Anthony could be seen hiding in the Void within space as he stared at his subordinates, the truth was he had arrived a while ago, but when he came, he noticed everyone had been catching up since they hadn’t seen each other in a while, so he simply decided to hide in the Void and not break the atmosphere, allowing the moment to continue uninterrupted.

He simply smiled as he listened to them talk and discuss what they’ve been up to, their voices carrying a sense of familiarity that only those who had endured countless trials together could share. Since their system shops require points as currency, which can only be gained from killing, they’ve been hopping from planet to planet, Solar System to Solar System in search of stronger beings and existences that could yield points for them, a cycle of battle and growth that had long become second nature to them.

Anthony wouldn’t lie to himself, him creating ten subordinates on his part was a mistake, an error born from inexperience as someone who was new to this brutal part of the world.

It wasn’t that he regretted helping Donna and the rest, no, he didn’t, it was just that at the time, he felt it was necessary, but now he realized it wasn’t, or at the very least, not in the way he had initially envisioned. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

After all, in the past, he hadn’t thought he would get to his level this quickly, a level where he wouldn’t need to even rely on the subordinates he had created, after all, he had created them to help him with various issues that could arise in the future, unforeseen dangers that he believed he might not be able to handle alone. But at the end of it all, any issue that arose was dealt with by him alone, rendering the original purpose behind their creation somewhat obsolete.

This was the reason he had decided to set them free, yes, they still listened to him and obeyed every single order he gave.

’I guess in a way, their luck was what helped them,’ Anthony mused to himself as he watched, his thoughts calm yet reflective, his gaze softening ever so slightly as he observed each of them in silence, seeing not subordinates, but individuals who had carved their own paths.

As the discussion turned in the direction of relationships, Anthony’s attention peaked as he wanted to hear everything they had to say, a faint curiosity surfacing within him. After all, talking lightly like this was different from demanding an answer from them as their Lord.

Seeing the hardened expressions on Donna, Evelyn, and Vivian’s faces, Anthony laughed as he shook his head, clearly amused, he decided to save the day and spare the girls from the topic these men were trying to impose.

As Vivian was about to speak, not giving a direct answer to the question but to shut Ross and Marcus down from asking such questions again, space quaked gently, no one needed to guess who was coming, Donna, who was seated, immediately rose to her feet, her expression shifting into one of composed respect, Vivian, who was floating, landed with a deft and graceful touch, Spectre sheathed his katana as he also rose to his feet together with Evelyn, who had been seated on the ground, each of them reacting instinctively.

Anthony arrived with a smile on his face, his demeanor as calm as ever, his sky-blue eyes dancing from each person before he spoke, "It seems everyone was having a fun discussion," his words low and somewhat teasing, carrying a faint undertone of amusement that did not go unnoticed.

At his words, everyone simply smiled and said nothing in response, as no one wanted to bring up the relationship discussion before Anthony, a silent agreement forming among them in that brief moment.

"It’s been a while, how is everyone doing?" Anthony spoke again, his tone relaxed and devoid of authority despite the power he held, as he spoke, he snapped his fingers and eleven seats appeared before everyone, crafted with effortless precision as they all lowered themselves into them without hesitation.

With that, everyone began to speak, various smiles appearing on their lips as they gisted and shared anecdotes about their journeys, laughter occasionally breaking through as memories were revisited and exaggerated for effect.

Anthony didn’t have any grand order to give them, and there was no need to act high and mighty simply because he held authority over their lives and death, so he simply melted into the atmosphere they had already created during their earlier discussion, becoming a part of it rather than standing above it.

Of course, Anthony didn’t just listen, he also spoke, adding his own adventures too, though he spoke casually, almost as if the things he had experienced were ordinary, the others couldn’t help but shake their heads, it seemed as though no matter what they did, their adventures couldn’t match Anthony’s, the sheer scale of his experiences placing them in an entirely different league.

As they were discussing, Vivian seemed to notice the absence of someone, Vega, she and Anthony were practically inseparable and were always together, seeing one without the other seemed somewhat... incomplete... if that made sense, so she simply asked.

"Anthony, where is Vega? I thought she would be here with you," her tone inquisitive as she met Anthony’s gaze, her curiosity genuine.

"Huh? Who is Vega? Did Anthony add another subordinate?" Marcus asked as he arched an eyebrow, clearly curious, his interest immediately piqued by the unfamiliar name.

Litt didn’t speak, but he too was curious, his silence masking the questions forming within his mind.

"She’s Anthony’s girlfriend," Spectre replied calmly as he knew about Vega since he was practically in the same Military Base with Anthony, his tone neutral as though stating an obvious fact.

Mike and Arnold couldn’t help but whistle, exchanging glances, to them, for any woman to win Anthony’s heart, she had to meet some immensely high standards... right?

Of course, it wasn’t that they believed Anthony wouldn’t be attracted to someone weak in strength or average in looks, no, they didn’t look down on anyone, after all, they themselves were once like that, but... the strong attract the strong, just like how the rich attract the rich, it was simply the same analogy, a pattern that seemed almost universal.

"You boys would be shocked when you see her, after all, she is even more beautiful than I, Evelyn, and Donna," Vivian added with a small, confident smile as though she was the one dating Vega and not Anthony.

Anthony didn’t speak, he simply smiled, Vega, Vivian, and Donna had become good and close friends since the Forsaken Cult purging mission, their bond strengthening through shared experiences and mutual understanding.

Vivian’s words left Mike and the rest stunned, they wondered if she was exaggerating just because Anthony was here, but Clement, who had only spoken once, spoke again, "She isn’t exaggerating," his voice low as usual, yet firm enough to erase any lingering doubt.

Eyes immediately snapped to Clement, if he, who rarely spoke, actually commented on Vega’s beauty, then surely Vivian wasn’t lying, their thoughts couldn’t help but spiral as curiosity intensified within them.

As for Anthony, he simply sat like a proud husband... boyfriend, his expression betraying a subtle sense of satisfaction.

’You haven’t seen her recently, if they see her now, even Vivian and Donna would be more stunned,’ Anthony mused to himself, as Vega had become even more ridiculously beautiful since her Bloodline Ceremony, her presence evolving into something far beyond what it once was.

’And when she breaks through to the Apexus Mana Rank, her charms would become even more devastating,’ he added like an ever-proud man, his thoughts tinged with unmistakable admiration... truly, he was hopelessly in love... but then again, that was almost every man’s wish, whether they admitted it or not.