d be no point in holding the Starborn Tournament"

His tone was calm, almost dismissive.

Then, it clicked.

A realization spread through the room like wildfire.

What was the point of the Starborn Tournament if wars could still break out freely between races?

"Hoo… So it seems someone smart finally noticed"

Klaus chuckled, amusement lacing his voice.

"You knew?"

Mitchelle’s voice was sharp, her gaze piercing.

"Of course I knew"

Klaus replied smoothly, his ever-present smile unwavering.

"But I didn’t say anything. I was curious to see what kind of plans you’d come up with, even when you knew you stood no chance"

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes as he continued.

"Fighting, killing, ambushing, these are all unspoken rules among the delegates. They can slaughter each other before or after the Starborn Tournament, but once they return to their home planets, the rules change. Nothing can be done"

He leaned back, his voice laced with irony.

"And, of course, there are always fools who believe rules are for the weak, forgetting that they are weak. Some once wanted to wage war on another planet, thinking they could seize its resources. They were simply... wiped out"

A heavy silence fell upon the room.

"So, even if the Eclipsians wage war on us, the other races would intervene and wipe them out completely from the galaxy"

Klaus’ smile remained, his voice light, almost mocking.

Iserios blinked in disbelief.

"Are the higher delegates really this honest and true to the rules?"

Klaus shook his head.

"Don’t kid yourself"

His amusement deepened.

"If the Eclipsians are wiped out, it simply means the higher races can swoop in, claim their resources, uncover their secrets, strip them of everything. Their strength grows, their rivals shrink, and the number of top races in the galaxy dwindles. One stone, many birds"

His words sent a chill through the room.

"Everything is about power. You all know this. Don’t be naïve"

His gaze swept over them, sharp and knowing.

"If a weak, insignificant race, one with nothing to offer, wages planetary war, the higher races won’t lift a finger. They’ll just send the subjugated races under them to fight instead. The subjugated race gains from the conquest, and as their overlords? They reap the rewards of increasing their soldiers power and strength without even lending any help directly"

Silence lingered.

The top races were playing a different board game.

The Eclipsian threat was gone, yet an unsettling discomfort settled in their chests.