"Uh…"
When the young man dispatched by the Empire to drive away the Alien King arrived at the designated location, he was surprised to find that the Alien King was already gone.
Instead, standing there with a faint smile was a handsome young man holding a severed arm. Surrounding him were thirteen lord-level primordial beasts, their intense gazes creating a palpable pressure on the young man.
"Hello, have you seen a particularly large, humanoid monster emitting an incredibly terrifying aura?"
After a brief hesitation, the star armor master dispatched by the Empire gestured as he spoke to Muria. However, his eyes kept darting toward the severed arm in Muria's hand.
"Are you referring to the Alien King?"
"Yes, exactly that one. Do you know where it went, or which direction it escaped in?" The young man could sense the lingering traces of the Alien King's overwhelming aura in the area. A surprising guess began to form in his mind.
"If you're looking for it, you're too late. It already fled. As for the direction, I can't say—it tore through space to escape. I couldn't follow, so it's likely back in its own territory by now."
"I see…" The young man's lips twitched slightly at Muria's calm explanation. His gaze returned to the severed arm in Muria's hand, and he made a request.
"Can I take a closer look at that thing in your hand? It looks familiar."
"Even if it does, it's not yours. It's my trophy." Muria refused without hesitation, his expression firm.
"Trophy?" The young man's eyelid twitched as he pointed to the arm, still dripping blood and with flesh writhing unnaturally at the severed end.
"Do you even know what that thing is? That's the Alien King's arm!"
"Of course, I know. I just ripped it off its body moments ago," Muria replied, rolling his eyes.
"Do you realize what you're saying, kid?" A vein bulged on the young man's forehead. He felt as though Muria was mocking him.
"Of course. That thing came here to kill me. Otherwise, why do you think it appeared here?"
"The Alien King came specifically to kill you? And you think you're…" The star armor master was about to retort but stopped himself mid-sentence. His expression shifted to one of surprise as he scrutinized Muria more closely. "Kid, what's your name?"
"Gerlos Douglas."
"The so-called world's greatest martial arts prodigy? The one who killed five alien generals in a single battle?"
"Good memory, keeping up with outdated news from three years ago." Muria raised an eyebrow.
"So it's you… No wonder the Alien King would make a move to quietly eliminate you. Still…" The young man looked around, puzzled. "Is there anyone else here?"
"No, just me and my pets."
"You're saying you and these thirteen lord-level primordial beasts worked together to drive off the Alien King?" The young man glanced at the powerful creatures surrounding Muria.
"Of course. Why would that be hard to believe? If you don't buy it, why not experience it yourself? You can enjoy the same treatment the Alien King received."
Muria's eyes gleamed with interest as he made the offer. His fight with the Alien King had left him far from satisfied.
"No thanks. I'm not interested." The young man studied the severed arm for a moment before firmly rejecting Muria's suggestion. Behind him, a rift in space opened. He turned and stepped through.
"Well, since the Alien King has fled and no harm has come to you, I'll take my leave. The rest isn't my concern. Goodbye, and maybe we'll meet again someday."
"This guy is such a slacker!" Muria muttered, feeling exasperated as he watched the young man disappear into the spatial rift. It wasn't his problem, though—it was an Empire matter.
After some thought, Muria descended to the ground with his thirteen primordial beasts. As he landed, the family members who had been watching the battle from a distance rushed over to him, bombarding him with questions about the fight and his condition.
"Brother, are you hurt?" his sister asked, her face full of concern.
"I'm fine." Muria waved his hand dismissively.
"Boss, you're amazing! You drove off the Alien King and even ripped off its arm! If this gets out, the whole world will be in an uproar. You'll become a global legend!"
Victor, wide-eyed with excitement, stared at the severed arm Muria held, already imagining the chaos the news would cause when they returned to the Federation.
"Sir, I have a suggestion, if I may," a young man stepped forward and bowed slightly to Muria.
"Speak freely. We're all family here. No need to hold back."
"The Alien King's attack on you is known only to the Empire and those of us here. I propose that we issue a gag order unless the Empire publicizes the incident. We should keep this information from spreading."
"Why hide this? My boss defeated the Alien King fair and square and even injured it. Why conceal such a glorious achievement?" Victor scowled at the speaker, ready to pummel him if the reasoning wasn't convincing.
"Lord Gerlos, if I'm not mistaken, you haven't yet reached the level of an Alien King, correct?"
"Correct."
"In that case, your earlier achievement of killing five alien generals is already impressive enough for your current level. There's no need to draw additional attention and risk inviting trouble."
"Your suggestion is excellent. We'll proceed with it," Muria nodded in agreement with the prudent advice.
Even if a gag order was issued, the Empire would undoubtedly be aware of the incident, and the Douglas family's higher-ups would eventually learn of it. The real concern was preventing the information from reaching groups like the Church of the Stars or the Federation's other three great families and its government.
Never underestimate human jealousy. People often take actions that defy reason. If this victory were widely publicized, it wouldn't just attract alien retaliation; there might also be fools among humans who would target him.
While Muria wasn't afraid of such schemes, he preferred to avoid unnecessary complications. Since the publicity wouldn't benefit him much beyond temporary fame, keeping things quiet was the better choice.
"Thank you, sir." The young man who had made the suggestion smiled, pleased that Muria valued his input.
"Brother, who was that young man who appeared earlier and spoke with you?" Muria's sister, Daisy, asked curiously.
"Probably someone from the Empire."
"I knew the Empire would send reinforcements! But he arrived too late—only after you had already driven off the Alien King. What inefficiency."
"If he's from the Empire, then he must be one of those legendary Thrones-ranked star armor masters."
"I'm not sure, but based on my senses, his presence felt similar to the Alien King's. So, he's probably what you call a Thrones-ranked star armor master," Muria speculated.
"Wow, really? What did you talk about with him?"
"Not much. He asked about the Alien King's whereabouts and this severed arm. He wanted to see it, but I said no. That's all." Muria spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
"Wow, boss, you even brushed off a Thrones-ranked star armor master! But you've earned the right to do that."
Amid the flurry of compliments and admiration, Muria and his group boarded the train to return to the Federation.
In the following days, Muria confirmed that the Empire had chosen to keep the incident under wraps. Despite its magnitude, the battle wasn't publicized, nor did it appear in media reports.
The Empire likely didn't believe that Muria and thirteen primordial beasts could drive off an Alien King, so it refrained from announcing the event. Following suit, Muria issued a gag order to his family members.
Even so, the family's senior members learned of Muria's achievement.
At first, they didn't believe it. But considering Muria had no reason to fabricate such a story—especially with the Alien King's severed arm as evidence—they eventually accepted it.
This new accomplishment further solidified Muria's standing in the family. The position of family head was already considered his, and this only made it more certain.
When Muria returned to the Federation, he was welcomed with great fanfare.
A grand banquet was held in the capital, drawing the attention of all the Federation's media outlets. Every major publication covered the event, with Muria, the hero returning from battle, as its centerpiece.
That night, countless honors were heaped upon Muria. High society figures invited by the Douglas family flattered him endlessly.
Muria's reincarnated mother, Susanna, was also present, basking in the glow of her son's achievements. Surrounded by influential women of the Federation, she received their praises and compliments with grace.
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