My Celestial Ascension

Seeing Valeria step in, King Richard felt an overwhelming wave of relief wash over him. He let out a deep sigh, as if the weight of his worries had been lifted in an instant. With a composed stride, he approached her, bowed his head respectfully, and said,

"War General Valeria, I will be forever grateful to you for taking action against this abomination."

Valeria offered a faint smile, her gaze softening briefly before hardening again as she shifted her attention to her younger brother—who was struggling against what she considered nothing more than a mere member of the Golden Skull organization.

"It's alright, King Richard," she replied calmly. "You don't need to thank me. This matter is very personal to me."

Her smile grew sharper, a glint of both pride and frustration flickering in her eyes as she added,

"After all, he publicly humiliated the Imperial Family of the Lionheart Empire—my family. As the elder daughter of the Lionheart Family, it's my duty to uphold our family's reputation."

"Hahaha! Uphold the reputation of the Lionheart Family?" Skull Hunter's mocking laughter echoed across the arena, loud and biting. "What reputation is left to uphold? You're delusional, War General Valeria!" His arrogance dripped from every word, fueled by misplaced confidence that he could easily defeat her.

Valeria's smile vanished. Her eyes turned cold, sharp as blades, and her voice dropped to an icy whisper,

"Shut your filthy mouth."

The air grew heavy.

Skull Hunter's laughter died instantly. His mouth opened slightly, as if to respond, but no words came out. A shiver crawled down his spine, freezing him in place. His chest tightened, and his confidence evaporated like mist under the scorching sun.

'What… what is this feeling?'

A creeping sense of dread gnawed at the edges of his mind. His body tensed involuntarily, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake the chilling fear that gripped him.

'Why do I suddenly feel so powerless?'

But he was the leader of the masked group. Showing weakness in front of his subordinates was unthinkable. Gritting his teeth, he forced his body to relax, masking his fear with a defiant glare.

'I can't afford to falter—not in front of them,' he thought, forcing a sneer onto his face. 'I'll have to take her seriously. If I don't… she'll kill me without hesitation.'

The confidence he once held was now fractured, replaced by a lingering fear of the unknown. Valeria wasn't just a formidable warrior—there was something else, something he couldn't understand. Something terrifying.

'This woman isn't as simple as she appears… there's a darkness, a power within her that I can't comprehend,' he realized, swallowing hard.

Valeria noticed his hesitation—the way his bravado had crumbled, even if he tried to mask it. She smiled again, this time with predatory amusement.

"Oh? What's wrong?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. "Did you just pee your pants?"

Upon hearing this mockery, Skull Hunter's face twisted in fury, as if Valeria had trampled on his pride. He roared at her, "Y-You bitch! How dare you try to intimidate me—the proud core member of the Golden Skull Organization?! You'll pay for this!"

The short sword in his hand suddenly glowed with a dangerous red light, sending chills down the spines of everyone in the stadium. The crowd watched with terrified expressions, their eyes fixed on Skull Hunter.

However, Valeria stood before him without a hint of fear in her eyes—in fact, she was smiling. But it wasn't an affectionate smile. It was a wild, murderous grin.

"Well, I've wasted enough time. I'll end this quickly and return to my husband's side. It's boring here." Valeria tightened her grip on her sword, her dangerous grin deepening as she prepared to slice him into countless pieces.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Philip's lips curled in annoyance. He felt an irrational urge to strangle Valeria, but he knew better. If he tried, she'd probably beat him until a few of his bones were broken.

'I hope she can take down that bastard—Skull Hunter—and get it over with.' Emperor Philip sighed, pulling a mana replenishment potion from his magic pouch.

King Richard did the same, downing the potion in one go. Immediately, a thin glow enveloped both of them as their mana was fully replenished.

Seeing this, Skull Hunter smirked and shouted, "Go after them and make sure they don't leave here alive. I'll entertain this beauty myself. Only I can defeat her!"

"We understand, Boss! Leave them to us!" his men replied in unison. They quickly surged forward, drawing custom-made magic weapons that doubled as wands to cast powerful spells.

Valeria's eyes narrowed, her smile fading into a cold, bone-chilling glare. "Is that so? Did you really think I'd let you do that? How foolish of you to ignore me…" Her voice was icy, sending waves of panic through the Golden Skull members.

"Do you think we care? Our boss will deal with you while we deal with your pathe—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Valeria flicked her wrist with a cold snort, as if disgusted by his words.

A thin red line suddenly appeared on his forehead. The golden mask he wore slid off his face in two clean halves, clattering to the floor. The cut was so precise that it seemed magical—too perfect to have been made by an ordinary blade.

