The movent was so abrupt that the three emperors and the surrounding experts recoiled in panic.
A mont later, they stood there, flushed with embarrassnt.
Hum!
As the light flickered, a massive holographic projection of the stars manifested before everyone. The experts of the four races exchanged awkward glances, realizing they had overreacted.
"This... is our Milky Way."
Lance gestured toward the beautiful, spiraling galaxy on the star map. Everyone stared, bewildered. They weren't fools; they knew what the Milky Way looked like.
Then, the scale of the star map began to expand rapidly. The Milky Way shrank at a dizzying pace.
The once-vast Milky Way eventually beca nothing more than a tiny, glowing dot. At that mont, a gargantuan, looming galaxy began to co into view.
Its sheer scale caused everyone's pupils to contract. They recognized this galaxy; it was not far from The Milky Way, but they had never detected a single Bio-signature within it. Every probe and scout they had sent returned with the sa report: the galaxy was uninhabited.
What they didn't understand was the concept of "Galactic Shielding." It was a thod used by high-level civilizations to hide from lower ones. After all, being constantly watched by primitive races was considered an insult to a superior species. As for the scouts who had visited and found nothing—their mories had simply been edited.
They had no idea that their constant probing was exactly what had drawn the attention of The Void-kin to The Milky Way, leading to the ultimate decision to seize the galaxy and treat its inhabitants like cattle.
"This galaxy is a massive system our people discovered years ago! It is known as IC1101, five million light-years in diater—a million tis the size of The Milky Way! However, it has another na: The Phantom Sector!"
Lance spoke slowly, and the mont his words left his lips, the expressions of every powerhouse from the five races changed drastically.
The Phantom Sector? The Void-kin?
Could it be...
At that mont, everyone was paralyzed by horror. A galaxy a million tis the size of The Milky Way was targeting them—the scale of the threat was beyond comprehension.
In an instant, they all ca to the sa conclusion: The Void-kin already within The Milky Way were rely scouts.
"The strongest of The Void-kin is a Galactic Realm powerhouse. At the sa ti, they possess tens of thousands of Stellar Class warriors and at least millions of Planetary Class ones. Currently, a hundred thousand Planetary Class warriors and hundreds of millions of Great Grandmasters have been stationed at strategic points across all nations in The Milky Way."
"The mont they strike, our four races will be wiped out in an instant!"
Looking at the trembling representatives of the five races, Lance dropped another bombshell.
He even marked the locations of all hundred thousand Void-kin and displayed footage intercepted from various micro-realms.
At the sa ti, he explained the entirety of The Void-kin’s objective.
BOOM!
Their minds reeled as if struck by a physical blow. Every single one of them was left in a state of utter shock and disbelief.
Staring at the dense clusters of light on the map, a primal chill seeped into their hearts. These locations were the most critical strategic points for all five races. If they fell, their people would be enslaved at lightning speed.
Furthermore, with so many Planetary Class powerhouses, they would be outnumbered two or three to one. Judging by the energy signatures, the invaders were significantly more powerful than the local forces!
Total panic set in.
"Do you an... the five of us need to join forces to deal with The Void-kin?" Emperor Xis finally spoke, having guessed Lance’s intention.
The other powerhouses suddenly understood.
However, so mbers of the four races grew resentful.
They were already being driven out of The Milky Way; why should they risk their lives for humanity?
Just then, Aurelius stepped forward.
"Even if you say you’re leaving, The Void-kin will never let you depart The Milky Way. You only have two choices now: stand with us and resist, or be wiped out together. To fight or to die—I believe the choice is clear."
Aurelius’s voice was heavy and grim.
The faces of the powerhouses from the four races darkened.
He was right. Even if they wanted to leave, they needed permission from the invaders to do so. These beings fed on Souls; they were conquering The Milky Way to turn its inhabitants into food. They wouldn't let their "al" run away.
