Chapter 184: Chapter 184: The Heir Of Dark-Moon Empire
"Y-your’re shameless!"
"So what if I am?"
Their usual bickering began, so Neo made his exit quietly.
He went command bridge where he could next instructions.
Aling the way, the ship’s AI, Ghost’s voice suddenly echoed from the walls around him.
"Master, I think we have problem!"
Neo’s browd furrowed. "What kind of problem?"
Ghost replied in his usual artificial voice, "The news of your victory over the 500th Rank Dominator Epos, spread through the Universal Network , and many galactic forums. They are making a noise about it."
"Oh, really! Show me." he commanded after pausing.
Soon, a holographic interface appeared before him.
It showed a popular thread where many dominators were commenting about it.
[ Lord Celetron: Who the fuck is this Zenith Emperor? How did he managed to defeat Epos? ]
[ Sovereign Vixra: Probably just some lucky upstart from a backwater galaxy. Epos was growing weak and complacent anyway, clinging to his measly fifty worlds like a coward. ]
[ Warlord Samor: Exactly. My Iron Empire controls over three thousand planets across the outer sectors, backed by a fully developed Tier 4 civilization. A single fleet of my dreadnoughts could wipe this so-called ’Zenith Emperor’ out before he even finishes his morning tea. ]
[ Star-King Oram: Still, completely destroying a Ranked Dominator is not a small feat for a total unknown. Does anyone actually know what Tier his civilization is? Or what kind of super-weapon he used? ]
[ High-Scientist Mauk: Preliminary network scans of the battle debris suggest his fleet is barely scraping past a Tier 2 civilization. He is using highly primitive energy shields mixed with outdated hyper-drives. It is absolutely laughable. ]
[ Lord Celetron: Hah! Just a Tier 2? I give this Zenith Emperor exactly one week before someone in the Outer Rim annexes his new territory and turns his people into mining slaves. ]
Neo watched the endless stream of arrogance and disdain scrolling past his eyes. But instead of feeling insulted or intimidated, he was amused.
"It seems my sudden rise to the five-hundredth rank has bruised quite a few dominators egos," Neo remarked casually, folding his arms across his chest.
Showing a rough galactic map, Ghost added:
"Master, they are not just talking. I have already detected several heavily armed scout ships from neighboring territories scanning the borders of Epos’ former star systems. They are currently analyzing our defense, waiting to see if you are weak enough to be easily invaded."
"Let them." Saying this, Neo continued walking with long strides.
"They are completely blinded by their own bloated numbers and advanced civilisation tiers. They think a higher civilization level automatically guarantees victory. But I will prove them utterly wrong.
"Ghost, set an immediate course for Epos’ primary capital world. Divert all available power to the main thrusters and prepare the Void cannons," Neo commanded upon sitting on his command throne, looking out through massive transparent glass, to the endless expanse of Dark Void.
"We are going to give these arrogant fools a very harsh reality check. Let us show them exactly why the Zenith Empire had reached at such heights."
Ghost flashed a smile.
"Understood, Master. I am Initiating hyper-jump in three seconds."
As the stars outside the reinforced glass transformed inti long lines of blinding white light, Neo understood his domination had just begun.
---
Dark-Moon Empire.
Myria just finished scrolling through the latest network updates regarding the Zenith Empire.
"So, he survived," she murmured softly.
However, the look in her eyes was not the bitter disappointment she had originally expected to feel. Instead, there was a profound, undeniable sense of relief.
Even she didn’t know why.
She was currently seated inside a magnificent grand hall, wearing an expensive, deep blue dress that complemented her icy, untouchable image perfectly.
Today marked her grandfather’s 210th birthday, and every prominent member of the Notivale family had gathered together to celebrate the momentous occasion.
The current Emperor and Empress, Myria’s father and mother, were seated at the head of the royal banquet.
Because they had no sons and only two daughters, Myria, as the eldest, was the rightful heir destined to inherit the throne.
And today was the day the Emperor would finally make her succession official.
Myria had been preparing for this exact moment for years. Only by taking the absolute throne of the Dark-Moon Empire could she truly expand her secret operations and execute her ambitions on a much grander scale.
In her opinion, even though the Dark-Moon Empire proudly boasted the title of a Tier 4 civilization, it had severely lost its lethal edge.
Their neighboring allies had already begun shifting their loyalties to other, more reliable galactic powers.
Even the nobles were also showing signs of an internal coup.
And she believed only she could change that.
