Chapter 177: Chapter 177: The Secret Controller
"You are Neo Godson? The Zenith Emperor?" Magnus asked.
"Your guess is correct," Neo replied.
Councilman Vance shrieked,
"You are a monster, Neo Godson! You were born on Earth! You are human! How can you slaughter your own kind?"
Neo slowly turned his gaze toward Vance.
"Human? That us quite a convenient label you use when you want obedience. But when my family needed protection, when we were discarded like trash, where was this shared humanity?"
Neo simply blinked, and then—
Pop!
Councilman Vance imploded with a sickening crunch of bone and metal as his body compressed into a sphere of pure cosmic gravity the size of a marble before turning into fine red dust.
"Ahhh..."
The remaining councilmen, seeing this, gasped in horror.
"I do not rule through the illusion of democracy. You old fools sit in your cushioned chairs and debate the value of lives as if they are simple numbers on a screen. You preach freedom, yet you eagerly pay taxes to Lord Bala like obedient dogs, hoping he never looks too closely at your little blue planet."
"Shut Up! We did what was necessary to survive! We kept Earth safe!" Screamed Magnus, a righteous look on his face.
Neo shook his head.
"No. You just kept yourselves comfortable. Survival is not cowering in the dark. Survival is conquering the dark. You view power as a tool to oppress the weak. I view power as the absolute truth of the universe. The strong dictate reality. The weak obey."
Neo suddenly leaned closer to Magnus, adding:
"Do you know why the universe is vast, Magnus? It is vast because it demands expansion. It demands synthesis. You have stagnated on this beautiful planet. You have walled yourselves off, playing petty political games while the true masters of the void conquer entire galaxies. You sent mercenaries to assassinate me because you fear change. You fear what you cannot control."
"Tyrant!" another councilman roared, his mind finally breaking under the terrifying atmospheric pressure.
He then hurriedly pulled a concealed plasma pistol from his coat and fired blindly at Neo’s back.
But—
ZZAAP~!
The blazing blue plasma bolt froze mere inches from Neo’s obsidian armor, suspended perfectly in midair.
Neo did not even turn around. He merely snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Instantly, the plasma bolt reversed its trajectory at ten times its original speed, instantly vaporizing the councilman’s upper half.
As if nothing happened, Neo continued,
"I am the Zenith. I do not seek subjects to oppress. I seek subjects who understand their place in the grand chessboard of the cosmos. Your Federation is obsolete. It is a rot masquerading as order."
"Damn bastard! We are not gods, Neo Godson! We are only men! You cannot judge us for our mortal limitations!" a younger councilman cried out from the back, pressing his bleeding forehead against the floor.
"Na, you’re foolishly wrong. I don’t judge you for your limitations. I judge you for your pride. You sent an assassin to my empire and assumed there would be no consequences. You thought your wealth could shield you from the laws of the cosmic food chain. That is not a limitation. That is pure, unforgivable arrogance."
Neo raised a single finger. The young councilman gasped as an invisible force effortlessly lifted him into the air.
"A mortal who knows his place is wise," Neo stated, closing his fist.
Crack!
The councilman’s neck snapped with a loud crack, and then his lifeless body fell to the floor.
"A mortal who challenges the heavens and demands mercy when he fails is nothing but a parasite."
He stopped moving and stood directly over Chancellor Magnus.
"The universe does not negotiate, Magnus. It simply consumes. I am offering you the rare privilege of evolution. Surrender your armies, surrender your titles, and surrender this world to the Zenith Empire."
Magnus trembled, tears of ultimate defeat streaming down his aged face.
"And if I refuse?"
"If you refuse, I will not just kill you. I will erase the very memory of the Federation from the stars. I will burn your history, shatter your monuments, and rebuild Earth from the ashes of your arrogance. The choice is yours, Chancellor. Evolve and serve, or become cosmic dust."
Magnus was still unwilling, but what could he do before a Cosmic Dominator? He was just an ordinary man who wanted to keep Earth’s freedom.
Still, there was not much of a choice now. If Earth survives, they can think of freedom. For now, it will be under Zenith’s rule.
He had made up his mind.
But just as he was about to speak, the floor below him violently tore open. Then, in a swift motion, a hand grabbed him and pulled him down into the abyss.
It was not done by Neo. It was the work of someone else.
"So, did you finally decide to show yourself? I knew these cowards could not be the only reason the Federation had degraded..." Neo said, almost as if talking to empty air.
Soon, a voice followed.
"Degraded? I have kept it balanced for centuries, little boy. But you... You ruined everything. You are selfishly trying to drag this planet into meaningless wars."
Neo let out a tired sigh.
"Meaningless? You think someone who has tasted blood and sweat would do something so pitiful? No. I will rebuild this world, and I will make it part of my empire. I will save it from stagnation. That is justice to the people who want to see a bigger universe."
The unknown voice laughed in amusement.
"Then, why do we not let those people choose what they actually want?"
"Democracy? Why would I do that when I have the power to do as I wish? Are you going to stop me?" Neo replied coldly.
The figure chuckled, "Not really. I know my limits. I am far weaker than you. I also know you can reach me through the Void, but it would be very futile... I have millions of clones. They might not have the power to defeat you, but they do have the power to cause instability and rebellion in your empire... If you do not want that to happen, you must listen to their choices. Whether they choose you as their ruler or stick with the old order, let us leave it up to them."
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