After a brief pause, Colonel Vazeryth's eyes fluttered open.
"Is there any detail you believe should be included that has not yet appeared in this report?"
He inquired, his voice steady and resolute.
At his words, the atmosphere shifted palpably.
The temperature seed to drop, as if the very air had thickened with tension.
Yet Anthony's deanor remained unaltered.
His gaze steady, his posture unyielding, his heartbeat steady and unaffected.
He stood, an embodint of calm indifference, impervious to the subtle pressure mounting around him.
"No, sir. Everything has been detailed in the report"
Anthony responded, his voice asured.
Colonel Vazeryth's fingers drumd steadily against the surface of his desk, the rhythmic sound punctuating the charged silence.
"So, the Executioner intended to escape his confinent by transferring his soul into your body, then consu yours to seize your affinities, talents, and abilities?"
He stated, his piercing gaze never leaving Anthony.
"Yes, sir"
Anthony affird, his tone brisk.
The information had also been ticulously included in the report by Igris.
"How did you manage to kill him? As soone hailing from a higher galaxy, you should have been utterly powerless"
Colonel Vazeryth inquired once more, his voice laced with disbelief.
Anthony t his gaze with a calm resolve.
"That, Colonel Vazeryth, is a secret. However, I can tell you this much, it's a unique technique my mother used on my soul following the second assault on Omni-Peak Academy"
In that mont, Anthony deftly invoked his mother's na, using her legacy as both shield and subtle deflection.
While the military had no legitimate claim to inquire about the thods Anthony employed to vanquish his foes, after all, everyone possessed their own secrets, their authority to press for answers arose if they deed the power to be perilous or tied to malevolent forces.
Colonel Vazeryth, however, was certain that Anthony had not resorted to any dark skill or ability.
His talent, after all, was undeniably extraordinary, standing far beyond the reach of anything sinister.
"According to the report, you possess the Severed Crown of Echoes"
Colonel Vazeryth began, his tone shifting slightly as the tension in the room eased just a fraction.
"Yet, I don't see it within your storage ring"
He finished, his gaze sharp and inquisitive.
This was the inherent flaw of space rings: with the right mana control, anyone could infiltrate your storage, probing for whatever you held within.
Of course, one could block such an intrusion, provided their mana control surpassed that of the intruder's, or if they wielded mastery over space itself.
At the Colonel's words, Anthony remained silent.
Without a word, he raised his hand, his palm facing upwards.
In response, the Severed Crown of Echoes materialized, levitating above his hand, its presence undeniable.
Colonel Vazeryth watched intently, his gaze flickering with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny, as if assessing the artifact's very essence.
He refrained from questioning Anthony about the Crown's sudden appearance.
He knew all too well that, once again, Anthony would likely shield himself with his mother's influence.
After all, she, like him, possessed an array of affinities.
And beyond that, she was a Supre Monarch, her power and reach far beyond the ordinary.
The Colonel leaned forward, his hands reaching out to make contact with the Crown, eager to examine it closely.
"I advise against touching it"
Anthony's voice interrupted, steady yet laced with caution.
The Colonel froze mid-motion, his hands halting just inches from the artifact.
"Why?"
He inquired, his gaze now shifting between the Crown and Anthony, curiosity piqued.
"When the Executioner retrieved it, he refrained from touching it"
Anthony explained, his tone matter-of-fact.
"I can't say for certain why, but it's wiser to err on the side of caution"
"This detail was not included in your report"
The Colonel remarked, his brow furrowing slightly.
"This isn't a confird fact"
Anthony replied, his voice calm.
"It's rely an assumption"
Although the clone had touched the Severed Crown of Echoes without any apparent consequence, that did not an the real Anthony would follow suit.
Besides, the clone had been killed by the Executioner imdiately after touching it.
The Colonel, sharp as ever, understood the aning of Anthony's words.
Only verified facts were to be docunted in the mission report, nothing more, nothing less.
Any conjecture, any assumption, or even what one believed to be true, had no place in such official records.
To include anything speculative was considered a serious breach of protocol, one that carried severe consequences.
With a subtle gesture, the Colonel manipulated his mana, drawing the Severed Crown of Echoes closer through the art of telekinesis.
For a mont, his eyes seed to shift becoming vertically slit, like those of a predator.
He studied the crown intently, his gaze piercing, yet despite his scrutiny, he discovered nothing of note.
With a soft exhale, his eyes returned to their normal human form.
Anthony, unfazed by the change, made no comnt.
After all, the Colonel was a Dragon, and such transformations were to be expected.
Rising from his seat, the Colonel strode toward the door, which opened automatically in response to his presence.
The Severed Crown of Echoes hovered silently behind him, guided by his telekinetic command.
"Follow "
His voice resonated, reaching Anthony's ears with quiet authority.
Without a mont's hesitation, Anthony turned and followed, his steps steady and assured.
The door shut quietly behind them as they walked, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the corridor.
As they passed, the people they encountered saluted the Colonel, their respect evident in the brief yet formal gestures.
"Where are we headed?"
Anthony asked, his curiosity piqued.
"To the Logistics Departnt"
The Colonel replied softly, his voice carrying a hint of finality.
Without another word, he shot into the sky, soaring toward a distant floating island.
"Why are we going there?"
Anthony asked, his voice tinged with confusion as he effortlessly kept pace beside the Colonel, gliding silently through the air.
"To uncover the true nature of this so-called Severed Crown of Echoes"
The Colonel answered, his gaze scanning the horizon.
"Even my eyes couldn't discern anything about it"
A realization suddenly clicked in Anthony's mind.
He had learned the details of the Severed Crown of Echoes through the system, but the others, including Igris, had not.
Therefore, the Crown's full nature had never made its way into the mission report.
"There is a man there who should be able to assist us. He is the head of the Logistics Departnt"
The Colonel continued, his tone casual but purposeful.
Anthony rely nodded in acknowledgnt.
And so, the silence settled between them once more, the only sound the rush of wind as they flew together toward their destination, each lost in thought as the floating island lood closer.
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