MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Every single being within the secret realm doubted their ears. Could their hearing, after countless ages of existence, finally be failing them? Could old age have finally caught up with them?

A mere Lieutenant-ranked soldier had proposed to attack a Supreme. No, scratch that, a mere Ecliptic-ranked child had actually dared to suggest such an outrageous thing.

This wasn't just a discussion between the Second Supreme and the human boy anymore. No, it had become a matter involving everyone present.

It was a matter of pride. A matter of status. A matter of identity.

They hadn't climbed this far in life, through blood, through sweat, through sacrifice, through countless battles and unimaginable losses, just to be insulted like this. No being who had carved out a place among the Supremes could endure such disrespect without response.

Then it came.

Killing intent, a pressure so sharp it felt like blades, eclipsed anything Anthony had ever witnessed. It bled into reality itself. The secret realm quaked as space began to suffocate under their collective madness.

Auras erupted with world-ending force, crashing down as though the skies themselves were falling, and they all slammed upon one single person, Null Anthony.

But Anthony remained unperturbed.

Against the overwhelming killing intent and aura of eight Supreme Monarchs, Anthony remained untouched. The time particles around him bent and swirled, obeying his control like loyal servants.

This time, both Michael, Mitchelle, and Collins joined in. After all, they were Supremes. And Supremes couldn't be insulted like this without consequences.

Besides, when had they ever raised a descendant so bold, so daring?

The stars above instantly snuffed out beneath their killing intent. Darkness swallowed the realm whole, like night devouring the last glimmers of dusk.

But the Supremes didn't move. Their eyes pierced through the suffocating black, landing on the pair of blue eyes that refused to be extinguished by darkness.

"It seems you need to be taught a lesson, young one."

The First Supreme Monarch finally spoke. His voice, once neutral, turned ice-cold. As the very First Supreme, he took pride in his title, in his legacy, in the honor he carried with him like a mantle. Disrespect could not and would not be tolerated.

Anthony, seeing all of this unfold, simply smiled. A thought echoed in his mind, stubborn and quietly amused; 'Push it just a little bit more.'

A part of him wanted everything to descend into chaos. For a full-scale battle to erupt. His body itched for it, his instincts almost called out for it. But this wasn't the time. Not yet.

"My blood alone carries the lineage of three different Supreme Monarchs,"

Anthony intoned, his voice turning icy cold, sharp enough to freeze the air.

"Alongside that, it bears the sacred blood of the Saintess of the World. The Second Supreme drinking my blood is akin to drinking the legacy of these beings. Shouldn't an appropriate price be paid for this?"

He had proposed the idea of the Second Supreme blocking an attack because he detested people staring at him like he was some rare treasure.

He hated it.

First, it was the Soulpen Sovereign who had dared to peer into his very soul.

Second was Zhyravel, who tried to bind him to a table and dissect him for research.

And now, the third, the Second Supreme, wanted to drink his blood.

Not just a drop. A whole litre.

Anthony knew the Second Supreme was a Vampire. Of course, a being that ancient, that powerful, would be one of the old ones. A vampire with a taste refined through centuries, who now hungered for even a drop of his Primordial Bloodline.

Everyone had begun treating him like a treasure, like a fruit to be sliced open and drained of its worth.

Hearing Anthony's words, everyone paused. Indeed, it made sense. Anthony was their descendant, a perfect amalgamation of parents and grandparents. The purest form of legacy they had ever created.

But still, the insult lingered.

"I will take on the attack then," the Second Supreme Monarch finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with arrogance. "But as the price for your insult, it will be two litres."

Not only did he agree to take the blow, he doubled the price.

In his mind, there was not even a sliver of belief that Anthony had an attack capable of injuring a Supreme.

Supremes existed on a different level, one where even planets could fall beneath their might. He believed Anthony couldn't injure him even if he attacked without defending. And under normal circumstances, he would be absolutely right.

Their auras and killing intent, which had once flooded space and snuffed out the stars, vanished as though they had never existed. The stars returned, flickering back into the void and bringing with them a calm, almost deceptive peace.

Michael, Mitchelle, and Collins fell into deep thought. Their minds drifted back to Romulus, the being Anthony had unleashed against the Spirit King.

Initially, they had been furious at Anthony's impudence, but now, hearing his words, reminding them of the blood that coursed through him, they were prepared to defend him, no matter what happened.

"Let us get this over with."

The Second Supreme Monarch rose from his seat, his figure descending gracefully as though carried by unseen forces. He landed a few meters away from Anthony, his presence still radiating power and pride.

A smile curved his lips, though his heartbeat had unknowingly quickened. His eyes glowed faintly as he stared at the boy before him.

"If there is anything you need to prepare, do so now," he advised, his tone still calm but heavy with superiority. "After all, injuring a Supreme isn't easy."

He was giving Anthony a chance, not because he expected danger, but because it was beneath him not to.

Anthony shook his head slowly and spoke, his posture still regal, still unfazed by the presence of a being that could shatter worlds.

"There is nothing to prepare," he said with confidence. "I will only be attacking once."

He paused, letting his words sink into the minds of everyone around, then continued.

"I will be attacking on the count of three, Second Supreme Monarch."

"A junior counting down for a senior?" the Second Supreme replied, a slight chill returning to his voice. "Let's hope your blood is worth all this."

If not for the three Supremes watching from above, he would have already torn this insolent human boy apart.

Anthony didn't respond. He merely began the countdown.

"One."

"Two."

Every Supreme Monarch fixed their gaze on the boy. They all wondered what he would do, what hidden card he would dare play.

There had to be something more. They had all guessed something was unique about his blood. After all, the Second Supreme wouldn't endure such humiliation for nothing. They had each silently planned to ask the Second Supreme for a drop, for research, of course.

"Three."