MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1056: Emperor Mana Rank
Previously on MIGHT AS WELL BE OP...
Anthony gradually stood up, brushing away the tears from his eyes while still shaking off the remnants of his laughter. "Don’t get mad, Rider; we’re not mocking you, you know," he remarked casually as he walked after Rider, the rest of the group following in a scattered line.
Rider chose not to respond at all; he had figured out by now that whatever he uttered would just fuel their amusement more, and he refused to give them extra fodder.
Anthony gave a slight shake of his head, his face serene again, his gaze sliding discreetly sideways. Concealed by multiple hiding techniques were a few Titans and Vampires, their auras expertly suppressed, but utterly visible to Anthony’s senses. He didn’t have to ponder or speculate to realize these were protectors dispatched to safeguard the Storm Brothers and Tiara.
The world remained a cruel and merciless realm, after all. There was always a strong chance that some group would try to wipe out the emerging young talents from the Vampire Domain and Titan Domain in a single strike. Such incidents had happened endlessly through the ages; they were commonplace and predictable.
Anthony felt a pang of sympathy for any idiot who took on such a task or dispatched killers after Tiara or the Storm Brothers. It appeared the world hadn’t caught on yet that he was traveling with them right now.
'If assassins show up, I can at least toy with them briefly,' Anthony pondered silently. Though they’d be far too feeble to threaten him truly, any diversion could provide momentary fun at this stage.
"I’m aware you’re all here to protect your young geniuses, but you must move to the other aircraft—my friends and I will stay alone on this one," Anthony declared steadily, his words piercing straight to the concealed guardians without any overt signal.
The guardians offered no protest. Each knew precisely who Anthony was. If something could slip past him to harm their charges, they as protectors wouldn’t stand a prayer either.
In theory, refusal was an option since Anthony wasn’t their superior. Yet powerhouses weren’t beings you debated with, particularly the erratic ones. Anthony might just erase them for making him repeat himself.
Naturally, they’d seen Anthony earlier, rolling on the floor in childlike glee, but they weren’t dumb enough to misread it. His laughter had been shared with their protectees, not them. That difference explained it all.
Would the Titan Domain or Vampire Domain declare war on Anthony over their deaths? The response was plain.
So, they departed without a word, shifting to Tiara’s aircraft and promptly informing their bases that their charges were now under God Anthony’s watch.
With their silent retreat, Anthony offered a subtle smile before pivoting and pressing on as if nothing happened. The group remained oblivious, thanks to Anthony’s telepathic exchange with the guards, keeping it utterly private.
Stepping into the control room, Anthony settled calmly next to Rider. The aircraft purred gently as energy flowed through its mechanisms, then it blinked away into the horizon without a ripple, no blast, no chaos—nothing to endanger those on the ground.
Once Anthony’s craft lifted off, the second one with the bodyguards trailed right after. Moments later, both vanished from view as stealth fields engaged, blending them seamlessly into the endless sky.
As the group took their seats in the control room, a short quiet hung before Bringer recalled a key detail.
"Hey, Anthony, you mentioned that folks lucky enough to encounter you receive a blessing. I met you today too, but I haven’t gotten mine," he said, eyeing Anthony with mischievous interest.
Right as he spoke, a crisp smack rang out—Rider’s palm striking Bringer’s head once more, making him yelp.
"Why smack me now? I’m just claiming what he offered," Bringer grumbled, rubbing his head in clear indignation.
Rider was at a loss for words by now; exhaustion had fully set in. The others had wisely avoided mentioning the blessing. If it wasn’t given, it probably wasn’t for them. But no sooner had they regrouped than his brother started demanding it outright.
'Maybe we truly need the Saintess Of The World to check this idiot’s head,' Rider mused with a heavy sigh, feeling completely worn out.
Anthony just grinned, evidently delighted by the brothers’ exchange, relishing their familiar banter like in the past.
"If you want it, then I’ll grant it," Anthony answered evenly, his voice carrying a hint of mirth.
His statement unleashed a wave of astonishment across the room. Rider, Bryan, and Tiara went rigid, faces etched with incredulity. Bringer himself was floored; his query had been half-joking, not expecting fulfillment.
"Boldness is sometimes required to seize what you want in life," Anthony added offhandedly. With no more delay, he snapped his fingers.
Anthony knew well they’d held back from requesting the blessing earlier, not wanting to seem opportunistic right after reuniting. But he acted solely on his whims. He aided them because he chose to, with zero effort or downside for himself.
Instantly upon the snap, mana exploded inside Bringer, raging wildly as the change kicked off without pause.
King Realm Level 8... Level... Level 9.
Upon hitting the King Realm’s summit, the wall to the next stage crumbled utterly, as if it had never been there.
Bringer ascended to Emperor Mana Rank.
Level 1... Level 3... Level 5... Level 7... Level 8...
The surge peaked at Emperor Mana Rank Level 8, right on the cusp of the realm’s top, a staggering, illogical jump that shattered all norms.
Bringer erupted in boisterous guffaws, reveling in the colossal power and mana flooding his veins in relentless torrents. The raw force left him quaking with thrill.
The rest watched in awed quiet, envy slipping onto their faces despite themselves. Had they realized... they’d have asked. No, they absolutely should have.
Bryan wrestled with the deepest turmoil among them. Even desiring it, he couldn’t speak up. Anthony had already aided him with the talent pill before, and he’d erred once by seeking more, prompting Anthony to set a quiet boundary.
Requesting the blessing too might have provoked Anthony to instantly ship him back to the Dragon Domain for greed and presumption— a risk Bryan wouldn’t take.