MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1113: Far Below Zero

Just as the attack was poised to strike Anthony, Bryan, who had been instantaneously healed by his Dragon scale lessening his injuries, was suddenly beside Anthony. His eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Rider’s skill immobilized him. In that instant, Bringer’s elbow connected with Bryan’s Dragon scale with the devastating impact of a speeding train colliding with a person, the force radiating outwards with ferocious intensity.

His chest imploded, the Dragon scale cracking under the immense pressure. Rider released his skill, and Bryan was violently yanked backward like a kite in a tempest, spewing blood as he careened uncontrollably before crashing into a mountainside a kilometer away. The sheer force of his impact sent spiderweb cracks across the rocky facade.

Before Rider could even process the situation, Anthony materialized before him. His fist, encased in tightly packed earth molecules, shot forward with a broad grin. The very air warped and buckled from the sheer velocity of his movement. Rider reacted instantly, his reflexes firing like a barrage of bullets as his own fist surged outwards to meet Anthony’s strike with equal ferocity.

The instant their fists collided, concentric rings of compressed wind exploded outward between them, a series of violent bursts. The ground beneath them buckled and sank, unable to withstand the immense atmospheric pressure generated by their clash. Rider’s eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. He was a King Realm cultivator, and his raw physical might, amplified by his true Titan strength and Royal Bloodline Grade, was nearly at the precipice of the next realm. Yet, Anthony had met his blow head-on with no apparent effort.

Rider intended to press his advantage, eager to continue the assault, but Anthony’s grip clamped down on his wrist with unbelievable strength. Anthony’s hand barely encircled Rider’s colossal wrist due to its sheer size, yet this did not impede him in the slightest. With sheer power, he held firm and yanked the twelve-foot-tall Titan forward as if he were merely dragging a feather.

The moment Rider stumbled forward, Anthony launched himself upward with fluid grace. Earth particles coalesced densely around his knee before he drove it into the Titan’s temple with crushing, bone-jarring force. Rider’s head snapped violently to the side, his vision blurring as his consciousness teetered on the brink of collapse from the stunning blow.

Just as Anthony prepared to follow through with another devastating combination, a sharp flicker in his senses alerted him to Tiara’s rapid approach, her intent lethal. Anthony landed lightly upon Rider’s chest, using the giant’s immense body as a launching pad. He immediately sprang backward, propelling himself directly towards the oncoming Tiara with calculated ease.

As Anthony closed the distance, Tiara effortlessly transitioned her assault from swordplay to blood manipulation. Blood instantly materialized in the air around Anthony, expanding rapidly before engulfing him completely, forming a crimson cocoon. In the next breath, spear-shaped projectiles burst forth from the cocoon’s inner walls, hurtling inward to pierce Anthony’s body from all angles with deadly intent.

A faint smirk played on Anthony’s lips as he snapped his fingers. Mana responded instantly to his command, and ice bloomed outward in a blinding flash, freezing the blood constructs mid-thrust. The frozen cocoon then detonated violently, fragments scattering through the air as Anthony reappeared once more.

But the very instant he materialized, a sharp crackling sound reverberated from above. A golden thunderbolt, a projectile from Bryan, plummeted from the sky, descending upon Anthony’s location with a piercing, searing intensity.

Anthony’s head instinctively shot upward to track the incoming strike, yet not a trace of fear could be seen on his features. He simply clenched his fist, his aura flowing seamlessly through his body and concentrating within his arm as he punched upward, meeting the lightning head-on. The collision ignited a chaotic maelstrom of burning, crackling energy, utterly engulfing the forest in a tempest of destructive lightning. Smaller arcs of electricity seared the surroundings, the ground beneath melting into incandescent lava as trees erupted into flames and were reduced to ash in mere moments.

Amidst this furious devastation stood Anthony, completely unharmed, his body as immaculate as ever, utterly unscathed by the cataclysm he had just endured.

“So, you wish to play with lightning, do you?” he inquired, his voice low and tranquil, yet laden with an unmistakable undercurrent of absolute dominance.

In response to his question, the very sky seemed to answer, rumbling ominously. Clouds converged, thickening and darkening, compressing unnaturally as if struggling to contain the immense power Anthony was beginning to summon.

A dreadful sense of dread washed over Tiara, Bringer, Rider, and Bryan, compelling their eyes toward the menacing sky above. Four devastating lightning bolts then erupted from the darkened clouds simultaneously, each charged with a raw power far exceeding anything Bryan could ever hope to unleash.

All four reacted without a moment's hesitation, deploying their most potent defensive techniques to counter the incoming assault, as evasion was utterly impossible. In the subsequent instant, the world was engulfed in a blinding tempest of lightning energy, obliterated by a brilliant, pure white expanse. Smoke, dust, and sand were violently expelled outward, swirling and broadening to obscure all vision within a thick, suffocating haze.

As the obscuring haze gradually dissipated, all four combatants collapsed onto their knees, hacking uncontrollably as blood streamed from their mouths. Their bodies were charred and scorched beyond recognition, muscles spasming erratically, and their very flesh emitted the unmistakable aroma of burnt meat. Despite their defensive efforts, the outcome had been utterly futile.

They collectively raised their gazes toward Anthony, bewilderment clouding their eyes as they struggled to comprehend how he could still command such overwhelming might while confining himself to the Master Mana Rank.

What they failed to grasp, however, was that while Anthony had deliberately restricted his rank, his proficiency remained absolutely undiminished. His extraordinary mana control was entirely intact, empowering him to manipulate and amplify both his physical attacks and magical output with unmatched efficiency.

Moreover, his command over elements surpassed theirs significantly, complemented by superior tactical acumen and vastly more extensive combat experience. The chasm separating them was not a gap that could be bridged by sheer effort alone.

Yet, even facing such overwhelming odds, their resolve did not falter. They fixed their gazes upon Anthony with unyielding determination, refusing to concede despite the immense disparity. Their mana and aura once again surged, gathering within their bodies as they braced themselves for another encounter.

Tiara, recovering first due to her unique Vampire physiology, promptly re-engaged in the fray. With no ally obstructing her direct line of assault, she unleashed a torrent of blood constructs—blood swords, blood spears, and blood arrows—all hurtling toward Anthony in rapid succession.

Anthony observed the incoming barrage with a subtle smile, elevating his left hand as mana coalesced around it, while his right hand remained calmly positioned behind his back. His left hand moved in a blur, effortlessly deflecting each projectile with almost dismissive ease, his movements precise and measured as he tracked the trajectory of every single strike.

In the very next moment, the projectiles halted in mid-air. Tiara’s eyes widened in immediate realization, and without a second thought, she teleported away from her current position. The instant she vanished, the suspended blood constructs reversed their course, violently lashing out toward the locations where she and her teammates had been moments before. Though she successfully evaded, the others were not as fortunate. The attacks tore through their already weakened bodies, re-opening wounds and causing further loss of blood.

Anthony had simply exerted control over her blood constructs through his superior blood manipulation and mana control.

And with that, they all regarded Anthony once more, acutely aware that their prospects of winning this spar had plummeted far below zero, irrespective of any limitations Anthony imposed upon himself in a bid to even the playing field.

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