MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1106: Gratitude

Anthony materialized within the Null Family Estate, finding himself back in his own room. He deliberately suppressed his presence, aiming to avoid alerting any guards and causing unnecessary alarm as if an intruder had breached the premises. With a mere flick of his consciousness, a glass of juice materialized in his hand. He took a sip with a placid expression, and a subtle smile graced his lips for reasons yet unknown.

His thoughts inevitably drifted to Aaaninja, Lucian, Aura Nova, and Kingsley. 'I wonder what progress each of them has made by now,' he mused, remaining seated. He was quite certain that they were all currently utilizing some form of temporal dilation chamber to accelerate their growth and cultivation.

The mention of a time dilation chamber brought his focus to the First Supreme Monarch, whom Aaaninja had aided with profound insights into the nature of time. 'I wonder how far along that fellow has progressed,' Anthony pondered internally.

His gaze shifted to the side, his perception instantly spanning millions of kilometers. He observed the Domain Rulers moving through buildings and vaults with a speed that defied perception, appearing and disappearing before anyone could even register their presence.

"Quite a nice scene, don’t you think?" a voice emanated from the side within Anthony’s room, its speaker clearly referencing the ongoing pillaging by the Domain Rulers.

Anthony became rigid in his seat. Despite his All-Seeing Eyes, Sense Domain, and various other abilities being fully active, he had not detected this presence at all. His head whipped around towards the source of the voice. The instant he laid eyes on the speaker, his own widened in sheer, unadulterated astonishment.

The entity, the originator of the voice, was an entity of pure blackness, akin to the void itself. It possessed a humanoid form, yet lacked any discernible eyes, mouth, or virtually any facial features. Spread across its inky, human-shaped physique were countless shimmering dots, each seemingly representing an ever-expanding multiverse.

It was ???

"It’s been a while, Anthony," ??? spoke in a tranquil tone. Though devoid of a mouth, a smile somehow appeared upon its visage.

Anthony found himself at a loss for words, unsure of how to even react. He had encountered ??? only once in his entire existence, and that was after his demise, when ??? had facilitated his reincarnation. The memory of that moment remained as vivid as if it had occurred just yesterday.

"I never thought I would see you again," Anthony finally managed to utter, regaining his voice. After their initial meeting twenty years prior, the being had stated they would only cross paths again when Anthony reached its own level. Throughout those intervening years, their communication had been confined to the system's interface; yet here it was, in person, before him now.

"I never thought so too," ??? replied with a soft exhalation, leaning back against its seat. "But I’ve been on quite the adventure, so I decided to come visit as a form of break," it added casually.

Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Adventure?" he inquired, perplexity lacing his tone. He knew ??? to be virtually omniscient; what conceivable adventure could such a being embark upon?

However, the adventure ??? alluded to was its persistent search for a particular author known as LORDTEE. This quest had led it through a labyrinth of repeated dead ends, as if it were pursuing an entity that simply did not exist.

"So, how’s life going? Enjoying reincarnation?" ??? asked, turning its attention towards Anthony and meeting his sky-blue eyes.

At this question, Anthony immediately rose to his feet, executing a profound bow. "Thank you. Without you, I would have been lost in an endless expanse or something far worse," he stated. Lifting his head slightly, he continued, "Thank you for granting me such a loving family, thank you for this life, thank you for the cheats, thank you for everything." He met ???’s gaze, his words imbued with utmost sincerity.

In the past, whenever he wished to express gratitude to ??? for any reason, he would invariably bow in a seemingly random direction, as their interactions had solely been through the system’s text-based interface. But now... he was finally able to bow before the very entity that had orchestrated it all.

??? remained silent for a brief moment before a smile touched its features as it spoke. "The last time we met, do you remember your final words?" it inquired.

"Thank you?" Anthony responded, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

??? nodded. "Of all the individuals I have facilitated reincarnation for, you are the sole one who uttered the words ’thank you’ when I requested their final statement. And even now, after two decades, we meet again, and you continue to express your gratitude," ??? remarked, shaking its head subtly.

Anthony offered a gentle smile in reply. "Well, I’m simply grateful, that’s all."

"And I appreciate that. Although I possess omnipotence and all that, a simple ’thank you’ might seem insignificant, but it truly holds great value," ??? responded.

"Well... my time here is drawing to a close. This visit was spontaneous and entirely unplanned, so do not anticipate me visiting again anytime in the near future," ??? declared, rising to its feet and stretching as if it were any ordinary elder.

"You are leaving already?" Anthony asked, betraying clear surprise.

“But you’ve barely been here for five minutes,” Anthony observed.

“Your definition of time and mine differ vastly, Anthony,” ??? replied.

Anthony’s lips curved slightly, as if he’d just heard the most absurd justification imaginable. He let out a soft sigh before speaking, a genuine smile gracing his features, “It was indeed a pleasure to see you again after two decades.”

“If you desire another visit from me, then present me with some grandchildren. I already have their inaugural birthday gifts meticulously prepared,” ??? stated.

Anthony merely inclined his head, opting to remain silent, as this was not the first instance of ??? uttering such a sentiment.

“Farewell,” ??? declared, and in the very next moment, he dematerialized from his position as if he had never materialized there in the first place.

Anthony remained motionless for a beat, a subtle smile playing on his lips as ??? departed. Much like their initial encounter, this visit had been as sudden as it was brief, both unexpected and abrupt.

‘Grandchildren, you say?’ Anthony pondered internally, the concept having never truly crossed his mind before; he still felt far too young to even contemplate fatherhood at this juncture.

‘He already has their presents ready…’ Anthony mused silently, a slight shake of his head accompanying his thoughts.

“Ding”

[??? conveys that during your maiden meeting, you expressed your gratitude, and now, after twenty years, you have reiterated this sentiment without prompting. ??? states that he treasures gratitude and shall, therefore, bestow upon you a Gift]

Anthony found himself momentarily dumbfounded by the notification, a broad smile gradually unfurling across his face as he absorbed the system’s message.

[??? advises you to anticipate it]

[??? signs off]

With that pronouncement, the system message faded into nothingness, as though it had never manifested at all.

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