The nights in the [Imperial Kingdom] were just as busy and bustling as the day, as vendors kept selling their wares from colorful stalls, players kept roaming the streets in search of entertainment, and the atmosphere remained alive with the constant hum of activity.

As said many times before, sleep wasn’t truly required for players in the same way it was for normal beings, though it could help them with tiredness and help them rest their minds and bodies after long periods of fighting and exploration.

This meant some players simply never slept at all and used items to recover from exhaustion, or simply had special passives that eliminated the need for rest entirely, allowing them to stay active around the clock.

But the main thing Leon noticed as he walked through the crowded streets was that a high majority of them were walking toward the same direction, their footsteps hurried and their voices filled with excited chatter.

At some point, Leon asked an insect-race player with a mantis head about the commotion.

She told him that today was a "huge" day in the [Imperial Arena] as they would announce something important, and that even the [Dragon Empress] and the [Imperial Queen] would be in attendance for the event.

"Hm... did they say anything else about what’s happening?" Leon asked, genuinely curious about the excitement.

"Not really, I’m excited to discover what it is though when we get there!" she replied enthusiastically.

"Alright, thanks," Leon said, and the two actually worked together as they were going in the same direction.

After a while of following the crowd and walking through the winding streets, he finally reached it.

The arena was absolutely massive, so much so that even trying to look up at its towering walls made many feel dizzy from the sheer scale of the structure.

It was as big as a castle, with a massive entrance and thousands of guards defending it, their reptilian eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of trouble.

"Its especially busy today since the queen’s coming to watch~" the mantis girl Leon had spoken to explained as she caught up with him, "Be careful, don’t get trampled by the crowd."

She waved at him and entered the arena after paying a small fee to spectate, leaving Leon alone to ponder his next move.

’Alright, Violet,’ he thought, his eyes scanning the massive structure before him, ’You asked me to come... and there’s something happening, lets see what you wanted...’

Leon showed his kingdom ID to the guards at the entrance and paid 5,000 Eternal Coins before entering the [Imperial Arena], the coins disappearing from his inventory.

He crossed the boundary in complete darkness, though he was able to see perfectly thanks to his SSS sub-talent, and he noticed that there was a portal ahead, likely designed to teleport players to spaces with available seats throughout the massive arena.

And right as Leon was about to pass through the shimmering portal, a notification appeared before him that made him pause.

Ding!

[VIP guest detected.]

"Huh?" Leon said, confused by the sudden message.

[The "Dragon Empress" considers you close, you will be teleported to the "VIP" section.]

Leon read this and shrugged, phasing through the portal, and as he emerged on the other side, he found himself in a completely different environment.

"Wow," he said, genuinely impressed by what he saw.

In comparison to all the other players which were teleported to the regular stands, which could hold hundreds of thousands of players in a massive bowl, he was transported to a private chamber at the very top of the arena overlooking everything.

He was completely alone in the chamber, and it had a luxurious chair with a giant window where he could see the arena from perfectly, the view unobstructed and breathtaking.

’Violet doesn’t mess around, huh,’ Leon smiled, ’Wish Emilia and Celeste could have come to see this too.’

Leon very much doubted the dragon girl would have allowed them to come to the VIP section though, given how exclusive and restricted it seemed to be.

After around twenty minutes of looking around the room and waiting patiently for the event to begin, he heard the announcer’s voice echo across the entire arena, amplified by magical means.

"Hello everybody~" a cat-raced woman appeared on a holographic display in the middle of the area, her voice cheerful and energetic, "Today is a great day... one of a kind, actually, so listen closely!"

Fwoosh!

A massive ray of light erupted on one side of the arena, and from within that brilliant glow... a figure emerged with regal poise.

"I want you all to welcome..."

The moment they saw it, the entire arena went quiet, all of the players trembling from the sheer power radiating off the figure, their voices dying in their throats.

Even Leon could sense it from his elevated position, that person was incredibly strong, and gave off an aura of pure royalty and authority that demanded respect.

"THE IMPERIAL QUEEN," the announcer shouted with all her heart, her voice filled with reverence, "Lady Iris!"

"HOLY SHIT!" many in the crowd screamed.

"Oh my god, its the queen, no wonder there were so many guards outside!"

"Isn’t it the first time in a while she appeared here publicly?"

"Yeah, but she usually always stays in the royal chamber, this is the first time she ever appeared in the arena!"

The [Imperial Queen], whose name was Iris, was, much like the guards she commanded, a lizard-raced native with distinct reptilian features.

She wore a long robe with intricate designs that shimmered in the light, and held a small staff in her hands, with a pretty voluptuous figure that caught the attention of many in the crowd.

Even though she had a humanoid body, and one that was considered attractive by most standards, she still had a lizard head with short green hair and golden reptile eyes that seemed to pierce through anyone who met her gaze.

Her tail swayed behind her gracefully, and the aura around her never seemed to diminish, constantly radiating power and authority.

"Lady Iris has said specifically for today, due to the importance of this day, she will be fighting in the arena herself," the announcer continued.

The eruption of cheers was thunderous at that moment, with even the guards joining in on the celebration, their voices rising in a roar of approval.

Leon’s expression remained neutral as he observed from above, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding below him.

If she was going to fight today... then who was she going to fight against as her opponent, given her immense power?

It seemed nobody in the kingdom could even come close to matching her strength, including the lizard guards who served her faithfully.

’Except maybe...’ Leon’s eyes widened as he realized who it might be.