MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 398: Military Rank

Anthony walked along the rows of shelves, his fingers brushing lightly against the spines of the books as he scanned the titles.

With a simple mental command, he activated his Authority of Information, allowing him to quickly locate some books that might offer insights into the military, a topic of undeniable interest.

He made his way to a nearby table, the soft echo of his footsteps barely audible in the quiet expanse of the room.

Settling down, he prepared to open the book, his mind already turning over what secrets it might contain.

But before he could even begin to read, a shift in the air caught his attention.

Ten soldiers, all of Lieutenant rank, had circled him like a well coordinated formation.

Their eyes, sharp and focused, locked onto Anthony.

There was a shared purpose in their movements, an unspoken understanding between them.

One of them, a man with a scar running down his left cheek, stepped forward, his voice calm but firm.

"How many military points for the pen?"

The soldiers had clearly seen and heard the interaction between Anthony and the Soulpen Sovereign.

They knew a pen had been gifted.

And they weren't about to let such a rare opportunity slip away without trying to capitalize on it.

None of the soldiers had ever seen Anthony before.

To them, he was just another soldier who had recently been promoted, his prior rank irrelevant in the face of the situation at hand.

They watched him carefully, his demeanor, his movements, everything about him seemed foreign, almost too composed.

Judging by how he had behaved around the Soulpen Sovereign, they were certain he had no knowledge of the legend surrounding the Tower Guardian.

This, in their minds, was the perfect opportunity.

If they could fool Anthony into parting with the pen for a cheap price, they'd strike it rich.

One of the soldiers, a lean man with a sharp jawline, spoke first, his voice low and measured, as if careful not to draw attention to the gathering.

"How about four thousand military points?"

The offer hung in the air, a tentative deal that assumed far too much.

The soldiers watched Anthony's every reaction, sensing the possibility of an easy bargain.

The room remained eerily quiet, save for the soft rustling of pages from the book Anthony had just set down.

The Tower Guardian was a legend among the military, known to disdain noise or disturbances.

Before any of them could continue their attempt at bargaining, Anthony raised his hand, his voice calm yet firm, cutting through the tension with surprising authority.

"Not for sale"

He said, his eyes steady.

"How dare I sell something given to me by the Tower Guardian? I don't want to die yet"

The words were simple, but they struck with the weight of unspoken danger.

The soldiers froze, their eyes flicking instinctively to the Soulpen Sovereign, who continued his meticulous care for his collection of pens, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.

Understanding the gravity of Anthony's words, the soldiers exchanged glances, the realization dawning that they'd overstepped.

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With a collective nod, they stepped back and returned to their seats, leaving the matter unspoken but not forgotten.

They would bide their time.

Since the Tower Guardian might not have any interest in what happened outside the Tower, there were plenty of ways to strike a deal without his interference.

And they weren't about to give up just yet.

Anthony let out a quiet sigh as he watched the soldiers file out of the room, their attempts at negotiation quietly dismissed.

His gaze lingered on their retreating figures for a moment, a faint sense of amusement flickering in his mind, before he turned back to the task at hand.

He opened the book in front of him, casually flipping through the pages, though his eyes barely lingered on the text.

To any casual observer, it would seem as though he was simply passing the time, flipping aimlessly through history books.

But to Anthony, every page was absorbed in an instant.

His photographic memory allowed him to take in volumes of information without needing to pause, to focus on a single word for more than a fraction of a second.

He had done this countless times, his mind capturing details and organizing them into perfect clarity.

To him, reading was more of an exercise in speed than comprehension.

A few minutes passed, and Anthony folded his arms, leaning back in his chair.

The history he'd just skimmed was tedious at best.

'History books are boring'

Anthony thought with a subtle roll of his eyes.

As his mind sifted through the facts he had just read.

The Demon race had invaded the blue planet seven million years ago.

But what stood out to Anthony was the staggering gap between the invasion and the establishment of the first military base, two million years.

Two million years of war, chaos, and devastation before any semblance of organized defense emerged.

It wasn't until five million years ago that the military, in its current form, had been founded.

'Two million years to establish the military'

Anthony mused, his mind flicking back to the timeline.

Anthony rubbed his temples, feeling an imaginary headache brewing as the weight of the thought sunk deeper into his mind.

'How much hate does each race possess towards each other for it to take two million years just to establish the first military base?'

The historical narrative was a tragedy, but one that seemed almost inevitable given the intensity of the animosity between the races.

The military's birth was not born of unity but of years of bitter hatred, infighting, and betrayal.

The very foundation had been built on the backs of schemes, each race trying to manipulate and control the military for their own gain, often at the cost of others.

The internal conflict within the base had been so deep that it wasn't just about defending against external threats; it was about surviving within the very structure they had created.

