MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1064: Another Solution

Tiara's thoughts whirled in infinite loops, resembling a boundless sea battering fiercely against its own coastline. Her Bloodline Grade had forged her identity; indeed, her name was Tiara Terpes, yet it was truly her Bloodline Grade that molded and defined her very being as Tiara Terpes.

Should she relinquish it, she would instantly tumble from her exalted status, dropping from such dizzying heights that the crash would demolish all she had ever cherished. She would forfeit it all—those who once pursued her with sweet words and fake fondness, those who occasionally dispatched precious resources just to curry favor, those who groveled and praised her effusively due to her ties and her bloodline grade.

From her first days at Omni Peak Academy, Tiara had grasped an irrefutable truth: the instant she tumbled from grace, death might claim her right then and there. Mockery would rain down unchecked, and admirers who once gazed upon her with awe would now regard her with icy scorn and silent loathing.

This was exactly why she never deigned to notice anyone, never recognized their professed love or devotion; she rejected all absurd declarations or overtures, knowing full well that such feelings were never authentic. Every offer hid unseen conditions, ones she realized she could never defy once she took hold of the advantages they offered.

Certain suitors had even lavished opulent presents on her parents, aiming to sway them into steering their daughter's interest their way.

Thus, from her tender youth, Tiara's profoundest dread and innermost vulnerability had never been mere death, so transient and insignificant; it had forever been the terror of forfeiting her talent, the terror of losing the essence that constituted her true self.

Yet now, she faced a demand to surrender precisely that, with no guarantee of what lay beyond.

When Anthony revealed the price to her, not a second passed before she pondered or balanced her choices. Her mind, body, and spirit all roared a firm, gut-level refusal the moment his words ended; she merely held back from blurting it out like some impulsive, idiotic vampire.

Her mind churned in ceaseless turmoil, thoughts tangling in wild disarray. She pondered not just the immediate crisis, but projected far into the future, contemplating the long-term consequences of such a choice. Agreeing to Anthony's offer—what fate truly awaited her beyond that threshold?

Tiara wasn't foolish enough to think the Vice Principal of Omni Peak Academy, an ancient entity spanning millennia without taking even one disciple, had chosen her out of mere benevolence or charity. The instant her Royal Grade Bloodline evaporated, that same woman—who had once battled the Blood Queen for her—would cut ties without a second thought or remorse.

Deprived of the Blood Queen's shield and the Vice Principal's support, nothing would remain but certain doom from those who had resented her for years, yet never dared to strike due to their weakness.

In this instant, Anthony's aid no longer justified the staggering toll. It failed to resolve her crisis; it only thrust her from one deadly bind into a far graver, more unpredictable peril. The scowl on her face gradually eased as this truth sank in, and she let out a soft, resigned breath. Such was the harsh truth of existence—one nearly always had to yield something precious to acquire another prize.

A bitter, mocking grin crept across her mouth as she chided herself deep inside. She had vowed that upon discovering an escape from her betrothal woes, she would clutch it fiercely and hold on until liberty was hers. But now, that escape stood right before her, locking eyes with her, and she proved wholly unable to extend her hand and seize it.

Anthony, however, had pierced the Blood Queen's elaborate plots and covert designs. Though he scorned intrigue thanks to his supreme strength, his Scheming Mind ability and Divine Intelligence ability served real purpose. To him, these machinations appeared crystal clear, as if unveiled openly from the start.

Even with this insight, he refrained from speaking it. What use could Tiara, or anyone else in this control room, make of that revelation?

In a realm like Earth, stripped of superpowers and mystical talents, threatening mighty factions by unleashing such "crucial" secrets upon the masses could harness public wrath and ethical norms. Yet, within the Acarnis Galaxy of a cosmos where raw power dictates everything, and on a world such as the Blue Planet, even Tiara broadcasting Elara and Drake’s schemes openly would merely brand her as mad or idiotic in others' eyes.

Morality? Such a notion might only be worth discussing with the Creator beyond the grave.

Naturally, Anthony could have aided Tiara far more straightforwardly by bestowing upon the Blood Queen an Ancestor Grade Bloodline, striking at the problem's core. But what motive could he possibly have for that? Elara hadn't earned or merited any such phenomenal gift from him.

Moreover, a much easier and straightforward approach was available.

"I refuse," Tiara declared, raising her eyes to lock onto Anthony’s, her face resolute and determination unbreakable.

A subtle smile curved Anthony’s lips, her response utterly predictable to him. Neither the Storm Brothers nor Bryan showed the least bit of astonishment, as they themselves would have chosen identically without a second thought; the Royal Grade Bloodline proved far too invaluable to squander.

"I guessed as much," Anthony answered serenely, a hint of amusement threading through his tone.

Tiara released a gentle breath before continuing, "I realize it's not simple for you to extend your aid, and I apologize for rejecting it and seeming ungrateful," she added with a slight bow of her head.

No matter his outwardly relaxed and friendly demeanor, the Anthony seated across from her differed greatly from the man of five years prior.

Anthony flicked his hand casually in dismissal, replying, "No need to dwell on it. I respect your steadfast resolve; for that reason, I'll propose an alternative path," his words resonating softly in the chamber, laced with a devilish murmur as his trademark grin reappeared.

"Another solution?" Tiara queried, her shock impossible to conceal. Beside her, Bryan, Rider, and Bringer traded furtive looks, their intrigue mounting as they pondered the insane price or horrifying toll this purported alternative might exact.

Meeting Tiara’s gaze steadily, Anthony uttered with eerie composure, his presence evoking a fiend disguised in mortal flesh, "Wouldn’t eliminating Drake Bloodmoon serve as the easiest fix?" he remarked as naturally and offhandedly as inhaling air.

As soon as those words escaped him, the whole assembly turned to stone. Anthony’s declaration slammed into them like a cataclysm, leaving them rigid in utter disbelief, incapable of blinking, breathing, or grasping the enormity of what they’d heard.

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