MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Anthony turned to his parents, a warm smile gracing his lips.

But before he could utter a word, he felt a familiar embrace enveloping him.

Mitchelle's arms wrapped around him, firm yet gentle, her voice soft and filled with maternal warmth as it reached his ears.

"How have you been, my son?"

Anthony hesitated for a moment before returning the embrace, his arms encircling her with a quiet longing.

He had missed this, the comfort of family, the unspoken bond that had been his anchor.

A century spent in solitude, speaking only to the system, had taken its toll, testing his resolve in ways he had never imagined.

"I'm fine, Mom"

He replied, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of emotion.

"What's there to worry about?"

As he held her tightly, the weight of the years apart seemed to dissolve, replaced by the warmth of reunion.

For a brief moment, everything else faded, leaving only the solace of being home.

"Where have you been, boy? We've been searching for you and waiting endlessly"

Collins' sharp voice sliced through the tender moment between mother and son.

Reluctantly, Anthony stepped away from Mitchelle's embrace, turning to face his grandfather.

His expression remained calm as he replied.

"Grandfather, I've been training the entire time. Is there something wrong?"

Collins' gaze bore into Anthony, his tone firm and tinged with frustration.

"The time of departure is tomorrow. We still have no update on your progress, and you abandoned the plan your father and I carefully devised for you"

Anthony met his grandfather's stern gaze, shaking his head slowly.

"Those plans wouldn't have worked for me, Grandfather. That's why Father allowed me to train on my own"

He paused briefly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Well… there's no need to say too much about it now. You'll understand during the competition"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Before Collins could continue his inquisition, Michael interjected, his tone lighter but still laced with expectation.

"How was your training, my baby monster? I hope you won't let me down after I gave you the freedom to train on your own"

Anthony smirked at his father's words, a spark of playful confidence dancing in his eyes.

Before he could respond, Irene stepped forward, her voice calm yet firm.

"My grandson is back, and that is all that matters. You all need to stop burdening him with these endless expectations"

Her gaze softened as she approached Anthony.

Placing her hands gently on his head, she leaned in and kissed his forehead.

Her voice carried warmth as she added,

"Happy seventeenth"

Anthony froze momentarily, his mind racing.

He had completely forgotten about his birthday.

Not that it was surprising, spending a hundred years in deep seclusion tended to blur the concept of time.

"Thanks, Grandma"

He finally managed to say, his voice tinged with gratitude.

"I don't accept thank-yous, they're just words"

Irene said, her tone as sharp as ever.

Anthony's brow furrowed slightly.

'Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?'

Clearing his throat, he tried to reason his way out.

"Grandma, I'm just 17 and, well… poor. I have nothing to give you or repay you with"

Irene's lips curled into a mischievous smile, her reply swift and unwavering.

"Don't worry, dear. I don't need material things. All I want is a great-grandchild"

Anthony's mind ground to a halt as her words registered.

'What the…? I don't even have a girlfriend yet, let alone a wife… and now a child?'

He stared at her, incredulous.

'I knew Grandma was up to no good'

Before he could muster a response, Irene pressed on, her expression feigning frailty.

"You're already 17. I'm so old, and who knows how much longer I have? Humor this one wish of mine before it's too late"

Anthony was utterly speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

'How did we even get here?'

He thought, his mind spiraling into chaos.

'Weren't we just discussing my training?'

He exhaled deeply, his thoughts racing.

'Well, during this competition, I'll meet someone I like… but this is way too much, way too fast'

As Irene's mischievous grin lingered, Anthony could only stand there, silently praying for a change in topic, or a rescue.

"Enough with the teasing, let us have a family dinner before we depart"

Mitchelle declared, effortlessly grasping Anthony's wrist and leading him out of the room.

They soon found themselves seated around a table in the grand dining hall, where the chefs and maids meticulously laid out the meal before retreating into the background.

Without hesitation, Anthony began to devour the food laid before him.

It wasn't that he was particularly hungry; his body required neither food nor water for sustenance, thanks to his unique physique.

Yet, he wasn't accustomed to going long without eating, a habit he maintained despite his abilities.

"Slow down before you choke"

Michael remarked, his gaze following Anthony's rapid consumption of the meal.

"Did you eat at all during your training?"

"No, Dad"

Anthony replied between bites, his tone casual.

"I was too focused on improving"

Michael raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"And what improvements have you made, son?"

Anthony's lips curled into a confident smirk.

"That's a surprise, until the competition begins"

"Not so fast"

Collins interjected, his voice sharp and commanding.

"There won't be any surprises. The other races will want to know your mana rank"

Mitchelle nodded in agreement, her gaze steady on her son.

"He's right. You can't expect the world to walk in blind just because of your 'surprise'"

Anthony had always kept his cultivation a secret, but this time was different.

The stakes were higher, and the world was no longer centered around his personal revelations.

This wasn't the Bloodbath; this was something more profound.