A chaos of loyalty, power struggles, and deep-seated racism had defined the early years of the military. Each faction's ambition poisoned the idea of cooperation.

But as time passed, something changed. Slowly, the military started to gain structure, though it was a long, painful process.

More bases were established, and the racism and hate that had festered within the ranks were confronted and quelled, one battle at a time.

The military began to consolidate its power, becoming an independent entity that stood apart from the influence of families and powers that had once controlled it.

Eventually, the Military High Court was formed, a beacon of impartiality and justice that would serve as the final word in matters of military law.

The High Court's decision was absolute. Once someone was found guilty, their family, their name, everything they had built, was erased.

The military spared nothing in its pursuit of true justice, ensuring that not even the most influential or powerful could escape punishment.

At this moment, the military's rank structure was as follows:

Recruit — Private — Corporal — Sergeant — Master Sergeant — Lieutenant — Captain — Major — Colonel — General — Grand Marshal — Warlord — Supreme Monarch

There were nine military bases scattered across the galaxy, each one occupying an entire planet.

Military Base Alpha-6, where Anthony currently resided, was no exception, it was a planet in itself, housing the immense power of the military.

Each of these planets was protected by a Supreme Monarch, the highest authority and protector of the military's interests.

Among the revered Monarchs, names such as Null Michael the Sword Saint, Null Collins the Lightning God, and Mitchelle Crimson, the Crimson Witch of Destruction, stood out as titans of power and influence.

They were legends, and their very presence was enough to alter the course of history.

Being backed by even one Monarch was an extraordinary feat. It was a shield that ensured power, influence, and prestige.

But having the support of three Monarchs? That was a level of protection and power most could never fathom, let alone achieve.

The Supreme Monarchs were the reason why Anthony had been granted the rank of Lieutenant without ever having completed a single military mission.

It wasn't due to his accomplishments, at least, not yet, it was because of the immense benefits the military and the Supreme Monarchs themselves gained from his exploit in the galaxy.

Anthony chuckled softly at his thoughts.

'I'm really born into the greatest family this planet has to offer'

He wasn't being arrogant, just self-aware.

Unlike the protagonists of those novels, where the main character always seemed to face endless suffering, only to be reborn into a world of hardship, Anthony had been blessed with an incredibly powerful family, and he wasn't shy about recognizing it.

He found those stories where the protagonist had to struggle endlessly simply to rise from the dirt to be somewhat unnecessary.

Why make the MC suffer twice over?

That didn't make sense to him. Life was already hard enough for them in their first life.

As he scanned through more of the military's history and structure, Anthony found himself reflecting on the figures around him, especially the Soulpen Sovereign.

It was well known that the Soulpen Sovereign's accomplishments were legendary.

He had reached military milestones that very few could even dream of, including achieving the rank of Supreme Monarch, one of the most prestigious titles in the entire universe.

However, instead of relishing the power that came with the title, he had declined the promotion.

The Supreme Monarchs, despite their vast powers, had agreed unanimously to elevate him, but he had opted for a different path.

He had chosen to remain as the Tower of Knowledge's Guardian.

Why?

Anthony mused.

The Soulpen Sovereign was a man of contradictions.

On one hand, he had achieved all the military accolades possible and had earned the respect of all the Supreme Monarchs, but he didn't care much for the politics of war and battle.

His preferred lifestyle was a simpler one.

Not that he was afraid of battle, far from it.

If conflict arose, the Soulpen Sovereign would step into the fray and show exactly why he held the title of Sovereign.

His decision not to take on the responsibility of being a Supreme Monarch had more to do with the immense work involved, taking care of an entire planet, building it from scratch, and handling all the duties that came with being a Monarch wasn't exactly a task for someone seeking an easy carefree life.

Additionally, Anthony recalled something about the way the Supreme Monarchs worked: each new Supreme Monarch meant a new military base would be established.

The Soulpen Sovereign could easily have taken up that responsibility, but the effort required to manage a planet, especially a new one, was too much for his liking.

Still, the true scale of the Soulpen Sovereign's power couldn't be understated.

While many people thought of power in terms of sheer strength, the Soulpen Sovereign's ability to guard not one but ten separate Towers of Knowledge.

Each one on a different planet, was a testament to just how immense his control over space, time, and energy truly was.

Ten different planets, lightyears apart, yet he could manage them all without breaking a sweat.

The level of spatial mastery and mental discipline required for such a feat was unimaginable.

'This guy really is something else'

Anthony thought, still thinking the Soulpen Sovereign's extraordinary abilities.

Despite the Soulpen Sovereign's apparent calm demeanor and preference for simplicity, the power he held was a constant reminder that even in the world of the powerful, simplicity didn't necessarily equate to weakness.