MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 441: Veylanthar Clan

After several moments, Zhyravelʼs violet gaze slowly lifted from the artifact, coming to rest on Colonel Vazeryth and Anthony.

A quiet exhale escaped his lips as his eyes reverted to their usual obsidian black, the glow fading.

”What a troublesome artifact youʼve brought me this time”

He said, his voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and concern.

”Where did you acquire this?”

Colonel Vazeryth shook his head slightly, his expression steady.

”You know I canʼt answer that. Military information is classified”

Zhyravel let out an exaggerated groan, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair.

”Come on, donʼt play this game with me. You usually tell me things. Is the boy behind you the reason youʼre keeping quiet?”

The Colonelʼs lips twitched.

But his reply was firm, his voice carrying an unbending edge.

”Iʼm sorry, Zhyravel. This time, I canʼt tell you”

”No problem, then”

Zhyravel said with a sly smile, his voice light but laced with an unspoken weight.

”Iʼll tell you what Iʼve found about your Severed Crown of Echoes, but only on one condition”

Anthonyʼs gaze sharpened for a moment, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

ʼThe fact that he knows the name of the crown means heʼs legitʼ

He thought, a flicker of intrigue passing through him.

ʼI wonder what those eyes can really doʼ

Colonel Vazeryth raised an eyebrow, his expression cautious but composed.

”What condition?”

Zhyravelʼs smile widened as he pointed directly at Anthony, a mischievous glint flashing in his dark eyes.

”Lend him to me for a few weeks”

Anthony and Colonel Vazeryth frowned in unison, their expressions darkening.

”You canʼt use him as a test subject. Heʼs not some lab rat, Zhyravel”

Colonel Vazeryth replied calmly, his tone brisk.

ʼThis is a firstʼ

Anthony thought, a wry flicker of humor mixed with unease.

ʼBeing considered for an experiment, should I feel special, or should I be terrified?ʼ

Zhyravel chuckled lightly, but the Colonelʼs words clearly gave him pause.

He tilted his head slightly, regarding Vazeryth with mild amusement.

”I canʼt just hand over a soldier to you”

Vazeryth continued, his voice steady and firm.

”Besides, this soldier is the one who brought the artifact back”

Zhyravelʼs expression softened slightly as he conceded, but his words carried a quiet insistence.

”Fine. Then just a drop of his blood”

Colonel Vazerythʼs eyes narrowed as he replied evenly, the weight of his authority clear.

”I canʼt force a subordinate of mine to give blood. But you can ask him yourself. Itʼs his blood, after all”

With that, the Colonel smoothly shifted the decision onto Anthony, leaving the matter entirely in his hands.

Zhyravelʼs gaze immediately flicked to Anthony, his smile widening as he spoke in a more coaxing tone.

”Just a drop, Lieutenant. No harm, I promise”

”I canʼt do that”

Anthony replied respectfully, his voice and expression calm.

”Besides, why do you even want my blood?”

Zhyravelʼs smile didnʼt falter, his response as cool and collected as ever.

”Simply because youʼre special”

”Special?”

Anthony raised an eyebrow as if confused by the word.

Zhyravelʼs smile widened, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

”Donʼt act dumb. You saw when my eyes turned purple, right? I possess two pairs of eyes, which I can interchange at will. The second pair of eyes lets me glimpse and see through layers of information, among other things. And Lieutenant, although my eyes couldnʼt pick up much from you, I can tell that your very existence is a treasure trove. The way mana and elemental particles dance around you, begging to be commanded… Youʼve hidden it well, but itʼs useless in front of my gaze”

He leaned forward slightly, the smile on his lips turning into something more, a grin

”And in the history of histories, Iʼm quite sure no one has stepped into the Ecliptic Rank at the age of nineteen”

Zhyravelʼs gaze locked onto Anthony with an intensity that was almost tangible, as if he was ready to dissect every secret Anthony had ever buried within himself.

Anthony remained calm, his composure unshaken.

He didnʼt flinch or panic; after all, his rank and affinities were widely known.

There was no mystery to them.

ʼIt seems the fact that his special eyes couldnʼt discern anything beyond whatʼs been shown makes him realize that Iʼm even more specialʼ

Anthony mused quietly to himself.

”Iʼm sorry”

He said, his tone calm.

”My answer is still no”

Zhyravelʼs grin only widened, undeterred by the refusal.

”What if I offered you something in return? A cultivation manual, specially created and tailored for you… made by me”

The offer hung in the air, Zhyravelʼs grin still in place, but now tinged with something more calculating.

Before Anthony could even respond, Colonel Vazerythʼs voice broke the silence, laced with surprise.

”Iʼve been asking you for a cultivation manual for over two hundred years, but youʼve always declined. Yet, youʼre ready to offer it to him for just a drop of blood?”

Although Colonel Vazeryth was well aware of Anthonyʼs extraordinary talent and abilities, he still couldnʼt help but be taken aback.

To him Anthony was the product of an unparalleled lineage, a combination of his parentsʼ and grandparentsʼ gifts, manifesting in a prodigious talent that bordered on monstrous.

Zhyravel didnʼt reply Colonel Vazeryth, his gaze fixed intently on Anthony as if daring him to reject his offer.

”Lieutenant Anthony, donʼt be so quick to refuse Zhyravelʼs offer”

Colonel Vazerythʼs tone was firm, yet tinged with a hint of urgency.

”The Veylanthar are a clan renowned for their unparalleled intelligence across the galaxy. Their minds operate on a higher plane, allowing them to perceive connections between seemingly unrelated events and ideas. Where others see chaos, they see order. This innate intelligence goes far beyond mere academics. They possess the ability to manipulate information, whether raw data or magical energies, with remarkable precision. Their brains can process vast quantities of information in mere fractions of a second. Simply put, they are... outrageous”

Colonel Vazerythʼs words hung in the air, almost a plea, as he attempted to impress upon Anthony the magnitude of Zhyravelʼs offer.

After all, with Anthonyʼs backing, how could anyone tempt him with mere cultivation manuals or resources?

Anthonyʼs expression shifted to one of surprise as the weight of the Colonelʼs words sank in.

Then a question suddenly clicked in his mind.

”Then what are they doing here?”

Anthony asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.

”Shouldnʼt they be working for the higher races, like the Voidwalkers or something?”

A heavy sigh escaped Colonel Vazerythʼs lips as he replied.

”Although they are renowned for their intelligence, the Veylanthar are not battle-hardened. Their planets were destroyed, their kind hunted down. We could only save a few of them, and in exchange, they agreed to serve us, bound by a mana contract that ties them to the military for eternity. As for the higher races, their pride is too great to ever accept that a race considered weaker than them could be more intelligent”

The Colonel paused, his gaze lingering on Anthony before adding with a heavy finality.

”The cultivation manual that every single Supreme Monarch uses today? That was created by Zhyravel himself, as part of the agreement. And each manual is meticulously tailored to the individual itʼs intended for”

The words landed with the force of a bomb in Anthonyʼs mind, reverberating through his thoughts.