Sighing, Anthony set down his cutlery, his eyes rising to meet his grandfather's steady gaze.

Then it happened.

An overwhelming, incomprehensible aura erupted from Anthony's body, shattering the stillness.

Unlike before, when he had made a concerted effort to suppress it, this time Anthony cared not for restraint.

His parents required assurance, and he would provide it, unflinching.

The aura expanded outward, engulfing the entirety of the Null Estate, its oppressive weight suffocating all in its wake.

Killing intent followed, as though it were a natural extension of the power he released.

In an instant, the dining hall imploded, its structure no match for the force of his presence.

The earth cracked open beneath the estate, massive sinkholes forming as the ground gave way.

The air was thick with Death.

The sensation crept into the souls of everyone within the Null Estate, chilling them to the bone.

Maids, guards, and all who were within range were immediately overcome.

Their knees buckled beneath them, and one by one, they collapsed to the ground.

Blood seeped from the orifices of some, their bodies unable to withstand the pressure.

None could move.

They could only stare, helpless, as the very foundation of the Null Estate crumbled, torn apart by the sheer weight of Anthony's presence.

Mitchelle, Michael, Collins, and Irene stood frozen, their eyes wide with utter disbelief.

What they were witnessing defied all comprehension.

They had long since accepted that Anthony was no ordinary talent, his potential was something beyond their understanding.

He had always stood at the pinnacle, untouched by the limits that constrained others.

But now, as they watched in stunned silence, the word Impossible echoed relentlessly in their minds.

The reason for their shock was clear.

Anthony had transcended what they believed to be achievable.

He had ascended to the Ecliptic Rank.

To them, this was unfathomable.

A seventeen year old at the Ecliptic Rank, such an achievement was beyond even Anthony's own limitations.

They refused to accept it, their minds struggling to reconcile the evidence before them.

The last time they had seen Anthony, he had stood proudly at the Grandmaster Rank, a feat so extraordinary in itself that it had seemed mythical...no it was definitely mythical.

Yet now, Anthony had done something even more inconceivable.

'In a single year'

Collins thought, his gaze fixed on the sky now stained crimson under the weight of Anthony's killing intent.

'How is this possible?'

Even Mitchelle, who loved Anthony more than anyone, found herself gripped by disbelief.

Anthony watched the shock written across their faces, a smirk tugging at his lips.

This was precisely the moment he had imagined, and he reveled in the sensation of their astonishment.

Without warning, his aura and killing intent dissipated, vanishing as though they had never existed.

Yet, the aftermath, the devastation left in their wake, spoke volumes about the power he had just unleashed.

Those who had been injured, those whose bodies were still wracked with pain and blood, remained where they had fallen, gasping for breath and coughing up their own life force.

But Anthony was far from finished.

He raised his hand, and in an instant, cast his spell.

[Light Magic: Divine Restoration]

Mana surged from deep within Anthony's core, flowing outward in waves.

A flicker of light emanated from his very being, then exploded forth in a brilliant burst of radiance.

The divine glow cascaded over every living soul within the Null Estate, restoring them to their peak condition.

Their injuries vanished as if they had never existed.

Their stamina, once depleted, returned in full force.

Even their mental clarity was rejuvenated, leaving them renewed in body and spirit.

Everything, in the truest sense, was restored.

Anthony had stolen this spell from a female healer during their mission against the Forsaken Cult.

But unlike the healer, Anthony took the magic a step further, amplifying it beyond its original limits.

A ripple of shock spread outward, a collective gasp resonating through the estate.

They had yet to recover, yet Anthony had effortlessly wielded Light magic, something so rare that it rivaled even the mystique of Space magic in rarity.

None had ever seen him wield Light magic before, nor had they ever witnessed him perform any healing spells.

'Is he truly my son?'

Michael's thoughts faltered as he cast a fleeting glance at Mitchelle.

The sheer impossibility of the moment made him hesitate, if only for an instant.

Mitchelle, caught his brief hesitation.

But she said nothing.

Her full attention was fixed upon their son.

She parted her lips to speak, but before she could voice her thoughts, an unsettling sensation gripped her.

Anthony's lips curled further into a smirk, one that carried an unmistakable sense of mischief.

Without warning, he snapped his fingers, his voice cool and deliberate.

[Time Magic: Retroactive Mend]

Time itself seemed to falter, freezing for a brief moment within the Null Estate.

The very essence of time trembled as Anthony poured an overwhelming torrent of mana into the spell.

Time itself bent beneath his will, as though it had no choice but to obey.

Then, in a stunning display of control, the world began to rewind.

The buildings, once broken and shattered, began to revert to their original, pristine state.

The trees, their limbs twisted and bent, flowed seamlessly back into their natural forms under Anthony's precise manipulation of time.

The earth, which had fractured and split, mended itself, the cracks vanishing as though they had never existed.

Every single object in the estate, from torn clothing to shattered tables and broken chairs, was restored to its former condition.