Chapter 303: I Can Take Them All

Chapter 303: I Can Take Them All

Our eyes met, and I found the Emperor staring at me with complete seriousness.

Then Arkas finally put his glass down. His gaze turned toward me too.

I took a deep breath, straightened slightly, and let my thoughts settle. The Emperor had just laid out four different strategies—each from powerful and experienced men. But something about it felt... off.

That’s when I realized what was missing. His own opinion.

He hadn’t offered it. He’d presented everyone else’s views but kept his to himself.

I wanted to ask him about it, but I stopped myself. He’d asked me a question, and I decided to answer that first.

So, I gathered my thoughts and spoke clearly.

"I think I have a better solution."

All eyes turned to me at once. The shift in the room was immediate. Even Dante let out a low chuckle from wherever he stood in the shadows.

But the Emperor? He didn’t laugh or smile. He just nodded slowly. "Go ahead."

I held nothing back.

"The realm I was in... I now control its core."

That did it. For the first time, I saw a flicker of surprise cross the Emperor’s face. His eyes widened ever so slightly. But the real reaction came from Edgar, who muttered under his breath, "Am I drunk?"

I ignored it and continued.

"Right now, the Holts have a strong presence inside that realm. From what we gathered during interrogation, there are at least two Ferans who are using the place, possibly as a travel route or base. Just before coming here, I eliminated several Master-ranked enemies inside and brought these two for further questioning."

I paused to let the weight of that settle in the room.

"And more importantly," I said, "the realm’s previous owner, a Naga Grandmaster’s soul was trapped in a battle with a Phantom. Her name was Azalea Nag. I freed her by destroying the Phantom’s soul fragment, and I’ve gained her favor."

Now even Arkas raised an eyebrow.

I pressed on.

"So, here’s my proposal."

I lifted my hand slightly and started listing each step, clear and deliberate.

"First, we retake the realm. We wipe out the Holt members inside it and eliminate the two Feran contractors. Once that’s done, full control of the realm returns to us."

"Second, we shift the position of the realm slightly. It’s currently anchored to Vaythos, but if we move that anchor, even just a little, it will sever all existing portals. That will prevent the Ferans, Peanu, or anyone else from accessing it or finding it in short time."

I saw Cassian lean forward slightly.

"Third, we use the realm as our hidden base. From there, we launch a fast and surgical strike on Peanu and Sukra. Nothing open—covert operations only. As Dante suggested, we act like rogue mercenaries or assassins. Vaythos, on the surface, remains clean. We deny all involvement and maintain diplomatic posture."

I could feel their attention sharpening with each word.

"Fourth, while Peanu is busy dealing with that sudden chaos, we eradicate the Holt family on our soil. Again, we move through the realm and strike hard, fast, and quiet. Eliminate their leadership, disrupt their networks, cut off the head."

I paused for a breath. The room was utterly still.

"Finally," I said, locking eyes with the Emperor again, "before the Feran delegation even lands, we end the Holts completely, cripple at least half of Peanu and Sukra’s combat strength, and kill the Feran Grandmasters hiding on our world."

I leaned back slightly and added,

"And when the Ferans do arrive, we act surprised. We tell them we were too busy cleaning up Holt traitors to notice what was going on in other worlds."

Silence.

They all stared at me.

This plan—it wasn’t something I’d come up with on the spot.

The seeds had been there ever since I’d taken control of the realm core. Of course, the decision to strike Peanu and Sukra came only after hearing the Emperor lay everything out. But the rest? I’d been thinking about it constantly.

Arkas was the first to respond.

"I agree."

Just that. Calm, steady, certain.

Then General Cassian spoke, his voice sharp with skepticism.

"Why Sukra?" he asked. "We’ve never had a war with them. Our relationship has always been... neutral. And you want us to strike both of them at the same time?"

I nodded and explained my reasoning carefully.

"Because this is the only moment we have the element of surprise— true surprise. Once the Ferans arrive, or if we only attack Peanu, Sukra will be alerted. That opportunity will vanish. And about neutrality..."

I glanced at the projection of the three worlds still floating above the table.

"There’s no such thing as neutrality in our universe. Not anymore. We’re caught in an eternal war whether we admit it or not. We can either spare Sukra and let the Ferans use them freely—or hit them hard now, so that even if they’re used, we stay ahead."

Before anyone could cut in, I pressed on.

"I know we also need to maintain defenses against the Abominations. That’s why the timing of all this is so important. The realm lets us move Grandmasters without mass mobilization. It keeps our true strength hidden. That stealth is our advantage."

I took a breath, then added the final piece.

"And you don’t need anyone below Grandmaster for these operations. I’ll handle everyone else myself."

That earned me another long silence.

The Emperor leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

"You mean to say," he said slowly, "no Master-rank combatants should be involved at all?"

I shook my head.

"No. I can take care of the enemy below grandmaster on my own."

Then Dante’s voice came from behind me, dry and skeptical.

"What do you mean ’all’? Give me a number."

I paused, considered it for a moment.

Then I said quietly but firmly, "At least five hundred. At the same time."

I heard a soft grunt from Dante behind me—maybe approval, maybe doubt. I couldn’t tell.

Then Emperor Lucien asked another question, his voice calm but probing.

"So, you don’t agree with the diplomatic path Edgar suggested?"

I shook my head without hesitation.

"No. We’re too weak compared to the Ferans. If we go to negotiate, we won’t be sitting at the table as equals. It won’t be a discussion, it’ll be us following their orders. We don’t have enough leverage to bargain."

He studied me for a second, then asked again.

"Do you even know how many Grandmasters we have? Or how many are on Peanu and Sukra?"

I shook my head again.

"No, Your Majesty."

He nodded thoughtfully and leaned back slightly in his chair.

"The Ferans will be arriving in ten days," he said, swirling the liquid in his glass. "So, you’re suggesting we pull all this off within that time?"

I swallowed hard. Ten days wasn’t much. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure it was possible. But if the Empire had plans for emergencies—and I believed it did—then we had to be ready to move.

I nodded and replied with as much confidence as I could muster.

"Yes. And we capture the realm within the next two days."

The Emperor didn’t respond right away. He leaned back further in his chair, brought the glass to his lips, and took a slow sip.

No one said anything after that.

The room fell quiet.

Everyone was thinking. Weighing the risks. Judging me.

And I waited.

Because I meant every word I’d said.