MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1084: Message

Anthony materialized atop the Storm Brothers’ aircraft, where the crew awaited him in hushed anticipation. The instant he arrived, he dispelled the mana cloaking them; each stretched lazily, their bodies easing after the intense ordeals they'd endured, before reclining on the aircraft while staring at the night sky in serene, contemplative silence.

"That was a beautiful experience," Tiara remarked, her gaze locked on the moon—a body she'd stood upon just moments earlier—her eyes brimming with enduring wonder and subtle captivation that hadn't yet dimmed.

"It is, but with me now having the experience of standing on the moon, the sun, and various constellations, the sky doesn’t feel so beautiful anymore," Bryan commented from nearby, his voice pensive and somewhat torn, as if a deep shift had forever altered something inside him.

"True," Rider agreed seamlessly, without hesitation, his eyes still aimed skyward as though striving to recapture the splendor he'd always taken for granted.

"Don’t worry, you will begin to enjoy the sky once again in a couple of days," Anthony assured them as he settled into a seated position on the aircraft, his tone composed, firm, and confident, like someone who'd long grasped such sentiments.

The group remained quiet, then nodded gradually; inwardly, they longed to relive those moments daily, to drift among the stars unbound and behold the boundless cosmos without limits—pity it was out of reach, as such wonders eluded nearly all creatures.

Quiet settled over them, each engulfed by personal reflections and visions of their recent feats. Anthony stayed mute; he too kept silent, eyes shut while his white hair swayed softly in the night breeze, his demeanor tranquil and steadfast like a placid sea.

‘I wonder what amount of progress Vega has made,’ he mused inwardly, eyes closed. After all, Vega dwelled in the Divine Realm; months or even years must have flown by there, though only hours had ticked past in this reality—a time flow disparity that perpetually intrigued him.

While Anthony pondered Vega, Rider’s voice abruptly shattered his train of thought, slicing through the stillness without warning.

"Ahhh... I just remembered, Father told me to tell you something," Rider said, suddenly recalling the message his father had entrusted him to deliver to Anthony. Caught up in the real-time thrill of unfolding events, he'd totally overlooked it until now.

"Father gave us a message to pass to Anthony? How come I didn’t know?" Bringer questioned, eyebrow raised in bewilderment, obviously taken aback and mildly annoyed at being sidelined.

"Because you would simply forget to pass the message," Rider retorted sharply, his response straightforward and unsparing, offering no space for rebuttal or excuses.

Anthony opened his eyes, fixing them on Rider, curious about the word from Gorath Storm, Patriarch of the Titan Domain, that his son had held onto for so long.

"Father said he would be needing your help for a certain sword artefact you gave him; he said it’s been a few years and he can’t even figure out a single thing about the artefact aside from its basic function," Rider relayed. "He said you should name your price, since you were once the owner of the artefact."

"What artefact is that?" Bryan wondered aloud, curiosity flaring as he leaned forward slightly, his attention briefly sparked anew.

"I don’t know; this was the message I was told to pass along. But from the message, it seems to be a sword artefact Anthony once used," Rider answered. "And Father also said if he is able to crack the artefact, the Titan Domain will benefit immensely in terms of craftsmanship and smithing, possibly elevating their entire Domain."

Bryan and Tiara nodded briefly, their interest fading instantly; they held no real passion for crafting or smithing—passions reserved for the Dwarf and Titan races' endless fixation, not theirs.

Anthony recalled the artefact perfectly; it was the katana he'd acquired from the system during his first battle against the beast called Dreg, a weapon that advanced with his Mana Rank and evolved in flawless harmony with him.

Right after the Starborn Tournament, he'd handed it to Dwarf Domain King Baldor Ironhammer at first. But when the Titan Patriarch demanded one too, Anthony simply bought another and passed it over to dodge the ceaseless badgering from that tenacious, unrelenting ancient titan.

"I refuse," Anthony stated flatly, his voice steady and composed. "If he can’t solve it on his own, then he doesn’t deserve it. Moreover, the Dwarf Domain holds the identical artefact. Perhaps they’ve advanced further than the Titan Domain, so your father ought to reach out to Baldor Ironhammer rather than bothering me," he declared firmly, allowing no space for debate, bargaining, or coaxing.

Rider fell silent briefly before nodding slowly; he wouldn’t dare pressure Anthony to grant his father’s wish or even try swaying him. Anthony’s rejection left Rider powerless to act. His father, an Apexus Mana Ranker, would have to approach Anthony directly if he genuinely sought those answers.

Furthermore, Rider knew his father’s nature well—he’d never stoop to meeting the Dwarf King, as his immense pride would forbid it under any conditions, no matter the potential rewards.

He could merely sigh silently in resigned defeat.

Anthony’s mention of the Dwarf race’s progress was nothing but a fabrication; no being below ???’s rank could possibly unravel an artefact forged at such transcendent heights. Thus, the Dwarfs remained as clueless as the Titans regarding its true nature.

Not a single one among them could wield the artefact effectively, since it was bound to Anthony from the start, linked in manners defying their understanding, duplication, or disruption, regardless of their vast expertise.

’This world surpasses Earth in technological prowess, but I can’t help wondering about the Dwarf Domain’s true level of advancement,’ Anthony pondered inwardly, a subtle spark of intrigue emerging in his tranquil thoughts.

As famed inventors, trailblazers, and unparalleled artisans, the Dwarfs surely wielded far superior and sophisticated technology compared to the Human Domain—perhaps even feats teetering on the bizarre or utterly baffling.

’Alright, I’ll investigate that soon enough,’ Anthony mused to himself while adding the Dwarf Domain to his roster of realms to visit shortly. The Titan Domain had been on that list before, yet due to the Titan Patriarch’s plea, Anthony now resolved to bypass it completely for the moment.

In the end, he could already envision Gorath Storm hounding him without end, doggedly and unyieldingly until Anthony caved and offered aid—a tiresome ordeal he had zero desire to endure.