"Hmph! If we’re going to fight together against an outside enemy, then the previous conditions are off the table!" Emperor Tartarus suddenly barked.
"What do you want, then?" Aurelius asked solemnly. He knew that the brunt of the defense would fall on the four races; humanity was simply too weak. They would likely be annihilated within minutes of the war starting.
"Isn't it obvious? Our four races have massive populations. If we win this, we’ll suffer heavy casualties and won't be able to leave even if we wanted to. Therefore, I demand we sign a treaty! Starting today, for the next million years, humanity cannot take action against us!"
"Nor can you force us to leave The Milky Way unless we choose to! Additionally, there won't be many humans left after this is over, so you won't need such a vast territory. You must cede half of it to us!" Emperor Tartarus shouted.
Since they had to fight anyway, they needed to settle the aftermath first.
"Exactly! Otherwise, we’d rather take our chances and flee now. So of our people might make it out! Humanity is different; the number of Void-kin powerhouses lying in wait for you is just as high. If you try to run, you’ll only find death!"
"The Phantom Sector might have only sent a small force, but defeating them is nearly impossible. We can't risk everything for nothing!"
The remaining two emperors spoke coldly.
Aurelius and the others' faces darkened. These people were opportunistic vultures, demanding half of humanity's territory before the first shot was even fired.
If they agreed now, they would be no better than traitors.
"The first condition is acceptable, but the territory is absolutely out of the question! Besides, isn't it a bit early to discuss this before the fight has even started?" Guardian Aether couldn't hold back and snapped.
"Early? If we don't settle this now, what chance will we have once the fighting begins?"
"Exactly. If we sohow win, what's to stop humanity from turning on us? Lance and The Martial Paragon must both sign the contract with us!"
The two emperors snorted. If the negotiations failed, they would simply take their chances and run.
Of course, if they actually did that, not a single one of their Stellar Class powerhouses would likely survive.
If they fought, they might have a slim chance.
They assud the hundred thousand Planetary Class warriors and the hundreds of millions of Great Grandmasters were the full extent of The Void-kin's force.
Unfortunately, once the war truly broke out, The Void-kin's Stellar Class powerhouses could arrive within a single day. At that point, the five races wouldn't stand a chance even if they fought to the last breath.
"Wait a minute. I think you've completely misunderstood ."
While everyone was arguing over how to divide the spoils of a war they hadn't fought, Lance spoke up, sounding quite exasperated.
His words left everyone confused. They all turned to look at him.
Misunderstood? What did he an?
"When did I ever say I needed help from your four races?"
Lance's voice was calm.
The representatives of all five races were stunned.
He didn't want help? Did he intend for humanity to face The Void-kin alone?
Even if he was incredibly strong—perhaps even at the terrifying Galactic Realm—he was still just one man!
"What do you an by that?" Emperor Xis asked warily.
"No need to rush. I just want you all to watch a show. Oh, and didn't you say your four races have so many people that humanity wouldn't stand a chance if we fought?"
Lance looked calmly at the three emperors.
His tone gradually grew colder.
They had dared to threaten him despite the massive gap in strength. If he didn't give them a taste of true despair, his cultivation would have been for nothing.
His words caused the powerhouses of the four races to pale.
Was Lance still planning to attack them?
Lance simply smiled and pointed toward the star-filled sky.
Everyone followed his finger, looking at the projections in the sky.
Suddenly, the massive star-map projection shattered into a hundred thousand smaller screens.
Each small projection was dozens of kiloters wide.
They were massive enough for everyone present to see clearly.
And these hundred thousand screens all displayed various sectors of the galaxy.
The powerhouses who possessed a deep understanding of astronomy were suddenly struck by a wave of horror. They realized that the star charts projected by the small screens were the exact coordinates where the Void-kin experts were lying in ambush!
"Hummmmmmm!!!!!"
A low, heavy drone suddenly resonated through the air, vibrating through their very bones.
In an instant, fissures tore across the entire expanse of the projected starry sky simultaneously.