The crowd gasped, their eyes widening as the crimson line on the man's face grew more visible with every passing second.

The next second, his body split cleanly in two, sliced effortlessly by Valeria's sword. The precision of the cut was surreal, as if reality itself had been severed. Upon witnessing this spectacle, everyone—including the Golden Skull members—stood frozen in shock.

Almost immediately, the same fate befell another member. His body was cleaved in half, blood splattering across the ground like crimson paint. His organs spilled out grotesquely, painting a gruesome scene that turned the battlefield into a nightmare.

"W-What just happened?!" "When did Lady Valeria even swing her sword?! I didn't see anything at all!" "I didn't even see her move… Just how powerful has Lady Valeria become?!"

Shocked murmurs echoed throughout the stadium. Every pair of eyes was glued to Valeria, disbelief etched on their faces. What they had just witnessed defied logic, leaving them speechless and awestruck.

'W-What just happened? Why didn't I see her move? Could this be some kind of illusion magic?' Skull Hunter stared at Valeria, his suspicion quickly giving way to a mix of fear and anxiety.

'But… I don't sense any magic being used here. Could this be real?'

Confused and desperate for answers, Skull Hunter activated his sensing magic, reaching out to detect the life force of his fallen comrades.

But as soon as his magic took effect, the truth hit him like a hammer—both of his men were dead. His expression shifted from suspicion to sheer horror and disbelief.

"W-What the hell did you do?! How dare you kill my men?! You'll pay for this!" Skull Hunter roared, his face contorted with rage. He lunged at Valeria, weapon raised high, his fury blinding him to reason.

Valeria didn't flinch. Her cold, disdainful eyes locked onto him as she casually flicked her sword, sending fresh blood droplets splattering onto the ground.

"Do you think someone like you has the right to question me? Know your place." Her voice was like ice—sharp, cutting, and merciless.

'You bitch!' Skull Hunter screamed inwardly, his rage boiling over. He swung his short sword at Valeria with all his strength, his intentions clear—he wanted to end her life in a single, decisive strike.

He wasn't interested in drawn-out combat. He knew he couldn't match her god-like speed. If he gave her even a moment to counter, he'd be dead before he realized it.

"Now die, bitch!" Skull Hunter bellowed, aiming to slice open her neck with a swift, precise swing.

But Valeria simply smirked—and vanished. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

A heartbeat later, two more masked men collapsed to the ground, their bodies lifeless, their blood pooling into small crimson puddles that stained the earth.

Cries of terror erupted from the crowd. Some people turned away and vomited, unable to stomach the gruesome sight. Others trembled where they stood, paralyzed by fear, their eyes darting between the corpses and the woman responsible.

'What?! She… she killed two more of my men? Instantly?! This can't be real!'

Skull Hunter stared at Valeria, his disbelief growing with each breath. His mind screamed that this was a nightmare, but the blood on the ground told him otherwise.

Unfortunately for him, this wasn't a bad dream or an illusion. It was happening right before his eyes—and he couldn't do anything to stop the madness.

Before Skull Hunter could even process what was happening, Valeria moved at an incredible speed, her figure nothing more than a blur. The crowd could barely catch glimpses of her afterimage as she tore through the members of the Golden Skull Organization, cutting them down one after another with ruthless efficiency.

Skull Hunter—and everyone else who witnessed the massacre—stood frozen, disbelief etched into their faces. In mere moments, every single member of the organization lay dead… all except for their leader.

When the slaughter was over, Valeria suddenly reappeared right in front of Skull Hunter, her blade still dripping with fresh blood. A wide, vicious grin stretched across her face, predatory and wild—like a lion toying with its prey.

"So, now that all your goons are dead, what are you going to do?" she asked, her grin widening. "Are you going to surrender willingly… or should I make you?"

Skull Hunter's body trembled—not with fear, but with pure, seething rage. The sight of his fallen comrades twisted his heart, igniting an overwhelming desire for revenge. His eyes burned with fury as he glared at Valeria.

"You… You'll pay for this! You won't get away with it! Even if I have to sacrifice my life to kill you—I'll do it!" he roared, his voice echoing throughout the stadium.

A terrifying aura exploded from his body, sending powerful shockwaves rippling through the air. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and a fierce wind howled through the arena, whipping up dust and debris.

The Purple Poison Blade in his hand glowed ominously, radiating a dark, venomous light. Then, with a surge of raw power, a massive spear of pure purple mana materialized above the stadium, crackling with destructive energy.

"This is the end for you, you arrogant bitch!" Skull Hunter bellowed, his face twisted with rage. "There's no way you'll survive this— Tier-8 Forbidden Magic! HA! HA! HA!"