MIGHT AS WELL BE OP
Chapter 1075: Humble Bragging
Bryan nodded at Bringer’s words; he too had been attacked many times within the Dragon Domain, enduring ambush after ambush that came without warning, yet at the end of the day, no Emperor or Ruler of any Domain truly cared, as long as their heir or child did not die, and as long as the bodyguards assigned to them were performing their duties as expected without failure.
After all, these Domain Rulers, during their own time, had also experienced such assassins, facing life-and-death battles that constantly pushed them to their limits, and through those battles, they had built and shaped themselves into the beings they were today. So to them, it was simply another method of tempering their heirs, a cruel yet effective way to force them to become stronger, better, and to possess the firm, unyielding mindset required of a true Domain Ruler.
"I suspect that even at the event where Father announces my older brother as the Crowned Prince, these assassins won’t stop coming after me," Bryan stated with a shake of his head, his tone calm yet laced with a hint of inevitability, though he was already accustomed to it; to him, assassins were now no different from the air itself, ever-present and unavoidable.
"I guess when we get to the military, that will stop," Tiara stated, as she was already looking forward to joining the military more than anything else, her anticipation evident in her voice.
Anthony and Bryan nodded their heads in agreement, and with that, Bryan, Rider, and Tiara lowered themselves into a sitting position atop the aircraft, their movements relaxed as they simply gazed at the moons and the stars spread across the vast expanse above them. Even Anthony, who could literally withstand the force of a star without consequence, also stared at them; all five of them seemed to bask in the moment as a serene and almost sacred silence enveloped them.
"The stars and moon truly are beautiful," Tiara stated as her blood-red eyes remained fixed on a distant star that appeared as nothing more than a faint, flickering dot in the endless sky, her voice carrying a quiet sense of wonder.
"They are," Anthony replied with an expressionless face, his tone neutral yet sincere, acknowledging the beauty without embellishment.
Rider’s lips twitched slightly as he spoke, "You speak as though you are like us; you can just leave the Planetary and see the stars anytime you wish," his tone carrying a subtle yet unmistakable sense of longing, a yearning for something just beyond his reach.
Although one could automatically fly upon reaching the S rank, that was simply one of the many desires of the living; who did not want to see the stars for themselves, who did not want to touch them with their own hands, who did not want to stand upon them and witness the vastness of existence firsthand?
"No need to talk to this guy called Anthony; I’m sure he is more into destroying stars. After all, in his battle with that Demon called Lilith, they were casually destroying stars, moons, and suns as though they were nothing more than mere mountains," Bryan spoke as he shook his head, his expression reflecting both disbelief and lingering awe, clearly remembering the livestream from the purging of the Forsaken Cult in vivid detail.
"That’s true," Tiara added, her eyes never leaving the moon, as though entranced by its silent, ethereal glow, her voice soft yet certain.
If none of them had witnessed it that day with their own eyes, they would have hardly believed it; after all, the power required to destroy any of those astral bodies was incalculable to them, far beyond anything they could currently comprehend.
Bringer turned to Anthony as he asked, "How many stars and other astral bodies have you destroyed since reaching the Apexus Mana Rank?" his tone laced with genuine curiosity, as though he were asking a question he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted the answer to.
Anthony remained silent for a brief moment, as though mentally counting through numerous battles and memories. "Well, even before reaching the Apexus Mana Rank, I could already destroy stars and suns. In fact, during the battle you saw between me and Lilith, I hadn’t even reached the Apexus Mana Rank at the time. Counting all of that, I would say a couple thousand each. After all, at our stage, we are more inclined to destroy them than to admire their beauty," he answered truthfully, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. Then his position shifted from sitting to lying down as he reclined atop the aircraft, a pillow forming beneath his head as he created it effortlessly through Quantum Manipulation, as though such feats were trivial to him.
Bryan, Rider, Tiara, and Bringer were left utterly speechless at what they had just heard, their minds struggling to fully process the sheer scale of what Anthony had just casually stated. Anthony had just told them that at the Apexus Mana Rank, one could one-shot anyone below, and now here he was, claiming that he already possessed Apexus Mana Rank battle prowess even before reaching it, and had even slain Lilith on top of that, something that should have been impossible by all known standards.
With these questions lingering heavily in their minds, they couldn’t help but ask Anthony about it; after all, it sounded contradictory, illogical, and completely beyond reason.
When they asked, Anthony’s answer was simple and straightforward, "I’m a genius and possess limitless talent," his tone flat and devoid of arrogance, as though he had merely stated the most basic and universally acknowledged fact known to all of history and recorded existence. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
The group couldn’t help but stare at the handsome-faced human before them, their expressions a mixture of disbelief, annoyance, and reluctant acceptance; if Anthony had been weaker than them, they would have knocked him once or twice on the head without hesitation... too bad they were the weaker ones in this situation.
"I swear, it’s as if anytime we ask you any question, you somehow end up flexing on us; and if you don’t, you still do something similar," Rider sighed as he shook his head, then mirrored Anthony’s motion and laid down on the aircraft, his posture reflecting both exhaustion and resignation.
"There is nothing humble about his humble bragging," Bryan remarked as he shook his head at Anthony’s ridiculous and almost absurd record, his tone tinged with dry amusement.
Although Anthony had spoken so casually about possessing Planetary-level strength even before reaching the Apexus Mana Rank, none of them believed they could achieve such a feat under any circumstances. It wasn’t that they lacked belief in themselves or anything of that sort; rather, they simply weren’t delusional and were capable of recognizing the harsh and undeniable reality that stood before them.
"Such a cool night," Tiara stated, trying not to dwell too deeply on it as she leaned back lazily, her body relaxing against the surface beneath her. She didn’t know when last she had gazed at the beautiful night sky like this... probably five years ago... well, now she could look at it again; she was no longer entrapped in that suffocating cage called marriage, and the sense of freedom was quietly comforting.
"Hey, Anthony, what do you think of taking us to see and touch the stars and the moon?" Bringer asked, his curiosity finally spilling over into words. The moment those words left his lips, everyone’s interest was immediately piqued, their attention snapping toward Anthony almost instantly. Why wait for a thousand years to achieve something when the opportunity to experience it was already right in front of them, within reach?
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: More Chapters are coming, but during my normal Chapter release time, I had to sneak around to type these at work. I’m currently at work too. Good bye, love y’all