MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

On the battlefield, the Overseer remained largely silent, his presence commanding attention without the need for words.

As the real battles began, his focus shifted entirely to the glowing screen before him.

His fingers moved with precision, manipulating the ancient technology that crackled faintly with latent power.

The display flickered as streams of shifting numbers raced across it, a mesmerizing dance of information predicting the carnage to come.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips, he was eagerly awaiting the deaths that would soon follow.

Then, abruptly, the numbers froze.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The hum of the machinery faltered, leaving a palpable stillness in its wake.

2 vs 3

Another single-digit clash.

Anthony and Aaaninja's gazes instinctively shifted toward Lucian, who sat with the composure of an emperor surveying his domain.

Yet, his smug demeanor faltered the moment his eyes landed on the screen.

Lucian froze, his expression shifting into one of disbelief.

His opponent was a woman.

Moments ago, he had been mocking Aaaninja for his inability to properly handle a beauty.

Now, as if the universe delighted in irony, fate had delivered him the very lesson he so arrogantly dispensed.

It was almost comical, this cruel twist of events, as if some higher power had decided to toy with him.

But humor was fleeting.

Lucian's sharp instincts reminded him of the gravity of the situation.

He knew there would be no room for leniency, no quarter to be given.

His opponent wouldn't accept it, nor could he afford it.

His opponent's name was Selunara Duskveil.

She belonged to the Eclipsian race, an enigmatic lineage renowned for their unique racial ability: Absolute Duality.

This power allowed them to exist in two distinct states simultaneously, one grounded in the material world and the other as a shadow like manifestation.

Together, these forms fought in perfect harmony, doubling their lethality and leaving their opponents overwhelmed by the seamless coordination of their dual selves.

Lucian's gaze lingered on her, seated with effortless grace at seat number 3.

Her demeanor was serene, but her presence exuded an aura of dangerous confidence.

'Is the author mocking me because of Aaaninja?'

Lucian mused bitterly, recalling how he'd ridiculed his companion earlier.

Now, it seemed fate, or perhaps the universe itself, had decided to humble him, assigning him to face a beauty who was undoubtedly far deadlier than she appeared.

Selunara didn't spare Lucian even a fleeting glance.

Rising from her seat with an air of indifference, Selunara simply disappeared, her form dissolving into shadow.

Lucian's keen senses tracked her movement, and in an instant, he too vanished from his seat.

The two reappeared atop a desolate mountain, standing a hundred meters apart.

Jagged peaks loomed around them, and a chilling wind swept through the barren landscape, setting the stage for their confrontation.

Selunara's expression twisted with disdain as her piercing gaze locked onto Lucian.

Her contempt for humans was unmistakable, etched deeply into her features.

To her, they were no more than insignificant ants, creatures beneath her notice.

The very notion of having to fight one was an insult that stoked her disgust.

A flicker of killing intent radiated from her, the weight of it pressing down like an invisible force.

The air thickened, growing oppressively heavy as the atmosphere darkened under her influence.

The Overseer watched with amusement, a sly smile curling on his lips.

He knew well of Lucian's lineage.

Though human, his parents were among the strongest beings in the galaxy, figures of undeniable power and influence.

'They won't so much as flinch if Lucian loses this fight'

The Overseer mused.

'After all, even the greatest fall from time to time'

But a loss was one thing.

If Lucian were to become a cripple, or worse, if he were to die, then the galaxy would tremble.

That, the Overseer knew, was an entirely different matter.

Lucian met Selunara's killing intent with a calm, almost disarming smile.

"Why do you look down on humans?"

He asked, his voice soft and unhurried.

"I've been wondering about this for a while. You know as well as I do that the Eclipsians aren't the strongest race in the galaxy. Yet, those above you don't look down on your kind. So why is it that you look down on others?"

There was no anger in his tone, no bitterness or resentment.

His words carried only genuine curiosity, much like his confusion with racists in his past life.

He simply couldn't comprehend it, so he chose to ask.

Selunara's expression didn't waver.

She offered no reply, no acknowledgment of his question.

To her, it was absurd.

Beneath her notice.

An ant had dared to speak as though they were equals, expecting an answer from her, as if its words held any weight.

Her silence was her answer, a gesture of utter disdain.

Then, without even acknowledging the question, Selunara spoke.

Her voice was cold and commanding, her tone as disinterested as her expression.

"Forfeit"

The word hung in the air, its simplicity carrying an unspoken weight.

To her, it was already a small concession to address a human, something she deemed beneath her.

She had no intention of wasting more energy than necessary.

She offered him the chance to surrender, not out of any sense of mercy, but because she couldn't be bothered to dirty her weapon with the blood of such an inferior being.

Lucian shook his head, his response quiet but resolute.

Deep down, he had never truly expected an answer.

He had only asked out of curiosity, driven by his inability to understand people who were always at the pinnacle of power.

He knew their arrogance, their detachment from anything beneath them.

It was always the same.

But Lucian wasn't naive.

He didn't hesitate simply because Selunara was a woman.

If she had decided to kill him, then he would return the favor in kind.

He wasn't the type to let any killing intent directed at him go unnoticed or unanswered.

The instant her killing intent shifted toward him, he made his decision.

She would die here.

Consequences?

Who gives a damn.

The wrath of the Eclipsians?

His parents could hold the sky itself if anything happened.

Lucian knew he wasn't without a backer, not like some of the other champions in the Starborn Tournament who were alone, relying on nothing but their own fleeting strength.

He had blood, power, and connections, far more than enough to face whatever storm Selunara's death might summon.

"I never expected a reply from you"

Lucian remarked with a knowing smile, his expression unreadable.

There wasn't the faintest trace of killing intent in his demeanor, no tension in the air surrounding him.

His stance remained calm, almost casual.

"Show me the ability of your race that makes you so proud"

With those words, he unsheathed his katana, the blade gleaming faintly under the dim light.

His aura, despite its serenity, was like the still surface of a lake, calm, yet ready to shatter with the slightest disturbance.

Selunara's disdain only deepened, but her expression remained a mask of cold indifference.

She didn't flinch, but her gaze grew colder still.

"How arrogant"

She murmured, her voice gentle, yet it reverberated through the silence, sharp and heavy.

Without further words, black daggers began to materialize in her hands, moving from her space ring.

Enjoy new chapters from empire

The air around them thickened, as though reality itself bent to her will.

The wind stilled.

The atmosphere itself seemed to hold its breath.

And in the next heartbeat, they both moved, in a blur of motion.