“I know that you like for the official meetings to immediately get to the point, so let’s go with that today,” Birch said as they took a seat in one of the many rooms in the palace. The room was well-prepared, with amenities such as water and a few snacks already set on the table. Aron, Rina, Ayaka, and Lee sat on one side, while Rayyan, Birch, Oak, Crabapple, Mangrove, and Cypress sat on the other, facing each other.“I would like that too,” Aron said calmly, answering with confidence. He didn't appear at all like someone attending his first official meeting with peers who could be considered equals in terms of leadership. If Rayyan's government were counted as a separate empire, it would rival his own, at least in terms of population count, which exceeded that of Aron’s empire.“In the past, I have acted as the representative for both the Proximians and my fellow tree folk. Today, everyone here will speak and represent themselves before we decide on the best course of action for ou
Seeing the room still in silence, indicating their curiosity for more details, Aron decided to elaborate.“I received what you call a blessing a few years before the formation of the empire,” he began. “This gave me the opportunity to delve into the study of mana well before it became widely known. Coupled with my company’s advancements in quantum computing and VR, I had access to time acceleration and advanced simulation capabilities. These technologies allowed me to effectively spend centuries, alongside my AI assistant, developing and refining the system from the ground up. We went through countless trials and errors, and I personally experienced many failures, including several catastrophic ones, before mastering the basics and discovering how to harness mana for various effects.”Aron’s explanation was a blend of truth and strategic omission. He carefully avoided mentioning that he had acquired foundational knowledge from the system and that his wife’s and his citizens' awakenin
While the meeting was taking place, the security forces of both sides were carefully monitoring the palace. Although the possibility of an incident was almost nil, they needed to be ready for anything. By the slimmest chance that something did happen, their leaders would need to be rescued immediately. This philosophy underpinned the current small contingents responsible for keeping an eye on the palace, while the rest of the security forces focused outward.However, the peaceful monitoring only lasted for so long. In a fraction of a second, two massive roots emerged from opposite sides of the palace wall. They spread rapidly, intertwining and clashing against the walls of the palace, enveloping it as if it were a cocoon.“.......”There was a silence from those near the vicinity of the palace, but their surprise was more about the symbolic of what had happened. The sudden cocoon of roots meant that the emperor, his wife, and the leadership of the Proximians were now confined within
“What is the meaning of this?” Aron demanded, his voice cutting through the tension as he looked directly at the tree folk delegation. Instinctively, he had cast a protective shield around his group the moment he sensed the massive surge of mana. This swift action had caught everyone else on his side off guard, just as the palace began to shake and emit an ominous creaking sound."Nothing personal, we're just making a logical choice," Oak responded through his massive humanoid form, looking at Aron as if he weren't one of the two who had just tried to crush them.“Aron narrowed his eyes. "A logical choice? By attacking us during a diplomatic meeting? What do you plan to do after killing us? I’m sure you know that killing me won’t mean the empire will fall. They will not stop seeking revenge against you. Our current military is more than capable of that,” Aron responded in the same calm manner, making the other humans in the room get goosebumps at his composure.“Do you think I’m worri
Everyone in the room immediately felt a surge of pressure ripple through the air, making the atmosphere heavy. The sudden change took everyone by surprise, even the two perpetrators behind the current situation, as the pressure was more than expected.Before anyone could react, two shields materialized around Oak and Mangrove, confining them along with anything nearby within the oval barriers. In an instant, the interiors of the shields combusted into flames, incinerating everything inside within seconds before the fire stopped and the shield diactivated. As the shields deactivated, fine ashes fell to the ground where Oak and Mangrove's humanoid forms had once been.“..........”“.........”“.........”The room plunged into a deeper silence as everyone tried to comprehend what had just occurred. Even Rina, his wife, was stunned, her mind racing to process the rapid and dramatic turn of events. The swift and decisive nature of Aron's actions left everyone in a state of shock, their br
[A/N: Get 50% off privileged chapters on Patreon. Details in the (discord.gg/pmDBYQ8un7) announcement.]……………………………………………………………………………………………………………{That’s all,} Nova said as she finished updating Aron on the situation. It had taken only a few seconds for her to do so since she delivered just the bullet points, and Aron filled in the gaps himself.“Thanks, keep updating me on any changes,” Aron said before looking down at the cocoon, which now appeared as intact as it had been from the beginning. It had fully healed and was no longer under attack from the ships, giving it a moment of respite.He waited to see if the cocoon would react or shift its focus toward him, but even after a few moments, nothing happened. {I think they're still maintaining it to imprison her and are planning to deal with you first before returning to handle her,} Nova hypothesized to Aron.“I would have done the same if I were the one attacking us,” Aron agreed. He understood their strategy: imprisoning Rina wou
[A/N: Get 50% off privileged chapters on Patreon. Details in the (discord.gg/pmDBYQ8un7) announcement.]……………………………………………………………………………………………………………“I won’t beat around the bush. I need everyone to work together to resolve this situation swiftly and minimize damage,” Aron began, addressing all the targeted personnel, as usual, keeping to his word of not beating around the bush from the start.“For starters, let’s review what led us to this point when everything seemed cordial just moments ago,” Aron began rhetorically. Before anyone could respond, a video played, showing the two tree folks revealing their plans to kill and take over shortly before Aron had taken decisive action against them.This revelation sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching, regardless of their power scale. None could match his speed and decisiveness, which was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.“I understand that this video might seem abrupt and lacking context, but I won’t waste time elaborating on i
Aron stood unmoving as his shield effortlessly tanked the barrage of attacks—fireballs, wind slashes, earth spears, magic missiles, and lightning bolts—all basic but potent spells. Despite the shield's ease in absorbing the hits, the surrounding landscape bore the brunt of the onslaught, with the damage inflicted on his surroundings telling a very different story.The fireballs, each the size of a bowling ball, detonated against the shield, leaving behind craters several meters wide, some with glassy reflections at their centers from the intense heat. And that was just the beginning—other attacks gouged the ground, leaving deep fissures and scorched earth, revealing the true power behind the seemingly basic spells."Each of them should be at the level of the strongest known awakeners," Aron mused, assessing the power of their attacks as the first barrage subsided. He hadn't just tanked the attacks for the sake of it; he was using this initial round to gauge how much mana each strike
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra