Chapter 589: Breakup

Genocide.

Anthony thought of this word.

Although he had killed a considerable number of people during his days at the Omni Peak Academy, those deaths had always been justified in his mind. He had only taken lives of those who came after him, like during the Academy invasion, or amidst the chaos of the war at Military Base Alpha-6.

He had never wiped out entire groups merely as collateral damage, nor had he ever killed individuals simply for being related to his enemies. Killing millions of people, many of whom probably didn’t even know he existed, just to hurt the Second Supreme Monarch, seemed like overkill.

But was Anthony having second thoughts?

Definitely not.

He wasn’t the type to take kindly to threats of any kind.

His thoughts shifted to the First Supreme Monarch. When they had first met, the man had appeared calm, exuding a sagely wisdom. But Anthony saw through the facade. He knew better. That air of serenity was just a carefully maintained outward appearance.

Anthony was fairly certain that the First Supreme Monarch was fully aware of the Second Supreme Monarch’s intentions. Yet, he had chosen not to interfere. It almost felt like there was a silent understanding between them.

Still, Anthony didn’t consider the First Supreme Monarch an enemy, at least, not yet. He hadn’t placed the First Supreme Monarch on his kill list because there was no valid reason to strike, no direct provocation.

After all, why would the First Supreme Monarch go out of his way to stop the Second Supreme Monarch just for his sake?

Simply because he was handsome?

Because he happened to be talented?

Because he has crowned himself the protagonist, and therefore everyone was supposed to side with him?

Anthony scoffed internally.

He wasn’t naïve. Nor was he a fool.

The First Supreme Monarch had absolutely nothing to gain from opposing the Second Supreme Monarch, not over someone like Anthony, someone who had refused his offer of discipleship and remained largely a stranger.

Risking his alliance with the Second Supreme Monarch just for a talented boy he barely knew made no logical sense.

This world operated on benefits. That was the fundamental law of reality here. Nothing came free. No act of kindness existed without a price. Everything had to be earned, or paid for.

Anthony wouldn’t move against the First Supreme Monarch unless the man moved against him first.

Even though the First Supreme Monarch had shrouded his entire frame in a mist of obscurity, Anthony’s eyes could still pierce through it. He had seen it, the man belonged to the Dragon race.

‘I wonder what kind of abilities his eyes possess,’ Anthony mused inwardly.

Then his thoughts veered back toward the Second Supreme Monarch.

‘How should I deal with him when he returns?’ Anthony found himself pondering.

‘Should I kill him publicly before the other Supreme Monarchs, using it as a warning? Or would it be better to execute him privately and then send them a recording of it afterward?’

His thoughts churned like a storm.

‘I shouldn’t waste my brain cells thinking about a side character,’ Anthony eventually concluded, brushing aside the concern.

The Second Supreme Monarch was still away. There was no point in obsessing over someone who wasn’t even present. When the time came, he would make his decision then.

There was no reason to let some old vampire, especially one who wasn’t even beauty, occupy his thoughts.

Yet at the back of his mind, another thought began to form. It whispered quietly, insidiously, that perhaps killing the Second Supreme Monarch’s descendants wasn’t an act of revenge at all.

Maybe it was mercy.

Anthony’s thoughts soon shifted to his teammates. Should he inform them about the genocide? He wasn’t sure. Although they had demonstrated bravery by choosing to side with him, that didn’t necessarily mean they’d be willing to massacre ‘innocent’ people, people who had no involvement in the recent attack against them.

Would they support such a drastic action?

He didn’t know.

Then his mind turned to Vega.

Should he tell her? Or would it be better to keep this to himself for the time being?

He wasn’t sure what Vega’s opinion would be on a situation like this. He knew her well, her compassion, especially her love for children, was genuine. It was one of the reasons he had always admired her. But it also made her unpredictable when it came to morally ambiguous decisions.

Yet, if he didn’t tell her, how would he ever find out?

He couldn’t just assume what she’d say or where she stood. Assumptions had no place in something this serious. Still, even if Vega said she couldn’t be part of something like that, it wouldn’t change Anthony’s course of action. She was her own person. And he was his.

Nothing would stop him from doing what he had already resolved to do.

Still, the thought of him and Vega wiping out an entire planet intrigued him. There was something about it, something intimate, perhaps even poetic, in the twisted logic of a mind like Anthony’s.

His thoughts circled back to the Second Supreme Monarch again.

How would the man find out?

Would he simply feel it, a sudden void in the connection to his descendants? Or would he remain oblivious until his return, completely unaware until the truth slammed into him like a celestial hammer?

If the Second Supreme Monarch did return and discovered the genocide, Anthony was certain who the man’s first suspect would be.

It was obvious.

One moment, he had sent out a descendant to eliminate a target. The next, all of his bloodline had been eradicated.

It was a no-brainer.

A slow smile crept onto Anthony’s face. He was already looking forward to that moment.

‘I should probably leave a clone behind, someone to notify me the second he returns,’ Anthony thought, amused. ‘That way, I can witness his reaction in real time.’

Then his thoughts abruptly paused.

‘Wait… am I becoming a psychopath?’ The question surfaced uninvited. ‘I was just smiling at the thought of killing millions of people without hesitation.’

He couldn’t help but ponder the possibility.

But then he shook his head, dismissing it as irrelevant.

There was nothing wrong with looking forward to your enemy’s pain and suffering. Not in a world like this.

With that, a phone materialized in his palm at the speed of thought. He opened it and began to type a message to Vega.

{Anthony: Need to discuss something with you. Can you come over now?}

Within seconds, her reply came through.

{Wifey: Sure}

Moments later, the door to the control room slid open with a soft mechanical hiss, and Vega stepped in. Her footsteps echoed lightly as she approached, her voice playful yet curious.

“Ant,” she said, taking a seat beside him with a smile, “you know, whenever one of the two people in a relationship says they want to ‘discuss something,’ ninety percent of the time, it ends in a breakup.”