MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1077: Exploring Space-2

A brief pause later, Bryan uttered, "How come this planet doesn’t have life?" without glancing back at Anthony, his eyes locked forward as if hunting for hidden traces.

Anthony materialized right next to him in an instant, clarifying, "Worlds devoid of life get labeled as Barren Planets, chiefly since they lack the vital components needed to support living beings—like oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and similar essentials. Water emerges from fusing two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom; without it, quenching thirst would prove impossible here, even for those who don’t require oxygen to breathe." He delivered the lesson with the steady poise and precision of a veteran educator.

"Barren Planets, eh?" Bryan muttered under his breath. He shifted his view to the Blue Planet, their origin world, pointed toward it, and questioned, "Our planet boasts a barrier, yet this one lacks it; does that imply every planet missing a barrier is uninhabitable and barren?" His inquiry cut keen and reasoned.

"Half correct, half off the mark," Anthony declared. "Indeed, this specific planet has no barrier owing to its barren status, though that’s merely one factor. Simply put, planets without a planetary barrier remain uninhabited, yet that doesn’t always equate to uninhabitable." His response came in a balanced tone.

"Similar to how the military establishes bases across diverse worlds, those outposts arise on habitable planets devoid of intelligent species able to ignite or launch a civilization. A barrier envelops a habitable planet solely when an intelligent lifeform kickstarts civilization." Anthony halted briefly, seemingly giving Bryan time to absorb the details fully.

"Should these surrounding planets prove habitable, countless others would have surely claimed them by now, sparking war against any rival race present," he concluded firmly, his words laced with subdued assurance.

Bryan fell quiet for an instant, then nodded in comprehension. "Will entering pose any danger?" he inquired prior to venturing into the unfamiliar realm, his wariness tempering his eagerness.

"With my mana shielding you, you’re essentially unkillable," Anthony answered, a subtle grin playing on his lips, his self-assurance unwavering.

Bryan shook his head while retorting, "I swear, I’ll need to borrow your humble bragging talents once I hit Planetary level; bet it feels great to show off occasionally." Without awaiting Anthony’s comeback, he surged ahead, plunging fearlessly into the planet, his form swiftly lost to the void.

Anthony observed his departure with a mere head shake. Though he hadn’t set foot inside physically, his perception had already scoured the planet—a realm choked nearly completely by vast toxic fumes. Venturing into such a world sans adequate safeguards invited instant doom, doom locked in before the peril even registered.

Tiara soared toward Anthony, springing from the moon where she’d perched, gliding elegantly down to touch upon the venomous planet.

"I have a question," she declared instantly upon landing, face etched with gravity.

"How can we converse? More to the point, how are we breathing at all? Sound needs air to propagate, yet space holds none. Plus, space lacks oxygen, so what allows our breathing?" Her blood-red gaze bored into Anthony, curiosity blazing fiercely.

Anthony found himself cast as a physics, chemistry, and science instructor in that moment, but he answered with enduring patience nonetheless.

"Erase that notion from your thoughts; we dwell in a magical Galaxy, so avoid boxing in your mind or comprehension," Anthony started. "Space does contain air, termed Cosmic Air—unlike the air you recognize from the Blue Planet. That Cosmic Air could pulverize you a billionfold, much like the gravity here, yet my mana safeguards you. Even absent Cosmic Air, communication flows via mana-transmitted sound or telepathy." He broke off shortly before resuming.

"Regarding oxygen, space has it too, though dispersed and sparse. Moreover, Planetary level beings no longer breathe, having ascended to a wholly superior state. For you to breathe here, though, stems from me producing oxygen for you and the others on the spot," he noted serenely, treating the act as utterly mundane.

Tiara nodded, grasping it now despite her prior deep bewilderment. She gazed at the stars, eyes flaring wide. "Truthfully, I never imagined stars loomed this massive; ‘huge’ barely scratches the surface," she murmured in reverence, tone hushed but brimming with marvel.

"You'll get used to it once you hit this level," Anthony said casually, shaking his head slightly.

From a distance, Bringer yelled, "Hey, Anthony, why don't you smash a few stars or suns for us to watch!"

Tiara shot him an idiot's glare while muttering quietly, "That moron just loves wrecking stuff; why would he even suggest blowing up things like that?" Shaking her head with slight irritation, she darted off to another planet, yet another astral body.

Floating over to Bringer, Anthony replied, "Sure, no problem."

Upon nearing a star, Anthony's fist blasted forward, crashing into its surface with effortless, nonchalant calm. In a flash, a world-shattering blast hurled starlight and raw, colossal stellar power everywhere, blanketing kilometers in its path. It swallowed Bringer, Rider, and Tiara before they could react or even blink, drowning their senses in the explosion's overwhelming fury.

Immediately after, Anthony declared in a steady voice.

[Time Magic: Chrono Reversal]

From his mana core, mana surged forth, and right then, the blazing starlight and stellar energy halted mid-burst, reversing direction as time flowed backward, undoing all the chaos until the star rebuilt itself fully, pristine as if never touched.

Bringer, Rider, and Tiara stood frozen in utter silence, brains reeling as they tried to process the impossible spectacle unfolding before them.

"Looks like obliterating a star is way simpler for you than I pictured; I figured it'd take a real hard hit, not just a lazy swing," Bringer said with a sigh, his tone dripping with awe.

Anthony's Time Magic didn't shock them much, since the entire world knew he wielded it, but seeing it in action up close hit completely different.

With a raised hand, Anthony pulled star energy from the restored star, which flowed to him and formed a glowing sphere in his grasp. It throbbed with restrained might, bottled up but boundlessly strong.

"Take it as a keepsake," Anthony said, flicking it casually toward Bringer.

Bringer grabbed it, his eyes gleaming with delight. Though clueless on how to use the orb, he now held a pure chunk of star energy. To him, it was an insanely precious item, one almost no one could boast owning, sparking wild thrill inside him.