One after another, massive warships surged out from these jagged spatial fractures, their hulls gleaming with a cold, predatory light.
The sight caused the faces of everyone from the five races to turn deathly pale.
"What's happening? Are they launching their assault already?!"
"Dammit, get the word out! Tell our people to prepare the defenses imdiately!"
"It’s no use! I can't get through! The surrounding Star Sectors have been completely locked down!"
The mbers of the five races spiraled into a frantic panic, desperately attempting to contact their kin. However, every attempt ended in failure; the void was silent, their signals dead.
At this mont, even the humans were gripped by a sense of impending doom.
"Lance, what is the aning of this?!"
Guardian Aether demanded, his voice tight with urgency. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was Lance’s doing.
The thought suddenly flashed through his mind: could Lance be a mole for the Void-kin?
As the suspicion took root, Guardian Aether’s face drained of all color. It made sense—how could the human race possibly produce a genius of such monstrous caliber? It defied all logic!
Of course, if Lance had known what the old man was thinking, he would have likely coughed up blood in frustration. A Void-kin mole? This old man has a bit too much imagination!
"Lord Guardian, look! The Void-kin within our borders... they're moving toward the other territories!" a voice cried out in sudden, shocked delight.
Everyone’s gaze shifted instantly toward the ten thousand-plus warships stationed within human space. The fleet was indeed pivoting, accelerating toward the positions of the other four races.
In that mont, an unbelievable thought struck them: could Lance actually be controlling these Void-kin powerhouses?
"Wait! It must be the legacy of the Star Sea Realm expert!" Ignis shouted, his voice thick with excitent. "Lance must have obtained a Tier 9 intellect! He’s hacked the Void-kin’s systems! He's the one who issued the order to attack the other four races!"
As his words rang out, every human present felt a surge of adrenaline and hope.
anwhile, the powerhouses of the remaining four races finally realized why Lance had revealed the Void-kin’s numbers to them. He wanted them to watch, helpless, as their civilizations were brought to the brink of extinction.
"Lance, you monster!"
Emperor Xis finally lost his cool, his composure shattering as he roared at the young man.
"Amusing," Lance scoffed, his eyes cold and devoid of pity. "Weren't you all planning to exterminate every single human before I even arrived? And now you’re calling heartless? Do you honestly think if one of your kin had obtained this legacy, they’d be a saint and let the other races go?"
The words t a wall of heavy silence.
Ever since this secret realm opened, the fate of the five races had been sealed: only one could remain. The other four would either be driven out of The Milky Way or face total annihilation. There was no room for negotiation. But now that the end was staring them in the face, they were terrified.
"Lance... can you at least leave so survivors for The Xis?" Emperor Xis asked, his voice low and weary. "We are all part of the sa Milky Way, after all. I am willing to die right now if you spare them."
His plea was so pathetic that even so of the younger humans felt a flicker of sympathy.
"Yes... as long as you leave so of our bloodline alive, we won't resist. We'll die by your hand!"
"The Tartarans feel the sa!"
The other two emperors spoke up, their voices heavy with desperation.
Watching their display, Lance felt no pity. He let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"That’s quite a performance. Keep it up."
Lance flicked his finger toward the empty air.
A new image manifested before them.
The screen showed the four emperors before they had arrived, discussing exactly how they would wipe out the human race. In the recording, they treated humans like playthings, declaring that humanity had to be destroyed whether they obtained the legacy or not. They even discussed hiding for a few centuries until The Martial Paragon died before returning to finish the job.
The pity that had briefly touched the younger humans vanished instantly, replaced by a volcanic rage.
"Shaless bastards! You were so arrogant about erasing us, and now you have the gall to beg for rcy?!"
"You decided to commit genocide against us on your way here! Why should we show you any rcy?"
"Lord Lance, we beg of you—wipe them out! All of them!"
"I'll personally hunt down any survivors!"
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