Lucius and the others returned to the grand hall of the Volcaria estate. As soon as they entered, Ragnar and Bryson turned toward Lucius.
Ragnar crossed his arms as he was quite irritated with Lucius. "Why the hell did you make that bet?"
Bryson nodded in agreent as he raised his hand. "We had the numbers. We should've just gone to war. Why bother with a competition?"
Lucius chuckled with amusent as he leaned back against the table. "Calm down. Think for a mont."
Lucius leaned forward and shrugged. "if we went to war, there would be too many casualties on both sides. Even if we won, we'd be too weak to defend ourselves afterward."
Lucius then continued. "We're trying to build an empire, not destroy ourselves before it even begins. If we exhaust all our forces now, other factions, other empires, will see us as vulnerable and strike."
Bryson let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. "And you think a competition is the better choice?"
Lucius smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Relax. It'll only be a 3 vs. 3 battle. We'll only focus on taking down their three strongest—their 7-Star tars. Once we eliminate them, what's left?"
Ragnar smirked as he realized the truth. "Their soldiers, without any real leadership..."
Lucius snapped his fingers as he smirked. "Precisely. With no 7-Star tars left, do you really think their army will dare to attack us?"
Bryson processed Lucius' words and began to smirk. "Clever. Without their strongest, they won't have the confidence to fight. They'll retreat."
Ragnar chuckled, shaking his head. "Damn, Lucius. You really planned this whole thing out."
Lucius shrugged. "Of course. Why waste thousands of lives when we can cripple them in just three battles?"
Bryson, still processing the strategy, crossed his arms. "Fair enough, but still... who are we sending for these battles?"
Ragnar smirked as he glanced around. "Isn't it obvious? We have exactly three 7-Star tars on our side—, Savra, and you, Bryson."
Bryson nodded as he processed it. "I see. That makes sense as we are the only 7-Star tars."
But before they could settle on the plan, Lucius shook his head. "No, it will not be the three of you."
Ragnar imdiately frowned. "No? Then who else? We're the only 7-Star tars here."
Lucius smirked as he leaned forward slightly. "You two will fight. But for the third participant… it will be ."
For a brief mont, neither Ragnar nor Bryson reacted. They hadn't quite heard him correctly. Then, almost simultaneously, they were shocked.
Bryson stared at Lucius in disbelief as he took a step forward. "What the hell are you saying? You're joining the battle?"
Ragnar nodded in agreent as he turned to Lucius. "You're not even a 7-Star tar. This competition is only for 7-Star tars."
Bryson scoffed, letting out a laugh and shaking his head. "You must be joking. You need to be 7-Star to participate, Lucius. You can't just wish yourself to that level overnight."
Ragnar, however, remained silent for a mont. Unlike Bryson, he had known Lucius long enough to recognize sothing deeper behind his words.
He could only sigh as he narrowed his eyes. "You have a plan, don't you, Lucius?"
Lucius only smirked and nodded. "Of course, but before I tell you how, let explain why I need to join this battle."
He leaned forward and explained. "The first reason is that both Karion and Astorius hate . Whether we like it or not, they'll target no matter what."
He then shrugged. "If I don't participate, they'll find another way to co after . So, instead of waiting, I'll give them what they want—I'll enter the arena myself."
Bryson's eyes flickered as he clenched his jaw, considering Lucius's words.
Lucius continued, "The second reason is strategy. We need to have at least one 7-Star tar at full strength to lead the armies—in case the Empire still tries to attack after the competition."
Ragnar and Bryson exchanged glances as they heard what Lucius was planning. But still, Ragnar rubbed his temples. "It's still a bit reckless for you to enter the battle, Lucius."
Bryson let out a frustrated sigh. "No, it's not just reckless—it's stupid. How the hell do you expect to beco 7-Star in one week?!"
Lucius only smirked as he leaned back slightly. "Relax. Just focus on yourselves—train, get used to your new talents, and beco stronger."
Ragnar and Bryson exchanged glances. Despite their frustration, they both knew there was no changing Lucius's mind.
Ragnar sighed, rubbing his temples as he muttered. "Fine. Do whatever you want."
Bryson exhaled, crossing his arms. "Stubborn bastard. Just don't get yourself killed."
Lucius chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. But before I get started… I need sothing from you."
Ragnar raised his eyebrow. "What now?"
Lucius smirked. "I'll need so potent dicine and high-level materials—the best you can get. I want to experint with sothing. And trust , it will be very useful later."
Ragnar and Bryson frowned, exchanging another glance. Bryson shook his head. "You and your damn experints..."
Ragnar sighed. "Fine. We'll send you so 6-Star materials. That should be more than enough."
Lucius grinned. "Perfect. I'll be waiting in my lab."
With that, he turned around and left the hall. Whatever he was planning, it was about to begin.
---
In the grand imperial hall, King Astorius sat upon his throne. Anselm and Karion kneeled before him, their expressions filled with frustration.
Karion glanced at the king. "Why did you agree to that competition, your majesty? We should have crushed them outright!"
Anselm, though calr, shared the sentint. "Yes, Your Majesty. Why give them a chance? We had the advantage."
Astorius let out a slow breath. "What that midget said was the truth. If we went to war, we would have lost too many soldiers." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire
He then clenched his fists. "Even if we won, our forces would be crippled—and the mont that happens, the other empires, the ones already eyeing our weakness, would pounce."
Anselm remained silent as he knew what the king ant by saying it.
Karion clenched his fists and smirked. "Even so... This competition gives the perfect chance to get revenge. I will personally tear Lucius apart for what he did to my sons."
Astorius nodded. "Then make sure you train harder, Karion. You will be joining the battle."
Karion smirked faintly. "Good. That's exactly what I wanted."
Astorius then turned to Anselm. "Go and summon the Sky General. It's ti for him to fight."
Anselm nodded as he turned around and left the hall.
Astorius leaned back in his throne and exhaled deeply. "Lucius… You may have bought yourself ti, but you haven't won yet."
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