"Who said I needed or wanted the title of Supreme Monarch?"

As those words left Anthony's lips, the entire hidden realm seemed to freeze in time. The atmosphere stilled, heavy and unmoving, as though the very air had forgotten how to flow.

His words resounded like a nuclear explosion in the ears of the Supreme Monarchs, a deafening shockwave that shattered the expectations they held. They could not help but doubt their own hearing. After all, throughout the long-standing history of the military bases, every soldier aspired to the title of Supreme Monarch. It was the pinnacle of authority, the height of honor and respect, a position countless lives had been sacrificed to obtain.

Yet this child, Anthony, had spoken as though the title held no value to him. He had not merely rejected it. His question made it clear that he simply did not care for it in the slightest.

Although it was merely a single, calmly spoken question, everyone present sat in stunned silence. Even the Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Supreme Monarchs, who were not easily shaken by worldly matters, found their composure disrupted as they heard the words.

'So we are wasting our time?' they all thought to themselves, the silent realization echoing in their hearts.

There had never been a law or rule that stated that any soldier from the military base, upon reaching the level of a Planetary being, must become a Supreme Monarch. In fact, there was a known precedent, Rudolph, the Soulpen Sovereign, guardian of the Tower of Knowledge across all military bases, had also rejected the title of Supreme Monarch. That anomaly had been acknowledged but never fully understood, and now, a second anomaly stood before them.

Anthony sat calmly upon his Cosmic Throne, his posture relaxed, his expression almost serene as he observed the expressions flickering across the faces of the Supreme Monarchs. He had never desired to become a Supreme Monarch. To him, it was simply too bothersome, too demanding, and ultimately burdensome without any true benefit.

Resources? Please. He possessed more resources than anyone sitting here, more than most could ever dream of accumulating.

Respect? Anthony had never needed anyone's respect or awe. His presence alone, his existence and overwhelming power, demanded respect passively, without him ever needing to claim a title or stand upon a pedestal.

Becoming a Supreme Monarch would mean he would be required to search for a planet, a habitable but uninhabited planet, claim it, and move it closer to the constellation of Military Base planets. Then, he would have to begin the tedious process of recruiting soldiers from scratch, establishing an entirely new military structure. Although some soldiers would be permitted to transfer from other military bases to his newly established one if they wished, Anthony was certain that many would not. The strong were proud; they would not easily abandon their established bases, relationships, and reputations to follow someone new.

Even if they did move to his base, the truly powerful ones would not. A Warlord would not abandon their current standing to swear fealty to him simply because he held a title.

Although he could become a Supreme Monarch and assign a clone to handle the affairs while he lazed around, there was no need. He could still live as he pleased without ever accepting the title. There was no difference to him.

This was precisely why he had told Warlord Aerenya, Warlord Brontagar, and Warlord Raelith to wait for him to become a Supreme Monarch before they set any of their plans in motion. He had only said that because he had no intention of becoming one, and thus no intention of allowing their plans to commence.

"So, let me get this right. You don't want to become a Supreme Monarch?" the Fourth Supreme Monarch asked calmly. The shocked expression that had momentarily flickered across his face was already gone, erased with practiced ease as though it had never existed in the first place.

Anthony's blue eyes shifted, calm and unwavering, meeting the man's composed black eyes. Then he replied with a single word, spoken with unshaken certainty. "Indeed."

At the side, Michael, Mitchelle, and Collins felt an instinctive urge to speak, to voice their stance, but they restrained themselves. They would not force their precious child and grandchild into something he did not want. Their silence was not passivity, it was trust.

"What do you suggest, Anthony?" the Seventh Supreme Monarch asked, her voice soft but steady, a small smile resting on her lips as she regarded him.

Anthony, still seated just as calmly as ever, spoke with his usual unhurried tone. "I don't suggest anything. I'm simply making my stance known, that's all."

"So, we have been wasting our time, then," the Third Supreme Monarch stated with a slow shake of his head, his voice carrying neither anger nor humor, merely weary resignation.

Suddenly, laughter echoed across the hidden realm, loud and abrupt.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

It came from the Second Supreme Monarch, whose laughter rang like the howl of a madman, discordant and sharp.

Eight sets of eyes turned toward him, each bearing a different expression as they watched him laugh. None understood what was amusing him to such an extent.

"What is so funny, Second Supreme?" the First Supreme Monarch asked, his gaze settling on the Vampire with a hint of irritation.

"What do you mean, what is so funny? Everything about this is funny," the Second Supreme Monarch began, his voice taking on a harsh edge. The calm expression he had worn earlier had long since vanished, replaced entirely by an expression twisted with a blend of scorn and anger, his features contorted in displeasure.

"Has the title and rank of Supreme Monarch become a joke that anyone can simply reject it now? First, the Werebeast declined, and now a Human is also rejecting it? If this is not an insult to all of us sitting here, mocking our efforts and sacrifices, then I do not know what is." His voice thundered across the hidden realm, anger seething in every syllable like wildfire.

Everyone stared at him in silence for a moment. They all understood that as Supreme Monarchs, pride and arrogance were ingrained in their very beings, part of their nature. But even so, to them, the Second Supreme's reaction felt excessive, childish even. All of this uproar simply because he had lost an arm to Anthony? To them, he was burning bridges unnecessarily, making enemies where none needed to exist, and creating losses for himself out of sheer pride.

All of this chaos, all for an arm he could regenerate even in his sleep.

"But Second Supreme, were you not the one pushing for Anthony not to become a Supreme Monarch, citing various reasons you presented as concern? Now that he does not wish to become a Supreme Monarch, which aligns with your own position, you find an issue with it?" the Third Supreme Monarch asked calmly.

Everyone nodded subtly. They could not comprehend his contradiction. Besides, the sheer amount of anger in his voice was too much, disproportionate to the situation.

As usual, the Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Supreme Monarchs did not speak. They simply sat in composed silence. Although Anthony was their child and grandchild, they had no intention of speaking up for him at every moment. They believed firmly that he could handle the situation on his own, and they were content to watch in silence, their quiet presence a testament to their confidence in him.

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