MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 460: Sky

Anthony felt space warp and twist around him, his body frozen, unable to move. Any attempt to activate his Spatial Mark skill to escape now would tear him apart, space itself would rend him to shreds.

Then, suddenly, his foot met solid ground. His senses snapped back.

Before he even opened his eyes, he felt it, an overwhelming presence suffusing the air.

Chaos energy.

It hung heavy over everything, dense and potent beyond measure.

Anthony's eyes snapped open, immediately scanning his surroundings. His gaze settled on a solitary figure seated upon a throne, majestic and imposing, as if the entire world were meant to bow before him.

The being returned Anthony's stare, a slow, unsettling smile curling across his lips.

He said nothing, allowing the silence to stretch, his smile never faltering as he studied Anthony.

Anthony did not smile back. Instead, his gaze drifted away from the enigmatic figure and landed coldly upon Corporal Daniel's severed head and lifeless body resting at his feet. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

'So his life was the bait'

Anthony thought, a desperate ploy to lure me here by forcing my teleportation. Truly, the world is rife with outrageous techniques and cunning schemes'

Yet, despite the gravity of the situation, Anthony's composure never wavered. Calm and collected, he remained unshaken.

At last, the being broke the silence.

"Even standing before me, you maintain such remarkable calm. You are indeed the descendant of the Sword Saint and the Elemental Witch of Destruction"

Anthony's gaze shifted from Corporal Daniel's corpse to the figure on the throne. He said nothing, returning the silent scrutiny with steady eyes.

"Welcome, Null Anthony, to one of my planets"

The being said smoothly, his ever-present smile never fading as he leaned forward on his throne.

"I am Malrith"

His gaze shifted to the lifeless form of Corporal Daniel. "If you're wondering why he sacrificed his life to bring you here, the answer is simple, he was promised resurrection"

Anthony's gaze drifted back to Corporal Daniel's corpse.

'How utterly foolish' he thought. 'Could anyone truly fall for such a lie?'

Yes, means of resurrection existed, but why would a being of Malrith's level squander such power on a mere Paragon-level human? If they even possessed it in the first place.

Anthony's gaze shifted away from the corpse, turning instead to the window panel set into the wall.

Effortlessly, his eyes stretched kilometers across the alien landscape beyond. Countless demons and abominations roamed freely, as if this world belonged to them alone.

Every creature on this forsaken planet was steeped in corruption, tainted utterly by chaos. Not a single trace of mana remained here.

This was no ordinary world; it was a sprawling domain ruled entirely by demons and abominations.

Malrith followed Anthony's gaze and spoke again, his voice smooth and calm.

"This is but one of the many planets we have conquered. Not every world is as resilient as the Blue Planet. Some fall under our dominion in mere days, sometimes even hours"

Anthony said nothing, his senses still sweeping across the vast terrain. After a long moment, he shook his head slowly.

'Not a single being here remains untainted' he thought grimly. 'Every soul has been consumed by corruption'

"What do you want with me?" Anthony asked, locking eyes with Malrith.

Malrith's smile deepened, casual and dismissive.

"I'm sure someone as clever as you has already pieced it together. No need to feign ignorance"

Anthony's mind raced, the truth becoming undeniable. He was to be a pawn, a captive meant to be leveraged.

Malrith intended to use him as a weapon, a bargaining chip to corner the Sword Saint, the Elemental Witch of Destruction, and the Lightning God.

The thought was chilling: controlling the lives of three Supreme Monarchs through one captive.

Suddenly, Anthony felt the space ring on his finger vanish, only to materialize in Malrith's palm.

Yet Anthony remained unfazed. To him, the space ring was little more than a concealment tool for his inventory, nothing of true significance.

Just an ordinary phone he'd purchased from the military.

"Don't you think it's a bit low to snatch a space ring from a junior?" Anthony remarked casually, his tone laced with subtle amusement.

Malrith smiled, unbothered as he toyed with the ring between his fingers. "I'm not after anything inside your ring. I merely want to prevent you from contacting your people. Any meeting between us, and them, will happen on my terms"

Without a word, Anthony turned smoothly on his feet and began to study the room's design.

Despite being a demon, Malrith clearly possessed an appreciation for aesthetics, the intricate paintings adorning the walls, the grand chandelier casting a soft glow, the carefully chosen color palette, and the polished floors that reflected every detail with pristine clarity.

Anthony showed no signs of distress or urgency.

In truth, he wasn't truly captive here. With a mere thought, he could activate his Spatial Mark and vanish from this place at any moment he chose.

"Why so calm?" Malrith asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Strolling around admiring the paintings on my walls, remember, I'm a Demon Monarch"

Anthony came to a halt before a grand painting and met Malrith's gaze.

"I'm calm because I can leave whenever I choose"

Malrith chuckled softly. "Then why haven't you left?"

"Simply because I don't want to" Anthony replied with simple confidence.

"Hmmm… Is this the classic Stockholm Syndrome I've heard whispered about on some planets?" Malrith mused thoughtfully. "But we've only been together for mere minutes"

Anthony's lips twitched involuntarily at the remark.

'Your entire family is the one suffering from Stockholm Syndrome' he thought sharply. 'Aren't you supposed to be a Demon Monarch? You should be commanding, arrogant, unquestionably imposing'

Anthony nearly screaming in his mind.

With a heavy exhale, Anthony responded,

"You know, in stories, when the sky is falling, people always call their family to hold it up. But I've never done that. I've always been the one holding the sky myself"

Malrith frowned, clearly puzzled.

"I don't follow"

"I'm saying… sometimes it'd be a relief to watch someone else hold the sky in my place"

As the words left Anthony's lips, a heavy, commanding presence descended from above, filling the room with undeniable weight.

The entire planet began to tremble with maddening intensity. Sword Intent blossomed into existence, its radiant flash piercing the very fabric of reality.

In the blink of an eye, every living being on the planet was obliterated, extinguished before they could even blink, leaving only Anthony and Malrith standing amid the silence.

Malrith's expression swiftly darkened, his smile vanishing into a deep frown.

"I suppose this time, the burden of holding the sky falls to my father"

Anthony said calmly, nonchalantly stepping into the mirror dimension.

As soon as he vanished, a searing presence tore through the heavens, crashing into the building with a thunderous impact.

The Sword Saint had arrived.