The gentle clinking of crystal glasses faded as the Emperor stood at the head of the long banquet table.
"Honored family members, loyal nobles, and esteemed guests of the Dark-Moon Empire. We gather tonight to celebrate a monumental milestone. Two hundred and ten years of wisdom, strength, and unwavering dedication."
He bowed toward the elderly man.
"Father, your reign laid the very foundation of our current prosperity. You guided our fleets through the perilous Void Wars and solidified our standing as a Tier 4 civilization. For that, this entire empire owes you an eternal debt of gratitude."
Clap Clap Clap.
Everyone gave a round of applause.
But then, Emperor Vanir’s tone change.
"However, a true empire cannot survive on past glories alone. The universe is constantly shifting. New powers rise in the outer rims, and old alliances are tested. To ensure the Dark-Moon Empire remains a dominant force in this galaxy, we must look toward the future. We need strong, decisive leadership to carry our legacy forward into the next era.
Therefore, tonight is not just a celebration of our past. It is the official declaration of our future. I stand before you all to formally announce the rightful heir to the Dark-Moon Throne."
Emperor Vanir elegantly extended his hand toward Myria.
No. Not Myria. But to the figure standing just beside her.
Myria’s expression froze.
---
"The next Emperor Of Dark-Moon Empire would be Helion Noctivale, the Fistborn concubine Althea."
The announcement shocked everyone present.
The Empress, the other concubines, and even Myria’s uncle and aunts.
To their knowledge, Helion posses no Dominator Core, so how did be becmae qualified for the Emperor position.
And what about Myria? Wasn’t she the true Heiress?
The echoing words of the Imperial Chancellor hung in the air like heavy frost. For three long seconds, the grand court of the Dark-Moon Empire was dead silent.
Then, a collective intake of breath shattered the silence, triggering a wave of chaotic murmurs.
"Absurd!" The Empress’s voice rang out, sharp enough to cut through glass.
She stood up from her velvet seat, her dark cosmic aura flaring dangerously around her shoulders.
Her eyes glared down at her husband, then whipped toward Althea, who stood among the concubines with a serene, terrifyingly calm expression.
"Helion does not even possess a Dominator Core! He is a defect in the Noctivale bloodline. To place him on the throne is to doom the entire empire to ruin!"
Behind the Empress, Myria’s uncles and aunts also began speaking furiously.
"How can a coreless prince inherit the empire?"
"What about Myria? Her Dominator Rank reached the Count just last week!"
"This goes against the ancient laws of the Dark-Moon!"
Myria stood perfectly still in the center of the hall.
Her blue dress, embroidered with crescent moons, suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
Her heart trembled against her ribs. She was the true heir. Everyone in the empire knew it.
She had bled for this title, fought through the brutal Frozen Moon trials, and perfected her Beyonder power specifically to lead their people into the next cosmic era.
She looked toward her father, the current Emperor, who sat shrouded in the deep shadows of the high throne, silent and unmoving.
Why had he allowed this?
Concubine Althea, dressed in flowing red dress, stepped forward.
"Empress, please calm yourself.The Emperor’s wisdom is above everything else. If His Majesty deems my Helion worthy, then who are we to question the divine decree?"
Myria’s uncle, Duke Cardigan, bellowed:
"No. I found my Royal Brother’s decision very foolish, Althea! Without a Dominator Core, he cannot control the Empire’s planetary defense array. He cannot even channel the baseline Dark-Moon energy! He is a mere mortal in a family of gods!"
"Hehe..."
Suddenly, a soft chuckle echoed from the back of the hall.
All eyes shifted to a young man leaning casually against a white pillar. Helion Noctivale.
He wore a simple, pitch-black coat, completely devoid of the usual imperial gold ornaments.
He looked completely unbothered by the fact that the entire court was calling him a failure.
"A mortal, Uncle Cardigan?" Helion asked, stepping forward into the grand light of the luminescent crystals.
As he moved, the shadows around his feet seemed to devouring the light itself.
Myria’s eyes grew wide. Her Dominator Core suddenly throbbed with an eerie sense of fear.
It was an instinctual reaction she had never experienced in her entire life.
Helion stopped a few paces away from Myria, offering her a mocking smile.
"You all rely so heavily on the Dominator Core. You think it is the absolute pinnacle of power."
He raised his right hand and clenched into a fist, making the space shatter under his raw power.
"But what if I told you... I don’t have a Dominator Core because my body simply refused to be limited by one?"
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